Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI), an outspoken critic of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blasts-bidens-foreign-policy-says-his-weakness-provokes-war-and-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>, announced Monday he is running for retiring Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s seat in Michigan. 
In his <a href="https://twitter.com/VoteMeijer/status/1721481674293219654" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a>, Meijer said he stands as Republicans’ &#8220;best chance&#8221; for taking control of the seat and “fighting hard for a conservative future.” He is an heir of the Michigan-based grocery store chain of the same name.
“My wife and I prayed hard about this race and how we can best serve our state and our nation,” Meijer said. “We considered every aspect of the campaign, and are confident we have the best chance of taking back this seat for the Republicans and fighting hard for a conservative future.” 
“We are in dark and uncertain times, but we have made it through worse. The challenges are great, but so is our country,” the former congressman continued. “If we are to see another great American century, we need leaders who aren’t afraid to be bold, will do the work, and can’t be bought.” 
Meijer becomes the third high-profile candidate to jump into the race on the GOP side, joining former Congressman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-land-top-recruit-in-battleground-senate-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Rogers</a> (R-MI) and former Detroit Police Chief <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-detroit-police-chief-james-craig-launches-senate-bid-focuses-on-return-to-law-and-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Craig</a> in the race to be the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat.
He was born and raised in Grand Rapids and attended West Point before enlisting in the Army Reserve and serving during the Iraq War as an intelligence adviser. During his time in Congress, Meijer served on the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. 
Meijer was one of the 10 Republicans in the House who voted to impeach Trump following the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. He was then primaried in 2022 by Trump-backed candidate John Gibbs, who <a href="https://www.michiganradio.org/politics-government/2022-08-03/john-gibbs-in-the-lead-in-close-republican-primary-for-3rd-congressional-district-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beat</a> Meijer by nearly 4,000 votes. Gibbs would go on to <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/09/hillary-scholten-john-gibbs-west-michigan-u-s-house-race/69608897007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lose</a> to Democrat Hillary Scholten by more than 40,000 votes in the general election. Meijer <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/01/politics/rep-peter-meijer-michigan-gop-primary/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed</a> Democrats for meddling in his primary as Democrat groups <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/09/27/michigan-congress-race-gop-john-gibbs-democrat-hillary-scholten-jimenez-pkg-vpx.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> hundreds of thousands of dollars to boost Gibbs’ campaign, believing he would be easier to beat in the general election. 
While the 35-year-old Meijer boasted an <a href="https://sbaprolife.org/scorecard/former-members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A rating</a> from the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America organization for his consistent support of protecting the unborn, his voting record on other issues aligned with President Joe Biden and the Democrats more than most Republicans. During his one term in office from 2021-2023, Meijer voted in line with Biden 39% of the time, making him one of the most moderate Republicans in the House, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/peter-meijer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to FiveThirtyEight. 
National Republican Senatorial Committee Executive Director Jason Thielman wasn’t enthused with Meijer’s entrance into the race. 
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“Peter Meijer isn’t viable in a primary election, and there’s worry that if Meijer were nominated, the base would not be enthused in the general election,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/Simon_Schuster/status/1721554248297492869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> POLITICO.
Both of Michigan’s U.S. Senate seats have been in the Democrats’ control since 2001 when Stabenow was first elected. The 73-year-old senator’s upcoming retirement opens up an important battleground election as Republicans attempt to gain control of the Senate, and Democrats face a bevy of challenges in the 2024 election.

