- Crypto Following Tech Stocks Down, Why the Correlation? Unchained Capital CEO Joseph Kelly discusses the crypto markets after BTC briefly dropped below $30,000, highlighting cryptocurrency’s correlation with the stock market and tech assets. Did institutional investors play a role in the crypto sell-off? And why the spillover into altcoin markets? The Independent
- Coldplay: A Head Full Of Dreams – trailer Coldplay: A Head Full Of Dreams – trailer The Independent
- Cryptocurrency Circulation Issues Cryptocurrency circulation is one of the most interesting parts of the industry. However, not all tokens are circulated in the same manner. For example, there is a finite number of Bitcoins—which is why people are mining for them, trying to find them before they run out. On the other hand, Dogecoins are made on-demand, meaning that the market is flooded with them all the time. What does this mean? Well, assets lose value as supply rises, especially when investors know where there is a massive supply. On the other hand, demand rises when there is a limited supply, thus driving up the price. That’s why it might be interesting that Robinhood ($HOOD@US) holds one-third of all Dogecoin in circulation, but that’s a far cry from owning, say, one-third of all Bitcoin. Check your circulation with Benzinga Pro and come back often to learn more about how your favorite cryptocurrency is performing. The Independent
LIVE – Updated at 04:26
On Capitol Hill, the January 6 riot committee investigating the 2021 attack has issued subpoenas to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers who are close allies of Donald Trump: Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Mo Brooks of Alabama. Each was given the opportunity to voluntarily give evidence.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is now investigating whether former President Trump or any of his aides violated federal law by mishandling classified documents that ended up at Mar-a-Lago instead of at the national archives at the end of his term.
Elsewhere, Republican reps Dan Crenshaw and Marjorie Taylor Greene feuded on Twitter after taking different votes on an aid package to Ukraine, with the former accusing the latter of angling for a spot on the Russia Today network.
As the row over the draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v Wade continues, hardline GOP senators are demanding anti-abortion protesters be arrested for demonstrating outside justices’ homes. Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee have called for them to be hauled off by the authorities, both citing a law passed during the Red Scare of the 1950s.
Key Points
- Prosecutors begin probe into secret official documents Trump took to Mar-a-Lago
- Capitol riot committee subpoenas Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers
- Dan Crenshaw says Marjorie Taylor Greene is ‘going after that Russia Today slot’ in row over Ukraine aid
- Trump ordered to pay $110k in fines as judge lifts contempt order against him
- Emails show Trump lawyer tell GOP officials to throw out absentee ballots in 2020 election
- Trump Organization sells Washington DC hotel
‘I had just hit my limit’: Psaki says she regrets comment about sending Covid tests to every American
04:15 , Oliver O’Connell
Outgoing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said that she had hit her “limit” in terms of questions about Covid tests when she previously asked, “should we just send one to every American?” in response to a reporter’s question.
In December of last year, Ms Psaki was repeatedly asked about the availability of Covid tests in the US, leading to her eventually responding in a tone some considered sarcastic or mocking.
Almost two weeks later, the government bought 500 million tests to send to Americans.
Gustaf Kilander reports:
© Provided by The Independent
Psaki says she regrets comment about sending Covid tests to every American
Biden marks 1 million Americans dead from Covid as White House hosts global summit
03:50 , Oliver O’Connell
The White will host world leaders for another global Covid-19 summit to urge preparedness for the next pandemic, as the US passed the grim milestone of 1 million American deaths from the coronavirus.
In a statement on Thursday, President Joe Biden said each of the million dead represented “an irreplaceable loss … leaving behind a family, a community, and a nation forever changed”.
“As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow. To heal, we must remember. We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible, as we have with more testing, vaccines, and treatments than ever before,” he said, adding that it is “critical” for Congress to “sustain” such resources by passing a supplemental Covid-19 funding bill.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
© Provided by The Independent
White House hosts global Covid summit as Biden marks 1 million Americans dead
Jen Psaki says she and her children were target of ‘threats’
03:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki has detailed some of the tougher aspects of the job, including threats she received from angry critics of the Biden administration, in an interview with members of the press corps this week.
