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US secretary of state Marco Rubio has ordered an immediate halt to work on virtually all existing foreign aid programmes pending a review into whether they are consistent with President Donald Trump’s policies, according to an internal cable seen by the Financial Times.

The move will affect international assistance contracts administered by Washington, including through the US Agency for International Development, worth billions of dollars and spanning countries around the world.

In the cable sent to the state department and USAID on Friday, Rubio said that all new foreign aid disbursements were to be suspended, and contracting officers and grant officers needed to “immediately issue stop-work orders . . . until such time as the secretary shall determine, following a review”.

The review period is expected to last as long as 85 days, leaving the fate of hundreds of US foreign aid contracts, which were worth more than $70bn in the 2022 fiscal year, potentially in limbo for as long as three months.

Rubio also ordered that all foreign aid disbursed through any agency or department be approved by the secretary of state, centralising the vetting of all international assistance programmes within his office.

Rubio’s cable implements an executive order signed by Trump on his first day in office. In it the president bashed the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy” as “not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values”, and asked for assistance to be suspended.

In the first days of his second term in the White House, Trump has taken aggressive steps to reshape and redirect all agencies of the US government to implement his policies.

Scientific agencies such as the National Institutes of Health have also paused grant work pending review by the new administration, alarming researchers.

There are some exceptions to Rubio’s aid freeze order, among them “approved waivers” for military financing for Israel and Egypt, as well as foreign emergency food aid. But the cable said that in addition to pausing new and existing contracts, US government agencies, including USAID, must stop publishing proposals for foreign aid projects.

Earlier this week, Rubio said in a statement that Trump had asked him “to place our core national interest as the guiding mission of American foreign policy”, saying among his top priorities were curbing mass migration and scrapping climate policies that “weaken” America.

“Every dollar we spend, every programme we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”

The state department has been approached for comment.

• Asus recently released its Q-Release Slim feature for GPUs
• Said feature is reportedly damaging GPUs
• There’s no current fix for this issue from Asus

Asus’s Q-Release Slim was first revealed in August 2024 during Gamescom. It is an eject feature on 800-series AMD and Intel motherboards that makes removing graphics cards much easier. However, the recently released feature is reportedly causing major headaches for buyers.

According to HXL and Andreas Schilling from HardwareLuxx (reported on by Tom’s Hardware), Q-Release Slim has been causing damage to graphics cards by scraping off the sides of the connector. This could potentially ruin your expensive graphics cards, including the recent RTX 5090.

Cryptocurrency thrives on chaos, but keen observation reveals patterns and signals for spotting opportunities.

Cryptocurrency is a riddle wrapped in hype. It’s a market that loves chaos, where every spike and dip feels like the start of something big or the end of everything. To outsiders, it’s a game of chance. To those who study it, who watch for patterns and listen to the whispers beneath the noise, it’s something more deliberate. The market moves in signals. The trick is knowing how to read them.

Crypto trends aren’t about crystal balls or insider tips; it’s about observation and interpretation. Someone doesn’t have to be a programmer or a trader to spot opportunities. What they need is focus. Patterns emerge for those who care to look closely enough.

The patterns

Cryptocurrency doesn’t move randomly, no matter how wild the charts look. There’s a beat to the chaos, driven by technology, investor sentiment and broader economic forces. Knowing the beat is key to trends.

Look at the basics: price movements, trading volume, market capitalization. These aren’t just numbers; they’re signals. A surge in trading volume might mean growing interest in a project. A sudden dip could mean a sell-off due to bad news or profit taking.

And then there’s Bitcoin, the market’s constant pulse. Keeping an eye on Bitcoin price trends is non-negotiable — it’s the base layer. When Bitcoin moves, it often takes other coins with it, pulling the whole market up or down in its wake. Study how it behaves in different market conditions. Watch how altcoins react to its movements. These patterns don’t just happen; they’re a reflection of the global investor sentiment.

Get to know the ecosystem

The cryptocurrency world isn’t a monolith. Bitcoin is the flagship, yes, but thousands of other coins — Ethereum, Solana and a sea of altcoins — each bring something different to the table. Some are for privacy, some for speed, some for building platforms other developers can use.

Start here: learn the language of the ecosystem. Know which projects matter and why. Bitcoin sets the tone for the market—its influence on price trends is unmatched — but it’s not the only one shaping sentiment. Ethereum for example, drives the conversation around smart contracts and decentralized finance. Keep an eye on how these projects evolve and how they react to the market.

Knowing the players isn’t about memorizing a list of coins. It’s about learning their stories. Why were they created? What problems are they trying to solve? And most importantly, are they delivering on their promises?

