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Janet Yellen in China as countries clash over trade, chips and espionage

July 7, 2023

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is on her first visit to China since taking the post in 2021. The trip comes as the world’s two largest economies remain at odds. Here are five ways tensions between the United States and China are affecting business in this week’s Five For Friday.

#5: Executive visits

Talks of decoupling from China are picking up, forcing captains of industry to traverse the Pacific Ocean to calm the rhetoric.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon visited Shanghai in May to assure the Chinese the bank will remain in the country in good times and bad. It was far more conciliatory than when he suggested America’s largest bank would outlast the Chinese Communist Party.

Elon Musk made the trip around the same time and also opposed the idea of decoupling while visiting Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai, where the company made more than half of the vehicles sold in 2022.

Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan also made China his first stop outside of North America since taking the role last year. Narasimhan stressed the company’s long-term commitment to the country, where a new location opens every nine hours.

#4: U.S. bans Chinese tech

America has had China’s tech dominance in its sights for decades. The U.S. recently banned new telecommunications equipment from Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE, citing national security risks. The government even offered reimbursement for companies that rip and replace existing Chinese tech from its infrastructure.

The Biden administration is also looking to block Chinese companies from purchasing high-end chips used in artificial intelligence made by the likes of Nvidia, AMD and Intel. And Congress passed the $280 billion CHIPS Act last year, which takes aim at China by pushing manufacturers to build facilities in the U.S.

#3: China’s retaliatory bans

Technology bans are not a one-way street. China recently banned America’s biggest memory maker Micron from its infrastructure projects, also due to national security risks. Analysts don’t believe this will have too much of an impact based on Micron’s clientele in the country, which spans far beyond government entities.

The decision came one day after G7 leaders criticized China and brought up de-risking the relationship. China also launched espionage investigations into multiple American consulting firms, including Capvision. Authorities even raided of the company’s offices in several Chinese cities. Bans are nothing new in China, most of the biggest names in tech are barred from operating there, from Google to Facebook.

#2: TikTok in the crosshairs

Talking about TikTok is all the rage on Capitol Hill, but it’s not doom scrolling that’s caught politicians’ ire. They are more fearful that China could have a backdoor into user data.

Parent company Bytedance even switched to Oracle servers to quell those concerns, but employees were apparently still able to spy on journalists.

The federal government and many states have banned TikTok on government devices. There’s an outright ban in Montana taking effect in 2024, if it makes it through legal challenges.

#1: Moving manufacturing

China has long been the leader in manufacturing output throughout the globe, but the last thing a major company wants is production slowdowns due to supply chain disruptions, COVID lockdowns or geopolitical tensions. Apple is moving some of its China-based production to other locations in southeast Asia. Microsoft shipped its latest Xbox console from Vietnam, while Amazon is shipping Fire TV devices out of India.
Wagner Chief Prigozhin back in Russia following revolt: July 6 Rundown

July 6, 2023

Wagner Group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin returned to Russia following the group’s revolt, Russian fighter jets harassed U.S. drones in Syria, and a man was arrested on his way to former President Barack Obama’s residence. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Thursday, July 6, 2023.

Wagner Group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin back in Russia

Wagner Group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was reported to be in St. Petersburg, Russia, no longer in Belarus as was agreed upon after June’s brief revolt. This, according to Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

Prigozhin moved to Belarus following the group’s revolt against Russia last month as part of an agreement between the two sides to end the rebellion. Prigozhin and his mercenaries received security guarantees in exchange for an end to the uprising.

Prigozhin’s presence in Russia was seen as part of agreements that allowed him to finalize his affairs in Russia. However, much remains unclear about the terms of the deal and whether it is being implemented as agreed.

Russia fighter jets harass U.S. drones in Syria

Three U.S. drones were conducting a mission against ISIS targets in Syria when three Russian fighter jets approached the drones and began harassing them. According to Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the commander of the Ninth Air Force and the Combined Forces Air Component for U.S. Central Command, the Russian jets dropped multiple parachute flares in front of the U.S. hunter-killer drones, forcing them to take evasive measures.

“Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behavior while interacting with U.S. aircraft in Syria,” Grynkewich said. “Against established norms and protocols, the Russian jets dropped multiple parachute flares in front of the drones, forcing our aircraft to conduct evasive maneuvers.”

In March, the U.S. accused Russia of flying jets over U.S. military bases in Syria nearly every day. The U.S. has reported several provoking interactions involving Russia, not only in Syria but also over the Black Sea.

