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☆ A crypto data leak led the FBI to America's most wanted sex trafficking fugitive. Now, the victims want his bitcoins.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-11 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Four bitcoin wallets that led to sex-trafficking fugitive Michael Pratt's capture are seen in the bottom left corner. AdvertisementFrom Michael Pratt's 2019 criminal complaint. Federal prosecutors say Pratt increased traffic by forwarding each victim's video link to her school, work, family, and social connections. Michael Pratt's Swiss ID and Barcelona Mailboxes Etc. AdvertisementThese days, DeBarber runs the Baltimore-based Phoenix AI cybersecurity firm with cofounder Justine Li, a Girls Do Porn victim and plaintiff.

Persons: —, Michael James Pratt —, Pratt, Michael Pratt's, Michael Pratt, it's, Charles DeBarber, ike, ake, ould, ong, hough, erving, J ames, rove, ratt, ong K ong, egan, ove, arlene, lew, anni, rooke,, rian H olm,, wiss Organizations: Service, Spanish, Business, Spain's Policia Nacional, Policia Nacional, ust Locations: New Zealander, Madrid, Southern California, Spain, bitcoin, omiting,, ife, ictim

☆ Fatal Shooting Robs a Neighborhood of a Longtime Friendly Face
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Shayla Colon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He worked his shift at Pizza Palace in Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood late Sunday. But the man, Alejandro Ramirez, never got to the stop. He made it only a few blocks before he was fatally shot in the chest. Mr. Ramirez, 45, was one of two people killed in a shooting at West 207th Street and 10th Avenue around 11:40 p.m. on Father’s Day; another Bronx man, Michael James, 44, was fatally shot, in the face and torso. The number of shootings across New York City has dropped compared with last year, but that was little consolation for a neighborhood shaken by the Father’s Day shooting, and for a city girding for summer’s traditional increase in gun violence.

Persons: Alejandro Ramirez, Ramirez, Michael James Organizations: West 207th Street Locations: Manhattan’s Inwood, Bronx, New York City

Powell's remarks on Thursday that the fight to restore price stability "had a long way to go" at first roiled markets. "If we were to get a low CPI next week, yields can come down around that number and we may get some weakening in the dollar." MSCI's gauge of global equity performance (.MIWD00000PUS) gained 0.54%, while stocks on Wall Street surged 1% or more. U.S. Treasury yields rose sharply on Thursday after a very weak 30-year bond auction. U.S. crude rose $1.43 to settle at $77.17 a barrel, while Brent settled up $1.42 at $81.43 a barrel.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Jerome Powell, Michael James, Thierry Wizman, Wizman, Mullarkey, Tapas Strickland, Brent, Nell Mackenzie, Dhara Ranasignhe, Tomasz Janowski, Richard Chang Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Wall, Federal, Wedbush Securities, Fed, FX, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, U.S, Treasury, SLC Management, Reuters, NAB, New, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Los Angeles, Macquarie, New York, Europe, Boston, China, Beijing, New Zealand, London

☆ VIEW Fed's Powell: Strong economy may still require rate increases - Reuters News
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Powell said U.S. central bankers are moving carefully on policy now after aggressive rate hikes last year to give time for tighter conditions to slow the economy and inflation. "Quite clear that the market is reading into Powell's comments on tighter financial conditions potentially leading to the tightening cycle being done and dusted. Obviously other FOMC officials have said similar, but hearing so 'from the horse's mouth' gives the statement extra credibility." The tone was a bit more dovish than other Fed officials recently. "It's hard to make too much of a determination about what happens with knee jerk reactions immediately after any type of Fed comments ...