Peter Meijer

Former Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer Jumps In Race For Retiring Dem Sen. Stabenow’s Seat

2024 Election

Debbie Stabenow

Elections

Michigan

Politics

Republicans

Senate

U.S. Senate

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig announced Tuesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate, aiming to win the seat of retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). 
Craig, a Republican, is now the second high-profile candidate to jump into the race on the GOP side as the party seeks to hold a Senate seat in the state for the first time since 2001. Craig announced his campaign in a post on X, saying, “The American People want a return to Law and Order. And that’s exactly what they’re going to get.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The American People want a return to Law and Order. And that’s exactly what they’re going to get.
I am officially running for United States Senate.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT: ⤵️<a href="https://t.co/FyrSLov5yi">https://t.co/FyrSLov5yi</a> <a href="https://t.co/1Ue3rJr18q">pic.twitter.com/1Ue3rJr18q</a>
&mdash; Chief James Craig (@chiefjamescraig) <a href="https://twitter.com/chiefjamescraig/status/1709170191152603449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I believe that I&#8217;m in it for all right reasons,&#8221; Craig <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/03/james-craig-senate-race-mike-rogers-michigan-republican-donald-trump-peter-meijer-sandy-pensler/71031122007/">told</a> The Detroit News. &#8220;I&#8217;m not doing it for ego. I&#8217;m certainly not doing it for power. I&#8217;ve been a public servant for 44 years, and that&#8217;s what I&#8217;m passionate about.&#8221;
The 67-year-old, who led Detroit’s police force from 2013 to 2021, gained nationwide popularity for his department’s swift response following the death of George Floyd and the ensuing riots that broke out during the summer of 2020. While many cities across the country faced rioting and looting that resulted in billions of dollars in damages, Detroit remained relatively quiet with only a few protests breaking out. 
Craig supports former President Donald Trump and endorsed him in an <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/09/01/opinion-this-ex-police-chief-knows-real-leadership-it-looks-like-donald-trump-james-craig/">op-ed</a> published by The Daily Caller last month. The former president previously <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2020/09/23/trump-detroit-police-chief-terrific/3501607001/">praised</a> Craig for his response to the George Floyd riots, calling him a “great police chief.”  
&#8220;President Trump needs to win this election, and while in Washington again he is going to need other leaders supporting him who are unafraid of these problems Biden has created, leaders ready and eager to work towards tackling the issues confronting America,&#8221; Craig wrote.
The former Detroit police chief jumped into the 2022 Michigan gubernatorial election and was an early favorite to win the GOP nomination, but fraudulent petition signatures <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-moves-to-toss-gop-candidates-james-craig-perry-johnson-from-race-to-oust-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doomed</a> his campaign as he was kept off the primary election ballot. Republican nominee Tudor Dixon went on to lose to Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer by more than 10 percentage points. 
Craig joins former Republican Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-land-top-recruit-in-battleground-senate-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Rogers</a>, who announced his Senate campaign last month, in the race for the seat being vacated by Stabenow, who will retire at the end of her term, which is up in January of 2025. The likely Democrat opponent in Michigan will be Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who has already entered the race and is expected to win the nomination.
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Democrats have held onto both Michigan Senate seats since 2001, but the race is <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/27/politics/senate-race-rankings-july-elections/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considered</a> to be one of the party’s many potential Senate losses in 2024. Democrats hold just a two-seat majority in the U.S. Senate, and may have to hold onto the Michigan seat to keep control of the upper chamber.

James Craig

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig Launches Senate Bid, Focuses On ‘Return To Law And Order’

