Good morning. It's Friday, March. 08, and we're covering the latest military servicemember busted spying for China, the end of TikTok, the biggest move of the MLB offseason, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here. | | American Fact of the Day! | Louisiana: Jazz came from New Orleans No one can pinpoint precisely when jazz began, but they know it all started in New Orleans. Some say it grew out of voodoo drumming rituals in the 1800s, while others say it began in the 1900s with the addition of instruments. Regardless, jazz has been and continues to be the lifeblood of New Orleans. Many famous jazz musicians came from New Orleans, including Louis Armstrong. |
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| | Breaking Updates | | Army Intelligence Analyst Is Just the Latest Military Servicemember Busted Spying for China | A US Army intelligence analyst stationed at Fort Campbell, KY, was arrested Thursday after a joint FBI and Army Counterintelligence Command investigation determined he had worked for the Chinese Communist government for over a year and a half.
Army Sergeant Korbein Schultz, an intelligence analyst in the 506th Infantry Regiment (think "Band of Brothers"), was indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of "conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official."
This arrest extends a disturbing pattern of relatively junior military personnel with access to classified information being successfully recruited by Communist China as spies. On February 21, Chief Petty Officer Bryce Pedicini was charged with multiple security violations.
The foreign government that turned Pedicini isn't named, but its initials look like C-H-I-N-A. On August 3, 2023, two sailors, Jinchao (Patrick) Wei and Wenhang (Thomas) Zhao, were charged with espionage.
According to the indictment, in February 2022, Wei began communicating with an intelligence officer from the PRC who requested that Wei provide information about the U.S.S. Essex and other Navy ships. Specifically, the Chinese intelligence officer tasked Wei with passing him photos, videos and documents concerning U.S. Navy ships and their systems.
The two agreed to hide their communications by deleting records of their conversations and using encrypted methods of communication. | Read more updates here |
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| | The End of TikTok? A Complete Ban Is Now Closer Than Ever | A complete ban on the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok is now closer than ever. Bipartisan legislation could require TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner ByteDance or face an outright ban on app stores across the United States.
ByteDance, which is headquartered in Singapore but owned and controlled by China, has been under scrutiny for several years over concerns that it poses a serious risk to national security and that Beijing uses it for spying purposes.
The legislation, which is described as a move to "protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications, is set for review by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Thursday.
Posting on the X platform, TikTok framed the bill as an "outright ban" that would damage small businesses across America.
"This bill is an outright ban of TikTok, no matter how much the authors try to disguise it," they wrote. "This legislation will trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs."
Even more concerning for TikTok are reports that the White House is planning to support the bill, despite Joe Biden using the application to connect with young people for his presidential campaign.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said confirmed that the administration had been involved in the bill and that they "want to see this bill get done so it can get to the President's desk." | Read more updates here |
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| | American Sports & Culture
|  | NFL free agency: Best players for bargain-hunting teams at every position group | Not every team can afford to sign the splashy names in free agency. Here's where those teams find value with some under-the-radar players. |
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|  | Celtics not winning NBA Finals this year would be 'total gag job': Charles Barkley | Charles Barkley has his favorite to win the NBA Finals this year. |
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|  | Batting Around: What was the biggest move of the MLB offseason as Opening Day approaches? | The winter was long and cold and dark, but there were some bright spots along the way |
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| | American Business & Markets
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|  | 50 Best Small-Business Ideas to Start in 2024 - NerdWallet | The best business ideas leverage your strengths and fill a market need. Here are 50 small-business ideas to help spark your next move. |
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|  | FCF and Growth: Examining the Key Drivers of a Company's Value | There are two key drivers behind a company's value that are important for investors to understand. These include future FCF and growth. |
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| | American Politics | |  | Super Tuesday in Massachusetts brings an opportunity for independent voters | Massachusetts is one of 15 states holding primaries or caucuses on Super Tuesday and independent voters may play a big role here. |
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| /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25319784/STK450_EU_A.jpg) | The EU's new competition rules are going live — here's how tech giants are responding | The Digital Markets Act's deadline for compliance is imminent. Its six designated 'gatekeepers' have fought the rules, but also bent to them. |
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|  | Rossen Reports: As inflation drops, why is stuff still more expensive? | Over the last four years, we've seen prices get inflated by 19%. |
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