Tag: corruption

Wall Street Expected To Have Its Best Year Ever As Americans Drown In Debt

Money is flooding Wall Street as Americans thirst for financial relief amid war-fueled inflation and soaring household debt.

New York’s securities industry is on pace to blow past last year’s record profits, according to a new report from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Wall Street firms made $45.9 billion in just the first half of 2026, already eclipsing what New York City expected them to make for the entire year. (RELATED: Wall Street Banks Finance Both Sides Of America’s AI Race With China)

The money has poured in as companies race to build artificial intelligence infrastructure, businesses return to the dealmaking table and investors trade through a year marked by war, tariffs and market swings, the Comptroller’s report found. Virtually every major Wall Street revenue stream grew during the first half of the year, with underwriting seeing particularly strong gains.

Wall Street’s boom looks much different from the economy many Americans are living in. Families have rationed showers and hauled water from creeks as water bills climb into the hundreds of dollars, while gasoline prices have risen sharply and record diesel costs threaten to make already expensive grocery bills even worse due to the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

Many Americans are leaning increasingly on borrowed money. Household debt has continued to climb, with consumers carrying growing credit card and auto loan balances as high interest rates make that debt more expensive to service, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Credit cards have become a particularly costly pressure point. Americans now owe more than $1 trillion on their cards, Fed data show, while credit card delinquencies have climbed to levels not seen since the aftermath of the Great Recession. Total household debt had climbed to a record $18.8 trillion in the first quarter of 2026.

Meanwhile, billions continue pouring into AI and Wall Street is preparing for another potentially record-breaking payday.

Venture capital investment in AI companies reached $407 billion during the first half of the year, already dwarfing the amount invested throughout 2025, the report found. The spending has helped buoy markets even as investors question whether companies can eventually make enough money to justify the enormous sums flowing into the technology.

Big Tech companies are increasingly borrowing to finance the data centers, chips and power infrastructure behind the AI boom. Amazon, Google, Meta and other tech giants are now competing with governments for investors’ cash as they flood debt markets with new borrowing.

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Trump’s Fact-free Diatribe on the Price of Oil. “Strait of Hormuz Misrepresentations”

Another day and another fact-free diatribe by the president of the United States.

Trump went on his Truth Social (where truth is a rare commodity) and said Democrats have closed down the nation’s refinery capacity, and this is the reason diesel and gas prices are skyrocketing.

Here’s what Trump didn’t tell you:

He has triggered closures of major refinery companies.

The recent closures were corporate decisions by refinery owners, not a mandate by Democrats.

LyondellBasell Industries in Houston made a strategic decision to exit refining in March, 2025, eliminating approximately 264,000 barrels a day. (Categorized as among the 10 best in the U.S)

Phillips 66 in Los Angeles closed in October, 2025, citing uncertain long-term sustainability amid changing market conditions, while also reporting high operating costs and low earnings.

The closure removed 139,000 barrels from the market. Valero, in Benicia, California ended refining in 2026, citing high maintenance costs and other business considerations. The corporation produced 145,000 barrels a day.

Valero also mentioned regulatory hurdles in California, where the are unusually stringent fuel, environmental, emissions, and operating requirements. However, it is not accurate to claim that Democrats or California’s governor ordered these refineries closed, or that regulations in the state are responsible for the fuel crisis in the rest of the country.

The 2025 shutdowns at the LyondellBasell Houston and Phillips 66 Los Angeles refineries cut total US refining capacity by about 400,000 barrels per day. Because the two California closures eliminated roughly 17% of California’s capacity, their impact is concentrated on West Coast fuel supply and prices rather than the broader US market.

It’s correct to say Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries affect global energy markets. During his first term, Trump approved the first US provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine, notably Javelin anti-tank missiles. In 2018 and 2019, the United States notified Congress of sales totaling 360 Javelins, plus launchers, training, and related equipment. In other words, US foreign policy, under both Biden and Trump, is responsible for the current crisis.

Diesel and heating oil account for nearly 30% of global petroleum use, with about one-quarter of this supply moving across borders. When Russian refinery exports drop, the impact extends beyond Europe, resulting in rising costs in transport, farming, construction, freight, and heating, all of which contribute to wider inflation.

The Trump administration is responsible for raising oil prices by continuing the war against Iran.

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How Zionists Shape Europe’s Media

One of Europe’s most powerful media moguls has a message for the continent: “We shall all be Zionists.” In May 2026, Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner used those words to close a speech to the World Jewish Congress after declaring, “I am a Zionist.” A month later, his group, which owns Bild, Welt, Politico and Business Insider, completed its acquisition of Telegraph Media Group, expanding its reach further into the British media market.

At Axel Springer, the pro-Israel position has long gone beyond Döpfner’s personal views and is embedded in the media group’s official principles. Elsewhere in Europe’s media landscape, similar narratives are advanced through owners, boards of directors, specialized outlets, journalist outreach and political norms that make the Israeli perspective the default and familiar frame.

