April 27, 2018

😁 IS THIS Why Trump's heading to the UK? "UK to Expose Tax Havens/RU Money Laundering"

Uh Oh!!
Now, Theresa May is known to be rather protective of London's big money movers, HOWEVER, I believe it is the MP's who are handling this Busting of Tax Havens, to expose Russian money laundering.

Is this why Trump is paying a visit to the UK, apparently willing to forego the pomp, the carriage rides & visits with the Queen?

He suddenly has Another more pressing agenda?

This will be interesting! Hope UK Intel records every conversation he has & every person he meets while he's there.
*************
https://twitter.com/ericgarland/status/989659773854519297?s=20

https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2018/04/26/Tax-havens-corrupt-Russian-tycoons-oligarchs/1940124

Tax havens prepare to expose corrupt tycoons and oligarchs

Francis Elliott, Political Editor
April 25 2018, 10:00pm

Corrupt Russian oligarchs sheltering dirty money in Britain’s overseas territories will be exposed under laws set to be forced on Theresa May next week.

Tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands have so far resisted moves to follow the UK’s lead and reveal to public view the identities of those benefiting from assets held under their jurisdictions.

Campaigners say that the secrecy enables money laundering, which in turn facilitates criminality, corruption and oppression, including in Russia.

The prime minister has promised tougher measures against President Putin’s cronies after the poisoning of the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury last month.

Next week a coalition of Tory rebels, Labour, the SNP and other opposition parties will challenge Mrs May to match her rhetoric with action when new sanctions legislation is debated in the Commons.

Urging the government to back down, Mr Mitchell said: “Mrs May has so far led the world in taking a stand against Russia’s challenge to international norms.
But if she is to deliver on her promises she must ensure that filthy money fuelling the worst abuses isn’t sheltering under a British flag anywhere in the world.”

Ministers had hoped to stave off trouble by agreeing to demands for a “Magnitsky amendment” that would mean the UK following countries such as the US and Canada in targeting those accused of human rights abuses with visa bans.

As part of the cross-party deal to bring in the reforms, ministers have accepted a role for MPs to scrutinise how sanctions are being applied.

MPs are expected to vote on the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill on Tuesday.


MP's & a Party coalition are going around May & straight into the belly of the Tax Haven beast!

THIS IS THE CRITICAL VALUE OF THE MAGNITSKY ACT


Btw, Its not just RU $$$$ laundry that's about to be exposed.

April 26, 2018

Jill Stein refuses to turn over campaign documents to Senate intel committee

https://twitter.com/BryanDawsonUSA/status/989615102306476033?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhiKapMom/status/989606946339803136?s=20

From RAWSTORY:

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/green-partys-jill-stein-refuses-turn-campaign-documents-senate-intel-committee/amp/

Attorneys for Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein are submitting a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee stating she will not supply it with all of the information they have requested about the 2016 campaign, calling the request “overbroad.”

According to The Intercept, which received a copy of the letter to be delivered on Thursday, Stein is refusing to turn over everything they have asked for as it related to their probe into Russian activities in the 2016 election.

In the letter addressed to committee chair Richard Burr, R-N.C., and ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., the attorneys say the campaign will agree to turn over some documents, but raised constitutional objections over the request.

Stein has been under scrutiny over her visit to Russia where she was photographed sitting at dinner prior to the election with Russian President Vladimir Putin and former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn who is currently being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller.

According to the Intercept report, Stein’s attorneys say they are willing to turn over “all communications between the campaign and ‘Russian media organizations, their employees, or associates’ between February 6, 2015, and the present.”

Where they are drawing the line is a request for communications and emails from the “campaign’s policy discussions regarding Russia” during the same time frame.

According to Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, of the Washington-based Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, who authored the letter, the campaign will refuse to produce those materials “on the basis of constitutional privilege arising from the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”
MORE at LINK...

