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Pop great Billy Joel cancelled a series of global tour dates after being diagnosed with a brain condition that worsened because of recent performances, he announced Friday.”Billy Joel has announced that he will be cancelling all scheduled concerts following a recent diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH),” read a statement on the Piano Man’s website.The condition arises if cerebrospinal fluid cannot properly flow throughout the brain and spinal cord, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The excess fluid and pressure can cause brain damage.The institution said on its website that NPH is rare, but can cause cognitive impairment including memory problems as well as trouble walking.Joel’s statement said “this condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance.”Prompt treatment can alleviate the condition if diagnosed early.Joel’s scrapped dates include several in Britain, as well as a packed schedule crisscrossing the United States from July 2025 up until July 2026 when he was due to round off his ambitious string of dates in Charlotte, North Carolina. The “We Didn’t Start the Fire” legend, 76, wrote “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”- Consummate New Yorker -Joel has been a pop mainstay and performer extraordinaire since the 1970s, with a catalog of fan favorites including “Uptown Girl” and “New York State of Mind.”Last year he capped a decade-long residency with more than 100 shows at Manhattan’s famed Madison Square Garden.The residency drew in millions of fans and grossed more than $260 million.”Let’s be real — I’m from New York,” the Bronx-born, Long Island-raised artist told journalists in the run-up to his 100th performance at the top arena.”This is my venue. Fortunately for me, Madison Square Garden is a world venue. You can play almost any other arena in the country and nobody else in the world is going to know about it,” he said.Last year, Joel released his first new original song in almost two decades, “Turn the Lights Back On.”The Grammy winner has a laundry list of accolades to his name, including induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in addition to that organization’s top lifetime achievement honor.Joel is also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as a Kennedy Center honoree.A documentary film about his storied life — “Billy Joel: And So It Goes” — is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 4.

President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders Friday to boost nuclear energy in the United States, including by rolling back regulatory processes on a still divisive technology.”We’re signing tremendous executive orders today that really will make us the real power in this industry,” Trump told reporters as he penned the four orders in the Oval Office.Trump’s orders aim to speed up the building of new reactors and to boost domestic mining and enriching of uranium, with the United States relying on imports for most of the crucial fuel.The US president said the focus would be on building smaller reactors, such as those required by tech and artificial intelligence companies that have huge energy needs.The orders will also overhaul the US nuclear watchdog so that it pushes through decisions on building new reactors within 18 months, amid reports that the White House found the regulator too risk averse.Trump denied that speeding up the regulation process could compromise nuclear safety.”We’re going to get it very fast and very safe,” Trump said. “It’s time for nuclear and we’re going to do it very big.”The move comes with growing interest in nuclear energy in the United States, despite being expensive to build and still politically sensitive in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.”President Trump is taking truly historic action to usher in the American nuclear renaissance,” Michael Kratsios, Director for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, told reporters earlier.- ‘Energy emergency’ -A senior White House official said the administration hopes to “test and deploy” new reactors before the end of Trump’s second term in January 2029.Trump’s order “fundamentally rehauls” the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which grants permission for new reactors, by “lowering regulatory burdens and shortening the licensing timeline.”Republican Trump declared an “energy emergency” on his first day back in office to expand drilling for oil and gas and to roll back Democratic predecessor Joe Biden’s climate policies, But he is now also looking at nuclear to meet growing demand.Much of the demand is fueled by US tech giants, with some including Amazon, Microsoft and Google having recently signed deals for nuclear power as they seek carbon-free electricity sources.Two US energy companies are also preparing to bring nuclear stations back online, including Three Mile Island — the site in 1979 of the worst commercial nuclear power accident in US history.Trump’s drive to boost mining and enrichment also reflects the fact that the United States imports most of the uranium that is needed to fuel nuclear power stations.The US imported most from Canada, Australia, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan in 2023 but in 2024 it banned uranium imports from Russia over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.Nuclear power has been undergoing a resurgence in recent years as countries look for carbon-free energy and confront rising prices, fueled by the war in Ukraine.It suffered a major downturn after Fukushima when a huge tsunami caused a meltdown at a Japanese power station, with Germany in particular turning its back on nuclear.

