• Mon, February 17, 2025

by: PBS

How an emboldened crypto industry is trying to cement political influence

The crypto industry has scored some early wins since Trump took office, including the repeal of an accounting rule by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and an executive order by the president directing a working group to study and propose changes to crypto regulations as well as the possible formation of a strategic government reserve of cryptocurrencies within 180 days.

by: KY3

Trump nominates former Missouri GOP leader to stay as top DC federal prosecutor

Ed Martin supervised legal clinics for low-income residents as director of the human rights office for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis and, for two decades before becoming U.S. attorney, ran his own law practice and was active in Republican politics,

by: CNN

Trump pushes Russia to end war with Ukraine as government overhaul takes shape in the US

Donald Trump is forging ahead with his foreign and domestic policy agendas in the early stages of his presidency, working toward a deal to end the war in Ukraine and shrinking the scale of federal government agencies at home.

by: thenightly

Australian news and politics live: Building productivity sinking like a brick, report calls for code shake-up

Senator Fatima Payman has weighed into the furore over the vile anti-Semitic video showing two former NSW nurses last week, saying the comments were 'wrong'.

by: WESA

Hundreds of Pittsburghers protest Trump cuts, voice support for Ukraine, immigrants, trans people

The protesters shouted slogans of solidarity with a wide variety of Democratic causes and constituencies, such as immigrants and trans people. As they walked through the streets, they waved pride flags,

by: Reuters

Scholz calls for 'strong and sovereign' Europe ahead of security talks in Paris

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to see a strong and sovereign Europe, he said on Monday, ahead of hastily arranged talks in Paris following signals that the United States is no longer seeking Europe's input on ending the Ukraine conflict.

by: KTVZ

Oregon's federal workforce among those hit by Trump's sweeping firings of thousands of probationary employees

The Trump administration Friday continued its mass firing of thousands of probationary federal employees in an attempt to remove workers recently hired under the Biden administration and to cull the federal workforce.

by: MSN

US government 'asking Romania to lift restrictions on Andrew Tate'

US government 'asking Romania to lift restrictions on Andrew Tate' - The Tate brothers have been accused of human trafficking and rape in Romania - both deny wrongdoing

by: Newsweek

Photos Show Trump, Musk 50501 Protests Across the US

Thousands of Americans braved freezing temperatures on Presidents Day to protest against Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

by: MSN

President's Day protesters call out Donald Trump and Elon Musk at Kansas Capitol

President's Day protesters marched at the Kansas Statehouse on Monday, with speakers objecting to actions of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

by: Newsweek

Americans Shocked by '60 Minutes' Report on German Speech Policing

The segment, which aired on Sunday, showcased how German authorities crack down on online speech deemed harmful or offensive under the country's laws.

by: MSN

Of proclamations and the politics of vinegar

FEBRUARY 11 saw the start of the 90-day campaign period for national candidates. A total of 63 candidates for the Senate started their respective campaigns. Three of the original 66 senator aspirants — Chavit Singson,

by: Newsweek

John Fetterman Calls Out Elon Musk After Recent Support for Trump Ally

Following Trump's win, Fetterman and Musk shared pleasantries when the two were on Capitol Hill back in December.

by: Newsweek

Americans Shocked by '60 Minutes' Report on German Free Speech Policing

The segment, which aired on Sunday, showcased how German authorities crack down on online speech deemed harmful or offensive under the country's laws.

by: MSN

'Elon Musk doesn't even know my job exists,' fired federal worker says

Among the hundreds of people protesting in front of the U.S. Capitol on Monday were recently fired federal workers left devastated and uncertain by their terminations.

by: Newsweek

DC House Prices Slashed As DOGE Targets Federal Workers

New listings in Washington, D.C., have risen over the past few weeks, as mass layoffs leave federal workers uncertain about their future.

by: MSN

What Supreme Court might say about Musk and DOGE

Federal courts are considering whether Elon Musk's status as de facto administrator of DOGE complies with the Constitution's Appointments Clause.

