Trump ratcheted up his pressure campaign this week, calling on Fed Governor Lisa Cook to resign after a Trump administration official alleged that she had committed mortgage fraud. Cook rebuked the push for her to quit, saying she has “no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet.”

Stocks closed lower Wednesday, led by a continued technology sector sell-off, as investors brace for a big speech later in the week by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) fell to its lowest level of the year on Friday, as US stocks surged following a highly-anticipated speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that bolstered the case for a September interest-rate cut.

Wall Street cheered remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in Jackson Hole opening the door to a rate cut in September.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP were being helped by Fed Chair Powell’s comments that rate cuts could be warranted in his speech at Jackson Hole.