Man arrested by Obama’s residence after Trump posted address

A man was arrested last week near the home of former President Obama. 37-year-old Taylor Taranto allegedly talked about finding the entrance to the Obama’s home using the sewer system.

According to prosecutors, Taranto got the idea to go to the Obama’s residence after former President Trump reportedly posted Obama’s address on his social media site Truth Social.

Taranto had two firearms in his van but 18 guns are registered to him. He is currently in jail on charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Prosecutors have asked for Taranto to remain jailed until trial. Taranto has allegedly made threats toward House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).

Biden administration to appeal big tech collusion ruling

The Biden administration will appeal a federal court ruling that bans government officials from contacting social media companies because of concerns over collusion. The judge created the boundary between government and big tech in a ruling on Wednesday.

The lawsuit, brought forth by Republican-led states, alleged First Amendment rights were being violated when social media posts about COVID-19 vaccines or election fraud were flagged or removed. Other content like Hunter Biden’s laptop and COVID-19 lab leak origin theories were also cited in the lawsuit as being censored, allegedly with a helping hand from the government.

The judge ruled agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI must limit their contact with Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The DOJ will appeal, according to the latest court documents.

Canada to end advertising on Meta platforms

Canada’s government will no longer be posting advertisements on Facebook or Instagram. The announcement is the latest tit-for-tat over Canada’s new law that will require social media companies to pay news organizations for its content shared on these platforms.

Meta decided it wasn’t going to pay for news posts, so it blocked access to news content on its platforms. Canada called Meta’s decision to remove news rather than comply and pay a cop-out.

The country announced it is ending federal government ad spending on Facebook and Instagram. Canada spends more than $7 million in Meta advertisements per year.

Meta is not the only big tech platform that is opposed to Canada’s new Online News Act. Google said it will be blocking Canadian news when the bill takes effect in six months.

Earth’s average temperature remains at a record high

The earth has never been hotter than it’s been this week, according to satellite data used by the University of Maine. On Monday, the world’s temperature reached an all-time high with an average temperature of 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

On Tuesday, the record was broke again. On Wednesday, for a third day straight, the earth was emitting heat at a peak temperature, coming in at 62.9 degrees. The data has been recorded since 1979.

“Temperatures have been unusual over the ocean and especially around the Antarctic this week, because wind fronts over the Southern Ocean are strong pushing warm air deeper south,” said Raghu Murtugudde, professor of atmospheric, oceanic and earth system science at the University of Maryland.
Judge limits government contact with social media platforms

July 5, 2023
A federal judge has issued a ruling that prohibits the Biden administration from contacting social media companies. The move is an effort to prevent certain federal agencies from pressuring the platforms to remove, delete or suppress online content.

The ruling was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the Republican-led states of Missouri and Louisiana, alleging that the White House had exceeded its authority in censoring content related to COVID-19 vaccines and posts suggesting election fraud.

In the ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty stated that the Department of Health and Human Services, the FBI and other government agencies are not permitted to collaborate with social media giants like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to suppress freedom of speech.

The Trump-appointed judge blocked certain officials from contacting or meeting with social media firms for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing “in any manner” the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech posted online.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth,’” Doughty wrote in his 155-page opinion.

The lawsuit raised concerns over potential infringement on free speech rights, particularly regarding the government’s involvement in shaping online discourse and content moderation. This suit also brought forth allegations that the Biden administration had gone too far in its attempts to regulate and control online content, especially content related to COVID-19 vaccines and claims of election fraud.

“Attorneys general have produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content,” Doughty said in the injunction Tuesday, July 4.

He has yet to produce a final ruling in the case.

In a statement, a White House official said the Department of Justice is reviewing the injunction and will evaluate its options.

The official said the Biden administration has promoted responsible actions to protect public health, safety, and security when confronted by challenges like a deadly pandemic. The official also argued that social media platforms have a responsibility to the American public and must make independent choices about the information they present.
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Secret Service confirms cocaine found in White House: July 5 rundown

July 5, 2023

The U.S. Secret Service is currently conducting an investigation into the discovery of cocaine inside the White House’s West Wing, which houses the Oval Office and serves as a workspace for presidential staff. The substance was found on Sunday during a routine inspection, leading to a brief evacuation of the premises. President Joe Biden and his family were not present as they were at Camp David in Maryland at the time of the incident.

The West Wing is not only a working space for the presidential staff but also a location open to visitors, who are able to tour the area. However, it has not been disclosed whether tours were taking place in the specific area where the cocaine was found. The Secret Service has refrained from confirming or denying the occurrence of tours during that time.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing, and the Secret Service is expected to release further details as they become available.

