Author | Lightnews

bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Sep 9

News: Sen. Josh Hawley wants to ban self-driving cars, is planning legislation on it soon.

“I think we ought to ban autonomous vehicles,” he told me, calling them “not safe” and saying it would be “terrible for working people” if they become the norm.

www.businessinsider.com/josh-hawley-...

Sen. Josh Hawley wants to ban driverless cars — and says he'll introduce a bill on it 'soon'

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri told BI that he wants to see driverless cars banned nationwide, and that he's introducing a bill on the topic soon.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Sep 2

"Digital content creators" are among the 68 occupations that the Treasury Department has deemed eligible for the "no tax on tips" deduction.

They explicitly name streamers, influencers, podcasters as illustrative examples.

via @danwhateley.bsky.social and me
www.businessinsider.com/influencers-...

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Aug 28

He sent out two emails mentioning tariff rebate checks earlier this month, including one that asked: "SHOULD BONUS REVENUE FROM MY HISTORIC TRUMP TARIFFS GO BACK TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE VIA REBATE CHECK SIGNED BY TRUMP?"

www.businessinsider.com/trump-fundra...

Trump is dangling the idea of government checks to get people to donate to his campaign

Trump hasn't actually committed to sending DOGE checks or tariff rebate checks to Americans. He's still mentioning them in fundraising emails.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Aug 28

Trump hasn't committed to sending out "DOGE checks" or tariff rebates — or even pushing for it. Republicans in Congress are largely opposed.

He's still fundraising off of it.

Here's one from today that somehow mentions *both*.

Subject line: "Do you want a DOGE check?"

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Apr 14

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is the first member of Congress to disclose purchasing stocks right before Trump's tariff pause sent markets soaring.

She bought between $21,000 and $315,000 in stocks across 19 different companies on April 8 and 9.

www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-tay...

Marjorie Taylor Greene bought thousands of dollars in stock right before Trump's tariff pause sent markets soaring

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene purchased between $21,000 and $315,000 in stocks in 19 different companies, beginning the day before Trump's tariff pause.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Apr 11

Was there any insider trading around Trump's tariff announcements?

We won't really know for weeks.
www.businessinsider.com/politicians-...

It may be weeks before we learn which politicians cashed in on Trump's tariff-driven stock market dip

Democrats are raising alarms about potential insider trading. There's no evidence yet, but lawmakers and Trump advisors have to disclose by mid-May.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Feb 19

Two of Trump's nominees have made thousands of dollars from posting on X.

NIH Director nominee Jay Bhattacharya: $11,995.

Department of VA Undersecretary nominee Sam Brown: $5,169.

w/ @thenewsham.bsky.social

www.businessinsider.com/jay-bhattach...

Trump's NIH director nominee made nearly $12,000 from posting on X last year

One of Trump's top health-related nominees had an uncommon income source over the past two years: posting on social media.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Jan 16

Pam Bondi disclosed owning more than $3.9 million in Truth Social stock in December, according to documents obtained by BI.

www.businessinsider.com/pam-bondi-tr...

Trump's attorney general pick owned at least $3.9 million in Truth Social stock and made $1 million as a lobbyist last year

Bondi, who's been working as a lobbyist and a consultant in recent years, reported a net worth of $12.1 million.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Jan 13

New: Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's financial disclosure is out.

It shows he made more than $2 million/year at Fox News, plus $900,000 from 41 paid speeches.

www.businessinsider.com/pete-hegseth...

Pete Hegseth made millions at Fox News and $900,000 from 41 paid speeches in the last 2 years

Hegseth delivered 41 paid speeches across the country over the last two years, earning $900,000 along the way.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Jan 12

New: Lee Zeldin, Trump's pick to lead the EPA, was paid tens of thousands of dollars to write op-eds criticizing ESG and New York's climate policies, per his financial disclosure.

He also made $65,500 in paid speeches and won $45,475 from casino gambling.

www.businessinsider.com/trump-epa-no...

