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  • Iran's nuclear ambitions were "obliterated" in US strikes, Hegseth says Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon today. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, today, after the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to destroy the country's nuclear program. How world leaders are reacting to the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities Concerned by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, world leaders have reacted after the United States struck Iran’s nuclear facilities. UK: Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged Iran “to show restraint and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis” in a post on X, insisting that the UK did not participate in the US strikes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier urged Iran to return to the negotiating table after the US’ strikes, calling Iran’s nuclear program “a grave threat to international security.” France: Foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France had noted the US strikes overnight “with concern,” adding that it had not participated. “France has repeatedly expressed its very firm opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. France is convinced that a lasting resolution to this issue requires a negotiated solution within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” he continued. “It remains ready to contribute to this in collaboration with its partners.” Germany: Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said the German cabinet met on Sunday after American bombs were dropped on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “The Federal Chancellor and the ministers of the Security Cabinet will consult closely with their partners in the EU and the USA on further steps during the course of the day. Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated his call on Iran to enter into immediate negotiations with the USA and Israel and to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict,” he said. Russia: Russia’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns” the US strikes, calling it an “irresponsible decision” that “flagrantly violates international law,” despite Moscow having repeatedly violated international law in its ongoing, unprovoked war in Ukraine. “We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track,” the ministry said, warning that the US strikes mean “a dangerous round of escalation has begun,” which risks “further undermining” security in the region China: A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said: “China strongly condemns the US attack on Iran and the nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. This move by the US seriously violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and exacerbates tensions in the Middle East.” “China calls on the parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible, ensure the safety of civilians, and start dialogue and negotiations. China is willing to work with the international community to pool efforts, uphold justice, and make efforts to restore peace and stability in the Middle East” it added. Turkey: Turkey’s foreign ministry said it has “consistently warned about the risk of the conflict, sparked by Israeli aggression, spreading throughout the region and destabilizing the security environment” in a statement Sunday, saying the US strike “has elevated that risk to its highest level.” “Tukey is deeply concerned about the potential consequences of the US attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The current developments could escalate the regional conflict into a global one. We do not want to see this catastrophic scenario materialize. We call on all relevant parties to act responsibly, to cease the attacks immediately, and to refrain from actions that could lead to further loss of life and destruction. The only way to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program is through negotiations,” the statement read. The European Union: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said “stability must be the priority” and “respect for international law is critical.” She said: “Now is the moment for Iran to engage in a credible diplomatic solution. The negotiating table is the only place to end this crisis.” European Council President Antonio Costa said he was “deeply alarmed by the news arriving from the Middle East.” He said: “Diplomacy remains the only way to bring peace and security to the Middle East region. Too many civilians will once again be the victims of a further escalation. The EU will continue engaging with the parties and our partners to find a peaceful solution at the negotiating table,” he added. Canada: Prime Minister Mark Carney said the “situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile” and stressed that “stability in the region is a priority.” He called on parties to return to the negotiating table to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis which “should lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.” Japan: Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said “a de-escalation as soon as possible is more important than anything” but that “at the same time, Iran’s nuclear weapons development must be stopped.” He told reporters in Tokyo on Sunday that “we are closely monitoring the situation there with grave concern.” Pakistan: A foreign ministry spokesperson said Pakistan condemns the US attacks, saying it is “gravely concerned at the possible further escalation of tensions in the region,” but stated Iran “has the legitimate right to defend itself.” It said: “The unprecedented escalation of tension and violence, owing to ongoing aggression against Iran is deeply disturbing. Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond. We emphasize the imperative need to respect civilian lives and properties and immediately bring the conflict to end.”
