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USA Today
22-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Trump's crypto dinner: Black ties, a Chinese billionaire and ethics questions
Trump's crypto dinner: Black ties, a Chinese billionaire and ethics questions Referencing Trump's business moves while in office, an ethics expert said, 'His is one of the most blatant and appalling instances of selling access to the presidency I've ever seen.' Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump's crypto controversy clash House Democrats walked out of a cryptocurrency legislation hearing and moved down the hall for their own 'shadow hearing' in hopes to put the focus on President Trump's close ties to the crypto industry. They claim he's engaged in massive corruption. Fox - 4 News President Donald Trump has attended plenty of black tie dinners with the wealthy, but his latest soiree stands out among the annals of presidential dining as he boosts the growing crypto industry, profits from it and invites a torrent of criticism about the ethical implications. Trump will depart the White House on May 22 and head to his golf club in Sterling, Virginia, to dine with 220 investors who plowed a combined $394 million into his crypto venture, according to media reports. The dinner with the president is their reward for making the leaderboard in a contest to be among the top purchasers of the $TRUMP meme coin, a type of cryptocurrency. A crypto-friendly president who repeatedly has faced ethical questions is diving into both with the dinner. It comes just a day after the Trump administration accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar in a deal that raised concerns about the foreign nation trying to curry influence with the president. Democrats and ethics experts are staging a protest before the dinner, which they say provides a way for the wealthy to influence the president by funneling money to his business. An affiliate of The Trump Organization and the company Fight Fight Fight LLC own 80% of the meme coins, according to the cryptocurrency's website. Among those protesting is Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, who wrote on social media that the dinner is "a stunning public display of corruption: The White House and President Trump are selling access to the government for personal profit." Crypto analysis firm Chainalysis found that Trump and business entities connected to him made more than $1.3 million in trading fees in the days after the dinner was announced, Chainalysis spokesman Jorah Huntington told USA TODAY earlier this month. 'This is one of the most blatant and appalling instances of selling access to the presidency I've ever seen,' said Donald Sherman, executive director and chief counsel of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement that Trump "is working to secure GOOD deals for the American people, not for himself." "President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public – which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media," Kelly added. Chinese billionaire attending dinner The list of dinner guests is not public. However, one of those attending is Chinese-born crypto mogul Justin Sun, who announced his plans on social media. "As the top holder of $TRUMP, I'm excited to connect with everyone, talk crypto, and discuss the future of our industry," Sun said, who is worth $8.5 billion, according to Forbes. Trump once criticized the crypto industry but has since become a huge booster and investor. He promoted cryptocurrencies on the campaign trail, telling a crowd in Nashville in July for the Bitcoin Conference that he wanted to make the United States 'the crypto capital of the planet and bitcoin superpower of the world.' He has promised favorable regulation of the industry, which supported his campaign. The president held a crypto summit in the White House with prominent figures in the industry and signed an executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile. The administration dismantled a Justice Department unit targeting crypto fraud. Trump's financial stake in the industry has raised ethical concerns, though. He launched a pair of cryptocurrency tokens and owns 60% of the crypto platform World Liberty Financial. Trump's big crypto revenues Two of the cryptocurrency investments owned by Trump-affiliated entities alone have made at least $300 million in trading fees on sales of his meme coin and other digital currency since January, according to ethics watchdogs, Democratic lawmakers, crypto analysts and other experts. Greater potential profits lie in the Trump entities' stake in the value of the meme coin and their other Trump-themed crypto investments, these analysts and other experts say. Recently, World Liberty Financial announced that one of its digital coins is being used by an Abu Dhabi investment firm for a $2 billion investment in cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Democratic lawmakers and crypto analysts said the deal was a conflict of interest that could earn World Liberty at least $27 million annually. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, who has been at the forefront in bringing attention to the issue, opened a preliminary investigation into Trump's crypto businesses this month. 'President Trump's financial entanglements to the $TRUMP coin, as well as the attempted use of the White House to host competitions to prop up the value of $TRUMP, represents an unprecedented, pay-to-play scheme to provide access to the Presidency to the highest bidder," Blumenthal said in a press release announcing the inquiry. Contributing: Josh Meyer