Congress

Detroit

Former Republican congressman Mike Rogers announced his campaign for Michigan&#8217;s open U.S. Senate seat on Wednesday morning, giving national Republicans their top recruit for what could be the most competitive race in the country. 
With his announcement, Rogers became the first high-profile Republican to announce a run to replace the retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The U.S. Army veteran and former congressman said he is running for Senate to help American families “get back on track” after facing more than two years of President Joe Biden’s economy. 
“America under Biden and his cronies is going in the wrong direction: Open borders, a broken system of justice — one for the D.C. elites and one for the rest of us,” Rogers says in his announcement video. “Biden’s bad policies are making gas and groceries more expensive and home ownership harder.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m running for the United States Senate to get America back on track. 
Join the fight. <a href="https://t.co/3RrGooJBJx">pic.twitter.com/3RrGooJBJx</a>
&mdash; Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeRogersForMI/status/1699364477022404754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rogers represented Michigan’s 8th congressional district from 2001 to 2015 and served as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee from 2011 to 2015. He was also a special agent in the FBI where he focused on organized crime. After serving in Congress, Rogers built cyber security companies to help small businesses fight cyber threats from bad actors such as China. 
National Republicans have signaled that Rogers will have support from the party in his primary. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told The Daily Wire that Rogers is &#8220;the type of candidate who can perform well with suburban Michiganders and be a strong part of the eventual ticket in Michigan.&#8221;
“Mike Rogers has devoted his life to serving the people of Michigan and holding communist China accountable,” Daines said. “I am pleased to see Mike stepping up to run for the U.S. Senate.”
Daines has said the party is changing course in 2024 and will actively take sides in primaries, in hopes of improving candidate quality for general elections. The likely Democrat opponent in Michigan will be Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), who has already entered the race and is expected to win the nomination.
Democrats have held onto both Michigan Senate seats since 2001, but the race is <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/27/politics/senate-race-rankings-july-elections/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considered</a> to be one of the party’s many potential Senate losses in 2024. Democrats hold just a two-seat majority in the U.S. Senate, and may have to hold onto the Michigan seat to keep control of the upper chamber. Michigan will also likely be a main battleground in the presidential contest, making having a strong ticket all the more important for both parties. 
Rogers joins three other lesser-known Republicans who have <a href="https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/whos-running-us-senate-michigan-peter-meijer-forms-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> their candidacy, including, Michigan State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder, businessman Michael Hoover, and attorney Alexandria Taylor, a former Democrat. Other more high-profile candidates, however, are expected to join the race. 
Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI), who lost his primary election after voting to impeach former President Donald Trump, formed an exploratory committee last week. Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who ran for governor last cycle, is also a <a href="https://www.wlns.com/news/former-detroit-police-chief-99-there-for-senate-run/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likely</a> candidate for the seat. 
Rogers says he would work to get Senate to focus on issues that matter, like China taking advantage of American businesses.
“Politics has gotten so small and so petty. We’re failing to address big problems,” says Rogers. “Families are struggling, but politicians are fighting over banning gas stoves while China is stealing our intellectual property and our jobs, and Biden is letting them do it. We can do better.”

Mike Rogers

Republicans Land Top Recruit In Battleground Senate Election

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) threw her hat in what promises to be a contentious 2024 Senate race after 72-year-old Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/debbie-stabenow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Debbie Stabenow</a> (D-MI) said she would not seek re-election next year.
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who has been in Congress since 2019, won a close election in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a>’s redrawn 7th district in the 2022 midterms. The Michigan Democrat was one of many names floated for potential Senate nominees after Stabenow, who has served in the Senate since 2001, announced in early January that she would retire at the end of her term. 
“Look, we all know America is going through something right now,” Slotkin said in her announcement video posted on Monday. “We seem to be living crisis to crisis, but there are certain things that should be really simple like living a middle-class life in the state that invented the middle class.” 
Slotkin then called for more manufacturing in America and protecting children from what is “truly harming them.” 
“This is why I’m running for the United States Senate. We need a new generation of leaders that thinks differently, works harder, and never forgets that we are public servants.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today, I’m announcing my run to be Michigan’s next U.S. Senator.
We need a new generation of leaders that thinks differently, works harder, and never forgets that we are *public servants* <a href="https://t.co/L8cLgEUwnA">pic.twitter.com/L8cLgEUwnA</a>
&mdash; Elissa Slotkin (@ElissaSlotkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElissaSlotkin/status/1630191500188348420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The open Senate seat in the purple state will be crucial for Democrats to retain as the party must defend 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs in 2024, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/politics/elissa-slotkin-debbie-stabenow/index.html">reported</a>. Multiple high-profile Democrats and Republicans have already been floated as potential candidates. Nikki Snyder, a Republican on the State Board of Education, was the first to <a href="https://www.crainsdetroit.com/politics-policy/nikki-snyder-announces-run-us-senate-michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announce</a> a bid for the Senate seat earlier this month. Slotkin is the first Democrat to officially announce a run. 
Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg topped the list of Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stabenows-retirement-announcement-fuels-2024-senate-election-rumors-here-are-the-names-being-floated">rumored</a> to run for Stabenow’s seat. Both Whitmer and Buttigieg shot down those rumors, however. 
On the Republican side, 2022 gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon sparked speculation when she posted a tweet thread on the “opportunity” Stabenow’s announcement gives the GOP in 2024. Michigan Republicans have not held a Senate seat since 2001 after Stabenow defeated GOP Sen. Spencer Abraham’s re-election bid.
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Rep. John James (R-MI) is another high-profile name rumored to run for the seat. James, a U.S. Army veteran, ran against Stabenow in 2018, coming up short by 6.5 percentage points. He ran again for a Senate seat two years later against Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, losing that election by less than two percentage points. The veteran finally won a general election in 2022 when he was elected as the U.S. representative for Michigan’s 10th House district.

