January 2025 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Office of Public Affairs | Cholo Abdi Abdullah Convicted for Conspiring to Commit 9/11-Style Attack at the Direction of Al Shabaab | United States Department of Justice
by Gunnar Larson 06 Jan '25

06 Jan '25

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/cholo-abdi-abdullah-convicted-conspiring-com… A jury returned a guilty verdict today against Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 34, on all six counts in the indictment, which included conspiring to provide, and providing, material support to a foreign terrorist organization; and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit transnational acts of terrorism. Abdullah is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025. “The jury found that Cholo Abdi Abdullah, an operative of the terrorist organization al Shabaab, conspired to murder Americans in a terrorist attack reminiscent of the September 11 attack on our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s conviction ensures that Abdullah will spend decades in prison for his crimes. The Justice Department will never stop working to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who would use heinous acts of violence to harm the American people. It does not matter where terrorists hide, they will not evade the long arm of the law.” “Today, the jury returned a unanimous verdict holding Cholo Abdi Abdullah responsible for trying to replicate one of history’s most heinous acts of terrorism,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Abdullah trained with al Shabaab for months in Somalia to become a deadly terrorist, and then spent months at flight school preparing to hijack a commercial aircraft to crash it into a building in the United States. Abdullah relentlessly pursued his goals and was on the cusp of getting a commercial pilot license while conducting extensive attack planning, such as how to breach an airplane cockpit door. I commend the tireless work of our federal law enforcement partners and the career national security prosecutors of this office. This effort has been carried forward by generations of agents and prosecutors who never relented in their effort to bring Abdullah to justice and keep this nation safe. Thanks to their work and today’s verdict, Abdullah will now serve a lengthy sentence in federal prison.” According to the indictment and the evidence presented at trial, Abdullah was an operative for the foreign terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mijahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” based in Somalia. After training with al Shabaab for months with AK-47 assault rifles and explosives at a series of safe houses in Somalia, Abdullah participated in a plot to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the U.S. He spent months at a flight school in the Philippines working toward a commercial pilot license, and researched how to obtain pilot jobs, targets such as the tallest buildings in a major American city, transit visas to the U.S., and how to open a cockpit door from the outside. Abdullah also sent encrypted messages reporting his progress to his al Shabaab handler, including his extensive research on post-September 11 hijackings. Abdullah conspired to commit this attack on behalf Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives. Starting in or about 2019, al Shabaab embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation in response to the U.S.’s decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.” In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab included an attack on Jan. 15, 2019, at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s September 11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York; a Sept. 30, 2019, attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a Jan. 5, 2020, attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed. Abdullah was convicted on six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, for which he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, for which he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for which he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. The FBI New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case. The Justice Department also thanks the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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Fwd: Cryptonite's predictions for 2025—Short Google, Nvidia, & OpenAI?, the Elon/Zuck alliance, Robotaxis takeover, IPO…
by Gunnar Larson 06 Jan '25

