Source: BBC News

The US and Canada have reached a deal to reject asylum seekers at unofficial border crossings, officials say.

Large numbers of migrants have been making unsanctioned crossings on Roxham Road at the US-Canada border.

The move closes a loophole created by a 2004 asylum agreement with the US on where migrants have to make their asylum claims.

It allowed Canada to turn migrants away at official points of entry but not at unofficial crossing points.

Read more: https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65047438.amp?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16796647140645&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-us-canada-65047438

Source: CNBC

Digital World Acquisition Corp., the publicly traded blank check company that planned to merge with former president Donald Trump's social media company, fired its CEO earlier this week, according to a Wednesday filing.

The former CEO, Patrick Orlando, will remain as a director for the company. He and his other company ARC Global Investments each own 10% of DWAC. The DWAC board appointed Eric Swider, another director, to serve as interim chief executive while the board works on executing a final succession plan. Orlando and a DWAC representative didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a Wednesday announcement, DWAC cited "unprecedented headwinds" that necessitated a leadership change in order for the company to enter a "new phase."

The company has been under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as by federal prosecutors in New York City. Amid those legal obstacles, Digital World has also faced financial struggles.

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/03/22/trump-linked-digital-world-acquisition-corp-fires-ceo.html

Source: The Hill

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday announced he will vote against Daniel Werfel, President Biden’s choice to head the Internal Revenue Service, because he is unhappy with how the Biden administration is implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided nearly $80 billion in new funding for the tax enforcement agency.

Manchin is fuming mad over the administration’s implementation of the generous electric vehicle tax credits that were also included in the sweeping climate and tax reform bill passed last year.

At every turn, this administration has ignored congressional intent when implementing the Inflation Reduction Act,” he said in statement, criticizing the administration’s decision to delay guidelines about who receives the EV tax credits.

“While Daniel Werfel is supremely qualified to serve as the IRS Commissioner, I have zero faith he will be given the autonomy to perform the job in accordance with the law and for that reason, I cannot support his nomination,” he said.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on Werfel’s nomination late Wednesday afternoon and Democrats say he has enough support to win confirmation.

Read more: https://thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/thehill.com/business/3889765-manchin-will-vote-against-bidens-pick-to-head-irs/amp/?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16782999395189&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fbusiness%2F3889765-manchin-will-vote-against-bidens-pick-to-head-irs%2F

Source: The Hill

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Tuesday he will not support Gigi Sohn’s nomination to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), complicating the chances of President Biden’s nominee getting confirmed.

Sohn’s confirmation has been held up for more than two years amid partisan gridlock on the Senate Commerce Committee, leaving the FCC with a four-member board split down party lines.

“Especially now, the FCC must remain above the toxic partisanship that Americans are sick and tired of, and Ms. Sohn has clearly shown she is not the person to do that. For those reasons, I cannot support her nomination to the FCC, and I urge the Biden Administration to put forth a nominee who can bring us together, not drive us apart,” Manchin said in a statement.

Republicans have pushed back on Sohn’s nomination, and with the slim Democratic majority in the Senate Manchin’s opposition complicates Sohn’s potential to be confirmed but doesn’t outright squander her chances. If all other Democrats vote in favor of Sohn she can still be confirmed if the vice president breaks a potential tied Senate vote.

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/policy/technology/3888048-manchin-to-vote-against-bidens-nominee-for-fcc/amp/

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden told Senate Democrats at a closed-door lunch meeting on Thursday that he won't veto a measure designed to undo changes to D.C. crime law, four sources with direct knowledge told NBC News.

The House voted last month to pass a resolution that would block revisions to the D.C. criminal code recently approved by the D.C. Council. It is expected to also pass the Senate as early as next week, setting up a question for Biden on whether to sign or veto it.

The measure to overrule the D.C. Council has the support of Republicans and some Democrats. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has indicated he would support the measure. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said he would "probably support" it as well, making it more likely to pass.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed Thursday after Biden's lunch with Senate Democrats that the president told members he would not veto the bill if it passes.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna73082

Source: The Hill

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mt.) will join Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) in voting for a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to block a Labor Department rule allowing the consideration of environmental factors in money managers’ decisions.

