Article: London Money Laundering Raid Nets Almost $250 Million in Bitcoin

Article - Media

London Money Laundering Raid Nets Almost $250 Million in Bitcoin

Patricia Claus, 13 July 2021

London’s Metropolitan police seized nearly £180 million ($248,993,100) of bitcoin on Saturday as part of a money laundering investigation.

The seizure, announced on Tuesday, is only the latest in a string of such raids, including the confiscation of £114 million ($157,567,950) of the cryptocurrency last month. Police spokesmen told the press that criminal organizations were using cryptocurrency, including bitcoin, as a way to launder their ill-gotten takings. Continue reading “Article: London Money Laundering Raid Nets Almost $250 Million in Bitcoin”

Article: U.S. Futures Gain, Bond Rally Pauses as Fed Eyed: Markets Wrap

Article - Media

U.S. Futures Gain, Bond Rally Pauses as Fed Eyed: Markets Wrap

Cecile Gutscher and Joanna Ossinger, 14 June 2021

U.S. equity futures and stocks posted modest gains Monday as investors prepared for a key Federal Reserve meeting later in the week. The rally in bond markets lost steam.

S&P 500 futures signaled the gauge was poised to add to Friday’s fresh record. An advance in European equities was led by shares in energy firms. The Treasury 10-year yield rose to 1.46% after hitting three-month lows on Thursday amid the biggest weekly slide since December. French and German government bond peers also reversed course with yields turning higher. Continue reading “Article: U.S. Futures Gain, Bond Rally Pauses as Fed Eyed: Markets Wrap”

Article: United States: Biden: The Fight Against Foreign And Transnational Corruption Is A National Security Interest

Article - Media

United States: Biden: The Fight Against Foreign And Transnational Corruption Is A National Security Interest

Wilmer Hale, 14 June 2021

On June 3, 2021, President Biden issued a National Security Memorandum establishing the fight against corruption both at home and abroad as a core United States national security interest and directing the development of a 200-day interagency review designed to culminate in a report and recommendations on how the United States government and its partners can better combat corruption, enhance transparency in the global financial system and promote good governance. When combined with the anti-money laundering (AML) legislation that entered into force with the January 2021 bipartisan passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA)1- the most significant reforms to US AML laws since the 2001 adoption of the USA PATRIOT Act-and a review of sanctions policy conducted by the Treasury Department, the Memorandum may lead to a heightened focus on illicit financial activity and corruption and may ultimately result in additional resources being allocated to anti-corruption and AML enforcement.

A. Overview of the Memorandum
Defining the need to “counter[] corruption” as a “core United States national security interest,” President Biden advances a multifaceted policy initiative that rests on three key pillars: promoting good governance, ensuring transparency in global financial systems, and combating and preventing corruption. We can expect more detail on President Biden’s anti-corruption strategy with the publication of the Interagency Report after 200 days. President Biden’s focus on promoting good governance, increasing transparency and reducing impunity centers on the following themes: Continue reading “Article: United States: Biden: The Fight Against Foreign And Transnational Corruption Is A National Security Interest”

Article: Once You Realize The US Government Is An Organized Crime Syndicate, Everything Makes Sense

Article - Media

Once You Realize The US Government Is An Organized Crime Syndicate, Everything Makes Sense

L Todd Wood, 10 June 2021

Obama corrupted everything good within the U.S. government, finishing what the Clinton’s started. Joe Biden (essentially Obama’s third term) is the coup de grace.

Axios released an article today detailing that half the unemployment aid issued over the past year was sent out of the country to foreign criminal organizations.

Read Full Article

Article: SEC Launches Review Of High-Frequency Traders’ Market Abuses

Article - Media

SEC Launches Review Of High-Frequency Traders’ Market Abuses

Tyler Durden, 09 June 2021

Nearly 8 years have passed since Michael Lewis published “Flash Boys”, raising awareness of the relatively new practice of high-frequency trading and its transformative impact on markets, allowing the most technologically-advanced traders to effectively see a picture of the market that’s nanoseconds ahead of what their non-NFT peers see, giving them a massive advantage.