Speaking at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast on Thursday, Ms Psaki explained that throughout her time at the White House she received threatening messages mentioning both her and her children, with some even containing mentions of her home address.
“The thing that has been hardest, personally, is I have had threats, I have had nasty letters, texts to me with my personal address, the names of my children,” she said.
John Bowden has the story.
© Provided by The Independent
Psaki says she and her children were target of ‘threats’ for White House work
GOP governors ask DoJ to block protests outside Supreme Court justices’ homes
02:45 , Oliver O’Connell
The governors of Virginia and Maryland have sent a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland asking his Department of Justice to clamp down on protests outside the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices on the precipce of voting to restrict abortion rights.
Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Larry Hogan of Maryland, both Republicans, wrote in the letter on Wednesday that the federal government must “take the lead and provide sustained resources to protect the justices and ensure these residential areas are secure in the weeks and months ahead”.
Abe Asher reports:
© Provided by The Independent
Governors ask DoJ to block protests outside Supreme Court justices’ homes
Biden ‘cutting red tape’ to ease baby formula shortage
02:22 , Oliver O’Connell
President Joe Biden is directing federal agencies to take actions towards easing the baby formula shortages that have left many store shelves bare in the wake of a manufacturing shutdown and recall from the nation’s largest formula maker.
“We have been working on this issue since since the very beginning in the days leading up to to the recall,” said a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the actions late Thursday. “We absolutely recognize the frustration that American families are feeling right now, and that’s why the President has acted to direct the administration to pull additional levers and take additional action to make more supply available as quickly as possible”.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
© Provided by The Independent
Biden administration ‘cutting red tape’ to ease baby formula shortage
How the ‘pro-life’ movement killed Roe v Wade
02:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Powerful legal groups, conservative Christian activists and right-wing figures shaped an anti-abortion agenda in the hands of the US Supreme Court, Alex Woodward reports.
© Provided by The Independent
Biden warns GOP plans to reverse same-sex marriage rights next
01:15 , Oliver O’Connell
President Joe Biden had a stark warning for his Democratic supporters and colleagues: Republicans are coming for gay marriage next.
That was the message he delivered to donors at a fundraiser on Wednesday hosted by the Democratic National Committee as the White House and Democrats nationally face questions about whether they have a strategy to see abortion rights protected at the federal level in the event that the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade.
“Mark my words: They’re going to go after the right of the — Supreme Court decision on the right of same-sex marriage,” he warned.
© Provided by The Independent
Biden warns Republicans plan to reverse gay marriage rights next
Sign up for The Independent’s US morning headlines newsletter
01:00 , Oliver O’Connell
As the Biden administration scrambles to punish Russia for its assault on Ukraine, Congress confirms a new Supreme Court justice and the 6 January investigations steadily heat up, The Independent is launching a new US morning headlines newsletter to keep you in the know.
As the day begins US morning headlines will bring you up to date with the biggest stories, exclusives, explainers, and the big questions of the day.
© Provided by The Independent
How to sign up for The Independent’s US morning headlines newsletter
Ukraine aid: Dan Crenshaw says Marjorie Taylor Greene is ‘going after that Russia Today slot’
Friday 13 May 2022 00:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Representatives Dan Crenshaw and Marjorie Taylor Greene feuded on Twitter after the two Republican members of Congress took different votes on an aid package to Ukraine.
On Tuesday, the House passed a $40bn aid package to Ukraine. Every Democrat present voted for the legislation, while 57 Republicans voted against the package, including Ms Greene.
Other Republicans who voted against the legislation included Representatives Paul Gosar of Arizona, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
Eric Garcia reports from Capitol Hill.
© Provided by The Independent
Rep Dan Crenshaw says Marjorie Taylor Greene is ‘going after that Russia Today slot’
Voices: What Alito hasn’t considered — Forced pregnancies will lead to job discrimination
Friday 13 May 2022 00:22 , Oliver O’Connell
Pregnant women already face a host of challenges at work – curbing women’s right to bodily autonomy will make things worse, writes Mariah Schug.
