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☆ Opinion | The U.S. Is Finally Trying to Fix Its Money-Laundering Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Dec. 9, 2021, at the inaugural Summit for Democracy, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made a stunning admission: Her country had become the world’s most sought-after shelter for criminals’ money. “In the popular imagination,” she said, according to the prepared text for the virtual event, “the money-laundering capitals of the world are small countries with histories of loose and secretive financial laws. The good news: They’re slowly succeeding. New laws and rules, most of which were in the works before her speech, are stripping away veils of secrecy, making it easier to find and prosecute the bad guys. That’s good for democracy, because nothing corrodes faith in democracy more than the sense that the system is rigged and cheaters prosper.

Persons: Janet Yellen, ”, ” Yellen, They’re, Raymond W, Baker, Democracy — Organizations: for Democracy, “, Democracy Locations: United States

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan in Trenton, New Jersey, ruled that a J&J company's second bankruptcy, like its first, must be dismissed because the talc lawsuits did not put it in immediate "financial distress." J&J's first bankruptcy gambit began in 2021, when it offloaded its talc liabilities into a new company, LTL Management, and immediately placed that company into bankruptcy. Attorneys representing cancer victims, along with the U.S. Justice Department's bankruptcy watchdog, had called for LTL's second bankruptcy to be dismissed as an abuse of U.S. bankruptcy law. Andy Birchfield, an attorney who represents cancer victims, said the second bankruptcy was meant to keep the talc lawsuits from being heard by juries. J&J argued that the proposed bankruptcy settlement offers a fairer and faster resolution for cancer claimants than litigation in other courts.

Persons: Johnson, Mike Segar, imperiling, Michael Kaplan, J, Kaplan, J's, LTL's, LTL, U.S . Justice Department's, Andy Birchfield, Birchfield, Dietrich Knauth, Mike Spector, Jonathan Oatis, Matthew Lewis, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Johnson, LTL Management, U.S . Justice, J, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Trenton , New Jersey, California

☆ An Exodus of Talent Is Imperiling Goldman’s Overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Annamaria Andriotis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/an-exodus-of-talent-is-imperiling-goldmans-overhaul-f8225df9

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ With Actors on Strike, Sony Pushes Big Releases to 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hollywood studios, scrambling to contend with a strike by unionized actors, have started to remove big-budget movies from the 2023 release calendar, newly imperiling theaters and undoubtedly irritating fans. “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” is no longer on track for a March premiere, and a new “Karate Kid” will no longer arrive in June. Until now, the 2023 theatrical release schedule had been left relatively unscathed by the actors’ strike, which started on July 14. Warner Bros. has been debating whether to postpone “Dune: Part Two,” which is supposed to arrive in theaters on Nov. 3. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” a big-budget superhero sequel, and “The Color Purple,” based on the Broadway musical, are among other 2023 holiday-season movies that could be delayed.

Persons: Kraven, Hunter ”, ” Organizations: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Marvel Comics, Sony, Warner Bros

☆ Microsoft and Google may have to surrender people's data to Saudi Arabia after signing huge deals there
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But Saudi Arabia has weak privacy laws and a track record of persecuting dissidents. They are warning tech giants like Microsoft and Google that they could be forced to hand over private citizen data to Saudi hitmen. Data handed over a silver platterMarwa Fatafta, an analyst with digital rights group Access Now, described Saudi Arabia as a country with a "dismal" human rights record. "Have they really [Google and Microsoft] investigated how they plan to mitigate potential human rights abuses or privacy violations, building such infrastructure?" Countries such as Saudi Arabia, he said, often told companies that "if you want to operate in this country, you've got to keep the data in this country.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Rewan Al, Haddad, umOfUs, FAYEZ NURELDINE, Fatima al, Salma al, Alan Woodward, you've, James Lynch, Fairsquare, Crown Prince Mohammed, James, Lynch, Prince Mohammed, it's, Woodward Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Service, Saudi, Human Rights Watch, New York Post, Getty, Twitter, Leeds University, University of Surrey, Crown Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Riyadh, Saudi, AFP

