Apple tells Congress it was never hacked by Chinese spy chips – CNET

The letter comes in response to a story Bloomberg Businessweek published Thursday. The story cited anonymous sources who said Apple and Amazon were targeted by Chinese spies who implanted surveillance microchips into their data center equipment during the manufacturing process.

Apple to U.S. lawmakers: China did not hack us, as reported – Mon, 08 Oct 2018 PST

Apple's top security officer told lawmakers the company has found no evidence of claims made in a report published last week. His response comes after the Department of Homeland Security and Britain's national cybersecurity agency both said that they believe denials by Apple, Amazon and others of the Bloomberg report that the Chinese government planted surveillance microchips in servers used by U.S. tech giants.

As Florence looms, Trump gives himself – A-pluses’ on hurricane response Source: Cox Media Group

With Hurricane Florence poised to slam into the Carolinas in the next two days, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration had done an A-plus job in responding to hurricanes that ravaged Texas and Florida in 2017, as he again defended how the feds dealt with extensive damage to the U.S. island of Puerto Rico. "I think, in a certain way, the best job we did was Puerto Rico, but nobody would understand that," the President said, blaming bad infrastructure on the island for the slow recovery in power and water.

Democratic lawmakers visit with dads separated from children at detention center

Democratic members of Congress from New Jersey and New York on Sunday met with immigration detainees separated from children at the southwest border who are now being held at a New Jersey immigration facility. During a news conference afterward, the representatives said they met with five men at the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, four of whom were brought to New Jersey from the U.S.-Mexico border.

This pathetic Democrat fell flat on his face after high profile campaign stunt

After Tuesday night's Democratic primary election in Virginia's 10th Congressional District, candidate Dan Helmer, who sought to be the main challenger to Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., fell flat on his face. Helmer finished fourth in his primary, only bringing in just more than 6,700 votes or 12 percent of the vote.

How worried should you be about Medicare and Social Security?

The problems may only keep getting worse in a time of political tension and deep partisan divisions. Here are some questions and answers on an issue that ultimately will affect every American family and isn't going away: The government's annual Trustees Reports on the programs shows the financial condition of both worsening significantly since last year.

Should you be worried about Social Security and Medicare?

In this Jan. 11, 2013 file photo, the Social Security Administration's main campus is seen in Woodlawn, Md. A significant worsening in the financial condition of Social Security and Medicare and bitter political divisions among lawmakers who'd have try to find solutions have raised the level of concern around the government's latest status report on the two bedrock programs.

‘Right to try’ drug legislation heads to the White House

The House on Tuesday passed "right-to-try" legislation that would allow the critically ill to bypass the Food and Drug Administration to obtain experimental medications, ending a drawn-out battle over access to unapproved therapies. President Donald Trump is expected to quickly sign the measure, which was praised by supporters as a lifeline for desperate patients but denounced by scores of medical and consumer groups as unnecessary and dangerous.

Families tell EPA chief of deaths linked to paint stripper

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, left, and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt listen to President Donald Trump speak during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 9, 2018, in Washington. less Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, left, and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt listen to President Donald Trump speak during a cabinet meeting at the White ... more WASHINGTON - Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt has met with families of two men whose deaths were linked to a toxic compound in a widely sold paint stripper, weeks after lawmakers pressed him about an Obama-era rule that would limit sales to consumers.

Lobbyist tied to Pruitt pushed clienta s committee candidates

The lobbyist whose wife rented a condo to Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt at $50 a night sought EPA committee posts for a lobbying client, according to a newly released EPA memo. J. Steven Hart's seeking those appointments from his wife's former tenant, Pruitt, shows "the extent to which the special interests providing him with gifts have sought specific favors from EPA in return," said Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Memo: Pruitt landlord’s husband sought EPA work for client

The lobbyist whose wife rented a condo to Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt at $50 a night sought EPA committee posts for a lobbying client, according to a newly released EPA memo. J. Steven Hart's seeking those appointments from his wife's former tenant, Pruitt, shows "the extent to which the special interests providing him with gifts have sought specific favors from EPA in return," said Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Lobbyist connected to Pruitt’s townhouse stay contacted EPA, despite denials

The lobbyist connected to a controversial living arrangement for Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt emailed the agency on behalf of a client last year, seemingly contradicting his earlier assertion that he did not lobby the EPA in 2017. For much of his first year in Washington Pruitt stayed in a room in a Capitol Hill townhouse co-owned by Vicki Hart, the wife of veteran D.C. lobbyist J. Steven Hart, paying $50 for each night he used it.

Red states called ‘moochers’ as Hillary defends tunnel project

Hillary Clinton came to the defense of the Gateway Project and accused President Donald Trump of playing politics by holding back federal funds as several members of the New Jersey congressional delegation criticized Republican House efforts to cut funding. The project to build a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey and a new Portal Bridge was set under the Obama administration, providing half the funding for the $30 billion project.

EPA chief gets congressional scolding over ethical lapses

Democratic lawmakers assailed EPA chief Scott Pruitt on Thursday for the ethics and spending scandals that have prompted multiple calls for his ouster. The chairman of the panel that is questioning Pruitt called the allegations a "distraction but one this committee cannot ignore."

EPA chief faces Capitol Hill grilling over ethical missteps

Lawmakers assailed Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt on Thursday for the ethics and spending scandals that have prompted bipartisan calls for his ouster. On the defensive, the EPA chief blamed "half truths" and "twisted" allegations, an effort to undermine the Trump administration's anti-regulatory agenda.

Zuckerberg: Regulation ‘inevitable’ for social media firms

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that regulation of social media companies is "inevitable" and disclosed that his own personal information has been compromised by malicious outsiders. But after two days of congressional testimony, what seemed clear was how little Congress seems to know about Facebook, much less what to do about it.