Tuesday, December 24

Political Systems, Domestic Politics

Corruption Case Proceeds Against Israeli PM After A Long Delay
10Dec By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Corruption Case Proceeds Against Israeli PM After A Long Delay

Netanyahu Has Avoided Facing Court And Potentially Years in Prison Reuters video stream Dec. 10, 2024 December 10, 2024—After a long delay, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an Israeli court today in resumption of a criminal trial on charges dating back to 2019. “Everything is at stake,” said Alexis Bloom, director of the 2024 documentary, “The Bibi Files,” during an interview with MSNBC. “This trial is an incredibly important event for Netanyahu, and he’s been assiduously trying to avoid testifying.” The case is not only significant as a domestic matter. Observers argue that it has implications for the widening wars in the Middle East. “It’s his attempt to avoid a legal reckoning that has caused all sorts of damage in the Middle E...
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European Commission Calls for Reforms in Hungary
9Dec By Patti MohrNo Comments
Europe, EU, Eurozone, Geopolitics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Bit, Types of News: Brief

European Commission Calls for Reforms in Hungary

EC Says It'll Withhold $1B If Changes Aren't Made December 9, 2024—The European Commission is on the verge of withholding €1 billion in funds to EU-member Hungary unless that government reforms 17 measures by the end of the year. The EC is already blocking €12 billion in funds to Hungary. Among the measures that the EC demands Hungary complete are anti-corruption and conflict-of-interest legislation, according to reporting by Politico Europe. Hungary is increasingly at odds with the European Union under the right-wing leadership of Viktor Orbán. EU lawmakers have grown increasingly discontent with EU-member Hungary over a series of infringements on human rights as well as concerns about corruption. In 2022, the EC announced that Hungary's government could no longer be considered a...
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Top PAC Recipients in the U.S. House 2023-2024
6Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Domestic Politics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

Top PAC Recipients in the U.S. House 2023-2024

Eye on Politics March 6, 2024-As the U.S. political cycle kicks into higher gear, it's time to take a closer look at who is running with what resources. Political action committees, known as PACs, play a significant role in U.S. elections. Below is a list of House members receiving the most PAC money, according to data from Open Secrets. The top receiver, Jason Smith, Republican from Missouri, is chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. The top five contributors to Rep. Smith in the 2023-2024 cycle are the National Association of Realtors, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Apollo Global Management, Herzog Contracting, and the Alliantgroup.
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US, Vietnam Strengthen Strategic Partnership
11Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

US, Vietnam Strengthen Strategic Partnership

New Partnership Paves The Way For Billions Of Dollars In Business Deals U.S. President Joe Biden and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong deepened strategic ties. September 10, 2023 Credit: White House photo September 11, 2023—The United States and Vietnam elevated their relations to a new level on Sunday—the highest strategic partnership in Vietnam and a significant one in the United States. U.S. President Joe Biden and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong agreed on Sunday to deepen political and diplomatic ties while paving the way for billions of dollars in business deals. It comes 10 years after the two countries formed the Vietnam–U.S. Comprehensive Partnership, and it ref...
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El Salvador’s Bukele Rises In Popularity In Latin America
29Jul By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Human rights, Types of News: Bit

El Salvador’s Bukele Rises In Popularity In Latin America

July 29, 2023—Reporting for the Los Angeles Times, Kate Linthicum describes El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has become a "hero on the right" for Latin American leaders even as human rights groups cry foul. It's been four years since Bukele took office and two years since he declared himself as the world's "coolest dictator." Today, many in Latin America view the president as a model for fighting gangs, violent crime, and corruption, even if it comes at the cost of civil liberties. Critics complain that the El Salvadorian leader embraces authoritarianism, but "as homicides plunged, Bukele's approval ratings skyrocketed," Linthicum writes in a LAT report this week. Even as he clears the way for mass criminal trials of hundreds of people at a time, his popularity rises in count...
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Tesla’s Interesting Timing On A New Factory In Mexico
28Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Communism, Dictatorship, Democracy, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

