TikTok awaits Trump reprieve as China signals open to deal

 President-elect Donald Trump is expected to grant TikTok more time to strike a deal after he returns to power on Monday as China has signaled it would be open to a deal to keep TikTok in the U.S. market.

The short video service used by 170 million Americans was briefly taken offline for U.S. users on Saturday, hours before a law that said it must be sold by its Chinese owner ByteDance on national security grounds took effect on Sunday. U.S. officials had said that under ByteDance, there was a risk of Americans' data being misused.

TikTok restored access on Sunday, and thanked Trump for providing the assurances TikTok and its business partners that they would not face hefty fines to keep the app running. The app and website were operational on Monday, but TikTok was still not available for download in the Apple and Google app stores, suggesting the two companies were waiting for clearer legal assurances.

"Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it," Trump said at a rally on Sunday ahead of his inauguration, adding that the U.S. will seek a joint venture to restore the app used by half of Americans.

Trump had earlier said he will issue an executive order to give TikTok a reprieve from the ban after he takes office, a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to users on the app.

That comes as China indicated for the first time it would be open to a transaction keeping TikTok operating in the U.S.

When asked about the app's restoration and Trump's desire for a deal, China's foreign ministry told a regular news briefing on Monday that it believed companies should "decide independently" about their operations and deals.

"TikTok has operated in the U.S. for many years and is deeply loved by American users," ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. "We hope that the U.S. can earnestly listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for firms operating there."

'SAVING TIKTOK'

The debate over TikTok comes at a tense moment in U.S.-China relations. Trump has said he intends to place tariffs on China but has also indicated he hopes to have more direct contact with China's leader.

Trump saving TikTok represents a reversal in stance from his first term in office. In 2020, he aimed to ban the app over concerns the company was sharing Americans' personal info with the Chinese government. More recently, Trump has said he has "a warm spot in my heart for TikTok," crediting the app with helping him win over young voters in the 2024 presidential election.

In August 2020, Trump signed an executive order giving ByteDance 90 days to sell TikTok but then blessed a deal structured as a partnership rather than a divestment that would have included both Oracle and Walmart taking stakes in the new company.

Not everyone in Trump's Republican Party agreed with efforts to get around the law and "Save TikTok".

Republican senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts said in a joint statement: "Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of 'extension' of its effective date. For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law's qualified-divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China."

The U.S. has never banned a major social media platform. The law passed overwhelmingly by Congress gives the incoming Trump administration sweeping authority to ban or seek the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.

https://www.aol.com/news/tiktok-awaits-trump-reprieve-china-154756031.html

McCarthy on Biden pardons: ‘It raises doubt on what they did’

 Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) criticized President Biden’s decision to pardon Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) and other members of the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, saying the move “raises doubt on what they did.”

During a “Today Show” interview on Monday morning, McCarthy said he did not think the pardons were a good move for Biden.

“I don’t think he should have done that,” he said. “I mean, this whole idea is that he’s fearful of something that President Trump may do, that he hasn’t done. To me, it raises doubt upon what they did.”

McCarthy mentioned that Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who was House Speaker when the Jan. 6 panel was formed, did not allow two Republican picks — Reps. Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Jim Banks (Ind.) — to join the Jan. 6 select committee.

In response, McCarthy, then the House minority leader, did not participate in the select committee and yanked all of his GOP picks — Reps. Jim Banks (Ind.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Rodney Davis (Ill.), Kelly Armstrong (N.D.) and Troy Nehls (Texas) — in protest of her decision.

“I was the Republican leader at the time, it was the first time, then Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not allow me to name the Republicans to the committee, so now it raises more doubt,” McCarthy said. “And then when the committee ended, we took the majority, they wouldn’t turn over all the documents to us.”

McCarthy also accused President Biden of going after Trump upon his arrival to the White House.

“He was president and he never went out after Hillary Clinton or anybody else,” he said. “Joe Biden came in and went after President Trump. So I don’t know. It’s always interesting to me that someone takes an action, fearful that someone else will do something only because you have done that. That’s what shows more to me than anything else.”

“President Trump is coming in,” he continued. “He’s not worried about that. He’s worried about getting this economy working again, securing a border, making America safe.”

Trump is set to be sworn in on Monday and has plans to sign a handful of executive orders right after the ceremony.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/5095066-mccarthy-criticizes-biden-pardons/

Trump tells NBC Fauci, Jan. 6 pardons ‘disgraceful’

 President-elect told NBC that it was disgraceful President Biden issued pardons to Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) and other members of the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.

“It is disgraceful. Many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES! DJT” Trump texted NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker.

Biden issued the pardons on Monday morning, before leaving office later that day and said he was doing so to protect the public servants who have faced attacks from Trump. Trump is set to be sworn in later on Monday.

“These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,” Biden said in a statement.

The members of the House Jan. 6 committee have been a frequent target of Trump’s ire. Biden also chose to pardon the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the Select Committee. 

