Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:23 p.m. No.23027518   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7579 >>7605 >>7850 >>7856 >>8023 >>8110 >>8131

Federal judge allows use of IRS data to track down illegal aliens

 

A federal judge won’t block a controversial Trump administration initiative to share highly sensitive taxpayer information with federal immigration authorities in hopes of tracking down undocumented immigrants and quickly deporting them out of the country.

 

District Judge Dabney Friedrich on Monday rejected arguments from several immigrant-rights groups, that claimed the data-sharing agreement between the Internal Revenue Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement violated taxpayer confidentiality laws.

 

The decision is a victory for President Donald Trump and his immigration agenda. Trump administration officials argued that greater cooperation between the IRS and ICE will protect Americans by kicking out potentially dangerous immigrants who came to the country illegally.

 

CNN has reached out for comment to the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security.

 

Friedrich was appointed by Trump in 2017 during the president’s first term. The immigrant-rights groups that filed the case could now appeal her ruling to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

The data-sharing deal allows DHS, which oversees ICE, to ask the IRS to confirm home addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants who are suspected of defying deportation orders. The deal was pushed through in early April over the objections of several top career IRS officials, who refused to sign it because of legal concerns.

 

Those concerns stemmed from the fact that federal laws strictly limit when the IRS can share taxpayer information with other agencies. The IRS can share data to aid criminal investigations, but the tax agency can’t share data solely to facilitate deportations, which are a civil matter.

 

The judge concluded in her Monday ruling that the Trump administration crafted the data-sharing deal carefully enough to – at least on its face – comply with the law. The Justice Department has argued that requests for private data will only target people under criminal investigation for illegally defying deportation orders. The immigrant groups have argued this is a thinly veiled pretext to get around the law.

 

“Requesting and receiving information for civil enforcement purposes would constitute a cognizable injury, but none of the organizations have established that such an injury is imminent,” Friedrich wrote, adding. “The Memorandum only allows sharing information for criminal investigations … On this limited record, the Court cannot assume that DHS intends to use the shared information to facilitate civil rather than criminal proceedings.”

 

An attorney for the groups that sued the Trump administration, Alan Morrison, said he was disappointed with the ruling but considering an appeal and additional litigation.

 

The judge “made it clear that DHS and IRS must comply strictly with the limited exception on which they relied,” Morrison said in a statement. “So far, DHS has not made formal requests for taxpayer data, and plaintiffs will be keeping a close watch to be sure that the defendants carry out their promises to follow the law and not use the exception for unlawful purposes.”

 

For decades, undocumented immigrants have been encouraged to register with the IRS and pay the federal taxes they owe – and have been assured their private identifying information will remain private. The Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate this firewall has spurred panic in immigrant communities and has led some undocumented migrants to pull back from filing their federal taxes this year.

 

CNN recently reported that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is building a master database with data from the IRS, the Social Security Administration and other agencies to streamline immigration enforcement. A spokesperson for the Treasury Department, which oversees the IRS, insisted late last month that taxpayer data is not “being inappropriately shared across government agencies.”

 

At a court hearing last month, Friedrich scrutinized the data-sharing deal and questioned whether the Trump administration concocted a pretext so the arrangement would pass legal muster. But she also pressed the immigrant-rights groups that filed the case, challenging them to show evidence that the Trump administration intended to violate taxpayer privacy laws.

 

“At its core, this case presents a narrow legal issue: Does the Memorandum of Understanding between the IRS and DHS violate the Internal Revenue Code? It does not,” Friedrich wrote Monday in her ruling. “The plain language of (the federal tax code) mandates disclosure under the specific circumstances and preconditions outlined in the (IRS-ICE agreement).”

 

This story has been updated with additional details.

 

https://lite.cnn.com/2025/05/12/politics/judge-wont-block-irs-data-sharing-track-undocumented-migrants

Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:27 p.m. No.23027523   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7579 >>7856 >>8010 >>8023 >>8110 >>8131

Trump Admin Sets Out To ‘Fix’ Everyone’s Least Favorite Car Feature

 

President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is on a mission to “fix” the despised start/stop technology in newer cars that shuts down a vehicle’s engine when stopped in traffic or at a red light in the name of conserving fuel and saving the planet.