Elissa Slotkin

Michigan Dem Announces Run For Retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s Seat

Michigan Dem Announces Run For Retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow's Seat

Longtime Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) shocked the political world Thursday when she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-senator-debbie-stabenow-announces-she-wont-seek-re-election-in-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> she would not seek re-election in 2024, and rumors have already started to fly as to who might take her spot.
“Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate. I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election and will leave the U.S. Senate at the end of my term on January 3, 2025,” Stabenow <a href="https://www.stabenow.senate.gov/news/senator-stabenow-announces-she-will-not-seek-re-election-in-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in a statement.
By Thursday afternoon, the names of multiple potential candidates on both sides of the aisle began <a href="https://www.woodtv.com/news/michigan/sen-debbie-stabenow-will-not-seek-reelection-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">circulating</a>.
For Democrats who have to defend 23 out of the 33 seats up for grabs in 2024, Secretary of Transportation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pete-buttigieg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Buttigieg</a> topped the list of potential candidates. Buttigieg moved to the Great Lakes State from Indiana last year. The former presidential candidate and mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has already shot down the rumor, however.
“Senator Stabenow is a force in the Senate and fights every day to make life better for Michiganders and all Americans. I’ve been honored to work with her, and look forward to continuing to work with her during this Congress,&#8221; Buttigieg <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2023/01/buttigieg-will-not-run-for-stabenows-senate-seat-in-2024-00076552">told</a> POLITICO. &#8220;I am fully focused on serving the President in my role as Secretary of Transportation, and not seeking any other job.&#8221;
The D.C.-based outlet reported that Buttigieg said he moved to Michigan for family reasons since his husband Chasten is from Traverse City, but Michigan offers the Democrat a much better opportunity for winning an election than red Indiana.
On the Republican side of the aisle, 2022 gubernatorial nominee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tudor-dixon-wins-michigan-republican-gubernatorial-nomination-will-face-gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tudor Dixon</a> sparked speculation when she posted a tweet thread on the &#8220;opportunity&#8221; Stabenow’s announcement gives Republicans in 2024. Michigan Republicans have not held a Senate seat since 2001 after Stabenow defeated GOP Sen. Spencer Abraham&#8217;s re-election bid.
“Debbie Stabenow’s retirement gives Republicans the opportunity to coalesce behind a strong candidate, put in the work on the ground now, and prove why Joe Biden’s runaway spending and record of failure are hurting hardworking Michiganders,” Dixon tweeted.
A person with knowledge of Dixon’s plans told The Daily Wire that the Michigan Republican is not ruling out a Senate run and remains focused on helping Republicans win the seat in 2024. Dixon won the GOP nomination for governor handily in August, but she was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-hangs-on-despite-late-republican-surge-projection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defeated</a> by Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer last November.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Debbie Stabenow’s retirement gives Republicans the opportunity to coalesce behind a strong candidate, put in the work on the ground now, and prove why Joe Biden’s runaway spending and record of failure are hurting hardworking Michiganders.
&mdash; Tudor Dixon (@TudorDixon) <a href="https://twitter.com/TudorDixon/status/1611069341046345748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-debbie-stabenow-announces-wont-seek-re-election-2024-rcna64398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slew</a> of Michigan Democrats, including Governor Whitmer, were also floated as potential picks for the party. A Whitmer spokesperson quickly shot down the possibility of the newly re-elected governor running for the senate seat, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-debbie-stabenow-announces-wont-seek-re-election-2024-rcna64398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Rep.-elect John James (R-MI) is another high-profile name being floated for the seat. James, a U.S. Army veteran, ran against Stabenow in 2018, <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Michigan,_2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coming up short</a> by 6.5 percentage points. He ran again for a Senate seat two years later against Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/John_James_(Michigan)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">losing</a> that election by less than two percentage points. The veteran finally won a general election in 2022 when he was elected to serve as the U.S. representative for Michigan’s 10th House district.
Other politicians some are <a href="https://www.woodtv.com/news/michigan/sen-debbie-stabenow-will-not-seek-reelection-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speculating</a> could run include Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Michigan state Sen. Tom Barrett, who lost a race against Slotkin for the U.S. House seat last November, and former Rep. Fred Upton, who retired from Congress at the beginning of 2023 after serving since 1987.

