Interest in cryptocurrencies has surged over the past year, and policymakers are scrambling to catch up. Investors have rushed into major digital currencies such as bitcoin and a growing industry of financial products tied to them, prompting regulators to lay out new rules for a rapidly growing world.

Financial regulators appointed by President BidenJoe BidenRep. Dingell hospitalized for surgery on perforated ulcer Biden administration renews Temporary Protected Status for Haiti Amash warns of turning lawmakers like Cheney into ‘heroes’ MORE have recently pledged to crack down on any manipulation or abuse within the cryptocurrency industry, while advocates for the industry insist the government must lay out clear, consistent rules for all to follow.

Here are five reasons cryptocurrencies are spurring action from Washington:

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Soaring and volatile prices

As stocks blasted to record highs through 2020, major cryptocurrencies exploded right beside them. The price of one bitcoin skyrocketed from roughly $7,300 at the start of 2020 to a peak of $63,503 in mid-April of this year. Other prominent cryptocurrencies such as ethereum and even coins created as jokes such as dogecoin saw similarly meteoric rises, which prompted a cycle of investor enthusiasm driven by soaring prices and prominent onetime supporters such as Elon MuskElon Reeve MuskFive reasons why cryptocurrencies are raising alarm China bans Tesla cars from some government compounds: report Musk tells Moscow he could expand Tesla manufacturing to Russia MORE.

But the rally buckled in a major way this week not long after Musk disavowed bitcoin, knocking $30,000 off its price — two months of growth — and 40 percent off its value since last Friday.

“If you’re a crypto investor, you’ve probably had to deal with major drops in the past. But this time around felt especially painful,” wrote Lule Demmissie, president of Ally Invest, in a Friday research note.

“Bitcoin has looked like the classic case of a crowded trade that turned. Investors have jumped from Bitcoin to Ethereum to Dogecoin in search for the hottest trend in the crypto space. This week, crypto holders rushed to the exits, with all three coins down 30% or more from their peaks,” Demmissie added.

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Major banks and investment firms that once refused to touch cryptocurrencies are now accepting digital tokens as an enduring part of the financial sector, helping legitimize the burgeoning technology.

After the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) gave the banks it regulates the green light to hold cryptocurrency for clients, U.S. Bank, Bank of New York Mellon and Citibank took steps to offer crypto services. Goldman Sachs, one of the earliest investment banks to embrace cryptocurrency, announced this month its plan to offer bitcoin derivatives amid intense demand for crypto-linked bets, fueling concern among industry skeptics.

“My broader concern is that these initiatives were not done in full coordination with all stakeholders. Nor do they appear to have been part of a broader strategy related to the regulatory perimeter. I believe addressing both of these tasks should be a priority,” Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu said during a House hearing this week.

Growing pains for platforms

While Wall Street power players have begun to dip their toes in the crypto world, the online trading platforms and applications that grew beside the digital currency boom have hit several technical and political speedbumps.

Coinbase, the biggest cryptocurrency exchange, and other firms experienced outages this week amid the crypto sell-off, and Binance — another exchange — limited all but a handful of cryptocurrency options trades amid the frenzy, drawing backlash from users.

The intense price swings and the technical issues they’ve spawned have prompted more skepticism among Democratic lawmakers about the legitimacy and safety of cryptocurrencies as investment products.

Sen. Sherrod BrownSherrod Campbell BrownFive reasons why cryptocurrencies are raising alarm Democrats worry Jan. 6 probe could divert their agenda Sherrod Brown pushes watchdog to keep crypto firms out of banking system MORE (D-Ohio), chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, urged the OCC this week to take a closer look at decisions made by his predecessors to allow some crypto trading and custody firms to offer some banking services nationally.

“A firm that cannot meet the rigorous requirements applicable to other banks should not be allowed to present itself to the public as a bank,” Brown said, calling cryptocurrencies “risky and unproven.”

But Peter Van Valkenburgh, research director at cryptocurrency think tank Coin Center, countered that the OCC’s supervision is more likely to protect preexisting customers of such firms than drawn in new ones.

“A bunch of people are already using this thing,” he said. “Do you want them to use it through a company that’s got heavy-duty federal regulation, or do you want them to go and find an international exchange that is licensed anywhere? Because they will.”

Security concerns

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Some critics of cryptocurrencies dismiss them as little more than vehicles for money laundering and fraud. While those are far from the only current or potential uses, high-profile instances of crimes involving cryptocurrencies — including the $5 million in bitcoin ransom received by the alleged Colonial Pipeline hackers — have stoked concerns about regulatory gaps.