  • Pirro endorsed threat to criminally investigate January 6 prosecutors in office she now runs CNN — Jeanine Pirro, the acting US attorney for the District of Columbia, has a far lengthier public history of controversial comments than her predecessor, Ed Martin, whose nomination failed last month in part over his own past criticism of January 6 prosecutors, Capitol Police officers and federal judges. Pirro has echoed many of those same sentiments, even endorsing possible criminal investigations of prosecutors in the very office she now runs. For more than a decade, Pirro was a cable news mainstay on Fox News, hosting her own show, “Justice with Judge Jeanine,” and, until her recent appointment, as a regular on the afternoon panel show “The Five.” She’s now the top prosecutor in DC and in charge of the largest US attorney’s office in the country, which led the government’s investigation of Capitol rioters. Pirro’s TV appearances have been closely covered in the media, even earning her a recurring sketch character on “Saturday Night Live.” But her weekly radio show on WABC has received far less scrutiny — despite containing some of her most extreme and conspiratorial rhetoric. A CNN KFile review of just a portion of Pirro’s radio shows from 2021 through 2025 found that she has repeatedly endorsed criminal investigations into Trump’s perceived political enemies, including federal prosecutors, local officials and judges involved in his various legal cases. Should Trump nominate her permanently for the role, Pirro will have to provide the Senate with a detailed disclosure of every media appearance she’s made, which would include hundreds of hours of public comments on TV and the radio over the years. That disclosure process is what ultimately helped sink Martin’s nomination, which was withdrawn last month after he failed to disclose hundreds of his own media appearances, including those that undercut his disavowal of an alleged Nazi sympathizer he had repeatedly praised and interviewed. In one January 2025 episode of her WABC radio show, Pirro agreed with a guest who said Justice Department prosecutors handling January 6, 2021, cases should be criminally charged. “I absolutely agree with that,” Pirro responded. In another November 2024 episode, she expressed openness to targeting not just prosecutors but also the judge who oversaw Trump’s New York criminal trial. Pirro now holds the power to pursue internal investigations or influence charging decisions in the nation’s capital — at least for the next four months. Her term will end after 120 days if she is not formally nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate by that time, according to federal law. In addition to her attacks on federal law enforcement and the judiciary, Pirro has spent years promoting false and inflammatory claims. She downplayed the January 6 violence as a political “narrative,” calling for a Capitol Police officer and DOJ officials to be investigated. Pirro also boosted unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen and was one of several hosts named in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against Fox News. The lawsuit was later settled by Fox News for more than $787 million. Fox News host New Jeanine Pirro during the November 14, 2020, broadcast of "Justice w/ Judge Jeanine." This is one of the broadcasts at the center of Dominion Voting System's defamation lawsuit against Fox News, which denies wrongdoing. Along with her comments on the 2020 election and January 6, Pirro has also regularly expressed a dystopian view of American society, making a variety of baseless claims, including that young children in public schools are given books teaching how to perform oral sex, that New York state allows doctors to kill newborn babies, and that undocumented immigrants can freely vote using fake names in multiple states. In response to questions from CNN, the Trump administration sent along comments from Attorney General Pam Bondi and the White House. Bondi said she was “thrilled” that Pirro, whom she called a “dear friend” and “fearless advocate for the rule of law,” was part of the team at the Department of Justice. The White House also expressed support for Pirro and indicated it intends to nominate her for the position full time. Deputy press secretary Harrison Fields called Pirro “highly respected” and said CNN’s reporting was “character assassination” — though he did not provide any evidence disputing the factual accuracy of the article. Fields added that such attacks “undermine the safety of D.C. residents and tourists who would benefit from her nomination.” Charging prosecutors The Department of Justice’s prosecution of the January 6 attack on the Capitol was the largest criminal investigation in American history. It resulted in nearly 1,300 convictions and involved thousands of federal agents and prosecutors led by the US attorney’s office in DC. Pirro’s acting predecessor, Martin, was critical of this investigation. He fired dozens of those prosecutors earlier this year and launched a probe into their prosecutions. After his nomination collapsed, Martin was appointed to DOJ’s “weaponization” task force investigating politicization and serving as a top pardon attorney. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for the interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 28. Prior to taking the job running the DC US attorney’s office, Pirro repeatedly and publicly called for criminal investigations — not into rioters — but into the former prosecutors overseeing their cases at DOJ. In a November 2024 episode of her weekly Sunday radio show, Pirro interviewed Mike Davis, a former Senate judiciary clerk and right-wing lawyer who has publicly pushed to indict Justice Department lawyers. Davis said he believed there should be charges against all the prosecutors who went after Trump when discussing the New York case against Trump and the January 6 cases. “I think the Justice Department, starting on January 20, should open a criminal probe on conspiracy against rights. 18 USC, Section 241 for all these Democrat prosecutors and other operatives who have waged this unprecedented republic-ending lawfare and election interference,” he said. “This can never happen again and we must have consequences for this.” Pirro replied, “I agree with you, Mike.” Hear Davis on Pirro’s radio show in November 2024 Source: The Judge Jeanine Pirro Tunnel to Towers Foundation Show on WABC radio In another episode featuring Davis from January 2025, Davis said New York state Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump’s criminal trial in New York, “must face severe legal, political and financial consequences” because he did not recuse himself from the case over an alleged conflict of interest involving his daughter, who is a Democratic consultant. Later in the show, he added: “There has to be accountability for this. There has to be internal probes at the Justice Department through the inspector general, the Office of Professional Responsibility and a criminal probe through the US attorney’s office. Heads need to roll.” “I absolutely agree with that,” Pirro responded. Hear Davis on Pirro’s radio