 

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said on Monday that his agency would begin looking into how it can modify the start/stop feature. The EPA currently incentivizes car manufacturers to make cars with the start/stop system. The technology can give vehicles anywhere between a 3% to 10% fuel economy boost.

 

“Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy. EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it,” Zeldin wrote on X.

 

Zeldin did not elaborate on specific plans to change the feature.

 

Start/stop technology was first used by European car manufacturers on hybrids, but over the past decade, most automakers began implementing the system in many of their new vehicles, including SUVs and pickup trucks. By 2019, however, more automakers began giving drivers the option to shut off the start/stop system as people began to complain. Buick first gave drivers that option with its 2019 Envision based on “customer feedback,” according to Car and Driver. Ford, GM, Volvo, and Lincoln also began including the shut-off option in their start/stop vehicles between 2017 and 2018.

 

While most cars with start/stop technology allow drivers to deactivate the system, they can’t turn it off permanently, and owners of start/stop cars who don’t want to use the tech still have to turn it off every time they get back in the car. The EPA’s fuel-economy test results for vehicles with the start/stop system are affected if drivers turn the system off. According to Car and Driver, “If a vehicle’s stop/start system can be permanently turned off, then the vehicle’s fuel economy is tested both when stop/start is active and when it’s off. The EPA then averages the two tests for a resulting fuel-economy rating found on the car’s window sticker—which is certain to be lower.”

 

The response to Zeldin’s announcement was overwhelmingly positive on social media, with many people calling the objective “common sense.”

 

https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-sets-out-to-fix-everyones-least-favorite-car-feature

Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:32 p.m. No.23027534   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7536

Officials Are Denied Access to Library of Congress After Trump Names New Boss

 

Staff members at the Library of Congress denied access on Monday to two Justice Department officials who had been tapped for top positions there as part of a shake-up initiated by President Trump, according to two people familiar with the situation. The lockout led to a brief standoff on Capitol Hill.

The episode at the library, an agency of the legislative branch, became the latest tension point in a battle over where Congress’s authority ends and the White House’s begins. The people who described it did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.

It unfolded after Mr. Trump on Monday named Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, who was the lead defense lawyer in his criminal trial in Manhattan last year, to be librarian of Congress, succeeding Carla Hayden, whom Mr. Trump abruptly fired last week. The post is a presidential appointment, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Around 9 a.m., two Justice Department officials arrived at the library’s headquarters across from the Capitol and sought access to the U.S. Copyright Office, which is housed there. They brought a letter from the White House declaring that Mr. Blanche was the acting librarian and that the two men would be serving in top roles at the agency.

Paul Perkins, an associate deputy attorney general, would serve as acting register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office, the letter said, and Brian Nieves, a deputy chief of staff and senior policy counsel, would be the acting deputy librarian. Mr. Trump fired the previous director of the Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, over the weekend, one of the people said.

Staff members at the library called the U.S. Capitol Police as well as their general counsel, Meg Williams, who told the men they were not allowed access to the Copyright Office and asked them to leave, one of the people said.

Mr. Perkins and Mr. Nieves then left the building willingly, accompanied to the door by Ms. Williams. The library’s staff is recognizing Robert Newlen, the principal deputy librarian who was Ms. Hayden’s No. 2, as acting librarian until they get direction from Congress, one of the people familiar with the situation said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Capitol Police said that officers “did not escort anyone out” and that Library of Congress personnel did not ask them to “turn anyone away.”

Representative Joe Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration and a member of the Joint Committee on the Library, said the move to fire Ms. Perlmutter and Ms. Hayden amounted to a power grab by the executive branch and criticized Republicans for not speaking out against the overreach.

“This action once again tramples on Congress’s Article One authority and throws a trillion-dollar industry into chaos,” Mr. Morelle said in a statement after Ms. Perlmutter was fired from the Copyright Office, referring to Article One of the Constitution, which describes the powers of Congress. “When will my Republican colleagues decide enough is enough?”

Mr. Morelle led five other House Democrats in calling for an investigation into whether the library had given the Department of Government Efficiency or other executive branch agencies unauthorized access to congressional or library data.