Mathias Döpfner’s Media Empire

Mathias Döpfner has been openly pro-Israel for years. In 2021, Axel Springer flew an Israeli flag outside its Berlin headquarters, and when some employees objected, he said anyone troubled by it should “look for a new job,” describing solidarity with Israel as a “German duty.”

In 2021, Döpfner was also pushing into German party politics. Before the Bundestag election, he asked Bild executives whether they could do more for the liberal Free Democratic Party, or FDP, and later urged then-editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt to give the party stronger backing. Bild subsequently denied that its coverage followed instructions from its owner.

In 2023, Die Zeit published internal messages in which Döpfner wrote, “Zionismus über alles. Israel my country,” roughly meaning, “Zionism above all. Israel is my country.” Axel Springer accused the newspaper of taking private messages out of context, but the wording was considerably stronger than conventional support for Israel.

Axel Springer’s corporate rules give that political position an institutional dimension. Its constitution, known as the Springer Essentials, lists Israel’s right to exist among the company’s core principles, while Döpfner has described those values as “non-negotiable” and argued that media companies cannot be neutral and should openly stand for certain principles.

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NGO’s Expose Mexico’s Political Elite Over Stolen Money Destined For Children’s Cancer Medication

A group of private organizations filed a series of complaints with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office accusing key members of Mexico’s ruling party of receiving stolen federal funds destined for pediatric cancer treatments. The groups claim theft of the missing funds led to the deaths of more than 5,000 children with cancer.

Those named in the complaint include Andres Lopez Beltran, the son of former Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and his close business associates.

This week, the organizations Parents of Children with Cancer, De Corazon AC, and Fundacion Nicoatole went to the FGR where they filed a formal complaint against Lopez Beltran and Jorge Amilcar Olan, accusing them of genocide, murder, and organized crime.

In a prepared statement, the organizations point to a series of illegally obtained contracts by Amilcar Olan’s companies, which relied on Lopez Beltran’s connections and funneled millions in federal funding into ghost companies that allegedly embezzled the money. As a result of the scheme, thousands of children throughout Mexico went without cancer medicines, with over 5,000 of them dying, the statement alleges.

It remains unclear whether Mexican authorities will act on the complaint, since in recent months Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and her government have publicly defended Lopez Beltran and claimed he is not under investigation. This despite being publicly linked to large-scale cartel-fuel smuggling operations. As Breitbart Texas reported, the U.S. government revoked Lopez Beltran’s tourist visa and is reportedly investigating him over those allegations.

A series of news articles and statements from rival politicians in Mexico claim that Lopez Beltran relied on Amilcar Olan not only to move money from illegal fuel, but also to embezzle government funds through a series of government contracts moved into shell companies. Despite the allegations, Mexico’s government is also protecting Amilcar Olan, who has since fled the country and has been spotted living in Europe.

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Germany’s Former Spy Chief Arrested In Biggest Espionage Scandal Of The Century

August Hanning, former head of the German BND foreign intelligence agency, which is Germany’s equivalent of the CIA, has been arrested on espionage charges in a shocking and unprecedented situation in which a country’s top intelligence officer and head of a national spy agency was caught spying for another state.

The 80-year-old faces formal charges including “treasonous espionage, spying out state secrets, attempted treason, and espionage” – according to German media. While an official statement from the prosecutor’s office has not yet identified the foreign service he’s suspected of working for, Israel has been widely named, also given this past well-documented associations and links.

Curiously, Hanning’s arrest at his home in Nordwalde in western Germany comes a full two decades after he left the top intelligence post. He served as BND chief from December 1998 to November 2005 before moving to the Federal Interior Ministry.

In short, it appeared he not only illegally held on to thousands of classified documents, but used them over the years to peddle influence – including preparing a presentation for a foreign intelligence service based on the internal government docs. What’s more is he was covertly obtaining new documents even many years out of office.

Israeli media itself is highlighting that the way Hanning was caught actually involves shady Israeli operatives:

The affair rocking Germany involves thousands of classified documents, suspected payments, contacts with foreign intelligence officials and a surprising connection to Israel: The investigation that led to its exposure actually began with the case involving the abduction of millionaire heiress Christina Block’s children, in which Israelis were also implicated.

International reports at the time: “According to prosecutors, August Hanning, who once headed Germany’s domestic intelligence service, allegedly approached Peri [ex-Shin Bet head], now owner of the Israeli consulting firm CGI Group, to organize a team of Israeli operatives for the abduction. The team allegedly assaulted Hänsel, kidnapped the children, smuggled them into Germany, and handed them over to Block. A Danish court later ordered her to return the children to their father.”