show in January 2025 Source: The Judge Jeanine Pirro Tunnel to Towers Foundation Show on WABC radio Pirro also asked why they were not identifying for a possible prosecution the Capitol Police officer who shot and killed a January 6 rioter. She called for a special prosecutor to “go after” the Clintons. And she suggested that former FBI Director James Comey “needs to be the target of an active criminal investigation” and “someone who is looked at.” Pirro said in 2025 she was open to prosecuting the judge who presided over Trump’s New York trial and spread a conspiracy theory that the judge’s daughter — who has worked as a political consultant for some Democratic campaigns — benefited financially by clients fundraising off the case. Pirro said it was “conceivably” something the Trump administration could charge. Inflammatory rhetoric untethered to reality Among her more shocking and demonstrably false claims, Pirro said New York law allows doctors to kill fully delivered, breathing babies — a conspiracy theory repeatedly debunked by multiple state investigations — to sell their body parts to Planned Parenthood. “The law in New York now allows you to have a full-term baby — the baby can be born alive. And what that means in New York is actually breathe — it is born alive. The baby is then put in a comfort zone,” Pirro said in a speech in 2019 to a private university in Florida. “And the baby, while in that so-called comfort zone, is allowed to rest while the mother decides whether the baby should live or die.” Hear Pirro's false comments in 2019 on Reproductive Health Act Source: Facebook “And like the emperor in the Roman Colosseum, the thumbs-up or the thumbs-down, the baby is then killed,” she added, sharing a conspiracy that has been thoroughly debunked. There is no evidence that doctors in New York (or any state in the US) are killing newborn babies. That conspiracy theory is just one of many amplified by Pirro. In a 2015 speech in Louisiana, Pirro delivered a series of inflammatory remarks aimed at Muslims, undocumented immigrants and then-President Barack Obama. Pirro later promoted a claim that the United States during the Obama administration supported a Muslim-backed United Nations resolution saying “people should not be able to criticize religions of other people.” “That is coming from the Muslim religion. The Muslim religion — they’ll chop your head off. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know,” she added. In the same speech, Pirro claimed baselessly undocumented immigrants could vote “four times” in different states by using fake names. “Let’s assume that you’re an illegal and you live in my neck of the woods. If you live in New York, you can go to Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey. You can vote four times. You can give them a new name every time,” she said. Hear Pirro's false comments in 2015 on undocumented immigrant voter fraud Source: YouTube There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, despite Trump and his supporters’ repeated claims. And when discussing Obama, she agreed with an audience member who said that the only reason he had not been impeached was because he was Black. “He’s not going to be impeached because he is who he is,” Pirro said. “You got it. Now, it’s not right because the color of someone’s skin does not matter.”
  • China announces plans to sell seized crypto via Hong Kong exchanges China has announced plans to sell seized digital assets through licensed exchanges in Hong Kong. The initiative is in collaboration with the China Beijing Equity Exchange (CBEX) to manage digital assets seized in criminal cases. In line with this, CBEX will engage third-party agencies to help sell the assets on regulated exchanges. According to reports, the digital assets seized from criminal proceeds will be converted into yuan and deposited into designated accounts. This is the first time a mainland Chinese agency will be carrying out a process to dispose of seized digital assets. This development is possible because Hong Kong is recognized as a digital asset hub, with mainland China still choosing to enforce its ban on crypto trading and related activities. China’s crypto disposal process shows the scale of seized assets The recent framework represents the first time a formal process is being followed to ensure the handling of a large amount of confiscated digital assets that have been accumulated since China announced its crypto ban. According to authorities, the value of the digital assets awaiting disposal by the Chinese authorities exceeded several billion dollars by the end of 2022, with the amount jumping to 430.7 billion yuan ($60 billion) in 2023. The figure is a twelvefold increase from the previous year. The trend aligns with that of the global cryptocurrency seizures, with several countries now holding a huge chunk of digital assets from seizures and fraud investigations. According to reports, the United States presently holds about 200,000 Bitcoins worth $21 billion in seized assets, while the United Kingdom holds more than 61,000 Bitcoins in seized assets. China reportedly holds about 194,000 Bitcoins and 833,000 Ethereum, putting the country among the top holders in the world. The Chinese government continues to rank as one of the highest holders globally despite its ban on the asset. Some days ago, news filtered onto the internet noting that China has banned private individuals from owning digital assets. While the news has not been confirmed by official channels, the country still has a ban on assets dating back to 2013, when the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) prohibited banks in the country from engaging in Bitcoin-related businesses. Hong Kong deepens its status as a cryptocurrency hub The amount of seized assets has presented a challenge to the authorities, with the development also seen as an opportunity for them. While there are concerns about the market balance should they dump that size of seized assets on the market, there have been calls for them to quickly turn the seized illicit gains into legitimate state resources that will benefit the citizens. Meanwhile, Beijing’s decision to liquidate the assets through Hong Kong exchanges reveals a dual approach to digital asset regulation from territories inside China. It also establishes Hong Kong’s status as a cryptocurrency hub. Over the last few years, the area has been positioning itself as a global hub for digital assets as China continues to maintain its strict crypto ban. The country has been cracking down on exchanges, ICOs, and mining since at least 2017. Furthermore, there have been sightings of Chinese officials at crypto events in Hong Kong, allowing the city to develop as a testing ground for digital asset policies that the mainland isn’t ready to adopt or implement. This arrangement ensures Beijing controls the financial systems in the mainland while exploring the potential of cryptocurrencies through its regulatory sandbox in Hong Kong. The partnership between both parties also opens a formal channel between China’s strict control and the global crypto economy, setting a precedent for other areas with restrictive crypto policies.
