GENIUS ACT Passes Senate Vote
Key stablecoin legislation passed with flying colors in the US Senate. The 68-30 vote on the widely followed GENIUS ACT marks a major win for issuers of the dollar pegged cryptocurrency, aiming to make it more mainstream. The bill is the first of its kind to pass the senate and would establish a firmer, regulatory environment for stablecoin if it passes the house. Coinbase VP of US Policy Kara Calvert has more on the story. (Source: Bloomberg)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ted Cruz Fires Back at Tucker Carlson in ‘Star Wars'-Themed AI Meme
In the fallout from his heated interview with Tucker Carlson, Sen. Ted Cruz took to X on Wednesday to share a meme depicting himself as … Luke Skywalker. The tweet came after Carlson interviewed the Texas senator on 'The Tucker Carlson Show.' In the episode, the duo debated over U.S. military intervention in Israel's ongoing conflict with Iran. The former Fox News host grilled Cruz on the topic — or, rather, asked him basic questions about Iran that Cruz was unable to answer. Cruz referenced the tumultuous interview by posting an AI-generated image of Carlson interviewing the 'Star Wars' character. In the meme, Carlson asks, 'What is the population of the Death Star?' — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 18, 2025 In their sit-down, Carlson asked Cruz several questions about the demographic of Iran, including the country's population and ethnic makeup. This quickly evolved into a screaming match as Cruz failed to provide answers. 'I don't know the population,' Cruz muttered, to which Carlson asked, 'At all?' The politician then repeated his response. 'You don't know the population of the country you seek … to topple?' the pundit pointedly replied. You can watch the clip below. Tucker: How many people live in Iran?Cruz: I don't know the population Tucker: You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple?Cruz: How many people live in Iran?Tucker: 92 million. How could you not know that? — Acyn (@Acyn) June 18, 2025 It's worth noting that the meme places Cruz in comparison to Skywalker. Cruz, an establishment senator and member of the nation's dominant party, bears little in common with the often-pacifistic rebel Jedi. As far as clap-backs go, it's perhaps not the best conceived post someone could come up with a day later. The meme likewise carries troubling political implications, as Cruz depicts the entirety of Iran in the same light as the dreaded Death Star. Where the Yavin rebels carried out the full-scale destruction on a planet-killing superweapon, Cruz seemingly implies a country full of people must be similarly razed. Granted, Cruz doesn't know how many people actually live there. Plus, check out more of their social media fallout, below. Wonder what changed? — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 18, 2025 Tucker Carlson is obsessed with defending Russia and the KGB thug that runs it. — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 18, 2025 Senator Ted Cruz demands regime change in Iran. He's not interested in the details.(0:00) Why Does Cruz Want Regime Change in Iran?(6:28) Is the US Currently Acting in Its Own Best Interest?(7:49) Was Regime Change in Syria Beneficial to the US?(12:31) Was the Iraq War a… — Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025 The post Ted Cruz Fires Back at Tucker Carlson in 'Star Wars'-Themed AI Meme appeared first on TheWrap.
Axios
34 minutes ago
- Axios
Support for regulating psychoactive hemp gains momentum in NC
Bipartisan support for restricting hemp in North Carolina is gaining steam, with GOP lawmakers unveiling yet another proposal Tuesday that would regulate intoxicating weed-like products in the state. Why it matters: The new legislation, backed by the state's most powerful Republican, is one of several bills proposed in recent months that would crack down on psychoactive hemp products in North Carolina. Though marijuana remains illegal in any form, the state is among the most lenient in the country in its regulation of hemp-derived consumables, but a bipartisan movement to change that has been building. What they're saying: "Stores selling these hemp products are popping up in towns across North Carolina, and children are getting ahold of these products," Senate Leader Phil Berger said in a press release about the bill Monday night. "Without these regulations, the availability of these dangerous products is only going to get worse." Driving the news: On Tuesday morning, Republican lawmakers in North Carolina's state Senate rolled out the most restrictive yet viable proposal yet to regulate hemp while moving to ban products made with any hemp-derived cannabinoids other than delta-9, the psychoactive component of marijuana. The bill would also set age and dosage limits and licensing and testing standards for sellers and manufacturers. Yes, but: It would not legalize marijuana, however — a proposal that has been floated in previous sessions but has yet to surface this year. Flashback: "It's really ironic that in some ways, the most liberal, pro-marijuana adult-use state in the country is North Carolina," Democratic Gov. Josh Stein told WRAL in an exclusive interview earlier this month, in which he also announced he was launching a task force to explore regulations on THC products and marijuana legalization "It's not Colorado, it's not Massachusetts, it's not these states that legalized it and then created a regulatory structure to sell it. It's North Carolina, where we have no rules whatsoever." State of play: As of now, the state has no limits — or age restrictions — on any cannabinoids with psychoactive effects much like those of THC, including delta-9. The new bill unveiled Tuesday, however, would outright ban "synthetic" high-inducing hemp products that can be found on shelves just a few blocks from the state legislature, including delta-8, THC-A, delta-7 and delta-10. The bill also appears to ban CBD, another hemp-derived cannabinoid. The cannabis plant has more than 100 cannabinoids. Some of them produce a weed-like high, while others, like CBD, are not. The other side: House Rules Chairman Rep. John Bell, who is the president of CBD and hemp manufacturer Asterra Labs, is "disappointed in the bill," he told Axios in a text message Tuesday. "This bill will destroy the hemp industry and move it out of state. Not one stakeholder was involved." He had not expressed the same opposition to another bill proposed earlier this session that would regulate his industry, though he told Axios at the time that the legislation wouldn't necessarily be a slam dunk for his company because it would implement new licensing fees and require changes to how it packages its products, for example. Democrats and Republicans alike expressed support for the new legislation, however, when it was unveiled in a committee hearing Tuesday morning. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson also attended the committee meeting. "This is long overdue," Jackson, a Democrat, told lawmakers. "One of the major themes in terms of feedback that I've gotten from law enforcement and from families over the last six months has been about this issue — and usually happens when a family learns that it is truly the Wild West, at least with respect to what children are allowed to buy in these places."
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Asia-Pacific markets set to fall as investors weigh Fed decision, Middle East conflict
Sydney Harbour and the skyline of the central business district (CBD) in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to fall Thursday, as investors weighed the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates steady, while the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran continues to dent sentiment. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 38,820 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 38,650, against the index's Tuesday close of 38,885.15. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index last traded at 23,536, pointing to a weaker open compared with the HSI's last close of 23,710.69. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 is slated to start the day slightly lower with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,525, compared with its last close of 8,531.2. Investors are also awaiting Taiwan and Philippines' central bank decisions later in the day. The U.S. Federal Reserve expectedly held interest rates steady on Wednesday, leaving its benchmark rate unchanged at 4.25%-4.5%, where it has stood since December. Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the Fed committee will wait to see the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs on inflation before considering any adjustments to monetary policies. However, the Fed still pointed to two rate cuts later this year. Overnight on Wall Street, the three major averages ended the trading day mixed. The 30-stock Dow lost 44.14 points, or 0.10%, and ended at 42,171.66. The S&P 500 slipped 0.03% to close at 5,980.87, and the Nasdaq Composite inched up 0.13% to settle at 19,546.27. — CNBC's Sean Conlon and Lisa Kailai Han contributed to this report.
