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☆ 2 founders of a crypto mixer charged with laundering funds from the dark web
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The cofounders of crypto mixer Samourai Wallet were charged with money laundering. The service anonymized hundreds of millions of dollars for dark web criminals, prosecutors said. AdvertisementThe cofounders of a cryptocurrency mixing service called Samourai Wallet — which rendered crypto transactions anonymous — have been arrested and charged with money laundering, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Rodriguez and Hill were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Related storiesThe Samourai Wallet website has been seized.

Persons: Samourai's cofounders, —, — Keonne Rodriguez, William Lonergan Hill —, Rodriguez, Hill, James Smith, haven't Organizations: Service, Prosecutors, Southern, of, FBI Locations: of New York, Portugal, DMs

☆ What US charges does crypto exchange Binance face?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks at a Binance fifth anniversary event in Paris, France, July 8, 2022. The agreement will resolve criminal charges that Binance conducted an unlicensed money transmitter business, conspiracy and breaching sanctions regulations, the U.S. Department of Justice said. UNLICENSED MONEY SERVICE BUSINESSThe U.S. said that Binance, Zhao and other executives "knowingly and willfully conspired" to operate as an unlicensed money services business (MSB) from August 2017 until October 2022. MONEY LAUNDERING CHECKSThe U.S. said that Binance facilitated "billions of dollars" of crypto transactions for its customers, including in the United States, without implementing so-called "know your customer" checks. From around January 2018 to May 2022, Binance processed 1.1 million crypto transactions worth at least $898.6 million between U.S. customers and those who lived in Iran, the U.S. said.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, ZHAO, Tom Wilson, Binance, Zhao, laundered, Crypto, Elizabeth Howcroft, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: ZHAO REUTERS, U.S . Department of Justice, Reuters, Binance, U.S, Treasury's, Palestinian, Hamas, Islamic, Palestine Islamic, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, United States, Russian, Iran, Islamic State, al Qaeda, Palestine, London

☆ Karim Benzema: French Interior Minister makes baseless claim about soccer star
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Ben Morse | Claudia Colliva | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Speaking to French outlet CNews on Monday, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin accused Benzema of having connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious and political group which France considers a terrorist organization. And in recent weeks, I’ve been particularly interested, Mr. Benzema is linked, we all know it, notoriously with the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood is a religious and political group founded on the belief that Islam is not simply a religion, but a way of life. The Muslim Brotherhood officially rejects the use of violent means to secure its goals. There is no evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood has any connection to Hamas’ attack on Israel.

Persons: CNN —, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Gérald Darmanin, Benzema, Darmanin, I’ve, ’, Gilles Kepel, ”, Sarah Meyssonnier, ” Benzema, “, Benzema’s Organizations: CNN, French, Muslim, French Interior Ministry, UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid, Saudi Pro League, Al, France’s men’s, Palestinian Health Ministry, Reuters, Twitter, Muslim Brotherhood Locations: Israel, France, Ittihad, Gaza, Paris, Palestinian

☆ Opinion: Hamas doesn’t speak for Gaza Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Yasmine Mohammed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

At the hands of Hamas, the Jewish people have endured horrors not seen since the Holocaust. My father hated that Hamas had dominated the conversation and positioned itself as the face of Gaza worldwide. Like many people from Gaza, my father knew that if you spoke up against these tyrannical oppressors, you were swiftly dealt with. Among the hard right, many people are conflating Palestinians with Hamas to justify the flattening of Gaza. The truth is, Hamas is not Gaza, and Gaza is not Hamas.

Persons: Yasmine Mohammed, “, ”, Gazans, Israel, Qaeda, Bassem Organizations: Free, CNN, Hamas, Brotherhood, ISIS, Twitter Locations: Gaza, Israel, Egypt, San Francisco, Montreal, al Qaeda, Iran

☆ Brice Marden, painter revered for his distinctive approach to abstraction, dies at 84
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Wallace Ludel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Brice Marden, the abstract painter known most widely for his long, winding calligraphic mark-making that stood out against monochromatic backgrounds, has died aged 84. His death was confirmed to CNN by Gagosian, the New York gallery that represented him, via email on Thursday. "Uphill with Center" (2012-15) by Brice Marden. It’s just been an extra thing to think about.”Marden was born October 15, 1938 in Westchester County, just north of New York City. "Cold Mountain 6 (Bridge)" (1989-91) by Brice Marden.