Judge blocks Biden administration from contacting social media companies

A federal judge has issued a ruling that prohibits the Biden administration from contacting social media companies in an effort to prevent certain federal agencies from pressuring these platforms to remove, delete, or suppress online content. The ruling was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the Republican-led states of Missouri and Louisiana, alleging that the White House had exceeded its authority in censoring content related to COVID-19 vaccines and posts suggesting election fraud.

In the ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty stated that the Department of Health and Human Services, the FBI, and other government agencies are not permitted to collaborate with social media giants like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to suppress freedom of speech.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth,’” Doughty wrote in his 155-page opinion.

The lawsuit raised concerns over potential infringement on free speech rights, particularly regarding the government’s involvement in shaping online discourse and content moderation. This suit also brought forth allegations that the Biden administration had gone too far in its attempts to regulate and control online content, especially content related to COVID-19 vaccines and claims of election fraud.

Mass shooting in Philadelphia leaves five dead, including a 15-year-old boy

A mass shooting in Philadelphia has claimed the lives of five individuals, including a 15-year-old boy, while leaving two others seriously wounded. The incident unfolded in a seemingly random manner, with the perpetrator firing at victims he encountered in vehicles or while walking across several city blocks.

“On what was supposed to be a beautiful summer evening, this armed and armored individual wreaked havoc, firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.

Law enforcement officials managed to capture the suspect after a police chase. Upon apprehension, the suspect was found wearing a bulletproof vest and a ski mask. He was armed with an AR-15 style rifle, a handgun, and carrying a police scanner.

On Wednesday, the suspect is expected to appear in court, where he is likely to face multiple charges, including several counts of murder, as a result of the shooting. The Philadelphia violence was the country’s 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

Sentencing hearing for El Paso Walmart gunman set to begin

The sentencing hearing for 24-year-old Patrick Crusius, the perpetrator of the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart, is scheduled to commence on Wednesday. Crusius faces dozens of federal hate crimes and firearms charges related to the tragic incident, in which 23 people lost their lives. The shooting stands as one of the deadliest mass shootings in the history of the United States.

Having plead guilty to the charges, the gunman is expected to receive multiple life sentences as a consequence of his actions. Initially, Crusius pleaded not guilty, but this changed when prosecutors removed the death penalty as a potential punishment for the federal charges. The upcoming sentencing phase is anticipated to span several days.

The El Paso shooting, which occurred on August 3, 2019, shocked the nation and led to nation-wide discussions over the issues of hate crimes and gun violence. The gunman specifically targeted Hispanic shoppers, as Crusius allegedly told investigators he specifically chose the store, located near the U.S.-Mexico border, for this reason.

Meta set to launch Threads, a rival social media app to Twitter

In an upcoming release, Meta is preparing to introduce a new social media app called Threads that will directly compete with Twitter. Described by Meta as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app,” Threads aims to offer users a platform for engaging in text-based discussions and conversations.

“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” a listing for the app reads.

Based on a screenshot of the app’s interface, Threads appears to include features that allow users to “like,” “reply,” or repost other people’s messages, similar to the functionalities commonly associated with Twitter. The new service is available for pre-order in Apple’s App Store and will be released on July 6.

Iceland ranked most peaceful country in the world

For the 15th straight year, Iceland has been voted the most peaceful country in the world. But according to a new report, the world, overall, has become less peaceful.

The Institute for Economics and Peace released its 2023 Global Peace Index which lists countries known for their tranquility. Iceland tops the list, followed by Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand and Austria. Out of the 163 countries listed, the United States came in at 131.

Since 2008, the 25 most peaceful countries have become more peaceful by 4.3%. While the 25 least peaceful countries became even less peaceful by 12.1%. The United States recorded the fourth largest overall increase in its homicide rate, which is six times higher than most Western European countries.

Rounding out the list of the top ten most peaceful countries in the world are Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland. Iceland ranked number one, again, due to its low crime rate, small size, and abundance of nature.
Top NIH official, Fauci adviser admits hiding emails regarding COVID origins

June 30, 2023
A top advisor to Anthony Fauci at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has admitted to hiding information regarding the origins of COVID-19 from the American people. The adviser’s name is David Morens.

According to records obtained by congressional investigators, Morens admitted to using a personal email account to dodge Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. He also expressed his intention to delete emails in order to avoid media scrutiny.

“I try to always communicate on Gmail because my NIH email is FOIA’d constantly,” Morens said in a September 2021 email, one of a series of email exchanges that included many leading scientists sharing information on and debating the origin of COVID-19.

