Finance

Dollar Drain: The Hidden Threat to America's Financial Stability

 In the 1990s, endured the harsh effects of a market crisis marked by a "triple yasu" — a toxic mix of falling stock markets, rising bond yields, and a weakening currency. Today, it's America facing a similarly troubling combination. While a temporary pause in tariffs under President Donald Trump offered brief relief, the triple yasu has resurfaced. The most unsettling recent developments have come from the bond and currency markets: since April 1st, the dollar has dropped over 4% against a basket of major currencies, even as yields on ten-year Treasury bonds have climbed by 0.3 percentage points.

TECH

DOGE's Federal Access Sparks Alarms Over Data Security

Elon Musk may be a tech titan, but bringing Silicon Valley tactics into government systems is proving dangerously misguided.

Under the Trump administration, tech jargon echoes through the halls of Washington. Promises to “leverage blockchain” and implement AI-driven automation are reshaping federal agencies like USAID. At the center of this push is DOGE, Elon Musk’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which has already launched internal chatbots and plans to replace laid-off staff with automated tools.

The executive order behind DOGE claims it aims to “modernize” government technology. But blindly injecting hype-driven solutions into critical civic systems isn’t modernization—it’s recklessness. Real civic tech requires thoughtful, human-centered design grounded in the needs of citizens. Unfortunately, the people best equipped to do that work—the seasoned professionals at the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) and 18F—have been laid off or pushed out.

This isn’t bold innovation. It’s systemic failure.

Musk’s track record with private tech companies doesn’t translate to building reliable government infrastructure. If this direction continues unchecked, the cost will fall on the American people.

The cautionary tale? Remember Healthcare.gov’s disastrous launch in 2013. Out of millions expected to sign up, just six users completed registration on day one. In response, the Obama administration built USDS and 18F to recruit experienced private-sector talent to fix broken systems. Their work led to transformative projects—like the IRS’s DirectFile, a free digital tax filing service praised by users and credited with improving public trust in the agency.

Now, that success is under threat. A DOGE engineer recently told IRS staff he intends to dismantle DirectFile entirely. Meanwhile, 21 USDS technologists resigned in January, unwilling to compromise core government services for a vision they say runs counter to everything they were hired to do.

This isn’t just a debate about tech. It’s about safeguarding essential public infrastructure—and the trust Americans place in it.

CRYPTO

Building Empires with Blockchain: Trump’s New Digital Venture

President Donald Trump has long had a soft spot for Monopoly. Back in 1989, he released Trump: The Game, his own spin on the iconic real estate board game. In 2006, he even considered launching a Monopoly-inspired reality show, telling the New York Post at the time, “I’ve always thought Monopoly was an amazing game.” While that show never materialized, Trump’s newest venture sounds like a digital callback to his board game days: a Trump-branded crypto game with a Monopoly-like vibe, according to two sources familiar with the project.

This real estate-themed game marks the latest in a string of crypto endeavors by Trump and his family, joining the ranks of Trump NFT collections, a memecoin, and ventures like World Liberty Financial—a decentralized finance startup—as well as a stablecoin and a Bitcoin mining firm heavily backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

One insider described the upcoming game to Fortune as a twist on Monopoly Go!, where players earn in-game currency by moving tokens around a digital board to build virtual properties. Another source, also familiar with the game, echoed that comparison. Both requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the business.

The project is reportedly spearheaded by Bill Zanker, a longtime Trump associate who helped launch his NFT and memecoin efforts. Zanker’s spokesperson, Kevin Mercuri, confirmed that Zanker is working on a “game” slated for release in late April. However, he dismissed the Monopoly comparisons as “hearsay” and denied any direct link to Monopoly Go!.