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Peppa Pig is officially a big sister! Family welcomes arrival of new baby Evie
Peppa Pig is officially a big sister! Family welcomes arrival of new baby Evie Mommy Pig's birth wasn't easy, but she's "thrilled Evie is finally here, happy and healthy!" she told People Magazine in an exclusive interview. Show Caption Hide Caption New Peppa Pig Theme Park in North Texas opens Saturday A popular pig amongst the young ones has a new amusement park opening in North Richland Hills this weekend. Fox - 4 News Peppa Pig and her little brother George are officially older siblings of a baby girl, according to an announcement posted to Peppa Pig's Instagram. "Peppa and George have a baby sister!" a towncrier is seen shouting in a video posted to Peppa Pig's official Instagram. Mommy Pig gave birth to another baby girl on Tuesday, May 20, at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital, according to the U.K. talk show Good Morning Britain. The same hospital where Kate Middleton gave birth to all three of her children. Daddy Pig sent photos of Mommy Pig, Peppa, George, and the new baby to the show's correspondent, Richard Arnold. In the photo, Mommy Pig is holding the baby while lying in a hospital bed, while Peppa and George stand on the side of the bed, smiling and looking at their new sister. The baby girl arrives three months after Mommy Pig announced that the family would have a new addition in February. What is the baby girl's name? Mommy and Daddy Pig's third baby's name is Evie, according to People Magazine. Mommy Pig's birth wasn't easy, but she's "thrilled Evie is finally here, happy and healthy!" she told People Magazine in an exclusive interview. Watch Peppa Pig meet her new baby sister Peppa Pig fans will be able to watch her and George meet their new baby sister during a Cinema Event that premieres at theaters on Friday, May 30 "Peppa Pig Meets the Baby" will feature 10 "oinktastic" new episodes and six new songs fans of the show can sing and dance along to. The event will play at theaters from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1 in select cinemas. To check if there are showings near you, you can visit the event's website. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
USA Today
14-05-2025
- USA Today
Menendez brothers are eligible for parole. What we know about the highly publicized case
Menendez brothers are eligible for parole. What we know about the highly publicized case Show Caption Hide Caption Menendez brothers speaking for first time in decades TMZ's Executive Producer Harvey Levin joins Good Day to discuss the first interview of the Menendez brothers in decades. Fox - 4 News A Los Angeles judge resentenced the Menendez brothers, making them eligible for parole after serving prison time for the shotgun murders of their parents at their Beverly Hills, California, home in 1989. Lyle Menendez, 57, and Erik Menendez, 54, were originally sentenced to life without parole in 1996. The brothers admitted to the killings but insisted they did so out of fear that their parents were about to kill them following years of abuse. The ruling from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic on May 13 came after a day-long re-sentencing hearing in which relatives, a retired judge, and a former fellow inmate testified in support of the brothers. Jesic reduced the brothers' sentences to 50 years to life, a prison term that will make them eligible for parole under California law. The case gained renewed attention and support after the popular Netflix show, "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," and the documentary "The Menendez Brothers." The brothers will remain incarcerated while the state parole board and California Gov. Gavin Newsom decide whether to release them from prison. Here's what we know about the highly publicized case: The shotgun killings of Jose and Kitty Menendez and the subsequent trials captured the public's attention. In August 1989, police discovered the wealthy parents dead in their Beverly Hills mansion. Both Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot multiple times at close range. At the time of the murders, Lyle Menendez was 21 and Erik Menendez was 18. The brothers initially denied involvement and tried to make the incident look like an organized crime hit. They later admitted to the killings but claimed it was self-defense and that they acted out of fear due to years of physical and sexual abuse by their father, an entertainment industry executive, and their mother. After a first trial ended in a hung jury in 1994, the brothers were found guilty by a second jury in 1996 of first-degree murder for fatally shooting their parents. At the time, prosecutors had argued that the brothers were seeking their parents' multi-million-dollar fortune and highlighted their lavish spending spree shortly after the murders. The brothers' case gained momentum in October 2024 when