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