After telling his colleagues that his Gmail had been hacked, he advised them to “just send any of my addresses and I will delete anything I don’t want to see in The New York Times.”

According to Straight Arrow News’ exclusive Media Miss tool, this story is mostly being covered on the right. Only one source on the left is covering the story.
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WHO proposes pandemic treaty, faces backlash over surveillance policy

June 28, 2023
The overall consensus coming out of the COVID-19 global pandemic is that the world could have done better. But there is a major disagreement on how the world should prepare for the next one.

There is a debate taking place over a “pandemic treaty” proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Is there a one-size-fits-all approach?

There’s also a controversial “social listening” initiative included in the treaty which would limit misinformation spreading online.

The pandemic treaty would be a set of guidance for all countries to follow in the case of another world outbreak. According to the WHO, a united front following the same response plan is needed to better prepare and fend off the next global threat.

“We can not simply carry on as we did before. This is a moment to look behind us and remember the darkness of the tunnel. Chief among those lessons is we can only share faced threats with a shared response,” WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom.

There is major opposition, however, to the WHO’s plan. According to an investigation by the news organization The Public, the pandemic treaty isn’t just about improving an international response to a future pandemic.

According to the investigation, Article 18 of the treaty calls for countries to prioritize censoring out misinformation. A tactic to do that would be to use “social listening initiatives,” which the WHO already uses in other capacities. It’s a surveillance system to track so-called misinformation online, potentially with the help of artificial intelligence.

The Public dubbed the pandemic treaty as the “censorship treaty” in response to the language it found inside the global response agreement. As for what else is inside the pandemic treaty, it is still unknown. The negotiator at the table, who is representing the U.S. in agreement with China, said in a statement that it’s not the right time to publicize the contents of the treaty.
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1.5M Americans dropped from Medicaid after pandemic spike

June 19, 2023
After soaring during the COVID-19 pandemic, about 1.5 million Americans have been dropped from Medicaid in April and May. That number could balloon in the coming months.

According to Straight Arrow News’ exclusive Media Miss tool, this story is being missed on the right. Nearly all sources covering this story either lean left or are in the center.

States, which were barred from removing people during the pandemic, are required to review their Medicaid rolls now that the health emergency has ended. More than 93 million people were enrolled as of February. That number is up nearly a third from January 2020.

Some states have gotten right to trimming their rolls. States that have dropped around half or more of their Medicaid recipients who had renewal cases up for review in May include:
- Florida.
- Arkansas.
- Idaho.
- Kansas.
- Nevada.
- New Hampshire.
- Oklahoma.
- South Dakota.
- Utah.
- West Virginia.
Florida has dropped several hundred thousand people, by far the most of an individual state. Arkansas, meanwhile, has dropped more than 140,000 people. Most got dropped for not filling out the paperwork.

Some states have been so efficient in cleaning out their rolls, the Biden administration has warned them to slow down. Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra wrote a letter to governors expressing concern that large numbers of otherwise-eligible, lower-income Americans were losing Medicaid coverage after the pandemic due to administrative reasons.

“Nobody who is eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) should lose coverage simply because they changed addresses, didn’t receive a form, or didn’t have enough information about the renewal process,” Becerra said in a statement. “We encourage states to utilize all available flexibilities to ensure children and families don’t lose coverage. We also urge states to join us in partnering with local governments, community organizations, and schools to reach people eligible for Medicaid and CHIP where they are.”
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Biden administration has to declassify COVID origin documents by Sunday

June 16, 2023
The Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines must declassify information relating to links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of COVID-19 by Sunday, June 18. The release is mandated by the COVID-19 Origins Act which Congress passed unanimously and President Biden signed into law in March.

The law requires the release of information regarding:
- Activities at the institute on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army.
- Coronavirus research or other related activities at the lab.
DNI Haines must also declassify information about individual researchers at the institute who got sick in the fall of 2019, including:
- Their name.
- Symptoms.
- Whether they were hospitalized.
- Whether they were involved in, or exposed to coronavirus research.
The law states the DNI must submit a declassified report to Congress which can only have redactions that protect intelligence-gathering sources and methods.

Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Mike Braun, R-Ind., who sponsored the bill, wrote a letter to President Biden reminding him of the deadline.

“The American people deserve to know how this pandemic began, and their democratically elected representatives have expressed their will unanimously,” the letter stated.

When President Biden signed the bill, he also said it was important to release as much information as possible to help prevent future pandemics.

“In implementing this legislation, my administration will declassify and share as much of that information as possible, consistent with my constitutional authority to protect against the disclosure of information that would harm national security,” the president said in a statement.