06 Jan '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: The Cryptonite Weekly Rap <cryptoniteventures(a)substack.com> Date: Sun, Jan 5, 2025, 10:28 PM Subject: Cryptonite's predictions for 2025—Short Google, Nvidia, & OpenAI?, the Elon/Zuck alliance, Robotaxis takeover, IPO… To: <g(a)xny.io> Our prognostications in 2025 ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ Forwarded this email? Subscribe here <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9jcnlwdG9uaXRldmVudHVyZXM…> for more <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9jcnlwdG9uaXRldmVudHVyZXM…> Cryptonite's predictions for 2025—Short Google, Nvidia, & OpenAI?, the Elon/Zuck alliance, Robotaxis takeover, IPOs up, Taylor & Melania agree, and more to bet on—Feliz año y que Dios te bendiga! <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1665481&post_id=153724935…> The Cryptonite Weekly Rap <https://substack.com/@cryptoniteventures> and Anthony Perkins <https://substack.com/@anthonybperkins> Jan 6 ∙ Preview <https://substack.com/@cryptoniteventures> <https://substack.com/@anthonybperkins> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1665481&post_id=153724935…> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1665481&post_id=153724935…> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1665481&post_id=153724935…> <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvbS9…> READ IN APP <https://open.substack.com/pub/cryptoniteventures/p/copy-cryptonites-2025-to…> <https://substack.com/redirect/97e8c6b4-4055-424b-8874-b9628df3bd25?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Let’s turn the world 🌎around one more time for the better in 2025! Street Art by Banksy <https://substack.com/redirect/0393d27e-6aaf-4606-9f15-249283a0cc40?j=eyJ1Ij…>.* Our prognostications in 2025 Today, Cryptonite presents our top 12 predictions for 2025 below. When you look at the results of our 2024 predictions, you are going to want to pay attention. While our prognostications are often controversial at first blush, we understand what our readers need to know to survive and prosper, and you can expect us to bat a thousand again in 2025! [image: Cryptonite's 2024 top predictions—How did we do? Pretty darn good. Feliz Navidad!] <https://substack.com/redirect/37738bf5-3021-48b8-91e2-047d91065561?j=eyJ1Ij…> Cryptonite's 2024 top predictions—How did we do? Pretty darn good. Feliz Navidad! <https://substack.com/redirect/37738bf5-3021-48b8-91e2-047d91065561?j=eyJ1Ij…> The Cryptonite Weekly Rap <https://substack.com/profile/146561965-the-cryptonite-weekly-rap> and Anthony Perkins <https://substack.com/profile/1338763-anthony-perkins> · December 25, 2024 Read full story <https://substack.com/redirect/37738bf5-3021-48b8-91e2-047d91065561?j=eyJ1Ij…> [image: Cryptonite's top predictions for 2024...Blessed New Year to all!] <https://substack.com/redirect/fcd6597b-be89-444b-9f3b-7e91d848bf42?j=eyJ1Ij…> Cryptonite's top predictions for 2024...Blessed New Year to all! <https://substack.com/redirect/fcd6597b-be89-444b-9f3b-7e91d848bf42?j=eyJ1Ij…> The Cryptonite Weekly Rap <https://substack.com/profile/146561965-the-cryptonite-weekly-rap> · December 27, 2023 Read full story <https://substack.com/redirect/fcd6597b-be89-444b-9f3b-7e91d848bf42?j=eyJ1Ij…> The Day that Google Search Died Google search is, of course, not dead. Google still dominates the search engine market, holding over 92% market share by processing approximately 99,000 queries every second. However, the first time our editors used Perplexity.ai <https://substack.com/redirect/324f19f6-1baa-41a2-957c-c5d41fb36a79?j=eyJ1Ij…>, we never needed Google search again to get our work done. We conservatively guesstimate that Perplexity.ai saves us 70% of our editorial time and significantly improves the quality of our output. We have been so pleased with our new tool that we quickly started sharing our Perplexity.ai search queries with our readers. As you browse *The Rap,* you will see that over 90% of our links lead to Perplexity.ai PRO <https://substack.com/redirect/367ede65-2c03-43b2-8ebb-75ef303e113d?j=eyJ1Ij…> ($20 per month or $200 annually) search results (even if you do not pay for Pro service), which we think hugely enriches the body of our work, as it allows our readers to easily dig much deeper into the companies, trends, and subjects we regularly cover. It also better supports our often controversial opinions 😉 on the news. How Google makes money versus Perplexity *Google's revenue is overwhelmingly dependent on the selling the data produced by its users across various applications and services. Some estimate that at least 80-90% of Google's revenue is tied to this data <https://substack.com/redirect/35f10608-77c9-4e88-8b2b-7bebd300e212?j=eyJ1Ij…>.