© Provided by The Independent
Alito should realize that forced pregnancies will mean job discrimination
Florida judge rejects Ron DeSantis congressional map
Thursday 12 May 2022 23:45 , Oliver O’Connell
A Florida circuit court judge has blocked the state’s congressional redistricting plan drawn by Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration that would likely eliminate two of the state’s four districts represented by Black Democrats and create four more districts that lean Republican.
Judge Layne Smith, who issued a ruling from the bench on 11 May, said the map violates the state’s constitutional provisions governing the redistricting process because it “diminishes African Americans’ ability to elect candidates of their choice” in Florida’s 5th District, which spans Jacksonville to Tallahassee.
Alex Woodward reports.
© Provided by The Independent
Florida judge rejects Ron DeSantis congressional map that ‘diminishes’ Black voters
Trump attacks Pennsylvania candidate amid Republican voter backlash over Dr Oz endorsement
Thursday 12 May 2022 23:15 , Oliver O’Connell
Former president Donald Trump half-heartedly criticised Republican Senate candidate Kathy Barnette as unelectable, as his preferred candidate in Pennsylvania’s Senate primary continues to have troubles.
Many conservatives criticised Mr Trump for endorsing former television host and physician Dr Mehmet Oz in the primary, despite conservative dissatisfaction. A recent Fox News poll showed that Dr Oz shot up seven points, from 15 per cent in March to 22 per cent in May, but also found that 46 per cent of Republican primary voters had a negative opinion of former television host.
Conversely, the same poll showed that Ms Barnette, a Black woman veteran and conservative commentator, surged from nine per cent in March to 19 per cent, putting her within the margin of error and right behind Mr Trump’s preferred candidate. The Club for Growth released an ad supporting her this week.
Eric Garcia has the full story.
© Provided by The Independent
Trump attacks senate candidate amid Republican backlash over his Dr Oz endorsement
January 6 probe subpoenas Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP lawmakers
Thursday 12 May 2022 23:00 , Oliver O’Connell
The House select committee investigating the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol has issued subpoenas to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and four other Republicans who are close allies of former president Donald Trump: Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Mo Brooks of Alabama.
Representative Bennie Thompson, the select committee’s chairman, said the panel had “learned that several of our colleagues have information relevant to our investigation into the attack on January 6th and the events leading up to it” and had provided each of the GOP members now under subpoena an opportunity to give evidence voluntarily before the committee presents findings in public hearings.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
© Provided by The Independent
House January 6 committee subpoenas Kevin McCarthy and four other GOP representatives
Yellen calls for new regulation after crypto meltdown
Thursday 12 May 2022 22:45 , Oliver O’Connell
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, responding to the recent sharp decline in the value of cryptocurrencies, said Thursday that additional federal regulation was needed to respond to the wave of speculative investment in the currency whose secrecy is an essential part of its appeal.
“We really need a regulatory framework to guard against the risks,” Yellen said of cryptocurrencies called stable coins, during a House committee hearing Thursday. Citing the rapid rise in use of digital assets, she added, “Really, we need a comprehensive framework so that there are no gaps in the regulation.”
Stable coins are a type of cryptocurrency pegged to a specific value, usually the dollar, another currency or gold. Its parity with the dollar is what, in theory, makes it stable. However, volatility in the cryptocurrency market this week challenged that premise.
© Provided by The Independent
Pelosi leads minute of silence for 1 million American Covid deaths
Thursday 12 May 2022 22:25 , Oliver O’Connell
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leads a minute of silence on the Capitol steps to honor 1 million lives lost due to COVID-19 in the United States. pic.twitter.com/eaStyhemPQ
— The Recount (@therecount) May 12, 2022
Psaki says she’ll miss her daily confrontations with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy
Thursday 12 May 2022 22:23 , Oliver O’Connell
White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she will miss her briefing room sparring with Peter Doocy of Fox News when she leaves the job this week.