  • Texas woman sues state lottery after not receiving controversial $83.5M jackpot A customer grabs printed tickets from a Texas Lottery sales terminal at Fuel City in Dallas, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. A woman in Texas is suing the state’s Lottery Commission for not paying out an $83.5 million award, more than three months after the numbers on her ticket matched the winning numbers in a drawing, according to court documents obtained by CNN. “Every Texan knows what that should mean when it comes to the lottery – if you win, you should get paid,” the suit says. “It shouldn’t take a lawsuit to get paid when you win the lottery. But that’s exactly what has happened here.” The woman bought her ticket through a lottery courier service, firms which allow customers to purchase tickets virtually, using a mobile app or other online interface. The woman, identified only as Jane Doe in the suit, purchased a ticket for the “Lotto Texas” lottery game through an app called Jackpocket on February 17, and her numbers matched those of the numbers pulled at 10:12 p.m. CT the same day, according to the lawsuit. A week after Doe won her ticket, then-Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Ryan Mindell announced a move to ban courier services like the one Doe used, under Texas law. The ban became effective on May 19, according to a lottery commission spokesperson. Mindell resigned in April. “We all know the Commission is not allowed to change the rules after the drawing. But the Commission has apparently tried to do so and relied—at least in part—on this ex post facto announcement to continue to refuse to pay Plaintiff her lottery winnings simply because she utilized a lottery ticket courier service to buy the winning ticket,” the lawsuit says. A spokesperson told CNN in an email Saturday the commission “does not comment on pending litigation.” The lawsuit also alleges Doe’s unpaid winnings could be used to pay other Texas Lottery winners, or may be reallocated and redirected to “other Commission liabilities or purposes,” potentially reducing the amount owed to her. Attorneys for the woman have also filed for a temporary restraining order and requested for a temporary injunction to stop Acting Deputy Executive Director of the Texas Lottery Commission Sergio Rey from doling out funds, which the lawsuit alleges Doe still has not received. “If Mr. Rey is not restrained and enjoined from disbursing or diminishing the Plaintiff’s jackpot prize winnings, Plaintiff will suffer damages that will be incapable of being measured by any certain pecuniary standard before notice is given and a hearing is held on Plaintiff’s Application for Temporary Injunction,” a court document said. CNN has reached out to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office, Jackpocket, and Rey for comment. What is a lottery courier service? A lottery courier service acts as a third-party vendor that buys lottery tickets on behalf of customers, coordinates the purchase of physical tickets through brick and mortar stores the services often own, and notifies buyers if they win. Courier services are typically operated online or through an app, offering a convenient way to play games. Some couriers even offer national lottery games like Mega Millions and Powerball. Lottery couriers, which had been operating in Texas since 2019, became a focus in April 2023 after a single entity bought 25 million lottery tickets in less than 72 hours using a courier service, CNN affiliate WFAA reported. The entity purchased “nearly every possible number combination,” the release from the governor’s office said at the time. The investor doubled its money because the jackpot was so high, and the winner took home $57.8 million before taxes, WFAA said. Courier services are operating in 19 states, according to a report published in 2024 by the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. Only three states – New York, New Jersey and Arkansas – regulate the courier service industry, according to a 2024 Texas House report. Without such regulations in Texas, couriers are not required to obtain a license or permission from the Texas Lottery to operate, the report found. Purchasing via a lottery courier has two advantages for the customer, said Victor Matheson, professor of economics at College of the Holy Cross. “It allows the buyer to conveniently buy tickets without having to go to a regular lottery retailer and it also potentially allows out-of-state buyers to purchase tickets in any lottery across the country,” Matheson said in February. The service can have drawbacks like a fee, legality issues and lack of a limit to how many tickets are purchased, Matheson added. Other legal concerns include the regulation of sales across state lines when each state controls its own lottery games, sales to underage players, ticket buying syndicates and other issues.
