Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attempt to unseat Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House of Representatives failed. She had requested Johnson’s resignation because he supported a $61 billion aid plan for Ukraine.

However, Democrats and Republicans voted 359-43 to defeat her motion. Other chamber members loudly booed Ms Greene’s address on the House floor.

Shortly after the vote, Mr Johnson said it would end “the personality politics and frivolous character assassination that has defined the 118th Congress.”

“I’m glad that this distraction is not going to inhibit that important work and all the other things that are on the table and on the agenda for us right now,” he stated.

The long-awaited move proved a rare show of disobedience against the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump. Earlier, he expressed his support for the House Speaker and described the effort to remove him as “unfortunate”.

Only two Republican members of Congress, Thomas Massie and Paul Gosar, supported Ms Greene’s move.

Ms Greene, joined by Mr Massie, took to the House floor to criticize Mr Johnson for a series of compromises he has reached with Democrats, who have a Senate majority.

“This is the ‘uniparty’ for the American people watching,” she told the politicians in the chamber, who booed her. “By passing the Democrats’ agenda and handcuffing the Republicans’ ability and influence legislation, our elected Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has aided and abetted the Democrats and the Biden administration in destroying our country,” she stated.

Mr Johnson was spotted striding around the House floor after Ms Greene introduced her motion, with Republican supporters shaking his hand and slapping him on the back.

Former President Donald Trump listens during an event called “Kids First: AP Photo

Trump goes against Marjorie Taylor Greene.

During Ms Greene’s address, former President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform a message urging Republicans to reject her request to remove the speaker’s post.

Former President Trump opened his article with “I love Marjorie Taylor Greene.” He warned Republican members of Congress that “now is not the time” to remove Mr. Johnson.

“If we show DISUNITY, which will be portrayed as CHAOS, it will negatively affect everything!” he remarked, adding that the Republican Speaker was a “good man who is trying very hard”.

Ms Greene submitted the move in March, which would eventually trigger the vote on Mr Johnson’s dismissal, but it was unclear when or if she would advance it. She did so on Wednesday, requiring the Republican-led chamber to vote on the House leader’s position within two legislative days.

A similar parliamentary maneuver was used to oust former Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the autumn, leaving the house without an elected leader for three weeks.

Democrats took the rare decision to support a Republican House Speaker due to the chamber’s razor-thin majorities, but they recently chastised Mr Johnson for meeting with her several times this week.

“When Speaker Johnson meets with her for hours, the American people should be asking ‘what is Marjorie Taylor Greene extracting from the speaker?'” According to Axios, Democratic Representative Ted Lieu spoke on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Mr Johnson stated that the conversations were not a “negotiation” and disputed that Republican leaders were considering any concessions in exchange for her support.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is a far-right Republican lawmaker noted for her controversial views and confrontational rhetoric. She has been fired for supporting conspiracy theories such as QAnon and making harsh remarks about various groups.

Greene’s outspoken attitude appeals to her audience but alienates many others. Despite calls to resign, she remains a powerful voice in the Republican Party’s hard-right fringe.

Source: AOL

TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance filed a lawsuit in federal court in the United States on Tuesday, seeking to overturn a law signed by President Joe Biden that would require the divestment or prohibition of the short video app used by 170 million Americans.

The corporations filed their action in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, claiming that the statute violates the U.S. Constitution for various reasons, including violating First Amendment free speech protections.

Biden signed the measure on April 24, giving ByteDance until January 19 to sell TikTok or face a ban.

“For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban,” the firms claim in their case.

The lawsuit stated that the divestment “is simply not possible: not commercially, technologically, or legally.” There is little doubt that the Act (law) will compel the shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere.”

The White House has stated that it wants to restrict Chinese ownership for national security reasons, not a ban on TikTok. The White House and the Justice Department have declined to comment on the case.

TikTok’s political uncertainties

The complaint is TikTok’s latest measure to stave off efforts to shut it down in the United States. Competitors like Snap and Meta seek to profit from TikTok’s political uncertainties and steal advertising dollars from its competitors.

Driven by concerns among U.S. senators that China may use the app to acquire data on Americans or spy on them, the bill was passed by Congress overwhelmingly just weeks after it was presented.