In a statement Wednesday, Tester said he will vote for the resolution, which concerns use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investment in some retirement accounts. While Manchin has backed the resolution from the beginning, Tester had been noncommittal before Wednesday.

“At a time when working families are dealing with higher costs, from health care to housing, we need to be focused on ensuring Montanans’ retirement savings are on the strongest footing possible,” Tester said. “I’m opposing this Biden administration rule because I believe it undermines retirement accounts for working Montanans and is wrong for my state.”

Manchin has long been vocally against the rule, co-sponsoring the CRA resolution in February.

Read more: https://thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3879388-tester-to-join-manchin-republicans-in-blocking-dol-green-investment-rule/amp/?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16776959501783&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fpolicy%2Fenergy-environment%2F3879388-tester-to-join-manchin-republicans-in-blocking-dol-green-investment-rule%2F

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe TikTok off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns.

The Office of Management and Budget calls the guidance, issued Monday, a “critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data.” Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions in place; the guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit within 30 days.

The White House already does not allow TikTok on its devices.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has invested heavily in defending our nation’s digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries’ access to Americans’ data,” said Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer. “This guidance is part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the American people’s security and privacy.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-ap-top-news-business-95491774cf8f0fe3e2b9634658a22e56

Source: Politico

NEW YORK – Rep. George Santos was charged with theft in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country in 2017 after a series of bad checks were written in his name to dog breeders, according to the court and a lawyer friend who helped him address the charge.

Just days after $15,125 in checks were made out for “puppies,” according to the memo lines, Santos held an adoption event at a Staten Island pet store with his animal rescue charity Friends of Pets United, according to the store’s Instagram account and a person who attended the event.

The charge was dismissed and his record expunged after Santos claimed someone had stolen his checkbook, according to the court and the lawyer.

The Pennsylvania theft charge, which has not previously been reported, is the latest revelation in a dizzying array of scandals for the beleaguered New York congressman, who fabricated much of his campaign biography. Santos is facing at least five law enforcement probes including an FBI investigation into his role in a service dog charity scheme tied to Friends of Pets United and a Brazilian fraud case.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/09/santos-charged-theft-2017-dog-breeders-00082091

Source: CNN

The transiting of three suspected Chinese spy balloons over the continental US during the Trump administration was only discovered after President Joe Biden took office, a senior administration official told CNN on Sunday.

The official did not say how or when those incidents were discovered.

The official said that the intelligence community is prepared to offer briefings to key Trump administration officials about the Chinese surveillance program, which the Biden administration believes has been deployed in countries across five continents over the last several years.

After the Biden administration disclosed last week that a suspected Chinese spy balloon was hovering over Montana, the Pentagon said that similar balloon incidents had occurred during the Trump administration. In response, former Trump administration Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CNN on Friday that he was "surprised" by that statement.

Read more: https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/05/politics/chinese-spy-balloons-trump-administration/index.html?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16756781650241&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2023%2F02%2F05%2Fpolitics%2Fchinese-spy-balloons-trump-administration%2Findex.html

Source: NBC News

A jury found Elon Musk not liable for costing investors millions of dollars when he issued a series of tweets saying he had "secured" funding to take the electric car maker private.

The Friday verdict, issued by a nine-person Northern California jury, represents a legal victory for the 51-year-old billionaire, who has seen the value of his Tesla holdings decline some 44% over the past year.

During the trial, Musk personally took the witness stand to defend the tweets, testifying he believed he had a handshake agreement in 2018 with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to convert Tesla, which is a publicly traded company, into a private one. It was the Saudis, he said, who subsequently reneged on the deal.

“I had no ill motive,” Musk said during nearly eight hours of testimony last month. “My intent was to do the right thing for all shareholders.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/elon-musk-funding-secured-trial-verdict-rcna68634