Pete Buttigieg:/Tudor Dixon

Stabenow’s Retirement Announcement Fuels 2024 Senate Election Rumors. Here Are The Names Being Floated.

Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee discussed the collapse of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/cryptocurrency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cryptocurrency</a> exchange FTX in a Thursday hearing, during which a top regulator acknowledged that he met with former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried on multiple occasions.
FTX recently filed for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/30-year-old-billionaire-loses-entire-fortune-overnight-as-his-bahamas-based-cryptocurrency-empire-implodes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bankruptcy</a> after users discovered that trading firm Alameda Research, a company run by Caroline Ellison — a former love interest of Bankman-Fried, had allegedly been using consumer funds from FTX to make investments.
During the hearing held by the committee, which was attended virtually by The Daily Wire, lawmakers repeatedly pushed the need for regulation through the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act, a piece of legislation that would <a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/dccpa_fact_sheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eliminate</a> conflicts of interest and extend other protections to the cryptocurrency sector.
Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR) emphasized that the committee should consider the regulation of cryptocurrencies because of the entity’s responsibility to execute “oversight of the nation’s commodity markets.” He said that digital assets such as bitcoin are regulated as commodities, a reality that federal courts have broadly recognized.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Rostin Behnam, a former senior counselor to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and the sole regulator offering testimony, told lawmakers in his opening <a href="https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/SpeechesTestimony/opabehnam29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that “nominal barriers to entry for new products and new consumers” in the cryptocurrency market have “taken the place of legitimate market forces” and placed the public at “significant risk.” He expressed support for the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act as a step in the right direction toward regulating the industry.
“For years many have recognized that a patchwork of federal and state-based regulation is an unsuitable substitute for a comprehensive approach,” he remarked. “We are here today because many Americans invested in a novel product and will likely lose money because digital asset markets lack the basic protections that we have all come to expect and have made American financial markets the envy of the world.”
LedgerX, a derivatives platform acquired by FTX last year, had extensive communication with the CFTC regarding the company’s push to become a registered derivatives clearinghouse. Behnam said that he personally met with Bankman-Fried 10 times over the past 14 months to discuss the application out of a “dogged desire” to ensure that the initiative would be properly scrutinized.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a co-sponsor of the Digital Commodities Consumer Protection Act, denied that Bankman-Fried had an undue influence over the bill.
Bankman-Fried, a top <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-dont-even-know-how-to-code-mit-grad-and-now-broke-crypto-ceo-sam-bankman-fried-tells-niche-vlogger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contributor</a> to Democratic and Republican campaigns, has repeatedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sam-bankman-fried-denies-wrongdoing-in-ftx-implosion-during-live-streamed-new-york-times-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">insisted</a> that he did not intentionally commingle funds between FTX and Alameda Research. The disgraced entrepreneur attempted with little success to raise as much as $8 billion from new investors to reimburse defrauded users of the company, which is based in the Bahamas.
FTX had received stellar corporate governance ratings from agencies considering the venture’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) qualifications, even though Bankman-Fried later admitted that his professed status as an “effective altruist” was largely a ruse to win the trust of “woke westerners.” Behnam expressed openness to discussing regulations upon ESG ratings in the cryptocurrency space when pressed on the matter by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).
FTX spent extensively to recruit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-brady-steph-curry-other-celebrities-sued-for-pushing-ponzi-scheme-ftx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrity brand ambassadors</a>, such as Tampa Bay Buccanneers quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, many of whom participated in mass-market advertisements. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) asserted that such marketing efforts stoke “fears of missing out” among unwitting consumers, prompting Behnam to remark that advertisements must ensure “investors understand the risk of the underlying asset.”
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) noted that the use of cryptocurrency to support <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-attorneys-bust-crypto-money-laundering-ring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criminal enterprises</a> has enabled the fentanyl crisis and other national security concerns, asking whether a pause on the digital asset sector in the United States would be feasible. Behnam noted that a significant number of Americans would nevertheless gain access to overseas cryptocurrency markets.

