Jose Garcia
Jose Garcia's JournalWhite House: No more TikTok on gov't devices within 30 days
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
Santos was charged with theft in 2017 case tied to Amish dog breeders
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
Chinese spy balloons under Trump not discovered until after Biden took office
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
Jury finds Elon Musk did not defraud Tesla investors with infamous 'funding secured' claim
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
Sen. Kennedy stumps Biden judicial nominee with basic questions about Constitution
Source: NBC News
A judicial nominee of President Joe Biden was apparently stumped by Sen. John Kennedy's basic questions about the Constitution during her Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday.
Spokane County Superior Court Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren, who was nominated to be the U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Washington, couldn't answer when Kennedy, R-La., pressed her about articles of the nation's founding document.
“Tell me what Article V of the Constitution does,” Kennedy asked as he began his round of questioning.
“Article V is not coming to mind at the moment,” Bjelkengren replied.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna67703
College Board to update AP African American Studies framework rejected by DeSantis, Florida
Source: WFLA
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The College Board, the non-profit organization that designs and manages the Advanced Placement courses in the United States, announced the rejected pilot program of their AP African American Studies course would be updated.
The course was recently rejected from use in the state of Florida, with state officials saying the proposed study course “lacks educational value and historical accuracy.
As submitted, the course is a vehicle for a political agenda and leaves large, ambiguous gaps that can be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow,” such as Critical Race Theory.
Additional commentary from Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. said the state “proudly” mandates the teaching of African American history, but does “not accept woke indoctrination masquerading as education.”
Read more: https://www.wfla.com/news/education/college-board-to-update-ap-african-american-studies-framework-rejected-by-desantis-florida/
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