Joe Biden
Cyndi Lauper Performs “True Colors” As Biden Signs Respect for Marriage Act: Watch
President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday, protecting same-sex and interracial marriage under federal law. To celebrate the move, Cyndi Lauper and Sam Smith appeared at the White House signing ceremony to perform “True Colors” and “Stay With Me,” respectively. “This time, love wins,” Lauper said before kicking into “True Colors.” Without a backing track, the artist belted out her famous “Don’t be afraid” refrain supported only by acoustic guitar and a dulcimer. Toward the end of the performance, after a long high note, the audience broke into applause before Lauper, fist in the air, said, “Power to all the people.” Released in 1986, Lauper has said “True Colors” was partly inspired by her friend Gregory Natal, who passed away due to complications from HIV/AIDS. In ...
Biden’s cryptocurrency framework is a step in the right direction
The White House released its first comprehensive framework this month for the Responsible Development of Digital Assets following President Joe Biden’s March 9 executive order. The order called for regulators to assess the industry and develop recommendations to safeguard investors while simultaneously promoting innovation. While more work is needed, the framework is a step in the right direction as it shows the willingness of regulators to provide the industry with the much-needed regulatory clarity it seeks. The framework’s recommendations addressed six key areas to protect market participants, offer access to financial services, and promote innovation. While Biden’s administration has focused more on just the protection of consumers in the industry in the past, it is encouraging t...
Biden’s anemic crypto framework offered us nothing new
The long-awaited cryptocurrency regulation framework released by President Joe Biden’s Treasury Department this month attempted to outline a plan for managing the burgeoning crypto industry. Unfortunately, the department’s assessment failed to embody more substance than a mere mission statement. While Biden’s administration appears to be taking a “whole-of-government approach” toward overseeing the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector and its ripple effects on the traditional economy, they are focused predominantly on defending against negative events — such as financial crime — and failing to facilitate positive events, such as the wealth-building opportunities that crypto offers to Americans excluded from the traditional big-banking system. The new framework was a follow-up to Biden’s exe...
President Biden Surprises Elton John with National Humanities Medal at White House Concert
President Biden surprised Elton John by bestowing him with the National Humanities Medal during a concert at the White House on Friday. The South Lawn performance was part of A&E Networks and The History Channel’s “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” an event celebrating “everyday heroes” like nurses, teachers, and activists. John performed hits like “Tiny Dancer” and “Rocket Man” at the event, but the artist, who created the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1991, seemed genuinely shocked when President Biden honored his activism instead of just enjoying his music. “Tonight is my great honor, and I mean this sincerely, to present the National Humanities Medal to Sir Elton John,” Biden said, as John, mouth agape and wiping tears from his eyes, clutched his piano. A White House officer ex...
Biden is hiring 87,000 new IRS agents — and they’re coming for you
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law this month by President Joe Biden, empowers the IRS with nearly $80 billion in new funds. The world’s most powerful tax collection agency is using the money to go on a hiring spree to fuel much tougher enforcement efforts. It is widely assumed that the audits will be brutal and widespread. Taxes start with tax returns, which must be signed under penalties of perjury. The Biden administration has said that the audits on steroids are for fat cats who have escaped having to pay their fair share for too long. The administration has suggested the IRS would perform no new audits on anyone making less than $400,000 annually. Republicans tried to include that in the law, but every Senate Democrat voted against the amendment, as well as IRS audit protect...
Roger Waters Calls Biden a “War Criminal,” Defends Russia and China in CNN Interview
Amidst his ongoing “This Is Not a Drill Tour,” Roger Waters sat down with CNN’s Michael Smerconish to discuss the overly political themes and messages presented at his concert. Smerconish began the interview by asking Waters why he labeled President Joe Biden a “war criminal.” “Well, he’s fueling the war in the Ukraine,” the former Pink Floyd member responded. “That is a huge crime. Why won’t the United States of America encourage [Volodymyr] Zelensky to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?” When Smerconish pointed out that Waters was “blaming the party who got invaded,” Waters countered by criticizing NATO for forcing Russia’s hand. “Well, any war, when did it start? What you need to do is look at the history, and you can say, ‘Well, it started on this day.’ Yo...
