Aug 1, 2017

Bitcoin expands into "cash"

Kin Cheung / AP

Bitcoin, one of the leaders in the digital currency market, split into two separate entities today. In addition to the initial version of the bitcoin currency, there is now a new cryptocurrency called "bitcoin cash," per Quartz.

Why: Bitcoin's infrastructure failed to keep up with the market's rapid transaction growth. But tech experts say the new bitcoin cash, which offers a transaction capacity eight times the size of the original bitcoin, will be able to ease some of the currency's current back-log issues.

Potential problems: Two separate currencies could spur a debate over which currency is understood as the true bitcoin. It could also cause technical issues, such as disappearing coins, Quartz notes.

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Axios

Updated 13 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 20,317,087 — Total deaths: 742,035— Total recoveries: 12,602,544 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 5,141,879 — Total deaths: 164,545 — Total recoveries: 1,714,960 — Total tests: 63,252,257 — Map.
States: Georgia reports 137 coronavirus deaths, setting new daily record — Florida reports another daily record for deaths.
Health care: Trump administration buys 100 million doses of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine.
Business: Moderna reveals it may not hold patent rights for vaccine.
Sports: Big Ten and Pac 12 scrap fall football — MLB salaries at 37%
World: Lebanon reported record new cases as UN warned blast may drive spike — Fauci "seriously" doubts Russia's coronavirus vaccine is safe

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Mike Allen, author of AM

39 mins ago - Politics & Policy

3 keys to Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris

Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

Three quick points about Joe Biden's historic selection of Sen. Kamala (pronounced COMMA-luh) Harris of California as his running mate — and clues they give us to how Biden would govern:

She was always at the top of his list. As I look back through my text threads with top Dems over the past five months, she was always assumed to be the most likely pick.

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Bob Herman

2 hours ago - Health

The top-selling drugs in the U.S. in 2019

Data: IQVIA, company financial documents; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

The 10 highest-selling drugs in the U.S. last year gave away more than $23 billion in rebates to insurance intermediaries, but still netted almost $58 billion in sales.

The big picture: The U.S. drug pricing system is filled with confusing numbers, and many entities profit off the flow of drugs, but pharmaceutical companies retain a vast majority of the proceeds.