Now, the SEC is finally considering changing the rules of how stocks are priced and traded to stop exchanges from incentivizing brokers (nowadays, particularly retail trading brokerages that have seen an explosion of activity in the past couple of years).

Read Full Article

Article: US Attorney General Warns Ransomware ‘Getting Worse and Worse’

Article - Media

US Attorney General Warns Ransomware ‘Getting Worse and Worse’/strong>

Masood Farivar, 09 June 2021

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland warned Wednesday that ransom-motivated cyberattacks are “getting worse and worse,” echoing other top Biden administration officials who have sounded the alarm about the problem in recent weeks.

“We have to do everything we possibly can here,” Garland told lawmakers. “This is a very, very serious threat.” Continue reading “Article: US Attorney General Warns Ransomware ‘Getting Worse and Worse’”

Article: Special Counsel Spends $1.5 Million in Probe of Russia Inquiry

Article - Media, Publications

Special Counsel Spends $1.5 Million in Probe of Russia Inquiry

Chris Strohm, 28 May 2021

The U.S. Justice Department released the first official expenditure report for the special investigation into the origins of the FBI’s Russia inquiry — providing a rare bit of insight into the secretive review more than two years after it was begun in response to demands by then-President Donald Trump.

The inquiry being led by Special Counsel John Durham spent about $1.5 million from Oct. 19 to March 31, according to the report from the Justice Department released Thursday. Of that, Durham directly spent about $934,000, mostly on personnel, while Justice Department units spent about $520,000 to support the investigation, according to the five-page report. Continue reading “Article: Special Counsel Spends $1.5 Million in Probe of Russia Inquiry”

Article: China slams Biden’s renewed probe of Wuhan lab as ‘political manipulation’

Article - Media, Publications

China slams Biden’s renewed probe of Wuhan lab as ‘political manipulation’

Mark Moore, 27 May 2021

The Chinese Communist Party blasted President Biden’s decision to renew the investigation into whether the coronavirus leaked from a Chinese lab as “political manipulation” and one that “does not care about facts and truth.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, speaking at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday, said the US “does not care about facts and truth, nor is it interested in serious scientific origin tracing.”

“Some people in the United States claim they want the truth, but their real intention is political manipulation,” Zhao said. Continue reading “Article: China slams Biden’s renewed probe of Wuhan lab as ‘political manipulation’”

Article: The U.S. Shouldn’t Let China Take the Lead on Trade

Article - Media, Publications

The U.S. Shouldn’t Let China Take the Lead on Trade

Editorial Board, 26 May 2021

However loudly U.S. politicians vow to compete with China, they seem happy to quit the field and let Beijing win in one crucial area: trade. If President Joe Biden hopes to build a coalition in Asia to counterbalance China’s rise, he can’t afford such defeatism.

U.S. allies such as Japan are especially eager to see the U.S. join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) — the 11-nation free-trade agreement that in its original form was intended to cement U.S. ties to Asia. Yet administration officials continue to dodge questions about the deal. At the same time, according to Bloomberg News, China has begun exploratory talks on its own possible accession. Continue reading “Article: The U.S. Shouldn’t Let China Take the Lead on Trade”

Article: China stocks drop from 11-week high on commodity retreat amid a crackdown on pump-and-dump scheme

Article - Media, Publications

China stocks drop from 11-week high on commodity retreat amid a crackdown on pump-and-dump scheme

Iris Ouyang, 19 May 2021

Stocks in mainland China retreated from a three-day advance as commodity prices eased and lingering concerns about global inflation soured appetite for risks. Financial markets in Hong Kong were closed for a public holiday.