☆ Republicans are being throttled in college towns across the country, imperiling their competitiveness in key states
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

These wins are poised to threaten GOP competitiveness in key states like Georgia and Wisconsin in 2024 and beyond. And Biden won Athens-Clarke with a whopping 70%-28% victory, posting a nearly 22,000-vote margin over Trump. In 2016, Trump won Wisconsin by less than 1 percent of the vote. In 2000, Gore won Wisconsin by less than 6,000 votes (48.8%-48.6%) and won Dane by nearly 67,000 votes (61%-33%) over Bush. "What Democrats are doing in Dane County is truly making it impossible for Republicans to win a statewide race."

Persons: University of Georgia —, Al Gore, George W, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Clarke, GOP Sen, Ron Johnson, Mandela Barnes, Madison, Gore, Dane, Mark Graul —, Wisconsin — Organizations: GOP, Service, Democratic, Republican, Athens —, University of Georgia, Texas Gov, Peach State, Georgia, Athens, Trump ., Trump, Wisconsin, Gov, Madison —, University of Wisconsin, Politico, Republicans Locations: Counties, Wall, Silicon, Georgia, Wisconsin, While Georgia, Athens, Clarke County, Bush, Clarke, Peach, Atlanta, . Wisconsin, —, Dane County, Dane, Milwaukee

☆ Hard Right Presses Culture War Fights on Defense Bill, Imperiling Passage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hard-right House Republicans are pushing to use the yearly bill that sets the United States military budget and policy as an opportunity to pick fights with the Biden administration over abortion, race and transgender issues, imperiling its passage and the decades-old bipartisan consensus in Congress around backing the Pentagon. Republican leaders have scheduled votes beginning on Wednesday on the $886 billion measure, but as of Tuesday evening, they had yet to dissuade their ultraconservative colleagues from efforts to load it up with politically charged provisions to combat what the G.O.P. calls “wokeness” in the military. Those proposals — including rolling back a Pentagon policy providing service members access to abortions and defunding the military’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs — would alienate the moderate Republicans and Democrats whose votes would be needed to get the bill through the narrowly divided House. The situation has turned the annual defense policy bill into the latest test of Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership since the far right revolted over the debt ceiling deal he forged with President Biden, grinding the House to a halt to demand more influence over its agenda.

Persons: Biden, “ wokeness, Kevin McCarthy’s Organizations: Republicans, United States, Pentagon, Republican

The drain in hard currency sparked panic earlier in the year, with Bolivians forming lines outside banks to withdraw dollars. Bond yields spiked sharply and in May the government was forced to sell half of its $2.6 billion gold reserves to raise cash. A major drought in Argentina has hammered grains output and reserves, imperiling a $44 billion debt deal with the International Monetary Fund. "The model is now shifting towards a very big state, a tax-and-spend approach," he said. "It has calmed people a bit... but that amount (gained from the gold reserves sale), $1.3 billion, is not enough for Bolivia," said local financial analyst Jaime Dunn.

Persons: Read, LA, Evo Morales, Jose Gabriel Espinoza, Marcelo Montenegro, Alberto Ramos, Goldman Sachs, spender, Jaime Dunn, Reuters Graphics Espinoza, Morales, Raúl Cortés Fernández, Daniel Ramos, Adam Jourdan, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Departmental Association of Coca Producers, LA PAZ, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, Bolivian, Graphics, Banco, Reuters Graphics, MAS, Thomson Locations: La Paz, Bolivia, Bolivian, America, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Colombia

☆ FDIC accidentally reveals details about Silicon Valley Bank’s biggest customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —The FDIC mistakenly revealed to Bloomberg News details on the biggest customers at Silicon Valley Bank, the failed bank whose depositors were rescued through emergency action by regulators. According to Bloomberg, that document was accidentally released unredacted by the FDIC in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. For instance, leading venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, held just more than $1 billion at SVB, according to the FDIC document. The FDIC document indicates the Chinese firm held about $903 million at SVB. The FDIC, charged with insuring deposits at banks, apparently did not intend to release the details on SVB’s biggest customers.