  • Stocks, dollar stumble after Trump reignites his trade war Stocks dropped on Friday after President Donald Trump threatened to reignite his trade war. The S&P 500 posted its worst week in seven weeks. Markets thought they had a serious debt problem. Now they have a trade war problem to worry about again. Stocks and the dollar fell Friday after President Donald Trump brought the trade war back to the forefront with threats of massive tariffs against one of America’s most valuable companies and one of its most important trading partners. Trump posted on Truth social Friday morning that he would impose a 25% tariff on Apple if it refused to make iPhones in the United States. Minutes later, Trump said he would recommend a 50% tariff on goods imported from the European Union. The Dow closed lower by 256 points, or 0.61%. The broader S&P 500 fell 0.67%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slid 1%. All three indexes finished the week in the red. The Dow and Nasdaq each posted their worst week in five weeks. The S&P 500 notched its worst week since the first week of April. Dow futures had tumbled as much as 600 points Friday morning after Trump posted his tariff threat. Stocks opened sharply lower before paring losses throughout the day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Bloomberg TV interview that he expects “several large deals” will be announced in the coming weeks. Bessent also said he expects US and Chinese officials to meet in person again to continue trade negotiations following a temporary pause on higher tariff rates. While stocks recouped some losses, the major indexes remained in the red as Trump said at the White House in the afternoon he was “not looking for a deal” with the EU. Related article Trump says he’s ‘not looking for a deal’ with the EU after threatening a 50% tariff Trump’s stark tariff threats paired with Bessent’s optimistic trade remarks sent Wall Street’s fear gauge, the CBOE Volatility Index, on a rollercoaster. The VIX was up 8% in the afternoon after surging as much as 23% in the morning. The US dollar index, which measures the dollar’s strength against six major foreign currencies, slid 0.8%. The dollar index posted its biggest single-day drop in one month and notched its worst week in six weeks. Gold, a safe haven during uncertainty, surged 2%. “Markets once again face the fear of high tariffs on a major trading partner,” said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategy director at US Bank Asset Management. “We believe that this morning’s social media posts about a 50% tariff on the EU are primarily a negotiating tactic,” analysts at Barclays said in a Friday note. “But today’s developments, including the posts about iPhones, do highlight that the US has not turned the page on tariffs and that more trade policy volatility lies ahead.” Tariffs back in focus Wall Street in recent weeks had begun to shift focus away from tariffs and toward Trump’s tax bill — its own headache for markets — after the United States and China in May opened trade negotiations and agreed to substantially lower tariffs, easing investors’ nerves about the trade war. But Trump’s new threat of tariffs on the EU was a sharp reminder that policy uncertainty remains. David Doyle, head of economics at Macquarie, said in a recent note that it is not “all-clear” on the trade war front, and tariffs remain a “substantial headwind” to the US economy. “Today’s early market action does not approve of a threat directed at another corporate, and the idea of a 50% EU tariff rate,” analysts at Citi said in a Friday note. “This is sure giving us déjà vu.” The S&P 500 sank in early April after Trump announced massive “reciprocal” tariffs, and rebounded sharply after the president a week later announced a 90-day pause on most of them. Investors have been on edge about potential developments during the 90-day pause, which is set to end in July. “This calls into question whether investors can trust that any pauses announced by the Administration are actually solid, which only further muddies the landscape,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategist at Baird. “Expect volatility to persist.” Scott Ladner, chief investment officer at Horizon Investments, said the market reaction to Trump’s threat of 50% tariffs on the EU will likely be more “measured” than past tariff announcements because “the playbook now involves a high likelihood of Trump caving at some point.” “But the uncertain timing and not-zero chance that he doesn’t cave will keep equities on edge for the next couple of weeks, at least,” Ladner said. The United States so far during the 90-day pause has only announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom. Apple (AAPL) on Friday dropped 3% after Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on the company’s products unless it moves manufacturing to the United States. The tech giant has tumbled 22% this year as it has been caught in the crossfire of Trump’s trade war. Apple’s market value dipped back below the $3 trillion mark on Friday as its stock stumbled. And it’s not just Big Tech taking a hit. Retirement plans like 401(k)s are often invested in funds that track the S&P 500, and large companies like Apple make up a notable portion of the index’s value. As Trump’s trade war roils blue-chip stocks like Apple, it can impact people’s retirement savings. “You just can’t continue to keep an economy and companies operating in a cloud of extraordinarily high uncertainty forever without some economic consequences eventually,” Ladner said. “That’s going to be the tug of war the next several months.” Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on May 23. The tariff jolt on Friday comes after markets this week have already been floundering under pressure from the bond market. Investors this week balked at Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax bill, and weak demand for US government bonds sent yields surging. Related article Why the bond market is so worried about the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ “Markets are looking for a little more fiscal discipline, they’re concerned,” Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller told Fox Business on Thursday. “There does seem to be, you know, a risk-off on American assets across the board, not just government debt, but everything,” Waller said. “And whether that continues in the future or not, I don’t know.” The yield on the 10-year Treasury note on Friday edged lower to 4.51% as investors scooped up bonds amid renewed trade uncertainty. In Europe, markets tumbled after Trump’s threat of a higher tariff for the region that could go into effect June 1. The benchmark STOXX 600 index fell 0.93%. Germany’s DAX fell 1.54% and France’s CAC index slid 1.65%. The S&P 500 posted its fourth day of losses in a row as the recent rebound in US markets has stalled. The benchmark index is down slightly on the year
