Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 TikTok CEO Gets Grilled On Capitol Hill
The CEO of TikTok faced a grilling on Capitol Hill as the U.S. considers banning the popular app. Yesterday, a House committee focused on concerns about the app's data privacy, protections for kids, and connection to the Chinese Communist Party. Members grilled the CEO over videos on the site like the "blackout challenge" that has led to the death of some young children. In response to this, CEO Shou Chew discussed the company's effort to move all U.S. data to domestic servers and said there's no evidence the Chinese government has access to American user data. However, lawmakers were skeptical of Chew's claim, pressing him on how the company can ensure the data isn't in the hands of the Chinese government which lawmakers fear can use the data to spy on - or influence - Americans. This isn’t just lip service either. Troy Nehls of Texas calls the popular social media app a "Chinese surveillance tool" that threatens children and national security. Citing the 150 million American users, Nehls said it's like having "150 million Chinese spy devices in your homes." Mary Miller of Illinois agrees, saying the app is "brainwashing American children" with dangerous content.
2 More Storms Leave Massive Flooding In Central California/ Severe Weather Treks Across The Country
As California’s twelfth atmospheric river wreaked havoc up and down the state, many Californians are dealing with the devastation left behind. The most recent storm dropped trillions of gallons of water since the start of the new year. This has left more than 50 million people on alert after tornados, hail, gale-force winds, bomb cyclones and flooding. Cities in the Bay Area are bracing for mudslides after heavy rains and toppling trees plagued multiple communities, killing five people. The recent heavy rainfall combined with snowmelt in the Sierra Mountains is putting communities near the Sierra Mountain Range at great risk of flood damage. The Tulare basin in Central California has already overflowed, filling farmers’ fields and flooding local neighborhoods. It’s been nearly two weeks since a levee breached on the Pajaro River, flooding the Pajaro community and leading its 3,000 residents to evacuate. Nearly the entire town has been left homeless after about 14 inches of water entered homes. What’s more, Pajaro has not been granted federal aid since the flood technically damaged less than 1,200 houses. Just south of there, Ventura County is recovering from two to four inches of rain in the latest round of storms. Damage teams confirmed a water spout moved onshore as an EF0 tornado at 75 miles per hour in Santa Barbara County around 5:45 PM Tuesday. It was on the ground near Carpenteria for one to two minutes, damaging 25 mobile homes in Sandpiper village.
3 Trump Grand Jury Returned To Work After Mid-Week Break
A New York City grand jury did not discuss a case involving whether to indict former President Trump yesterday, as originally planned. Reports say the grand jury met but worked on something else. Though Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been quiet the past few days, his office has reiterated that the public will know when the investigation has reached its conclusion. The grand jury will meet again on Monday, when it could possibly hear from an additional witness, according to two insiders familiar with the matter. As far as protests go, there haven’t been any sizable gatherings or altercations despite Trump’s request for protests on the Truth Social platform. However, law enforcement officials are prepping for an upcoming grand jury decision next week and even held a rehearsal for possible protests downtown.