One of California’s largest utilities is to pay the US Forest Service $82.5 million for a wildfire that burned tens of thousands of acres (hectares) of woodland, the government said Friday.The 2020 Bobcat Fire destroyed dozens of buildings as it tore through the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles.The US government said Southern California Edison had not properly controlled vegetation near its power lines and the blaze erupted when trees touched a live wire.A 2023 lawsuit claimed damages from the company for the cost of fighting the fire on Forest Service land as well as for remediation of damage caused to campgrounds, trails and wildlife habitats.”This record settlement against Southern California Edison provides meaningful compensation to taxpayers for the extensive costs of fighting the Bobcat Fire and for the widespread damage to public lands,” said US Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office will continue to aggressively pursue recovery for suppression costs and environmental damages from any entity that causes harm to the public’s forests and other precious national resources.”Southern California Edison is no stranger to paying out large sums of money for wildfires where its equipment was suspected to have been at fault.The company handed over more that $2.7 billion in settlements over the 2017 Thomas Fire that tore through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, killing two people and destroying hundreds of buildings.It paid $2.2 billion for the 2018 Woolsey Fire that burned through Los Angeles and Ventura counties, killing three people and damaging more than 1,600 buildings.Investigators probing the deadly Eaton Fire, one of two blazes that ripped througth Los Angeles at the start of this year, are homing on in SCE transmission lines as a possible source of ignition.

President Donald Trump rekindled the US trade war on Friday, threatening to impose a 50 percent tariff on the European Union — and drawing a strong response from European politicians. If they come into effect, the new duties on Brussels would dramatically raise Washington’s current baseline levy of 10 percent, and fuel simmering tensions between the world’s biggest economy and its largest trading bloc.Lamenting that negotiations with the EU “are going nowhere,” Trump said on Truth Social on Friday that he is recommending “a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.”The EU had been “formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE,” he said, taking a swipe at “difficult” negotiations.European leaders and senior politicians reacted with dismay to Trump’s announcement, and called for de-escalation. “We are sticking to our position: de-escalation, but ready to respond,” France’s trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin posted on the X social media platform. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin called Trump’s announcement “enormously disappointing,” writing on X that “tariffs are damaging to all sides.””We do not need to go down this road,” he said, without spelling out how Europe might respond.Wall Street stocks fell on the news, before paring some losses.- ‘Difficult’ negotiations -Trump imposed a new sweeping “baseline” tariff of 10 percent against most countries last month, and even steeper duties on dozens of trading partners — including a 20 percent levy on the EU — which have since been paused for 90 days to allow for trade talks. The US president has also introduced sector-specific measures on automobiles, steel and aluminum not produced in the United States, which remain in place for many countries. The Trump team has claimed some early successes, announcing a deal to permanently roll back some sector-specific tariffs on Britain, and another agreement with China to reduce prohibitively high levies and retaliatory measures for a 90 days — a move that was welcomed by jittery financial markets. But the talks between the United States and the EU have failed to make much progress, with Brussels recently threatening to hit US goods worth nearly 100 billion euros ($113 billion) with tariffs if it does not lower the duties on European goods.Speaking to Bloomberg Television on Friday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the lower 10 percent tariff rate was “contingent on countries or trading blocs coming and negotiating in good faith.””And I think the president was getting frustrated with the EU,” he said.An EU spokesperson declined to comment on Trump’s latest tariff threats on Friday, telling reporters that there was a pre-planned call later in the day between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer. Spokespeople for the USTR, the Commerce Department, the White House, and the Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment. – US-made iPhones ‘not feasible’ -In a separate message posted Friday, Trump blasted Apple for failing to move iPhone production to the United States despite his repeated requests, and threatened new duties of “at least” 25 percent if they did not comply.Trump’s criticism of the US tech titan revived the pressure on Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook to do more to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States from Asia. Most of Apple’s iPhone assembly happens in China, although the company has in recent years been shifting assembly to other countries, including India.Apple did not respond to a request for comment. The problem with Trump’s proposal, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, is that reshoring iPhone production to the United States “is a fairy tale that is not feasible.”Ives predicted moving assembly back across the Pacific Ocean could push up iPhone prices to $3,500. In a recent report, Bank of America Securities analysts said that the labor costs alone of moving assembly to the United States would add around 25 percent to the price of the high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max. “On top of that, if Apple had to pay reciprocal tariffs to import sub-assemblies into the U.S., we see the total cost of an iPhone increasing 90%+” they added.burs-da/