Trump's pick to lead EPA was paid tens of thousands to write op-eds criticizing climate policies and ESG

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin made nearly $200,000 from paid speeches and op-eds in recent years. Some of those op-eds were on climate-related topics.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Dec 12

It appears that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was wearing her famous "Dangerous Creature" sweater on Capitol Hill yesterday when she and Sen. Joe Manchin voted against renominating Lauren McFarren to the NLRB, denying Democrats a major on the top labor board.

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Dec 12

It’s not just Elizabeth Warren — several progressives see the UHC CEO killing as a moment where the rage toward the healthcare industry can’t be ignored.

www.businessinsider.com/unitedhealth...

Progressive lawmakers say the reaction to the UHC CEO killing is a 'wake-up call'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the shooting ignited a "mass bubbling of resentment around the precarity that people have been living with."

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Dec 11

Despite Trump’s seemingly open-minded stance on the topic, Republicans are broadly uninterested in a federal minimum wage increase.

www.businessinsider.com/trump-minimu...

Even if Trump tried to raise the minimum wage, his own party could get in the way

Trump recently signaled openness to raising the federal minimum wage. Even if he's serious, he's likely to hit GOP resistance.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Dec 4

AOC confirms her interest in being top Democrat on House Oversight Committee if Rep. Jamie Raskin replaces Rep. Jerry Nadler atop Judiciary.

“I’m looking into it,” she told me. “I am interested.”

She’d need to win support of colleagues, could be competitive. She’s currently vice ranking member.

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Dec 3

To understand how some in the GOP view Chavez-DeRemer, consider Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who said he's concerned about her pro-labor record but his "bias is supporting President Trump in staffing his administration with the people he wants around him."

www.businessinsider.com/trump-labor-...

Trump's Labor Secretary pick is winning Democratic praise — and GOP skepticism

Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer supports a sweeping pro-union bill, earning her cautious praise from Democrats and skepticism from Republicans.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Dec 3

Sen. Elizabeth Warren offering some conditional praise for Trump's nominee for Labor Secretary, outgoing GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

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Reposted by bryan metzger

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · Nov 30

Oh look! It’s a gallery of things I must now order online because it takes 20 minutes to find the Keeper of the Deodorant Key

Shabazz Stuart @shabazzstuart.bsky.social · Nov 30

I get the need to safeguard from shoplifting but this CVS setup is insane.

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Nov 18

am i on someone’s “starter pack” or something because i’ve been gaining hella followers despite never posting on here

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Nov 17

an insightful but grim read
mattdpearce.substack.com/p/journalism...

Journalism's fight for survival in a postliterate democracy

The truth is going out of business as technology turns us into a folk-story society, ripe for influence by a demagogue.

mattdpearce.substack.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Nov 13

if i haven’t followed you back it’s because i don’t know if i’m actually gonna use this app lol

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Nov 13

sup

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Reposted by bryan metzger

Jordan Uhl @jordanuhl.com · Jun 26

Yes, AIPAC spent $14 million+ to defeat Jamaal Bowman, but there's more to it.

@metzger.bsky.social joined @robrousseau.bsky.social and me to look at the full picture of Bowman's race:

www.insurgentspod.com/p/ep-289-why...

Ep. 289: Why Jamaal Bowman Lost ft. Bryan Metzger

The pro-Israel lobbying group spent $14 million to defeat Jamaal Bowman, but there's more to the story.

www.insurgentspod.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Nov 20

www.businessinsider.com/charles-mora...

'Give him the benefit of the doubt': Why one gay GOP leader is holding his fire on Mike Johnson — ...

"It's not maybe as 'ideal' as we wanted, but we've got to see if this works," said Charles Moran, the president of the Log Cabin Republicans.

www.businessinsider.com

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Jul 4

perhaps it’s important for platform cohesion much like some friendships begin out of mutual dislike of people/things

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bryan metzger @metzger.bsky.social · Jul 4

can yall talk about something besides Twitter

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