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, MICHAEL BROWN, MICHAEL JAMES, There's, CHRIS ZACCARELLI Organizations: U.S, Treasury, ALLIANCE, Global Finance, Markets, Thomson Locations: U.S, CHARLOTTE, NC

After the data, the S&P 500 spent the morning zig-zagging between red and green. U.S. benchmark 10-year yields rose after the inflation data and rose further to hit a session high after the auction. The rise in yields particularly pressured rate-sensitive sectors such as utilities (.SPLRCU) and real estate (.SPLRCR), often viewed as bond proxies. Homebuilding stocks fell after the data and came under more pressure after the afternoon increase in bond yields. Traders now expect a stronger chance the Fed will end up delivering another interest-rate hike this year, and keep rates higher for longer next year.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Treasuries, Michael James, James, Susan Collins, Israel, Sinéad Carew, Amruta, Shashwat Chauhan, Ankika Biswas, Johann M Cherian, Arun Koyyur, Shounak Dasgupta, Maju Samuel, David Gregorio Our Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, Treasury, Wedbush Securities, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Traders, Boston, Market, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Ford, United Auto Workers, UAW, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Los Angeles, Gaza, Wells Fargo, New York, Bengaluru

Nvidia's stock rose as high as $502.66, topping a record hit earlier this week, The first trillion-dollar chip maker pared some gains and was last up 0.8%% at $474.6. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), buoyed by Nvidia, rose in early trade before falling by 1.36%. Reuters GraphicsMore than 20 brokerages raised their target price on Nvidia after the earnings. The median analyst price target on the stock has nearly doubled to $600 since May when the company forecast a 50% jump in second-quarter revenue. Short sellers of Nvidia's stock have made $826 million in mark-to-market losses on Thursday, data from analytics firm S3 Partners showed.

Persons: Ann Wang, Michael James, James, Elazar, Tom Plumb, Plumb, Matthew Tuttle, Susan Mathew, Chavi Mehta, Medha Singh, Shreyashi Sanyal, Shristi Achar, Amruta, Noel Randewich, Varun H, Shinjini Ganguli, Sharon Singleton, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Nvidia, Philadelphia Semiconductor, Marvell Technology, Devices Inc, Intel, Nasdaq, Wedbush Securities, Reuters, Elazar Advisors, Rosenblatt Securities, Plumb Funds, Partners, Tuttle Capital Management, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Clara , California, Bengaluru, Chibuike, New York, Oakland , California

☆ Nasdaq leads Wall St to higher close as CPI report lifts sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Shares of big tech-related companies, which tend to be sensitive to higher interest rates, gave the S&P 500 its biggest boost. The Labor Department report also showed the smallest monthly gain in underlying consumer prices since August 2021. The S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) was up 0.6%. Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 3.23-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.93-to-1 ratio favored advancers. The S&P 500 posted 66 new 52-week highs and 2 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 129 new highs and 42 new lows.

Persons: Michael James, Quincy Krosby, Marvel, Janet Yellen's, Caroline Valetkevitch, Johann M Cherian, Shashwat Chauhan, Shinjini Ganguli, Nick Zieminski, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Nvidia, Broadcom, Dow, Nasdaq, Reserve, CPI, Wedbush Securities, Dow Jones, Labor Department, JPMorgan Chase, chipmaker Broadcom, VMware, Marvell Technology, Treasury, NYSE, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, North Carolina, U.S, York, China, Beijing, Bengaluru

"We'll have a much better sense after we get another major data point on Friday with the jobs report and the inflation data next week." MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) closed 0.93% lower, while Japan's Nikkei (.N225) lost 0.25%. In currencies, the U.S. dollar edged higher against other major currencies after Fed minutes reinforced expectations of another interest rate hike at the end of the month. The dollar index rose 0.272%, with the euro down 0.22% to $1.0853. And market participants were awaiting demand data from the July 4 U.S. holiday weekend, which tends to mark the peak U.S. travel season.