The cryptocurrency industry doesn’t fall neatly into the jurisdiction of any one state or federal regulator, making it difficult to set uniform standards or crack down on potential crime.

The Treasury Department is responsible for collecting taxes on cryptocurrency and ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering rules. The Securities and Exchange Commission has jurisdiction over certain investment offerings involving cryptocurrencies, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has jurisdiction over other products, partially because digital coins themselves blur the lines between securities and commodities.

And while federal bank regulators will monitor how the firms they supervise handle crypto, there is no one federal agency with the authority to regulate spot cryptocurrency exchanges, forcing many firms to get state-by-state certification from money transfer supervisors.

“While it’s novel, it’s incumbent on those regulators to understand it because this stuff is not going away,” said Ethan Silver, partner at law firm Lowenstein Sandler.

More money means more taxes

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With more investors buying more cryptocurrencies for more money, the IRS has stepped up its efforts to make crypto owners aware of their tax burdens. The agency caused a stir in 2019 when outlining how crypto investors, some unsuspecting, would need to declare income from investments and potentially pay capital gains taxes.

But the IRS drew even more backlash Thursday after it announced that under President Biden’s plan to bolster tax compliance, individuals would have to report receiving cryptocurrency with a fair market value of more than $10,000, akin to how they currently report cash transactions.

Bitcoin fell sharply after the announcement, which evoked fears of steep tax bills or limited future price growth among investors.

“As long as we’re just providing equal treatment between cash and crypto, we’re providing needed clarity, and that’s almost always positive,” Van Valkenburgh said.

Très amoureux de sa compagne, Franck Gastambide (40 ans) a posé avec Sabrina Ouazani (30 ans) pour l’avant-première de Toy Story 4 le 22 juin 2019. L’acolyte de Malik Bentalha prête sa voix à une peluche au doux nom de Bunny dans ce film d’animation qui sort en salles le 26 juin 2019.

Franck Gastambide s’était confié en février 2019 à Thierry Ardisson dans son émission Les Terriens du Samedi sur C8 sur son couple. L’animateur avait demandé à l’acteur pourquoi il n’avait pas encore demandé la main de Sabrina. Il avait alors déclaré : “Pourquoi ? C’est une bonne question et je vais y réfléchir.” C’est d’ailleurs Thierry Ardisson qui avait rendue publique la relation amoureuse entre Sabrina Ouazani et Franck Gastambide en juin 2018 dans l’émission Salut Les Terriens. L’animateur avait passé la musique de Francky Vincent pour révéler la liaison encore secrète des deux acteurs de Taxi 5 : “Vas-y Francky c’est bon, vas-y Francky c’est bon bon bon.“

D’autres célébrités françaises étaient présentes sur le red carpet dans le parc de Disneyland Paris comme Natoo ou Jamel Debbouze (voix française de Ducky). Franck Gastambide et Jamel Debbouze s’étaient déjà rendus à l’avant-première du film réalisé par Josh Cooley à Marrakech le 13 juin 2019. Pierre Niney a également posé à côté de la star de Toy Story, Andy, tout comme Ramzy Bédia. Pierre Niney prête quant à lui sa voix au personnage Fourchette. Magnifique, Audrey Fleurot a posé sous les flashs des photographes. Dans ce quatrième volet de Toy Story, elle sera la voix de la bergère. La chanteuse Angèle prête sa douce voix à la poupée Gabby Gabby.

Toy Story 4 prendra cette fois-ci la forme d’un road movie en camping-car en compagnie de la famille de Bonnie. Un film d’animation emblématique à découvrir avec toutes ces nouvelles voix françaises.

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Check out these brand-new #ToyStory4 inspired posters by artists @lst_mind, @cmloweart, and @rodolforever. Get your tickets for Toy Story 4 today at the link in bio!

Une publication partage par Toy Story 4 (@toystory) le 19 Juin 2019 2 :23 PDT

À seulement 14 ans, Deva Cassel n’en finit pas d’être le centre de l’attention. La superbe fille de Monica Bellucci et Vincent Cassel a pris leurs jolis traits et est déjà promise à une grande carrière dans le mannequinat. Elle a été choisie pour être l’égérie de Dolce & Gabbana, elle qui tournait les premiers visuels à bord d’une Ape sur la côte amalfitaine pour la promotion de nouveaux parfums.