Persons: CNN — Brice Marden, Larry Gagosian, “ Brice Marden, Marden’s, Helen —, —, Brice Marden, Marden, “, ”, ” Marden, Alex Katz, Jon Schueler, Richard Serra, Chuck Close, Celmins, Nancy Graves, Pauline Baez, Joan Baez, Jasper Johns, Johns ’, Édouard Manet, Francisco Goya, Francisco de Zurbarán, Johns, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Nicholas, Helen Marden, Dorothea Rockburne, Robert Rauschenberg, Matthew Marks, Rosetta Stone Organizations: The Art, CNN, Gagosian, New York Times, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Boston University, Yale, Fine Arts, Rauschenberg Foundation, Jewish Museum, New Locations: New York, Tivoli , New York, Gagosian, Westchester County, New York City, American, Kansas City, Midtown Manhattan, Greece, Maryland

[1/2] A sign indicates the direction to the offices of Progress Software in Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S., July 26, 2023. But more than two months after the breach was first disclosed by Massachusetts-based Progress Software, the parade of victims has scarcely slowed. The tallies show that nearly 40 million people have been affected so far by the hack of Progress' MOVEit Transfer file management program. Now the digital extortionists involved, a group named "cl0p", have become increasingly aggressive about thrusting their data into the public domain. MOVEit is used by organizations to ship large amounts of often sensitive data: pension information, social security numbers, medical records, billing data and the like.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Marc Bleicher, cl0p, Huntress Security's John Hammond, Christopher Budd, Sophos, Eric Goldstein, Nathan Little, Emsisoft, Bert Kondruss, Rowe Price, Maximus, Alexander Urbelis, Crowell, Goldstein, didn't, Surefire's, Raphael Satter, Zeba Siddiqui, Chris Sanders, Grant McCool Organizations: Progress Software, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Reuters, Software, Insurance, of America, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Tetra Defense, WHO, Pension, California Public Employees, Moring, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Burlington , Massachusetts, U.S, WASHINGTON, American, Massachusetts, York, New York, Louisiana, California, New York City, Oregon

☆ Ukrainian pilots are now using US-made rockets on Soviet-designed helicopter gunships
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Stefano D'Urso | The Aviationist | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A recent video shows a Ukrainian attack helicopter using US-made 70 mm Hydra rockets. The rockets appear to be being used in an adapted M261 rocket pod on the wing of a Mi-24V. In fact, a video emerged on social medias showing an aircrew loading the US-made 70 mm rockets in an adapted M261 rocket pod under the stub wing of a Mi-24V. The Hydra 70 mm rocket and the 19-shot M261 rocket pod are apparently replacing the S-8 80 mm rocket and the 20-shot B-8V20 rocket pod usually seen under on Ukrainian Mi-24s. Apart for the pylon adapter installed on the pod, we don't know if other modifications were required to employ the new unguided rockets.

Persons: Hinds, LAU Organizations: Service, Soviet, Rotary Wing Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Czech Republic

☆ When Spider-Man Met Jeff Koons
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Max Lakin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“When we talked about the Balloon Dog we said, ‘What could we do with it? Koons, he recalled, “was actually the one who said, ‘You know, one thing about the Balloon Dog is it’s this thing that has a lot to do with breath. But we’ve never actually seen the inside of one. (The scene brought to mind an episode earlier this year, where a collector visiting the Art Wynwood fair in Miami accidentally shattered a 16-inch edition. Koons considered the Balloon Dog’s presence in the film as “truly participating in a larger community where people can rally around it.”

Persons: ” Thompson, Koons, “, ‘, we’ve, Vulture lops, ” Koons, ” Organizations: Art Locations: Miami, Hydra, Greece

☆ Not just Disney: DeSantis brings history of business battles to the presidential campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Ron DeSantis officially launched his presidential campaign Wednesday, putting his blend of pro-business conservativism and culture-war populism to the test at the national level. In the most recent legislative session, DeSantis signed a bill that stopped union dues from being automatically deducted from public employees' paychecks. Ron DeSantis, a critic of environmentally sensitive investing, didn't succeed in protecting his constituents from the ravages of Hurricane Ian, which may have been intensified by global warming. DeSantis signed a bill in early May barring state and local officials from making ESG-based investment decisions. The Disney sagaApparel promoting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sit on a table before a book tour event at the North Charleston Coliseum on April 19, 2023 in North Charleston, South Carolina.