President Donald Trump ratcheted up the US trade war on Friday, threatening to impose a new 25 percent levy against Apple, and a 50 percent tariff on the European Union.Lamenting that negotiations with the EU “are going nowhere,” Trump said on Truth Social that he is recommending “a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025.”If the new duties come into effect, they would dramatically hike the current US baseline levy of 10 percent, and raise economic tensions between the world’s biggest economy and its largest trading bloc.In a separate message, the president said Apple had failed to move iPhone production to the United States despite his repeated requests, and he threatened new duties of “at least” 25 percent if they did not comply.Wall Street stocks fell in early trading, with Apple’s share price dropping 2.7 percent.  The VIX volatility index, known as Wall Street’s “fear gauge,” was up 18.5 percent at around 9:30 am local time in New York (1330 GMT). – ‘Difficult’ negotiations -Last month, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs against most countries, introducing steep duties for several trading partners — including the EU — and sector-specific measures on automobiles, steel and aluminum not produced in the United States.Markets tanked following the announcement, and a few days later, the US president announced he would roll back the higher levies to 10 percent for a 90-day pause to allow for trade negotiations, while keeping the sector-specific measures in place.Since then, Trump has announced a deal to permanently roll back some sector-specific tariffs on Britain, and another agreement with China to reduce prohibitively high levies and retaliatory measures for 90 days. The talks between the United States and the EU have failed to make much progress, with Brussels recently threatening to hit US goods worth nearly 100 billion euros ($113 billion) with tariffs if it does not lower the duties on European goods.In his early morning social media post on Friday, Trump said the EU had been “formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE,” and took a swipe at the “difficult” negotiations taking place.An EU spokesperson declined to comment on the threats of new tariffs, telling AFP that a call was set to take place later Friday between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer. Spokespeople for the USTR, the Commerce Department, the White House, and the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. – US-made iPhones ‘not feasible’ -Trump’s fresh criticism of Apple revived the pressure on chief executive Tim Cook to do more to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States from Asia. Most of Apple’s iPhones assembly happens in China, although the company has in recent years been shifting production to other countries, including India.The problem with Trump’s proposal, according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, is that reshoring iPhone production to the United States “is a fairy tale that is not feasible.””This would result in an iPhone price point that is a non-starter for Cupertino and translate into iPhone prices of ~$3,500 if it was made in the US,” he wrote in a note to clients, referring to the location of Apple’s California headquarters. This is simply “not realistic,” he said, adding that it would take up to 10 years to shift production to the United States. In a recent report, Bank of America Securities analysts said that the labor costs alone of movingIn a recent report, Bank of America Securities analysts said that the labor costs alone of moving assembly to the United States would add around 25 percent to the price of the high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max. “On top of that, if Apple had to pay reciprocal tariffs to import sub-assemblies into the U.S., we see the total cost of an iPhone increasing 90%+” they added.burs-da/md

Harvard sued the Trump administration on Friday over its move to block the prestigious university from enrolling and hosting foreign students in a broadening dispute, a court filing showed.On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign nationals, throwing the future of thousands of students into doubt.President Donald Trump is furious at Harvard — which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners — for rejecting his demand that it submit to oversight on admissions and hiring over his claims that it is a hotbed of anti-Semitism and “woke” liberal ideology.His administration has already threatened to put $9 billion of government funding to Harvard under review, gone on to freeze a first tranche of $2.2 billion of grants and $60 million of official contracts, as well as targeting a Harvard Medical School researcher for deportation.”It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students,” said the lawsuit filed in Massachusetts federal court.The loss of foreign nationals — more than a quarter of its student body — could prove costly to Harvard, which charges tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition.- ‘Unlawful and unwarranted’ -Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement Friday that “we condemn this unlawful and unwarranted action.”It imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams,” he said. “We have just filed a complaint, and a motion for a temporary restraining order will follow.”Noem had said Thursday that “this administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”Chinese students make up more than a fifth of Harvard’s international enrollment, according to university figures, and Beijing said the decision will “only harm the image and international standing of the United States.” “The Chinese side has consistently opposed the politicization of educational cooperation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.Harvard has already sued the US government over a separate raft of punitive measures.Karl Molden, a student at Harvard from Austria, said he had applied to transfer to Oxford in Britain because he feared such measures.”It’s scary and it’s saddening,” the 21-year-old government and classics student told AFP Thursday, calling his admission to Harvard the “greatest privilege” of his life.Leaders of the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors called the decision “the latest in a string of nakedly authoritarian and retaliatory moves against America’s oldest institution of higher education.”