Tesla’s Interesting Timing On A New Factory In Mexico

AMLO Welcomes The Deal, Rails Against U.S. Government And Critics Of Electoral Law Feb. 28, 2023—Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced today that Tesla plans to build a new electric vehicle plant in Monterrey, Mexico, the second largest city in the country. He hailed the investment as something that would bring well-paid jobs to the region. The new Mexico-based factory will join a Tesla fleet of factories: four in the United States, one in China, and one in Germany. Furthermore, it will benefit from $369 billion worth of U.S. subsidies for clean energy that Congress included as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The company is likely to announce more details Wednesday during its planned "Investors Day." The news comes as countries and companies recalibrate...
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Top Ten Countries Lobbying U.S. Government in 2022
22Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Diplomacy, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Infographic

Top Ten Countries Lobbying U.S. Government in 2022

Reasons For Lobbying Vary Widely From Country To Country CORRECTION NEEDED: This story does not include lobbying funds related to Israel. January 22, 2023—In the United States, it is legal for foreign governments and agencies to lobby the government and disseminate political information as long as they register with the Justice Department. In fact, many countries spend millions of dollars a year on lobbying. Their purposes and practices vary widely. Some hire U.S.-based lawyers and lobbyists to influence the outcome of legislation, such as bills on trade, U.S. military bases, and democracy promotion. Other countries hire their own agents to promote tourism or to publish news. Top Ten Diplomatic Lobbying Countries Some researchers call the practice "diplomatic lobbying." Othe...
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It’s A Rocky Start To The New U.S. Congress
3Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Domestic Politics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Bit, United States

It’s A Rocky Start To The New U.S. Congress

118th Congress begins with no Speaker named to the House. With No Leader Named In The House, Work Cannot Begin January 3, 2023—As U.S. lawmakers opened a new session of Congress today under the slimmest margins of power. Although Republicans won a majority of seats in the House, intraparty conflict is preventing them from establishing control. With slim margins in both chambers, it is likely to be a weak Congress unless the two parties find room for compromise. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R, failed to garner enough votes to become the new Speaker as 19 Republicans rejected him in back-to-back votes. In the first two ballots of the House, McCarthy won only 203 votes. In contrast to Republican infighting, Democrats voted unanimously for their leader Hakeem Jeffries, who received a total of...
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House Committee Investigating January 6 Ends Work
3Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Democracy, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

House Committee Investigating January 6 Ends Work

The House Jan. 6 Committee released its final report on Dec. 19, 2022. Investigation Shows The Fragility of U.S. Democracy January 3, 2023—As a new Congress begins to take shape in Washington, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol completed its work. At its core, the committee upheld its purpose of defending democracy in the United States. A key tenet of democracy is free and fair elections. In the 2020 presidential elections, the country nearly lost in fulfilling that promise to the people. Former President Donald Trump used every means possible—including a violent attack on the legislature—to hold onto power. As the truth came to light, the evidence showed the fragility of the republic itself and the key tenets of democracy i...
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In Communist China, Xi Is Completely And Unquestionably In Charge
7Nov By Patti Mohr1 Comment
Communism, Dictatorship, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

In Communist China, Xi Is Completely And Unquestionably In Charge

Xi's in charge. Communism vs. Democracy: Why It Matter November 7, 2022—If you want to know what communism looks like, you don't need to spend time in China, Cuba, Laos, or Vietnam. You don't even need to spend hours watching the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, the twice-a-decade gathering that selects the country's highest rulers. All you need to see is one minute of the final ceremony right before officials announce the new leaders. It was at that moment that party members came for former President Hu Jintao. Note, the 79-year-old Hu served as China's president from 2003 to 2013. As a leader, he served during unprecedented growth that cemented China's status as a world power. But that record didn't secure him much dignity to let him stay seated during the anno...
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