 

https://archive.is/L636y#selection-719.0-795.164

Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:40 p.m. No.23027552   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7556

Trump Family Bitcoin Company Announces Plan to Go Public

 

American Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency firm co-founded by Eric Trump, said it was merging with a company traded on the Nasdaq, the latest expansion of the family’s investments in crypto.

 

American Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency firm co-founded by Eric Trump, announced on Monday that it would become publicly traded, the latest expansion of the Trump family’s investments across the crypto industry.

The company, which focuses on Bitcoin mining, is set to merge with Gryphon Digital Mining Inc., a firm that is already traded on the Nasdaq. Mr. Trump, the president’s middle son, is listed as one of the founders and a member of the company’s management team.

American Bitcoin was started in late March, when Mr. Trump and his older brother, Donald Trump Jr., announced that they were joining forces with a Bitcoin mining firm called Hut 8. Bitcoin mining is a vital branch of the crypto industry, in which major companies, many of them publicly traded, run energy-guzzling data centers to process Bitcoin transactions.

The move to take American Bitcoin public could pave the way for traders — including those seeking favor from President Trump — to invest in a Trump family entity, though the company said in its announcement that existing stockholders were expected to own an overwhelming majority of the company.

The business is one facet of an increasingly broad array of Trump family crypto ventures that have alarmed government ethics experts. President Trump and his sons have started a crypto firm called World Liberty Financial that offers its own digital coin. And working with a separate set of business partners, the Trump family has marketed the digital currency $TRUMP — a type of crypto called a memecoin that is typically treated more as a novelty investment than an actual currency.

At the same time, President Trump has taken steps to advance the crypto world’s interests in Washington, ending a Biden-era enforcement campaign against crypto companies and backing legislation supported by the industry.

In an investor presentation posted on its website, American Bitcoin aggressively promoted its connection with the Trump family, featuring a large photograph of Eric Trump near the beginning. A message next to the photo describes the company’s ambitions and links the firm to the domestic crypto industry in ways that echo the president’s messaging.

“Crypto is the future,” the message reads. “America must lead the way. American Bitcoin will set the standard.”

Among a list of key figures in the business, the presentation describes Eric Trump as a “strategic amplifier” who “drives brand equity and institutional visibility through unparalleled network reach.”

 

https://archive.is/dl1mG#selection-697.0-759.200

Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:41 p.m. No.23027554   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7579 >>7856 >>8023 >>8110 >>8125 >>8131

Saliva test can now detect cancer

 

A few drops of saliva can now reveal what used to require a scalpel, a syringe or a scan. Scientists have developed ways to analyze spit for the tiniest traces of illness – from mouth cancer to diabetes, and even brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.

 

Unlike blood tests or biopsies, saliva is easy to collect, painless and inexpensive. During the COVID pandemic, some countries used saliva-based testing for rapid screening.

 

This isn’t entirely new. Scientists first noticed the diagnostic potential of spit decades ago. In the 1980s, researchers used saliva to detect hormones and drug use. By the 1990s, it was being explored as a way to detect HIV.

 

What’s new is the speed and precision. Today’s techniques can detect subtle molecular shifts that would have been impossible to measure just a few years ago.

 

Saliva holds a surprising amount of information. It’s full of tiny fragments of DNA, RNA, proteins and fats – many of which change when disease takes hold. Researchers have already shown that saliva can be used to detect changes linked to diabetes, Parkinson’s, heart disease and some cancers.

 

A recent study even showed saliva could help distinguish between healthy people and those with mild cognitive impairment, a possible early sign of Alzheimer’s.

 

In dentistry, spit science is being studied for early signs of gum disease and even the risk of tooth decay.

 

A light-based technique called Raman spectroscopy is one of the latest tools being used to scan saliva for hidden chemical changes. It works by bouncing harmless light off molecules in a spit sample and reading the pattern it sends back – a kind of fingerprint for what’s happening inside your body.

 

It sounds like science fiction, but the technology is already being used in labs to detect early signs of cancer and other diseases often before symptoms appear.

 

This could be a gamechanger for oral cancer, which often starts with small, painless changes inside the mouth that are easy to miss. Early detection is vital, but many people don’t realise they have a problem until it’s much harder to treat.

