Introduction

On June 21, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement President Bidens Executive Order 14105 (Outbound Investment Order). The NPRM builds on the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) released in August 2023. The Treasury Department is accepting public comments until August 4, 2024, and plans to release the finalized regulations later this year.

The rules seek to address what the U.S. government sees as a loophole in the trade and investment restriction tool kit. While U.S. companies have been barred from selling sensitive technologies directly to China under Department of Commerce export controls, U.S. investors have been free to continue investing in Chinese firms developing the same technologies. U.S. capital may thus be inadvertently fueling Beijings indigenization drive.

The proposed rules aim to restrict outbound U.S. investments into Chinese companies developing the troika of force-multiplier technologies: (1) semiconductors and microelectronics, (2) artificial intelligence (AI), and (3) quantum information technologies.

Broadly, the outbound investment screening mechanism (OISM) is an effort scoped to target transactions that enhance the military, intelligence, surveillance, or cyber-enabled capabilities of China. U.S. investments will be either: (1) prohibited or (2) notifiable, based on whether they pose an acute national security risk or may contribute to a national security threat to the United States, respectively.

However, the criteria defining what constitutes an acute or national security risk are somewhat elastic. In certain instances, it is targeted, prohibiting investments in AI systems or quantum technologies explicitly designed for military, intelligence, cyber, or mass-surveillance end uses, which are commensurate with demonstrable national security concerns. However, the NPRM also introduces broad carveout clauses under each covered category, which effectively proscribe investments into entire classes of technology, including the development of quantum computers, AI models above certain technical parameters, and advanced packaging techniques (APT) for semiconductors. This suggests that the OISM's remit extends beyond immediate national security applications to include avenues that may allow Chinese technological leapfrogging.

Semiconductors & Microelectronics

The NPRM largely aligns with current existing export controls, apart from the addition of APT, and prohibits U.S. investments to develop, produce, design, or fabricate

The prohibition of APT under the OISM marks a shift in the U.S. approach to maintaining a competitive edge over China in the semiconductor industry. Instead of just focusing on individual chip performance gains through continuous node advancementsuch as from 7 nanometers (nm) to 5 nm to 3 nmit has started to recognize the importance of system-level performance gains afforded by APT. Current semiconductor export controls have largely fixated on obstructing Chinas access and capacity to produce chips at the most advanced nodesas seen by restrictions on high-performance chips, EDA tools, and EUV lithography machinesreflect this thinking. This was based on the long-standing assumption that the primary driver for improved chip performance will come from making transistors smaller and packing more of them onto a single chip.

However, with the slowing of Moores Law, which predicted the doubling of transistors every two years, and as transistor scaling (i.e., miniaturization) approaches fundamental physical limits, this approach may yield diminishing returns and may not be sufficient to maintain a significant lead over China in the long term.

APT helps overcome the constraints of traditional transistor scaling. They facilitate system-level performance gains through the heterogeneous integration of different chip functionalities (e.g., logic, memory, and analog) in a single, compact package, either side-by-side (2.5D integration) or stacked vertically (3D integration).

As a result of the increased proximity between components and greater density of connections within a given footprint, APT unlocks a series of cascading benefits. The reduced distance between components means that electrical signals have to travel a shorter distance (i.e., shorter interconnects), while the higher functional density enables increased bandwidth communication between chips due to the greater number of parallel communication channels available per unit area. Together, these enable faster data transfer rates as there are now more data highway lanes, which are also shorter. The advantages extend beyond just speed. Shorter interconnects are less susceptible to signal degradation, reducing latency and increasing overall reliability. Crucially, ATPs improve power efficiency since there is less resistance and capacitance to overcome.