* <https://substack.com/redirect/1b6b0c19-a9bb-4c92-b2d5-66dea593fea3?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Perplexity founders who promise not to pimp your data—Johnny Ho, Aravind Srinivas, and Denis Yarats.* *In stark contrast, Perplexity has expressed a commitment to data protection and privacy and not to selling, trading, or sharing personal information <https://substack.com/redirect/d66e8adf-3601-4e4a-807e-5818bc16a435?j=eyJ1Ij…> with third parties. Currently, the company makes money selling Premium subscriptions. * *Another good reason to bid Google search Good Riddance—We hope they have the Time of their Life! <https://substack.com/redirect/dc01b889-d9a6-499f-aa97-078904e76da5?j=eyJ1Ij…> 🎶* In fact, we want to go on record as the first (and maybe only) editorial team that makes sharing these query links a regular practice for the benefit of our readers. If you don't believe us, check out this Perplexity query link <https://substack.com/redirect/ab0d9d68-fe22-4196-b604-8aa1a7e912d4?j=eyJ1Ij…> which validates our status.😎🤙🏼 We are not so self-centered to believe this situation will remain constant. Global editors and readers will quickly catch up. In fact, industry analysts are already forecasting that Google's share of the US search market is projected to tank below 50% by 2025 <https://substack.com/redirect/b35a58b7-57f8-477d-b1fb-ae472d598aba?j=eyJ1Ij…> 😳 primarily due to the rise of generative AI search competitors. If Google is projected to go from 92% market share to 50% in the area that represents up to 90% of its revenue, is it time to short its stock? 🤔 Startups and Big Semis will chip away at NVDIA's market share. Nvidia was founded in April of 1993 <https://substack.com/redirect/cc18b1f7-e1cb-433b-a6c2-74316b2d12f9?j=eyJ1Ij…> by current CEO Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem and staged its IPO 26 years ago on January 22, 1999, on the back of releasing the GeForce 256, marketed as the world's first GPU chip that powered the Xbox and later PlayStation 3. Historically, the company's stock price was essentially flat, but Nvidia powered forward and invested billions in AI technology <https://substack.com/redirect/aa6eee17-ee36-436b-adf2-7b0d3f72f245?j=eyJ1Ij…>, even when it was still a zero-billion dollar market. <https://substack.com/redirect/65e8c607-b7f1-4e9a-9682-d93099153f2d?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Jensen Huang called Elon's setting up his xAI supercomputer (a cluster of 100,000 x NVIDIA H100 AI GPUs) in just 19 days a 'superhuman' feat <https://substack.com/redirect/8301aac8-cf95-4669-b7a9-410592902ec9?j=eyJ1Ij…>, as he says it would take regular humans 4 years to accomplish.* Nvidia's early bet on AI dramatically paid off, and its stock started its way up in 2020 when the company announced its largest GPU <https://substack.com/redirect/a1551e16-db3b-4452-aab0-bbfdf1c0ed1d?j=eyJ1Ij…>, the A100 for AI and HPC (High-Performance Computing), and formerly became the AI chip leader. By 2023, Nvidia's market value surpassed $1 trillion, driven by the generative AI boom, and the company now dominates with an estimated 70% to 95% market share in AI chips. Today, Nvidia's (NVDA) market cap is $3.5 trillion, with a forward P/E of 49.28, while the average P/E ratio for the semiconductor industry is 34.74. The difference between the two indicates that investors have high expectations for the company's future earnings growth. Valuing and picking stocks is admittedly not our lane. Still, we see Nvidia's stock price as overvalued with a general tech and AI stock bubble. Further, there is a slew of startup competitors that will start grabbing the company's market share in 2025. AMD, Intel, and Google are also making significant strides to compete with Nvidia in the AI chip market. <https://substack.com/redirect/ff218c31-b2cf-4f53-b590-06f1cd1bc36b?j=eyJ1Ij…> Hey Jensen, here they come! *These startups are focusing on developing more energy-efficient and cost-effective chips for specific AI applications, aiming to fill the gap left by Nvidia's high energy consumption and bulky design <https://substack.com/redirect/938629b7-09ef-41f3-b07c-d65272be26b9?j=eyJ1Ij…>.* *Cerebras Systems <https://substack.com/redirect/7ddadefe-7280-490a-8886-f7a0395bec7c?j=eyJ1Ij…>—Recently submitted a NASDAQ listing application for its IPO with an expected valuation between $7 billion and $8 billion*. *SambaNova <https://substack.com/redirect/cd050317-8622-461e-bcc9-b95bc0c7dfe5?j=eyJ1Ij…>—Has raised over $1 billion in funding, with their last round valuing the company at over $5 billion*. *Groq <https://substack.com/redirect/0ac23640-465b-4912-ad57-d6fa500a3871?j=eyJ1Ij…>—Raised $640 million last week, led by BlackRock Private Equity Partners, which valued the company at $2.8 billion.