April 2025 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Fwd: MANHATTAN WATER; Judge Won't Exit Broker Fee Case Over Donations To Wife; Attorney Owners Of Pot Co. Accused Of $46M RICO Scheme; NJ AG Cleared To Appeal Ex-Prosecutor's Resignation Claim; Rakoff Quips 'I Love Trials' Before Palin-NYT Libel Rematch
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Gunnar Larson <g(a)xny.io> Date: Mon, Apr 14, 2025, 8:52 AM Subject: Re: MANHATTAN WATER; Judge Won't Exit Broker Fee Case Over Donations To Wife; Attorney Owners Of Pot Co. Accused Of $46M RICO Scheme; NJ AG Cleared To Appeal Ex-Prosecutor's Resignation Claim; Rakoff Quips 'I Love Trials' Before Palin-NYT Libel Rematch To: Reader, Shaun <sreader(a)curtis.com> Hi Shaun: Okay. Gunnar On Mon, Apr 14, 2025, 8:42 AM Reader, Shaun <sreader(a)curtis.com> wrote: > Hi Gunnar, > > > > Can you please remove me from your email list? > > > Thank you, > > Shaun > > > > *From:* Gunnar Larson <g(a)xny.io> > *Sent:* Monday, April 14, 2025 8:39 AM > *To:* letitia.james(a)ag.ny.gov > *Cc:* Harris, Adrienne A (DFS) <Adrienne.Harris(a)dfs.ny.gov>; cypherpunks < > cypherpunks(a)lists.cpunks.org>; iab(a)nypd.org; IABCMDCNTR < > IABCMDCNTR(a)nypd.org>; Reader, Shaun <sreader(a)curtis.com> > *Subject:* Re: MANHATTAN WATER; Judge Won't Exit Broker Fee Case Over > Donations To Wife; Attorney Owners Of Pot Co. Accused Of $46M RICO Scheme; > NJ AG Cleared To Appeal Ex-Prosecutor's Resignation Claim; Rakoff Quips 'I > Love Trials' Before Palin-NYT Libel Rematch > > > > ****EXTERNAL EMAIL**** > > Ms. Attorney General James: > > > > *Ms. James, are there any updates from AGNY on water quality across New > York City?* > > - xNY.io - Bank.org is kindly following-up with AGNY from xNY.io - > Bank.org's e-mail(s) concerning New York City's water quality. > - xNY.io - Bank.org is concerned the State of New York could be > overleveraged. > > *xNY.io <http://xNY.io> - Bank.org <http://Bank.org>'s co-founder has > noticed water quality being a problem for:* > > - Women. > - Pregnant women. > - Unborn babies. > - Men. > > *Judge Won't Exit Broker Fee Case Over Donations To Wife > <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/2324366?nl_pk=87c9365b-e736-431…>* > > *By Lynn LaRowe* > > A Missouri federal judge said a real estate firm's bid to boot him from a > class action over commission fees may have been driven more by litigation > strategy than ethical concerns over campaign contributions made by opposing > counsel to his wife, a Kansas City councilwoman. > > Order attached | Read full article » > <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/2324366?nl_pk=87c9365b-e736-431…> > | Save to favorites » > <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/2324366?nl_pk=87c9365b-e736-431…> > > *Attorney Owners Of Pot Co. Accused Of $46M RICO Scheme > <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/2324561?nl_pk=87c9365b-e736-431…>* > > *By Mike Curley* > > A Florida-based real estate lender is suing two attorneys with civil > rights law firm Loevy & Loevy in New York federal court, alleging they > engaged in racketeering in connection with more than $46 million in loans > intended to fund cannabis facilities they own in Pennsylvania and New > Jersey. > > Complaint attached | Read > <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/2324561?nl_pk=87c9365b-e736-431…> > > *NJ AG Cleared To Appeal Ex-Prosecutor's Resignation Claim > <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/2324545?nl_pk=87c9365b-e736-431…>* > > *By Jake Maher* > > The New Jersey Superior Court's Appellate Division granted Attorney > General Matthew Platkin's request to rule on a lawsuit from a former Warren > County prosecutor claiming that Platkin misled him into resigning from his > post last year. > > 2 documents attached | Read full article » > <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/2324545?nl_pk=87c9365b-e736-431…> > | Save to favorites » > <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/2324545?nl_pk=87c9365b-e736-431…> > > *Rakoff Quips 'I Love Trials' Before Palin-NYT Libel Rematch > <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/2324438?nl_pk=b53aa520-5013-4a8d-a5…>* > > *By Pete Brush* > > Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff took up legal questions Friday > ahead of a retrial for former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in her suit accusing > The New York Times of maliciously defaming her, cheerfully noting that an > earlier verdict was erased. > > 5 documents attached | Read full article » > <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/2324438?nl_pk=b53aa520-5013-4a8d-a5…> > | Save to favorites » > <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/2324438?nl_pk=b53aa520-5013-4a8d-a5…> > > xNY.io - Bank.org respectfully reserves all Interjurisdictional rights. > > > > Thank you, > > > > Gunnar Larson > > -- > > Gunnar Donald Arthur Peter Larson > > > > *xNY.io <http://xNY.io> - Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* > > 917-580-8053 > > NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10001 > > > > On Sun, Apr 13, 2025, 9:08 AM Gunnar Larson <g(a)xny.io> wrote: > > Art Director/Designer: Robert W. Wilvers > > Photographer: Paul Seligman > > Copyeditor: Gene Case > > Agency: Jack Tinker & Partners, Inc. > > Client: Rockefeller for President > > > > *The Last Vietnam. * > > > > We talk of Vietnam as we once talked of Korea. > > > > "Let us drag ourselves from this quagmire, and we will live happily ever > after..." > > > > I am afraid that the next President will not escape so easily. > > > > *I say learn from Vietnam or be dammed to repeat it. * > > > > Our Vietnam policy was meant for the 1940's, for Western Europe, for the > defense of democracies. > > > > Yet we apply it in the 1960's, in Southeast Asia, in defense of people who > do not know what democracy means. > > > > And in wrapping this policy around Vietnam, we blinded ourselves to the > real Vietnam. We assumed the enemy meant to seize land. We were wrong. He > meant to disrupt government. > > > > We sent troops in overwhelming number. We were wrong. > > > > We shattered a small country's sense of responsibility. > > > > We were preoccupied with the changing premieres and presidents in Siagon. > We were wrong. It was in the village and countryside where government > failed. > > > > Now, peace give us a time to right those errors. > > > > To stop turning this war into an *American* war. To move Saigon toward > reform. To build a strong and trusted village government. To secure the > people from terrorism. > > > > And in Paris, to work patiently and persistently for peace. > > > > At home we must have candor and trust. Americans must believe in > government again, and government must believe in Americans. The day must > pass where press officers say, "The people I work for don't want to hear > bad news." > > > > I say, face the truth. Trust the people with the truth. I say, do not > fight change. *Guide* change. > > > > I say we can make this Vietnam the last Vietnam. > > > > And this is one reason why I run for President. > > > > *NELSON A. ROCKEFELLER* > > > > On Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 1:34 PM Gunnar Larson <g(a)xny.io> wrote: > > Art Director/Designer: Sidney Myers > > Copywriter: Evan Stark > > Agency: Doyle Dane Bernbach, Inc. > > Client: Whirlpool > > > > *HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO FIGHT CITY HALL* > > > > If you have a product you are not happy with, what do you do? Sit and > sulk? Moan to your next-door neighbor? Promise yourself that you'll never > buy another product from the manufacturer? A lot of good that will do. No, > Mr. and Mrs. Consumer, that's not the answer. If you have a gripe, let the > manufacturer know. Call him up. Write to him. Keep after him until he does > something about it. Because nothing bothers a reputable manufacturer more > than dissatisfied customers. > > > > We at Whirlpool believe in putting our money where our mouth is. We > believe we make the best appliances you can buy. Automatic washers, dryers, > refrigerators, air conditioners, dishwashers, etc. And we also believe our > Tech-Care Service specialists provide the best service in our field. In > addition, we were the first to do away with the complicated standard > warranty and replace it with a fully binding, easy-to-understand warranty > letter. We were first to provide a free, nation wide telephone number > (800-253-1301) for service information. And we were the first to have > consultants answer your calls, thereby solving many of your problems right > over the phone. > > > > But still and all, we know that you can't please all of the people all of > the time. That's the reason for the blank letter on the facing page. If you > have a gripe about us, we want to know so we can do something about it. > Just write your complaint, tear out the page and mail it to us. If you know > anything at all about Whirlpool, you know it won't be ignored. > > > > By the way, if you have something nice to say about us, we'd like to hear > that too. > > > > *Steve Upton * > > *Vice President, Consumer Services Division * > > *Whirlpool** Corporation * > > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2025, 3:15 PM Gunnar Larson <g(a)xny.io> wrote: > > Ms. James: > > > > Yesterday, April 10, 2025, xNY.io - Bank.org was at Bloomberg's New York > City Headquarters. > > - Today, April 11, 2025 xNY.io - Bank.org took New York City's water > quality argument to BNP Paribas for further investigation. > > *Ex-EBay Execs Want To Question Key Stalking Case Witness > <https://www.law360.com/cybersecurity-privacy/articles/2323878?nl_pk=fb10114…>* > > *By Elliot Weld* > > Three former eBay executives facing claims they helped direct a campaign > to harass bloggers critical of the company have told a Massachusetts > federal judge they want to question a key witness about his past role as an > undercover government agent. > > Memorandum attached | Read full article » > <https://www.law360.com/cybersecurity-privacy/articles/2323878?nl_pk=fb10114…> > | Save