Dr Anthony Fauci declined to answer questions at a Senate hearing on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. The former top US health official invoked his Fifth Amendment rights saying he feared Republican lawmakers could try to use his testimony to prosecute him for perjury.
Published On 29 Jul 2026
Binance.US plans to apply for a designated contract market license from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission next month as the exchange prepares to expand into prediction markets.
Chief executive Stephen Gregory disclosed the plan Wednesday during the Rare Evo conference in Las Vegas, according to Bloomberg, citing a Binance.US spokesperson.
Receiving designated contract market status would allow Binance.US to operate a derivatives exchange under CFTC oversight and potentially list event contracts for retail customers.
A designated contract market is a federally regulated exchange that can offer futures, options, and other derivative contracts. Applicants must satisfy CFTC requirements covering market surveillance, customer protection, financial resources, and safeguards against manipulation.
Binance.US has not yet appeared on the CFTC’s public list of pending designated contract market applications, consistent with Gregory’s statement that the filing is planned for next month. Approval is not guaranteed and the company has not disclosed a timeline for launching any products.
The planned application advances a broader comeback strategy centered on lower trading fees and an expansion beyond spot crypto trading.
Gregory previously said the exchange was exploring retail derivatives and event based products as it attempts to regain market share lost during several years of regulatory uncertainty.
At its peak in 2022, Binance.US controlled roughly 20% of the US crypto exchange market, according to CoinDesk Indices data. Its share has since fallen to nearly zero.
Binance.US operates separately from the larger global Binance exchange, although the businesses share branding and beneficial ownership.
The US company lost substantial trading activity following regulatory actions involving the broader Binance organization. The global exchange reached a $4.3 billion settlement with US authorities in 2023 over violations related to sanctions and money transmission rules.
The prediction market sector has expanded rapidly as financial and crypto companies compete to offer event contracts tied to sports, elections, economic data, and other outcomes.
However, the industry remains subject to legal and regulatory disputes. State authorities, consumer groups, and traditional gaming operators have challenged whether certain event contracts should be treated as federally regulated derivatives or gambling products governed by state law.
The CFTC has also reminded designated markets that event contracts must comply with existing product submission, market integrity, and anti manipulation requirements.
After more than a decade away from film, Gregg Araki is back with I Want Your Sex, following a fresh-faced 23-year-old (Cooper Hoffman) who lands a job working for renowned artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde). Things quickly take a turn, though, as Erika chooses him to become her sexual muse.
The erotic comedy plays into a recent trend of projects depicting older women in relationships with younger men, including 2024’s Babygirl and a side plot in Marty Supreme. Co-writer Karley Sciortino recently wrote an op-ed about Hollywood’s love of the new age gap, and at the movie’s L.A. premiere on Tuesday, Araki explained, “In the patriarchy, that’s normal, for the pretty young thing to be with the old rich guy. As women gain more power and more income and wealth, I think that it’s great that the tables get evened out a little bit.”
Wilde — who has her own personal experience with age gap romances and the backlash that can surround them, from her time dating Harry Styles — celebrated “the fact that audiences are really open to a trend that for so long was dominated by the traditional older man, younger woman narrative. I think it’s exciting that people are breaking out of their boxes in different ways. I loved Babygirl; I think it’s exciting that people are open to different kinds of sexy love stories.”
Araki explained how he chose his central pairing, having long wanted to work with Wilde but admitting he wasn’t sure about Hoffman at first because after seeing him in Licorice Pizza, “he was so young and I was like it’s a little creepy for her to be sleeping with this kid.” After meeting him, though, Araki was impressed by how Hoffman “has a lot of gravitas for somebody so young;” Hoffman explained in signing on, “I would be really shocked if people said no to this opportunity. It’s Gregg, it’s Olivia, it’s a wild sex movie — that feels so exciting to me, rather than something that’s boring and dull.”
Wilde’s character in particular is very far from dull, with the star saying, “Madonna was a major source of inspiration, specifically the Truth or Dare documentary” and how she was “singular in her determination to stay true to herself and completely not giving a single fuck about if people didn’t approve of her.”
The performance is also a big departure from her buzzy performance in The Invite, her other relationship comedy that came out this summer. “It’s wild because these two characters are the two kind of sides of my personality. I love that they’re so different but they’re really in the same conversation about intimacy and growing up,” Wilde said. “The Invite is about growing up into a different stage of life, I think; this one is really about adolescence and the idea of maturing into an adult and what it means to experiment and the importance of experimenting.”
I Want Your Sex, which also stars Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Johnny Knoxville, Margaret Cho and Daveed Diggs, hits theaters on Friday.
Lynette Howell Taylor was re-elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood’s Oscars-dispensing organization, by its board of governors at a meeting on Wednesday morning, the organization just announced.
Howell Taylor, an Oscar-nominated film producer whose credits include both acclaimed indies (among them 2006’s Half Nelson, 2010’s Blue Valentine and 2016’s Captain Fantastic) and blockbuster studio films (such as 2018’s A Star Is Born, for which she received a best picture Oscar nomination), was first elected to the presidency a year ago. The 47-year-old, who, like the Beatles, hails from Liverpool, England, is the 37th person to hold the office.
Howell Taylor joined the Academy in 2014 and was recruited to produce the 2020 Oscars telecast with Stephanie Allain. Later that same year, she was elected to represent the producers branch on the board of governors, and was re-elected to a second term three years later. Term limits require governors, after six consecutive years of service, to step away from the board for at least one year, so Howell Taylor is no longer a governor of the producers branch — but the board recently passed a bylaw amendment to allow a sitting Academy president to run for re-election to that role until they have served up to four consecutive one-year terms, with the goal of providing greater consistency and continuity to the board. So she remains on the board as an “ex oficio governor” — a voting member representing the Academy, not a specific branch.