Persons: Mike Segar, outstrip Brent, Michael James, Jack Janasiewicz, Janasiewicz, ”, Paul Nolte, Sterling, Brent, Sinéad Carew, Lewis Krauskopf, Tom Wilson, Stella Qiu, Dhara, Sam Holmes, Helen Popper, Will Dunham, Christina Fincher Organizations: Wall, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, . Federal Reserve, Wedbush Securities, U.S . Commerce, Companies, U.S, Solutions, Traders, Murphy, Sylvest Wealth Management, “, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Japan's Nikkei, Treasury, Brent, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Los Angeles, United States, China, Washington, Europe, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Russia, New York, London, Sydney

☆ Still-hawkish Fed pauses rate tightening after 10 straight hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

While the market expected a hawkish pause, this is even a little bit more hawkish than market participants anticipated and that’s why you’re having a negative reaction in risk assets. So, it does suggest that the Fed is looking to tighten policy further, but the big question is can the Fed credibly commit to two more rate hikes if they just decided to actually hold rates steady. And what is the threshold for further rate hikes? “GEORGE YOUNG, PORTFOLIO MANAGER, VILLERE & CO, NEW ORLEANS"This a pregnant pause, meaning that they said they're going to pause hikes today but they're going to increase later. ANGELO KOURKAFAS, SENIOR INVESTMENT STRATEGIST, EDWARD JONES, ST LOUIS"We're seeing a more hawkish pause.

Persons: QUINCY KROSBY, Powell, He’s, BRIAN JACOBSEN, MENOMONEE, ” ANDRZEJ SKIBA, ” GENNADIY GOLDBERG, they’ve, ” ELLEN HAZEN, Logan, Waller, “ GEORGE, ANGELO KOURKAFAS, EDWARD JONES, They've, MICHAEL BROWN, hawkishly, WHITNEY WATSON, GOLDMAN, “, STOVALL, ” PAUL NOLTE, MICHAEL JAMES Organizations: YORK, Federal Reserve, Federal, U.S, RBC, CPI, PPI, Powell &, Cleveland Fed, Global Finance, Markets, Thomson Locations: U.S, CHARLOTTE, NC, WISCONSIN, WELLESLEY , MASSACHUSETTS, ORLEANS, GOLDMAN SACHS, Manheim, ALLENTOWN, CHICAGO

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told bank CEOs on Thursday that more mergers may be necessary after a series of bank failures, CNN reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with the matter. The Treasury readout did not mention bank mergers, but CNN quoted sources as saying that consolidation was discussed. Yellen told Reuters in an interview in Japan last week that pressures on U.S. regional bank earnings may lead to more concentration in the sector and regulators will likely be open to such mergers. But the report that she gave a similar message directly to bank CEOs, alongside news that talks over the U.S. debt ceiling were at an impasse, had a significant impact on markets on Friday. Two-year Treasury yields initially dropped by some 11 basis points on Friday after the report, while benchmark 10-year yields fell by about five basis points.

Shares of U.S. regional banks rose, led by a 12.6% rise in Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) as the lender's deposit growth exceeded $2 billion and brokerage Bank of America Global Research resumed coverage of the bank with a "buy" rating. The KBW Regional Banking Index (.KRX) rose 3.1% after losing 1.8% in the previous session, while S&P 500 banks (.SPXBK) added 2.4%. "Cautious optimism expressed from both President Biden and Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy about the progress of the debt talks has made people feel a little bit better," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities. Retailers Target Corp(TGT.N) and TJX Companies Inc (TJX.N) forecast current-quarter profit below expectations despite beating estimates for the first quarter. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 2.69-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by a 1.39-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

Shares of U.S. regional banks rose, led by a 11.6% premarket rise in Western Alliance Bancorp (WAL.N) as the lender's deposit growth exceeded $2 billion and brokerage Bank of America Global Research resumed coverage of the bank with a "buy" rating. U.S. President Joe Biden will continue talks with congressional leaders on the debt ceiling later this week, the White House said one day after an hour-long meeting seen as productive. "Cautious optimism expressed from both President (Joe) Biden and Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy about the progress of the debt talks has made people feel a little bit better," said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities. Target Corp(TGT.N) edged 0.4% higher in choppy trading after the retailer beat first-quarter profit expectations but forecast current-quarter profit below expectations. ET, Dow e-minis were up 129 points, or 0.39%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 13 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 18.5 points, or 0.14%.