Paris Hilton Chose Britney Spears’ Wedding Over DJing for President Biden
The jury is in: Britney Spears just might be more important than the president of the United States. The pop star’s wedding last Thursday brought together a monumental crowd of A-listers, including longtime pal Paris Hilton — who claims she skipped out on DJing at President Biden’s Summit of Americas dinner to attend the nuptials instead. Hilton spoke briefly about the wedding on an impromptu episode of her podcast This Is Paris: “I was actually asked to DJ for the president and all of the other presidents from around the world for the dinner, but this was more important to me,” she said, still recovering from the prior night’s festivities. The socialite went on to say that she didn’t want anyone to know she’d be going to Spears’ wedding beforehand. “Literally, I did not tel...
BTS Champion Asian Inclusion During Visit to the White House: “Everyone Has Their Own History”
BTS visited the White House on Tuesday, May 31st, where they met with President Joe Biden to discuss Asian inclusion and representation, as well as the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination. The timing of their visit coincided with the final day of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Month. The South Korean band also joined Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in the White House Briefing Room, with each member taking a turn at the podium to deliver brief remarks. “We are devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes, including Asian American hate crimes. To put a stop on this and support the cause, we’d like to take this opportunity to voice ourselves once again,” said Jimin. Advertisement “It’s not wrong to be different. I think equality begins when we open up an...
Sam Bankman-Fried could spend up to $1B in 2024 to thwart Trump comeback
The billionaire founder and CEO of theFTX cryptocurrency exchange Sam Bankman-Fried has revealed he intends to spend anywhere between $100 million and $1 billion to help influence the 2024 United States presidential election campaigns. In a podcast interview on May 24 Bankman-Fried was asked how much money he might donate during the next presidential election cycle, answering he’d give “north of $100 million” with a “soft ceiling” of $1 billion if he were to bankroll the person running against former president Donald Trump. “I would hate to say hard ceiling because who knows what’s going to happen between now and then.” According to the government watchdog OpenSecrets, which tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying, a $1 billion donation would break existing records multiple times over...
Haven Protocol (XHV) shows strong signs of bottoming out after crashing 90%
Haven Protocol (XHV) showed signs of returning to its bullish form as its price doubled in just five days of trading. What’s pumping Haven Protocol? XHV’s price surged by up to 107% week-to-date to climb above $3.60 on March 11, its highest level in more than three months. Interestingly, the move upside followed a period of aggressive selloffs that saw XHV’s value dropping from nearly $20 in November 2021 to as low as $1.60 in early February 2022 — an approximately 90% decline. XHV/USD weekly price chart. Source: TradingView Traders started returning to the Haven Protocol market against the prospects of two macroeconomic scenarios: U.S. President Joe Biden’s executive order that focuses on cryptocurrencies and hardline western sanctions on Russian oligarchs amid an ...
Regulators and industry leaders react to Biden‘s executive order on crypto
Joe Biden has signed his 82nd executive order since being sworn into office in January 2021, directly addressing a regulatory framework for digital assets in a rare moment for the U.S. president. In a Wednesday announcement, the White House said President Biden’s executive order required government agencies to explore the potential rollout of a United States central bank digital currency as well as coordinate and consolidate policy on a national framework for crypto. Many media outlets previously reported the U.S. president had initially planned to sign the executive order in February, an event that was likely postponed following Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The reaction from many industry leaders compared the executive order to a regulatory opportunity — Biden had rarely sp...
Bitcoin stems losses after US bans Russian oil, gold heads to record highs
Bitcoin (BTC) erased then recovered its daily gains later on March 8 as United States President Joe Biden announced a complete ban on Russian oil imports. BTC/USD 1-hour candle chart (Bitstamp). Source: TradingView BTC comes full circle, while gold steals the show Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView followed BTC/USD as it targeted $38,000 an hour after Tuesday’s Wall Street open. Having hit $39,240, the pair swiftly changed trajectory as Biden confirmed the plans, which added to oil’s already strong gains and further pressured stocks and risk assets. “Today, I’m announcing that the United States is targeting the main artery of Russia’s economy,” he said at a press conference. “We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy. That means that Russia...