These features are increasingly important in the context of training large frontier AI models. Current large language models (LLMs) have more than 1 trillion parameters, requiring multiple computing operations across tens of thousands of high-performance chips inside a data center. According to unverified but commonly cited leaks, the training of ChatGPT-4 required roughly 25,000 Nvidia A100 GPUs for 90100 days. Efficient training of large models demands high-bandwidth communication, low latency, and rapid data transfer between chips for both forward passes (propagating activations) and backward passes (gradient descent). These are precisely the issues that APT overcomes or mitigates. The increased power efficiency afforded by APT is also particularly important in the context of the mounting energy costs for training and running LLMs.

Importantly, APT could potentially allow China to technologically leapfrog the United States in AI. By focusing on APT innovation and data-center architecture improvements to increase parallelization and throughput, Chinese companies could compensate for the lower individual performance of older chips and produce powerful aggregate training runs comparable to U.S. AI labs.

In addition to the prohibitions above, the OISM also requires notifications for

The U.S. government is seeking greater visibility on a range of semiconductor-related investments, albeit retroactively within 30 days, as part of its information-gathering exercise.

AI Systems

AI systems are the most open-ended section of the NPRM. It both narrowly targets problematic end uses while containing broad clauses that could sweep in multiple advanced Chinese consumer AI models. It prohibits the development of AI systems that are designed for restricted end uses or that exceed certain technical parameters, including

The OISM also proposes notifications for AI systems that are:

For the uninitiated, FLOP measures the amount of computational power (i.e., compute) required to train an AI system. It is used as a proxy for the capabilities of AI systems as advancements in AI from 2012 have closely correlated with increased compute.

As a reference marker, an AI model that is 10^23, 10^24 or 10^25 FLOP roughly corresponds to the size of ChatGPT-3, 3.5, and 4, respectively. The Treasury Department is still deciding among the compute alternatives and will likely set the relevant amount of compute under notifiable transactions below the amount of compute for the corresponding prohibited transactions (i.e., if 10^24 FLOP is selected for prohibited investments, notifiable investments will be set at 10^23 FLOP).

In terms of the Chinese landscape, according to Epoch AI, as of April 2024, there were no known Chinese AI models above 10^25 FLOP, 5 Chinese AI models above 10^24 FLOP (Qwen-72B by Alibaba, XVERSE-65B by XVERSE Technology, Chat GLM 3 by Zhipu Ai, Tigerbot-70B by Tigerobo, and ERNIE 3.0 TITAN by Baidu), and 14 Chinese AI models above 10^23 FLOP (Qwen-7B by Alibaba, Qwen-14B by Alibaba, Yuan 1.0 by Inspur, GLM-130B by Tsinghua University, xTrimoPGLM-100B by Tsinghua University, Blue LM-13B by vivo AI lab, Naibeige-16B by Nanbeige LLM Lab, Skywork-13B by Kunlun Inc, Baichuan2-13B by Baichuan, CodeFuse-13B by Ant Group, DeepSeek Coder 33B by DeepSeek, DeepSeek LLM 67B by Deepseek, PanGu- by Huawei Noah's Ark Lab, and Yi-34B by 01.AI).

The reason the United States has included general-purpose frontier AI models under the prohibited category is likely because they can be fine-tuned at low cost to carry out malicious or subversive activities, such as creating autonomous weapons or unknown malware variants. Fine-tuning refers to the process of taking a pretrained AI model, which has already learned generalizable patterns and representations from a larger dataset, and further training it on a smaller, more specific dataset to adapt the model for a particular task. Similarly, the use of biological sequence data could enable the production of biological weapons or provide actionable instructions for how to do so.

The use of compute benchmarks, however, especially in the context of national security risks, is somewhat arbitrary. Unlike nuclear weapons, for example, AI does not have a comparable enrichment metric that marks a transition to weaponization. In addition, the compute used to train a model does not necessarily reflect its potential for malicious use. Smaller, specialized models trained on high-quality data can outperform larger, general-purpose models on specific tasks. For example, the landmark experiment that has become the poster child for how AI can manufacture novel pathogens used a model built on a public database in 2020 that would fall well under the 10^23 threshold. Furthermore, different types of AI-enabled threats have different computational requirements. AI-enabled cyberattacks, for example, might be effectively conducted with just modestly capable models.