Très discrète sur les réseaux sociaux, l’adolescente ne publie que de rares photos sur son compte Instagram. Le 25 juin 2019, Deva lâchait un peu de lest en dévoilant à ses 17 000 abonnés un cliché d’elle en noir et blanc, assise sur un banc. Habillée en noir de la tête aux pieds, elle adresse un clin d’oeil malicieux à la caméra, dévoilant au passage sa longue chevelure brune ondulée. “Très belle photo et charmante jeune femme“, “La nature fait vraiment bien les choses“, “Un vrai trésor“, “Tu es si mignonne“, ont fait savoir les internautes, sous le charme de la jeune fille.

Une publication partage par Deva Cassel Belucci (@deva.cassel) le 25 Juin 2019 3 :35 PDT

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Energy Secretary Jennifer GranholmJennifer GranholmHouse Science panel requests briefing with Energy Dept over Colonial hack Hillicon Valley: Colonial Pipeline CEO says company paid hackers .4 million in ransomware attack | Facebook sets up ‘special operations center’ for content on Israeli-Palestinian conflict | Granholm expresses openness to pipeline cyber standards after Granholm expresses openness to pipeline cyber standards after Colonial attack MORE on Wednesday threw her tentative support behind the idea of mandatory standards to secure pipelines in the wake of the debilitating ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline earlier this month.

When asked by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) during a hearing whether pipelines should be subject to similar strict mandatory security standards that the electric sector is, Granholm testified that the U.S. is currently “inadequate” on pipeline security.

“I think that this is an example potentially of that,” Granholm said of the attack on Colonial Pipeline. “If we had had standards in place, would this particular ransomware attack have been able to happen? You know, I’m not 100 percent sure.”

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“I do know that having good cyber hygiene on the private side as well as on the public side is a critical basic defense, and for entities that provide services to the public like that, especially critical services like energy, I think it’s an important consideration for this committee for sure,” she added.

She also pointed to the fact that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has established cybersecurity standards for the electric grid and suggested that the federal government could do the same for pipelines, boosting current Transportation Security Administration (TSA) authorities.

“FERC issued mandatory cybersecurity standards for electricity for electricity owners and operators … TSA has voluntary guidelines, and one wonders whether it’s time we match what we’re doing on the electric side with what we’re doing on the pipeline side,” she said.

Granholm’s remarks appear to differ from those made by President BidenJoe BidenIsrael-Hamas ceasefire could come as soon as Friday: report US opposes UN resolution calling on Israel-Gaza ceasefire Parents of 54 migrant children found after separation under Trump administration MORE last week on cybersecurity standards, in which he rejected the idea of mandated cybersecurity standards. 

“The bottom line is that I cannot dictate that the private companies do certain things relative to cybersecurity,” he said at the time. 

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The hearing came a week after Colonial Pipeline began to restart operations following a devastating ransomware attack earlier this month on its IT system, with the company temporarily shutting down the pipeline to protect operational controls. 

Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount confirmed to The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that the company paid the hackers, who President Biden said last week were likely based in Russia, the equivalent of $4.4 million to regain access to encrypted systems and get the pipeline up and running again. 

Colonial provides around 45 percent of the East Coast’s fuel, and gas shortages were seen in multiple states last week.

Some of Granholm’s comments on Wednesday appeared to be more directed toward Congress than the Biden administration. 

During the hearing, she expressed support for increased incentives for private entities to improve their own cybersecurity systems. 

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“We also need an investment in cyber on the oil and gas pipelines as well,” she said. “The question is, who pays for that investment?” 

“Are there incentives that could be considered by this committee, by this Congress, to have the private companies up their game with respect to installing software that protects them? Those are all great questions for this committee,” she continued. 

Granholm is not the only official to back the idea of further standards for the pipeline sector.

Pallone stressed during his opening remarks that he was “concerned” that TSA’s pipeline security program “lacks the resources and expertise” necessary and that the federal government should do more. 

“I believe it’s time that we consider mandatory, enforceable reliability standards for our nation’s pipeline network,” Pallone testified. “We have to ensure our nation’s energy infrastructure is not just secure, but reliable and resilient.”

Bipartisan members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week reintroduced legislation to secure both pipelines and energy infrastructure against cyber threats, including the Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act. 

