Trump 2025

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WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Thursday filibustered a major cryptocurrency bill because it didn’t contain sufficient safeguards against corruption — including by the president of the United States, who promotes and sells digital assets of his own.

The move is a setback for the influential crypto industry, which lobbied hard on behalf of the bill and spent over a hundred million dollars on last year’s elections in hope of winning legitimacy as an industry from Congress and President Donald Trump.

The vote was 48-49, with GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Josh Hawley of Missouri joining every Democrat in opposition.

The bill, titled the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins, or GENIUS Act, would have set up new regulations for stablecoins, a category of digital asset whose value stays pegged to $1, making it more useful for transactions. The legislation would set up federal regulation over stablecoin issuers and what kind of assets they hold in reserve.

Quote: rxwine

No need for me to check this as FS will let me know it it's wrong.

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After going more MAGA and more hardline conservative than ever — and demanding other Republicans get in line — the local GOP went 0-11 in key city, school and college board elections May 3. Yes, that’s a zero. The Tarrant County Republican Party targeted 12 races in city, school and college board elections in Fort Worth, Arlington and Mansfield.

Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/bud-kennedy/article305807351.html#storylink=cpy

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As secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), former Democrat turned MAGA Republican Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing a restriction for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits: not allowing them to be used to purchase soda. And according to NOTUS reporter Taylor Giorno, the soda lobby is pushing back.

"Tensions over food stamp restrictions are bubbling between the soda industry and the Trump Administration, splitting Republicans and driving a lobbying bonanza," Giorno explains in an article published by NOTUS on May 12. "Health advocates and some states have, for years, tried to have the federal government approve state waivers to stop soda from being purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, which bolstered the grocery budgets of more than 41 million people in the U.S. last year…. Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas and Indiana have already submitted waivers to ban soda from SNAP, a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson told NOTUS."

Quote: rxwine

Something else I agree with.

Quote: SOOPOO

I agree IN CONCEPT, but it is TOTALLY MEANINGLESS in actuality. It’s not like those who use food stamps have NO MONEY. So if you think that making them use $10 cash and $90 in food stamps instead of $100 in food stamps will decrease soda purchases you are naive.

This reminds me of when I was a poor medical student, buying the cheapest fish to cook (herring) while the person in front of me on line bought lobsters with food stamps.

Quote: SOOPOO

I agree IN CONCEPT, but it is TOTALLY MEANINGLESS in actuality. It’s not like those who use food stamps have NO MONEY. So if you think that making them use $10 cash and $90 in food stamps instead of $100 in food stamps will decrease soda purchases you are naive.

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World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC CEO Julia Simpson said the unpopular policies from the administration of President Donald Trump, fear of being stopped at the border and an unfavourable exchange rate had pushed international tourists towards alternative destinations.


"Of 184 countries, the U.S. is the only one that's seeing an absolute decline in international visitor spending," Simpson said.

"The U.S. is definitely losing its crown in this area."

The U.S. is the largest travel and tourism economy globally, she said. However, international visitor spending in the country is projected to fall under $169 billion this year, down from $181 billion in 2024 and 22 per cent below its previous peak in 2019.