  • Regeneron to buy bankrupt DNA testing firm 23andMe for $256 million This illustration picture shows a saliva collection kit for DNA testing displayed in Washington DC on December 19, 2018. - Between 2015 and 2018, sales of DNA test kits boomed in the United States and allowed websites to build a critical mass of DNA profiles. The four DNA websites that offer match services -- Ancestry, 23andMe, Family Tree DNA, My Heritage -- today have so many users that it is rare for someone not to find at least one distant relative. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo by ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images) Drugmaker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will buy genetic testing firm 23andMe for $256 million through a bankruptcy auction, the companies said Monday. Regeneron said it will comply with 23andMe’s privacy policies and applicable laws with respect to the use of customer data and that it is ready to detail its intended use of the data to a court-appointed overseer. The bankruptcy proceedings, filed in March, had drawn scrutiny from lawmakers who warned that millions of customers’ genetic data could be sold to unscrupulous buyers. 23andMe last month agreed to allow a court-appointed overseer for the company’s handling of customers’ genetic information and its security policies during the bankruptcy. Related article 23andMe’s DNA data is going up for sale. Here’s why companies might want it The company has collected genetic data from 15 million customers who ordered its DNA testing kits online and provided saliva samples. The company had been struggling with weak demand for its ancestry testing kits and a data breach in 2023 that exposed millions of customers’ genetic data. As part of the agreement, Regeneron will acquire all units of 23andMe, except telehealth service Lemonaid Health, which the genetic testing firm plans to wind down. After the transaction completes, 23andMe will continue to operate as a wholly owned direct or indirect unit of Regeneron, the companies said. The companies expect to close the deal in the third quarter.
  • Trump’s crypto conflicts keep piling up. He’s not even trying to hide them Trump and his sons' crypto endeavors are expanding, creating more and more avenues for potential corruption. The Trump family’s crypto empire is expanding rapidly, and it’s making earlier ethics debates over his hotel and casino business interests look downright quaint. There are only so many rooms a foreign diplomat can book to curry favor with the president, and that might total into thousands of dollars, at most. And even President Donald Trump might have a limit on how many luxury Qatari jets he’d accept as gifts. But in the opaque world of cryptocurrencies, where transactions are often anonymous and unbound by national borders, there is virtually no cap on the amount of money a person or government could funnel to the president, his family and the growing list of entities they control. That list of entities already includes two “meme coins” — digital assets with no utility that serious crypto advocates tend to roll their eyes at — and an exchange called World Liberty Financial, which issues its own token. And soon, anyone with a brokerage account will be able to buy shares on the open market of American Bitcoin, a crypto mining firm backed by the president’s sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. ‘Sum of all fears’ News of American Bitcoin’s plans to go public emerged Monday night, around the same time that another crypto side hustle was wrapping up: Bidding ended Monday in an auction for a private dinner with Trump, billed as an “unforgettable gala,” for the top holders of the $TRUMP meme coin. The top 25 were promised face time with Trump and a “VIP tour” of one of his private clubs. The dinner auction may be the most flagrant pay-to-play effort Trump has engaged in as president so far. “He is essentially selling access to the presidency of the United States,” said Jordan Libowitz, vice president for communications at the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. Libowitz described the auction as “the sum of all fears” scenario — the exact thing that the United States’ founders were worried about when they included the (unfortunately branded) emoluments clause in the Constitution. (Tl;dr: People working for the federal government can’t receive gifts from foreign governments without Congress’ approval.) Presidents giving access to campaign donors is nothing new — in the ’90s, the Bill Clinton administration lavished dozens of Democratic contributors with stays in the Lincoln Bedroom, in a scandal known as the Fat Cat Hotel. But crypto offers a level of anonymity and scale that the White House has never seen. Over the past month, crypto investors plowed an estimated $148 million into Trump’s meme coin, according to Reuters, which cited data from crypto research firm Chainalysis. The vast majority of the coin’s supply — 80% — is held by two Trump Organization affiliates, which make money through transaction fees. Chainalysis estimates that those entities raked in at least $1.3 million in fees in the weeks after Trump announced the private dinner auction. The dinner auction is just part of the crypto controversy. Earlier this month, the New York Times’ David Yaffe-Bellany reported that World Liberty Financial had secured a deal to take $2 billion in deposits from a venture fund backed by the government of Abu Dhabi — a revelation that helped torpedo crypto industry-supported legislation in the Senate last week. Even crypto advocates on the right aren’t loving the optics of a president directly enriching himself and his family through an industry that he is not only actively working to deregulate but also bolster through the establishment of a “strategic” bitcoin reserve. Related article A crypto mogul who invested millions into Trump coins is getting a reprieve on civil fraud charges Sen. Cynthia Lummis, Republican of Wyoming, one of the sponsors of the stalled legislation, told the Times in an interview that Trump’s profit-seeking “does give