 

A simple spit test during a regular dental check-up could help find cancer early, before it spreads.

 

It’s not just about cancer, either. Saliva is being trialled as a tool to monitor everything from stress levels to infections.

 

What makes saliva so appealing is its simplicity – no needles, no specialist clinics. Samples can often be collected at home, posted to a lab and analysed within hours. This could make a huge difference in places with limited access to healthcare or for people who avoid doctors out of fear, cost or time.

 

Of course, not every disease leaves a clear marker in spit and researchers are still working out which conditions saliva can reliably detect. But the idea of using what’s already naturally produced by the body to give an early warning is a powerful one. It could help catch disease when it’s most treatable, save lives and make healthcare faster, cheaper and more comfortable for everyone.

 

There’s still work to be done before spit tests become part of routine check-ups. Larger clinical trials are needed and researchers are still fine tuning the best ways to analyse and interpret the data. But the direction of travel is clear: the days of saliva being seen as just drool are over.

 

Saliva may not seem glamorous, but thanks to the rise of spit science, it’s fast becoming one of the most promising tools in the fight against disease. A future where your dentist, doctor, or even you could spot health problems early with nothing more than simple spit.

 

https://studyfinds.org/spit-science-why-saliva-great-way-to-detect-disease/

Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:43 p.m. No.23027557   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7579 >>7856 >>8023 >>8110 >>8131

U.S. inks bill to force geo-tracking tech for high-end gaming and AI GPUs

 

Senator Tom Cotton's legislation seeks to "prevent advanced American chips from falling into the hands of adversaries like Communist China."

 

Last week, a U.S. congressman announced a plan to introduce a bill that would mandate producers of high-performance AI processors to track them geographically in a bid to limit their usage by unauthorized foreign actors, such as China. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas then introduced a legislative measure later in the week. The bill covers hardware that goes way beyond just AI processors, and would give the Commerce Secretary power to verify the location of hardware, and put mandatory location controls on commercial companies. To make matters even more complicated, geo-tracking features would be required for high-performance graphics cards as well.

 

The bill covers a wide range of products classified as 3A090, 4A090, 4A003.z, and 3A001.z export control classification numbers (ECCNs), so advanced processors for AI, AI servers (including rack-scale solutions), HPC servers, and general-purpose electronics of strategic concern due to potential military utility or dual-use risk. It should be noted that many high-end graphics cards (such as Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4090 and RTX 5090) are also classified as a 3A090 product, so it looks like such add-in-boards will also have to add geo-tracking capabilities.

 

The first and central provision of the bill is the requirement for tracking technology to be embedded in any high-end processor module or device that falls under the U.S. export restrictions. This condition would take effect six months after the legislation is enacted, which will make the lives of companies like AMD, Intel, and Nvidia harder, as adding a feature to already developed products is a tough task. The mechanism must allow verification of a chip's or device's physical location, enabling the U.S. government to confirm whether it remains at the approved endpoint. Yet, exporters would be obliged to keep track of their products.

 

The bill authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to verify the ownership and location of regulated processors and systems after export and maintain a centralized registry of current locations and end-users. Nvidia, as well as other exporters, would also be obligated to inform the Bureau of Industry and Security if there is evidence that a component has been redirected from its authorized destination. Additionally, any indications of tampering or manipulation must be reported.

 

The bill, if supported by lawmakers, will mandate a one-year study to be conducted jointly by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Defense, which will identify additional protective measures that could be introduced in the future. Beyond the initial study, the same two departments are required to conduct yearly assessments for three consecutive years following the bill's enactment. These reviews must evaluate the most current advancements in security technologies applicable to products under export control. Based on these assessments, the departments may determine whether new requirements should be imposed.

 

If the assessment concludes that additional mechanisms are appropriate, the Commerce Department must finalize rules within two years requiring covered chips and systems to incorporate these secondary features. A detailed implementation roadmap must also be submitted to the relevant congressional committees. All development and deployment of these mechanisms must preserve the confidentiality of sensitive commercial technologies.