Donald Trump’s administration has revoked Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign nationals, putting the future of thousands of students at risk, with China on Friday slamming the “politicization” of educational exchanges.The US administration’s decision on Thursday threatened the prestigious university with a huge financial blow.The school in Cambridge, Massachusetts quickly slammed the decision as “unlawful” and said it would hurt both the campus and the country, while one student said the community was “panicking.”Trump is furious at Harvard — which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners — for rejecting his demand that it submit to oversight on admissions and hiring over his claims that it is a hotbed of anti-Semitism and “woke” liberal ideology.The loss of foreign nationals — more than a quarter of its student body — could prove costly to Harvard, which charges tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition.”Effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Program certification is revoked,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the Ivy League institution, referring to the main system by which foreign students are permitted to study in the United States.”This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem said in a separate statement.Chinese students make up more than a fifth of Harvard’s international enrollment, according to university figures, and Beijing said the decision will “only harm the image and international standing of the United States.” “The Chinese side has consistently opposed the politicization of educational cooperation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.- ‘Threatens serious harm’ -Harvard, which has sued the US government over a separate raft of punitive measures, fired back at the Trump administration’s move, calling it “unlawful.””We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars,” the university said in a statement, adding that it was working to offer students guidance and support. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”Karl Molden, an international student from Austria, said he had applied to study at Oxford in Britain because he feared such measures.”It’s scary and it’s saddening,” the 21-year-old government and classics student told AFP, calling his admission to Harvard the “greatest privilege” of his life.”It’s definitely going to change the perception of… students who (might) consider studying there — the US is getting less of an attractive spot for higher education.”Leaders of the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors called the decision “the latest in a string of nakedly authoritarian and retaliatory moves against America’s oldest institution of higher education.””The Trump administration is unlawfully seeking to destroy higher education in the United States. It now demands that we sacrifice our international students in the process. Universities cannot acquiesce to such extortion,” it said.- ‘Everyone’s panicking’ -Last month, Trump threatened to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students if it did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision.”As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enroll foreign students,” Noem wrote. “All universities must comply with Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting requirements under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regulations, to maintain this privilege,” she said.More than 27 percent of Harvard’s enrollment was made up of foreign students in the 2024-25 academic year, according to university data.Fourth-year US student Alice Goyer told AFP “no one knows” what the development would mean for international students already enrolled. “We just got the news, so I’ve been getting texts from a lot of international friends, and I think everyone’s just — no one knows,” she said.”Everyone’s panicking a bit.”On whether students would willingly transfer to other institutions, as suggested by Noem in her letter, Goyer said she doubted classmates would pursue that path.”I would hope maybe there’s going to be a legal battle that’ll take place.”A federal judge on Thursday ordered a nationwide halt to any terminations of international students’ legal status, although it was not immediately clear how the ruling would impact those enrolled at Harvard.Judge Jeffrey White said US officials have “wreaked havoc” on people’s lives, and the injunction would provide “stability” for them to continue their studies.It follows aggressive moves by the Trump administration against universities where student activists have protested Israel over the war in Gaza.The administration has revoked “thousands” of visas, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday, under an obscure law that allows removals for activities deemed counter to US foreign policy interests.

Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign nationals, putting the future of thousands of students at risk and threatening the prestigious university with a huge financial blow.The school in Cambridge, Massachusetts quickly slammed the move as “unlawful” and said it would hurt both the campus and the country, while one student said the community was “panicking.”Trump is furious at Harvard — which has produced 162 Nobel prize winners — for rejecting his demand that it submit to oversight on admissions and hiring over his claims that it is a hotbed of anti-Semitism and “woke” liberal ideology.The loss of foreign nationals — more than a quarter of its student body — could prove to be a huge financial blow to Harvard, which charges tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition.”Effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Program certification is revoked,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the Ivy League institution, referring to the main system by which foreign students are permitted to study in the United States.Harvard, which has sued the government over a separate raft of punitive measures, fired back, calling the move “unlawful.””We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars,” it said in a statement, adding that it was working to offer students guidance and support. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.”Karl Molden, an international student from Austria, said he had applied to study at Oxford in Britain because he feared such measures.”It’s scary and it’s saddening,” the 21-year-old government and classics student told AFP.”I love Harvard, and getting into the school has been the greatest privilege of my life.”It’s definitely going to change the perception of… students who (might) consider studying there — the US is getting less of an attractive spot for higher education.”Leaders of the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors called the move “the latest in a string of nakedly authoritarian and retaliatory moves against America’s oldest institution of higher education.””The Trump administration is unlawfully seeking to destroy higher education in the United States. It now demands that we sacrifice our international students in the process. Universities cannot acquiesce to such extortion,” it said.- ‘Everyone’s panicking’ -Last month, Trump threatened to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students if it did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision.”As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enroll foreign students,” Noem wrote. “All universities must comply with Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting requirements under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regulations, to maintain this privilege,” she said.”As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege.”More than 27 percent of Harvard’s enrollment was made up of foreign students in the 2024-25 academic year, according to university data.Fourth-year US student Alice Goyer told AFP “no one knows” what the development would mean for international students already enrolled. “We just got the news, so I’ve been getting texts from a lot of international friends, and I think everyone’s just — no one knows,” she said.”Everyone’s panicking a bit.”On whether students would willingly transfer to other institutions, as suggested by Noem in her letter, Goyer said, “I doubt people would do that.””I would hope maybe there’s going to be a legal battle that’ll take place.”A federal judge on Thursday ordered a nationwide halt to any terminations of international students’ legal status, although it was not immediately clear how the ruling would impact those enrolled at Harvard.Judge Jeffrey White said US officials have “wreaked havoc” on people’s lives, and the injunction would provide “stability” for them to continue their studies.It follows aggressive moves by the Trump administration against universities where student activists have protested Israel over the war in Gaza.The administration has revoked “thousands” of visas, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday, under an obscure law that allows removals for activities deemed counter to US foreign policy interests.Columbia is another top US university targeted by the Trump administration, which has cut $400 million in federal aid to the institution.Its New York campus was the site of demonstrations calling for an end to violence in Gaza for the past 18 months, and has seen student protesters arrested by federal authorities. 

US President Donald Trump hosted a closed-door dinner for hundreds of top investors in his crypto memecoin Thursday, as sign-holding protesters outside and Democratic opponents decried the event as blatant “corruption.”The unprecedented melding of US presidential power and personal business took place at Trump’s golf club outside Washington, where Trump flew by helicopter to meet the 220 biggest purchasers of his $TRUMP memecoin.The top 25 investors, according to an event website, were to get a private session with Trump beforehand and a White House tour.Trump launched the memecoin three days before his inauguration in January, quickly increasing his net worth by billions and prompting major, first-of-their-kind ethics questions.The White House downplayed those concerns Thursday, insisting Trump was attending in his “personal time.”The president posted on his Truth Social platform ahead of the event that “the U.S.A. is DOMINATING in Crypto, Bitcoin, etc.” and pledged to “keep it that way.”Photos posted online by attendees to the dinner — press were not allowed inside — showed a lectern sporting the presidential seal, apparently for Trump to deliver remarks.Protesters gathered outside the golf course despite rainy skies, some carrying signs reading “stop crypto corruption” and “no kings.”Earlier in the day, Democratic senators held a press conference to denounce the event and call for disclosure of who would be attending.Calling the dinner “an orgy of corruption,” Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed Trump for “using the presidency of the United States to make himself richer through crypto.”Data analytics firm Inca Digital has confirmed that many transactions occurred through international exchanges unavailable in the United States, suggesting foreign buyers.- ‘Slap in the face’ -A site listing the “official winners” of $TRUMP coin holders included only usernames and digital wallet addresses, with the number-one spot held by “Sun.”Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun has touted a $20 million commitment to the memecoin as part of his $93 million total investment in Trump-linked crypto ventures.Sun, founder of top 10 cryptocurrency TRON, was under investigation by US authorities for market manipulation, but regulators, now controlled by Trump appointees, agreed in February to a 60-day pause to seek a settlement.”Apparently, I’m at the VIP lounge waiting for the President to come with everybody,” a tuxedo-clad Sun said in a video posted on X Thursday evening. Trump departed the golf course just over an hour after his arrival.Justin Unga of advocacy group End Citizens United described the crypto dinner as a blatant example of Trump profiting from the presidency while roiling the US economy.”Some say this is a back door to corruption,” Unga said.”I would argue it’s the front door with valet parking, and it’s got a red carpet… and a slap in the face of hard working Americans.”- Expanding empire -The dinner came as the US Senate is pushing through legislation to more clearly regulate cryptocurrencies, a long-sought request of the industry, and as Trump expands his business network into the field.Senators on Monday advanced a landmark bill known as the GENIUS Act that proposes a regulatory framework for stablecoins — a type of crypto token seen as more predictable for investors as its value is pegged to hard currencies like the dollar.Bitcoin’s price hit a new all-time high on Thursday, climbing above $111,000 before falling slightly.Trump’s newfound enthusiasm for digital currencies has expanded into multiple ventures led primarily by his eldest sons.Their growing portfolio includes investments in Binance, a major crypto exchange whose founder seeks a presidential pardon to re-enter the US market.This investment flows through World Liberty Financial, a Trump family-backed venture launched last September with significant Mideast deals. The company’s founding team includes Donald Jr. and Eric Trump alongside Zach Witkoff, son of Trump’s diplomatic adviser.President Trump has taken concrete steps to reduce regulatory barriers, including an executive order establishing a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” for government holdings of the leading digital currency.