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Fred UptonFrederick (Fred) Stephen UptonGranholm expresses openness to pipeline cyber standards after Colonial attack The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Republicans seek to sink Jan. 6 commission The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Israel-Hamas carnage worsens; Dems face SALT dilemma MORE (R-Mich.) and Bobby RushBobby Lee RushGranholm expresses openness to pipeline cyber standards after Colonial attack Feds eye more oversight of pipelines after Colonial attack Shining a light on COINTELPRO’s dangerous legacy MORE (D-Ill.), would strengthen the cyber and physical security operations of the Department of Energy for critical infrastructure. 

Additionally, FERC Chairman Richard Glick and Commissioner Allison Clements last week released a joint statement calling for the establishment of “mandatory pipeline cybersecurity standards similar to those applicable to the electricity sector.”

“Simply encouraging pipelines to voluntarily adopt best practices is an inadequate response to the ever-increasing number and sophistication of malevolent cyber actors,” Glick and Clements said. “Mandatory pipeline security standards are necessary to protect the infrastructure on which we all depend.”

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Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter by clicking HERE. 

Welcome! Follow our cyber reporter, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and tech team, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills) and Rebecca Klar (@rebeccaklar_), for more coverage.

Apple’s CEO Tim Took testified in defense of the App Store as part of the ongoing antitrust trial between Apple and Fortnite developer Epic Games. Meanwhile, concerns over the hate speech children face online is drawing rare bipartisan agreement. And, the White House is taking a new route to encourage Americans to get vaccinates — through dating apps. 

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TIM’S TAKE: Apple CEO Tim Cook defended the company’s App Store rules during testimony Friday, claiming they protect users’ security.

Cook’s testimony came during the Silicon Valley giant’s legal battle against Fortnite developer Epic Games. 

Cook touted the tech giant’s App Store as an “economic miracle” and defended the policies related to the store including the up to 30 percent commission fees charged to developers at the core of Epic Games’s antitrust allegations. 

The app developer is suing the company over allegations of anti-competitive behavior stemming from Apple’s decision in August to kick Fortnite off of the app store after the developer set up its own in-app payment system in an attempt to avoid Apple’s commission fees. 

Read more about his testimony. 

 

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AN ISSUE ON THE RISE: The pandemic has pushed kids to use the internet more for school and socialization, but  children’s media safety advocates warn that social media giants’ business models are a key hurdle in combating cyberbullying.

Kids’ and teens’ reliance on social media platforms to interact amid the pandemic, combined with remote schooling, has exacerbated often toxic and dangerous online environments, according to experts.

The online hate speech faced by minors has prompted rare bipartisan agreement as well as a new legal battle in California federal court that could test the bounds of a controversial law that has shielded tech giants. 

Read more here. 

 

A LOVING APPROACH: Major dating apps are adding vaccination badges and special benefits to users’ profiles who say they received the coronavirus vaccine in an effort to reach the Biden administration’s July 4 inoculation goal. 

“In support of President BidenJoe BidenJudge agrees to unseal 2020 ballots in Georgia county for audit George Floyd’s family to visit White House on Tuesday Biden: US will provide vaccinations for South Korean service members MORE’s goal of getting 70 percent of adults at least one shot by July 4, the largest dating apps in America will launch new features to encourage Americans to get vaccinated,” according to an announcement from the White House. 

The news from the dating apps comes after Biden earlier this month announced a goal of administering at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine to 70 percent of adults by July 4. 

Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, Bumble and Badoo are all giving special benefits to those who get vaccinated and adding new “vaccination badge” options to their profiles.

Read more about the effort. 

 

CHINA’S CONCERNS: China’s internet watchdog on Friday cited 105 apps operating in its country, including Microsoft Bing and LinkedIn, over allegations of illegal data collection of users’ personal information. 

The Associated Press reported that the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced in a statement on its website that the apps, which also include Bytedance’s Douyin and short video app Kuaishou, had 15 business days to address the reported violations before they would face legal consequences. 

The move comes as part of the watchdog’s ongoing crackdown on apps and online content for allegations of improper data collection and misinformation, even as China itself faces allegations from U.S. lawmakers of breaches of online privacy. 

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Read more here.

 

SO LONG, FAREWELL: Amazon will discontinue its Prime Now delivery app and website to integrate the feature onto its main platform, the company said Friday. 

Users will be able to get the same service from Prime Now, with deliveries of certain goods and groceries within hours, on the regular Amazon site once the separate app is shut down later this year, Amazon’s vice president of grocery, Stephanie Landry, said in a blog post.