by: MSN

Fetterman blasts Musk over DOGE, IRS

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) went after tech billionaire Elon Musk over a report that his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been trying to access an IRS system. "I want to save billions of your money and make our government more efficient.

by: MSN

Democrats are fighting DOGE because they've been found out: Gary Kaltbaum

Kaltbaum Capital Management President and The Kobeissi Letter editor-in-chief Adam Kobeissi discuss DOGE's efforts to address government waste, fraud, and abuse on 'Making Money.'

by: MSN

Trump administration in Saudi Arabia ahead of Russia talks as president rants about reciprocal tariffs again: Live

Trump administration in Saudi Arabia ahead of Russia talks as president rants about reciprocal tariffs again: Live - Planned discussions between the U.S. and Russia have led to a scramble among Ukrain

by: MSN

Thousands march in Manhattan on Presidents' Day against Trump/Musk actions

Concerned about the political direction and future of the United States, thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets on Presidents Day, protesting the second Trump administration's actions to gut the federal government,

by: MSN

Trump administration threatens to cut federal funding from schools that don't end DEI programs

The Department of Education has warned all schools that their funding could be cut if they fail to comply with an order to end DEI programs by the end of the month.

by: MSN

Maharashtra Politics: Security Downgrade For Shinde Faction Leaders Sparks Tensions Between Fadnavis And Shinde

Amid rising tensions between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, a new controversy has emerged over the reduction of security cover for leaders, particularly from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.

by: MSN

DOGE sets up IRS, SEC accounts on X

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has set up accounts on the social platform X for the IRS and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), seeking "insights on finding and fixing waste,

by: MSN

Fact check: Claims behind JD Vance's free speech attack debunked

US Vice President JD Vance has attacked Europe over free speech, citing several instances where people weren't allowed to express themselves online or pray in public and at home. Are the claims smoke and mirrors?

by: MSN

Is Elon Musk's government role unconstitutional? What the Supreme Court might say.

Federal courts are considering whether Elon Musk's status as de facto administrator of DOGE complies with the Constitution's Appointments Clause.

by: MSN

Jarrett says Trump admin will prevail against 'nonsense' legal challenges to Elon Musk, DOGE team's authority

Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett criticized Democratic attorneys general for suing DOGE, with Musk arguing, 'their lawsuits make it look like they favor financial abuse.'

by: MSN

Trump layoffs hit Pacific Northwest engineers and researchers at PNNL, Hanford cleanup, elsewhere

The Trump administration's government-wide layoffs are hitting engineers and researchers at agencies in Washington state including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Hanford Nuclear Reservation,

by: MSN

Judge appears inclined to deny request to block DOGE's mass firings

A federal judge appeared inclined to deny an urgent request to temporarily block Elon Musk and DOGE firing federal employees or accessing sensitive government records.

by: MSN

UK politics live: Starmer warns UK faces 'generational' threat to security as PM to meet Trump in Washington

Starmer warns UK faces 'generational' threat to security as PM to meet Trump in Washington - Sir Keir will fly to Washington next week to meet with US president Donald Trump
  • Tue, February 18, 2025

by: ABC12

Trump begins firing FAA staff weeks after Washington, D.C. plane crash

Probationary workers were targeted in late-night emails Friday notifying them they had been fired, according to David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union.

by: CapX

Lawyers are good at politics - but not if you want growth

In a lecture titled 'Politics as Vocation', the philosopher Max Weber noted that: 'To an outstanding degree, politics today is in fact conducted in public by means of the spoken or written word.' It was true when he said it, in 1918; it is even more true now.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Musk sets sights on Fort Knox gold reserves

In recent days, Musk repeatedly posted to X about wanting to "make sure" the gold is still at the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

by: Politico

Platkin and the resistance

While I very much doubt that Platkin wanted Trump to be elected, he is now part of a group of Democratic attorneys general who have arguably been the only effective resistance so far to the new administration.

by: Sky

London mayor Sadiq Khan to tell EU diplomats 'Brexit was a mistake' and argue for stronger EU ties to fight Trump tariffs

