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Olga Kharif / Bloomberg : One year after Ethereum's Merge, developers approve a change to slow down staking, which has emerged as one of a few reliable ways to earn returns in crypto   —  - With validators piling in, the network risks getting clogged  — Ethereum developers approved a software fix to that Thursday

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina - the only major Republican presidential candidate who's never been married - spotlighted this weekend that he's "dating a lovely Christian girl," as he addressed a large group of influential voters of faith in the state that leads off the GOP nominating calendar. Scott's comments came as he and most of his rivals for the Republican nomination sat down for question and answer sessions Saturday at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual fall banquet, in front of a crowd of social conservative leaders, activists, and evangelical voters, who play an outsized role in Hawkeye State Republican politics. "So other than your mama, is there any special lady in your life?" GOP Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird asked, in her first question to Scott. The senator answered "yes," before quipping "if you haven’t read about her yet, I’m sure why not. It’s been one of the more asked questions lately." W...

Elliptic : N. Korea-linked Lazarus Group stole ~$240M in crypto in the past 104 days, as it ramps up hacks and shifts focus from decentralized services to centralized ones   —  The elite North Korean hacking group Lazarus appears to have recently ramped up its operations, conducting a confirmed four attacks against crypto entities since June 3rd.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a scathing letter directed towards the White House after he was acquitted of state impeachment charges Saturday. Paxton, a Republican, was accused of corruption, bribery and unfitness for office by a bipartisan group of Texas state senators. All 12 Democrats in the jury voted for his impeachment, along with two Republicans: Sens. Robert Nichols and Kelly Hancock. The attorney general was accused of misusing his political power to hire Nate Paul, a real state developer who employed Paxton's alleged mistress Laura Olson. Paul was indicted in June for allegedly making false statements to banks. The jury needed 21 votes to confirm the impeachment, but a two-thirds majority was not reached. The vote finished just before 1 p.m. Saturday. TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO IMPEACHMENT CHARGES AFTER SENATE ADVANCES CASE TO TRIAL "The sham impeachment coordinated by the Biden Administration with liberal House Speaker Dade Phelan ...

"I always have a plan. That doesn't mean it happens," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif., said early Thursday afternoon. "I had a plan for this week. It didn't turn out exactly as I had planned." McCarthy’s "plan" was for the House to approve a defense spending bill stocked with all sorts of conservative priorities. The measure included the elimination of "woke" policies in the military focused on "inclusion" and "diversity."  The bill also torpedoed a Pentagon decision to permit service members seeking abortions to travel across state lines. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is holding up the promotions of about 300 senior officers across all branches in protest.  But that wasn’t enough for House Republicans . McCarthy lacked the votes to even put the defense bill on the floor. MASK CONFUSION ENTERS CONGRESS AGAIN AS COVID-19 CASES TICK UP "I don’t have one complaint by any member about what’s wrong with ...

When it comes to the combustible issue of abortion, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley appears to be on a mission. "We are not going to demonize this issue anymore. We’re going to humanize it because it’s too personal of an issue," the former ambassador and former two-term South Carolina governor said Saturday in a Fox News Digital interview minutes before she headlined a town hall in the suburbs of Iowa's capitol city. That line echoes Haley's statements on the issue from last month. "We need to stop demonizing this issue," Haley said in August at the first Republican debate, a Fox News hosted showdown last month in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "It’s personal for every woman and man." WITH FOUR MONTHS UNTIL THE FIRST VOTES, THE 2024 GOP BATTLE HEATS UP IN THE FIRST CAUCUS STATE The blockbuster move last year by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority to overturn the landmark nearly half-century-old Roe v. Wade ruling, which had allowed...

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday revised her original public health order which would have temporarily banned individuals from carrying guns across Albuquerque and the surrounding Bernalillo County. The new revised order would temporarily ban individuals from carrying guns only in parks and playgrounds. The revised version comes after portions of her original version were struck down by a federal judge. Biden-appointed U.S. District Court Judge David Urias said during a Wednesday hearing that the order violated the Constitution. " The violation of a constitutional right , even for minimal periods of time, unquestionably constitutes irreparable injury," Urias said during the hearing. NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR SILENT ON HUNTER BIDEN ILLEGAL GUN CHARGES WHILE TRYING TO BAN LEGAL OWNERS FROM CARRYING The temporary restraining order imposed by the judge will remain in effect until at least Oct. 3, when the next hearing is scheduled. According to the revised pu...

