Car company GAC displays its Gove eVTOL flying car in Guangzhou, China, on April 12, 2024.
Chen Jimin/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
China is pulling ahead in the flying car industry.
Chinese regulators are fast-tracking approval for eVTOL vehicles.
Chinese company AutoFlight received the world's first certification for an eVTOL over 1 tonne.
China is leading the pack as the flying car industry tries to take off.
Chinese regulators are racing to approve eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicles. These aircraft take off like helicopters but can also fly like planes at higher speeds.
Kellen Xie, the vice president of Chinese eVTOL company AutoFlight Group, told the Financial Times that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has been "quite supportive" of the growing industry.
Xie told FT that CAAC regulators "work longer hours" and "are determined to actually speed up the process of bringing this new technology into reality."
China became one step closer to that reality in March when the CAAC granted certification for AutoFlight's unmanned CaryAll aircraft, the first time regulators have approved an eVTOL over 1 metric ton for flight, FT reported.
AutoFlight is still awaiting regulatory approval in Europe, according to FT.
In the US, several smaller eVTOLS have already received the green light.
As of March, the company had already received more than 2,850 reservations to purchase the $300,000 vehicle, which is expected to hit the streets (and the skies) as early as the end of 2025.
A month later, California-based startup Aska became the second eVTOL company to earn FAA certification, but Aska's prototype is more like an aircraft than a car.
Russia and China are investigating ways to disable US satellites, raising defense concerns.
China is testing satellite grappling technology that can move objects in space without debris.
Russia is believed to have tested projectile weapons for use in orbit.
Russia and China appear to be actively looking into ways to watch and potentially incapacitate US satellites in space, and defense analysts are concerned.
"China and Russia are both operating satellites that attempt to better understand high-value U.S. government satellites" and engaging in other alarming activities, analysts at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in the think tank's 2024 Space Threat Assessment report. "These developments are concerning and will likely continue in the coming years."
China has been testing technology and mechanisms that allow satellites to grapple onto other satellites. Analysts at CSIS drew this conclusion after it was reported that China successfully used its SJ-21 satellite to grapple and direct an inoperative satellite to a new location in orbit.
The potential grappler satellites China could be testing have an "unfriendly" connotation as they are capable of hijacking and moving objects like satellites in space "without generating any debris."
In a February hearing, US Space Command leader Gen. Stephen Whiting described the pace of China's space expansion as "breathtaking."
Beijing, Whiting said, is "growing its military space and counterspace capabilities at breathtaking pace to deny American and Allied space capabilities when they so choose."
Russia likely has at least two satellites conducting "an espionage mission but may also perform other functions." Experts also believe that at points within the past decade, Russia has tested projectile weapons to be used in Low Earth orbit.
"All of these unfriendly behaviors in space have become commonplace," the analysts wrote.
And earlier this year, the White House sounded alarms about a Russian system that US officials told reporters involved putting some sort of nuclear capability into outer space.
Security experts have often said that China and Russia would take down satellites as their first course of action in the event of war.
The US currently has thousands of satellites in space. Some are capable of tracking ballistic missile threats, some serve commercial endeavors, others provide critical GPS services, and others gather intelligence.
These satellites serve US economic and national security interests, and in a great power conflict, these space assets are critical. But they're at risk as rivals China and Russia advance their respective counterspace capabilities.
A senior Marine Corps officer in information, Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy, warned last year that the US has to be ready for challenges in space. "I'm telling you right now: We don't win the space domain? Don't even bother," he said. "No space, no chance."
Meta acquired a horde of GPUs in order to change its algorithm, not to build generative AI tools.
However, Mark Zuckerberg decided to buy twice as many GPUs as Meta needed just in case
"Our normal principle is there's going to be something on the horizon that we can't see yet."
When Mark Zuckerberg started amassing a large amount of GPUs in 2022, it was not for anything related to generative AI.