Persons: SVB, Zhipin, Dennis Kelleher, ” Kelleher, Mike Pence, ” Organizations: New York CNN Business —, Bloomberg, Silicon Valley Bank, Bloomberg News, FDIC, Sequoia Capital, PayPal, Google, Apple, Sequoia, CNN, Better Markets, Internet, Better, Main Street Locations: Silicon, Beijing

☆ Putin warns NATO over being drawn into Ukraine war, says Russia has more nukes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Zahid Mahmood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned there is a “serious danger” of NATO being drawn further into the Ukraine war if members of the alliance continue to supply military weaponry to Kyiv. “NATO, of course, is being drawn into the war in Ukraine, what are we talking here,” Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday. While Ukraine is not a member of NATO, some NATO members have been supplying Kyiv with tanks, armored vehicles and other weaponry – prompting threats of retaliation from Russia. During his speech to the forum, Putin also suggested Russia’s large number of nuclear weapons would “guarantee” its security – noting that Russia had more such weapons than NATO countries. “Nuclear weapons are created to guarantee our security in the broader sense and the existence of the Russian state,” Putin said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, American Bradley, Jens Stoltenberg, Putin, we’ll, “, ” Organizations: CNN, NATO, St ., Economic, Atlantic Treaty Organization, British Challenger, Leopards, Arms Control Association, Foreign Ministry Locations: Ukraine, St, St . Petersburg, Soviet Union, Russia, American, Britain, France, Russian, United States

☆ Opinion: This Trump indictment will change history. The question is how
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Jane Carr | Opinion Jane Greenway Carr | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. “Big Brother” is a fierce indictment of a power structure that surveils and oppresses while poverty and suffering proliferate. Clay Jones“Next year will mark 50 years since President Richard Nixon resigned as a result of the Watergate scandal. And yet, “Trump denies any and all wrongdoing and continues to remain the leader of the pack. “When former President Donald Trump took office in 2017, he left the rules in place.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Philippe Petit, Henri Matisse, Petit, Stevie Wonder, Jackson, Richard Nixon, —, interjected, “, Donald Trump, Clay Jones “, Julian Zelizer, “ Trump, Trump, Norman Eisen, Jack Smith, Eisen, Barack Obama’s, ” Eisen, Jennifer Rodgers, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Cornel West, Cupp, –, John Avlon, …, Avlon, Pence, televangelist Pat Robertson, Nicole Hemmer, “ Long, Robertson, Robertson “, David Mark, Geoff Duncan, Jason Lancaster, Kirsi Goldynia, Virginia Sole, Smith, ’, demonize fatness, Nick Anderson, Tess Taylor, Laura Schifter, Taylor, Marc Eichenbaum, Michael Nichols, “ Houston, Lawrence Downes, ” Eric Adams, ” —, ” Downes, Ellis, Evgeniy, it’s, Frida Ghitis, Reinhold Matay, Aaron David Miller, LIV, ” Miller, Octavio Jones, Jill Filipovic, ” Filipovic, Allison Hope, Justin Sullivan, Peter Bergen, Biden, Afghanistan Ana Homayoun, Amy Bass, Rose Zhang, Marty Irby, I’m, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Hannah McKay, Reuters Prince Harry, Queen Victoria’s, King Edward VII, Harry, Prince Harry, Holly Thomas –, Thomas Organizations: CNN, GOP, Republican, Trump, Florida Gov, New, New Jersey Gov, Getty, Former New Jersey Gov, Adobe, Tribune, East Coasters, …, The, Democratic, Ukraine Ukrainian, Orange County National, USA, Sports, PGA, Saudi, Hillsborough High School, Reuters, Human Rights, Apple Vision, Apple Worldwide Developers, Court, Daily Locations: Manhattan, Florida, New Jersey, Pence’s, Washington ,, ” Houston, “, Texas, Chicago , New York, Sacramento, New York, New York City, White, Ukraine, Kherson, Russia, Nova, Orlando , Florida, USA, Saudi Arabia, Tampa , Florida, U.S, United States, Cupertino , California, Afghanistan, London, England, British, Botswana

