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President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that former PayPal Chief Operating Officer David Sacks will serve as White House artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency czar in his incoming administration. 

Sacks, 52, is a San Francisco-based venture capitalist and one of several prominent Silicon Valley players that backed Trump, 78, during his 2024 campaign.  

In this important role, David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness, the president-elect said in his announcement on Truth Social.

Trump noted that Sacks will be tasked with making the US the clear global leader in crypto and AI and protecting the country from censorship. 

He will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship, the president-elect said. He will work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.

Sacks will also lead a White House advisory council on science and technology as part of his role.

Trump praised Sacks as an extremely successful entrepreneur and investor, noting his early involvement in PayPal, an online payment system, and Yammer, a workplace communication service that was acquired by Microsoft for $1.2 billion. 

David has the knowledge, business experience, intelligence, and pragmatism to MAKE AMERICA GREAT in these two critical technologies, the 45th president declared. 

Sacks publicly endorsed Trump in June, arguing in a lengthy X post that voters have experienced four years of President Trump and four years of President Biden with respect to economic policy, foreign policy, border policy, and legal fairness, Trump performed better. 

The venture capitalist subsequently hosted a $12 million fundraiser for Trump at his San Francisco home, and the president-elect later appeared on Sacks  All In podcast.

Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, ballooned to above $100,000 for the first time in its 15 year history Thursday, prior to Trump naming Sack’s as crypto czar, on expectations that the incoming president’s administration will create a friendly regulatory environment for the alternative currency.

On Thursday, Trump also tapped former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) to serve as US Ambassador to China; Rodney S. Scott to serve as commissioner of United States Customs and Border Protection; Caleb Vitello to serve as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Brandon Judd to serve as US ambassador to Chile; and Tony Salisbury to serve as deputy homeland security adviser.

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Politics

Banking Committee chair sets September goal for market structure bill

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Banking Committee chair sets September goal for market structure bill

Banking Committee chair sets September goal for market structure bill

After passing the GENIUS stablecoin bill, Republican leadership on the Senate Banking Committee has turned its sights to digital asset market structure.

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Environment

Podcast: Xiaomi shocks with YU7, Tesla Robotaxi launch, Rivian brings back tank mode, and more

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Podcast: Xiaomi shocks with YU7, Tesla Robotaxi launch, Rivian brings back tank mode, and more

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Xiaomi shocking the industry with YU7, Tesla’s Robotaxi launch, Rivian bringing back tank mode, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

Today, the episode is live at 12:15 a.m instead due to Fred’s travels in China and Seth’s in.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

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After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 12:15 a.m. ET (or the video after 1 a.m. ET):

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World

Japan executes ‘Twitter killer’ who murdered and dismembered nine people

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Japan executes 'Twitter killer' who murdered and dismembered nine people

A man guilty of murdering nine people, most of whom had posted suicidal thoughts on social media, has been executed in Japan.

Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter killer”, was sentenced to death in 2020 for the 2017 killings of the nine victims, who he also dismembered in his apartment near Tokyo.

His execution was the first use of capital punishment in the country in nearly three years and it was carried out as calls grow to abolish the measure in Japan since the acquittal of the world’s longest-serving death-row inmate Iwao Hakamada last year.

He was freed after 56 years on death row, following a retrial which heard police had falsified and planted evidence against him over the 1966 murders of his boss, wife and two children.

Eight of Shiraishi’s victims were women, including teenagers, who he killed after raping them. He also killed a boyfriend of one of the women to silence him.

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Police arrested him in 2017 after finding the bodies of eight females and one male in cold-storage cases in his apartment.

Investigators said Shiraishi approached the victims via Twitter, offering to assist them with their suicidal wishes.

More on Japan

Read more from Sky News:
Vietnam veteran executed after almost 50 years on death row
‘Great progress’ made in Gaza ceasefire talks, says Trump

Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised Shiraishi’s hanging, said he made the decision after careful examination, taking into account the convict’s “extremely selfish” motive for crimes that “caused great shock and unrest to society”.

“It is not appropriate to abolish the death penalty while these violent crimes are still being committed,” Mr Suzuki said.

There are currently 105 death row inmates in Japan, he added.

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