Ms Psaki has been involved in a string of combative confrontations with Mr Doocy during her time as the lead messenger in the Biden administration.
She told a Christian Science Monitor event on Thursday that she “will” miss Mr Doocy’s questioning and insisted that the pair have “a very good professional relationship”.
Graeme Massie reports.
© Provided by The Independent
Jen Psaki says she’ll miss her daily confrontations with Peter Doocy of Fox News
Biden marks 1 million Americans dead from Covid as White House hosts global summit
Thursday 12 May 2022 22:15 , Oliver O’Connell
The White will host world leaders for another global Covid-19 summit to urge preparedness for the next pandemic, as the US passed the grim milestone of 1 million American deaths from the coronavirus.
In a statement on Thursday, President Joe Biden said each of the million dead represented “an irreplaceable loss … leaving behind a family, a community, and a nation forever changed”.
“As a nation, we must not grow numb to such sorrow. To heal, we must remember. We must remain vigilant against this pandemic and do everything we can to save as many lives as possible, as we have with more testing, vaccines, and treatments than ever before,” he said, adding that it is “critical” for Congress to “sustain” such resources by passing a supplemental Covid-19 funding bill.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
© Provided by The Independent
White House hosts global Covid summit as Biden marks 1 million Americans dead
Report says Trump officials and meat companies knew workers at risk in pandemic
Thursday 12 May 2022 21:49 , Oliver O’Connell
At the height of the pandemic, the meat processing industry worked closely with political appointees in the Trump administration to stave off health restrictions and keep slaughterhouses open even as COVID-19 spread rapidly among workers, according to a Congressional report released Thursday.
The report by the House’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said meat companies pushed to keep their plants open even though they knew workers were at high risk of catching the virus. The lobbying led to health and labor officials watering down their recommendations for the industry and culminated in an executive order President Donald Trump issued in the spring of 2020 designating meat plants as critical infrastructure that needed to remain open.
Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, who leads the subcommittee, said USDA officials and the industry prioritized production and profits over the health of workers and communities as at least 59,000 workers caught the virus and 269 workers died.
© Provided by The Independent
Pelosi laments failure of Roe legislation while still supporting anti-abortion Democrat
Thursday 12 May 2022 21:30 , Oliver O’Connell
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lamented the demise of Democrats’ legislation to protect abortion rights while at the same time defending her support for one of the last members of her caucus who opposes abortion rights.
Senate Democrats failed to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have codified the protections within Roe v Wade, on Wednesday after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin opposed it.
Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.
© Provided by The Independent
Pelosi stands by anti-abortion Democrat as Roe legislation fails
Rep Andy Biggs responds to Jan 6 probe subpoena
Thursday 12 May 2022 21:23 , Oliver O’Connell
Arizona Republican Representative Andy Biggs has responded to his subpoena by the House Capitol riot committee with a tweet thread.
IMPORTANT THREAD:
Today’s actions by the illegitimate January 6 Committee are pure political theater.
The subpoenas and news of their issuance were leaked to the media before the impacted Members.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) May 12, 2022
He says:
Today’s actions by the illegitimate January 6 Committee are pure political theater. The subpoenas and news of their issuance were leaked to the media before the impacted Members.
The January 6 Committee’s ongoing, baseless witch hunt is nothing more than an effort to distract the American people from the Democrats’ and Biden’s disastrous leadership.
The border is in crisis, inflation is skyrocketing, crime is rampant, and Democrats are focused on fabricating their own facts to take down Republican leaders.
The border is in crisis, inflation is skyrocketing, crime is rampant, and Democrats are focused on fabricating their own facts to take down Republican leaders.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) May 12, 2022
Rep Scott Perry responds to Jan 6 subpoena
Thursday 12 May 2022 21:12 , Oliver O’Connell
Pennsylvania GOP lawmaker has responded to the subpoena issued to to him by the House committee investigating the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021.
The congressman tweeted: “That this illegitimate body leaked their latest charade to the media ahead of contacting targeted Members is proof once again that this political witch hunt is about fabricating headlines and distracting Americans from their abysmal record of running America into the ground.”