The e-commerce giant first debuted Prime Now in 2014. 

Read more here. 

 

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SNAPPY NEW SPECTACLES: Snap Inc. announced the unveiling of their new Spectacles AR glasses on Thursday. 

The company said on their website that the “Spectacles” use augmented reality, meaning the wearer looks at digital objects in the real world using the glasses. 

The new product is built with two RGB cameras, four microphones, a touchpad and buttons for control. 

Read more here. 

 

Lighter click: The power of the blue check mark

An op-ed to chew on: When will America protect itself against EMP, cyber and ransomware attacks?

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NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB: 

An Online Community’s Shared Stories Against Anti-Asian Hate (The Verge / Justine Calma)

He Promised a Dreamy Wedding Proposal Fans Got a 5-Hour Sale. (The New York Times / Tiffany May)

‘Swept under the carpet’: When health records are held ransom, patients are the hardest hit — and last to know (Stat News / Marion Renault) 

Leaked emails show crime app Citizen is testing on-demand security force (Vice Motherboard / Joseph Cox)

The top leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas made his first public appearance since the conflict with Israel began.

Dozens of Hamas fighters in military camouflage paraded the streets in Gaza City on Saturday with assault rifles, according to The Associated Press.

Yehiyeh Sinwar, Hamas’s top leader in Gaza, paid his respects at a mourning tent for Bassem Issa, a senior commander who was killed in the fighting.

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The move came as Egyptian mediators held talks to firm up the cease-fire, the AP noted.

The agreement, which took effect on Friday at 2 a.m. in Israel (7 p.m. ET on Thursday), ended some of the worst violence in the region since 2014.

Over the course of about 11 days, Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israel, and Israel responded with a campaign that devastated Gaza’s infrastructure.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Twitter that as of May 21 at 10 p.m., 248 Palestinians were killed, including 66 children, 39 women and 17 elderly due to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. A separate 1,948 have been injured.

About a dozen Israelis are believed to have been killed from Hamas’s attacks.

Despite the agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE warned that he would continue to use force if Hamas fired rockets following the cease-fire.

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Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that Hamas’s top figures remain targets, the AP noted. Israel bombed Sinwar’s home as well as the homes of other senior Hamas members.

Hamas, for its part, told Reuters that it will abide by the cease-fire.

Secretary of State Antony BlinkenAntony Blinken Suspect arrested in connection with attack on Jewish men: LAPD Sunday shows preview: US hails Israel-Hamas cease-fire; ‘vast differences’ remain between Biden, GOP on infrastructure Hamas leader makes first public appearance since conflict with Israel MORE will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the coming days to discuss recovery efforts.

Japanese health officials are opening up mass vaccination sites across the country as Japan prepares to host the postponed 2020 Summer Olympic Games later this year.

Multiple news outlets reported that two centers in Tokyo and Osaka are already up and running as the country aims to vaccinate all elderly residents before an influx of foreign athletes and support staff arrive for the Games, which are not allowing foreign spectators to attend this year.

“We will do whatever it takes to accomplish the project so that the people can get vaccinated and return to their ordinary daily lives as soon as possible,” Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, according to the Associated Press.

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Ramping up the distribution of vaccines in Japan, he added, was an “unprecedented challenge.”

Japan has lagged far behind the U.S. and other industrialized nations in terms of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The country has administered roughly 8.7 million vaccine doses, enough to fully vaccinate just about 3.5 percent of its citizens.

The country now faces challenges related to reaching closer to herd immunity ahead of the Olympics, which are set to go on as planned in late July despite growing controversy over the decision to go forward with hosting.

A coalition of Japanese doctors last week called on the country’s government to cancel the games.

“We strongly request that the authorities convince the IOC [International Olympic Committee] that holding the Olympics is difficult and obtain its decision to cancel the Games,” the Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association, a group of about 6,000 doctors, wrote in its letter.

“The medical institutions dealing with COVID-19 have their hands full and have almost no spare capacity,” the letter continued, adding: “Japan will bear the maximum responsibility.”

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The White House has reinstated a top adviser overseeing the government’s reports on climate change after the official was removed from the position under former President TrumpDonald TrumpNew York prosecutors investigating Trump Organization in a ‘criminal capacity’ Firm behind Arizona audit says no data was destroyed, contradicting GOP allegations Trump calls for Jan. 6 commission debate to end ‘immediately’ MORE last year.