* *Tenstorrent <https://substack.com/redirect/4f476d53-597f-4b25-a978-5cd9c8cb1202?j=eyJ1Ij…>—Has raised over $693 million at a $2.6 billion post-money valuation in December 2024.* *Celestial AI <https://substack.com/redirect/cae18798-fc85-480f-a118-91b54893d6db?j=eyJ1Ij…>—Has raised a total of $338.87 million, valuing the company at $1.2 billion in its last round.* *D-Matrix <https://substack.com/redirect/941d8ee8-f2ff-49bc-b41e-a686297c2a84?j=eyJ1Ij…>—Has raised a total of $154 million, with the most recent Series B round of $110 million in September 2023.* The shift to 'edge computing' <https://substack.com/redirect/24231b41-8de8-41f3-84c6-e81b133a2973?j=eyJ1Ij…> (i.e., localized processing) will also invariably reduce reliance on Nvidia's GPUs as companies like Apple and Qualcomm develop AI-optimized chips for devices. <https://substack.com/redirect/ad37ad56-19fd-43f3-8643-6404fadb6be8?j=eyJ1Ij…> *One badass motherlover whose dominance will be challenged in ‘25.* We have great respect for Jensen's perseverance and the gritty story behind Nvidia's entrepreneurial success <https://substack.com/redirect/cc18b1f7-e1cb-433b-a6c2-74316b2d12f9?j=eyJ1Ij…>. Although he didn't require an H1B Visa to come to America from Taiwan with his parents at age nine <https://substack.com/redirect/c2c459bb-0fd0-45a2-b9d9-6face9d32352?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Jensen is still indeed an example of why we need to keep our borders open to talented non-nationals pursuing education and long-term residency in the US. We also thank him for making us look smart for picking Nvidia's <https://substack.com/redirect/cc18b1f7-e1cb-433b-a6c2-74316b2d12f9?j=eyJ1Ij…> (NVDA) stock for our 2024 predictions and posting a whopping 191.7% return for the year. 😎🙏🏼 We predict it will be a different story in 2025. *TechBro backlash intensifies in 2025 * TechBro leader Elon Musk is not a fan of billionaire hedge fund manager George Soros because he ‘hates humanity and wants to erode the very fabric of civilization.’ So now Elon has described himself as the ‘George Soros of the middle and counterweight to his liberal influence <https://substack.com/redirect/a5d57b9c-8e77-4c20-9605-bb6453bbb85e?j=eyJ1Ij…> .’ Practice what you preach Elon *“In my opinion, he [George Soros] fundamentally hates humanity. Getting district attorneys elected who refuse to prosecute crime is part of the problem in San Francisco, LA, and other cities. So why would you do that? He’s doing things that erode the fabric of civilization. George is very smart, and he is very good at arbitrage—he famously shorted the British pound—that’s how he made his money. He used this knowledge to figure out that the lowest value for [campaign contribution] money is a presidential race. Then, the next lowest value for money is a Senate race, then a Congress. But once you get to city and state district attorneys, the value is extremely good. Soros realized that you don’t actually need to change the laws. You just need to change how they’re enforced.”* —*Elon Musk excerpt from a recent Joe Rogan Experience show <https://substack.com/redirect/240816eb-6722-4b38-846c-d03f3b70270c?j=eyJ1Ij…>* First of all, as we venture into 2025, we are officially calling bullshit on the antiquated labels 'left,' 'right,' 'liberal,' 'conservative' and 'moderate.' What do those labels even mean anymore? Cryptonite's editorial policy is never to utter political labels, as their only purpose is to insult and manipulate. Elon's solution is to intimidate Democratic law makers who oppose his policy proposals by threatening to bankroll their 'moderate' political competitors <https://substack.com/redirect/a5d57b9c-8e77-4c20-9605-bb6453bbb85e?j=eyJ1Ij…>, as he did during the recent budget scrap. Reminder: The Democrats lost because they have become the Party of the Elite <https://substack.com/redirect/ca53a299-2a21-41de-b175-ed79b3a916f7?j=eyJ1Ij…>. We agree with Elon's views on Soros and his wannabe and much less savvy and intelligent son, Andrew, but becoming a devil to combat the devil won't make you a saint. As it is, Trump is stuffing his administration with billionaires <https://substack.com/redirect/634dade2-0054-40b1-a5f6-2994b7817ab5?j=eyJ1Ij…>, and, as we have reported, every single Democratic Party-funding TechBro billionaire (i.e. every top BigTech exec) has popped up at the Mar-a-Lago Estate <https://substack.com/redirect/1a404b81-95a1-4a28-bf66-142243c35eae?j=eyJ1Ij…> to wash the Boogeyman's feet out of pure, unadulterated self-interest. All of which will be exposed in 2025. <https://substack.com/redirect/38d18614-a5fc-42bc-ba2c-50cafde936de?