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Former Senior CIA Officer Pleads GUILTY to $194 MILLION Taxpayer Heist — Fake Classified Programs, 298 Gold Bars, Florida Luxury Homes, Rolexes

A former senior CIA officer who held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance pleaded guilty Tuesday to a scheme that prosecutors say drained approximately $194 million from the federal government, money he converted into gold bars, Florida luxury properties, Rolex watches, and high-end cars.

David J. Rush, 49, of Ashburn, Virginia, admitted the fraud in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia.

The Justice Department said he fraudulently obtained approximately $193,590,400 by misusing his senior executive-level position and inventing fictitious government authorities, including a fabricated Special Access Program, to pull U.S. funds for his own use.

According to the Department of Justice, Rush reached that trusted post in part by lying about his education and military experience. Once inside, he used the clearance and the authority that came with it to move money that never belonged to him.

The scheme split into two tracks that prosecutors described as the same overarching fraud. Rush directed approximately $145 million in wire transfers that he used to buy luxury real estate, watches, and at least one car. Separately, he obtained gold bars at an approximate cost to the government of $46 million.

Court filings reported by CBS News say he invented a fake classified program to steer the real-estate money through a front company and a holding company he controlled, then bought properties in Palm Beach and Hobe Sound, Florida, that he intended to resell for profit. He also fabricated a separate purported sensitive government activity to justify the gold.

The FBI search of his Virginia home on May 19 recovered 298 gold bars, approximately $2,106,550 in cash, €104,795, and numerous luxury watches.

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Why banks and offshore hubs like Dubai are winners of the Senate killing the Clarity Act

One expert believes that the failure to pass the bill is a win for the banks that staunchly oppose stablecoin yields, while a global crypto lawyer believes overseas jurisdictions benefit.

U.S. banks and overseas crypto hubs such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stand to benefit after the Senate failed to advance the Clarity Act last week, according to lawyers and industry experts.

The Clarity Act’s 49-50 Senate cloture vote means the crypto industry will not get the federal market structure framework it had sought. Instead, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) will continue to shape policy through existing rules, interpretations and exemptions.

The legislative battle over the bills was not only about crypto oversight, but it also exposed a struggle over whether stablecoin platforms could offer rewards that might compete with bank deposits, as well as ethical considerations for people in government.

“Banks won this round. But the reason they are fighting so hard is that banks increasingly see stablecoins as competition for deposits, not just as another crypto product,” said Anton Golub, head of exchange go-to-market at Forte, in a Telegram message.

The immediate outcome of the failure to pass the law is that crypto regulations in the United States will continue to be created outside Congress. The SEC moved quickly after the vote, issuing a temporary conditional exemption that allows eligible venues to trade tokenized U.S. stocks through permissioned liquidity pools on public blockchains.

Soon after, the CFTC sent crypto rules to the White House for review. The agency submitted a new proposal; the details were not disclosed. For now, which crypto assets it contemplates, what exchanges would need to do to qualify for licenses, what restrictions would apply and how far the agency believes its authority extends, remains unclear. All the meanwhile, the “Clarity Act is dead, at least for now,” Jesse Hamilton, CoinDesk’s deputy managing editor in charge of global policy and regulation, wrote in an analysis that explains what very few appear to know: what the Clarity Act actually is.

“While the U.S. continues debating the Clarity Act, in the UAE we actually have clarity,” Irina Heaver, a Dubai-based crypto lawyer and founder of NeosLegal, said via Telegram. More than 110 regulated virtual-asset businesses operate in the country, with about 20 more holding in-principle approvals, she added.

“Every additional year that major markets spend debating how crypto should be regulated gives jurisdictions that have already created functioning regulatory frameworks another year to attract businesses, founders, talent and capital,” she said. “Regulatory clarity is no longer just a legal issue. It is a competitive advantage for the country.”

Kyle Bligen, executive director at the Decentralization Research Center, said “Congress remains the best route to a comprehensive market structure framework.” He said the Senate’s vote “was disappointing, but it does not change the underlying problem: digital assets still need clear and durable rules.”

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Florida AG Sues Pfizer, Bourla Over Deceptive Marketing of COVID Vaccines

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday sued Pfizer and its CEO, Albert Bourla, alleging that the drugmaker misled the public by marketing its COVID-19 vaccine as safe and effective while not disclosing the vaccine’s potential risks to pregnant women, children and teenagers.

The 49-page lawsuit alleges Pfizer violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by deceptively marketing its vaccine to the public in turn for making billions of dollars in profit.

According to the complaint, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine marketing campaign focused on two principal themes: that the shot “posed no material safety risks” and that “mass vaccination was necessary to stop the transmission of COVID-19” — even though Pfizer never tested the vaccine’s ability to stop the virus from spreading.

