The Daily Populous

Friday June 17th, 2022 morning edition

image for Elon Musk sued for $258 billion over alleged Dogecoin pyramid scheme

A photo of Elon Musk is displayed on a smartphone placed on representations of cryptocurrency Dogecoin in this illustration taken June 16, 2022.

NEW YORK, June 16 (Reuters) - Elon Musk was sued for $258 billion on Thursday by a Dogecoin investor who accused him of running a pyramid scheme to support the cryptocurrency.

"Defendants were aware since 2019 that Dogecoin had no value yet promoted Dogecoin to profit from its trading," the complaint said.

"Musk used his pedestal as World's Richest man to operate and manipulate the Dogecoin Pyramid Scheme for profit, exposure and amusement.".

Johnson is seeking $86 billion in damages, representing the decline in Dogecoin's market value since May 2021, and wants it tripled.

He also wants to block Musk and his companies from promoting Dogecoin and a judge to declare that trading Dogecoin is gambling under federal and New York law.

The case is Johnson v. Musk et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 22-05037. »

Same-Sex Marriage Support Inches Up to New High of 71%

Authored by news.gallup.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Seventy-one percent of Americans say they support legal same-sex marriage, which exceeds the previous high of 70% recorded in 2021 by one percentage point.

The current 40% among this group who support same-sex marriage is within the 39% to 44% range Gallup has recorded since 2016.

As Gallup's trend on support for legal same-sex marriage inches ever upward, the question is when it will reach its ceiling. »

Russian spy tried to penetrate war crimes court, say Dutch

Authored by france24.com
image for

The Hague (AFP) – The Netherlands said Thursday it had stopped a Russian spy posing as a Brazilian intern from infiltrating the International Criminal Court, which is investigating war crimes in Ukraine.

Cherkasov was put on the next flight back to Brazil, where police said he was arrested for identity fraud.

The Dutch said Cherkasov could have accessed "highly valuable" intelligence on the ICC's probe into war crimes in Ukraine or even influenced criminal proceedings at the Hague-based tribunal. »

The Consequences of Conquest

Authored by foreignaffairs.com

But if Beijing gained control of Taiwan and based military assets there, China’s military position would improve markedly.

Beijing’s ocean surveillance assets and submarines, in particular, could make control of Taiwan a substantial boon to Chinese military power.

A Chinese assault on Taiwan could shift the military balance of power in Asia in any number of ways. »