Instead, the Meta CEO and co-founder was still focused on the metaverse and thought the graphics processing units, mostly from Nvidia, would be used for ranking content and a big change to its algorithmic system for Reels, Instagram, and Facebook.
The algorithm went from one based on a user's following to one based on "unconnected content," or a system that shows a user content from all over an app, typically based on anything they've interacted with. It's an algorithmic style made famous by TikTok, which for a time was growing faster than Meta's apps.
Zuckerberg started to buy up GPUs and change Meta's algorithms and related training infrastructure so Reels could "catch up to what TikTok was doing," he told the podcaster Dwarkesh Patel in an interview where the CEO promoted last week's expanded release of the Meta AI chatbot tool and Meta's Llama 3 model.
"Did I think then that it would be about AI, well, we thought it was going to be something that had to do with training large models, but at the time…I was so deep into just trying to get the recommendations working for Reels and other content," Zuckerberg said. "That's such a big unlock for Facebook and Instagram, being able to show people content that's interesting to them, from people they're not even following."
Despite generative AI not being on Zuckerberg's mind until OpenAI's ChatGPT tool exploded onto the tech scene, he did what he could to be ready for the unexpected. Having been caught off guard amid other step changes in tech — the shift to mobile, political manipulation of content, short-form video — Zuckerberg did not want to be unpleasantly surprised, yet again.
"I basically looked at [needing to catch up with TikTok] and I was like, 'Hey, we have to make sure that we're never in this situation again,'" Zuckerberg said. "'So let's order enough GPUs to do what we need to do on Reels and ranking content and feed, but let's double that.' Because again, our normal principle is there's going to be something on the horizon that we can't see yet."
The CEO admitted that doubling Meta's investment in GPUs on the off chance the company would need them "was a good decision in retrospect," — one that he made because of so many perceived mistakes in the past.
"It came from being behind…it wasn't like, oh, I was so far ahead," Zuckerberg added. "Actually, most of the time, I think where we kind of make some decisions that end up seeming good is because we messed something up before and just do not want to repeat the mistake."
Are you a Meta employee or someone with a tip or insight to share? Contact Kali Hays at khays@businessinsider.com or on secure messaging appSignal at 949-280-0267. Reach out using a non-work device.
Danielle Schulz, 36, is a dancer with The Metropolitan Opera.
Devin Cruz
Danielle Schulz is a professional dancer and runs her own corporate wellness business.
Schulz is one of many Americans who don't work a typical 9-to-5 and leans on side hustles for income.
Her business, The Triangle Sessions, has landed contracts with Google, Meta, and Deloitte.
When Danielle Schulz has rehearsal at The Metropolitan Opera, she starts her commutefrom Philadelphia to New York City at 7 a.m.
The 36-year-old professional dancer catches up on work emails on the train, picks up an egg sandwich at her favorite New York breakfast cart, then heads to ballet class. Sometimes she doesn't arrive back home until after midnight.
Dancing is just one of Schulz's jobs. She also runs her startup The Triangle Sessions, which offers corporate wellness and team-building events. But for her, it's all worth it.
"I got really creative with how I could support myself," Schulz said. "I have done a lot and always have a hustling mentality to make ends meet."
Schulz is one of man Americans who have careers outside the traditional 9-to-5. Thirty-nine percentof Americans have a side hustle, and half of Gen Zers and millennials have more than one stream of income, according to a survey of 2,505 US adults conducted by YouGov Plc — and commissioned by Bankrate — in April 2023.
Freelancing, side hustles, gig work, and overemployment have become popular as people look to boost their income on a flexible schedule.
Schulz has been dancing with The Metropolitan Opera for a decade, working part-time in shows like "The Magic Flute" and "Der Rosenkavalier," along with taking regular training classes. She has always had to supplement her dance income, she said. In the past, she's done this through work in restaurants, as a cruise ship performer, and as a yoga teacher.
She planned her first event for The Triangle Sessions in 2019, and the business took off during the pandemic as companies were looking for virtual employee activities. When she's not at dance rehearsal, Schulz teaches Triangle Sessions classes on topics like relaxation and terrarium building. She also helps companies plan their corporate retreats.