Additionally, Biden issued pardons for Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who led the nation’s COVID-19 pandemic response, and Milley, the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Biden was considering preemptive pardons for those who have been critical of Trump since the president-elect won the 2024 race and decided to issue them as one of his final acts of his presidency.

The pardons are for potential targets of a Trump administration that could include FBI nominee Kash Patel, who has made public remarks about going after Trump’s enemies, as well as Trump ally, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, in the Justice Department.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5095310-donald-trump-joe-biden-pardons/

Trump to issue 10 executive orders cracking down on border

 President Trump is set to sign off on 10 executive orders Monday, moving swiftly to crack down on immigration and drug cartels during his first day in office with a blitzkrieg of immigration actions.

An incoming White House official previewed the actions during a 15-minute call with reporters ahead of Trump’s inauguration proceedings.

Among the actions Trump is set to take are declaring a national emergency at the southern border to mobilize the military — and fast-track construction of his border wall — ending birthright citizenship, pausing refugee resettlement programs and designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Some of the actions stretch the bounds of executive authority and are sure to be immediately challenged by immigration and civil rights groups.

Officials on the call cast Trump’s as a sweeping victory that created a “mandate to carry out the promises he made on the campaign trail that includes his pledge to secure the southern border and carry out the largest deportation of migrant criminals in history.”

Trump won the Electoral College by 86 votes, though his popular vote win was relatively slim; he won 49.9 percent of the vote, defeating Vice President Harris by more than 2 million votes.

The official said one coming order would “clarify the military’s role in protecting the territorial integrity of the United States” — sending personnel to the border, pushing the Department of Defense to erect barriers, and to also greenlight the use of drones and other surveillance measures.

During the call, officials said they plan to end asylum — a right guaranteed under both U.S. and international law that allows those fleeing persecution to seek safety. Many migrants who cross the border are initially allowed into the country to seek the status — driving GOP claims the program is being abused.

Trump officials also said they would pause the refugee program — a similar status for those unable to remain in the country — for at least four months.

Trump also plans to sign an order ending birthright citizenship, a move that would directly contradict the Constitution, which guarantees citizenship for all born within the U.S.

Incoming administration officials seemed to acknowledge underlying issues with such a move, saying they would do so on a “prospective basis.” 

“On a prospective basis, the federal government will not recognize automatic birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens born in the United States,” the official said. 

The administration did not preview any specific travel bans but said it would direct agencies to make recommendations on specific nationalities whose entries should be suspended.

Officials also said they would begin to seek the death penalty in some cases involving migrants. 

“This action in particular, directs the Attorney General to seek capital punishment for the murder of law enforcement officers and capital crimes committed by illegal aliens,” they said.

Incoming White House officials said they will reinstate “remain in Mexico,” a program known officially as the Migrant Protection Protocols during the first Trump administration, under which about 70,000 third-country asylum seekers were forced to wait out their U.S. immigration case in Mexican border cities between 2019 and 2020.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday said she would not accept the return of the program and announced a new strategy to welcome back deported Mexican nationals.

Speaking at Sheinbaum’s daily press conference, Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez said the Mexican government has been working on the new strategy since Trump announced mass deportation plans.

“Of course we don’t agree, but — in case it is done — we will receive them with access to the Mexican government’s welfare programs, access to health services for them and their families, transportation to their places of origin, access to telephone communications, and we will keep generating living conditions and creating a favorable environment to cater to their needs amid the repatriation of Mexicans,” said Rodríguez.

Trump’s day-one orders will also advance the process of declaring certain cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) or specifically designated global terrorists, potentially supercharging the law enforcement tools available against them under their current Trans-national Criminal Organization (TCO) designations.

Incoming officials specifically mentioned Tren de Aragua and MS-13, gangs that mostly operate in South and Central America, as targets for these new designations.

An official said the designations would allow the Trump administration to treat the gangs as irregular military forces “conducting a frontier incursion and invasion into the United States.”

Though the gangs mentioned on the call are Venezuelan and Salvadoran, the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-friendly advocacy group led by former Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, issued a statement Monday calling for FTO designations for specifically Mexican cartels.

The America First release did not name specific cartels, though it did accuse the Mexican government of “ tolerating and even promoting organized crime.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5095195-trump-executive-orders-immigration/

Putin Says Trump Will Help Prevent WW3 In Inauguration Day Congratulations Message

 Russia has congratulated Donald Trump as he takes office as US president on Monday, with President Putin making statements expressing hope for speedy resumption of official contacts between the two countries.

The Russian leader made the remarks in a meeting of the country’s National Security Council, crucially suggesting Trump's return to the White House will help prevent world war three.

"We’re hearing the statements of the newly elected US president and members of his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia, which were halted by the outgoing administration," Putin began.