Moreover, compute benchmarks that define the state of the art are a moving needle. In 2020, there were only 11 models which exceeded 10^23 FLOP. As of 2024, this has grown to 81 models. And as advances in hardware drive down costs and algorithmic progress increases compute efficiency, smaller models will increasingly access what are now considered dangerous capabilities.

Lastly, there are potential workarounds for determined adversarial agents. They can chain together multiple smaller models, each trained below the compute threshold, to create a system with capabilities comparable to a large frontier model or simply fine-tune an existing and freely available advanced open-source model from GitHub.

Quantum Information Technology

Unlike semiconductors, microelectronics, and AI systems, there are no notifiable transactions for quantum information technology. The NPRM prohibits wholesale U.S. investments to develop or produce

The first two categories contain end use provisions targeting military, intelligence, or mass surveillance applications, with the latter specifically targeting the use of quantum technologies for encryption breaking and quantum key distribution.

These prohibitions aim at obvious and direct national security concerns. Unlike other quantum technology subcategories, the potential defense applications of quantum sensors are relatively clear and achievable in the near to mid-term. According to a report by the Institute for Defense Analyses, within the next five years, China could leverage quantum sensors to enhance its counter-stealth, counter-submarine, image detection, and position, navigation, and timing capabilities. Quantum computing also threatens to break current encryption standards, posing warranted cybersecurity risks.

The NPRM also prohibits U.S. investments to develop or produce quantum computers and their components in China entirely. The rules estimate that, while significant technical challenges remain given the early state of the technology, there is a window of opportunity to restrict Chinese access to critical developments in the field. This contrasts with semiconductor export controls, which were implemented after significant technological diffusion had already occurred and China had developed native industry strengths. By acting preemptively, the United States is aiming to maintain a technological advantage in quantum from the outset.

The notifications required under the OISM will call for companies to provide detailed information about their investments in China, providing a dynamic, high-resolution snapshot of the Chinese investment landscape. This data will be fed back to the U.S. government, providing visibility on aggregate and sectoral trends and enabling a bidirectional feedback loop to fine-tune or strengthen export controls and investment screening based on gaps or deficits. In addition, by triangulating various notifications, this system could identify stealth technological developments in China that may have slipped under the radar and serve as a tripwire for potentially problematic Chinese transactions into the United States under the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which screens inbound investments for national security risks.

The OISM goes beyond existing rules in several ways. It not only fills a policy gap but sets up a data flywheel that could introduce complementary effects with adjacent tools, such as export controls and inbound investment screening.

The effectiveness of the proposed OISM hinges on a number of assumptions: (1) that the withdrawal of U.S. capital will be damaging to the Chinese technological landscape, and (2) that U.S. technology scaling know-how and tacit knowledge, which have to date been bundled together with capital, are nonreplicable.

Data from the Rhodium Group shows that U.S. venture capital in China has already fallen off from the peak of $14.4 billion in 2018 to $1.3 billion in 2022. More work also needs to be done to estimate the level of expected backfilling from Chinese domestic and non-U.S. foreign investors. Moreover, while the United States has historically held a significant advantage in scaling technology companies globally, Chinese companies have made significant strides over the past decade. China may well have enough industry veterans and accumulated know-how to coach and mentor the next wave of Chinese champions.

The United States will also need to secure allied buy-in. Encouragingly, the United States has already started to socialize outbound investment screening at the G7 and is also exploring the inclusion of an excepted states clause similar to the one under CFIUS.

Barath Harithas is a senior fellow in the Project on Trade and Technology at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

More here:
Anatomy of a Technology Blockade: Unpacking the Outbound Investment Order - CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies

Yoga for self and society

This year marks the 10th International Day of Yoga with the themeYoga for Self and Society.Yoga, a transformative practice, represents the harmony of mind and body, the balance between thought and action, and the unity of restraint and fulfillment. It integrates the body, mind, spirit, and soul, offering a holistic approach to health and well-being that brings peace to our hectic lives. Its power to transform is what we celebrate on this special day.

Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word yoga derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.

Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.

Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga byresolution 69/131.

The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said: Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action ... a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.

The resolution notes the importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices and following lifestyle patterns that foster good health. In this regard, the World Health Organization has also urged its member states to help their citizens reduce physical inactivity, which is among the top ten leading causes of death worldwide, and a key risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.

Read more from the original source:
International Day of Yoga 2024 - World Health Organization (WHO)

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In recognition of National Dairy Month, Organic Valley has announced ambitious plan to onboard more than 100 small organic family farms into its cooperative by the end of 2024. The cooperative, already the largest organic farmer-owned entity in the United States, has been steadily increasing its membership, reflecting its ongoing commitment to supporting and preserving small organic farms.

Organic Valleys growth strategy focuses on integrating new farms from diverse regions, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New York, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, and Iowa. This regional diversity helps enhance the cooperatives supply chain resilience and product availability across the nation. The cooperatives executive vice president of membership, Shawna Nelson, emphasized that these new additions align with Organic Valleys mission of nourishing organic food, sustainable family farming, and fostering thriving communities.

By bringing in these new farmer-owners, Organic Valley continues to lead the organic movement, demonstrating its ability to adapt and expand while maintaining high standards. Many of the new farms are joining due to challenges with other businesses or a desire to adopt more pasture-based organic farming methods, ensuring a stable future for the next generation of farmers.

Organic Valleys commitment to ethical farming practices and sustainable agriculture is evident in its dedication to protecting more than 400,000 acres of organic farmland across the United States. The cooperative ensures that its farmer-owners adhere to the stringent requirements of the USDA National Organic Program and Organic Valleys own high standards, which prioritize the dignity and interdependence of human, animal, plant, soil, and global life.

The cooperatives approach to farming involves meticulous care for soil health and animal welfare, aspects that resonate deeply with its newest members. Farmers like Toby Miller from Iowa appreciate Organic Valleys ability to provide a stable and solid market for their milk while also promoting the use of organic farming methods that avoid harmful chemicals. This focus on sustainability and long-term land stewardship ensures that Organic Valley remains a trusted leader in the organic sector.

Organic Valleys expansion bolsters its market position and strengthens its role as an advocate for ethical sourcing and sustainable farming. The cooperatives model supports farmers who are dedicated to managing their farms with care and respect for the environment, while ensuring that consumers receive high-quality organic products.

As Organic Valley continues to grow, it invites consumers to join its movement by learning more about its products and farmer-owners. The cooperatives website and blog provide insights into the lives and practices of its members, highlighting stories like that of the Miller family from Iowa. By sharing these narratives, Organic Valley aims to build a stronger connection between consumers and the sources of their food.

The cooperatives growth strategy also includes increasing market presence and expanding product availability in retail stores nationwide. By welcoming over 100 new farms, Organic Valley is set to enhance the diversity and volume of organic products on store shelves, meeting the growing consumer demand for sustainably sourced, organic foods.

In 2024, Organic Valleys expansion underscores its unwavering dedication to supporting small organic family farms and advocating for sustainable agriculture. The cooperatives success story serves as a testament to the power of collective effort in revolutionizing the food system, ensuring a stable future for farmers and high-quality organic products for consumers.

Read more here:

Organic Valley Expands Cooperative, Welcoming Over 100 New Small Organic Family Farms in 2024 - Environment+Energy Leader

Nasdaq-listed medical manufacturer Semler Scientific which made headlines last month for adding Bitcoin (BTC) to its treasury has bought another $17 million worth of the asset and may raise up to $150 million to buy more.

The firms latest Bitcoin purchase was revealed in an S-3 filing to the United States securities regulator on June 6. After making its first 581 Bitcoin purchase on May 28, it now holds 828 Bitcoin, worth over $58.5 million.