me pause because it complicates our work here.” The White House, for its part, has repeatedly pushed back on any questions about the president’s business interests. On Friday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed a question about whether the president would conduct personal business meetings on his trip to the Middle East. “It’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,” Leavitt said. “This White House holds ourselves to the highest of ethical standards.” (Ethicists and legal experts disagree, as my CNN colleagues note in their investigation of Trump family’s expansive financial interests in the Middle East.) Trump’s crypto entanglements are particularly worrying, according to Libowitz, for two reasons. For starters, crypto is still niche, and a 2024 Pew study found just 17% of US adults have ever invested in, traded or used a cryptocurrency. (And if they know about the industry, they likely know it through names like Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of crypto exchange FTX, who is serving a 25-year sentence for fraud.) “There’s almost a level of security by obscurity,” Libowitz said. Second: The scale of the potential corruption is boundless. “There’s a limit to how many $800 hotel rooms you can book… And you’re limited in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars,” he said. “But someone can just make a $20 million crypto purchase, and that’s a scale we’ve never seen before.”
  • Trump says ‘great progress made’ between US and China following first day of trade talks US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent leaves his hotel for a meeting on tariffs with Chinese officials in Geneva, Switzerland, on Saturday. President Donald Trump said Saturday there was “great progress made” on trade talks between the United States and China, amid a possible thaw in the trade war sparked by his massive tariffs. “A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland. Many things discussed, much agreed to. A total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner. We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business. GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social. It was the first comment from Trump after a day of talks in Geneva between US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and Chinese officials. A source briefed on the meetings told CNN talks will continue Sunday. Bessent urged the public earlier this week not to expect a major trade deal out of the meetings, but he acknowledged it was an important step in negotiations. Related article Zero ships from China are bound for California’s top ports. Officials haven’t seen that since the pandemic Vice Premier He Lifeng is leading the talks on the Chinese side, state broadcaster CCTV said in a brief report. Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua called the Switzerland talks “an important step toward resolving the issue.” “However, an ultimate solution requires sufficient strategic patience and determination, as well as the just support of the international community,” Xinhua said. The US has placed a minimum 145% tariff on most Chinese imports, and China has responded with a 125% tariff on most US imports. As a result, trade between the two sides is falling sharply, according to logistics experts. Even reducing that tariff rate by half might not be enough to change trade levels significantly. Economists have said 50% is the make-or-break threshold for the return of somewhat normal business between the two countries. On Friday, hours after Bessent and Greer had set off for Switzerland, Trump floated the possibility of slashing tariffs on Chinese goods to 80% while demanding China “open up its market to USA.” “80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. The combination of fewer goods arriving in the US and increased costs on imports that do arrive has already started pushing up prices for Americans. Goldman Sachs analysts said Thursday that a key measure of inflation would effectively double to 4% by the end of the year because of Trump’s trade war. And with ships carrying goods under the 145% tariffs now coming into port, a trade deal wouldn’t lower prices immediately. To say Americans depend on a wide range of Chinese goods understates how pervasive they have become in daily life. Footwear, clothes, appliances, microchips, baby goods, toys, sports equipment, office machine parts and much more all pour into the US from China in staggering numbers. But now those imports are decreasing. Imports into the United States during the second half of 2025 are expected to fall at least 20% year over year, according to the National Retail Federation. The decline from China will be even starker. Investment bank JPMorgan expects a 75% to 80% drop in imports from there. Economic impact The trade war has already affected the US economy. The nation’s gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the US economy, showed America’s first quarterly contraction since early 2022, as importers raced to bring in goods before punishing tariff rates kicked in. The impact of the sky-high tariffs is also being felt keenly in China, whose exports to the US fell sharply in April. Chinese outbound shipments to the US stood at $33 billion last month — a whopping 21% decline from the $41.8 billion recorded in April 2024, according to a CNN calculation. Related article Inside Trump’s negotiating strategy with China Steep US tariffs have also taken a heavy toll on China’s manufacturing sector. Chinese factory activity contracted at its fastest pace in 16 months in April, adding urgency to Beijing’s efforts to roll out fresh economic stimulus. The news that Bessent and Greer would meet their Chinese counterparts in Geneva raised hopes of a detente between the two nations. The US and China are the world’s largest and second-largest economies, respectively, bigger than even the next 20 economies put together, according to World Bank data. Trump also told a conservative radio host on Wednesday that he would raise the case of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai “as part of the negotiation.” Lai, a pugnacious former publisher whose now-shuttered tabloid Apple Daily was a regular thorn in Beijing’s side, is in the midst of a national security trial that could send him to prison for life. CCTV did not say whether Lai featured in the talks. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNN’s Fred He, Nectar Gan, David Goldman and Nathaniel Meyersohn contributed to this report.
