This week Politico published predictions from 34 “big thinkers” about what the future will be like after the coronavirus pandemic. (An associate professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland argues that “The Reagan era is over. The widely accepted idea that government is inherently bad won’t persist after coronavirus.”) Others predict a future with voting from mobile devices…
Tag: Politico
Responding to Coronavirus Pandemic, Trump Eliminates Interest on US Students Loans
An anonymous reader quotes Politico: President Donald Trump on Friday said that he would eliminate the interest on federal student loans “until further notice” as part of a package of emergency executive actions designed to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic… The unprecedented move will provide relief to the more than 42 million Americans who owe more than $1.5…
America’s Coronavirus Testing Lags Far Behind South Korea and China
The news site Axios (founded by former Politico staffers) reports on an issue discovered at an Atlanta lab for America’s Centers for Disease Control that was manufacturing “relatively small amounts” of coronavirus testing kits for laboratories around the country. Sources familiar with the situation in Atlanta tell them that manufacturing has now been moved to another lab. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn…
YouTube Censors Senate Floor Speech With Whistleblower’s Name
SonicSpike shares a report from The Hill: YouTube has removed a video from its platform that shows Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stating on the Senate floor the name of a person who conservative media have suggested is the whistleblower whose complaint triggered the impeachment inquiry of President Trump. The company, home to millions of hours of video content, said in a…
Split Senate Acquits Trump of Impeachment Charges
The Senate on Wednesday acquitted President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment, rejecting the House’s charges that he should be removed from office for abusing his power and obstructing the congressional investigation into his conduct. Politico reports: The vote capped a frenetic four-month push by House Democrats to investigate and impeach Trump for allegedly withholding U.S. military aid from Ukraine…
Amazon Warned Holiday Shopper That Honey, a Popular Browser Extension, Was a ‘Security Risk’
In an apparent swipe at PayPal’s recent $4 billion acquisition of Honey, a popular browser extension that tracks prices and discount codes, Amazon labeled the service as “a security risk” for shoppers over the holidays. Wired reports: “Honey tracks your private shopping behavior, collects data like your order history and items saved, and can read or change any of your data…
Is America’s Federal Banking System Considering Its Own Digital Cryptocurrency?
America’s lawmakers and Federal Reserve officials “are so concerned about Facebook’s plans to launch a new digital currency,” reports Politico’s financial services reporter, “that they’re contemplating a novel response — having the central bank create a competitor.”
Momentum is building for an idea that was once considered outlandish — a U.S. government-run virtual currency that would replace physical cash, a dramatic move…
Politicians Can Break Our Content Rules, YouTube CEO Says
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said this week that content by politicians would stay up on the video-sharing website even if it violates the company’s standards, echoing a position staked out by Facebook this week. From a report: “When you have a political officer that is making information that is really important for their constituents to see, or for other global leaders…
Spouse of Ring Exec Among Lawmakers Trying To Weaken California Privacy Law
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The California legislature worked through the summer to finalize the text of the state’s landmark data privacy law before time to make amendments ran out on Friday. In the Assembly (California’s lower house), Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin has been a key voice and vote backing motions that would weaken the law, and a…
Israel Accused of Planting Mysterious Spy Devices Near the White House
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Politico: The U.S. government concluded within the past two years that Israel was most likely behind the placement of cellphone surveillance devices that were found near the White House and other sensitive locations around Washington, according to three former senior U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. But unlike most other occasions when flagrant…