The Random Politics Thread

[China]

On 3/10/2024 at 2:48 PM, China said:

Steve Bannon Suggests Donald Trump Has Been Bought

 

Steve Bannon, the one-time adviser to Donald Trump, suggested on Saturday that the former president was paid off after a shift in stance on TikTok.

 

TikTok, the immensely popular video-sharing app known for its predominantly young audience, has once again come under scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers. The app is currently owned by Chinese tech company, ByteDance, which has spurred significant suspicion that its abundance of user data is being furnished to the Chinese government.

 

While ByteDance and TikTok have dismissed these accusations, lawmakers have continued to consider their options. A bipartisan bill put forward by members of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party last week would work to "incentivize divestment of TikTok" by ByteDance by blocking it from appearing in American app stores and granting Executive Branch authority to take similar action in the future against social media companies operated by a "foreign adversary."

 

Lawmakers on the House Committee on Energy & Commerce advanced the legislation last week in a 50-0 bipartisan vote to the full U.S. House of Representatives. TikTok, meanwhile, characterized the bill as a ban, and urged users to encourage their local representatives to block it.

 

Despite his past stances in favor of action against TikTok for its Chinese ties, Trump, the leading candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday that he opposed the recent bill, citing his oft-repeated false claims about widespread voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

 

"If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck [CEO Mark Zuckerberg] will double their business," the former president wrote. "I don't want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!"

 

In response to this post, reports noted that the seeming shift in stance from Trump came after a meeting with Jeff Yass, a conservative hedge fund manager who has a $33 billion stake in TikTok. Yass, according to Intelligencer, has been allegedly threatening to pull support from GOP lawmakers who back the bipartisan divestment bill.

 

Bannon, who led Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign and served as a White House adviser for the first several months of Trump's presidency, took to Gettr to make his suspicions about the situation clear.

 

"Simple: Yass Coin," he wrote in a post that included a link to an Axios story about Trump's flip on TikTok.

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

You combine that with this: 

 

Kellyanne Conway advocating for TikTok on Capitol Hill

 

Kellyanne Conway, the former senior Trump aide, is being paid by the conservative Club for Growth to advocate for TikTok in Congress and has had at least 10 meetings with lawmakers in recent months about the app, according to three people familiar with the meetings.

 

Conway’s work comes as TikTok faces a groundswell of opposition in Congress. The House is poised to vote this week on a bill that would force the sale of the app by its Chinese owner or face a ban from app stores. Last week, users of the app followed a TikTok rallying cry and bombarded Congress with calls to oppose the measure. President Joe Biden said on Friday he would sign the bill if it passed.

 

Both Conway and Club for Growth confirmed the working relationship. A spokesperson for TikTok declined to comment.

 

Billionaire investor and Club for Growth donor Jeff Yass holds a 15 percent stake in TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, which is based in Beijing. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

 

and you get confirmation that Trump and his cadre are for sale to the highest bidder (not that we ddn't know that already).  Not what you want in a president.

 

The Chinese government is using TikTok to meddle in elections, ODNI says

 

he Chinese government is using TikTok to expand its global influence operations to promote pro-China narratives and undermine U.S. democracy, according to a report released today from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

 

The annual assessment from ODNI outlines national security threats facing the U.S. in the coming year, and warns that China may attempt to influence this year’s elections through online influence and disinformation campaigns.

 

ODNI alleges that “TikTok accounts run by a PRC propaganda arm reportedly targeted candidates from both political parties during the U.S. midterm election cycle in 2022,” and that “China is demonstrating a higher degree of sophistication in its influence activity, including experimenting with generative AI.”

 

The report’s release comes as lawmakers are increasingly concerned about national security threats that TikTok poses. House lawmakers are expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that would force Beijing-based ByteDance to sell TikTok — or it would face a ban from U.S. app stores.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

 

Congress plows ahead with bill targeting TikTok against Donald Trump's wishes

 

Congress is moving ahead with plans to force TikTok’s parent company to sell the popular social media app or face a ban, despite opposition from former President Donald Trump.

 

The House vote to be held Wednesday is expected to pass with sizable bipartisan support, and President Joe Biden said on Friday that he would sign the legislation if it makes it to his desk.