  • Oil prices might not recover soon. Here’s what that means for Saudi Arabia’s ambitious transformation plans Project renderings for NEOM, a futuristic city currently under construction in Saudi Arabia, are seen in the window of the NEOM pop-up store on the closing day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2023. Oil markets have slumped in recent weeks over fears of a trade war between the US and China and a surprise decision by OPEC+ countries to increase output in May. That could spell trouble for some oil-dependent Middle Eastern economies. On April 8, oil futures slid to a four-year low as investors priced in the possibility of a recession, driven tensions between the world’s two largest economies. Although prices have risen slightly since then, a bigger recovery may not happen soon. Goldman Sachs said on April 13 that it expects oil prices to decline through 2025 and 2026, with Brent crude averaging $63 a barrel for the rest of the year, and even lower next year. The next day, JP Morgan slashed its oil price forecasts to $66 for Brent in 2025, and a target of $58 for 2026. Lower oil prices are “bad news” for oil exporters in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), says Tim Callen, a visiting fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. He adds that Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain will feel the most pain, with countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait less affected. Of all Middle Eastern economies, Saudi Arabia’s is the “most vulnerable” to low oil prices, James Swanston, Middle East and North Africa Senior Economist at Capital Economics, told CNN. The country is the world’s top oil exporter. The commodity accounted for 60% of government revenue in 2024, with crude oil and natural gas accounting for more than 20% of the country’s GDP over the same period. A per barrel price of above $100 is required for the country to balance its budget, Swanston said. Callen, who is the former International Monetary Fund chief to Saudi Arabia, estimates that with oil at $60 a barrel, Saudi Arabia’s fiscal deficit would be $62 billion, more than double the $27 billion estimated in its annual budget. A satellite view of construction progress at the western portion of NEOM, in Saudi Arabia, in February 2023. An oil-funded transformation Across the region, governments are utilizing oil revenues to diversify their economies. In Saudi Arabia, several initiatives dubbed “giga-projects” are key to the country’s Vision 2030 plan. That includes the futuristic city of NEOM, intended to be a hub for everything from manufacturing to media. The first phase will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, according to its crown prince. Other initiatives include the development of luxury tourism destinations along the country’s Red Sea coast, and Qiddiya, an entertainment city on the outskirts of Riyadh. Since 2016, $1.3 trillion in real estate and infrastructure projects have been unveiled, according to Knight Frank’s Saudi Arabia Giga Projects Report. Experts say that some giga-projects may now face delays, if the country cuts back its capital expenditure. Saudi Arabia’s finance ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Its sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is behind Neom and the Red Sea tourism plans, did not respond to a CNN email. Infrastructure needed for major international events may get priority. The country plans to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, the 2030 World Expo, and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. A photographer takes pictures of an oil field in Saudi Arabia, during a tour for journalists, in June 2021. Tensions within OPEC In recent years, Saudi-led OPEC has limited output to boost oil prices, holding Brent crude oil to largely $70 to $90 per barrel. But there have been tensions within the membership and wider OPEC+ group, with countries like Kazakhstan and Iraq exceeding their production quotas — and the issues don’t appear to be resolved. The organization’s April 3 output-increase announcement may have been intended to punish overproducers, experts say. In mid-April, OPEC released a plan to compensate for overproduction. But last week, Kazakhstan’s energy minister told Reuters that national interests would take priority over those of OPEC+. His comments drove a decline in prices, and he later issued a statement saying the country is committed to work with the group. The continued flouting of production quotas could keep oil prices sagging, even after US President Donald Trump signalled a potential U-turn on his trade war with China. Lower oil prices could mean that Saudi Arabia’s diversification away from oil takes longer than planned, says Swanston. Callen says that Saudi is still in an “enviably strong” fiscal position with relatively low public debt levels. The Kingdom can deal with lower oil prices by cutting back spending and borrowing more, he adds. “Not ideal for Saudi, but very manageable.” Swanston says that Saudi Arabia has some of the lowest oil production costs in the world, and that the country may be able to withstand price levels that those with higher costs cannot. “Their cost of production is minuscule,” says Swanston. “They can weather lower prices.”
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