Pfizer possessed extensive evidence that its vaccine caused serious adverse events — including 1,223 reported deaths following vaccination as of February 2021 and 52 miscarriages among vaccinated pregnant women. However, the company assured the public the vaccine was safe.

“Today we sued Pfizer for deceptively marketing the products as safe — making billions — while pregnant women were miscarrying their babies and teenagers were having heart attacks,” Uthmeier said in a statement.

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New Report Confirms Biden’s DOJ Did Target Parents Who Spoke Out At School Board Meetings

The Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group released a report Monday concluding that former Attorney General Merrick Garland’s Oct. 4, 2021 school board memo grew out of pressure from the Biden White House and turned the department’s law enforcement powers on parents.

The report describes how DOJ officials under President Joe Biden looked for ways to bring federal cases against parents and protesters who addressed school boards and school officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also contains the Working Group’s formal acknowledgment that the prior administration’s actions “chilled the exercise of parental and free speech rights, parents who lawfully exercised their parental rights and freedom of speech were often targeted by members of the educational establishment.”

Garland addressed the memo to the FBI director, the assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division, the director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and U.S. attorneys nationwide. The memo told its recipients that “in recent months, there has been a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence,” even though, according to the report, he had seen very little evidence of actual violence or violent threats against school administrators or at school board meetings when he signed it.

The Working Group traces the memo’s ideological origin to a letter the National School Boards Association sent to Biden on Sept. 29, 2021, five days before Garland acted. That letter asked the federal government to consider that “these heinous actions” “could be equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”

Records cited in the report show that leadership at the Biden White House and the DOJ pressed for a memo that would locate a federal “hook” for prosecuting parents and charging protesters with federal crimes.

“Among the most egregious findings, exhibits show that individuals in the Biden White House and Attorney General Garland’s advisors wanted to involve federal law enforcement and prosecutors in matters involving parents and school boards,” a DOJ press release explains.

Further, the Memo established a task force to find federal enforcement options for investigating and prosecuting parents, and the FBI opened 25 “Guardian assessments” on parents. One FBI whistleblower disclosed that a mother was investigated because she “is a gun owner” and belonged to a “right-wing mom’s group.”

Internal communications and investigative records show that more than a dozen DOJ and FBI personnel raised concerns about the memo and its directive. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” one employee wrote. Another wrote that “they might as well rename the damn thing the Anti-MAGA Task Force.” Several of the objections centered on the law. One staffer warned that the directive was “challenging from a First Amendment perspective,” and another said it placed the department on “potentially dangerous ground.” Other employees focused on how the directive would reflect on the department. One wrote that the memo “look[s] political.” Another called it “a partisan exercise aimed at those who do not support the Administration,” and a third cautioned that it would “tarnish reputation as an apolitical law enforcer.” One described the effort as “very messy and political.” Shorter reactions in the record include “ridiculous,” “horrible,” and “confusing.”

Emails cited in the report show that Garland issued the memo over those objections and that White House officials influenced his decision.

The department announced a series of remedial steps alongside the findings. Parents and other school board meeting participants who became subjects or targets of a Guardian assessment because of the memo will have the opportunity to review their assessment. The FBI has closed or discontinued most of those files, and each one will now carry a disclaimer stating that the memo raised serious constitutional concerns and that readers should treat the assessment with caution.

The DOJ will also review the file of every person investigated under the memo. Where reviewers identify a constitutional violation, the department will issue a formal apology and adopt internal controls intended to prevent a recurrence.

Leaders of the DOJ and the Department of Education sent letters on parental rights to the attorneys general of all 50 states. The department said Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Trump administration have made securing parental and First Amendment rights a top priority.

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Democrat Congressional Candidate Accused In Sworn Police Statement Of Dumping Waste In Waterway, Polluting District And State

Democrat Blake Gendebien wants to go to Washington and lecture New Yorkers about protecting the environment.

According to a sworn statement filed with the New York State Police, he can’t even keep his own backyard from turning into a landfill, and the garbage is spilling toward a waterway where North Country families swim, fish, and draw their water.

On Monday, Gendebien’s opponent, Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino, held a press conference to reveal the findings of a private investigation into Gendebien’s farm, and demanded the appropriate authorities launch their own investigation immediately.

The investigation produced a supporting deposition, filed with the State Police on October 1 by investigator Nathan Couture of Brooks Investigations, that relays the account of a confidential witness who worked on Gendebien’s farm.

According to the sworn statement, Gendebien directed his own workers to haul garbage into a wooded creek area behind his property, which feeds the St. Lawrence River.

According to testimony, this was routine, and it was done for one reason: to dodge waste disposal fees. Gendebien kept the money, and Upstate New York got his trash.

In late July, investigators flew a drone over the woods and the creek. The images show a dumpsite nearly the size of two basketball courts, choked with garbage, with debris thrown straight into the water. This isn’t a stray bag blown off a truck. It’s an operation.

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