In advance of a scheduled March 1 vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a two-day confirmation hearing for President Joe Biden’s Attorney General nominee, Merrick Garland, on Feb. 22 and 23. No one in the federal government will impact the expected track of Big Tech consumer protections more than the future leader of this post, so the committee must use this important time to ask Judge Garland pointed and thoughtful questions on this issue of great public importance. Thanks to lawsuits the Trump administration filed against Google and Facebook for anti-competitive behavior in its final months, these tech giants already face some pressure from the Department of Justice. That said, some of President Biden’s recent appointments — including a former Facebook senior executive as his White House director of legislative affairs — raise the specter that he may not want his administration to police these institutions with the same level of force and fervor. Yes, it’s … [Read more...] about DHILLON: Congress Must Address Big Tech at Merrick Garland’s AG Confirmation Hearing
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How to fix the American diet, according to the man who coined the term “junk food”
The nutrition crusader credited with popularizing the phrase “junk food” looks exactly as one would expect: bespectacled, vaguely professorial – and very, very thin. Michael Jacobson, who retired in September as executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, hasn’t eaten a hot dog or drunk a soda since the 1970s. That was when, at the behest of consumer advocate and activist Ralph Nader, the recent MIT graduate began researching the food industry and publicizing his findings about the safety of food additives and the health costs of poor nutrition. Since then, Jacobson has helped lead the fight to ban trans fats from the food supply, push the government to standardize nutrition labels, and expose the dangers of everything from movie-theater popcorn to sulfites and artificial colorings. In the early ’90s, the food industry dubbed him “the great ayatollah” – because of his zealous opposition to soda, Quarter Pounders and sugary cereals. But the foods … [Read more...] about How to fix the American diet, according to the man who coined the term “junk food”
US forces accomplished their mission in Iraq and should be withdrawn
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Antony Blinken Lawmakers want Biden to pressure Saudi Arabia to end Yemen blockade Biden sparks bipartisan backlash on Afghanistan withdrawal Kerry to visit China ahead of White House climate summit MORE met last week with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein via videoconference in the first U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue since the Biden administration was inaugurated. The conversation covered a range of topics, from deepening the trade relationship between the two countries to helping Baghdad diversify its dependence on Iranian energy sources. While no agreements were struck, the U.S. and Iraqi delegations did manage to come to a common understanding on the U.S. combat troop presence — a presence Washington and Baghdad are both purportedly intent on reducing. "Based on the increasing capacity of the ISF,” the U.S.-Iraq joint statement read , "the parties confirmed that the mission of U.S. and Coalition forces has now … [Read more...] about US forces accomplished their mission in Iraq and should be withdrawn
Race debate grips Congress
The barbed debate over racial justice is exploding this week on Capitol Hill, as Democrats in both chambers are charging ahead with a host of proposals to empower minorities amid the national clash over police bias, brutality and the future of law enforcement. In the House, two panels considered bills Wednesday to promote reparations for the descendants of slaves and to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., the nation’s historically Black capital city. In the Senate, Democrats advanced their efforts to seat President Biden Joe Biden IRS to roll out payments for ,000 child tax credit in July Capitol Police told not to use most aggressive tactics in riot response, report finds Biden to accompany first lady to appointment for 'common medical procedure' MORE ’s pick to head the Justice Department’s civil rights division and to pass legislation combating the recent rash of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. ADVERTISEMENT And Democrats in both chambers … [Read more...] about Race debate grips Congress