The Triangle Sessions now makes up between 60% and 80% of Schulz's annual income, she said, and the business books between five and six figures a year from contracts with major companies like Google, Meta, and Deloitte. Her income breakdown fluctuates each year depending on how much time she spends on dancing versus The Triangle Sessions, she said.
"I've learned that no experience is wasted," Schulz said. "And sometimes, when you feel a little bit lost or you're not on a traditional path, it just makes your life a little bit richer and more interesting."
Danielle Schulz, 36, is a dancer with The Metropolitan Opera and runs her own corporate wellness business.
Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images
Balancing two careers takes patience
Schulz typically knows which shows she will be cast in at The Met a year in advance, she said, and the intense rehearsal period usually last for a few weeks at a time. She plans her work with The Triangle Sessions around her show seasons.
Schulz largely grows her business through word-of-mouth and companies usually hire her to lead employee team-building activities — both virtually and in person. For example, Schulz recently taught a workshop where she connected the history of bonsai trees to employee milestones.
Although Schulz will sometimes hire outside contractors to teach workshops she doesn't specialize in, most of Triangle Sessions content is created and taught by her. She has worked with insurance companies, law firms, technology companies, and healthcare workers.
As some companies shift from virtual to hybrid or in-office work, she said many of her events and planned retreats have become popular.
"There's this universal need to connect with one another, all while taking care of ourselves individually," she said.
Schulz has had to learn to be patient with herself and the continuous changes in her career, she said. But the flexibility of Triangle Sessions allows her to continue performing, spend time with her two young children, and take a break when she needs one.
"Nothing is ever 50/50," she said. "It's not going to be in perfect balance, especially if you want to make progress in any one direction."
Retirement is on the horizon
Schulz encourages others thinking about nontraditional careers to embrace both the busy times and quiet times.
When her schedule is packed, Schulz said she is grateful to keep building her business. And, when her rehearsals and Triangle Sessions events slow down, she said she spends extra time with her family and focuses on keeping herself healthy.
"That is going to be a guiding compass for the rest of my life," Schulz said.
Schulz loves her career at The Met, but said she plans on retiring soon. After that, she would work for Triangle Sessions full-time. But, Schulz even if she's no longer on stage, she won't stop dancing.
"I will always keep moving," she said.
Do have a career that isn't a traditional 9-to-5? Are you willing to share how you make and spend your money? Reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@insider.com.
Correction: April 22, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled Danielle Schulzsurname.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the amount of feed Acipenser produces each month. It is about 60 metric tons per month, not kilograms. Business Insider also misstated that Acipenser released male Sturgeon into Lake Mantasoa. This has been removed.
The video platform is cracking down on weight loss-related content in a new set of guidelines.
The changes will restrict or outright ban certain types of weight loss videos.
TikTok is phasing out weight loss content, and thousands of creators will have to find a new niche to post about.
The new guidelines, which will go into effect on May 17, prohibit content centered on "extreme" diets, the misuse of medications for weight loss, and more.
Creators who post about restrictive diets, "using medication or supplements for weight loss or muscle gain," or promoting weight loss products will find the content restricted to users 18 years and older, according to the guidelines. This also applies to content related to anabolic steroid use.
Weight loss influencers are sharing their reactions to the change and explaining to followers what it means for their future content.
Over the past two years, weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have taken social media by storm. Viral videos and a catchy jingle can be found all over TikTok.
"I guess I'm going to be bringing my content to Instagram," one creator with about 10,000 TikTok followers said in a video.
For content creators, restricted videos hinder their chances of reaching a larger audience outside their followers and can lead to their accounts being banned in more extreme cases. It's prompted some to say they're taking their weight loss-related posts to another platform.
Before President Nixon created the EPA in 1970, water and air pollution weren't federally regulated.
In the 1970s, the EPA enlisted 100 photographers to document environmental conditions in the US.