Senate Hearing Examines FTX Collapse

Top Commodities Regulator Tells Senators He Met With Sam Bankman-Fried 10 Times

Senators Call For New Regulations At FTX Collapse Hearing; Top Regulator Said He Met With Sam Bankman-Fried 10 Times

Amy Klobuchar

Cory Booker

Cryptocurrency

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Japanese automakers Toyota and Subaru announced a recall on their first mass-produced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/electric-cars">electric vehicles</a> (EVs) Thursday because their wheels could potentially fall off.
Toyota, the world’s largest car seller, said it would be recalling 2,700 of its bZ4X SUVs, 260 of which were reserved for the United States. Subaru also announced a recall the same day on 2,600 of its Solterras, the company’s first all-electric vehicle made in partnership with Toyota, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota-recalls-2700-electric-vehicles-2022-06-23/">according</a> to a report from Reuters.
“Japan&#8217;s safety regulator said sharp turns and sudden braking could cause a hub bolt to loosen, raising the risk of a wheel coming off the vehicle. It said it was not aware of any accidents being caused by the defect,” Reuters reported.
A spokesperson for Toyota warned, “No one should drive these vehicles until the remedy is performed,” <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/24/toyota-issues-recall-for-electric-suv-following-concerns-about-wheels.html">according</a> to CNBC. Japan’s safety regulators also said people should not drive the recalled vehicles until the company figured out a “permanent” repair measure.
&#8220;We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this causes you,&#8221; Toyota said on its website. &#8220;We would have repaired it as soon as possible, but we are investigating the details.&#8221;
A Subaru spokesperson said none of its recalled Solterras had been delivered to U.S. customers yet.
The EV recall comes as some Democrats have touted switching from gasoline and diesel-fueled cars to EVs as gas prices hit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-u-s-national-average-price-of-gasoline-hits-new-all-time-record-high-report-says">record highs</a> in recent months. Earlier this month, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tone-deaf-while-americans-suffer-inflation-dem-senator-brags-about-avoiding-gas-prices-with-her-ev">bragged</a> about avoiding gas prices by driving her EV from Michigan to Washington, D.C.
“I do have to say, on the issue of gas prices, after waiting for a long time to have enough chips in this country to finally get my electric vehicle, I got it and drove it from Michigan to here last weekend, and went by every single gas station. It didn’t matter how high (gas prices) was,” Stabenow said.
“And so I’m looking forward to the opportunity for us to move to vehicles that aren’t going to be dependent on the whims of the oil companies and the international markets,” the senator added.
Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tell-me-youre-a-liberal-elite-without-telling-me-youre-a-liberal-elite-cruz-rips-buttigieg-pushing-evs-while-gas-prices-soar">pushed</a> for Americans to buy EVs in a March press conference. “Last month we announced a $5 billion investment to build out a nationwide electric vehicle charging network so that people from rural to urban to suburban communities can all benefit from the gas savings of driving an EV,” Buttigieg said.