Semler isnt wasting too much time, either. It announced that it can raise an additional $150 million of debt securities, with a portion of the proceeds used to buy more Bitcoin.

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus primarily for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of bitcoin, the firm wrote.

In a June 6 statement, the firms CEO, Doug Murphy-Chutorian, said Semlers Bitcoin investment strategy has become the firms other top-line priority alongside its healthcare business.

Bitcoin, now Semslers primary treasury reserve asset, can serve as a reasonable inflation hedge and safe haven amid global instability, the firm said in its SEC filing.

We also believe that its digital, architectural resilience makes it preferable to gold, which has a market value that greatly exceeds the market value of bitcoin, Semler said. Given the gap in value between gold and bitcoin, we believe that bitcoin has the potential to generate outsize returns as it gains increasing acceptance as digital gold.

The firm iterated that it has no plans to purchase cryptocurrency assets other than bitcoin.

Semlers (SMLR) stock spiked 30% on news of its May 28 purchase. However, it wasnt able to pop this time around, falling 2.5% to $29.13 on June 6, Google Finance data shows.

Related: Billionaire investor Bill Miller puts 50% of net worth in Bitcoin

Japan-based investment firm Metaplanet is another firm that has followed MicroStrategys Bitcoin playbook.

It first bought $6.5 million of Bitcoin on April 8 and has bought multiple purchases since, totaling 117.7 Bitcoin or $8.3 million at current prices.

Metaplanets last Bitcoin purchase on May 22 contributed to its being the best-performing stock on the Tokyo Stock Exchange for two consecutive days.

Magazine: How to protect your crypto in a volatile market Bitcoin OGs and experts weigh in

See the original post:

Semler Scientific now holds 828 Bitcoin and has $150M plan to buy more - Cointelegraph

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States acquired the equivalent of around two months worth of the cryptocurrencys mining supply in the first week of June.

With inflows of approximately $1.83 billion, the 11 ETFs bought 25,729 Bitcoin (BTC)in the trading week between June 3 and 7 around eight times more than the 3,150 new BTC mined over the same time, according to data from HODL15Capital.

The amount of Bitcoin acquired in the week alone was almost as much as the entire of May, 29,592 BTC, per HODL15Capitals count, and is the biggest week of buying since mid-March when Bitcoin hit its current all-time high of $73,679.

The 11 ETFs have seen $15.69 billion in net inflows since their January launch, including the $17.93 billion in net outflows from Grayscales fund, with total assets under management (AUM) of around $61 billion.

Bitcoin proponents have long touted cryptocurrency as digital gold due to its built-in scarcity mechanism, which sees only 21 million BTC ever beingissued.

Related: Bitcoin ETF flows will send BTC price into parabolic run, traders say

ETF Store president Nate Geraci noted in a June 9 X post that Bitcoin ETF AUM is around 60% that of the countrys gold ETFs, despite gold ETFs being around for 20 years and Bitcoin ETFs for only five months.

Bitcoin touched a highof $71,093on June 5amid the surge of inflows to the U.S. Bitcoin ETFs, the first time the asset has been above $71,000 since May 21, according to Cointelegraph Markets Pro.

The cryptocurrency has struggled to pass its current high, as its price is more heavily influenced by macroeconomic factors and geopolitical events, crypto exchange co-founder Radar Bear told Cointelegraph on June 7.

Magazine: Bitcoin ETFs make Coinbase a honeypot for hackers and governments Trezor CEO

See more here:

Bitcoin ETFs sucked up 2 months of BTC mining supply in first week of June - Cointelegraph

Chinese scientists are one step closer to a future large-scale quantum computer after building the worlds largest quantum simulation machine based on the trapped-ion technique, praised by one academic journal reviewer as a milestone to be recognised.

The breakthrough was achieved under the leadership of Duan Luming, a quantum physicist renowned for his pioneering research, who returned to China in 2018 after 15 years of teaching in the United States.