New York Times : TikTok's US staff complain about a new internal app to track office attendance; TikTok requires most staff to be in the office three times a week from October   —  The company is requiring many employees to use an app that tracks their in-person attendance.  —  TikTok employees …

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she is "fearful that any day" planes filled with illegal immigrants will be flown into the city. During an event hosted by Axios on Thursday, Bass said, "We live in a city that welcomes immigrants, and so I think we have been able to handle it, but I am fearful that any day, planes could start coming." She added that the transportation of immigrants from border states and Florida to "sanctuary" juristictions "is just setting the stage for the presidential election next year." The liberal city mayor's comments come as governors overrun by illegal immigration have sent busloads of migrants to cities like New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has already sent 13 busloads of migrants to Los Angeles — which touts itself as a sanctuary city — as part of Operation Lone Star.  Abbott continued to send buses as the city was hit by Tropical Storm Hilary, which Bass called "evil....

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the possibility of President Biden pardoning his son, Hunter, for the first time since the latter was indicted on federal charges for making false statements and unlawfully possessing a firearm. "Will the president pardon or commute his son if he is convicted?" one reporter asked Jean-Pierre during Friday's daily White House press briefing. "So I've answered this question before. It was asked of me not too long ago — a couple of weeks ago — and I was very clear, and I said no," Jean-Pierre responded. BIDEN BREAKS SILENCE ON POSSIBLE IMPEACHMENT, BLAMES GOP DESIRE TO ‘SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT’ Her answer was unchanged from the one she gave in July following Hunter's first appearance at a Delaware federal court where the president's sonded not guilty to tax charges pl. Jean-Pierre simply said "no" when asked if the president would pardon his son if convicted. Biden was indicted ...

Bloomberg : Sources: Instacart plans to price its IPO on Monday and begin trading on Tuesday   —  Grocery delivery business Instacart is preparing to price its initial public offering on Monday after boosting its price range following a strong trading debut by Arm Holdings Plc, according to people familiar with the matter.

David Shepardson / Reuters : Judge declines to order Jonathan Kanter's recusal from DOJ's advertising antitrust lawsuit against Google, after Google cited his previous work for its critics   —  U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema on Friday declined to order a Justice Department official to stay out of the government's …

A World War II veteran praised Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy at a recent town hall in Hollis, New Hampshire, telling him his words are what his generation "grew up in." In an exchange posted on social media Friday from the event on Sunday, the veteran identified as David took a moment to express gratitude towards the GOP outsider, who has made restoring national identity a hallmark of his campaign.  "I'd like to say that I'm a veteran of World War II," David began, sparking huge applause from the crowd and prompting Ramaswamy to shake his hand.  "What you're saying, the words you're saying, are exactly what my generation grew up in," David said. "Children, adults stood at attention and crossed their hearts when the flag passed by in a parade. School started with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance. That's no longer going on." RAMASWAMY CALLS HUNTER BIDEN GUN CHARGES A ‘SMOKESCREEN’: THE ‘REAL PROBLEM...

For the third time in less than eight months, a special election will decide control of the narrowly divided Pennsylvania House of Representatives and provide political reinforcements to either the commonwealth’s Democratic governor or its Republican-controlled Senate. On Tuesday, voters in the heavily Democratic 21st legislative district will choose a replacement for former state Rep. Sara Innamorato, who stepped down in July to focus on her bid to be Allegheny County’s next county executive. Her resignation bumped Democrats from a one-vote majority in the chamber to a 101-101 tie with Republicans. The Democratic nominee is Lindsay Powell, director of Workforce Strategies for InnovatePGH, an economic development nonprofit, and a former aide to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and former Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto. She faces GOP nominee Erin Connolly Autenreith, a real estate agent and chairwoman of the Shaler Township Repub...