Toyota bz4X SUV

Toyota, Subaru Recalling First Mass-Produced Electric Vehicles

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Democratic Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow doubled down on remarks she made last week boasting about the fact that she drives an electric car.
During Senate Democrats&#8217; weekly press briefing Tuesday, Stabenow fired back at criticism from at least one Republican senator, and again boasted about the fact that she drives an electric car. She then blamed soaring gas prices on oil companies price-gouging and attacked Republicans for not standing with Democrats in their push to combat it.
&#8220;Just to respond to one of our oil and gas-enthusiastic Republican senators who just said something about my buying an electric vehicle. I&#8217;ve got to tell you, we have great new Michigan electric vehicles, and my [Chevrolet] Bolt is terrific&#8230; affordable, union labor, and I&#8217;m so proud to have an opportunity to be able to support Michigan workers,” Stabenow said. “What he was doing and what others are doing is trying to divert us from the fact that we have gas gouging at the pump, and have had it for some time.&#8221;
Stabenow pointed to a report by the Senate <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/DPCC%20Inflation%20Report%20-%20Lowering%20Costs%20for%20Families%5b4%5d%5b1%5d.pdf">Democratic Policy and Communication Committee</a>, which claimed that oil companies made $237 billion in profits in 2021. &#8220;And yet they continue to gouge us at the pump. So we would love to have Republican colleagues working with us on that, rather than accepting oil and gas money to fund their campaigns.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) responds to GOP criticism of her comments about driving an electric vehicle: &#8220;What he was doing and others are doing is trying to divert us from the fact that we have gas-gouging at the pump.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/y72bMklvxA">pic.twitter.com/y72bMklvxA</a>
— Forbes (@Forbes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Forbes/status/1536799352890568707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
Stabenow&#8217;s comments came in response to Wyoming Republican Senator John Barrasso, who blasted Stabenow&#8217;s original remarks, which she made at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, and said that her remarks reflect the sentiment of the party as a whole. &#8220;So what does the Senator from the Democrat Party, who is the chair of the Democrats&#8217; Policy and Communication Committee have to say, which, to me, makes them the spokesmen for the Party?&#8221; Barrasso said during the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1_ROzxcLos">Republicans&#8217; weekly briefing</a> earlier in the day. &#8220;Last week in the Finance Committee, she said it didn&#8217;t matter to her how high gas prices went, because she had an electric car. So that is the spokesmen for the Democrats, the chair of the Policy Committee, saying, &#8216;you don&#8217;t like the high cost? Tough. Buy yourself an electric car.’”
During a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Stabenow <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tone-deaf-while-americans-suffer-inflation-dem-senator-brags-about-avoiding-gas-prices-with-her-ev">boasted</a> about the fact that she had just purchased an electric car. “I do have to say, on the issue of gas prices, after waiting for a long time to have enough chips in this country to finally get my electric vehicle, I got it and drove it from Michigan to here this last weekend, and went by every single gas station,&#8221; Stabenow bragged. “It didn’t matter how high it [gas price] was. And so I’m looking forward to the opportunity for us to move to vehicles that aren’t going to be dependent on the whims of the oil companies and the international markets.&#8221;
Stabenow&#8217;s comments are just the latest example of prominent Democrats bragging about how electric cars make it so that they no longer have to worry about the price of gasoline.
In a November interview with MSNBC, Transportation Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-electric-cars-will-make-it-so-americans-never-have-to-worry-about-gas-prices-again">Pete Buttigieg</a> said that tax credits for electric vehicles would make it easier for families to afford one, and “once they own that vehicle, [they] will never have to worry about gas prices again.” Then in May, Energy Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/perhaps-the-department-should-not-exist-senate-republicans-trade-barbs-with-energy-sec-granholm">Jennifer Granholm</a> said during a hearing of the Senate Energy Committee that she did not remember the price of gasoline because she drove an electric car.