former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced his support for their resentencing so they would be immediately eligible for parole. The announcement came amid the rising popularity of the streaming show and documentary about the brothers. In May 2023, the brothers' attorney submitted new evidence, which included a letter allegedly written by Erik Menendez to his cousin, alluding to abuse by his father, and an affidavit from former boy band member Roy Rossello claiming Jose Menendez sexually abused him in the 1980s. Rossello, who was a member of the 1980s Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, also alleged in Peacock's 2023 docuseries, 'Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed," that Jose Menendez drugged and raped him when he was a teenager. Before he was voted out of office, Gascón said the evidence would be reviewed and considered in his recommendation that the brothers be resentenced. The case faced a setback after Nathan J. Hochman was elected as the new Los Angeles County District Attorney in December, who expressed that he did not support the brothers' resentencing. Menendez brothers case: Menendez brothers eligible for parole in 1989 murders of parents, paving way for possible release Several members of the Menendez family supported the brothers' release. The brothers' cousin Anamaria Baralt, 54, a leading advocate for their release, said the two "are universally forgiven" by everyone on both sides of their family. "They are different men from the boys that they were when they committed these crimes," Baralt testified at the hearing. Baralt previously told USA TODAY that the two deserve to be freed because they have not only expressed remorse for the killings, but also grown substantially as people during their imprisonment. "We love them so much we miss them," Baralt said. "There is not a family holiday that there is not just a hole in our hearts and a void in our family." Prosecutor Habib Balian said the brothers were "not trustworthy" and he did not believe they had found redemption. "We know ... what they are capable of doing," he added. Now that the judge has lowered the brothers' sentences, the siblings will go before the state's parole board, which will recommend whether they are suitable for release. If the parole board signs off on their resentencing, it will be up to Newsom to accept or reject the recommendation. On his podcast "This is Gavin Newsom," the governor indicated that he is open to reevaluating the case. Newsom also said he has avoided watching the show or documentary about the case. "I'm obviously familiar with the Menendez brothers, just through the news over the course of many decades," Newsom said on his podcast. "But not to the degree that many others are because of all of these documentaries and all of the attention they've received. So that won't bias my independent and objective review." Contributing: Christopher Cann, Michael Loria, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, and Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY; Reuters
USA Today
01-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
What are Republicans so proud of? Trump is destroying the economy.
What are Republicans so proud of? Trump is destroying the economy. | Opinion In just over three months, Trump has eroded faith in the legitimacy of the courts, is undermining due process and is ruling by executive order, destroying the balance of power in federal government. Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump's first 100 days approval rating President Trump marks 100 days in office next week and new polling shows how voters really feel about the administration's performance. Fox - 4 News Somehow, after what has felt like years, President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office have passed. In that time, the president has been even more destructive to both the Republican Party and our republic than I anticipated. While I expected Trump to radically implement his vision for the country, I didn't think that Congress would be so complicit in his schemes. I trusted Republicans would do their job, at least. They haven't, and we're seeing the results of that. Trump and his administration have been allowed to decimate our economy and foreign stance, among other things. The economy actually shrank during Trump's first 100 days. The amount of damage he's done makes me nervous about what will be done over the next 100 days and beyond if Republicans don't realize this has to stop, or at least be dialed back. Republican Congress spent Trump's first 100 days in hiding Do you realize that Trump has only signed five bills since taking office, fewer than any other modern president until this point? Meanwhile, the GOP is bragging that Trump has ruled by executive order, signing 142 executive orders over the first 100 days, exceeding the pace of any president since Franklin Roosevelt. How is that something to be proud of? There are several reasons for this. A major one is the Senate filibuster, and another is the GOP's unwillingness to pursue legislation that requires the cooperation of Democrats. They have been willing to work with Democrats to pass necessary governing legislation, such as the government funding bill that allowed us to avoid a shutdown, but the gears of bipartisanship have ground to a