Duan received his doctorate in 1998 from the University of Science and Technology of China, the countrys premier institute for quantum research, before joining the University of Michigan in the early 2000s.

Since his return, he has been a full-time professor at Tsinghua Universitys Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences.

Duan and his colleagues, along with several research groups at universities and hi-tech companies around the world, have been chasing the trapped-ion approach to qubits.

Quantum bits, or qubits, are the building blocks of quantum computers, just as bits are in regular computers.

However, qubits are extremely difficult to harness in a controlled and repeatable way because of what is called their hazy nature.

Regular bits can be described as switches that are either on or off. But because uncertainty and probability hold sway in quantum physics, qubits can be both on and off at the same time, and also exist in a variety of in-between states.

Ions, or charged atomic particles, can be trapped and suspended in free space using electromagnetic fields. The qubits are stored in stable electronic states of each ion, and quantum information can be transferred through the collective motion of the ions in a shared trap.

But scalability remains a key challenge for this system.

This is where the trapped-ion approach comes in, as it offers one of the most promising architectures for a scalable, universal quantum computer.

Researchers earlier achieved quantum simulations with up to 61 ions in a one-dimensional crystal. Ion crystals are solids made up of ions bound together in a regular lattice the symmetrical three-dimensional structural arrangements of atoms, ions or molecules inside a solid.

But Duan and his teams quantum simulator was able to achieve the stable trapping and cooling of a two-dimensional crystal of up to 512 ions, in a first for science.

The feat holds great significance for the future of quantum computing, given that scalability is a major hurdle. The teams scaling up of the ions in a stable simulation system is seen as likely to pave the way to building more powerful quantum computers.

The findings of their study were published on Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

This is the largest quantum simulation or computation performed to date in a trapped-ion system, commented one reviewer.

Quantum simulators are devices that actively use quantum effects to answer questions about model systems and, through them, real systems. They are increasingly popular tools in the world of quantum computing for their role in advancing scientific knowledge and developing technologies.

Duan and his team also managed to perform a quantum simulation calculation using 300-ion qubits. They found the computational complexity of 300-ion quantum bits working simultaneously to be astronomical, far exceeding the direct simulation capability of classical computers.

Link:

US-returned Chinese physicist and team achieve world first in quantum computing - South China Morning Post

Bitcoin and Ethereum-based exchange-traded products (ETPs) are set to debut on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) following approval by the United Kingdoms Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on May 22.

The WisdomTree Physical Bitcoin ETP and the WisdomTree Physical Ethereum ETP will be among the first crypto ETPs to be listed in the U.K. and are expected to begin trading on May 28, according toETF Stream.

The ETPs will only be available to professional and institutional investors due to the 2021 ban on retail customers trading crypto derivatives. The listing of WisdomTrees two ETPs comes nearly two months after the LSEs public notice.

Alexis Marinof, head of Europe at WisdomTree, said that the FCAs approval of their crypto ETPs prospectus would make it easier for U.K.-based professional investors to invest in crypto-backed products that currently access crypto ETPs via overseas exchanges.

In a public announcement on March 25, the LSE announced that applications for cryptocurrency ETPs are open until April 8, with accepted funds listed in May, subject to clearance by the nations financial regulator, thFCA.

To gain FCA approval, the crypto ETPs should only be denominated in Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH), be physically backed and be non-leveraged. The issuers must also partner with an Anti-Money Laundering licensed custodian in the United States, the U.K., or the European Union and hold the underlying assets in cold storage.

Related: London emerges as worlds most crypto-ready city for business

The approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and their subsequent market success, which has seen billions flow into the ETFs, have prompted several other governments around the globe to offer crypto accessibility to investors.

Hong Kong also approved the listing of spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs. Unlike U.S.-based spot BTC ETFs, the Hong Kong ETFs have features such as in-kind transfers and denominations in three fiat currencies. Investors can instantly purchase and redeem ETF units using Bitcoin or Ether.