☆ Opinion: LGBTQ Americans are in a state of emergency –and we should all do more about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Opinion Jill Filipovic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —This week, the LGBTQ rights group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ Americans, the first time the organization has ever done so. And frankly, given the state of women’s rights in many of the same states attacking LGBTQ people, women’s groups should do the same. Jill Filipovic Courtesy of Jill FilipovicIn the first quarter of 2023 alone, 417 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures. And no company should have to worry that a display of affirmation for LGBTQ Americans will result in vandalism, threats or harassment of employees. It is unconscionable for any company to require its employees live in states that criminalize abortion or that are attacking LGBTQ rights.

Persons: Jill Filipovic, it’s, –, doesn’t Organizations: Twitter, CNN, Human Rights, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Facebook Sports Locations: New York, United States, Florida

[1/2] An unarmed Trident II D5 missile is test-launched from the Ohio-class U.S. Navy ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska off the coast of California, U.S. March 26, 2018. In a fact sheet on its website, the State Department said it would also stop giving Russia telemetry information - remotely gathered data about a missile's flight - on launches of U.S. intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. On Feb. 21, he said Russia would suspend participation, imperiling the last pillar of U.S.-Russian arms control. Signed in 2010 and due to expire in 2026, the New START treaty caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the countries can deploy. A Biden administration official said the United States "will continue to adhere to the (treaty's) central limits ... and expect that Russia will continue to do so as well."

Persons: Ronald Gutridge, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed, Diane Craft, Berkrot Organizations: Trident, U.S . Navy, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, United, State Department, U.S, Moscow, The State Department, Thomson Locations: Ohio, Nebraska, California, U.S, Handout, United States, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv

☆ Bat lands worldwide are besieged, seeding risk of a new pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

This collision – bats and humans competing for resources on territory long the domain of the bats – could trigger the next pandemic. As people destroy bat habitats worldwide, they are unwittingly helping bat-borne viruses mutate, multiply, and infect other species, including homo sapiens. For millennia, bat viruses lurked across the forests of West Africa and in other undisturbed parts of the world but posed little threat to humanity. They’re potent proliferators: Some roost tightly together and in close quarters with other bat species. Each of the bat viruses analyzed by Reuters has epidemic potential, according to the World Health Organization.

[1/4] A costumer counts money before buying tangerines in a green grocery store, as Argentines struggle amid rising inflation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina May 11, 2023. REUTERS/Agustin MarcarianBUENOS AIRES, May 12 (Reuters) - Argentina's annual inflation rate soared to 109% in April, the country's statistics agency said on Friday, smashing past analyst forecasts and stoking anger among hard-hit consumers who are increasingly having to skimp and save to get by. 2 economy, posted 8.4% monthly inflation in April, well above analyst forecasts of 7.5% and the highest in decades. The highest analyst estimate in a Reuters poll for April's monthly inflation rate had been 8.3%. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsReporting by Miguel Lo Bianco; Writing by Nicolás Misculin; Editing by Adam JourdanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Striking Writers’ Union Denies Waiver, Imperiling Tony Awards Telecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Michael Paulson | John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The denial by the union, the Writers Guild of America, described by people who were granted anonymity to disclose confidential discussions, is imperiling one of Broadway’s biggest nights — a key marketing opportunity that is even more crucial in the fragile post-shutdown theater economy. Industry leaders say that without the ability to reach the broad audience that tunes into a Tony Awards broadcast, several of the newest musicals are likely to close. Broadway boosters are still hoping that over the weekend the writers’ guild might be persuaded to change its mind. Without a waiver from the writers’ guild, a live broadcast ceremony is essentially impossible because much of Broadway, including nominees and presenters, would refuse to cross a picket line. The management committee of the Tony Awards, which is the group charged with overseeing the broadcast, has scheduled an emergency meeting on Monday at which it will discuss how to proceed.

