National security crackdown again in Hong Kong

Have a happy Thursday! This month, more than 30 years after their debut, children's entertainment group The Wiggles has appointed its first-ever CEO. You might wonder why it took so long for someone to drive a big red car, but it turns out that the group that brought us “Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy” has been operating solely on a vibe the whole time. Personally, I'm not surprised.

Quick Hits: Today's Top Stories

• National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that the U.S. intelligence community said Sunday's attack on Tower 22 in Jordan by Iranian-backed Islamic resistance forces in Iraq killed three U.S. service members and wounded more than 30 others. He said the attack suggested the possibility of a group that killed three U.S. military personnel and injured more than 30 others. The attack was carried out by its affiliate Kataib Hezbollah, but no subgroup was directly responsible. The Islamic Resistance Movement itself claimed responsibility for the attack. President Joe Biden has not yet responded militarily to the attack, but the White House has indicated that retaliation will be gradual.
• The House voted 357-70 Wednesday night to pass the Tax Cuts for American Families and Workers Act, which expands the child tax credit and restores three business tax cuts. The $78 billion bill, backed by 188 Democrats and 169 Republicans, would increase the child tax credit, make it easier to qualify, and restore the research tax credit, which allows companies to recoup domestic research and development costs. The content is designed to encourage The bill will next go to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future.
• The Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold in a range of 5.25% to 5.5% on Wednesday, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggesting a rate cut at its next March meeting was unlikely but possible before the end of the year. “If the economy progresses broadly as expected, it would be appropriate to begin tapering policy restraints at some point this year,” Powell said after the meeting. “However, since the pandemic, the economy has surprised forecasters in many ways, and continued progress toward the 2% inflation target is not guaranteed.”
• Leaders of several Big Tech companies, including Meta, Snap and TikTok, testified Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, facing bipartisan criticism from lawmakers over allegations that their companies are involved in child exploitation and suicide. did. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke during a series of questions from Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley about parents whose children have been harmed by social media in the hearing audience. apologized directly to. During the hearing, several senators argued in favor of reforming Section 230, which protects social media companies from being sued over content on their platforms.
• Online retailer eBay on Wednesday agreed to a $59 million settlement with the Department of Justice over allegations that the company violated the Controlled Substances Act by illegally selling thousands of pill presses and encapsulation machines. The Justice Department alleges that many of the purchasers of pill presses also purchased molds, dies, or stamps that could enable the production of counterfeit drugs. “While eBay acts lawfully and denies the DOJ's allegations, we believe this agreement is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders to avoid the cost, uncertainty, and disruption associated with protracted litigation.” “We have made this decision,” the company said in a statement. ”

Hong Kong under China's thumb

In the summer of 2019, pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong over plans to allow the extradition of criminals to mainland China. At the peak of the demonstrations, 1.7 million people, a quarter of the total population, took to the streets. Protests continued into early 2020, but were halted by the onset of the pandemic, giving the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) the opportunity to impose a restrictive national security law (NSL) on Hong Kong, and some calling the end of Hong Kong. expressed. Kong.

More than three and a half years later, this week Hong Kong's chief executive announced a new national security law that builds on the crackdown begun by a 2020 order. The proposal, which is almost certain to be adopted, is another step in bringing mainland China's state repression to Hong Kong.

John Lee, a Beijing-affiliated chief executive who works with the Hong Kong government, on Tuesday proposed a new bill for Hong Kong's own security law. Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, a mini-constitution enacted in 1997 at the end of British rule to maintain Hong Kong's autonomy as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, prohibits actions that could be construed as intimidation. requires the passing of a law to do so. against the Chinese central government, including subversion and “foreign political groups conducting political activities in the region.” Hong Kong tried to pass such a national security law in 2003, but withdrew it after widespread public backlash and protests.