Happy Tuesday! Here’s a recap of last week’s notable events at the crossroads of technology and politics.
$2 billion cryptocurrency deal
A report from the New York Times unveils an intriguing sequence of events where World Liberty Financial, a crypto company launched in the Middle East by Donald Trump and Steve Wittkoff, secured $2 billion from a government-backed investment firm in the UAE. This occurred just before the Trump administration decided to sell advanced computer chips to the same country. It raises questions about the potential self-serving ties between the Trump family and prominent tech investors in the Middle East as policy decisions were being made.
Trump abandons China Hawk
In related news, Trump has stepped away from endorsing Landon Hyde’s nomination as a key figure in the commercial sector. According to Reuters, Hyde, who was focused on export controls, was overseeing the sales of powerful computer chips to China, which has ties to the UAE.
Extremism of evergreen trees
Authorities in Colorado reported that the teenager who shot two students in Evergreen last week was influenced by extremist ideologies. Various analyses suggested that the individual had a fascination with Nazi and white supremacist narratives, as well as previous school shootings.
Apple’s silence
Politico discussed potential modifications Apple has made to its artificial intelligence systems to align with Trump’s critiques concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Epstein emails reported
Bloomberg shared that numerous emails associated with Jeffrey Epstein have added to the ongoing scrutiny regarding his past connections with Donald Trump.
Kirk’s crowdsourcing
An anonymous group has set up a website compiling a list of individuals who have openly criticized right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. This initiative, known as the Charlie Kirk Data Foundation, aims to gather critical remarks about Kirk, who was recently shot at the University of Utah.
Trump administrators accumulate voter data
A report from NPR indicates that over 33 million voters’ personal information is stored in a divisive database. Trump and his supporters claim that the integrity of U.S. elections is threatened by non-citizens casting illegal votes.
Warren wants the answer to Xai
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has pressed for insights from Defense Secretary Pete Hegustes regarding the Pentagon’s lucrative and controversial contract with Xai, amid multiple scandals, including bots linked to violence and anti-Semitism.