In crypto, the chatter is everything. Twitter and Reddit aren’t just where people talk about trends — they’re where trends start. A single tweet can send a coin to the moon or to zero. But navigating this noise is an art.

Look beyond the hype. Who’s behind the chatter? Influential voices in the crypto space — devs, analysts, and a few high-profile investors—set the tone. If they’re talking about a project, there’s a reason.

But don’t take everything at face value. Social media is a playground for hyperbole and false promises. Use it as a tool to spot themes, not as the only source of truth. Combine what people see online with real data and their own research.

The Macro

The crypto market doesn’t exist in a bubble. It’s tied to tech, regulation, and global events in ways that aren’t always immediately apparent. Watching cryptocurrency trends means watching what’s happening outside the bubble.

When governments announce new regulations, the market listens. When a big company adopts blockchain or accepts Bitcoin, it creates waves. And when economic uncertainty looms, crypto becomes a topic of conversation as people look for alternatives to traditional investments.

Stay curious. Read widely. And remember, trends aren’t just about what’s happening now — they’re about where the world is going.

Finding the signals

Not all trends are worth following. The crypto market is full of noise — meme coins and overhyped projects promising the moon. The trick is to know how to filter out the noise from the signals.

Start with consistency. Is there real work happening behind the scenes or is the chatter just speculation? Projects with strong teams, clear goals and transparent operations tend to stand out. They may not get the same hype as a new shiny coin but they’re often more reliable in the long term.

Be cautious of sudden moves. Price spikes are exciting but often followed by sharp declines. Ask what’s driving the movement.

There are plenty of tools to track cryptocurrency trends. Market trackers, portfolio apps and even blockchain explorers can help someone make sense of it all. Try a few and find what works.

The best tools don’t just show numbers; they help understand them. Look for platforms that visualize the data in a way that’s easy to read. And don’t be afraid to switch it up as needs change. The crypto market changes fast, and so do the tools that are used too.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, ranking member of the House Banking Committee, is asking federal agencies to investigate whether President Donald Trump’s recent launch of a meme coin violated ethical or regulatory standards.

The Massachusetts lawmaker, alongside Representative Jake Auchincloss, directed the request to the heads of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE), the Treasury Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Concern Over TRUMP, MELANIA

In a letter dated January 22, the Democratic legislators shared their unease over the launch of the Official Trump (TRUMP) and Melania Meme (MELANIA) tokens. According to them, the cryptocurrencies allowed the head of state to earn “extraordinary profits” using his position.

They noted that the President’s family business and affiliates hold 80% of the TRUMP meme coin’s supply, and his net worth shot up by at least several billion USD as the coin’s value rose last weekend.

Warren and Auchincloss also highlighted that anyone, including foreign leaders, could secretly use the cryptocurrency to gain influence over Trump.

“Anyone, including the leaders of hostile nations, can covertly buy these coins, raising the specter of uninhibited and untraceable foreign influence over the President of the United States,” the letter read.

Further, they pointed out that meme coins are infamous for rug pulls and scams, suggesting that Trump and his associates could dump their holdings, make lots of money, and crash the coin’s price. They also emphasized how the terms of the two tokens purport to indemnify them from fraud-related claims, meaning buyers may not be able to sue or join class action lawsuits against their issuers. This, in the legislators’ opinion, made TRUMP and MELANIA “ripe for market manipulation.”

The Senator and the Congressman also observed a possible conflict of interest: the President could directly benefit from selling crypto while also being in a position to appoint the people responsible for crafting policies to regulate the digital asset sector.

“He will be in a position to seek commitments from agency heads, to not only decide how the market is valued, but to implement lax policies to crack down on crypto scams like pump-and-dump schemes that are regularly conducted through meme coins,” the two claimed.

Questions for Regulators

Warren and Auchincloss concluded their missive with several questions for the government agencies addressed, including one to the OGE, about whether it was aware of any other president-elect who launched a business hours before taking office. They also wanted to know if there were any ethics rules the President and First Lady could be subjected to regarding their meme coin holdings.

From the Treasury, the legislators wanted to know if U.S. corruption laws prevent foreign actors from buying cryptocurrencies like those issued by Trump and whether there is a way to track and identify people or entities that buy the coins.

The SEC and CFTC, which recently got interim heads, were also put on the spot and asked if they had any authority to handle “threats posed by meme coins.” Additionally, the Democratic politicians wanted to know whether the agencies would investigate investor complaints against the TRUMP and MELANIA tokens. All queries are expected to be answered by February 4.

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What could go wrong with eating an extremely high-fat diet of beef, cheese, and sticks of butter? Well, for one thing, your cholesterol levels could reach such stratospheric levels that lipids start oozing from your blood vessels, forming yellowish nodules on your skin.