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Both Tim Cook and Jeff Bezos recently had lunch with the president-elect, both of whom came with $1 million in checks to handover to fund the Boogeyman's inauguration. 'First Buddy' Elon Musk, who showed up at both lunches, is renting a $2,000-a-night cottage Mar-a-Lago.* '*Hey Boss, is the Lincoln bedroom available?'* The new administration hasn't even begun, and they already have a 'concentration of wealth and influence vibe,' which is what put the Donkeys out of business. Our advice to the TechBros is to stick to your *X* posts and keep your money in your pockets, push to reform campaign finance laws to limit individual donations to $100 per candidate and kill PACs and corporate donations <https://substack.com/redirect/0ac5c2a4-47f0-4a61-95ba-23a99b504681?j=eyJ1Ij…> . But the TechBros won't do it, and they will be despised as arrogant and annoying by the end of 2025. Don't say we didn't tell you so. [image: Here come the TechBros; what's up with Jack Dorsey, exploring the Multiverse? California as two States, alcohol is no bueno and other hot tips...] <https://substack.com/redirect/0ac5c2a4-47f0-4a61-95ba-23a99b504681?j=eyJ1Ij…> Here come the TechBros; what's up with Jack Dorsey, exploring the Multiverse? California as two States, alcohol is no bueno and other hot tips... <https://substack.com/redirect/0ac5c2a4-47f0-4a61-95ba-23a99b504681?j=eyJ1Ij…> Anthony Perkins <https://substack.com/profile/1338763-anthony-perkins> · December 14, 2024 Read full story <https://substack.com/redirect/0ac5c2a4-47f0-4a61-95ba-23a99b504681?j=eyJ1Ij…> *OpenAI is another perceived technology Titan that will be diminished in 2025 * Our editors have never been a fan of OpenAI, mainly because its results often end with a little sermon we didn't ask for. Political correctness is out of fashion now, and they need to get with it. We predict the company will lose its perceived leadership position in GenAI due to the following challenges and controversies the company faces. <https://substack.com/redirect/4376e8f9-5482-4c17-b8ab-d9b434fc9388?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Losing mo’ ? Sam has too much to do and lots to worry about.* *Over-Stretched CEO <https://substack.com/redirect/50c8c70c-04c2-41e1-8394-98d6a82bbb3f?j=eyJ1Ij…>—*There are indeed concerns among industry and management experts that Sam Altman is spread too thin, including managing an investment portfolio of over 400 companies valued in the billions. His involvement in so many companies (many of which could be deemed as potential conflicts of interest) is unconventional for a Silicon Valley startup CEO. OpenAI is operating in the most fiercely competitive marketplace in the world and needs 110% of its CEO's attention. <https://substack.com/redirect/0814d7eb-1aa6-49fd-bb73-ec63519f4e19?j=eyJ1Ij…> *We doubt OpenAI will recapture any market share it earned as the first-mover in the GenAI game. Source: Menlo Ventures <https://substack.com/redirect/6d138a11-1c36-4ef3-95dd-41688b495590?j=eyJ1Ij…>* *Competition with agile startups and BigTech <https://substack.com/redirect/5a02943b-371c-4769-a5ab-639c096cf1ee?j=eyJ1Ij…>—*OpenAI faces increasing pressure from competitors, particularly from Elon’s xAI startup <https://substack.com/redirect/5162494c-533f-4832-83cc-aa3df1b8d1f0?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Anthropic <https://substack.com/redirect/26a1efd4-7ca7-4466-b558-9bfa47b2ec20?j=eyJ1Ij…>, and a rising Chinese startup called DeepSeek <https://substack.com/redirect/07f6737d-259d-4de7-8dd7-d4b549303bb5?j=eyJ1Ij…>. A recent study by Menlo Ventures <https://substack.com/redirect/6d138a11-1c36-4ef3-95dd-41688b495590?j=eyJ1Ij…>showed that OpenAI lost market share in enterprise AI this year, dropping from 50% to 30%, while competitor Anthropic doubled its share in the sector. Oh, and there are also the major players with unlimited financial resources, like Microsoft (ironically, an OpenAI investor), Google, and Amazon, who are jumping head-first into the AI game. Open AI models on the move <https://substack.com/redirect/a3d35365-edcf-441c-b8e8-d2f16889c3d5?j=eyJ1Ij…> DeepSeek <https://substack.com/redirect/07f6737d-259d-4de7-8dd7-d4b549303bb5?j=eyJ1Ij…>founder Liang Wenfeng is also the founder of High-Flyer, one of China's top quantitative hedge funds, with $8 billion under management.

