The White House has condemned a post made by Elon Musk on a social platform this week, prompting IBM and the European Commission to pull their spending on the platform. The incident has raised questions about the role of social media platforms in promoting hate speech and the need for greater oversight of online platforms to ensure that hate speech is not tolerated.
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The House Ethics Committee has released a report detailing "a complex web of unlawful activity" involving Representative George Santos (R-N.Y.), including using campaign funds for personal purposes. In response, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) has filed a resolution to expel Santos from Congress, which would make him the first member of Congress to be expelled since 2002. Santos has announced he will not seek reelection, and the resolution is now in the hands of the House of Representatives.
President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador are meeting in San Francisco to discuss migration, fentanyl trafficking, and Cuba relations. The two leaders are attending the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, where Biden has held a series of face-to-face meetings with other leaders. Fentanyl is also sure to be a topic of conversation, as the two countries work together to address the many issues facing them.
House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., has filed a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress after a report concluded there is “substantial evidence” Santos violated federal criminal laws. Santos responded to the report, saying he was “deeply disappointed” and will “continue to fight for the truth and justice.” The resolution will now be sent to the full House for consideration, and if approved, Santos would be the first member of Congress to be expelled since the Civil War.
President Joe Biden has signed a bipartisan short-term spending bill, preventing a potential government shutdown and giving lawmakers more time to sort out their differences over the federal budget. The bill was signed at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco while attending the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, and passed the House and Senate by wide bipartisan margins. President Biden has urged Congress to pass a long-term spending bill that would provide more certainty for the federal budget, but it remains to be seen if lawmakers can reach a compromise in the new year.
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Florida's bid to enforce a law that would have prohibited children from attending drag shows, keeping in place a lower court ruling as a legal challenge continues. The law was challenged by a restaurant in Orlando known as Hamburger Mary's, arguing that it was unconstitutional and imposed unlawful restrictions on free speech. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch said they would have granted Florida's bid, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the court's decision does not speak to their views on the merits of the case.
Former President Donald Trump's legal team successfully obtained a stay of a gag order that barred him from commenting on court staff in his civil fraud trial. Judge David Friedman of the state’s intermediate appeals court issued the stay due to constitutional concerns about restricting Trump’s free speech. The stay allows Trump to comment freely while a longer appeals process plays out, though the gag order may be reinstated.
China and the United States have had a long-standing "Panda Diplomacy" agreement in place for over five decades, which involves the exchange of pandas between the two countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping surprised the White House by announcing China's continued commitment to the agreement at a dinner with business leaders in San Francisco. The exchange of pandas is seen as a symbol of friendship between the two nations, and it is hoped that this will continue in the future.