to favorites » > <https://www.law360.com/cybersecurity-privacy/articles/2323878?nl_pk=fb10114…> > > xNY.io - Bank.org respectfully reserves all Interjurisdictional rights. > > > > Thank you, > > > > Gunnar Larson > > -- > > Gunnar Donald Arthur Peter Larson > > > > *xNY.io <http://xNY.io> - Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* > > 917-580-8053 > > NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10001 > > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: *Gunnar Larson* <g(a)xny.io> > Date: Fri, Apr 11, 2025, 2:55 PM > Subject: Bloomberg Women's Buy-Side Network - AI: The Future of Investing > To: <alina.miedvietsky(a)us.bnpparibas.com> > Cc: <jan.bischoping(a)bnpparibas.com>, cypherpunks < > cypherpunks(a)lists.cpunks.org> > > > > Dear Ms. Miedvietsky: > > > > Great meeting you yesterday at Bloomberg's New York Headquarters. It was > nice to briefly discuss New York City's water quality with you. > > > > *Are you familiar with this "young elephant" statue outside BNP Paribas' > 787 Seventh Avenue office in New York City?:* > > - https://images.app.goo.gl/5S9Vr > > New York City has a story about "Happy the Elephant" that could end-up > relating to this "young elephant" statue outside BNP Paribas in New York > City. > > > > *Bronx Zoo’s Happy the Elephant Hasn’t Been Seen in Two Weeks, Observers > Say:* > > *The zoo says “nothing is wrong with” the half-century-old pachyderm.* > > - > https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/07/31/happy-elephant-mystery-bronx-zoo-nonhuma…'s%20highest%20court%20ruled,and%20freedom%20from%20unfair%20confinement > . > > The New York Court of Appeals ruled against a lawsuit that sought to grant > an elephant, Happy, at the Bronx Zoo, the right to bodily liberty and > freedom from unfair confinement, citing that the writ of habeas corpus > <https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-charter-us-revc&cs=1&sca_es…> is > intended for human beings, not animals. While acknowledging Happy's > cognitive complexity and self-awareness, the court found she didn't possess > the fundamental human right to be free from unlawful detention. > > Here's a more detailed breakdown: > > - The Case: > > The Nonhuman Rights Project (NRP) filed a lawsuit in 2018, arguing that > Happy the elephant, at the Bronx Zoo, should be granted a writ of habeas > corpus, meaning she should be freed from what they argued was unlawful > confinement. They claimed she was entitled to the same rights as humans and > deserved to be transferred to a sanctuary. > > - Court Ruling: > > The New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, dismissed the > NRP's petition. The majority of judges ruled that while elephants are > intelligent and deserving of compassion, they do not have the same rights > as humans, specifically regarding habeas corpus. > > - Justification: > > The court argued that habeas corpus is a legal tool intended to protect > human liberty and freedom from illegal detention, and it does not apply to > non-human animals. > > - Consequences: > > This ruling means that Happy remains at the Bronx Zoo, and the legal > battle for animals' rights has been dealt a blow in New York. > > - Ongoing Efforts: > > Despite the court ruling, animal rights advocates continue to push for > better treatment of animals in captivity and are exploring other avenues > for change, such as local legislation. > > ----- > > > > Ms. Miedvietsky, xNY.io - Bank.org feels the water quality in New York > City, the elephant statue at BNP Paribas in New York City and "*The > Greatest Fish Story Ever Told*" may all have something in common. > > > > *The Greatest Fish Story Ever Told:* > > > > Art Director/Designer/Photographer: Bert Steinhauser > > Copywriter: Frada Sklar Wallach > > Client: El Al Isreal Airlines > > > > *"Thousands of years ago, in the Sea of* > > *Galilee, there was a tasty little fish known * > > *as chromis simonis. The 'Big Fisherman' * > > *himself is said to have caught it. So it was * > > *named St. Peter's fish, after him. * > > > > *The name stuck to the fish and the fish * > > *stuck to the Galilee. The wonder is that it* > > *hasn't changed since Peter's day. Restau-* > > *rants all over Israel serve it and in Tiberias * > > *it's a specialty. * > > > > *If you like, you can hook your own 'St. * > > *Peter' in the Sea of Galilee. Or fish for other * > > *fish in other waters. The seas runneth over * > > *with prizes. In Eilat, there's even a famous * > > *restaurant that will cook your catch right * > > *on the spot.* > > > > *While the fish is grilling, you can be bak-* > > *ing on a nearby beach. Telling your own fish story. Or just watching the > snorkelers watching the fish. * > > > > *If you're a meat and potatoes man, or* > > *lady, you won't go hungry. How about * > > *barbecued lamb with hummus (ground chickpeas) or home-cooked chicken soup* > > *with noodles or boiled beef with curry or* > > *very good goulash? * > > > > *And don't worry about getting fat. Places * > > *like ancient Sodom, King Solomon's Mines,* > > *Massada, The Tomb of Absalom, Mt.