 

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing. Members of the House’s Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party argue that creates “an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security” by allowing the Chinese government to “surveil and influence the American public.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

[PokerPacker]

35 minutes ago, China said:

 

Congress plows ahead with bill targeting TikTok against Donald Trump's wishes

 

Congress is moving ahead with plans to force TikTok’s parent company to sell the popular social media app or face a ban, despite opposition from former President Donald Trump.

 

The House vote to be held Wednesday is expected to pass with sizable bipartisan support, and President Joe Biden said on Friday that he would sign the legislation if it makes it to his desk.

 

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing. Members of the House’s Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party argue that creates “an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security” by allowing the Chinese government to “surveil and influence the American public.”

 

Click on the link for the full article

If it's bad if China owns it, it's bad if anyone owns it.  Don't make a carve-out, go after all of these society-destroying companies.

Edited March 12 by PokerPacker

[TheGreatBuzz]

1 hour ago, PokerPacker said:

If it's bad if China owns it, it's bad if anyone owns it.  Don't make a carve-out, go after all of these society-destroying companies.

 

Except that's not the argument they are making.

[PokerPacker]

7 hours ago, TheGreatBuzz said:

Except that's not the argument they are making.

Chinese company: Gives information to China
American company: Gives information to highest bidder everyone who will pay for it.

[ixcuincle]

 

 

 

[Larry]

On 3/12/2024 at 7:02 PM, PokerPacker said:

Chinese company: Gives information to China
American company: Gives information to highest bidder everyone who will pay for it.

 

Saw a meme years ago. 

 

Picture of Julian Asagne:  I give you information about corporations, for free. And I'm a villain. 

 

Picture of Zuckerberg:  I sell your personal information to corporations, for money. And I'm Man of the Year. 

[China]

Lawmakers propose legislation to ban first cousin marriages in Tennessee

 

 A bill filed in the state legislature would prohibit marriage between first cousins in Tennessee.

 

Representative Darren Jernigan, D-Old Hickory, introduced HB2041 in the House. Senator Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, introduced the bill, SB1917, for consideration in the Senate.

 

The bill states, "Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-101, is amended by deleting the language "nor the child of a grandparent" and substituting "nor the lineal descendant of a grandparent".

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Whitmire: Alabama lawmakers want to legalize gifts to Alabama lawmakers

 

In politics, friendship can mean a lot — a medium of exchange where no one keeps a ledger and everyone knows who looks out for whom when they need it most.

 

Years ago, when the FBI tried to trap Alabama gambling magnate Milton McGregor, he spoke carefully to the state lawmaker across from him wearing a wire.

 

“You need some new friends,” McGregor said to then-state Sen. Scott Beason. “We all need all the friends we can get, and Ronnie and I have a bad habit of supporting our friends.”

 

McGregor died six years ago, a free man until the end. For the jury, the recording wasn’t proof beyond a reasonable doubt. It was doubt. You see, McGregor was just being friendly and was suggesting he might help Beason’s political future.

 

You know, friends.

 

Fast forward to 2024. Today, a bill before the Alabama Legislature, sponsored by state Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, could open the doors for many more friendships by removing restrictions on gifts from lobbyists and special interests to lawmakers.

 

As long as they’re friends.

 

Click on the link for the full article 

[Cooked Crack]

 

[Larry]

There is no video any more. 

[China]

Kyle Rittenhouse Storms Off Stage After Being Confronted by Students

 

Kyle Rittenhouse abruptly departed the stage during an appearance at the University of Memphis on Wednesday, after he was confronted about comments made by Turning Point USA founder and president Charlie Kirk.

 

Rittenhouse was invited by the college's Turning Point USA chapter to speak at the campus. However, the event was met with backlash from a number of students who objected to Rittenhouse's presence.

 

In video footage shared on X, formerly Twitter, Rittenhouse was shown standing onstage at the University of Memphis as a group of students confronted him about statements that Turning Point USA's Kirk had made in the past.

 

"Charlie Kirk has said a lot of racist things," said a student addressing Rittenhouse from the audience.

 

"What racist things has Charlie Kirk said?" Rittenhouse challenged. "We're gonna have a little bit of a dialogue of what racist things that Charlie Kirk said."

 

 

The student responded of Kirk: "He says that we shouldn't celebrate Juneteenth, we shouldn't celebrate Martin Luther King day—we should be working those days—he called Ketanji Brown Jackson an affirmative action hire, he said all this nonsense about George Floyd, and he said he'd be scared if a Black pilot was on a plane. Does that not seem racist?"