The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.5 per cent to 3,510.96 at the close of Wednesday trading, after a rally this week that lifted the gauge to the highest level in 11 weeks. The Shenzhen Composite Index climbed 0.2 per cent, while technology-heavy ChiNext rose 0.8 per cent. Continue reading “Article: China stocks drop from 11-week high on commodity retreat amid a crackdown on pump-and-dump scheme”

Article: SILVER EATS DOUBT FOR BREAKFAST

Article - Media, Publications

SILVER EATS DOUBT FOR BREAKFAST

Korbinian Koller, 07 May 2021

Gaining certainty about a clear picture of the future is getting more complex by the minute. Data arrives of never-seen occurrences that make it seemingly impossible to know how everything will pan out. President Biden demands higher taxation of the rich and a minimum wage of US$15. News about Silver market manipulation introduces fear into this market sector. Janet Yellen spoke of inflation. Many are talking about a possible hyperinflation. Others however are pointing towards the “Japanization” of America. On top, a recent New York Times headline reads: “Reaching herd immunity is unlikely in the U.S.”. All this noise is creating more confusion and pressure instead of clarity. The good news is: You do not need to know how the future unfolds to preserve your wealth. And Silver eats doubt for breakfast. Continue reading “Article: SILVER EATS DOUBT FOR BREAKFAST”

Chris Hedges: Don’t Be Fooled By Joe Biden

Article - Media, Publications

Chris Hedges: Don’t Be Fooled By Joe Biden

Don’t be fooled by Joe Biden. He knows his infrastructure and education bills have as much chance at becoming law as the $15-dollar minimum wage or the $2,000 stimulus checks he promised us as a candidate. He knows his American Jobs Plan will never create “millions of good paying jobs – jobs Americans can raise their families on” any more than NAFTA, which he supported, would, as was also promised, create millions of good paying jobs. His mantra of “buy American” is worthless. He knows the vast majority of our consumer electronics, apparel, furniture and industrial supplies are made in China by workers who earn an average of one or two dollars an hour and lack unions and basic labor rights. He knows his call to lower deductibles and prescription drug costs in the Affordable Care Act will never be permitted by the corporations that profit from health care. He knows the corporate donors that fund the Democratic Party will ensure their lobbyists will continue to write Continue reading “Chris Hedges: Don’t Be Fooled By Joe Biden”

Article: Biden plan to subsidize child care could have unintended consequences, including price increases, experts say

Article - Media, Publications

Biden plan to subsidize child care could have unintended consequences, including price increases, experts say

Tyler Olson, 04 May 2021

The subsidies for child care in President Biden’s American Families Plan could have some unintended consequences for both families and child care businesses, including price increases, experts tell Fox News.

The American Families Plan is the third installment in three massive spending bills the president has proposed. Continue reading “Article: Biden plan to subsidize child care could have unintended consequences, including price increases, experts say”

Article: ‘America First’ clashes with India’s bid for strategic autonomy

Article - Media, Publications

‘America First’ clashes with India’s bid for strategic autonomy

P.K.Balachandran, 01 May 2021

Colombo, May 1: India and the US have designated themselves as “strategic partners” with political, economic and military dimensions to the relationship. But the partnership has kept coming under strain.

The reasons are two-fold: Firstly, its contours are not defined. Secondly, Washington’s ‘America First’ policy and its tendency to pursue a foreign policy almost exclusively in its own immediate interest, clashes with India’s penchant for maintaining ‘strategic autonomy’ despite its increasing economic and military dependence on the US. Continue reading “Article: ‘America First’ clashes with India’s bid for strategic autonomy”

Article: The mania phase, we’re in it

Article - Media, Publications

The mania phase, we’re in it

Chuck Butler, 26 April 2021

Good Day… And a Marvelous Monday to you! Well, did you tune in for the panel discussion that I participated in last Thursday? I thought it went pretty well, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing my bit, that’s for sure! I hadn’t seen Mary Anne and Pamela Aden for a few years, and afterward, I had the thought that maybe they had found the fountain of youth, for they looked the same to me, as they did the last time I saw them in Orlando, years ago! And Omar spoke as well as he writes, which sometimes is a tough trick to pull off… And as far as I’m concerned, I have fun speaking, even more, than I do writing… not that I do either of them very well, but I have fun! Gerry & The Pacemakers greet me this morning with their song: Ferry Across The Mersey… I used to sing this song to Alex when he was a toddler to get him to sleep… Alex is nearing 26 this summer, so that tells you how long ago that was! Continue reading “Article: The mania phase, we’re in it”

THE DOLLAR HAS NO INTRINSIC VALUE : DO YOUR ASSETS?