Trump Chooses Crypto Fan to Police Wall Street

Donald Trump’s new administration continues to take shape despite the political maelstrom over his more inflammatory choices, including the very public withdrawal of two appointees and the possibility a third will soon be forced out. Trump has chosen Paul Atkins, a Beltway conservative, cryptocurrency fan and former SEC commissioner to lead the US Securities and Exchange Commission. If confirmed, Atkins is expected to focus on slashing regulations and reducing penalties for securities violators. He’s on record questioning some of the rules put in place after Wall Street nearly collapsed the global financial system back in 2008. As an SEC commissioner during the George W. Bush administration, he made clear his position that the regulator’s role also is to increase competition and efficiency in the markets. Atkins, 66, would be a sharp right turn from current chair Gary Gensler, who plans to leave the agency when Trump takes office. Meanwhile, Trump also named billionaire Jared Issacman (he was on the first commercial spacewalk) to lead NASA and appointed David Warrington as White House counsel, substituting a campaign lawyer from a California law firm for a previously announced pick.

French government collapses. Turmoil deepened as both the far-right National Rally and the leftist Socialists voted to bring down the 3-month-old government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Appointed in September, Barnier was charged with getting the country’s messy finances in order. France has been in political limbo since President Emmanuel Macron called a snap national vote in June after getting trounced in European elections. Voters left the lower house split into three blocs, but with Marine Le Pen’s party as largest in parliament, the extremist firebrand became the country’s most influential powerbroker while Macron’s centrist coalition crumbled. Here’s how it all happened—and why.