EDIT TO ADD RAWSTORY LINK:
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/green-partys-jill-stein-refuses-turn-campaign-documents-senate-intel-committee/amp/

April 26, 2018

Senators Shaheen & Whitehouse Push Banks to Disclose Ties with wealthy Russians allied with Putin

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2018/04/24/us-senators-push-banks-to-disclose-ties-with-wealthy-russians.html?__twitter_impression=true

US senators push banks to disclose ties with wealthy Russians allied with Putin
Published 8:25 PM ET Tue, 24 April 2018

**Two Democratic senators, Jeanne Shaheen and Sheldon Whitehouse, have written to the banks, which include Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase and Citibank as well as Europe-based Barclays, Deutsche Bank , UBS, HSBC and Credit Suisse.


**"Given their wealth and relationship to the Russian state, many oligarchs in Russia either wield or are susceptible to considerable political influence," the two senators said in the letter, seen by Reuters, which also said oligarchs have used their wealth to shield the state from sanctions.


U.S. Senators are pressing many of the world's largest financial institutions to disclose any links between their companies and wealthy Russians allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a letter released on Tuesday.

Two Democratic senators, Jeanne Shaheen and Sheldon Whitehouse, have written to the banks, hoping to increase pressure not just on individuals on the U.S. Treasury's so-called "oligarchs list," but also on financial institutions to closely consider those with whom they do business as Washington moves to impose sanctions on Moscow.


Snip
Russia denies meddling in the election. The letter was sent to three large U.S. banks — Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase and Citibank — as well as Europe-based Barclays, Deutsche Bank , UBS, HSBC and Credit Suisse.

As part of sweeping sanctions legislation President Donald Trump signed into law in August, the U.S. Congress required Treasury to create a list of wealthy Russians — the "oligarchs" — with ties to the government who might later be targeted with sanctions such as asset freezes or denial of visas.
"Given their wealth and relationship to the Russian state, many oligarchs in Russia either wield or are susceptible to considerable political influence," the two senators said in the letter, seen by Reuters, which also said oligarchs have used their wealth to shield the state from sanctions.

The letter asked each bank whether it had, within five years, conducted a review to determine if it had any accounts controlled by anyone on the list released on Jan. 29 of oligarchs or senior Russian political figures.

If so, it asked for information about the review and any findings.
If a bank had not conducted a review, the letter asked what was done to identify activity between the institution and listed Russians.

A JPMorgan Chase spokesman said the company had received the letter and was reviewing it.
A Barclays spokesman declined comment.
Staff at the other institutions did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

If the banks do not provide the information, the senators plan to seek potentially more intrusive action, MORE...

April 26, 2018

URBAN DICTIONARY: Does just anyone get to post a reply there?

If so I believe the site was also a target by trolls, bots.

I rarely refer to Urban Dictionay for a description but I was doing a google search & it showed up, I found us described there.

The posts are straight out of JPR & RWers & the curious thing is the # of thumbs up given those posts.

Is there any way to have the meanings given corrected?

Just wondering.

If this post is questionable in any way, let me know & I'll delete.

I really need to know how popular Urban Dictionary is. Who reads it?
Ugh!!


Here.
Type in Democratic Underground at the top.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Democratic underground

April 25, 2018

Supreme Court chief schmoozed with Trump just before travel ban hearing

https://shareblue.com/supreme-court-chief-justice-john-roberts-state-dinner-travel-ban/


Supreme Court chief schmoozed with Trump just before travel ban hearing


While it’s not unusual for Supreme Court justices to attend state dinners, it is unusual for state dinners to be held on the eve of such monumental court cases, making Roberts’ decision to attend a questionable one.

As a guest at the dinner, Roberts was rubbing elbows with the architects of the policy that will be argued in court Wednesday — giving the appearance of potential impropriety, particularly if the court comes down with a ruling in favor of the Trump administration.

An independent and honorable judiciary is indispensable to justice in our society.