TikTok has denied sharing U.S. user data and accused American politicians of raising “speculative” fears in the case.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the lead Democrat on a House Committee on China, stated that the proposal is “the only way to address the national security threat posed by ByteDance’s ownership of apps like TikTok.”

“Instead of continuing its deceptive tactics, it’s time for ByteDance to start the divestment process,” he stated.

The rule prevents app stores such as Apple and Alphabet’s Google from supplying TikTok and internet hosting providers from supporting It unless ByteDance divests by January 19.

The suit stated that the Chinese government “has made clear that it would not permit a divestment of the recommendation engine that is critical to TikTok’s success in the United States.”

Conflicts between the United States and China

The firms urged the D.C. Circuit to prevent U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland from executing the statute, arguing that “prospective injunctive relief” is necessary.

According to the lawsuit, global institutional investors such as BlackRock, General Atlantic, and Susquehanna International Group hold 58% of ByteDance, while the company’s Chinese founder owns 21%, and employees, including around 7,000 Americans, own another 21%.

The four-year battle over TikTok represents a crucial battleground in the ongoing conflict between the United States and China over the internet and technology. In April, Apple announced that China had asked to remove Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China because of national security concerns.

According to the lawsuit, TikTok spent $2 billion on steps to secure U.S. users’ data and made additional pledges in a 90-page draft National Security Agreement established through negotiations with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

According to the claim, TikTok agreed to a “shutdown option” under which the U.S. government could stop TikTok in the U.S. if it violated specified requirements.

According to the lawsuit, CFIUS discontinued significant conversations concerning the transaction in August 2022, and in March 2023, CFIUS “insisted that ByteDance divest the U.S. TikTok business.”

Biden Campaign Using TikTok

CFIUS is an interagency body chaired by the United States Treasury Department that investigates foreign investments in American enterprises and real estate that raise national security issues.

In 2020, judges ruled against President Donald Trump’s attempt to prohibit TikTok and WeChat, owned by Tencent (0700. H.K.).

Resides in the United States. Trump, the Republican candidate running against Democrat Joe Biden in the November 5 presidential election, has shifted course, stating he does not support a ban but that security concerns must be addressed.

If Biden believes ByteDance is progressing, he may extend the January 19 deadline by three months. According to the lawsuit, Biden’s presidential campaign’s continued usage of TikTok “undermines the claim that the platform poses an actual threat to Americans.” The Trump campaign does not use TikTok.

Many experts have questioned if any potential buyer has the financial capacity to acquire TikTok and whether Chinese and U.S. government authorities would authorize a sale.

According to the lawsuit, moving the TikTok source code to the United States “would take years for an entirely new set of engineers to gain sufficient familiarity.”

Source: Reuters

At a glamorous Kremlin inauguration on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin took office for a fifth term, extending his six-year reign as head of state after crushing his political rivals, starting a catastrophic war in Ukraine, and consolidating all power in his own hands.

In front of an assembled group of specially chosen guests, Putin touched the Russian Constitution at the ceremony held in the opulent Grand Kremlin Palace and swore to protect it.

After taking the oath of office, Putin declared, “We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all obstacles, realize all our plans, and together we will win.”

AP News – VOR News Image

Putin Begins His Fifth Term As President, More In Control Of Russia Than Ever

Following President Boris Yeltsin’s death in the final hours of 1999, Putin turned Russia from a nation rising from economic ruin to a pariah state that poses a threat to international security. Russia is seeking assistance from other regimes such as China, Iran, and North Korea in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has turned into the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. Russia has been subject to severe sanctions from the West.

Putin has been in power for almost 25 years, making him the longest-serving head of state since Josef Stalin. His current term will not end until 2030 when he will be allowed to compete for office again under the constitution.

In a highly staged performance, Putin was seen going through his files in his office before making his way down the lengthy halls of the Kremlin and stopping occasionally to admire an artwork en route to his inauguration.

Putin’s guard of honor waited for hours in the rain and sleet, at temperatures just above freezing, as his Auras limousine made the short trip to the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Putin angrily denounced the West and thanked the “heroes” of his battle in Ukraine in the opening minutes of his fifth term.