Also elected by the board to 2026-2027 officer positions:
Barber, Fox, Phillips and Rodman were re-elected as officers; Dinerstein was elected for the first time.
“We are so deeply grateful to Lynette, Lesley, David, Jennifer, Lou and Howard for their commitment to the Academy and to our global film community,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer said in a statement. “As we move toward our 100th anniversary, I am excited to continue our vital work with the board and these exceptional board officers to support our members, the industry and the Academy’s mission and programs.”
There’s always a need to feel safe in your home. That’s why having security cameras is important, and your first line of defense should be an outdoor camera. The Tapo 2K MagCam two-pack just happens to be on sale over at Amazon, knocked down to $114.99 from its original $144.49 listing. That’s $30 in savings!
As of July 29, the Tapo 2K MagCam is 21% off. According to CamelCamelCamel, this is the lowest price it’s been at, so now’s a great time hop in!
This Tapo 2K MagCam security camera is easy to install, so start feeling safe instead of feeling headaches! It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, giving you a hands-off experience. The 10000mAh battery provides up to 300 days of use, ensuring that you’ll be able to get coverage for a large majority of the year. The camera provides 2K resolution that allows you to see every bit of detail from license plates, faces, and more. It has a 142-degree field-of-view so you can cover a broader area.
With full-color night vision, you’ll still be able to see in low light conditions thanks to the built-in spotlights. The camera is two options when it comes to storing footage. You can either store it locally with a microSD card up to 512GB, or subscribe to Tapo’s cloud subscription service. The latter offers 30 days of video history in case you need to go back and double check something.
Our expert John R. Delaney awarded it an “Outstanding” rating. In our in-depth review, he said, “The TP-Link Tapo Wire-Free MagCam is a 2K outdoor camera that’s easy to install and packed with features, including built-in spotlights, color night vision, and a rechargeable battery that can last nearly a year.”
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
If you’re looking for alternatives, check out the Ring Outdoor Cam Pro and the Eufy SoloCam S340.
Check out our other outdoor camera coverage and Amazon deals.
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T-Mobile is making it more affordable to cut ties with traditional internet providers.
For a limited time, new customers who sign up for any T-Mobile 5G Home Internet plan can receive their first month of service on T-Mobile1, plus up to $200 back through a virtual prepaid card.2
The rebate amount depends on which plan customers select. New subscribers can receive $100 back with the Rely or Amplified plans, while those who choose the higher-tier All-In plan are eligible for the full $200 virtual prepaid Mastercard.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet uses the carrier’s cellular 5G network rather than a traditional cable or fiber connection. Customers receive a wireless gateway that converts the nearby mobile signal into a Wi-Fi network for devices throughout the home, helping eliminate the need for cable installation or a technician appointment.
The service has become an increasingly prominent alternative to major cable companies, particularly for households looking for simpler pricing and fewer long-term commitments. T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet plans include unlimited data and do not require annual contracts, though availability and speeds vary by address.
T-Mobile also includes a five-year price guarantee with eligible plans, promising not to raise the price of fixed-wireless 5G internet data during that period. Exclusions like taxes and fees apply.
The All-In plan also adds perks including Hulu with ads and Paramount+ Essential – totaling more than $20 in monthly savings compared to the streamers’ regular subscription prices.
Find out more about T-Mobile’s best home internet deals here.
The Federal Reserve left its benchmark fed funds rate range unchanged at 3.50%-3.75% on Wednesday, extending its pause for a sixth consecutive meeting as policymakers continue to grapple with stubborn inflation.
The decision came after one of the most uncertain pre-meeting setups in years. Futures markets had assigned roughly a 65% probability to a hold and 35% odds of a quarter-point increase, according to CME FedWatch data.
It was an unusual setup, as for years, the Fed had typically tried to communicate to markets the direction it was going to take on policy
Attention now turns to Chair Kevin Warsh’s post-meeting press conference. Warsh has been openly critical of the Fed’s traditional use of forward guidance and the quarterly “dot plot,” and investors will be watching closely for signs that the central bank’s communication strategy is changing under his leadership.
“The Daily Show” blew out the candles on 30 years this month, and to celebrate, the Comedy Central talk series is putting out a three-episode podcast series titled “30 F#@king Years: The Daily Show Remembers.”
The limited audio series is hosted by the News Team — that’s Jordan Klepper, Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, Josh Johnson, Grace Kuhlenschmidt and Troy Iwata — as they recount their favorite moments from “The Daily Show’s” three-decade history. Per the description, the anchors will discuss “iconic field pieces and legendary correspondents that helped define ‘The Daily Show’s’ unparalleled legacy.”
“The Daily Show” has produced a catalog of ancillary podcasts and video series over the years. The audio version of the nightly show, “The Daily Show: Ears Edition,” has generated 767 million lifetime listens. And Jon Stewart’s “The Weekly Show” podcast finds the host interviewing political figures from Zohran Mamdani to JB Pritzker.
Last week, “The Daily Show” put out a 17-minute video with clips from throughout the series’ history, including the early years hosted by Craig Kilborn and Trevor Noah’s seven-year stint in between Stewart regimes.
“The Daily Show” has been on the upswing since Stewart returned behind the desk in 2024 — even if only on Mondays. The show is up for seven Emmys this year, including for outstanding variety series. And in the first quarter of 2026, the program scored its best young adult ratings in more than eight years. On Stewart’s Mondays, “The Daily Show” is the No. 1 show in late night with adults 18-49.
Why the bullish case could work
Why the bearish case is more likely
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The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.
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