halt. Opinion: Republicans are afraid of Trump. They should fear voters instead. Part of this is the Democrats' unwillingness to come to the negotiation table, but Republicans have little incentive to take on the challenge of crafting bipartisan legislation when Trump can simply act with the stroke of his pen. This rule by executive order allows Trump to deviate from building consensus in the Republican Party on issues, such as trade. You don't have to build consensus when Congress lets you run rampant. There are a select few legislative Republicans, such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, willing to criticize administration actions, and they ought to be commended. But the GOP as a whole has become the party of Trump. There is no room for dissent, and no room for him to be wrong. It's only been 3 months. Trump has more time – and avenues – to create chaos. In just over three months, Trump has eroded faith in the legitimacy of the courts, is undermining the core of due process and is ruling by executive order in a way that destroys the balance of power in our federal government. Trump's tariff policy has been utterly destructive for America. It has weakened our relationships with our allies, ceded ground to our enemies, and will make American citizens poorer. Opinion: Trump's tariffs are backfiring around the world. And who benefits? China. Americans are increasingly disapproving of Trump's job performance, and that trend is likely to continue as the economy worsens. Trump has the lowest 100-day approval rating in the past 80 years. Sadly, the soonest America can do anything about the new status quo is the 2026 midterm elections, when voters can pick a new Congress that is more willing to stifle Trump's actions and maybe legislate a political agenda. Until then, Americans have no recourse against Trump's lunacy. Share your opinion: Musk may have changed US government forever. Is that a bad thing? | Opinion Forum Over the next 100 days, there is little reason to think what is happening won't continue. Trump is only going to get worse. The light at the end of the tunnel in all of this mess is that the Republican Party will be freed of Trump at the end of his term, when he is constitutionally precluded from a third term. Sadly, Trump can't even let us have that, with constant 'trolling' of the prospect of him running again. At this point, conservatives like me are forced to deal with Trump's schemes, even if they seem bizarre, because bizarre has often found a home in the age of Trump. Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Worldwide ministry': T.D. Jakes retirement marks end of era for presidential counselor
'Worldwide ministry': T.D. Jakes retirement marks end of era for presidential counselor Show Caption Hide Caption Dallas megachurch leader announces he will step down Bishop T.D. Jakes had a heart attack last November in front of his congregation. He announced Sunday that he will be stepping down as leader of the Dallas megachurch. Fox - 4 News After roughly three decades as one of most prominent faces of American faith, Bishop T.D. Jakes is leaving his leadership position months after a health scare and amid larger legal battles. The 67-year-old megachurch pastor announced Sunday he was retiring as senior pastor of Potter's House, a non-denominational Pentecostal megachurch in Dallas, Texas, which has grown into a political and cultural powerhouse. "I've seen too many men build something and stay so long, that they kill what they build," Jakes said during an April 27 service. Over the years Jakes' influence has ballooned beyond the walls of his 30,000-member congregation. While creating an institution with various campuses across the globe that prides itself on community outreach and investing millions into affordable housing and anti-poverty programs, Jakes has become a multimillionaire businessman in part as an author and playwright. "This is a significant announcement, this is a worldwide ministry," political commentator Roland S. Martin said on his digital program Monday. 'Both sides of the bird': Jake a counselor to presidents in tough times Over the years Jakes has advised many high-profile individuals in the business, entertainment and civil rights world, but especially noteworthy has been close relationships with presidents across party lines. When Bill Clinton admitted to having "sinned" in his relationship with the former White House intern Monica Lewinsky almost 30 years ago, for example, the Texas megachurch leader was among the clergy the then-president called upon when seeking the nation's forgiveness. "I try not to tell presidents how to be presidents," Jakes told Oprah in a 2012 interview. During the George W. Bush era, Jakes sought to maintain his bipartisan reputation even as more liberal supporters questioned his proximity to the conservative evangelical, saying he was a "minister to both sides of the bird." He petitioned the White House to boost funding in aid to African nations, and drew attention to the lack of sufficient federal disaster response for the victims devastated by Hurricane Katrina. "It is not so important what we say, it is important what we do," Jakes said while staring at Bush during a 2005 prayer service at the National Cathedral. Barack Obama embraced Jakes early in his ascension to