MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2025
How did your lawmaker vote on TikTok ban? Death of Net Neutrality. No more free lingering at Starbucks.
HOW DID YOUR LAWMAKER VOTE ON TIKTOK BAN?
Rep. Ro Khanna of California went to the House floor to ask President Biden or President-elect Trump to issue a presidential pause on the TikTok ban (as allowed under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act). This video explains who vote YES on the TikTok ban and why things got complicated in the Senate. Plus it explains who is trying RIGHT NOW to save TikTok.
House vote on TikTok ban here.
Senate vote on 5 bill “monster bill” (including TikTok ban) here.
SENATOR’S LAST DITCH ATTEMPT TO SAVE TIKTOK
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act late this afternoon. That bill would extend the TikTok ban deadline for 270 days. In this video you hear Sen. Markey give his reasons for why he says this bill is necessary. But just because he introduces a bill does NOT mean it’s going to happen. This video also gives you the reality about the process in the Senate to get bills passed.
More from Sen. Markey about the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act here.
DEATH OF NET NEUTRALITY. WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU.
After 20 years of fighting, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals definitively struck down the FCC's Net Neutrality policy. This video explains what that is and how this ruling may change the way you access the internet and the type of service your internet provider gives you.
PRESIDENT BIDEN’S FINAL FOREIGN POLICY SPEECH/CEASE FIRE?
President Biden spoke to the civil servants at the State Department this afternoon, but he was really talking to all Americans trying to solidify his foreign policy accomplishments before he leaves office. The President said US foreign policy during his term had put the United States and its allies on a stronger footing, another effort to use his final days in office to burnish his presidential legacy. The nearly 30-minute speech touched on dozens of issues on nearly every continent, from fraying alliances Biden said he encountered after he took office to recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks that he expressed optimism about as he makes his exit (more on that part in a second).
“My administration is leaving the next administration with a very strong hand to play,” Biden said. “And we’re leaving them an America with more friends and stronger alliances, whose adversaries are weak and under pressure — an America who once again is leading.”
But Biden’s term was also tainted by the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, a still-live Russian invasion of Ukraine, and a China that seems unchecked. Biden defended his choice to end America’s longest war and withdraw US troops from Afghanistan which ended up killing 13 American service members in a bombing attack.
President Biden also said today that a ceasefire and hostage release deal was “on the brink” of coming to fruition, following expressions of optimism from Israeli and Hamas officials over negotiations underway in Qatar. Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, said there was “a distinct possibility” that Hamas and Israel could agree to a deal this week.
LA WILDFIRE DANGER JUST GOT KICKED UP AGAIN!
Firefighters are in a critical stage of their almost week-long battle against deadly Los Angeles blazes. Crews report progress, but the National Weather Service has issued an expanded warning about winds that could gust up to 70 mph, causing extreme fire behavior in ongoing blazes or possibly turning any new spark into a raging inferno.
If you don’t live in California please understand the severity of this situation. Imagine a hurricane force wind, combined with bone dry brush and fire embers that can sail outside of fire lines and travel for miles. This is a major problem. Unfortunately the National Weather Service says Southern California will be under these conditions for the next few days.
On top of the ongoing threat, sadly, more deaths have been confirmed. At least 24 people have died, and with dozens still missing, there are “likely to be a lot more” deaths, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. While technically the number has dropped, still more than 92,000 Los Angeles County residents are under evacuation orders and some 89,000 are under evacuation warnings, according to authorities.
If you DO live in California, PLEASE pay attention to your local news stations and local/county authorities and CalFire. If you are told to evacuate, PLEASE GET OUT while you can. These next few days are going to be really dangerous.
SPECIAL COUNSEL FINAL REPORTS (UPDATE)
Hunter Biden’s Report: The criminal charges against Hunter Biden “were the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics,” the prosecutor who led the probes said in a report released today that sharply criticized President Biden for his comments about the Special Counsel’s investigation when he pardoned his son.
“Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations,” said the report from special counsel David Weiss, whose team filed gun and tax charges against the younger Biden that resulted in felony convictions that were subsequently wiped away by a presidential pardon.
