With 220 votes, Rep. Mike Johnson, a lesser-known conservative Republican from Louisiana, has been elected as House speaker. This marks the fourth House Speaker vote since the ousting of Representative Kevin McCarthy over three weeks ago. On Tuesday night, Oct. 24, Johnson secured the GOP nomination. Rep. Tom Emmer from Minnesota withdrew his nomination shortly…

On Monday, Oct. 23, President Joe Biden announced 31 regional tech hubs across 32 states and Puerto Rico eligible for $500 million in federal funding made available through the August 2022 CHIPS and Science Act. The chosen areas will compete for up to $75 million each to scale up work in emerging tech fields, from…

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett said it would be a “good idea” for the high court to adopt its own code of ethics. Justice Barrett made the comments during a lecture at the University of Minnesota Law School.  “Particularly so that we could communicate to the public exactly what it is that we are…

Congress is now deciding how the U.S. will respond to the Israeli-Hamas conflict. While there is bipartisan support for Israel, Democrats and Republicans have different opinions on how to provide that support. Republicans like Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., are calling on the Biden administration to take action against Iran should Hamas escalate. Democrats are pushing…

With just hours to go for Congress to act, we look at what could be affected if a government shutdown begins this weekend. And it’s the end of an era as Netflix ships out its final DVDs. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. Congress has only hours to act before…

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, Sept. 26, filed a lawsuit in federal court against online retailer Amazon. In the lawsuit, the FTC accuses Amazon.com, Inc. of monopolistic practices. The FTC, along with 17 state attorney generals that signed on to the lawsuit, says Amazon’s strategies “allow it to stop rivals and sellers from lowering…

On Sept. 18, a federal judge temporarily blocked a new California law meant to protect children on the internet. The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (CAADCA) unanimously passed California Legislature last September, and is set to go into effect next summer. The law restricts businesses and Big Tech platforms’ ability to collect data on anyone…

An investor is suing Target over its LGBTQ Pride merchandise controversy that led to a $15 billion drop in the company’s market value. The shareholder wants to recoup losses over the company’s so-called woke decision-making. It started in June during Pride month when the retailer displayed LGBTQ-friendly clothing for all ages, including “tuck-friendly” women’s swimsuits for…