A judge should maintain and enforce high standards of conduct and should personally observe those standards, so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary may be preserved,” the Code of Conduct states.

“Adherence to this responsibility helps to maintain public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary. Conversely, violation of this Code diminishes public confidence in the judiciary and injures our system of government under law.”

Unlike the lower courts, the conservative-leaning Supreme Court has sided with Trump previously and allowed most of his ban to take effect.
While it remains to be seen what will ultimately come of Wednesday’s oral arguments, Roberts’ decision to attend a black-tie affair with the architects of the policy on the eve of its day in court will undoubtedly raise questions about his impartiality — or lack thereof.

April 25, 2018

"Greatest Scam in History and a Colossal Pump-and-Dump Scheme-Bitcoin"/ Fmr PayPal CEO Bill Harris

THE former chief executive of PayPal has slammed bitcoin as the “greatest scam in history” and a “colossal pump-and-dump scheme”.

Writing for technology website Recode, Bill Harris said he was tired of describing the cryptocurrency as “speculative”, “gambling” or even a “bubble”. “Okay, I’ll say it: bitcoin is a scam,” he said.

“In a pump-and-dump game, promoters ‘pump’ up the price of a security creating a speculative frenzy, then ‘dump’ some of their holdings at artificially high prices. And some cryptocurrencies are pure frauds.
Ernst & Young estimates that 10 per cent of the money raised for initial coin offerings [ICOs] has been stolen.”


Mr Harris joins a long list of crypto-naysayers from the traditional financial community, including real-life Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort, who has also described cryptocurrencies as “pump-and-dump” schemes.

Earlier this month, the head of German cryptocurrency start-up Savedroid, Yassin Hankir, sparked fears he had run off with $US50 million of investors’ money after the website was taken down and replaced with a South Park meme reading: “Aannd it’s gone.”



Bitcoin today:
Bitcoin/USD Coinbase
BTC.CB=:Exchange
Real Time Quote | | USD
Last | 3:42:15 PM EDT
9,002.00
-626 (-6.5019%)

4:00ET


https://www.coindesk.com/price/

April 25, 2018

Preet Bharara: #ChangeSummit /4-26-18.

https://www.cafe.com/cafe-change-summit-2018/

Thursday, April 26, 2018
Industria, Meatpacking District, Manhattan
Join the conversation: #CHANGESUMMIT

A MESSAGE FROM PREET

"I have spent my life working on ensuring opportunity, strengthening democracy, and doing justice.
Those are the issues that I wrestled with over almost eight years as the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan.
They’re the questions I talk about on my podcast, Stay Tuned with Preet. And now, I’m bringing those ideas to a new level with the CAFE Change Summit.

Over the course of a day-long experience, the CAFE Change Summit will bring young aspiring change-makers together with people who have already made their mark, including household names and powerful new voices, providing opportunities for engagement and real-life conversations about how to identify complex challenges; how to think about new and interesting solutions; and how to turn ideas into results.

The individuals I’ve chosen to participate in this forum are some of the most accomplished leaders and exciting trailblazers in the country. Invited participants will engage with people like Tina Brown, a pioneering media mogul who created the Women in the World summit; Catherine Hoke, the founder and CEO of Defy Ventures, which equips formerly incarcerated individuals with the skills to start their own business; Vanita Gupta, the President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; and Bassem Youssef, a world-renowned comedian who created an Egyptian news satire show to take on the ruling regime.

Young people invited to this event will hear Garry Kasparov, a master chess player and human rights advocate, ....MORE at LINK








https://www.cafe.com/about/

About CAFE

CAFE is a media venture developed in partnership between Preet Bharara and Some Spider Studios.Through video, text, audio, and live events, CAFE is connecting with people across America and around the world on the issues that have informed Preet’s life and work: strengthening democracy, advancing opportunity, and doing justice.

From our highly-rated podcast, “Stay Tuned with Preet,” to projects from Bassem Youssef, live events with comedians and policy leaders, and a day-long summit planned for later this spring, CAFE is developing programming that inspires thoughtful action – and gives people the power to change their world.