The suspect accused of gunning down two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington was charged Thursday with murder, as international tensions over anti-Semitism erupted over the attack.Elias Rodriguez, 31, shouted “Free Palestine” as he was taken away by police after the shooting late Wednesday outside the Capital Jewish Museum, prosecutors said in a court document. “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” he told the officers.The Chicago man made an initial court appearance Thursday after being charged with two counts of first-degree murder and murder of foreign officials. If convicted, he could receive the death penalty.Authorities were investigating the shooting “as an act of terrorism and as a hate crime,” Jeanine Pirro, interim US attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters.”I suspect as we go forward… that there will be more charges added,” she said, noting that a preliminary hearing was set for June 18.The shooting triggered international outrage and finger-pointing as Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar blamed European criticism of his country’s stepped-up Gaza offensive, claiming “a direct line connecting anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder.””This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe,” he said.French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine called the accusation “completely outrageous and completely unjustified.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited “the terrible price of anti-Semitism” and decried “wild incitement against the State of Israel.”Soon after the shooting, President Donald Trump — who spoke with Netanyahu on Thursday — posted on social media that the attack was clearly anti-Semitic.The killings took place outside the Capital Jewish Museum, located a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the White House, following a social event hosted by the American Jewish Committee for young Jewish professionals and the Washington diplomatic community.Israel identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a US employee of the embassy, and said they were a couple planning to marry.- ‘Mass murderers’ -The attack came days after the museum was awarded a grant to boost security, as anti-Semitism surges worldwide in the wake of Israel’s devastating invasion of Gaza, prompted by the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.Tensions have risen in the United States and many other countries over the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, with pro-Palestinian activists decrying what they say is the intolerable human cost of the military offensive.Britain and France — who have stepped up their criticism of Israel’s actions — were among those condemning the shooting, as well as Germany and the United Arab Emirates.But Netanyahu on Thursday accused France, Britain and Canada of emboldening militants, saying “they want Israel to stand down and accept that Hamas’s army of mass murderers will survive, rebuild and repeat the October 7 massacre.”- ‘Anti-Semitism, I feel it every day’ – Police said Rodriguez was seen pacing outside the museum before the shooting around 9:00 pm (0100 GMT Thursday).According to court documents, Rodriguez approached his victims, who were facing away from him, and fired 21 rounds. He shot multiple times at the couple after they were already on the ground and fired at Milgram as she tried to crawl away.Witnesses said security personnel at first mistook the gunman for a victim of the shooting and allowed him into the museum, where he was initially comforted by bystanders.”They sat him down. ‘Are you OK? Were you shot? What happened?’ And he’s like ‘Somebody call the cops’,” Yoni Kalin, who was in the museum, told US media.Lischinsky was a researcher at the Israeli embassy, while Milgrim worked for its public diplomacy department, according to their LinkedIn profiles.On Thursday, mourners gathered at the museum in Washington to sing and pray.”Obviously the war is awful,” mourner Gil Livni told AFP. “(But) anti-Semitism, I feel it every day… people that I thought were my friends showing that they are anti-Semitic. It’s become the norm.”Hadar Susskind, president and CEO of New Jewish Narrative, described the moment as “unbelievably painful … this cannot be the answer.” bur-st-sms-nl/des