the Oval Office after cutting ties with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, during the 2008 campaign. He later invited the Texas pastor to his inauguration in 2009 and the two had several prayer counsels via phone and in-person. Obama said Jakes makes Americans, "more compassionate, and more loving as a country," in a December 2015 Variety interview. A Hollywood force with faith-based content to boot Outside of the megachurch, part of the reason Jakes became a household name was a slate of original TV movies and a short-lived talk show that was a hit among Black audiences in particular. He produced a series of Lifetime films in his 'Seven Deadly Sins' anthology based on books by Christian fiction author Victoria Christopher Murray. The films starred Michelle Williams, Tina Knowles, Keri Hilson, Kandi Burrus, Romeo Millo, LisaRaye McCoy and Eric Benét. A 2009 film based on his 2006 novel "Not Easily Broken" starred Academy Award-nominee Taraji P. Henson and Morris Chestnut. He also has pursued business ventures together with family friend and billionaire Tyler Perry, including Jakes' 2021 land purchase near the Hollywood megaproducer's Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. According to 11Alive and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the pair purchased over 130 acres of land at shuttered Army base Fort McPherson in the city. Jakes, a four-time Grammy nominee garnered one win for best gospel choir or chorus album for 'A Wing And A Prayer' at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004. Jakes was host of 'The T.D. Jakes Show,' which aired on select Tegna stations across the country and re-aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The show aired for one season in 2016. Jakes has stoked controversy, conspiracies for Diddy association But as many heap praise upon the bishop as he enters retirement, he also has attracted a fair share criticism and been dogged by online conspiracy theories after serving as spiritual mentor to Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the embattled music mogul set to stand trial May 5 on federal sex-crimes charges. Jakes is mentioned in a March 2024 amended lawsuit filed by ex-producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones Jr. accusing Combs of sexual assault. The suit claims the hip-hop heavyweight used the spiritual leader to sanitize allegations levied his way. The lawsuit claims Jones has 'irrefutable' evidence that Combs 'planned to leverage his relationship with Bishop T.D. Jakes, to soften the impact on his public image of Cassie Ventura's lawsuit' after Combs' ex-girlfriend Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura Fine's landmark lawsuit in November 2023. Jakes once hosted a weekly Sunday sermon series 'Kingdom Culture with T.D. Jakes' for Combs' former TV network Revolt TV in 2021. But his association with Combs has dissipated in recent years. Six months after stepping down at Revolt, a media company he co-founded, Combs sold his remaining shares amid piling legal issues in June 2024. 'You're looking at a miracle': Retirement comes after heart attack in pulpit For Jakes and his supporters, the decision to retire is just as startling as the bishop suffering a heart attack last November while delivering a sermon. The footage posted on social media showed Jakes pausing and suddenly shaking as parishioner gathered around him. Potter's House initially downplayed what had occurred as a "slight health incident," but he later revealed how close he had come to death. "You're looking at a miracle," Jakes said in a video address a month after the medical emergency. Jakes was met with a rousing standing ovation when he returned to the pulpit for a New Year's Even sermon where he spoke for nearly an hour and revealed additional details about his health scare. Sarah Jakes Roberts, family's youngest daughter, named successor Long seen as heir apparent to her family's legacy, Sarah Jakes Roberts will take the helm of Potter's House alongside her second husband and author Touré Roberts, whom she married in November 2014. Observers noted the significance of Jakes passing the torch to his daughter, which many believe will add to his legacy among Black churchgoers. "In the church, it is rare, incredibly rare, for a woman to take over a church of this magnitude," Kellye Beathea, a communications strategist, said on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Jakes Roberts, a quasi-social media influencer, showcases fitness workouts, sermons and styled looks to her 4 million Instagram and TikTok followers. Touré, too, boasts hundreds of thousands of social media fans. They share five children from previous marriages and one together. Named a Time100 Next honoree in 2023, Jakes Roberts is CEO of Women Evolve which hosts a popular women's empowerment conference each year attended by thousands of women. The 2025 edition is slated for this summer in Atlanta. At just 14, the second-generation pastor was pregnant with her first child, revealing the news to her powerful parents. 'I thought that (the pregnancy) was just the worst thing in the world that could possibly happen to me. And now that same daughter is ministering all over the world,' her dad told ABC's Paula Faris in 2019. Contributing: Julia Gomez and Jonathan Limehouse