The report is the culmination of years-long investigations that predated the arrival of Attorney General Merrick Garland but became among the most politically explosive inquiries of his entire tenure, capturing Republican fascination on Capitol Hill and ultimately producing a fissure between the Justice Department and the White House over the treatment of the president’s son.
Read the Hunter Biden Special Counsel Report here.
Trump’s Election Interference Report: The Justice Department CAN publicly release special counsel Jack Smith’s investigative report on President-elect Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case, a federal judge said today in the latest ruling in a court dispute over the highly anticipated document days before Trump is set to reclaim the White House.
A temporary injunction barring the immediate release of the report remains in effect until Tuesday, and it’s unlikely US District Judge Aileen Cannon’s order will be the last word on the matter. Defense lawyers may seek to challenge it all the way up to the Supreme Court. But it is entirely possible that the Justice Department will release the Trump report as soon as midnight tonight. If that happens, I’ll have a full report tomorrow.
As for Trump’s classified documents case, Judge Cannon set a hearing for Friday on whether the department can release to lawmakers a separate Special Counsel report on the case that accused Trump of hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate after he left the White House in 2021. The department has said it will not publicly disclose that volume as long as criminal proceedings against two of Trump’s co-defendants remain pending.
TRUMP CABINENT HEARINGS START TOMORROW
This week is make-or-break for several of President-elect Trump’s cabinet picks. The Republican-led Senate is set to hold a dozen hearings this week with the hope of confirming those picks quickly after Trump is inaugurated next Monday.
The selections coming before the Senate range from those who are expected to have smooth paths to confirmation, like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl) for Secretary of State, to others who face headwinds and need the hearings to garner support, such as former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, a military veteran, for Defense Secretary.
“We’re going to have a little bit of a train wreck next week of confirmation hearings,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters last week. “But I’m glad we’re getting those done, and the FBI background check would naturally be a part of that process.”
TOMORROW: Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary. The hearing for former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (Trump’s pick for Interior Secretary) was postponed from tomorrow to Thursday, as the Office of Government Ethics has yet to complete its review. Similarly, a hearing for former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga), Trump’s pick for veterans affairs secretary, was also postponed for tomorrow but was delayed until Jan. 21 because the FBI has not completed its background check.
WEDNESDAY: Sen. Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick to head the Justice Department; South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to run the Department of Homeland Security; former National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe, who was picked to lead the CIA; former Trump White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, who was tapped to fill the role again; former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI), who was selected for Transportation Secretary; and oil and gas industry executive Chris Wright, Trump’s choice for Energy Secretary.
THURSDAY: Day 2 of Bondi appearing before Senators; former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), the pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency; hedge fund executive Scott Bessent, who’s in line to lead the Treasury Department; and former NFL player Eric Scott Turner, who was tapped for Housing and Urban Development Secretary.
Several of Trump’s controversial cabinet picks are obviously missing from this list. Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who is now a Republican, to be the Director of National Intelligence, former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health Secretary and Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director. NONE of their confirmation hearings have been scheduled yet.
HANG OUT AT STARBUCKS? YOU NOW HAVE TO BUY SOMETHING.
This story caught my eye today. It is exclusive reporting from the Wall Street Journal but according to them, later this month Starbucks is rolling out a new code of conduct at its cafes across North America. This new policy, says that in order for you to use the restroom or hang out at one of the tables and use the wifi, you will also have to make a purchase. This is a reversal of a nearly 7 year policy that allows the general public to linger or use the bathroom, regardless of whether they buy a latte or a croissant.
According to the coffee chain, they’re doing this to improve guests’ and staff’s safety and experience. People have said they appreciate being able to pop into a Starbucks to use the bathroom. But Starbucks baristas have said the policy can lead to messes, loitering and inappropriate behavior.
The new chain policies include adding signs banning harassment, violence, threatening language, outside alcohol, smoking and panhandling in its stores. Since this story is exclusive to the WSJ, I wanted you to have access to the full report here.
NOTE: Unfortunately, I can not answer any questions about the news via email. If you are a subscriber of FactsHQ, you can submit your question through the Substack chat feature and I can do my best to respond that way.