 

"I don't know anything about that," Rittenhouse said from the stage, prompting jeers among the audience.

 

"Does that seem racist is a yes or no question, Kyle," yelled one attendee.

 

"Well, after all the things I just told you, would you consider that hate speech," the student asked Rittenhouse, who had a dog with him onstage.

 

"I'm not gonna comment on that," Rittenhouse said, sparking more noise from the crowd.

 

Seconds later, Rittenhouse abruptly exited the stage to cheers from the crowd. The attendees were then promptly ordered to depart the venue.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Larry]

1 hour ago, China said:

"What racist things has Charlie Kirk said?" Rittenhouse challenged. "We're gonna have a little bit of a dialogue of what racist things that Charlie Kirk said."

 

Who would have expected things to go downhill (for Kyle), after that?  

[PokerPacker]

Huh, so the murderous coward remains a coward.  Shocker.  What a ****.

[@DCGoldPants]

Not sure where else to drop this. 

 

 

**** you, whoever runs MTP since Russert died. Give this ghoul airtime is unacceptable. 

 

Then.....

 

No ****ing duh, Chuck. And like the poster said. Where were you when you hosted because you were feckless in the host role too. 

 

Get bent, NBC News. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24 by @DCGoldPants

[China]

WTF?

 

Saudi Arabia to be appointed chair of UN’s gender equality forum amid ongoing assault on women’s rights

 

Ahead of the expected announcement that Saudi Arabia will be appointed chair of the UN women’s rights forum at the annual meeting of the UN Commission of the Status of Women today, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Advocacy, Sherine Tadros, said:

 

“The Commission on the Status of Women has a clear mandate to promote women’s rights and gender equality and it is vital for the chair of the commission to uphold this. Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women puts a spotlight on the vast gulf between the lived reality for women and girls in Saudi Arabia, and the aspirations of the Commission.

 

“The UN Charter clearly states respect for human rights as a primary purpose of the UN. Membership of its human rights bodies means an added responsibility to strengthen this respect, globally and domestically. This is compounded for leadership roles in these bodies.

 

Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women puts a spotlight on the vast gulf between the lived reality for women and girls in Saudi Arabia, and the aspirations of the Commission.

 

“Saudi Arabia’s 2022 Personal Status Law, hailed by the authorities as a step towards progress and equality in fact entrenches gender-based discrimination in every aspect of family life, from marriage, to divorce, child custody and inheritance, and fails to protect women from gender-based violence.

 

“An Amnesty International report published this week highlighted how a leaked draft of Saudi Arabia’s first written penal code would have further catastrophic consequences for women in the country.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[CousinsCowgirl84]

1 hour ago, China said:

WTF?

 

Saudi Arabia to be appointed chair of UN’s gender equality forum amid ongoing assault on women’s rights

 

Ahead of the expected announcement that Saudi Arabia will be appointed chair of the UN women’s rights forum at the annual meeting of the UN Commission of the Status of Women today, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Advocacy, Sherine Tadros, said:

 

“The Commission on the Status of Women has a clear mandate to promote women’s rights and gender equality and it is vital for the chair of the commission to uphold this. Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women puts a spotlight on the vast gulf between the lived reality for women and girls in Saudi Arabia, and the aspirations of the Commission.

 

“The UN Charter clearly states respect for human rights as a primary purpose of the UN. Membership of its human rights bodies means an added responsibility to strengthen this respect, globally and domestically. This is compounded for leadership roles in these bodies.

 

Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women puts a spotlight on the vast gulf between the lived reality for women and girls in Saudi Arabia, and the aspirations of the Commission.

 

“Saudi Arabia’s 2022 Personal Status Law, hailed by the authorities as a step towards progress and equality in fact entrenches gender-based discrimination in every aspect of family life, from marriage, to divorce, child custody and inheritance, and fails to protect women from gender-based violence.

 

“An Amnesty International report published this week highlighted how a leaked draft of Saudi Arabia’s first written penal code would have further catastrophic consequences for women in the country.