However, despite improved accessibility, the ETFs failed to achieve the same impact as the U.S.-based Bitcoin ETFs, attracting only $22.5 million on the first trading day.

Magazine: What do crypto market makers actually do? Liquidity, or manipulation

Read more:

Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs debut on London Stock Exchange after FCA nod - Cointelegraph

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who endorsed Donald Trump after pulling out from the 2024 White House race, has declared that he would accept an offer to be ex-president's running mate.

Ramaswamy recently appeared on PDB Podcast, and Patrick Bet-David sought his response on what if Trump wins and asks him to be his VP.

"Let's just say the president calls you, former president who's running right now, Trump calls you, he wins. Vivek, I want you to be the VP. I want you to be, after he wins, DAG. I want you to be Secretary of Commerce. I want you to be, is there any job you would say no to if he called you to say, I want you to help me with XYZ job?" the podcaster asked.

The Indian-American politician highlighted that he shares a good relationship with Trump and respects him immensely.

If he knows who I am, and we've got to know each other really well, if after knowing all of that, he would ask me to be vice president, or you brought up that example, let's just answer really honestly, anybody who cares about this country who's aligned with his vision and the Republican Party today, if they're asked to be vice president is going to say yes, and has a responsibility to say yes. And so I think that that goes without saying, he continued.

Its not me first, its not Trump first its America first," Ramaswamy asserted.

Responding to his announcement, one X user wrote: Vivek is dedicated to serving the country.

He sees it as service, not personal advancement, another reacted.

The announcement coincides with Ramaswamy's latest appearance in New York, where he has arrived to attend Trump's hush money trial in show of solidarity with other Republicans.

Also Read: Vivek Ramaswamy steps up attack on Biden administration as he joins Trump supporters at sham NY trial

Going forward, Ramaswamy reacted on his recent exchange with author Ann Coulter, who told him that she's wouldn't vote for him because he is an Indian.

I did not expect she would just kick it off right there, get right into the business. And I think it actually made for a really good conversation, believe it or not, he said on being asked about his conversation with Coulter.

Of course, I disagree with hell like her on that being a criteria to be the U.S. president is her description of whether or not you're an Indian. I'm born in the United States. I'm as American as they come, he added.

Calling it an honest discussion, Ramaswamy said: But I thought it actually formed a really strong basis for an honest conversation that we otherwise don't have because her view is that in order to actually be a U.S. president, you got to be even more American, right?

So you're not fully American if your parents weren't from the United States of America. And in order to trust somebody, the more generations they've been here, let's say you've been here six or seven generations, you have more of what she would call. I think she did call during the podcast, he added.

Ramaswamy, who has a history of opposing the hush money trial, is among Trump's top VP contenders. He is New York to spend the entire day with 77-year-old Trump.

Taking to X, he called the 45th president's trial a sham and said one lesson every American can take away from watching this trial: when weak-willed losers try to enter your life, run like hell in the other direction.

You know who ultimately actually casts the vote on this case? It's not just the jurors in that jury box. It's every American who votes this November to say NO to the weaponization of justice, he said while addressing the reporters on Tuesday.

See the article here:

Vivek Ramaswamy declares he would accept Trump's VP offer, claps back at Ann Coulter's racist remark - Hindustan Times

Far-right commentator Ann Coulter was slammed after making a bonkersalthough on-brandadmission to former 2024 GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, saying that despite agreeing with him on "many things," she "still would not have voted" for him. Why, you ask?

Her racist reasoning:

Coulter made the remark during an appearance on Ramswamy's Truth podcast following a rather spirited introduction from Ramaswamy, who described her as someone he's been "fascinated by for a long time."

According to Ramaswamy, the podcast episode, titled: "The N Word: Nationalism," would serve as a platform for Coulter to offer insights into questions about "the future direction of our country, our conservative movement, and on this question about nationalism and national identity."

Coulter responded:

You can hear what Coulter said in the video below.

