Lawmaker Who Led TikTok Ban Bill Joins Private Surveillance Firm

Lawmaker Who Led TikTok Ban Bill Joins Private Surveillance Firm

Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, who led the charge on a bill that could effectively ban TikTok within the country — on the basis that China can “surveil its users” — plans to take up a post with the American surveillance company and defense contractor Palantir, Forbes reported.

Gallagher, who currently chairs the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, was the lead sponsor on the bill that would force TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell the popular social media platform within six months or face a potential ban from app stores and web-hosting services.

After the vote, Palantir executive Jacob Helberg, who also serves on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, called on his social media followers to fund opponents to lawmakers who voted no on the bill to ban TikTok. Gallagher worked with Helberg in recent months as part of an effort to build bipartisan, bicoastal support of the bill. Helberg took a job at Palantir as a senior policy advisor to CEO Alex Karp back in August.

Related:

Wikipedia:

The United States–China Economic and Security Review Commission (informally, the U.S.–China Commission, USCC) is an independent agency of the United States government. It was established on October 30, 2000, through the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act.

VPN & PH Gov Website

I’ve been using my VPN because I can’t access certain websites, for some reason. Websites from China-cn and Cuba-cu are two examples. I suspect that it’s my Spectrum internet because the websites work with my Verizon data (my internet connection is worse with Verizon than with Spectrum). Anyway, I found out that I can’t access the Philippines’ government website with my VPN set to certain locations (I usually use Chicago). Likewise, if I set it to Canada or Hong Kong, it doesn’t work. If I set it to Detroit, New York, Miami, Phoenix, Armenia, or India, it works. I haven’t tested every single location, though. I just find it interesting that they are blocking certain locations. It could be Surfshark, for all I know. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Veterans Burn Their Uniforms at Vigil for US Airman Aaron Bushnell

Source

A group of veterans from the US armed forces burnt their uniforms in a show of solidarity with the airman Aaron Bushnell, who died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington in a protest over the war in Gaza.

Veterans Burn Their Uniforms at Vigil for US Airman Aaron Bushnell

Related:

The Air Force identified the Airman who died after setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy on Feb. 25 as Senior Airman Aaron James Bushnell, a cyber defense operations specialist assigned to the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing.

Originally from Whitman, Mass., the 25-year-old Bushnell first joined the Air Force on May 5, 2020. His duty station was the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. His duty title was innovation services technician, and his decorations included the Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Air Force Training Ribbon.

Source

Man Who Died After Self-Immolation At Israeli Embassy Put Palestinian Fund In Will: Reports

Aaron Bushnell’s Protest Reflects A Much Deeper Crisis In the US Military

Aaron Bushnell’s Extreme Act of Protest & Why the World Would be Better if He was Still With Us

Palestinian resistance pays tribute to martyr, Aaron Bushnell

‘I Will No Longer be Complicit in Genocide’: U.S. Soldier Dies of Self-Immolation in Protest of War on Gaza

Senegal: Western Backed Colour Revolution Underway

26-02-2024: In early February, Senegal’s President Macky Sall postponed presidential elections for several months weeks before the planned election date of February 25, leading to protests across the West African nation. Opposition members of parliament who attempted to block a bill entrenching the delay were arrested as police fired tear gas at protestors outside.[1] By the evening, the bill which initially proposed a postponing of the elections until August 25 was amended to an even later date of December 15, which was passed by 105 members of parliament (MPs) in the 165 seat assembly.[2] In an interview with Associated Press (AP) President Macky Sall denied he was attempting to hold on to power by delaying the elections. He stated he was “..seeking for nothing except to leave a country in peace and stability….I am completely ready to pass the baton. I have always been programmed for that”.[3] While one might agree or disagree with the official positions of Macky Sall, he can scarcely be blamed for making moves to calm political conditions which have led to deadly riots in recent years.

Senegal: Western Backed Colour Revolution Underway

Israel gets closer to prohibiting foreign press

Israel has moved a step closer to potentially banning Al Jazeera after accusing one of its reporters, Mohamed Washah, of working for Hamas. The Israeli parliament voted 25-4 to advance the ‘Al Jazeera Law,’ a bill that would allow the temporary outlawing of foreign media outlets designated as harmful to state security by the defense ministry. The legislation, colloquially known as the ‘Al Jazeera Law,’ specifically targets the Qatar-based network.

Israel gets closer to prohibiting foreign press