The result was 81,000 photos, often filled with smoke, smog, acid, oil, trash, and sewage.
Don't let the soft, sepia tones fool you — the United States used to be dangerously polluted.
Before President Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, the environment and its well-being was not a federal priority.
In the early 1970s, the EPA launched the "The Documerica Project," which leveraged 100 freelance photographers to document what the US looked like. By 1974, they had taken 81,000 photos. The National Archives digitized nearly 16,000 and made them available online.
Many of the photos were taken before water and air pollution were fully regulated. The Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, and the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972.
This Earth Day, we've selected 35 of the photos to reflect on how cities across the US have changed — Baltimore, Birmingham, Cleveland, Delaware, Denver, Kansas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco all feature here, in shots filled with smoke, smog, acid, oil, trash, and sewage.
None of the photos we've selected are pretty, but it's worth remembering what US cities used to be like before we cared what we put into the air, soil, and water.
In Baltimore, trash and tires cover the shore at Middle Branch beside the harbor in 1973.
Trash and old tires on the shore of Baltimore Harbor.
Jim Pickerell/EPA
The EPA regulates waste now, and sets criteria for landfills. While the open dumping of waste is banned, it still happens.
Baltimore City did have some simple techniques to keep the harbor clean.
Jones Falls, near Baltimore Harbor.
Jim Pickerell/EPA
Here, a screen has been placed across the water to trap trash. A heavy rain could break it, but it was effective when cleaned often.
In Birmingham in 1972, a boy throws a Frisbee against hazy skies.
North Birmingham was the most heavily polluted area in the city.
LeRoy Woodson/EPA
Truckers in the 1960s called Birmingham "smoke city," Bham Now reported.
A house in North Birmingham is barely visible in industrial smog coming from the North Birmingham Pipe Plant.
North Birmingham in 1972.
LeRoy Woodson/EPA
North Birmingham was the most polluted area of the city.
In Cleveland, in 1973, billowing smoke casts a gloom over the Clark Avenue bridge.
Clark Avenue Bridge in Cleveland in 1973.
Frank Aleksandrowicz/EPA
Because Cleveland was an industrial city, the pollution was severe.
Cleveland's inner city was also a dumping ground.
Superior Avenue, Cleveland.
Frank Aleksandrowicz/EPA
In this photo from 1973, an empty lot on Superior Avenue, Cleveland, was filled with trash.
In Delaware, the city incinerator billows out smoke over the river.
Delaware City's incinerator on the river.
Dick Swanson/EPA
In 2016, a report released by New York University said 41 people living in Delaware still die because of air pollution every year, The News Journal reported.
In Denver, murky light brown sewage is discharged into the South Platte River.
Sewage discharged into the South Platte River.
Bruce McAllister/EPA
The sewage came from the Metro Sewage Treatment Plant, per the EPA.
Here's a billboard against Denver's smoky skies in the 1970s. The city was known for having a brown cloud of pollution.
A billboard in Denver.
Bill Gillette/EPA
In the late 1980s, the air pollution got so bad, the city developed a visibility standard — it asked whether downtown workers could see mountains that were only 35 miles away, The New York Times reported.
In Kansas City's harbor, on the Missouri River, a local EPA worker points out a dying fish.
A local EPA worker points out a dying fish in Kansas City.
Kenneth Paik/EPA
While the river has been much cleaner since the Clean Water Act was passed, trash and industrial contaminants still end up in it, The Kansas City Star reported. In 2023, NPR reported that volunteers with Missouri River Relief have picked up more than 2 million pounds of trash from the river since the organization began in 2001.
In Los Angeles, the outline of the sun can be clearly seen because air pollution creates a buffer.
Los Angeles sun above a railroad near the Salton Sea.
Charles O'Rear/Documerica
In 1943, 30 years before this photo was taken, the smog was so bad, the city's residents thought there was a gas attack, according to the California Sun.
Los Angeles county monitored pollution on the roads, at least.