☆ Stunning photos of the night sky in one of the darkest places on Earth will make you want to visit New Zealand ASAP
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Rebecca Strong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is especially great for star gazing. But in one of the darkest places on Earth — the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in New Zealand — that's not an issue. Aoraki is the second-largest dark sky reserve in the world, ranking at a level 2 on the nine-level Bortle Dark-Sky Scale for light pollution. The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is located in southern New Zealand. Igor HoogerwerfAccording to Jason Menard, an executive at Mackenzie Tourism, The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is one of the best places to view the Milky Way — and that's pretty evident in this photo.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Kremlin says US behind drone attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FIGHTING* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine would launch a counteroffensive soon against occupying Russian forces. * Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Russia's Wagner Group mercenary force, said the counteroffensive had already begun and his forces were observing heightened activity along the front. DIPLOMACY/POLITICS* Putin must be brought to justice for his war in Ukraine, Zelenskiy said on Thursday during a visit to The Hague, where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is based. * U.S. military aid for Ukraine includes for the first time the Hydra-70 short-range air-launched rocket, taken from U.S. excess stocks. * Zelenskiy said Russia did not appear to be interested in extending the agreement beyond May 18.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Zelenskiy visits war crimes court in The Hague
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FIGHTING* Zelenskiy said Ukraine would launch a counteroffensive soon against occupying Russian forces. * Russian shelling killed 23 people in and near the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Wednesday, hitting a hypermarket, a railway station and residential buildings, the regional governor said. DIPLOMACY/POLITICS* Zelenskiy will have a meeting at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on Thursday, the court said without giving further detail. * U.S. military aid for Ukraine includes for the first time the Hydra-70 short-range air-launched rocket, taken from U.S. excess stocks. * Zelenskiy said Russia did not appear to be interested in extending the agreement beyond May 18.

☆ U.S. military aid for Ukraine includes air-launched rockets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - The United States said Wednesday it would send a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $300 million, including for the first time the Hydra-70 short-range. The security assistance package would be the 37th approved by the United States for Ukraine since Russian invaded its neighbor in February 2022, for a total of $35.7 billion. "The United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement announcing the aid package. The rockets, munitions and 155mm howitzer cannons included in the package would help Ukraine weaken Russian ground positions for advancing Ukrainian ground forces as Kyiv plans a spring offensive. The rockets are typically launched from pods attached to aircraft to provide support for ground troops.

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - The United States plans to announce as soon as Wednesday a new $300 million military aid package for Ukraine that will for the first time include a short-range air-launched rocket, two U.S. officials said. The Hydra 70 is an air-launched unguided rocket made by General Dynamics (GD.N). The rockets could help Ukraine weaken Russian ground positions and provide advancing Ukrainian ground forces with air support as Kyiv plans a spring offensive. The security assistance package would be the 37th approved by the United States for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, for a total of nearly $36 billion. However, members of both parties insist they support continued aid for Ukraine including top Republicans House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate.

☆ Fact Check-Video of Hillary Clinton endorsing Ron DeSantis is AI-generated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An AI-generated clip that shows former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the presidency has been shared on social media as if it is authentic. There is no evidence Clinton ever made such an endorsement. Clinton can partly be heard saying the following in the clip (here), “You know, people might be surprised to hear me saying this, but I actually like Ron DeSantis a lot. There is no evidence Clinton ever made these remarks, however. The video is AI-generated, and there is no evidence Clinton endorsed Ron DeSantis for the presidency.

☆ U.S., European Police Shut Down Hacker Marketplace, Make 119 Arrests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Kim S. Nash | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

The international action conducted Tuesday and Wednesday against Genesis Market, one of the largest so-called initial access brokers in the world, resulted in 119 arrests. The dismantling of Genesis Market follows the arrest last month of a man U.S. prosecutors say ran BreachForums, a site for buying and selling stolen data. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. The Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned Genesis Market, a so-called initial access broker in operation since 2018. Genesis Market data was provided to the website Have I Been Pwned, so individuals can check whether their credentials have been compromised.

☆ London stocks fall as hot UK inflation data spurs rate-hike fears; Fed in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies UK inflation still in double-digit territoryReal estate stocks fall on rate-hike concernsBank stocks gain, help cut lossesFed decision awaited on Wednesday, BoE on ThursdayFTSE 100 down 0.2%, FTSE 250 off 0.3%March 22 (Reuters) - London's exporter-heavy FTSE 100 fell on Wednesday, with real estate stocks leading the retreat, as hotter-than-expected UK inflation data raised fears of more interest rate hikes and boosted the pound. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) fell 0.2% after a near 2% bounce on Tuesday, with investors also waiting for the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision later in the day. The pound rose sharply against the dollar after Britain's consumer price index (CPI) inflation unexpectedly rose to 10.4% in February. Real estate stocks fell (.FTUB3510) 2.2%, with British Land Company (BLND.L) down 4.2% after Morgan Stanley reduced its price target. ,Helping cut losses were banking stocks (.FTNMX301010), which gained 0.9% as fears of a crises appeared to ease.

