Month: April 2023

NTD Business (April 28): Digital Health Device Cybersecurity Risk? IRS Hiring More Armed Tax Enforcers

Exxon-Mobil reported bumper profits last quarter, despite falling gas prices. What contributed to the record? You can now add horsepower to an EV Mercedes, but at a cost. The IRS commissioner confirmed the agency is hiring armed tax agents nationwide as part of President Joe Biden’s push to shore up enforcement. But the IRS says…


North Carolina Bill Barring Adversarial Regimes From Buying Land Passes State House

The North Carolina House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday prohibiting state-owned companies and hostile foreign nations like China from purchasing farms or any other land near a military installation. The 114-0 vote came amid mounting concern over national security after the Chinese spy balloon recently flew over the state’s military bases before…


Lord Patten, the Last Governor of Hong Kong, Receives Highest UK Honour

Christopher Francis Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, was presented with the Order of the Garter, the highest rank of knighthood in England, by King Charles III on Sunday, April 23, on Saint George’s Day. The recent statement from Buckingham Palace introduces Patten as, in order, “a former Conservative Member of Parliament who became…


China’s Xi Is Cracking Down on Bankers, Financial System

Since the start of 2023, dozens of senior banking executives in China have resigned or been under investigation. This phenomenon marks a reshuffling of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) financial sector, with various factions within the regime battling for their own interests, according to a China expert. This month, senior bank executives were frequently reassigned….


Republicans Subpoena Head of CDC Over Big Tech Censorship Coordination

The U.S. House of Representatives has subpoenaed several top Biden administration officials, including the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over the administration’s coordination with Big Tech to censor users. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent the subpoenas on April 28 to CDC Director Dr….


Biden Can Lower Prescription Drug Prices by Simply Following the Law

Commentary Not every problem calls for a government solution. But in the case of runaway prescription drug prices, there is a smart, conservative policy that can help drive down the price of prescription drugs, effectively and fairly, by employing a free-market solution rather than government price controls. The solution is price transparency, but the Biden…


‘Uninspiring’ Political Leadership Driving Recruits Away from Military: Rep. Garcia

WASHINGTON—Uninspiring leadership and lousy pay are driving young Americans away from military service, according to one congressman. The Biden administration’s failure to present a positive vision of military service and lack of accountability for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan are failing to inspire Americans to join the military, said Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.). “We all…


Aussies to Spoil Mums as Spending Set to Reach $1 Billion on Mother’s Day

Australians are set to spend nearly a billion on Mother’s Day gifts this year, with alcohol, food and flowers continuing to be the most popular choices. A survey of 1,682 adults conducted by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and Roy Morgan predicts Australians will spend A$925 million (US$611 million)—up A$166 million (US$106 million), or 22…


After Tucker, Say No to Fox Hosting Republican Primary Debates

Commentary The leak of an email from Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel to GOP insiders that Fox News will be hosting the first GOP presidential primary debate in Milwaukee sometime in August 2023 is not good news now that the network has disgracefully fired Tucker Carlson. It wasn’t really good news before that because…


Inflation, Net Zero, and the Bank of England

Commentary “What a banker,” read the unsubtle headline in The Sun. “BoE official on £190k salary says Brits must accept they’re worse off.” The Mail agreed. “BoE chief risks fury as he says Brits must accept they are poorer.” What sparked the tabloids’ outrage was a Columbia Law School podcast with Huw Pill, the Bank of England’s chief economist and a member…