Officials announced on Wednesday that Michael Kuperberg had returned to the position of executive director of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, six months after he was reassigned during the previous administration. Officials stressed the need for non-partisan leadership in charge of climate assessments and for science to be in the driver’s seat.

“We face urgent climate threats, but we have the knowledge needed to take bold action to combat them,” Kuperberg said in a statement. “As a scientist, it’s been my honor to serve the American people under Democratic and Republican administrations to help deliver science to inform solutions.”

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“President BidenJoe BidenFirm behind Arizona audit says no data was destroyed, contradicting GOP allegations Stacey Abrams on not being Biden’s VP: ‘He picked the right person’ Overnight Defense: Top Dem backs off request for Israel arms sale delay | Afghanistan withdrawal up to 20 percent done | Esper returns to defense industry MORE and Vice President Harris have committed to providing the muscle we need to mitigate the causes and impacts of climate change, and I look forward to continuing to serve this nation by helping USGCRP deliver non-partisan, science-based results to guide those actions,” he continued.

Jane Lubchenco, deputy director for climate and environment at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said that it is important that scientific leadership “transcends politics” and commended Kuperberg for having “earned the trust of the science community and policymakers regardless of party stripes.”

The White House’s decision to reinstall Kuperberg, who has served in the federal government for 18 years, was first reported by The Washington Post.

Reprising his role, Kuperberg will be responsible for overseeing government climate assessments that rely on opinions from government and independent scientists. The fourth edition of the report issued in 2018 included dire warnings about the threat of climate change if the U.S. didn’t do enough to curb emissions and reportedly angered the Trump White House. The former president often dismissed the threat of climate change.

Kuperberg was removed from the position in November after the election. He was reassigned to the Department of Energy and replaced with officials who previously questioned climate science, a move that sparked criticism Democrats.

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Aung San Suu Kyi, the deposed leader of Myanmar, appeared in court on Monday in person for the first time since she and the country’s democratically-elected government were ousted by a military coup.

The Associated Press reports that Suu Kyi was able to meet with her defense team for about half an hour before her hearing began, citing one of her lawyers Min Min Soe. Suu Kyi has previously made court appearances via video link and had not been permitted to meet with her lawyers in person.

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The hearing on Monday had to do with six charges against Suu Kyi. According to the AP, she faces two counts of violating the Natural Disaster Management Law for alleged COVID-19 restriction violations; the illegal importation of walkie-talkies for her bodyguards; unlicensed use of the radios; and spreading information that could cause public alarm or unrest.

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Min Min Soe relayed to the AP that Suu Kyo wished to tell the people of Myanma that her National League for Democracy party would stand by them.

According to Min Min Soe, Suu Kyi said, “Since the NLD was founded for the people, the NLD will exist as long as the people exist.”

The head of Suu Kyi’s legal team, Khin Maung Zaw, told the AP that the former leader appeared to be “fit and alert and smart, as always.”

Suu Kyi and her party were ousted in February after winning a landslide democratic general election that would have given them five more years in power. The military junta claimed widespread election fraud had occurred and they were justified in their seizure of power.

Ever since the military coup occurred, countless protests have broken out across the nation, resulting in hundreds of demonstrators being killed by security forces, including several children.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), at least 818 people have been killed and 5392 have been arrested by the military junta.

The U.S.’s daily COVID-19 cases on Thursday fell below 30,000 for the first time since June.

There were 29,128 new reported coronavirus cases in the U.S. on Thursday, a Wall Street Journal analysis of Johns Hopkins University data showed. There were 669 deaths from the virus recorded that day.

Over the past two weeks, the national average has been 32,256 new cases per day.

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Almost 40 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, which has helped contribute to a decrease in cases.

President BidenJoe BidenRep. Dingell hospitalized for surgery on perforated ulcer Biden administration renews Temporary Protected Status for Haiti Amash warns of turning lawmakers like Cheney into ‘heroes’ MORE is aiming for 70 percent of Americans to have received the coronavirus vaccine by Independence Day.

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States such as Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi are still struggling to control the pandemic, with their seven-day averages being higher than the national two-week average, according to the Journal.

Successful rollout of the vaccine and decreased cases have led to many coronavirus restrictions being lifted in the country.

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance saying vaccinated individuals no longer have to wear masks, many companies and businesses lifted their mask mandates.

Many businesses are using the honor system, hoping unvaccinated people will continue to wear masks, and are not requiring proof of vaccinations.