That this illegitimate body leaked their latest charade to the media ahead of contacting targeted Members is proof once again that this political witch hunt is about fabricating headlines and distracting Americans from their abysmal record of running America into the ground.
— RepScottPerry (@RepScottPerry) May 12, 2022
Biden ‘cutting red tape’ to ease baby formula shortage
Thursday 12 May 2022 21:00 , Oliver O’Connell
President Joe Biden is directing federal agencies to take actions towards easing the baby formula shortages that have left many store shelves bare in the wake of a manufacturing shutdown and recall from the nation’s largest formula maker.
“We have been working on this issue since since the very beginning in the days leading up to to the recall,” said a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the actions late Thursday. “We absolutely recognize the frustration that American families are feeling right now, and that’s why the President has acted to direct the administration to pull additional levers and take additional action to make more supply available as quickly as possible”.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.
© Provided by The Independent
Biden administration ‘cutting red tape’ to ease baby formula shortage
Jen Psaki says she and her children were target of ‘threats’ for White House work
Thursday 12 May 2022 20:45 , Oliver O’Connell
Outgoing White House press secretary Jen Psaki has detailed some of the tougher aspects of the job, including threats she received from angry critics of the Biden administration, in an interview with members of the press corps this week.
Speaking at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast on Thursday, Ms Psaki explained that throughout her time at the White House she received threatening messages mentioning both her and her children, with some even containing mentions of her home address.
John Bowden reports.
© Provided by The Independent
Psaki says she and her children were target of ‘threats’ for White House work
New poll has abortion tied with economy as most important issue of midterms
Thursday 12 May 2022 20:41 , Oliver O’Connell
A new poll by Monmouth University has the economy and abortion tied as the most important issue of the midterm elections at 26 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.
Both are far ahead of healthcare (16 per cent), immigration (14 per cent), gun control (9 per cent), and taxes (8 per cent).
About 1 in 3 Democrats (32%) and 1 in 4 independents (26%) say agreeing with a candidate on abortion policy is the top consideration in their congressional vote. Four years ago, fewer than 1 in 10 in either group said the same. On the other hand, the number of Republicans who name abortion as their most important issue (17%) is about the same as in 2018. Among women, abortion as the most important midterm issue has increased from 10% to 30%, while among men it has increased from 9% to 19%.
“Many Democrats are clearly focused on abortion as a driving factor in the midterm elections. However, what is not clear from this one poll is whether this issue is actually motivating voters who would not otherwise come out to vote this year,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Report: ‘Fake electors’ co-operating with Georgia investigation into Trump efforts to overturn election
Thursday 12 May 2022 20:31 , Oliver O’Connell
Some of the 16 GeorgiaRepublicans who signed a fake electoral vote certificate that was sent to the National Archives are cooperating with a criminal investigation into former president Donald Trump’s effort to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
According to CNN, “several individuals” who served as fake electors on a document submitted to the archives by Georgia Republican Party Chair David Shafer have spoken to prosecutors with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office as part of a probe into whether Mr Trump broke Georgia election law during his push to install himself in the White House for a second term against the wishes of American voters.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
© Provided by The Independent
‘Fake electors’ co-operating with Georgia probe into Trump scheme to overturn loss
Biden thanks Senate for Fed confirmations
Thursday 12 May 2022 20:05 , Oliver O’Connell
Statement from President Biden:
I have made it clear that tackling inflation is my top domestic priority. So I am pleased to see the Senate take a step forward on my agenda to get inflation under control by confirming my nominees to the Fed. I want to thank the Senate for confirming Jerome Powell, Dr. Lisa Cook, and Dr. Philip Jefferson this week, joining the recent confirmation of Dr. Lael Brainard. The Federal Reserve plays a primary role in fighting inflation, and these well-qualified members of the Board will bring the skill and knowledge needed at this critical time for our economy and families across the country. We still have more work to do to finish filling the Fed Board, which is why I call on the Senate to swiftly confirm Michael Barr, my nominee for Vice Chair for Supervision.