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In a Six-Week Span, this Dark Pool with a Curious Past Traded 3.7 Billion Shares
by Gunnar Larson 06 Jan '25

06 Jan '25

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2025/01/in-a-six-week-span-this-dark-pool-wi… By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: January 6, 2025 ~ Roman Ginis, Founder and CEO, Imperative Execution Inc. Roman Ginis, Founder and CEO, Imperative Execution Inc. There is a precise date as to when the American public became overtly aware that the stock market structure had become outrageously rigged. That date is March 30, 2014 when famed author and former Wall Street veteran, Michael Lewis, went on 60 Minutes to proclaim: “The United States stock market, the most iconic market in global capitalism, is rigged.” When asked to explain just who it is that’s rigging the stock market, Lewis explained that it’s a “combination of these stock exchanges, the big Wall Street banks and high-frequency traders.” That 60 Minutes program occurred during President Obama’s administration. Not only was nothing materially done to stop the rigging during Obama’s eight years in office, but the rigging has grown in both size and complexity since then as hedge funds and Dark Pools take over large segments of stock market structure. Dark Pools are effectively stock exchanges that trade in the dark with limited oversight from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The most active Dark Pools are primarily owned by domestic and foreign megabanks like UBS, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and so forth. Bizarrely, these megabanks are allowed by the SEC to trade shares of their own bank stock in their own Dark Pools, as well as the shares of the other megabanks. (See Wall Street Banks Are Trading in Their Own Company’s Stock: How Is This Legal?) On June 2, 2014 (two months after Michael Lewis blew the whistle on 60 Minutes) Wall Street’s self-regulator, FINRA, decided to engage in a charade of transparency by publishing three-week old Dark Pool data, lumped together for an entire week at a time. That practice has continued since 2014. Wall Street On Parade periodically takes a look at FINRA Dark Pool data, to see if anything new jumps out. What jumped out at us recently is that the second largest Dark Pool by share volume over at least the past six months is not a megabank. Its name is IntelligentCross and it has a noteworthy history. IntelligentCross is owned by Imperative Execution Inc., whose founder and CEO is Roman Ginis. Prior to founding the Dark Pool in 2016, Ginis was a quantitative trader for the multi-quant unit of SAC Capital, the hedge fund owned, operated and named after Steven A. Cohen. Ginis worked for Cohen for seven years, from 2009 to 2016. His unit was re-branded as Cubist Systematic Strategies in 2014. According to a 2018 article in the Wall Street Journal, the venture-capital arm of Cohen’s firm provided investment funds to help launch the IntelligentCross Dark Pool. Cohen’s SAC Capital changed its name – for good reason – in 2014 to Point72 Asset Management. The name change was part of a re-branding effort after SAC Capital became synonymous with insider trading. Eight employees of SAC Capital were convicted on criminal charges of insider trading. On November 4, 2013, SAC Capital pleaded guilty to criminal charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and agreed to pay $1.8 billion in fines and forfeitures. Cohen was not criminally charged. According to the FINRA data, for the six weeks running from November 11 through December 16, 2024 (the most recent Dark Pool data made available by FINRA), IntelligentCross traded the following number of shares: 12/16/24 740,933,347 12/09/24 636,475,217 12/02/24 626,026,343 11/25/24 404,506,996 11/18/24 628,462,065 11/11/24 690,228,833 In each week, the share volume of IntelligentCross is second only to the Dark Pool owned by the giant international trading firm, UBS, and ahead of the Dark Pool owned by the giant international trading firm of Goldman Sachs.