Ann Coulter on the N Word: Nationalism | S3E2 | The TRUTH Podcastyoutu.be

Ramaswamy, a billionaire entrepreneur who suspended his bid for the presidency after coming in fourth in the Iowa caucuses, is Indian-American.

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Indian-Hindu parents from the Palakkad district in the Indian state of Kerala. He was raised in Ohio before going on to study at Harvard and later Yale Law School.

Ramaswamy nonetheless listened to Coulter's remark that there is "a core national identity that is the identity of the WASP," using an acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

She further justified her racism, adding:

Ramaswamy later noted that he and Coulter both oppose dual citizenship. Ramaswamy argued that the essence of citizenship is which nation to whom you had your undivided loyalty. To that end, he acknowledged that he "may fail to fully understand" Coulter's position, questioning "why on that axis of citizenship, what does ethnicity have to do with the matter?

After the interview, Ramaswamy defended his decision to feature Coulter on his podcast, writing the following message on X, formerly Twitter:

You can see his post below.

It didn't go over well, with many calling out Coulter's racism and his subsequent reaction.

This is not the first time Coulter has come under fire for making racist remarks about Indian-Americans.

Last year, after former South Carolina Republican Governor Nikki Haleywho was born in South Carolina to Indian parents and has had lifelong residency in the United Statessaid the United States is not a "racist" or "evil" nation, she found herself on the receiving end of a racist tirade from Coulter.

Ironically, shortly after Haley issued her remarks, Coulter said Haley should "go back to [her] own country," ignoring the fact that Haley was born in the South Carolina town of Bamberg. She said Haley's "candidacy did remind me that I need to immigrate to India so I can demand they start taking down parts of their history.

Coulter went on to call Haley a preposterous creature and bimbo and complained about Haley's decision, while still Governor of South Carolina, to take down the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse in the wake of a race-based mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.

Read more here:

Ann Coulter Tells Ramaswamy She Wouldn't Have Voted For 'Indian': VIDEO - Comic Sands

Binance, a top cryptocurrency by trading volume, is introducing Omni Network (OMNI) as its 52nd Launchpool project, per an update on April 12.

The Launchpool platform has played host to a number of major token launches in recent years, including big names like Pendle Finance (PENDLE).

To participate in the token launches, users must stake BNB or FUSD to farm OMNI coin.

BNB stakers will be able to participate for their share of 2,975,000 OMNI, or 85% of the allocated amount, during this period.

For fairness, a maximum hourly hard cap per user has been set to 3,098.95 OMNI in this pool. Over 60,000 BNB holders have already staked.

Meanwhile, FUSD stakers will share 525,000 OMNI, or 15% of the total supply. A user can receive a maximum of 546.87 OMNI every hour from data, more than 43,000 FUSD holders have staked so far.

875,000 OMNI will be distributed daily for four days starting on April 13. Once this farming period elapses, Binance will list OMNI for trading onApril 17 in a highly anticipated token launch.

However, not everyone can participate. BNB or FUSD holders from the United States, New Zealand, Japan, and five other countries are among those not eligible to farm.

(Popular Binance Launchpool Tokens)

Omni Network developers are opting to use the Binance Launchpool, following the route taken by other successful projects like Sui Network (SUI) with the Launchpool benefiting supporters as follows:

Omni Network is building a layer-1 blockchain similar to Ethereum or Solana. It aims to resolve the challenges faced by leading networks.

The platform offers built-in access to Ethereums vast user base and liquidity while connecting all rollup networks through restaking for higher scalability.

By integrating all roll-ups, Omni prevents fragmentation, considering how quickly layer-2 solutions using rollups are finding adoption.

Omni has over 400,000 users, and more than 30 projects are being built on its rails.

Explore: What Is Saga Crypto? Top Exchange Binance Reveal 51st Launchpool Project Over $2Bn Staked

Disclaimer: Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You could lose all of your capital

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Binance Unveils Omni Network (OMNI) as The 52nd Launchpool Project - 99Bitcoins