For most of the day, stocks struggled for direction amid disappointing earnings from Tyson Foods and Catalent and a short-lived rebound in regional banks. The struggle for a clearer direction comes after a rally on Friday, when U.S. jobs data pointed to a resilient labor market. Producer prices, weekly jobless claims and consumer sentiment data are all lined up for the week. Shares of regional banks tumbled for much of last week on worries tied to the collapse of First Republic Bank. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc's Class B shares rose after posting a $35.5 billion first-quarter profit, boosted by gains from stocks such as Apple.

The struggle for a clearer direction comes after a rally on Friday, when U.S. jobs data pointed to a resilient labor market. Producer prices, weekly jobless claims and consumer sentiment data are all lined up for the week. A rally in regional banks' shares proved short-lived, with PacWest Bancorp (PACW.O) rising 5.6% after gaining as much as about 30% earlier in the session after the lender sharply cut its quarterly dividend to boost capital. Shares of regional banks tumbled for much of last week on worries tied to the collapse of First Republic Bank. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc's Class B shares rose 0.9% after posting a $35.5 billion first-quarter profit, boosted by gains from stocks such as Apple.

Producer prices, weekly jobless claims and consumer sentiment data are all lined up through the week. "The bigger picture is inflation will remain higher for longer and that we are heading into a recession. The KBW Regional Banking index (.KRX) fell 2.2% after posting its best single-day performance in seven weeks on Friday. Shares of regional banks tumbled for much of last week on worries tied to the collapse of First Republic Bank. The S&P index recorded 10 new 52-week highs and four new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 47 new highs and 53 new lows.

☆ Instant View: Fed hikes another 25 basis points, hints it may be the last increase
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

TOM GARRETSON, STRATEGIST, RBC PORTFOLIO ADVISORY GROUP, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA"It was a pretty dovish rate hike today. The expectations were that it might be a bit more of a hawkish rate hike in terms of leaving the door open to further hikes if needed." "The updated language in the policy statement does suggest the bar is going to be quite high for further rate hikes. … The market is hoping or expecting the Fed to pause after this rate hike. From a consumer credit perspective, the impact of further rate hikes will likely continue to be felt by borrowers across a range of industries.

☆ MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell ordered to pay $5 million to 2020 election fraud data debunker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An arbitration panel ordered MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to pay $5 million within 30 days to a Nevada software developer for proving Lindell was wrong in his claim that certain data was related to the 2020 presidential election and purported voting machine fraud. The panel, in its 23-page ruling issued Wednesday, said that the Robert Zeidman "proved the data Lindell LLC provided, and represented reflected information from the November 2020 election, unequivocally did not reflect November 2020 election data." Zeidman, a software developer, entered the "Prove Mike Wrong Challenge" contest in during a cyber symposium in August 2021. Lindell, who had said he believed the data revealed that China had interefered in the 2020 election in several states, called the ruling "a horrrible decision." "The evidence was from 2020," Lindell said of the data that was the subject of the contest.

U.S.-listed shares of Credit Suisse slid 24.3% to hit a record low, after the Swiss bank's largest investor said it could not provide more financial assistance to the lender. Big U.S. banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), Citigroup (C.N) and Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) fell between 5% and 1%. The KBW regional banking index (.KRX) slid 3.8% while the S&P 500 banking index (.SPXBK) dropped 4.2%%. "Given all the turmoil with Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, expectations have dramatically risen come that the Fed will keep rates unchanged, or maybe raise them (by) 25 basis points." Shares of Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW.N) fell 1.9%, a day after its chief executive said the firm has enough liquidity.