☆ Oil heads for third straight weekly loss as economic worries persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Arathy Somasekhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Oil prices held steady in early trading on Friday, but were set for a third straight week of losses after markets witnessed dramatic drops on fears of a weakening U.S. economy and slowing Chinese demand. For the week, Brent was set to close down 8.7%, while WTI was set to close 10.5% lower. Worries of a U.S. regional banking crisis persisted, worrying markets further, after PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) said it planned to explore strategic options. Traders are now focused on the release of U.S. employment data for April later in the day, hoping it could help gauge the health of the economy, as well as comments on monetary policy from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari at the Economic Club of Minnesota. Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Depositors had pulled $100 billion from accounts at the bank in the panic triggered by the SVB and Signature failures, imperiling its survival. Both SVB and Signature failed last month. Both SVB and Signature grew quickly in recent years, outpacing the ability of regulators to keep up, especially with shrinking resources. Regulators closed Signature two days after SVB was shuttered. Signature lost 20% of its total deposits in a matter of hours on the day that SVB failed, FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg has said.

☆ Opinion | The Phone Call Between Belafonte and King That Changed Both Men’s Lives
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jonathan Eig | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But the call between the two men changed the course of both their lives. Now Mr. Belafonte was cast into a new role, too, one that caused him to suppress his career ambitions as he joined Dr. King in pursuit of loftier goals. Even in that first phone call, Mr. Belafonte said, he was struck by Dr. King’s attentiveness. “In the very beginning, Dr. King was not quite as vocal as he became,” Mr. Belafonte said. He was in a turf with which he was not deeply familiar.” Though many people received Dr. King warmly, Mr. Belafonte said, “he just did not know where he fit.

☆ Dwarf elephants? Giant rats? Strange island creatures at high risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - A dwarf elephant the size of a Shetland pony once roamed the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. They were examples of the "island effect," a rule in evolutionary biology describing how large-bodied species tend to downsize on islands while small-bodied species upsize. Extinction risk was seen highest among species that underwent more extreme body size shifts compared to mainland relatives. But small-bodied species, because there is a decreased risk from predators on islands, are emancipated from evolutionary constraints on their size. It once was home to a dwarf elephant relative, giant rats and a giant stork, as well as a dwarf human species - Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the "Hobbit," standing just 3-1/2 feet tall (106 cm) tall.

☆ Biden U.S. FCC pick in jeopardy after Democrat Manchin opposes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) speaks to reporters following the weekly Democratic caucus luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 29, 2022. Senator Joe Manchin said on Tuesday he will vote against confirming Gigi Sohn as a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), potentially imperiling her nomination by President Joe Biden. The open internet laws seek to bar internet service providers from blocking or slowing traffic or offering paid fast lanes. In July 2021, Biden signed an executive order encouraging the FCC to reinstate the open internet net neutrality rules. Reporting by David Shepardson and Katharine Jackson; writing by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ron DeSantis, Florida GOP, Breathing New Life Into Tort Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and allies are taking aim at what they see as frivolous cases and excessive damage awards. MIAMI—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican leaders in the state are pushing legislation to rein in what they say is excessive litigation that is hurting the state’s economy and imperiling its allure to businesses considering relocating here. At a time when tort-reform efforts around the U.S. have generally slowed from past decades, Florida GOP lawmakers are considering a bill in the legislative session starting this week aimed at reducing what proponents consider frivolous cases, excessive damage awards and high attorney fees.

☆ DeSantis, Florida GOP, Breathing New Life Into Tort Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, GOP Leaders, Breathe New Life Into Tort Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Senators press crypto exchange Binance on potentially illegal business practices after FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators asked Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange and once-competitor to bankrupt crypto giant FTX, for detailed information on its business operations amid accusations of illegal practices. A spokesperson for Binance told CNBC that the company looks forward to "correcting the record" about its operations. Binance has become the definitive leader in the digital currency exchange industry since FTX filed for bankruptcy and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, stepped down in November. In their letter, the senators outlined the Justice Department's allegations against Binance, and contended the company has showed a lack of transparency. FTX's collapse, which affected over 1 million investors, highlighted "the need for real transparency and accountability in the crypto industry," the senators wrote.

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