The Daily Signal - TOP NEWS | House Probes Hunter Biden Money From China, Arrest Warrant Issued for Putin, Biden Wants to Get Tough on Failed Banks | March 17

Starting point is 00:00:01 I'm Virginia Allen. I'm Samantha Sherris. And this is the Daily Siddal top news for Friday, March 17th. Here are today's headlines. The House Oversight Committee is pursuing its investigation into the business dealings of Hunter Biden. The committee is asking one of Hunter Biden's key business associates to testify before them. The associate's name is Rob Walker. The House Oversight Committee obtained financial documents that show Walker transferred more than $1 million. to members of the Biden family. But the timing of the transfers is what appears to be of most interest to Congress. Walker made the transfers to Biden family member accounts shortly after he received a $3 million payment from a Chinese energy company in 2017. Committee Chairman James Comer sent a letter to Walker today telling him that he has emerged as a critical witness in the investigation into the business dealings of Hunter Biden.

Starting point is 00:01:12 Subpoenaed Bank of America records reveal that at least three Biden family members received large payments from Walker. Comer's office has told Walker they will be in touch later this month to schedule the testimony. Stay tuned. President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to impose tougher penalties on the executives of failed banks. That's according to the Associated Press. Biden said in a statement earlier today, strengthening accountability is an important deterrent to prevent mismanagement in the future. Congress must act to impose tougher penalties for senior bank executives whose mismanagement contributed to their institutions failing. Specifically, Biden is

Starting point is 00:01:54 calling on Congress to expand the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC's authority to recoup compensation from executives at banks, strengthen the FDIC's authority to bar executives from holding jobs in the banking industry when their banks fail, and expand the FDIC's authority. DIC's authority to bring civil claims against bank executives. Biden's remarks come a day after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S. banking system is sound. Yellen said before the Senate Finance Committee, I can reassure the members of the committee that our banking system is sound and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits

Starting point is 00:02:33 will be there when they need them. As you'll recall, the California-based Silicon Valley Bank failed a week ago after depositors rushed to withdraw money amid anxiety over the bank's health, according to the Associated Press. And on Sunday, the New York-based signature bank also failed, an event that represents the third largest failure in U.S. banking history, Reuters reports. Today, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The warrant was issued in response to Putin's involvement in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children. Russia has been deporting vulnerable Ukrainian children back to Russia, an act that the president of the International Criminal Court says is a war crime.

Starting point is 00:03:20 The court has also issued an arrest warrant for Russia's commissioner for children's rights. The court's president, Piot Kovmansky, announced the charges in a video earlier today. It is forbidden by international law for occupied powers to transfer civilians from the territory they live in to other territories. children enjoy special protection under the Geneva Convention. According to the BBC, the Ukrainian government estimates 16,221 children have been forcibly removed from Ukraine and taken to Russia. However, it's unlikely an arrest will be made anytime soon. The ICC is doing its part of work. As a court of law, the judges issued arrest warrants.

Starting point is 00:04:08 their execution depends on international cooperation. The arrest warrants come just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia to meet with Putin. The two leaders are set to meet Monday. Interior Secretary Deb Holland is facing backlash over the Willow Oil Project. Earlier this month, the president met with Alaska's bipartisan congressional delegation to discuss an oil drilling project in the state, referred to as the Willow Project. Holland, who opposed the project while she was in Congress, also held a meeting around the same time on the drilling topic, the Associated Press reports.

Starting point is 00:04:46 The closed meeting, as the Associated Press also reports, grew emotional as participants urged Holland to oppose a project. Many believed Biden appeared likely to approve, even as it contradicted his agenda to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. The Interior Secretary also reportedly choked up when she explained. that the Interior Department had to make difficult choices the Associated Press reports. Holland spoke about the Willow Project, which she labeled as a difficult and complex issue that was inherited in a video earlier this week.

Starting point is 00:05:21 Let's take a listen via her Twitter. These are existing leases issued by previous administrations as far back as the 90s. As a result, we had limited decision space, but we focused on how to reduce the project's footprint and minimize its impacts to people and to wildlife. What was approved reflects a substantially smaller project than ConocoPhillips originally proposed, a 40% reduction.

Starting point is 00:05:49 They're also relinquishing nearly 70,000 acres of their leases, land that will no longer be developed. And we're going to leave it there for today. Thanks so much for joining us here on the Daily Signals Top News. If you haven't gotten a chance, be sure to check out our morning show right here in this podcast feed where we interview lawmakers, experts, and the leading conservative voices. Join us on Monday morning. I'm going to be sitting down with Reverend Jim Hardin. He's the CEO of Compassion Care Pregnancy Center. And we discuss the second attack that was carried out against

Starting point is 00:06:24 this pro-life center in less than a year. Hardin says the FBI and the DOJ are failing to do their job to investigate the attacks. Also, make sure you subscribe to the Daily Signal, wherever you get your podcast and help us reach even more listeners by leaving a five-star rating and review. We read and appreciate all of your feedback. Thanks again for listening today. We hope that you all have a wonderful and very happy St. Patrick's Day and we'll see you right back here on Monday morning. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. Executive producers are Rob Louie and Kate Trinko. Producers are Virginia Allen and Samantha Asheras. Sound designed by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. To learn more,

Starting point is 00:07:12 please visit DailySignal.com.

The Daily Signal - TOP NEWS | House Probes Hunter Biden Money From China, Arrest Warrant Issued for Putin, Biden Wants to Get Tough on Failed Banks | March 17

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