bryan metzger

Sen. Josh Hawley wants to ban driverless cars — and says he'll introduce a bill on it 'soon' Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri told BI that he wants to see driverless cars banned nationwide, and that he's introducing a bill on the topic soon.

News: Sen. Josh Hawley wants to ban self-driving cars, is planning legislation on it soon.

“I think we ought to ban autonomous vehicles,” he told me, calling them “not safe” and saying it would be “terrible for working people” if they become the norm.

www.businessinsider.com/josh-hawley-...

"Digital content creators" are among the 68 occupations that the Treasury Department has deemed eligible for the "no tax on tips" deduction.

They explicitly name streamers, influencers, podcasters as illustrative examples.

via @danwhateley.bsky.social and me
www.businessinsider.com/influencers-...

Trump is dangling the idea of government checks to get people to donate to his campaign Trump hasn't actually committed to sending DOGE checks or tariff rebate checks to Americans. He's still mentioning them in fundraising emails.

He sent out two emails mentioning tariff rebate checks earlier this month, including one that asked: "SHOULD BONUS REVENUE FROM MY HISTORIC TRUMP TARIFFS GO BACK TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE VIA REBATE CHECK SIGNED BY TRUMP?"

www.businessinsider.com/trump-fundra...

Trump hasn't committed to sending out "DOGE checks" or tariff rebates — or even pushing for it. Republicans in Congress are largely opposed.

He's still fundraising off of it.

Here's one from today that somehow mentions *both*.

Subject line: "Do you want a DOGE check?"

Marjorie Taylor Greene bought thousands of dollars in stock right before Trump's tariff pause sent markets soaring Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene purchased between $21,000 and $315,000 in stocks in 19 different companies, beginning the day before Trump's tariff pause.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is the first member of Congress to disclose purchasing stocks right before Trump's tariff pause sent markets soaring.

She bought between $21,000 and $315,000 in stocks across 19 different companies on April 8 and 9.

www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-tay...

It may be weeks before we learn which politicians cashed in on Trump's tariff-driven stock market dip Democrats are raising alarms about potential insider trading. There's no evidence yet, but lawmakers and Trump advisors have to disclose by mid-May.

Was there any insider trading around Trump's tariff announcements?

We won't really know for weeks.
www.businessinsider.com/politicians-...

Trump's NIH director nominee made nearly $12,000 from posting on X last year One of Trump's top health-related nominees had an uncommon income source over the past two years: posting on social media.

Two of Trump's nominees have made thousands of dollars from posting on X.

NIH Director nominee Jay Bhattacharya: $11,995.

Department of VA Undersecretary nominee Sam Brown: $5,169.

w/ @thenewsham.bsky.social

www.businessinsider.com/jay-bhattach...

Trump's attorney general pick owned at least $3.9 million in Truth Social stock and made $1 million as a lobbyist last year Bondi, who's been working as a lobbyist and a consultant in recent years, reported a net worth of $12.1 million.

Pam Bondi disclosed owning more than $3.9 million in Truth Social stock in December, according to documents obtained by BI.

www.businessinsider.com/pam-bondi-tr...

Pete Hegseth made millions at Fox News and $900,000 from 41 paid speeches in the last 2 years Hegseth delivered 41 paid speeches across the country over the last two years, earning $900,000 along the way.

New: Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's financial disclosure is out.

It shows he made more than $2 million/year at Fox News, plus $900,000 from 41 paid speeches.

www.businessinsider.com/pete-hegseth...

Trump's pick to lead EPA was paid tens of thousands to write op-eds criticizing climate policies and ESG Former Rep. Lee Zeldin made nearly $200,000 from paid speeches and op-eds in recent years. Some of those op-eds were on climate-related topics.

New: Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick to lead the EPA, was paid tens of thousands of dollars to write op-eds criticizing ESG and New York's climate policies, per his financial disclosure.

He also made $65,500 in paid speeches and won $45,475 from casino gambling.

www.businessinsider.com/trump-epa-no...

It appears that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was wearing her famous "Dangerous Creature" sweater on Capitol Hill yesterday when she and Sen. Joe Manchin voted against renominating Lauren McFarren to the NLRB, denying Democrats a major on the top labor board.

Progressive lawmakers say the reaction to the UHC CEO killing is a 'wake-up call' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the shooting ignited a "mass bubbling of resentment around the precarity that people have been living with."

It’s not just Elizabeth Warren — several progressives see the UHC CEO killing as a moment where the rage toward the healthcare industry can’t be ignored.

www.businessinsider.com/unitedhealth...

Even if Trump tried to raise the minimum wage, his own party could get in the way Trump recently signaled openness to raising the federal minimum wage. Even if he's serious, he's likely to hit GOP resistance.

Despite Trump’s seemingly open-minded stance on the topic, Republicans are broadly uninterested in a federal minimum wage increase.

www.businessinsider.com/trump-minimu...

AOC confirms her interest in being top Democrat on House Oversight Committee if Rep. Jamie Raskin replaces Rep. Jerry Nadler atop Judiciary.

“I’m looking into it,” she told me. “I am interested.”

She’d need to win support of colleagues, could be competitive. She’s currently vice ranking member.

Trump's Labor Secretary pick is winning Democratic praise — and GOP skepticism Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer supports a sweeping pro-union bill, earning her cautious praise from Democrats and skepticism from Republicans.

To understand how some in the GOP view Chavez-DeRemer, consider Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who said he's concerned about her pro-labor record but his "bias is supporting President Trump in staffing his administration with the people he wants around him."

www.businessinsider.com/trump-labor-...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren offering some conditional praise for Trump's nominee for Labor Secretary, outgoing GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Oh look! It’s a gallery of things I must now order online because it takes 20 minutes to find the Keeper of the Deodorant Key

am i on someone’s “starter pack” or something because i’ve been gaining hella followers despite never posting on here

Journalism's fight for survival in a postliterate democracy The truth is going out of business as technology turns us into a folk-story society, ripe for influence by a demagogue.

an insightful but grim read
mattdpearce.substack.com/p/journalism...

if i haven’t followed you back it’s because i don’t know if i’m actually gonna use this app lol

sup

Ep. 289: Why Jamaal Bowman Lost ft. Bryan Metzger The pro-Israel lobbying group spent $14 million to defeat Jamaal Bowman, but there's more to the story.

Yes, AIPAC spent $14 million+ to defeat Jamaal Bowman, but there's more to it.

@metzger.bsky.social joined @robrousseau.bsky.social and me to look at the full picture of Bowman's race:

www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-289-why...

'Give him the benefit of the doubt': Why one gay GOP leader is holding his fire on Mike Johnson — ... "It's not maybe as 'ideal' as we wanted, but we've got to see if this works," said Charles Moran, the president of the Log Cabin Republicans.

www.businessinsider.com/charles-mora...

perhaps it’s important for platform cohesion much like some friendships begin out of mutual dislike of people/things

can yall talk about something besides Twitter

he’s not wrong about the Chad imagery

update just invited several homosexuals onto this platform

figuring out how to strategically distribute the 13 bluesky invites i’ve passively amassed

feel bad for not posting on here

The bitter strike at Insider — longest ever in digital media — is over Striking staffers at digital website Insider signed a deal end their 13-day strike, the longest ever in digital media.

Insider Union’s strike just ended.