Planned Parenthood will resume offering abortion services to women in Wisconsin following a key court ruling against existing abortion restrictions in the state. Planned Parenthood's clinics in Milwaukee and Madison had previously been forced to close due to the state government attempting to use an 1849 law to ban abortions. A state judge ruled that the law does not, in fact, apply to abortions, paving the way for providers to resume services. "With patients and community as our central priority and driving force, we are eager to resume abortion services and provide this essential care to people in our State," Tanya Atkinson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, said in a Thursday statement.  "With the recent confirmation from the Court that there is not an enforceable abortion ban in Wisconsin, our staff can now provide the full scope of sexual and reproductive health care to anyone in Wisconsin who needs it, no matter what," she continued...

Cat Zakrzewski / Washington Post : The Biden administration asks SCOTUS to pause a lower court's order limiting the White House, FBI, and public health agencies from making social media requests   —  The move comes after a lower court found the White House, FBI and key public health officials probably violated the First Amendment

Legislative workers at the California Capitol are close to forming their first labor union after state lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday that allows them to organize. The Democrats in charge of California's Legislature have historically been friendly with labor unions . This year alone, lawmakers are poised to increase the minimum wage for fast food workers and health care employees while also making striking workers eligible for unemployment benefits. But despite California lawmakers ' pro-union stance, the people who work for them have never been allowed to form a union. An attempt to do so last year failed to get a vote in the state Assembly. CALIFORNIA TO INTERVENE IN CASE BLOCKING SAN FRANCISCO FROM CLEARING HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, NEWSOM SAYS That changed this year. On Wednesday, the state Legislature passed a bill to give legislative workers the option of joining a union. The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who must decide whether to sign it into law. ...

Attorney General Merrick Garland will testify next week before the House Judiciary Committee amid allegations that the federal investigation into President Biden’s son has been influenced by politics. The committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan , R-Ohio, announced the hearing, titled "Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice," will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 10:00 a.m. HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND RECORDS FROM HUNTER BIDEN ATTORNEYS RELATED TO COLLAPSED 'SWEETHEART' PLEA DEAL "The hearing, ‘Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice,’ will examine how the Justice Department has become politicized and weaponized under the leadership of Attorney General Merrick Garland," the committee’s announcement states. The House Judiciary Committee has been investigating the alleged politicization of the Justice Department throughout the Biden administration. Most recently, IRS whistleblowers came to Congress to testify that prosecutorial decisions made thro...

Suzanne Rowan Kelleher / Forbes : MGM Resorts' website is still down more than 60 hours after it was hit by a cyberattack, as ransomware-as-a-service group ALPHV reportedly claims credit   —  The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group claimed responsibility for a breach that began, of all places, on LinkedIn.

The former FBI official who played a role in the Trump-Russia probe and recently pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring with a Russian oligarch has asked a Washington, D.C., federal judge for more time to craft a plea deal in connection to a second, more serious indictment with charges that could land him behind bars for decades.  Last month, Charles McGonigal, the former head of the FBI’s counterintelligence division in New York, pleaded guilty in the Southern District of New York to a single count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and to commit money laundering in connection with his 2021 agreement to provide services to sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. McGonigal was also slapped earlier this year with a nine-count indictment in the District of Columbia for allegedly requesting and concealing at least $225,000 in cash he allegedly received from a former Albanian intelligence official while working for the FBI and misleading th...

David Pierce / The Verge : Apple announces the 6.1" iPhone 15 Pro and 6.7" iPhone 15 Pro Max, with Grade 5 titanium in four finishes, a 3nm A17 Pro, a customizable Action Button, and more   —  Apple just announced its new high-end iPhones, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.  It's made of titanium, it has an Action button …

FIRST ON FOX : Border Patrol leadership last month set daily "bookout" targets for its sectors in order to keep escalating numbers of migrants in custody at a "manageable" level -- including potentially increasing releases into the U.S. interior -- as agents continue to see a rise in numbers at the southern border. An internal Aug. 8 email from an acting deputy chief to Border Patrol field chiefs and deputies says that sectors are facing an influx that is outpacing the numbers of migrants being either released or transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for removal. The email , obtained by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office, says daily encounters "[continue] to surpass the daily permanent bookouts and the in-custody numbers continue to rise creating significant risks to agents and detainees." "This level of detention numbers has also resulted in increased manpower requirements impacting border security efforts." B...