Dem Senator Stabenow Doubles Down On Tone-Deaf Electric Car Comments

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In a staggeringly tone-deaf moment while Americans are struggling with inflation, Michigan Democrat Senator Debbie Stabenow, who has been making a living by serving in one political job after another for almost 50 years, boasted that while driving her electric vehicle from her home state to Washington D.C. she didn’t have to pay the high prices of gas.
Stabenow attacked oil and gas companies in mid-May, accusing them of “making prices at the pump go up and up so that they can continue to make record-high profits.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Oil and gas companies are making prices at the pump go up and up so that they can continue to make record-high profits. These companies are exploiting hardworking Michiganders.
&mdash; Sen. Debbie Stabenow (@SenStabenow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenStabenow/status/1526962852019556353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Thursday, she bragged, “I do have to say, on the issue of gas prices, after waiting for a long time to have enough chips in this country to finally get my electric vehicle, I got it and drove it from Michigan to here last weekend, and went by every single gas station. It didn’t matter how high (gas prices) was.”
“And so I’m looking forward to the opportunity for us to move to vehicles that aren’t going to be dependent on the whims of the oil companies and the international markets,” she added in another attack on energy companies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Michigan Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow brags that she passed &quot;every single gas station&quot; in her brand new electric vehicle, &quot;and it didn&#39;t matter how high [gas] was.&quot;
The average cost of an electric vehicle is more than $56,000. <a href="https://t.co/2TJbrgClwo">pic.twitter.com/2TJbrgClwo</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1534204175076282371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“The average transaction price for an electric vehicle (EV) is $56,437, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eight-straight-new-vehicle-prices-mark-another-record-high-in-november-2021-according-to-kelley-blue-book-301442015.html">according to Kelley Blue Book</a>,” CNC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/29/electric-vehicles-are-becoming-more-affordable-amid-spiking-gas-prices.html">reported</a> last December. “Roughly $10,000 higher than the overall industry average of $46,329 that includes gas and EVs. In terms of pricing, an EV is equivalent to an entry-level luxury car.”
The average price of regular gasoline reached a record $4.87 a gallon according to AAA, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/06/energy/record-gas-prices-causes/index.html">CNN</a> reported on Monday, “up 25 cents a gallon in just the last week.”
While Stabenow is demagoguing the public by telling them to move to electric vehicles, consumers across the country are having a hard time making ends meet as inflation takes a huge chunk from their paychecks.
“U.S. inflation is running even closer today to its 1980 peak, fresh analysis of historical price data shows,” <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-06/us-inflation-nearer-1980-peak-than-thought-summers-group-says?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_content=billionaires&amp;cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-billionaires&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_medium=social">Bloomberg News</a> reported on Monday.
“ &#8230; the figures showed that core inflation ran at an estimated 9.1% in June 1980 &#8212; versus the reported peak of 13.6%,” Bloomberg continued. “The panel of economists argued that the fresh look at data from the 1950s and 1980s ‘serve as a caution against overly optimistic forecasts of an inexpensive disinflation in the current cycle  &#8212; the disinflation that needs to be achieved now is large by historical standards.”

Pelosi, House Democrats Hold Press Conference On Baby Formula Shortage

Tone-Deaf: While Americans Suffer Inflation, Dem Senator Brags About Avoiding Gas Prices With Her EV

Michigan Democrat senator Debbie Stabenow, who has been making a living by serving in one political job after another for almost 50 years, boasted she didn’t have to pay the high prices of gas with her EV

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