That was the disturbing case of a man in Florida who showed up at a Tampa hospital with a three-week history of painless, yellow eruptions on the palms of his hands, soles of his feet, and elbows. His case was published today in JAMA Cardiology.

The man, said to be in his forties, told doctors that he had adopted a “carnivore diet” eight months prior. His diet included between 6 and 9 pounds of cheese, sticks of butter, and daily hamburgers that had additional fat incorporated into them. Since taking on this brow-raising food plan, he claimed his weight dropped, his energy levels increased, and his “mental clarity” improved.

Meanwhile, his total cholesterol level exceeded 1,000 mg/dL. For context, an optimal total cholesterol level is under 200 mg/dL, while 240 mg/dL is considered the threshold for “high.” Cardiologists noted that prior to going on his fatty diet, his cholesterol had been between 210 mg/dL to 300 mg/dL.

The cardiologists diagnosed the man with xanthelasma, a condition in which excess blood lipids ooze from blood vessels and form localized lipid deposits. The escaped lipids would normally be taken up by roaming white blood cells called macrophages. But, in cases with xanthelasma, the amount of lipids is too large for the macrophages, which turn into foam cells with the excess cholesterol, leading to visible deposits.

Such deposits are often seen around the eye (a condition called xanthelasma palpebrarum), which often strikes people with lipid abnormalities, such as familial hypercholesterolemia. It’s thought that continuous blinking of the eye over a person’s life can eventually weaken capillaries in the area, allowing for lipid seepage. But, while this may be a more common presentation of the condition, lipid deposits can occur anywhere in the body.

Xanthelasma—especially xanthelasma palpebrarum—is not always associated with high cholesterol and heart risks, but having high total cholesterol is strongly associated with coronary heart disease.

The case study doesn’t provide information on the man’s outlook. However, the authors write that the case “highlights the impact of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of managing hypercholesterolemia to prevent complications.”

This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.

From Trump to Melania, we now have the Ivanka Trump coin. The crypto industry is going full-throttle on Trump mania, but at least one family member isn’t happy with the latest development, particularly the release of the $IVANKA coin.

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In a post on Twitter/X, Ivanka Trump blasted the news of the new crypto project, calling it a “fake crypto coin” currently being promoted without her consent. The presidential daughter stated that she’s not connected with the project and is currently working with her legal team over the unauthorized use of her name in marketing the crypto.

This isn’t the first time a Trump-themed coin became available in the market. Just days before taking office, Trump advertised a meme coin, followed by the launch of the $MELANIA coin.

Ivanka Publicly Denies Any Link With $IVANKA Crypto Project

On Thursday, the presidential daughter publicly denied any links to a new crypto meme coin that’s marketed under her name. In a Twitter/X post that has generated over 1.2 million impressions, Ivanka issued a strong warning and reminder to consumers against this suspicious crypto project.

It has come to my attention that a fake crypto coin called “Ivanka Trump” or “$IVANKA” is being promoted without my consent or approval.

To be clear: I have no involvement with this coin. This fake coin risks deceiving consumers and defrauding them of their hard-earned money,…

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 23, 2025

Ivanka shared that she had no connection with the project and criticized the developers for using her likeness and name without approval, calling it a violation of her rights. She added that her legal team is taking this issue seriously and plans to sue over misuse of identity.

The presidential daughter added that the crypto project is not just unacceptable but also deceptive and exploitative. Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, held important positions in the first Trump administration. However, the couple seems to enjoy their time on the sidelines.

Controversy Swirls Around The New Coin Releases

Trump-themed meme coins are some of the most popularly traded tokens in the market today. However, their release and marketing were controversial. On January 17th, US President Donald Trump launched the Official Trump token on the Solana blockchain. Then, after two days, the First Lady also announced her coin, the “Melania Coin”, supported by the Solana blockchain.

President Trump used Truth Social to announce his crypto coin, encouraging the community to join the celebration and the special Trump Community. Days after its launch, the Trump token hit an all-time high of $75, pushing the project’s market cap to $15 billion.

However, the enthusiasm on Trump’s coin immediately fizzled, trading at the $37 level, reflecting a 50% drop. Also, the Melania meme coin suffered the same fate, plunging by 80%, and it’s now trading at $2.8.

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Trump Continues Pro-Crypto Stance

Before the November elections, Trump indicated his intention to support Bitcoin and crypto projects. He promised a favorable crypto environment and outlined specific plans, including replacing SEC Chair Gary Gensler and supporting a Bitcoin reserve.

On January 23rd, Trump issued his first crypto regulation, banning the creation and issuance of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

Featured image from Tobias Hase/Picture Alliance/Getty Images, chart from TradingView