 

Finally, the legislation emphasizes confidentiality in all stages of developing and applying these new technical requirements. Any proposed safeguards or tracking features must be designed and implemented in a way that protects the proprietary information and trade secrets of American developers, such as AMD, Intel, and Nvidia. This condition ensures that while national security is strengthened, industrial competitiveness is not undermined.

 

Also, the senator takes into account the lengthy development cycle of AI and HPC processors. While the goal is to tighten security (which is why chip developers will be obliged to add location tracking to their products six months after the bill's enactment), the structure of the bill deliberately stretches out decision-making and compliance timelines to accommodate industry realities. The call for gradual adoption of future safeguards acknowledges the slow pace of chip development cycles, meaning that full compliance could take years depending on what mechanisms are eventually required. Meanwhile, annual export control reform recommendations may introduce further changes or exceptions over time, adding to the complexity.

 

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/u-s-inks-bill-to-force-geo-tracking-tech-for-gpus-and-servers-high-end-gaming-gpus-also-subject-to-tracking

Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:44 p.m. No.23027562   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7579 >>7856 >>8023 >>8110 >>8131

Trump says China will ‘open up’ to U.S. businesses, suspend trade barriers

 

-President Donald Trump said China “agreed to open” after the two countries agreed to temporarily slash most of the tariffs on each other’s goods.

-Trump said that was “maybe the most important thing” to come out of trade talks with -Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer and their Chinese counterparts.

-The U.S. and Chinese officials said they struck an agreement to pause most tariffs and other trade barriers for 90 days.

 

President Donald Trump said Monday that China “agreed to open up” after the two countries announced they would temporarily slash most of the tariffs on each other’s goods.

 

Trump offered few details about that development, but said it was “maybe the most important thing” to come out of the high-level trade talks between the two superpowers in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend.

 

Trump indicated that those purported commitments have not been cemented yet.

 

“We have to get it papered,” he said at the White House before signing an executive order on U.S. drug prices. “But they’ve agreed to open up China.”

 

Trump’s remarks came hours after U.S. and Chinese officials said they struck an agreement to pause most tariffs and other trade barriers for 90 days.

 

The U.S. agreed to temporarily reduce tariffs on China to 30%, down from 145%. Beijing said it will lower tariffs on U.S. goods to 10% from 125%.

 

Trump said Monday morning that tariffs on China would not go back to 145%, even if a longer-term deal cannot be reached once the 90-day pause expires.

 

“But they would go up substantially,” Trump added.

 

The U.S. side of the temporary agreement shrinks Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs on China to 10%. The U.S. is also maintaining 20% tariffs that were previously imposed over allegations about China’s role in bringing fentanyl to America.

 

The U.S. said it will additionally retain tariffs that were in place for specific Chinese products, including steel and aluminum, before early April.

 

China will also “suspend or remove the non-tariff countermeasures” it has imposed on the U.S. since April 2, according to the White House.

 

The duties that Trump slapped on China in April effectively established a trade embargo with one of America’s largest suppliers of goods.

 

The agreement to temporarily suspend tariffs is set to begin Wednesday.

 

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Trump’s remarks.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/12/trump-china-tariffs-trade.html

Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:48 p.m. No.23027574   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7579 >>7856 >>8023 >>8110 >>8131

Officials Are Denied Access to Library of Congress After Trump Names New Boss

 

Staff members at the Library of Congress denied access on Monday to two Justice Department officials who had been tapped for top positions there as part of a shake-up initiated by President Trump, according to two people familiar with the situation. The lockout led to a brief standoff on Capitol Hill.

 

The episode at the library, an agency of the legislative branch, became the latest tension point in a battle over where Congress’s authority ends and the White House’s begins. The people who described it did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.

 

It unfolded after Mr. Trump on Monday named Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, who was the lead defense lawyer in his criminal trial in Manhattan last year, to be librarian of Congress, succeeding Carla Hayden, whom Mr. Trump abruptly fired last week. The post is a presidential appointment, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

 

Around 9 a.m., two Justice Department officials arrived at the library’s headquarters across from the Capitol and sought access to the U.S. Copyright Office, which is housed there. They brought a letter from the White House declaring that Mr. Blanche was the acting librarian and that the two men would be serving in top roles at the agency.

