Domestic Politics Archives

Senate Stablecoin Bill Would Give Crypto Some Credentials

20May

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Types of News: Brief, United States

Senate Stablecoin Bill Would Give Crypto Some Credentials

JP Morgan To Add Bitcoin Buying Options May 20, 2025—The Senate is debating a bill to regulate the stablecoins—a token used to purchase cryptocurrencies. Passage of the bill would mark a significant legislative victory for the cryptocurrency industry. Crypto is now quickly emerging from its reputation as a volatile and speculative venture into one that carries legitimacy. The GENIUS Act S. 1582, the GENIUS Act, would establish a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for the industry. It would provide some consumer protection and regulatory clarity. Specifically, it would: Require stablecoin issuers to maintain reserves in U.S. dollars, demand deposits, or short-term Treasury securities. Provide a federal regulatory framework in place that includes the Federal Reserve a...

Canada’s PM Promises to Never Forget the Lessons of the ‘American Betrayal’

29Apr

By No Comments

Diplomacy and International Law, Domestic Politics, Global Trade, Globalization, Disintegration, Nationalism, Populism, Types of News: Brief

Canada’s PM Promises to Never Forget the Lessons of the ‘American Betrayal’

Mark Carney Vows To Build New Economic And Security Relationships April 29, 2025—Canada elected Mark Carney to lead the country amid an atmosphere of tense relations with the United States under the presidency of Donald Trump. Carney is an economist and former central banker with extensive experience in managing financial turbulence. He led the Bank of England during Britain’s Brexit from the European Union and saw the Bank of Canada through the 2008-9 financial crisis. In March, he won the election to lead the Liberal Party with 85.9 percent of the party’s vote. He was sworn in as prime minister shortly thereafter, replacing Justin Trudeau. America Won’t ‘Break Us’ America played a central role in this year’s Canadian elections. In his second term, Trump has taken an ag...

Trade Wars: Lawsuit Against Trump Tariffs Gathers Support

28Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Global Trade, Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Types of News: Brief, United States

Trade Wars: Lawsuit Against Trump Tariffs Gathers Support

The Case Challenges Executive Authority to Effectively ‘Tax’ Consumers The U.S. Court of International Trade may not be the most high-profile court in the United States, but it is getting more attention and cases this year under the Trump Administration’s tariff regime. In one case, filed this month on behalf of five business relying on imports, the Liberty Justice Center is arguing that President Donald Trump overstepped his authority by imposing duties on imports. Now, a broad coalition of former senators, judges, lawyers, and attorneys general agrees and is joining the lawsuit. Tariff Update: Since he announced a wave of tariffs against U.S. trading partners, Trump has postponed most hikes while raising the U.S. tariff on goods from China to 145 percent. M...

DOGE Whistleblower Cites Breach of Sensitive U.S. Business Data

16Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Types of News: Brief, United States

DOGE Whistleblower Cites Breach of Sensitive U.S. Business Data

NLRB Breach Impacts Labor Cases, Proprietary Information April 16, 2025—A U.S. federal worker came forward this week as a whistleblower against the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, the broad-reaching initiative President Trump created with an executive order on his first day of office. The whistleblower, Daniel Berulis, is an IT worker at the National Labor Relations Board. NLRB is a small, independent government agency tasked with ensuring that private-sector workers have rights such as collective bargaining in their workplaces. Berulis asserts that DOGE employees not only overrode standard security procedures to protect sensitive data, but they also made the system vulnerable to disclosure to a foreign adversary. A federal IT worker Daniel Berulis has informed Congr...

Trump Scales Back Elon Musk’s Overarching Authority

7Mar

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

Trump Scales Back Elon Musk’s Overarching Authority

DOGE Seeks $1 Trillion In Government Cuts File photo from Trump's first Cabinet meeting Feb. 2025 March 7, 2025--In a fiery White House meeting on Thursday that pitted Elon Musk against Cabinet officials, President Trump signaled that the appointed secretaries would have the lead role over their various departments. It's notable because up until now Musk has seemingly upstaged Cabinet officials over decisions on federal employment decisions. Uncertainty over the U.S. government overhaul impacts citizens, employees, and investors. Today, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed would wait for greater clarity before deciding what direction to take. Powell added that changes in trade, regulation, fiscal policy, and immigration would impact the economy. Who's In Charge? ...