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Atty Wants Free Speech Suit Over Tenn. Court Rule Kept Alive
by Gunnar Larson 04 Jan '25

04 Jan '25

Atty Wants Free Speech Suit Over Tenn. Court Rule Kept Alive <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279253?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> By Jack Karp A free speech challenge to a Middle District of Tennessee rule barring attorneys from making "any extrajudicial statements" about cases in the district should be allowed to move forward since the court is not entitled to sovereign immunity, according to the Nashville civil rights lawyer behind the suit. 3 documents attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279253?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279253?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…>

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Film Captures NJ Law Grad's Fight Against Child Sex Abuse
by Gunnar Larson 04 Jan '25

04 Jan '25

Film Captures NJ Law Grad's Fight Against Child Sex Abuse <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279109?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> By Jake Maher Brisa De Angulo won a historic international human rights victory against the government of Bolivia in 2023 over how it handled her legal case against the relative who sexually assaulted her as an adolescent, and an upcoming documentary is putting her story to the big screen. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279109?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279109?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…>

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Executions Rose In 2024 As Death Penalty Support Wanes
by Gunnar Larson 04 Jan '25

04 Jan '25

Executions Rose In 2024 As Death Penalty Support Wanes <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279009?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> By Marco Poggio The number of new death sentences across the U.S. increased last year, as did the number of states imposing them, but public support for capital punishment continues to be at historic lows, the Death Penalty Information Center said in a year-end report published last month. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279009?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279009?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…>

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Inside Arnold & Porter's Win In Prison 'Rape Club' Case
by Gunnar Larson 04 Jan '25

04 Jan '25

Inside Arnold & Porter's Win In Prison 'Rape Club' Case <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2271471?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> By Marco Poggio Aided by attorneys from Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, a group of women incarcerated at a California federal prison recently reached settlements with the Bureau of Prisons, including a consent decree and the agency’s largest-ever monetary settlement, to resolve claims of systemic sexual abuse at the notorious facility. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2271471?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2271471?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…>

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Where Access To Justice Leaders Will Be Focused In 2025
by Gunnar Larson 04 Jan '25

04 Jan '25

Where Access To Justice Leaders Will Be Focused In 2025 <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279110?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> By Rachel Rippetoe As they await the potential impacts of a new presidential administration and the GOP-controlled Congress, access to justice leaders across the country say they're headed into 2025 with an eye on issues like use of non-attorney professionals and AI technology to help address the ever-increasing need for free or affordable legal services. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279110?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/access-to-justice/articles/2279110?nl_pk=35f19b02-1b…>

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Directorates Who Discredit Truthful Witnesses (W/80 Highlights)
by Gunnar Larson 04 Jan '25

04 Jan '25

“And the persons who ultimately are harmed by all of this, of course, is the average consumer, the average citizen, who has no knowledge, unless it paid attention to this hearing, of the extent of the manipulations that have been carried out by the largest financial institutions in America and, indeed, probably the world.” - Senator John McCain *Highlights and working notes on the ethical limits of discrediting the truthful witness, observing modern directorates and ethics rules that fail to prevent truth distortion by unethical means (Source research by Marquette Law Review).* History provides the epic example of Enron and a cunning Board of Directors of misleaders, a team of flimflam artists who used sly rhetorical skills to bamboozle the public, turning night into day. In this conception, directorates tell stories only in order to seduce and beguile regulators who fall prey to the advocate’s star-crossed tricks. Why do company Directors employ unethical, false story techniques to advance a false defense when ethical means are available? The exponential effects of this troublesome behavior requires that the firm’s every word, action and attitude be consistent with the conclusion that is dishonest. Board directors are the ultimate self policing body of an organization, responsible for setting the tone for ethical rules and standards. Not only are modern ethical rules unable to prevent directorates who use of false-story techniques, but little can be done in the way of reforming the rules themselves so that they can more effectively regulate the unethical means by which honesty is systematically discredited and made to look untruthful. - As witnessed in New York State recently, top leaders sometimes ignore ethical rules by rationalizing away conduct known to be unethical standards of professional behavior. - More abstract-oriented discussions concerning whether society’s best interests are advanced with attempts to distort outcomes by discrediting the truth has even impacted virtual currency innovation out of New York. These points simply seem invented as an outrageous scenario presented to the public by way of question, yet they are indeed true. - There is a pattern of routinely using an arsenal of tricks to subvert the truth. The culprit may argue that the version of events is untruthful, because of a motive to fabricate the truth. In actuality, incompetence is the only true motive to fabricate directorate supported dishonesty. Now more than ever, honest and ethical leaders know that each time a directorate uses talents and skills to pollute the marketplace with lies (either explicit or implicit) to manipulate profits is an act that initially diminishes the chances of a prosperous society. Such practice of engaging in conduct that involves dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation is impermissible and should not be tolerated. Without swift action, the public may lose confidence in both system wide innovation and maximizing the whole human potential of our species. - Alternatively, employing truthful answers to string together a series of inferences that collectively weaken the case of interlocking directorates. - Vigorously defending potentially problematic interlocking directorates can be systematically re-purposed with the goal of protecting the innocent. We share 80 highlights to Todd A. Berger’s (published by Marquette Law Review) “The Ethical Limits of Discrediting the Truthful Witness: How Modern Ethics Rules Fail to Prevent Truthful Witnesses from Being Discredited Through Unethical Means.” ---- Directorates Who Discredit Truthful Witnesses (W/80 Highlights): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XzfRqxxDD5OzQgkH1Ok2wdO25JZiqVev/view?usp=… -- *Gunnar Larson - xNY.io <http://www.xNY.io> | Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* MSc <https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-digital-currency/?utm_source=Google&u…> - Digital Currency MBA <https://www.unic.ac.cy/business-administration-entrepreneurship-and-innovat…> - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) G(a)xNY.io +1-917-580-8053 New York, New York 10001