Akash Sriram / Reuters : Oracle Q1: revenue up 9% YoY to $12.45B, vs. $12.47B est., cloud services and license support revenue up 13% YoY to $9.5B, net income up 56% YoY; ORCL drops 5%+   —  Oracle (ORCL.N) narrowly missed market expectations for first-quarter revenue on Monday, as companies pared back spending …

An Arizona Democrat called out President Biden's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for dragging its feet on helping the communities of his state and other border states. Arizona Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego has been an outspoken critic of the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program (SSP) funding model for border communities amid the immigration crisis. Gallego has sent several letters to the Biden administration regarding his disagreement on the funding model — including one to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — and called the SSP model "misguided" in his letter to FEMA . NYC MAYOR ADAMS DESCRIBED AS ‘BLACK TRUMP’ FOR WARNING MIGRANT CRISIS TO ‘DESTROY' CITY: ‘BIGOTED THINKING’ After sending the letter to Mayorkas , the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent the congressman's office a breakdown of their FY24 budget request. After receiving the list, Gallego's office sent it to DHS with ques...

Robert Silverman / The Daily Beast : Investigation finds Barstool Sports apparently controls 40+ sockpuppet X accounts to launder viral copyright-protected videos for Barstool's legitimate accounts   —  A Daily Beast investigation found more than 40 content-swiping Twitter accounts apparently controlled by Barstool—a key to the growth of its massive media empire.

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are expected to force a floor vote on a stand-alone bill that would effectively prohibit California and other Democrat-led states from implementing planned electric vehicle (EV) mandates. The House is set to vote on the so-called Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act — authored by Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., and introduced in March — on Thursday. The legislation, if enacted, would block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing waivers to states seeking to ban or limit internal combustion engine vehicles. "The simple fact is that electric vehicles cannot meet the demands of my constituents," Joyce told Fox News Digital in an interview Monday. "Coupling the mountains with the harsh winters and the intense heat of summers makes driving an electric vehicle both unreliable and ultimately unrealistic for many of my constituents." "This legislation, H.R. 1435, is an option. It is not an anti-electric vehicle legislatio...

Bill Toulas / BleepingComputer : Guardio Labs details a campaign using fake and compromised Facebook accounts to send 100K+ Messenger phishing messages per week, targeting business accounts   —  Hackers use a massive network of fake and compromised Facebook accounts to send out millions of Messenger phishing messages …

The Democrat governor of New Mexico swiped at a California House member of her own party who called her gun carry ban unconstitutional. In the wake of her constitutionally controversial order, Democrat New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham sparked rebukes from both sides of the aisle and GOP impeachment calls. Grisham issued an emergency health order this weekend banning the concealed and open carry of firearms in Albuquerque for at least 30 days. One Democrat who took aim at Grisham was California Rep. Ted Lieu, who tweeted that, while he supports "gun safety laws," the "order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution." LIBERALS TURN ON NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR OVER GUN SUSPENSION: ‘VIOLATES THE US CONSTITUTION’ "No state in the union can suspend the federal Constitution," Lieu wrote. "There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution." In response to Lieu's tweet, Grish...

Wall Street Journal : Sources: Meta plans to begin training an LLM in Q1 2024 on its own infrastructure that it hopes will be roughly as capable as OpenAI's GPT-4   —  Parent of Facebook and Instagram wants artificial-intelligence system to be as capable as OpenAI's most advanced model  —  Platforms is setting its sights on OpenAI.

The majority of California voters oppose offering cash reparations to the descendants of African American slaves, a new poll has found. Fifty-nine percent of California voters oppose cash payments, while 29% of voters support the idea, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll that was cosponsored by the Los Angeles Times. A total of four-in-ten respondents reported they "strongly" oppose cash reparations. The poll comes after Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill in 2020 that established the California Reparations Task Force, which was launched to explore how the state could lead the nation on a potential reparations program. "As a nation, we can only truly thrive when every one of us has the opportunity to thrive. Our painful history of slavery has evolved into structural racism and bias built into and permeating throughout our democratic and economic institutions," Newsom said at the time. "California’s rich diversity is ...