Oct 11, 2019 - Technology

More companies drop out of Facebook-led cryptocurrency plan

Photo: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Visa, Mastercard, eBay and Stripe have followed in PayPal's footsteps and decided not to go forward with their participation in Libra, the digital currency network spearheaded by Facebook, according to CNBC.

Why it matters: Facebook spent more than a year quietly working on the project, and rallied 27 organizations to tentatively agree to participate. However, the Libra Association has faced an avalanche of criticism and scrutiny from regulators worldwide, though it's done little more than publish its plans. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify on the topic in front of the House Financial Services Committee on Oct. 23.

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Axios
9 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Harris previews dual role in debut speech: Attacking Trump and humanizing Biden

Sen. Kamala Harris began her first speech as Joe Biden's running mate excoriating President Trump for his "mismanagement" of the coronavirus and scorn for the racial justice movement, before quickly pivoting to how she came to know Biden: through her friendship with his late son Beau.

Why it matters: The debut speech on Wednesday underscored the dual roles that Harris will take on for the rest of the campaign — humanizing Biden during a moment of national crisis and "prosecuting" the case against Trump as a failed president.

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Bryan Walsh
27 mins ago - Health

The two sides of America's coronavirus response

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

America's bungled political and social response to the coronavirus exists side-by-side with a record-breaking push to create a vaccine with U.S. companies and scientists at the center.

Why it matters: America's two-sided response serves as an X-ray of the country itself — still capable of world-beating feats at the high end, but increasingly struggling with what should be the simple business of governing itself.

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Axios
43 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Joe Biden introduces Kamala Harris in first joint appearance

Joe Biden formally introduced Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Wednesday, telling a socially distanced audience in a Wilmington, Del., gymnasium: "I have no doubt that I picked the right person to join me as the next vice president of the United States of America."

Why it matters: Harris is a historic pick for vice president, becoming the first Black woman and first South Asian woman to be named to a major-party U.S. presidential ticket. "Kamala knows how to govern," Biden said. "She knows how to make the hard calls. She is ready to do this job on day one."

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