☆ We're married Delta pilots with two young kids. Here's how we've navigated our careers together and our top 10 travel tips for couples.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Delta pilots Brent and Kelly Knoblauch first met as interns in 2010. Kelly: Brent and I first met in 2010, when I was still in college at the University of North Dakota. And then I think almost a year to the day, Kelly was also hired as a pilot back at Delta. Being able to see what you're seeing, what you're hearing, what you're suspecting, and just being open about that. Kelly: It actually went really well.

Binance was the only major crypto exchange among Bitzlato's top counterparties, FinCEN said. The Justice Department and FinCEN declined to comment. Bitcoin worth about $175 million was transferred to Binance from Bitzlato in that period, making Binance its largest receiving counterparty, the data show. The U.S. action against Bitzlato comes as the Justice Department investigates Binance for possible money laundering and sanctions violations. The Justice Department said Bitzlato exchanged more than $700 million in crypto with Hydra, either directly or through intermediaries.

Binance was the only major crypto exchange among Bitzlato's top counterparties, FinCEN said. A Binance spokesperson said via email it had "provided substantial assistance" to international law enforcement to support their investigation of Bitzlato. Bitcoin worth about $175 million was transferred to Binance from Bitzlato in that period, making Binance its largest receiving counterparty, the data show. The U.S. action against Bitzlato comes as the Justice Department investigates Binance for possible money laundering and sanctions violations. The Justice Department said Bitzlato exchanged more than $700 million in crypto with Hydra, either directly or through intermediaries.

☆ A crypto exchange allegedly processed over $700 million worth of illicit funds before the Department of Justice shut it down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Department of Justice and French authorities shut down an alleged money laundering destination for crypto criminals on Thursday. The Justice Department says Bitzlato promoted itself to criminals as a "no-questions-asked cryptocurrency exchange," which resulted in reaping hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of deposits. Bitzlato's largest trading partner in cryptocurrency transactions was Hydra Market, an anonymous, online marketplace for illegal goods such as narcotics, stolen financial information and money laundering services, according to the Justice Department. Hydra Market users exchanged more than $700 million in cryptocurrency with Bitzlato, either directly or through intermediaries, until Hydra Market was shuttered by U.S. and German law enforcement in April 2022, the DOJ reports. Crypto criminals relied heavily on Bitzlato for money laundering services, according to Chainalysis.

On a larger exchange like Binance or Coinbase , for example, many customers opt to let the platform custody their crypto tokens. In the four years that Bitzlato operated, only $52 million moved directly from the exchange to Binance, the same dataset shows. CNBC reviewed transaction data for the ten largest recipients of Bitzlato outflows, which collected over $45 million in Bitzlato-originated funds. Those wallets also received millions more in funds from other exchanges, including Huobi, FTX, Poloniex, Nexo, and WhiteBIT, a Ukrainian exchange. We also asked whether Binance was aware that Bitzlato was allegedly used to launder money and, if so, why funds from Bitzlato were custodied on its platform.

☆ Crypto Platform Bitzlato Charged With Laundering More Than $700 Million of Illicit Money
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. authorities designated cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato Ltd. as a primary money-laundering concern and charged its founder for allegedly facilitating money laundering for criminals. The Treasury Department designated Bitzlato under a section of the USA Patriot Act, a law used to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, for allegedly laundering illicit funds for ransomware actors based in Russia. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. Bitzlato also received more than $15 million of ransomware proceeds, the Justice Department said. “Today the Department of Justice dealt a significant blow to the cryptocrime ecosystem,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Wednesday they have arrested the majority shareholder and cofounder of Hong Kong-registered virtual currency exchange Bitzlato Ltd for allegedly processing $700 million in illicit funds. It also broke rules requiring significant vetting of customers and failed to meet requirements aimed at preventing money laundering, authorities said. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration 1 2Prosecutors said Bitzlato knowingly serviced U.S. customers and conducted transactions with U.S.-based exchanges using U.S. online infrastructure. "Identifying Bitzlato as a primary money laundering concern effectively renders the exchange an international pariah," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said at the news conference. "None of the mainstream financial institutions will deal with an entity identified as a primary money laundering concern," she said.

☆ The most honest man in real estate thinks the housing market isn't going to crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Here's how Miller, who doesn't think the housing market is going to crash, became a beacon of trust. The call was from a journalist at an international paper asking for Miller's comment on the US housing market for a story. The 62-year-old founder of the real-estate-appraisal and data firm Miller Samuel is probably the most-quoted man in real estate, with some 2,469 news citations, according to the database LexisNexis. Today, Miller Samuel has replaced Scantrons with iPods, iPhones, and a CoreLogic appraisal software called A La Mode. Today, there's much more data than there was when he started Miller Samuel, but also a lot more "crap," Miller said.

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