But Hawley and Braun took issue with the way President Biden described the redactions his administration would make.

“The act does not allow for redactions based on your administration’s view of ‘national security’ broadly defined, as you claimed in your signing statement. Rather, the act only provides for much narrower redactions to protect intelligence sources and methods,” the senators wrote.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has repeatedly said he believes the pandemic most likely began in a lab. This release will be the first time the American people can see some of the information the FBI used to draw that conclusion.
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Cables show State Dept. looked into COVID-19 lab leak cover-up

June 16, 2023
Now that multiple government agencies have said there’s a likelihood COVID-19 originated in a Chinese lab, the next logical question is, “who was part of the cover-up?” It turns out, that’s what the State Department wanted to know too, at least at one point.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) U.S Right to Know released State Department cables the NGO obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

One cable from July of 2020 reads “Initial outbreak could have been contained in China if Beijing had not covered it up.”

Another cable asks the Chinese “Who ordered the cover-up?”

While China is believed to be the primary culprit behind the COVID-19 Chinese lab cover-up, the evidence shows Big Tech was involved as well. One of the fact-checkers at Facebook, which was notoriously censorious when it came to people posting about the lab leak, actually worked at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The question of who covered up the lab leak comes as new details have been released about COVID-19’s patients zero. Ben Hu, Ping Yu and Yan Zhu were scientists at the institute who were doing gain of function experiments when they got sick in the fall of 2019.

According to Straight Arrow News’ exclusive Media Miss tool, the patients zero details have been mostly covered on the right. Only one source on the left and one source in the center have covered this story.

United States officials are still investigating the disease’s origins. The Chinese government has refused to allow any independent investigators to look into the accusations that COVID-19 originated at the institute. This has fueled international speculation and demands for transparency.
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From nuclear bunkers to pirate ships: 5 coolest offices on the planet

June 16, 2023

The era of work-from-home is winding down for many. New York City offices just hit 50% occupancy for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Dreading those stale cubicle walls? Here are some of the coolest offices on the planet in this week’s Five For Friday.

Source: Bahnhof

5: Bahnhof

Swedish internet service provider Bahnhof repurposed a nuclear bunker for its Stockholm-based headquarters.

It took two years of blasting to hollow out the facility, which is located 100 feet under Vita Bergen Park. It needed the extra space to house the company’s data centers. Its CEO said he was hoping to replicate the vibe of the 1970s science fiction film Silent Running.

Imagine having a meeting in this floating glass conference room that looks like it was built for a James Bond villain. Talk about high stakes.

Source: T-Mobile

4: T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s Bellevue, Washington, headquarters looks more like a trendy up-and-coming neighborhood than the home of the nation’s third-largest wireless carrier.

Outdoor space is paramount to keeping talent happy and T-Mobile has tons of it to be utilized (when it’s not raining). The office features a refurbished Airstream offering frozen yogurt, a coffee shop, and even a dry cleaner in case employees need to take care of that errand while on the job.

All of the amenities are clad in the company’s trademark “New Magenta.”

Source: Inventionland

3: Inventionland

Pittsburgh-based incubator Inventionland knows its artists need inspiration and hopes its lab can do the trick. The artists work with inventors to develop and market products for a fee.

The Inventionland office includes 16 themed areas including a pet shack, a pirate ship and a castle. It also hosts tours for tens of thousands of aspiring creators every year. The product list on the website doesn’t scream million-dollar deals featured on Shark Tank, but this spout could help you have milk every day.

Source: Lego

2: Lego

Lego is known for making some of the world’s most iconic toys, so its campus has to be blast. It officially opened its new headquarters in Billund, Denmark, last year.

It features wall-to-wall bricks and is designed so no one could be confused about what makes up its business. Lego’s People House allows builders to relax and recharge in its workshop and fitness studio. It even includes a homestay for visiting employees. The company also focused on sustainability: All of the outdoor furniture is made from recycled Lego bricks.

The new digs must be working: Lego increased its revenue by 17% in 2022 and the product is also a pretty good investment.

Source: Bark

1: Bark

At Bark’s Columbus, Ohio-area offices, every day is bring your dog to work day. In fact, they say there are as many as 50 furry friends in the facility on any given day.

The pet toy market is expected to nearly double by 2032 so the BarkBox maker will need the space. The office has a work-and-play lounge with ramps for the pups to run on, an amenity bar with nooks where your pal can curl up with you while you work, and all the toys they can handle. Everything is made of durable dog-friendly materials for longevity and safety.

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