 

Paul Perkins, an associate deputy attorney general, would serve as acting register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office, the letter said, and Brian Nieves, a deputy chief of staff and senior policy counsel, would be the acting deputy librarian. Mr. Trump fired the previous director of the Copyright Office, Shira Perlmutter, over the weekend, one of the people said.

 

Staff members at the library called the U.S. Capitol Police as well as their general counsel, Meg Williams, who told the men they were not allowed access to the Copyright Office and asked them to leave, one of the people said.

 

Mr. Perkins and Mr. Nieves then left the building willingly, accompanied to the door by Ms. Williams. The library’s staff is recognizing Robert Newlen, the principal deputy librarian who was Ms. Hayden’s No. 2, as acting librarian until they get direction from Congress, one of the people familiar with the situation said.

 

A spokesperson for the U.S. Capitol Police said that officers “did not escort anyone out” and that Library of Congress personnel did not ask them to “turn anyone away.”

 

Representative Joe Morelle of New York, the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration and a member of the Joint Committee on the Library, said the move to fire Ms. Perlmutter and Ms. Hayden amounted to a power grab by the executive branch and criticized Republicans for not speaking out against the overreach.

 

“This action once again tramples on Congress’s Article One authority and throws a trillion-dollar industry into chaos,” Mr. Morelle said in a statement after Ms. Perlmutter was fired from the Copyright Office, referring to Article One of the Constitution, which describes the powers of Congress. “When will my Republican colleagues decide enough is enough?”

 

Mr. Morelle led five other House Democrats in calling for an investigation into whether the library had given the Department of Government Efficiency or other executive branch agencies unauthorized access to congressional or library data.

 

https://archive.is/L636y#selection-719.0-795.164

Anonymous ID: f8fdca May 12, 2025, 10:50 p.m. No.23027576   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7579 >>7856 >>8023 >>8110 >>8131

Trump Family Bitcoin Company Announces Plan to Go Public

 

American Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency firm co-founded by Eric Trump, said it was merging with a company traded on the Nasdaq, the latest expansion of the family’s investments in crypto.

 

American Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency firm co-founded by Eric Trump, announced on Monday that it would become publicly traded, the latest expansion of the Trump family’s investments across the crypto industry.

 

The company, which focuses on Bitcoin mining, is set to merge with Gryphon Digital Mining Inc., a firm that is already traded on the Nasdaq. Mr. Trump, the president’s middle son, is listed as one of the founders and a member of the company’s management team.

 

American Bitcoin was started in late March, when Mr. Trump and his older brother, Donald Trump Jr., announced that they were joining forces with a Bitcoin mining firm called Hut 8. Bitcoin mining is a vital branch of the crypto industry, in which major companies, many of them publicly traded, run energy-guzzling data centers to process Bitcoin transactions.

 

The move to take American Bitcoin public could pave the way for traders — including those seeking favor from President Trump — to invest in a Trump family entity, though the company said in its announcement that existing stockholders were expected to own an overwhelming majority of the company.

 

The business is one facet of an increasingly broad array of Trump family crypto ventures that have alarmed government ethics experts. President Trump and his sons have started a crypto firm called World Liberty Financial that offers its own digital coin. And working with a separate set of business partners, the Trump family has marketed the digital currency $TRUMP — a type of crypto called a memecoin that is typically treated more as a novelty investment than an actual currency.

 

At the same time, President Trump has taken steps to advance the crypto world’s interests in Washington, ending a Biden-era enforcement campaign against crypto companies and backing legislation supported by the industry.

 

In an investor presentation posted on its website, American Bitcoin aggressively promoted its connection with the Trump family, featuring a large photograph of Eric Trump near the beginning. A message next to the photo describes the company’s ambitions and links the firm to the domestic crypto industry in ways that echo the president’s messaging.

 

“Crypto is the future,” the message reads. “America must lead the way. American Bitcoin will set the standard.”

 

Among a list of key figures in the business, the presentation describes Eric Trump as a “strategic amplifier” who “drives brand equity and institutional visibility through unparalleled network reach.”

 

https://archive.is/dl1mG#selection-697.0-759.200