Air pollution control department.
Gene Daniels / EPA
In this photo from 1972, the air-pollution control department checks for violators.
In New Orleans, fumes spread over the streets.
Kaiser Aluminum Plant's smokestack blows out fumes over New Orleans.
John Messina / EPA
Fumes billow from Kaiser Aluminum Plant's smoke stack in 1973.
In an illegal dump in New Orleans, garbage turned to sludge when a lake overflowed into it.
New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain.
John Messina / EPA
In the 1970s, the EPA found 66 pollutants in the city's drinking water. And the city's water is known for its oily taste, per The Washington Post.
In New Jersey, a photo shows raw and partially digested sewage.
Sewage in Bayonne.
Alexander Hope / EPA
The sewage was photographed darkening the water in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1974.
New York is one of the most photographed cities for "The Documerica Project."
Illegal dumping area off the New Jersey Turnpike.
Gary Miller / EPA
Here, a pile of illegally dumped trash ruins the view of Manhattan and the Twin Towers in 1973.
A photographer snapped this image of an abandoned, waterlogged car in Jamaica Bay, New York.
An abandoned car in Jamaica Bay in New York City.
Arthur Tress/Documerica The
The abandoned Beetle was photographed in 1973.
Another car has sunk halfway into the beach at Breezy Point, south of Jamaica Bay.
A car dumped at Breezy Point, south of Jamaica Bay.
Arthur Tress / Documerica
The EPA now helps regulate how the city disposes of trash to prevent dumping in the Atlantic.
Though it might not be clear, this is the George Washington Bridge going over the Hudson River, covered in thick smog.
The George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River.
Chester Higgins / EPA
In 1965, a study by New York City Council found breathing New York's air had the same effect as smoking two packets of cigarettes a day, The New York Times reported.
Seen here is the Statue of Liberty surrounded by oil. It was the result of one of 300 oil spills in the first six months of 1973.
An oil slick surrounding the Statue of Liberty.
Chester Higgins / Documerica
Between April and June of that year, 487,000 gallons of oil were dispersed in the New York Harbor and its tributaries, The New York Times reported.
The EPA estimated about 6 million gallons of coal were dumped into the New York Bight by the Edison Power Plant in Manhattan in the early 1970s.
Edison Power Plant in Manhattan.
Alexander Hope / EPA
The New York Bight is a triangular area that reaches from Cape May in New Jersey to the eastern tip of Long Island. The city allowed a ConEd plant to burn coal in the 1970s amid a fuel shortage, The New York Times reported. But coal has caused air and water pollution and destroyed wetlands, according to the National Archives.
Barges, filled with New York's waste, are pulled down the East River to a Staten Island landfill.
Tugs towing barges filled with New York's waste.
Gary Miller / EPA
In the 1970s, New York produced 26,000 tons of solid waste every day, according to the National Archives.
Rubble is loaded into barges before being dumped offshore, on a debris dump site, in the New York Bight.
Construction rubble loaded onto a barge in the East River.
Alexander Hope / EPA
There were different distances for dumping different substances.
This is one of four New York City-owned vessels on its way to dump sludge 12 miles into the bight. In 1973, 5.8 million cubic yards of sludge was dumped, according to the National Archives.
One of four New York City owned vessels dumping sledge into the Bight.
Alexander Hope / EPA
The sludge would settle on the bottom of the ocean, like mud, killing plants, and creating a dead sea, The New York Times reported.
Acid waste lightens the water here. It was also dumped in the New York Bight, 15 miles offshore, and made up 90% of industrial waste dumped in the area.
Acid waste in the New York Bight.
Alexander Hope / EPA
In 1974, more than 3 million tons were dumped in the bight, according to the National Archives.
Some roads in Manhattan, like 108th Street and Lexington Avenue, were covered with piles of trash.
Empty lot strewn with trash.
Gary Miller / EPA
A photo shows trash strewn across New York City streets in 1973.