April 24, 2018

🍃"The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration"/Open 4/26/18

The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration"/Open 4/26/18
https://museumandmemorial.eji.org


The Museum and Memorial will open to the public on April 26, 2018

The Legacy Museum:
From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration

Located on the site of a former warehouse where black people were enslaved in Montgomery, Alabama, this narrative museum uses interactive media, sculpture, videography and exhibits to immerse visitors in the sights and sounds of the domestic slave trade, racial terrorism, the Jim Crow South, and the world’s largest prison system. Compelling visuals and data-rich exhibits provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity to investigate America's history of racial injustice and its legacy — to draw dynamic connections across generations of Americans impacted by the tragic history of racial inequality.


Sculpture by Titus Kaphar

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice
More than 4400 African American men, women, and children were hanged, burned alive, shot, drowned, and beaten to death by white mobs between 1877 and 1950. Millions more fled the South as refugees from racial terrorism, profoundly impacting the entire nation.

Until now, there has been no national memorial acknowledging the victims of racial terror lynchings.

On a six-acre site atop a rise overlooking Montgomery, the national lynching memorial is a sacred space for truth-telling and reflection about racial terror in America and its legacy.

A very necessary read at link...

Time won't heal it, & the guilty must never be allowed to minimize nor erase the shame of humanity.
Human Rights is the foremost campaign worthy of our existence.

April 23, 2018

"U.S. Seeks Long Jail Term For Yahoo Hacker, Sending Message Of Deterrence' To FSB"/Wendy Siegelman

https://twitter.com/WendySiegelman/status/988512499875139588?s=20

https://www.rferl.org/amp/russia-us-seeks-long-jail-term-for-yahoo-hacker-sending-message-of-deterrence-to-fsb/29187824.html?__twitter_impression=true

U.S. Seeks Long Jail Term For Yahoo Hacker, Sending ‘Message Of Deterrence' To FSB

April 23, 2018 1


U.S. authorities have demanded a nearly eight-year prison sentence for a Kazakh-born computer hacker, asserting that a harsh term would send a message to Russia's main intelligence agency about hacking and espionage.

Federal prosecutors made the arguments in court filings in San Francisco ahead of the next hearing for Karim Baratov, who is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24.

The U.S. prosecution against Baratov has yielded glimpses into how Russian intelligence agencies -- the Federal Security Service (FSB), first and foremost -- may use computer hackers in the theft of passwords, e-mails, and espionage.

Baratov, who was born in Kazakhstan and was living in Canada at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to charges that he helped hack into Yahoo, affecting hundreds of millions of accounts in what has turned into the largest data breach in history.

As part of his plea deal, Baratov agreed to cooperate with U.S. prosecutors in their investigation of the Yahoo hack. Two officers from the FSB have also been charged, along with another Russian hacker on the FBI's most wanted list.

In the filings in San Francisco's U.S. federal court,
MORE at LINK...

April 23, 2018

World War II Mortar Forces Evacuation, Shuts Down DallasTurnpike

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/World-War-II-Mortar-Forces-Evacuation-Shuts-Down-Turnpike-480568481.html

VIDEO at LINK

World War II Mortar Forces Evacuation, Shuts Down Turnpike

By Holley Ford
Published 20 minutes ago | Updated 7 minutes ago

The President George Bush Turnpike is closed after an explosive device from the World War II era was found in Rowlett.

Police say someone found a World War II mortar and brought it to a home in the 4600 block of Bayonne Drive Monday morning.

The Garland Bomb unit has responded to the scene, although it is unclear if the mortar is still dangerous.

A mortar is a muzzle-loading artillery piece that fires explosive projectiles.

The area has been evacuated for safety reasons and because of proximity to the area, the turnpike is shut down from Interstate 30 to State Highway 66.
It is not known when the turnpike will reopen.