Russia

Russia has added journalists from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post to the list of 92 US citizens who have been permanently denied entry into the Russian Federation. A statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry tagged all three papers as part of the “liberal globalist media outlets involved in manufacturing and spreading fake claims about Russia and its armed forces, and engaged in using propaganda to cover Washington’s hybrid war.” Among the 14 WSJ journalists on the list is its editor in chief, Emma Tucker. In addition to five Times journalists and four from the Post, US citizens such as Judi Dotson, who leads Booz Allen Hamilton’s global defense business, are also included. The Russian statement goes on to say, “We are resolved to act consistently with regard to including more individuals who are involved in anti-Russia activities on the list of persons who are denied entry to the Russian Federation in response to the outlandish sanction frenzy that the US ruling elite have worked themselves into.”

TMTG

Trump Media engaged in a little arm-twisting to help a foreign worker jump to the front of the line in the visa process, according to a report on ProPublica. The report says that the former president’s media company contacted Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) for assistance in expediting the visa application of Vladimir Novachki, who currently serves as Trump Media’s chief technology officer. The request noted that one of the reasons Novachki, previously a software developer in North Macedonia, was recruited was because American candidates for the same work were more expensive, a person involved told ProPublica—a stance seemingly at odds with Trump’s stated desire to “strengthen Buy American and Hire American Policies.” While it’s common for companies to ask members of Congress to help expedite such applications for applicants or companies based in the lawmaker’s district, Trump Media’s Sarasota, FL headquarters are about 1,500 miles from Bacon’s Nebraska district. A spokesperson for Bacon told ProPublica that Trump Media got around that hurdle by having the request come from a Trump Media employee who lived in Bacon’s district. A lawyer for Trump Media sent ProPublica a letter threatening a lawsuit over the report and accusing the outlet of intending “to publish yet another hit piece on the company that includes false, misleading, and defamatory statements.”

California Capitol

The California General Assembly passed a bill on Aug. 28 requiring internet browsers and mobile operating systems to let consumers easily opt out from the sharing and selling of their private data with websites that use it for targeted advertising. The new legislation creates an “opt-out preference signal” tool that consumers could use to opt out of sharing their information by just pushing a button to activate the signal on their internet browser. By doing that, they would be sending send opt out requests to every website they visit by default. After California’s General Assembly passed the bill, the Senate also approved it, sending it back to the assembly with several amendments. If those are OKed, the bill will then go to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.