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During a House Financial Services Committee hearing last week, lawmakers raised concerns about the regulatory approach to digital assets in the U.S. and highlighted the lack of a clear regulatory regime for trading platforms.

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China expert on arrest of editor: CCP government trying to 'close down all criticisms, whether they influence public opinion in China or not'
Ian Johnson, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Senior Fellow for China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, commented on the detainment of Fucha, the chief editor of a major Taiwan publishing company.

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China Aid Association president at hearing on China: 'This is the darkest, the worst time, for human rights in China since the revolution'
The list of political prisoners in China is long, but one of the more notable cases involves Gao Zhisheng, which was the focus of a congressional hearing Thursday.

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Blinken: 'The U.S. stands with Rwanda during Kwibuka 29'
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken used the 29th commemoration of the genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda to make a social media call for genocide prevention.

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Technology and national security expert: 'China has been at the forefront of leveraging emerging technologies for oppression'
After a witness at a recent Congressional hearing called the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) treatment of its Uyghur population "the most sophisticated genocide in the modern era," Federal Newswire reached out to Bill Drexel, associate fellow for the technology and national security program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), for more details on how the CCP leverages technology, in particular artificial intelligence (AI), as a tool of oppression.

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Blinken announces Hurras al-Din leader as 'specially designated global terrorist'
The State Department announced that the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to combat al-Qa’ida affiliates in Syria, notably those that exploit under governed spaces and conflict zones.

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Blinken: 'Curbing sanctions evasion is critical to ongoing efforts to limit Russia's capacity to wage war against Ukraine'
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says the U.S. government has taken new measures to combat Russia's efforts to evade sanctions and continue its conflict with Ukraine, calling the measures "critical to ongoing efforts to limit Russia's capacity to wage war against Ukraine."

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Blinken reassures Ukraine of US commitment to 'standing with Ukraine as long as it takes,' following damaging leaks
Damaging leaks notwithstanding, the United State remains committed in its support of Ukraine as it continues to resist Russian aggression, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a social media post

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Bob Levey: Navigating the Changing Tides of Washington, Journalism, and the Internet Age
Bob Levey is a prize-winning journalist who has covered the Washington scene since the Johnson Administration. He is the author of Larry Felder, Candidate.

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China's military exercises show it considers 'the whole Taiwan Strait is under their jurisdiction'
Though military exercises by China this month were less dramatic than last year, they underscored that China can militarize the waters around Taiwan whenever it chooses, a former CIA intelligence officer told a CSIS China Power Project virtual panel on April 20.

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Miller-Meeks at Washington, D.C., hearing: 'We expect better of the VA medical care system'
While the Veterans Affairs' medical system has some shining success stories across the nation, congressional representatives have heard about serious shortcomings that raise a warning flag.

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‘The president’s budget for the interior invests in budgets to strengthen our nation for all Americans’ : Haaland
Hoping to secure funding for recruiting and retaining wildland firefighters, the Department of the Interior (DOI) proposed $18.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2024 that was examined during an oversight hearing Wednesday.

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New York congressman on capture of alleged CCP spies: 'U.S. will not tolerate flagrant violations of American sovereignty'
Members of the Congressional Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party weighed in on the recent arrest of two New York residents accused of a conspiracy to aid the CCP in setting up a secret police station.

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Blinken: U.S. 'announced a critical new package of security assistance to help Ukraine'
The United States recently announced new security assistance for Ukraine.

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America First Policy Institute report: Chinese Communist-owned land in U.S. jumped 5,300% in a decade
America First Policy Institute has released a report by Adam Savit, director of the institute's China Policy Initiative, which found the Chinese Communist Party has significantly increased its purchasing of US agricultural land in the last 13 years. Legislative bills have been proposed to push back against Chinese purchase of American lands. Savit suggests “strategic decoupling” and “reciprocity” should guide policies regarding this issue.

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Blockchain educator: Crypto 'should be appropriately regulated to foster growth'
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler recently asked for additional SEC funding to tackle "misconduct," particularly in the crypto industry. While some have been critical of the SEC's regulation-by-enforcement approach, Antonio Gomes, director of the Blockchain Education Network, told Federal Newswire that he agrees the SEC needs additional funding, but not just for enforcement. Gomes called on the SEC to establish regulations for the crypto industry to halt the brain drain of innovators who are flocking to more crypto-friendly jurisdictions.

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Unraveling the Web of Internet Freedom: A Candid Conversation with Mike Benz, Former Diplomat Turned Digital Freedom Advocate
Mike Benz, Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, is a former State Department diplomat who specialized in international communications and information technology matters.

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Hawley questions Mayorkas about Chinese nationals: 'You should resign’
During a Senate oversight committee hearing on March 28, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faced questions about the increase of Chinese nationals crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) calling on Mayorkas to resign.

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Stefanik asks Biden to act on fentanyl: 'On average, one person in the U.S. dies from fentanyl poisoning every seven minutes'
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) called on President Joe Biden to do something about the fentanyl overdose crisis that is the leading cause of the death for Americans between 18 and 45.

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Kennedy: U.S., China 'need much more dialogue between the two governments'
Peking University professor Wang Jisi joined Scott Kennedy, trustee chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on April 17 to discuss their report, “Breaking the Ice: The Role of Scholarly Exchange in Stabilizing U.S.-China Relations.”

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