 

Click on the link for the full article

Not any worse that Russia being appointed to the chair of Human Rights…

[ixcuincle]

 

 

 

[Cooked Crack]

 

[ixcuincle]

RIP Joe Lieberman, a very great man

[Cooked Crack]

 

[China]

Oil Company Repped by Adams’ Campaign Law Firm Got a $91 Million Deal to Fuel City Vehicles. How?

 

On the morning of Feb. 3, 2022, in the early days of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, an executive at a national fuel oil company, Sprague Operating Resources, got a surprise email from the City of New York.

 

Sprague believed they had a draft multi-million dollar contract in hand to provide the entire city government heavy-duty vehicle fleet with renewable diesel, powering everything from garbage trucks to police tow trucks. But to their surprise, a Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) bureaucrat informed them that the agency had been approached by another vendor — and that DCAS would soon reopen the bidding.

 

What the bureaucrat did not mention was that the CEO of that other vendor, Approved Oil of Brooklyn, was a three-time donor to Adams’ 2021 campaign. And that Approved Oil had hired Pitta Bishop, the politically wired law firm that advises Adams’ campaign, to lobby the Adams administration to try and procure contracts from the city.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Cooked Crack]

 

[China]

West Virginia bars TD, HSBC, Citi, Northern Trust from banking contracts over ESG policies

 

West Virginia’s treasurer announced that he is restricting four financial services firms from providing state banking services because he says they “boycott” the fossil fuels industry.

 

Citigroup Inc., Toronto-Dominion Bank, Northern Trust Corp., and HSBC Holdings PLC have been added to a list of companies that State Treasurer Riley Moore’s office determined engage in such a boycott based on a review of each institution’s environmental, social and governance policies and public statements. The financial firms will now be ineligible to provide banking services to the state, Moore’s office said in a press release on Monday.

 

“We cannot allow institutions that seek to destroy our state’s critical energy industries and the economic activity they generate to also profit from handling the very taxpayer dollars they seek to diminish,” Moore, a Republican, said in the statement.

 

As part of a 2022 GOP law, the state treasurer develops a list of financial institutions that have “publicly stated they will refuse, terminate or limit doing business with coal, oil or natural gas companies without a reasonable business purpose,” according to the statement. There are now nine financial services companies on the state’s list, including BlackRock Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo & Co.

 

Joanne Zalatoris, a spokesperson for Northern Trust, said in a statement that the company does not boycott the industry. The company has US$52 billion in investment exposure to companies in the traditional energy sector and companies with commercial activities relevant to fossil fuel production and supply, according to Northern Trust’s statement.

 

A spokesperson for Citigroup declined to comment. A report by groups including the Rainforest Action Network found that Citigroup was one of the largest financiers of fossil fuels globally between 2016 and 2022.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Ball Security]

16 minutes ago, China said:

West Virginia bars TD, HSBC, Citi, Northern Trust from banking contracts over ESG policies

 

West Virginia’s treasurer announced that he is restricting four financial services firms from providing state banking services because he says they “boycott” the fossil fuels industry.

 

Citigroup Inc., Toronto-Dominion Bank, Northern Trust Corp., and HSBC Holdings PLC have been added to a list of companies that State Treasurer Riley Moore’s office determined engage in such a boycott based on a review of each institution’s environmental, social and governance policies and public statements. The financial firms will now be ineligible to provide banking services to the state, Moore’s office said in a press release on Monday.

 

“We cannot allow institutions that seek to destroy our state’s critical energy industries and the economic activity they generate to also profit from handling the very taxpayer dollars they seek to diminish,” Moore, a Republican, said in the statement.

 

As part of a 2022 GOP law, the state treasurer develops a list of financial institutions that have “publicly stated they will refuse, terminate or limit doing business with coal, oil or natural gas companies without a reasonable business purpose,” according to the statement. There are now nine financial services companies on the state’s list, including BlackRock Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo & Co.

 

Joanne Zalatoris, a spokesperson for Northern Trust, said in a statement that the company does not boycott the industry. The company has US$52 billion in investment exposure to companies in the traditional energy sector and companies with commercial activities relevant to fossil fuel production and supply, according to Northern Trust’s statement.

 

A spokesperson for Citigroup declined to comment. A report by groups including the Rainforest Action Network found that Citigroup was one of the largest financiers of fossil fuels globally between 2016 and 2022.

 

Click on the link for the full article

I just assumed the state of West Virginia was unbanked, tbh.