SC Attorney General Urges Congress to Ban Chinese AI Software 'DeepSeek' on Government Devices

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South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined 21 states urging Congress to pass the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act” (H.R. 1121).

It would prohibit government devices from downloading and using AI software developed by the Chinese Communist Party’s DeepSeek AI Software to protect America’s national security from Chinese espionage.

Cybersecurity experts have raised alarms about DeepSeek, which collects a range of sensitive data, including chat histories, keystroke patterns, and search queries.

The software is capable of sending this information directly to the Chinese government, raising concerns over potential espionage. 

"China is one of the greatest threats to our national security, and we cannot afford to allow its tools of espionage to infiltrate our government systems," Wilson said.

He added, "DeepSeek has the capability to harvest sensitive data from government devices, putting our nation’s security and the personal information of public servants at risk. We must act now to close this vulnerability before it is too late." 

Several countries, including Canada, Australia, South Korea, and Italy, have already blocked DeepSeek on government devices due to security concerns.

Wilson said the U.S. must act to take similar action to safeguard its secrets.

The ‘No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act’ follows similar legislation passed in 2022 to ban TikTok on government devices.

Wilson said the bipartisan support for this bill highlights the urgency of addressing the growing threat posed by Chinese technology to U.S. national security. 

Montana led on the letter.

South Carolina is joined by the following states that signed on: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.  

Read the full letter here.  

Ingevity Appoints David H. Li as President, CEO

North Charleston, South Carolina-based Ingevity Corporation (NYSE:NGVT) announced its board of directors appointed David H. Li as the company’s president and CEO, effective as of April 7, 2025, and that he is expected to join the board of directors following the 2025 annual meeting.

Li succeeds Ingevity board member, Luis Fernandez-Moreno, who has been interim president and CEO since October 2024. Fernandez-Moreno will remain on Ingevity’s board.

Li has more than 25 years of experience in the specialty materials industry. He most recently served as CEO, president and a member of the board of CMC Materials, Inc., a global supplier of advanced materials focused on the semiconductor and energy industries, prior to its sale to Entegris, Inc. in 2022.

“David (Dave) has a broad and proven track record of repositioning businesses across product lines and geographies to achieve substantial growth, strong financial performance and outstanding stockholder returns,” said Ingevity’s board chair, Jean Blackwell.

Blackwell added, “These accomplishments and his ability to drive strategic execution and organizational excellence across global organizations make Dave the ideal CEO to lead Ingevity and enable the company to realize its full potential as a world class specialty chemicals and materials manufacturer.”

“It is an honor to step into the president and CEO role at this pivotal time and have the opportunity to build on the strong momentum the Ingevity board and management team have created,” said Li.

Li added, “Over the course of my career, success has been fueled by building high-performing teams and reshaping portfolios to solve customers’ greatest challenges. I look forward to leveraging my experience to unlock the value within Ingevity and position the company for long-term profitable growth and superior value creation.”

“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Luis for his service to Ingevity as interim president and CEO,” said Blackwell. “Under his leadership, Ingevity has undertaken a number of strategic initiatives, including a proactive approach to portfolio management, that have resulted in improved operational performance and free cash flow generation."

Li served as chief executive officer, president and a member of the board of CMC Materials from January 2015 to July 2022.

Over his tenure and at the time of CMC’s sale to Entegris, the company had delivered a four-fold return to stockholders and reported record revenue of $1.2 billion and adjusted EBITDA margin of 30 percent, in the top-tier of industry peers.

Before being named chief executive officer and president, Li served as CMC’s vice president of the Asia Pacific region for seven years.

Prior to that, he held various senior leadership and management positions at CMC, including in the areas of product line management, operations, supply chain and investor relations.

Ingevity operates in three reporting segments: Performance Materials, which includes activated carbon; Advanced Polymer Technologies, which includes caprolactone polymers; and Performance Chemicals, which includes specialty chemicals and road technologies.

Its products are used in a variety of applications, including adhesives, agrochemicals, asphalt paving, certified biodegradable bioplastics, coatings, elastomers, pavement markings and automotive components.

Ingevity operates from 31 countries around the world and employs approximately 1,600 people. 

ClearWater Solutions Names Paul Quentel CEO

ClearWater Solutions (CWS), a Greenville, South Carolina-based provider of water and wastewater management services, announced the appointment of Paul Quentel as chief executive officer.

In the role, Quentel will oversee the company’s overall operations, working closely with leadership to guide newly implemented strategic initiatives to further the organization’s reach and growth.

He will be furthering the development and implementation of a comprehensive sales strategy, including mechanisms to enhance and maximize business operations.

Quentel has more than 27 years of executive leadership experience helping companies drive growth, standardize processes and scale effectively.

Said Quentel: “The company’s reputation is stellar, with long-standing clients whose trust I hope to further.  I look forward to working with the company’s leadership and valuable team members to build on the culture of excellence that has been established over the last 18 years.”

Prior to joining CWS, Quentel served as managing partner for Q Management Advisors, providing strategic guidance to businesses across multiple industries.

Before that, he was the CEO of Envirowaste Services Group, Inc., one of the largest providers of storm and wastewater system maintenance, repair and rehabilitation in the Southeast, as well as other CEO positions in diverse industries.

In addition to his professional experience, Quentel holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

ClearWater Solutions provides a range of operations and maintenance services, including meter reading, wastewater treatment, storm drainage maintenance, and public works support.

Most recently, CWS was awarded a contract for meter reading in Liberty, South Carolina, aimed at increasing efficiency in the process. 

Interest Rates Remain The Same For Second Quarter of 2025

The Internal Revenue Service announced interest rates will remain the same for the calendar quarter beginning April 1, 2025.

For individuals, the rate for overpayments and underpayments will be 7 percent per year, compounded daily.

Here is a complete list of the new rates:

* 7 percent for overpayments (payments made in excess of the amount owed), 6 percent for corporations.

* 4.5 percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.

* 7 percent for underpayments (taxes owed but not fully paid).

* 9 percent for large corporate underpayments.

Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is determined on a quarterly basis.

For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus three percentage points.

Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus three percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus two percentage points.

The rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus five percentage points.

The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

The interest rates announced today are computed from the federal short-term rate determined during January 2025.

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