A bipartisan group of senators have introduced the RESTRICT Act, which would give the executive branch new powers to take action against tech companies with ties to foreign adversaries. This comes in response to concerns about the data collection and algorithm control of Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. If passed, the bill would be the first major piece of legislation to address the security risks posed by foreign-owned tech companies.
Posts tagged as “Beau Biden”
The Biden administration is nearing a decision on the controversial Willow Project, a massive oil drilling venture proposed by ConocoPhillips Alaska on Alaska’s North Slope. The project has galvanized an online uprising of activism with over 2.9 million signatures on a Change.org petition and over one million letters sent to the White House in protest. Despite the opposition, the project has bipartisan support in Alaska and some indigenous groups have expressed support for it.
The US Justice Department has announced it will be filing a lawsuit to block JetBlue Airways' proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines, citing concerns that it would reduce competition and lead to higher prices for consumers. The Biden administration has been vocal in its stance that there needs to be greater competition between businesses, especially in the airline industry, to lower costs for consumers. The lawsuit is the first time in more than 20 years that the government has sought to block a US airline merger.
In her new podcast, Michelle Obama candidly shares her emotional experience leaving the White House after eight years in office, noting that she cried for 30 minutes straight. The podcast audio is from her recent book tour for her third book, “The Light We Carry,” and Obama has been actively encouraging people to prioritize their mental health and vote in the upcoming election.
The Biden administration is considering reinstating the policy of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally, as they prepare for the end of Title 42, the public health order that allows border agents to immediately turn away certain migrants. This is being discussed in response to the high number of migrant border crossings and the expiration of Title 42, which has been used to expel more than 2.3 million people since it was invoked by the Trump administration. No decisions have been made yet, but many inside the administration are resisting the move.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has called out former President Donald Trump for suggesting that they influenced his own visit to the site, and has urged increased investment in rail safety and infrastructure.
First Lady Jill Biden has strongly rejected Nikki Haley's proposal for politicians over the age of 75 to take a mental competency test, calling it "ridiculous." Sen. Bernie Sanders has also criticized the proposal, calling it "insulting" and "based on ageism and sexism." The idea has been widely criticized by both Democrats and Republicans, as it is seen as an attack on the elderly and a violation of their rights.
On the 58th anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, Alabama, President Joe Biden called for new voting protections, noting that the right to vote is still under attack. He pointed to the Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act over the years as a major factor in the erosion of voting rights and called for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Biden also highlighted the need for a new voting rights act to protect against discrimination, emphasizing that the right to vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society.