London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan is to tell EU diplomats "Brexit was a mistake" and argue stronger ties with the bloc would help fight Donald Trump's tariff threats. He will say the UK's withdrawal from the EU "continues to have a negative impact" and will promise to make the case for "being bold" to seek closer alignment.

by: CNN

US and Russian officials meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine war deal

Trump administration and Russian officials meet in Saudi Arabia for talks on ending the Ukraine war. Follow for live updates.

by: CNN

US and Russian officials to discuss Ukraine war deal in Saudi Arabia

Trump administration and Russian officials to meet in Saudi Arabia for talks on ending the Ukraine war. Follow for live updates.

by: MSN

Republicans consider cuts and work requirements for Medicaid, jeopardizing care for millions

Republicans are weighing billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, threatening health care coverage for some of the 80 million U.S. adults and children enrolled in the safety net program. The signing up of millions of additional Americans for taxpayer-funded health care coverage like Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act's

by: MSN

Politics LIVE: John Healey set for major speech as Europe debates make-or-break decision

Follow our politics live blog below as John Healey takes questions about the future of UK and European defence amid Donald Trump's Ukraine chaos.

by: MSN

Ulster Unionists say recent decisions by UK government and courts are helping the IRA rewrite history

Former members of the security forces and their families must be treated with fairness and justice after the government "opened pandora's box" on legacy.

by: MSN

US and Russian officials meet for high-stakes peace talks, without Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Kyiv would not accept any peace agreements made without its participation. View on euronews

by: MSN

DOGE and Musk: The 5 biggest controversies so far

DOGE is not an official government department, despite its name. Only Congress can create new departments. But DOGE is an effort by President Trump and Musk to radically reform a

by: MSN

Leaked DOGE documents offer a damning insights into Trump's DEI purge - and what's next

A new set of leak documents have revealed damning details regarding Trump's purge of government employees and DEI staff - and what's coming next.

by: MSN

Amir of Qatar receives Guard of Honour, ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Amir of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani received the Guard of Honour and a ceremonial welcome in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. He was received by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with senior ministers from the government.

by: MSN

Costa Rica offers to receive deported Indians and central Asian migrants from US

Costa Rica has agreed to repatriate 200 illegal immigrants from Central Asia and India, following President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. This makes Costa Rica the third Central American country to collaborate in this effort,

by: MSN

Musk is not a DOGE employee and "has no actual or formal authority," White House says

Elon Musk is not the administrator of DOGE and nor is he an employee of the department that's overseeing massive cuts to the federal workforce and agencies, either, per a Monday night White House court filing.

by: MSN

"Their anxiety increases as Sanatanis come together...": BJP's Gourav Vallabh hits back at Akhilesh Yadav

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gourav Vallabh came out heavily against Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his criticism of the Yogi Adityanath government over Maha Kumbh arrangements, and accused him of engaging in appeasement politics.

by: MSN

Elon Musk's role in DOGE uncertain after recent filing from White House

In an affidavit filed in federal court Tuesday, a White House official said Elon Musk is not the administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

How an emboldened crypto industry is trying to cement political influence

The crypto industry has scored some early wins since Trump took office, including the repeal of an accounting rule by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and an executive order by the president directing a working group to study and propose changes to crypto regulations as well as the possible formation of a strategic government reserve of cryptocurrencies within 180 days.
The cryptocurrency industry, after experiencing significant growth and subsequent regulatory scrutiny, is actively working to expand its political influence in Washington. Following a market peak in 2021 and subsequent downturn, crypto firms have ramped up lobbying efforts, spending millions to influence policy. This includes hiring former members of Congress and high-profile lobbyists, contributing to political campaigns, and engaging in grassroots efforts to sway public and political opinion. The industry's push comes at a time when regulatory bodies like the SEC are cracking down on crypto exchanges, and as Congress considers legislation that could define the future of digital currencies in the U.S. The crypto sector's strategy involves not only direct lobbying but also fostering relationships with both parties, aiming to secure a regulatory environment that supports innovation while addressing concerns about fraud, investor protection, and financial stability.

Read the Full PBS Article at:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-an-emboldened-crypto-industry-is-trying-to-cement-political-influence