Private Prison Firms Eye Profit in Trump Mass Detentions

18Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Types of News: Brief, United States

Private Prison Firms Eye Profit in Trump Mass Detentions

February 18, 2025--President Trump, who ran on a campaign of law-and-order and promises to focus on detaining immigrants who came to the country illegally, is already making big changes to the detention system. He reversed a Biden-administration executive order that blocked the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Marshals Service from signing new contracts with private detention companies. Private prison companies are taking notice and making capital investments in the expectation of winning federal contracts for detaining people. "The new year is just underway, and the landscape is already changing in ways that are likely to positively impact our business," said Damon Hininger, chief executive officer of CoreCivic. "As the new administration modifies immigration policy and enacts new legisl...

DOGE: Trump Administration Fires Federal FAA Employees

17Feb

By No Comments

Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

DOGE: Trump Administration Fires Federal FAA Employees

"air traffic control tower" by Sean MacEntee is licensed under CC BY 2.0. February 17, 2025-No agency is left untouched in the Trump Administration's government overhaul. Several hundred employees from the Federal Aviation Administration received emails over the weekend informing them they have been fired. According to the Associated Press, the firings impact support staff for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, and one air traffic controller. This comes just weeks after a fatal plane and helicopter crash in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The Impact The FAA has roughly 50,000 employees. The layoff primarily impacts staff that was newly hired or promoted in the last year. According to USA Today, the layoff affects 400 workers. The USAT article, which cited Da...

Corruption Case Proceeds Against Israeli PM After A Long Delay

10Dec

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Corruption Case Proceeds Against Israeli PM After A Long Delay

Netanyahu Has Avoided Facing Court And Potentially Years in Prison Update as of September 6, 2026—The criminal trial against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and three co-defendants resumed in the Jerusalem District Court after a Summer break. The prime minister testified in June. This month, the defense team interviewed their witnesses. Reuters video stream Dec. 10, 2024 December 10, 2024—After a long delay, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an Israeli court today in resumption of a criminal trial on charges dating back to 2019. “Everything is at stake,” said Alexis Bloom, director of the 2024 documentary, “The Bibi Files,” during an interview with MSNBC. “This trial is an incredibly important event for Netanyahu, and he’s been assiduously trying to avoid testi...

European Commission Calls for Reforms in Hungary

9Dec

By No Comments

Domestic Politics, Europe, EU, Eurozone, and United Kingdom, Geopolitics, Types of News: Brief

European Commission Calls for Reforms in Hungary

EC Says It'll Withhold $1B If Changes Aren't Made December 9, 2024—The European Commission is on the verge of withholding €1 billion in funds to EU-member Hungary unless that government reforms 17 measures by the end of the year. The EC is already blocking €12 billion in funds to Hungary. Among the measures that the EC demands Hungary complete are anti-corruption and conflict-of-interest legislation, according to reporting by Politico Europe. Hungary is increasingly at odds with the European Union under the right-wing leadership of Viktor Orbán. EU lawmakers have grown increasingly discontent with EU-member Hungary over a series of infringements on human rights as well as concerns about corruption. In 2022, the EC announced that Hungary's government could no longer be considered a...

Top PAC Recipients in the U.S. House 2023-2024

6Mar

By No Comments

Democracy, Types of News: Brief, United States

Top PAC Recipients in the U.S. House 2023-2024

Eye on Politics March 6, 2024-As the U.S. political cycle kicks into higher gear, it's time to take a closer look at who is running with what resources. Political action committees, known as PACs, play a significant role in U.S. elections. Below is a list of House members receiving the most PAC money, according to data from Open Secrets. The top receiver, Jason Smith, Republican from Missouri, is chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. The top five contributors to Rep. Smith in the 2023-2024 cycle are the National Association of Realtors, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Apollo Global Management, Herzog Contracting, and the Alliantgroup. For more on American democracy, see Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy from September 30, 2026....