内容摘要：Francis in many ways saw the Chicago-born Augustinian missionary Robert Prevost as something of an heir apparent: He moved him to take over a small Peruvian diocese in 2014, where Prevost later became bishop and head of the Peruvian bishops conference, and then called him to Rome to take over one of the most important Vatican offices vetting bishop nominations in 2023.

Francis in many ways saw the Chicago-born Augustinian missionary Robert Prevost as something of an heir apparent: He moved him to take over a small Peruvian diocese in 2014, where Prevost later became bishop and head of the Peruvian bishops conference, and then called him to Rome to take over one of the most important Vatican offices vetting bishop nominations in 2023.

As the president uses crypto as a platform to make money for his brand in unprecedented ways, it’s also creating an opportunity for potentially shadowy buyers to use the anonymity of the internet to buy access to the president. The lack of transparency was evident on a poster board at the dinner, where participants signed a ranking of top investors. Some used their real names; others used pseudonyms.No media was allowed into the dinner, and the president was at his golf club for only about an hour. Protesters gathered outside the club holding signs that said “stop crypto corruption” and “no corrupt fools.”

Trump said the event was “good, very good” as he returned to the White House.Three days before Trump took office on Jan. 20, he announced the creation of the $TRUMP meme coin at the fancy Crypto Ball held down the street from the White House. He described it as a way for his supporters to “have fun.”Meme coins are the crypto sector’s black sheep. They are often created as a joke, with no real utility and prone to extremely wild price swings that tend to enrich a small group of insiders at the expense of less sophisticated investors.

The president’s meme coin is different, however, and has a clear utility: access to Trump. In addition to Thursday’s dinner, the top 25 were invited to a private reception with the president, with the top four getting $100,000 crypto-themed and Trump-branded watches.Trump’s meme coin saw an initial spike in value, followed by a steep drop. Its creators, which include an entity controlled by the

, have made hundreds of millions of dollars by collecting fees on trades.

has her own meme coin, and Trump’s sons, Eric and Don Jr. — who are running the Trump Organization while their father is president — announced they are partnering with an existing firm to create a crypto mining company.A police investigator checks on the unidentified body of an alleged drug lord in Manila, Philippines, Sept. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)

A police investigator checks on the unidentified body of an alleged drug lord in Manila, Philippines, Sept. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)By then, Marcelo’s mother, Betty Soriano, had decided to start accompanying her son on his nightly tricycle shifts. The family believed he would be safer, and her presence would discourage him from spending time with the drug users he always ran across.

Marcelo then made his wife an extraordinary promise: He was quitting shabu. It had become too dangerous.Betchie felt he had to do more, and convinced him to work day shifts. But the competition was too tough, the money too little, and Marcelo reverted to working nights. He told Betchie she didn’t have to worry “because I’m not using drugs anymore.”