He declared that Russia “does not refuse dialogue with Western states.” Instead, he declared, “the choice is theirs: do they intend to look for a path to cooperation and peace, or do they intend to continue trying to contain Russia, continue the policy of aggression, and continuous pressure on our country for years.”

He was met with cheers when he arrived in the hall with over 2,500 invited guests. Among them were prominent figures from the Russian government, such as American actor Steven Seagal.

German, British, and American diplomats were not present. According to the US Embassy, Ambassador Lynne Tracy was on “prescheduled, personal travel” when she left the nation.

A few representatives from the European Union attended the inauguration, even though top EU diplomat Josep Borrell claimed to have advised them that “the right thing to do is not to attend this inauguration” because Putin is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, which holds him accountable for the kidnappings of Ukrainian children.

According to a French official who spoke anonymously because they were not permitted to talk publicly, the French ambassador was among those present.

A 30-gun salute followed Putin’s speech. In the drizzle on Cathedral Square in front of the Kremlin, Putin inspected the presidential regiment before going nearby to Annunciation Cathedral to receive a blessing from Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

During the brief ceremony, Kirill compared Putin to Prince Alexander Nevsky, the medieval tyrant who “courageously defended their people on the battlefield.”

Recalling that the head of state occasionally “has to take fateful and formidable decisions” that can result in victims, he reminded Putin that the church has backed the conflict in Ukraine that has resulted in several casualties.

AP News – VOR News Image

Putin Begins His Fifth Term As President, More In Control Of Russia Than Ever

The current question is what the 71-year-old Putin will do in the Kremlin during the next six years, both domestically and internationally.

Using scorched-earth tactics, Russian forces are consolidating their position in Ukraine while Kyiv struggles with a manpower and ammunition shortfall.

By using drones and missiles, Ukraine has moved the war to Russian territory, particularly in border areas. Putin promised to carry out Moscow’s objectives in Ukraine and take all necessary steps to “defend our sovereignty and security of our citizens” in a speech given in February.

Putin announced he wanted to create a buffer zone in Ukraine to safeguard his nation from cross-border attacks shortly after his planned reelection in March. He also hinted that a conflict between NATO and Russia would occur.

The Russian government has been dissolved so that Putin can choose a new prime minister and Cabinet.

A crucial domain to monitor is the Defense Ministry.

Amidst allegations of widespread corruption, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s protege, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, was arrested last month on bribery accusations. Given that the war is ongoing, it would be risky for some commentators to claim that Shoigu may fall victim to the cabinet upheaval.

Putin’s popularity at home is strongly correlated with rising living levels for common Russians.

Putin assured Russians on Tuesday that their country would grow in the future, but many have seen their standard of living increase since the invasion of Ukraine.

Putin pledged at the start of his term in 2018 that Russia’s economy would be “modern and dynamic” and that it would rank among the top five in the world. Rather, Russia’s government is spending unprecedented sums on defense, and the country’s economy has shifted to a war footing.

Now that Putin has secured a further six years in office, analysts predict the government may decide to implement controversial measures like tax increases to finance the war and increased pressure on men to enlist in the military.

Authorities have clamped down on any dissent in the years after the invasion with an intensity not seen since the Soviet era.

Putin hinted on Tuesday that he would keep critics quiet.

AP News – VOR News Image

Putin Begins His Fifth Term As President, More In Control Of Russia Than Ever

Recalling the “tragic cost of internal turmoil and upheaval,” he advised the audience gathered in the Grand Kremlin Palace that Russia “must be strong and absolutely resistant to any challenges and threats.”

Putin faces essentially no domestic opposition as he begins his fifth term in office.

Laws that threaten lengthy prison terms have been passed for anyone who discredits the armed forces. In addition, the Kremlin attacks rights organizations, independent media, LGBTQ+ activists, and other groups that deviate from what Putin has described as Russia’s “traditional family values.”

Opposition leader and worst political enemy, Alexei Navalny, passed away in a prison camp in the Arctic in February. Several well-known detractors have either left the nation or been imprisoned, and several of his opponents overseas are afraid for their safety.

Before the inauguration, Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Navalny, declared in a video that Putin’s pledges “are not only empty, they are false.”

She declared that “a liar, a thief, and a murderer” rules Russia.

SOURCE – (AP)