[1/2] Actor Robert Blake speaks to reporters as he walks to Burbank Courthouse in Burbank, California, U.S. August 29, 2005. A wrongful death lawsuit subsequently filed against Blake by her estate led to a civil court judgment that the actor was responsible for her slaying. Blake contended his wife was a victim of her own checkered past, gunned down by an unknown assailant. Blake's acting work was overshadowed four years later by the Bakley murder, which remains unsolved. A paternity test showed that the father was Blake, not Christian Brando, son of actor Marlon Brando, who Bakley had been dating simultaneously.

☆ Wall St Week Ahead: Inflation data on deck for markets hit by worries about Fed, banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Lewis Krauskopf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

NEW YORK, March 10 (Reuters) - A critical inflation report next week will test a U.S. stock market already consumed by worries over Federal Reserve hawkishness and potential fallout from the largest bank failure since the financial crisis. A hotter-than-expected consumer price report on Tuesday, however, could reignite fears of jumbo-sized Fed rate hikes like those that rocked markets last year. After a big rebound in January, the benchmark index is now clinging to a 0.6% gain for 2023. The consumer price report is followed the next day by more inflation data, on producer prices. Besides signs of falling inflation, reassurance for investors could come if it became clearer that SVB’s issues were unlikely to spread.

☆ Police arrest in Spain one of FBI most wanted fugitives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Spanish police on Friday said they had arrested one of the U.S. FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives, who was staying at a hotel in Madrid under a false identity. Michael James Pratt, a New Zealand citizen, had been sentenced to life in prison for child pornography, sexual exploitation and sexual assault in the United States. Police said he was involved in the audiovisual production of pornography, recruiting underage girls and young women through deception between 2012 and 2019. Only 57 criminals on the FBI's Most Wanted list have been apprehended outside the bureau's jurisdiction, Spanish authorities said, adding that it was the first time this has occurred in Spain. He paid other women to act as "bait" and convince the victims the recorded material would not be published online.

[1/2] A trader works on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 14, 2022. "When people adjust their expectations after the Fed meeting, higher rates typically imply more compressed multiples for growth stocks." Further, hawkish messages delivered by three Fed officials including New York Fed President John Williams last week underscored the U.S. central bank's determination to do what it takes to ease price pressures. Still, money market participants are pricing in 61% chance of a 25 basis points rate hike in February to 4.5%-4.75%, with a terminal rate of 4.84% in May 2023. The S&P index recorded five new 52-week highs and 15 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 42 new highs and 335 new lows.

[1/2] A trader works on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 14, 2022. "When people adjust their expectations after the Fed meeting, higher rates typically imply more compressed multiples for growth stocks." Further, hawkish messages delivered by three Fed officials including New York Fed President John Williams last week underscored the U.S. central bank's determination to do what it takes to ease price pressures. Still, money market participants are pricing in 65% chance of a 25 basis points rate hike in February to 4.5%-4.75%, with a terminal rate of 4.84% in May 2023. The S&P index recorded five new 52-week highs and eight new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded two new highs and 59 new lows.

☆ Stocks regain some lost ground as investors interpret U.S. payrolls data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sinéad Carew | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. Labor Department reported that nonfarm payrolls increased by 263,000 jobs last month compared with economist expectations for 200,000 jobs. "That sentiment shift has been more powerful than any 'negativity' to be taken from today's jobs report," he said. MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe (.MIWD00000PUS) shed 0.15% on the day but added 1.5% for the week. Earlier it had jumped sharply in response to the jobs data, gaining as much as 0.82%. Gold prices also regained some lost ground from their earlier reaction to the jobs data.

A "substantial majority" of policymakers agreed it would "likely soon be appropriate" to slow the pace of interest rate hikes, the minutes showed. Since the Fed's last meeting on Nov. 1-2, investors have been more optimistic that price pressures have started to ease, meaning smaller rate hikes could curtail inflation. Heavyweight stocks, including Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), rose 1.00% and 0.72%, respectively. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a 1.97-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.61-to-1 ratio favored advancers. The S&P 500 posted 21 new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 97 new highs and 126 new lows.

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