But it was worse in the Bronx. Here, the Bronx's Co-Op City housing development is beside a landfill that was still being used, even though it had exceeded its dumping capacity.
A landfill beside the Bronx, New York.
Gary Miller / EPA
If you look closely you can see scavenger birds flying over the trash.
In Philadelphia, the sun is setting, but because of the smog it's hard to tell.
Philadelphia at sunset.
Dick Swanson / EPA
In 2018, a study found the city was becoming more polluted between 2014 and 2016, after several years of decreasing pollution, Philadelphia magazine reported.
In Pittsburgh, thick smoke creates a haze over the city.
A junkyard looms in front of the Monongahela River, which runs through Pittsburgh.
A junkyard in front of the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh.
John Alexandrowicz / EPA
According to Mayor Tom Murphy in 2001, the biggest complaint he heard about the city was that it was too dirty, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Near Pittsburgh, oil-coated trees on the shore of the Ohio River show the damage done by spills and industry.
Oil along the shore of the Ohio River, near Pittsburgh.
John Alexandrowicz / EPA
NPR reported that the river is much cleaner today, 50 years since the Clean Water Act.
In San Francisco Bay, the Leslie salt ponds gleam at sunset. The ponds were built to extract salt from the bay water. The photographer behind this photo said the "water stinks."
Leslie Salt Ponds in San Francisco.
Belinda Rain / EPA
In 2019, the EPA ruled the land, owned by Cargill Salt, was not bound by the Clean Water Act, Mercury News reported.
In San Francisco, industrial black smoke billows out of a stack.
Industry in the San Francisco Bay.
Belinda Rain / EPA
During the 1970s, the biggest problem for the city was ozone pollution, which mainly comes from cars, industrial plants, power plants, and refineries.
Here is one of the factories that polluted San Francisco.
Concentration of industry in San Francisco.
Belinda Rain / EPA
The photo was taken in 1972, according to the National Archives.
In Washington DC, raw sewage flows out into the Potomac river. In 1970, a hot summer resulted in a "stomach-turning" smell coming from the Potomac, due to the mixing of sewage and algae.
Raw sewage flows through the Georgetown Gap, in 1973.
John Neubauer / EPA
The pollution was blamed on a "hundred years of under-estimates, bad decisions, and outright mistakes," a director of the Federal Water Quality Administration told The New York Times.
His description can be applied to a lot of the US before the EPA.
This story was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated.
According to Tesla's recall bulletin, when a high amount of force is applied to the gas pedal, the pad may slip off and get trapped in the interior rim above the pedal.
This weekend at a Cybertruck event in California called "Cybertakeover," which was hosted by the Tesla Owners Club of Santa Clarita Valley, a user posted a video of the pedal problem being fixed on X, formerly Twitter. The "35 second recall fix," shows a worker drilling a hole into the gas pedal and securing the pad with a rivet.
The user said the fix takes 35 seconds, although the video starts with the drill in place, which is over halfway through the list of steps. Tesla's recall bulletin lists 15 steps guiding owners on the installation process, with the actual drilling being the eighth step on the list.
Tesla technicians use the pedal rework kit to perform the drilling, and some of the steps require exact measurements of the parts. If the bottom of the pad is 5 millimeters or more from the bottom of the pedal, technicians have to replace the pedal.
Tesla recalled about 3,878 of the vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023 until April 2024, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cybertrucks cost upwards of $100,000.
The report said the issue occurred because of an "unapproved change" to the vehicle's production. Residual soap that was added to its assembly "reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal," according to the report.
The NHTSA report said Tesla first received notice of customer claims of the issue on March 31 and April 3. Tesla engineers began to review the issue on April 2 and by April 12, Tesla wrapped up its assessment and decided to voluntarily recall impacted vehicles, according to the report.
By April 17, the vehicles in production were equipped with a new accelerator pedal component, the report said. Cybertruck vehicles at delivery centers and in transit to delivery centers will receive the new component prior to being delivered to customers, the report said.