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Fwd: The most important members of our team:
by Gunnar Larson 03 Jan '25

03 Jan '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Member Alert <info(a)dscc.org> Date: Fri, Jan 3, 2025, 6:13 PM Subject: The most important members of our team: To: <g(a)xny.io> ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ *INVITATION WAITING: Democratic leaders want you to become a Democratic Founding Member this New Year -- but your membership requires ACTIVATION!* [image: 2025 Democratic Member | President Obama, Vice President Harris, President Biden] <https://go.dscc.org/go/20855?amount=5&t=19&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40x…> *SUPPORTER: g(a)xny.io <https://go.dscc.org/go/20855?amount=5&t=20&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40x…>* *USER ID: 26297126* *JANUARY MEMBERSHIP: NOT ACTIVATED* *SUGGESTED GIFT: $5* *Become a Democratic Founding Member TODAY by activating your membership now >> <https://go.dscc.org/go/20855?amount=5&t=21&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40x…>* *ACTIVATE MY MEMBERSHIP <https://go.dscc.org/go/20855?amount=5&t=16&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40x…>* Team -- We're gearing up for the fight to win back the Senate, and we need every Democrat to join this team to pull off a *huge* win! Democratic leaders from *all across the country* are counting on YOU to help us do it -- *but as of right now, your membership is inactive!* *Founding Members help us make crucial early investments in our fight to flip the Senate blue. So please, help make history:* *Become a member of the team that will win back the Senate to stop Trump and MAGA Republicans from enacting their destructive agenda >> <https://go.dscc.org/go/20855?amount=5&t=17&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40x…>* *ACTIVATE MY MEMBERSHIP <https://go.dscc.org/go/20855?amount=5&t=18&firstname=&lastname=&email=g%40x…>* Thank you for updating your DSCC membership, Team DSCC [image: Chip in $5 monthly to flip the Senate] <https://secure.actblue.com/donate/support-senate-democrats-2025-q1-recurrin…> ------------------------------ The DSCC is the only committee solely dedicated to supporting Democrats in the U.S. Senate, and our work relies on grassroots supporters like you. If you'd like to make a contribution to support us, please *click here <https://secure.actblue.com/donate/support-senate-democrats-2025-q1?refcode=…>*. *Click here <https://go.dscc.org/signup/receive-fewer-emails/?t=13&akid=19249%2E26297126…>* to receive fewer emails. *Click here <https://go.dscc.org/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=14&akid=19249%2E26297126%2Eq…>* to unsubscribe. Paid for by the DSCC | PO Box 96047, Washington, DC 20090 | *dscc.org <https://www.dscc.org/>* | Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions or gifts to the DSCC are not tax deductible.

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