Source: Kremlin.ru

That's when he stressed, "We also hear his statement about the need to do everything to prevent world war three." A separate translation of the televised national security speech reads as follows:

"We hear [Trump’s] statements on the need to prevent World War III. We undoubtedly welcome such a disposition and congratulate the elected U.S. president." 

"Of course, we welcome such an attitude and congratulate the elected US president on taking office," he continued, explaining that Moscow has never "refused dialogue" with the United States. He said any fresh dialogue must be done on an "equal and mutually respectful basis."

According to more of Putin's congratulatory remarks via The Wall Street Journal:

Putin, in comments to the Russian security council on Monday, said Russia sought a "long-term peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people, all peoples who live in the region." He added that his country would "Fight for the interests of Russia and the Russian people, which is the objective of the special military operation." Trump, who has been skeptical of aid to Ukraine, has said that he wants to see an end to the war, which is about to enter its fourth year, and has called for a cease-fire administered by European forces.

A week ago Trump said of Putin, "I know he wants to meet, and I'm going to meet very quickly." Trump had described, "I would have done it sooner, but… you have to get into the office." 

These words came soon on the heels of incoming national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz teling ABC News that "the preparations are underway" for a meeting between Trump and the Russian leader.

"I do expect a call … at least in the coming days and weeks," Waltz said. "So, that would be a step, and we’ll take it from there."

Prior reporting on the 'Trump peace plan' suggests that the US side will offer Ukraine a twenty-year waiting period before it can hope to join NATO; however, Moscow has rejected even this possibility as a non-starter.

❗️ Putin congratulates Trump on his inauguration, saying Russia is open for dialogue on equality and mutual respect priciples pic.twitter.com/VuwPNeyF0k

— RT (@RT_com) January 20, 2025

Without doubt, Moscow sees itself in the driver's seat - even as Ukraine tries to inflict as much damage as possible through drone and missile strikes on Russian territory. Russian forces have made weeks of rapid gains in the Donetsk, including having captured several villages and towns just on the outskirts of Pokrovsk.

There's widespread understanding that as soon as Pokrovsk falls, the whole of Donetsk will firmly be in Russian military control, given the city is central to the Ukrainian army's logistical operations in the area.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-says-trump-will-help-prevent-ww3-congratulations-issued-inauguration-day

Innovate Transdermal GFR System Receives FDA Approval to Assess Kidney Function

 

• Transdermal GFR System (TGFR) is a first-in-kind product for point of care assessment of kidney function in patients with normal or impaired renal function
• The transdermal GFR (tGFR) methodology has been designed to be effective across the adult population without input of age, weight, sex, gender, race, or ethnicity
• More than 800 million people have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), one of the world’s leading causes of mortality worldwide, with associated deaths increasing over the past two decades

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/01/17/3011737/0/en/MediBeacon-Transdermal-GFR-System-Receives-FDA-Approval-to-Assess-Kidney-Function.html

Almonty Announces Intention to Relocate to US

 Almonty Industries Inc. (“Almonty” or the “Company“) (TSX: AII / ASX: AII / OTCQX: ALMTF / Frankfurt: ALI) is pleased to announce that the Company is planning to change its jurisdiction of incorporation from Canada to the State of Delaware while maintaining its listings for now on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange. We refer to this transaction as a “US domestication” in this press release. The US domestication reflects the growing importance of the United States in Almonty’s strategic positioning. With its robust regulatory framework for critical materials like tungsten and molybdenum and the evolving global economic landscape, the United States presents a compelling jurisdiction for our incorporation. The State of Delaware, in particular, was chosen as our new domicile because the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) expressly accommodates continuances under Section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act and is recognized for its extensive body of corporate law. Supported by decades of case law in Delaware courts, the DGCL provides well-defined guidance on the duties and obligations of directors and officers, offering legal clarity that is expected to benefit both the Company and its shareholders.

“By changing our base of operations and jurisdiction of incorporation from Canada to the United States, we are aligning our corporate structure with the location of a significant portion of our shareholder base and enhancing our ability to access key US markets,” said Lewis Black, CEO. “This move reinforces our strategic focus on growth and operational agility, ensuring we remain competitive and well-positioned to deliver value to stakeholders in an evolving global landscape. We observed ongoing global tensions with export restrictions in China, import duties by the United States and also restrictions on tungsten from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea by the US Department of Defense. Amid those rising global tensions, Almonty and its South Korean Sangdong Mine are poised to become a cornerstone for a transparent and reliable Western source of tungsten and molybdenum.”

As global geopolitical tensions evolve and policies in key economies shift to encourage domestic sourcing of critical raw materials, the Company’s management believes that being based in the United States will enhance Almonty’s long-term competitiveness and agility in a dynamic global market.

The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in northwestern Spain. The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp. Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in north- western Spain. Further information about Almonty’s activities may be found at www.almonty.com and under Almonty’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250120542869/en/Almonty-Announces-Intention-to-Relocate-to-the-United-States