As of April 15, Tesla did not know of any injuries related to the issue, the NHTSA report said.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's muted praise for House Speaker Mike Johnson is a stark contrast to how she treated former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty
Nancy Pelosi offered muted praise for Speaker Mike Johnson.
The former House speaker said Johnson is "a person of integrity."
Pelosi had a famously fraught relationship with fellow Californian and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she respects Speaker Mike Johnson even if she strongly disagrees with his politics, a sign that the top Republican holds some sway with congressional Democrats.
Pelosi did offer one potential qualm amid her muted praise for the speaker who is facing potential ouster due to efforts led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican.
"I hope that what is said about Donald Trump being his puppeteer is not true," Pelosi, who Democrats formally declared as their Speaker Emerita, told the Atlantic as part of a lengthy profile on Johnson.
Pelosi's words are a stark contrast to how she viewed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Californian. As The New York Times once pointed out, Pelosi publicly called him a moron while McCarthy got in trouble for joking about hitting her with the speaker's gavel.
The former speaker told The Atlantic that she viewed Johnson as "a person of integrity," adding she was "not here to criticize him."
Pelosi, widely regarded as one of the most consequential speakers in history, also referenced the current speaker's inexperience. Johnson was first elected to Congress in 2016, making him the least experienced speaker since 1883.
"Personally, I respect his authenticity; I disagree with his politics, but that's okay," Pelosi said.
She added, "If you're just sitting in the back bench, and then they tap you to become the speaker, they shouldn't complain when you don't know how to be speaker from day one."
Other House Democrats shared Pelosi's skepticism of McCarthy, which helped fuel the party's decision to join Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, and seven other Republicans in voting for McCarthy's historic ouster.
The expectation is that if Greene follows through with her threat to force a vote on Johnson, standing Democrats will help protect him.
House lawmakers are now on recess after the chamber voted 311 to 112 in favor of a legislative package that includes more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Donald Trump at his criminal hush-money trial with lawyers Todd Blanche, left, and Emil Bove.
Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images
NY took Trump and his bond underwriters to court Monday, three buildings south of his criminal trial.
The parties agreed to limit Trump's access to $175M collateralizing his civil fraud appeal bond.
The NY Attorney General's Office had been concerned that Trump maintained some control of the cash.
Lawyers for Donald Trump and the New York Attorney General's Office struck a deal Monday that will now keep the GOP frontrunner from having any access to the cash collateral for his $175 million civil-fraud bond.
The agreement reached in civil court in Manhattan essentially moves the all-cash collateral to a Trump-proof lockbox. Only the bond underwriter, Knight Specialty Insurance Company, has the key.
Monday's agreement was reached during a 20-minute huddle among the lawyers, Law360 reported.
The hearing revealed that the cash, held in a Charles Schwab account pledged to KSIC, has already earned Trump $700,000 in interest, the outlet reported.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 17: Former President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference at 40 Wall Street on January 17, 2024 in New York City. Trump held a press conference after leaving the second day of his defamation trial involving E. Jean Carroll. The trial is to determine how much money in damages the former president must pay Carroll as a result of public comments that he made both while he was president and after the jury's verdict in May. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages in May from the previous lawsuit.
Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
The 10 a.m. bond hearing overlapped with the start of opening statements in Trump's criminal hush-money trial, held on the same Lower Manhattan street, two courthouses to the north.
The bond keeps AG Letitia James from potentially seizing Trump's assets to satisfy the more than $454 million he owes the state after losing last year's civil fraud trial.
Trump is appealing the penalty, which continues to accrue interest at a rate of $1 million every nine days. On Monday, his debt to New York totaled $460 million.
The monetary judgment and other penalties — including a ban on Trump running a New York business for three years, currently on hold due to the appeal — were imposed in February.
State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, who presided over the nearly 11-week fraud trial, found that for a decade, Trump, his eldest sons, and the Trump Organization exaggerated his net worth in financial statements used to secure more than $400 million in loans.