* > > *Tabor and Capernaum are scattered from * > > *one end of Israel to the other. You'll need* > > *some extra food to keep up your strength. * > > > > *To get you off to a good start, El Al will land* > > *you at Tel Aviv with a few hearty meals* > > *under your belt. Including a* > > *breakfast of bagels and cream* > > *cheese and lox.* > > > > *Then we'll add a warm* > > *Shalom. There'll be nothing* > > *fishy about that. * > > > > *EL* > > *AL* > > > > *The airline of the people of Isreal*." > > > > Ms. Miedvietsky, I look forward to hearing what you think of the elephant > statue outside BNP Paribas' 787 Seventh Avenue New York City office place. > > > > Thank you, > > > > Gunnar Larson > > -- > > Gunnar Donald Arthur Peter Larson > > > > *xNY.io <http://xNY.io> - Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* > > 917-580-8053 > > NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10001 > > > ------------------------------ > This e-mail, including any attachments, may contain information that is > protected by law as privileged and confidential, and is transmitted for the > sole use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, > you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, copying or retention > of this e-mail or the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. > If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the > sender by telephone or reply e-mail, and permanently delete this e-mail > from your computer system. Your privacy is very important to our firm. > > Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (101 Park Avenue, New York, NY > 10178) > ------------------------------ >

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Watch "Trump & Kai Trump talk w/ reporters on Air Force 1 returning from Miami UFC fight: "Kai, fake news"" on YouTube
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

Watch "Trump & Kai Trump talk w/ reporters on Air Force 1 returning from Miami UFC fight: "Kai, fake news"" on YouTube - Pres. Trump & Kai Trump talk w/ reporters on Air Force One returning from Miami UFC fight - flying back to Palm Beach Florida (4-13-2025) https://youtu.be/boqgpeK7q4U?si=_FqQKjb-JktbU-xT

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McAfee Founder’s Neighbor Dead in Belize After Dogs Poisoned
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

McAfee Founder’s Neighbor Dead in Belize After Dogs Poisoned https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-11-12/mcafee-founder-is-suspec… John McAfee, the founder of the popular anti-virus software maker, is considered “a person of interest” in the murder of U.S. citizen Gregory Faull and has yet to be located, Belize National Security Ministry spokesman Raphael Martinez said.

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The Bond Crisis Last Week Was a Global No-Confidence Vote in U. S. President Donald Trump
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2025/04/the-bond-crisis-last-week-was-a-glob… By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: April 13, 2025 ~ Donald Trump -- Pied Piper to Wall Street (Thumbnail)U.S. President Donald Trump’s reputation for chaos; his longstanding history of thumbing his nose at the rule of law; his unpresidential insults directed at world leaders and willingness to turn his back on longstanding U.S. allies; and his packing of top cabinet posts with preposterously unqualified loyalists – have now delivered the inevitable blow to two of America’s most critical financial assets in domestic and international markets: the U.S. dollar and U.S. Treasury securities. Instead of performing their usual role as safe havens in times of turmoil, they are now indelibly linked to the Trump brand of erratic behavior. Both the U.S. Dollar and U.S. Treasury securities are in a downtrend, with the 10-year Treasury note taking a wild plunge in value last week. Mark Blyth, a political economist at Brown University, was quoted in the New York Times today with this unvarnished assessment: “The whole world has decided that the U.S. government has no idea what it’s doing.” That thinking was echoed in the Canadian press, with Moshe Lander, Professor of Economics at Concordia University in Montreal, being quoted as follows: “The U.S. government is the source of instability … nobody trusts that the White House knows what it’s doing. People are racing away from the source of instability.” After Trump set off a four-day rout in stock prices from his tariff plans – including a 2200 point plunge in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday, April 4 – Trump did an abrupt flip-flop on Wednesday, April 9, announcing a 90-day pause on his reciprocal tariffs, but keeping his 10 percent baseline duties and 145 percent tariffs on China. Wall Street On Parade has been warning for some time now that putting a 34-count convicted felon in the Oval Office – with a long, documented history of flouting the law and craving chaos as a personal attention booster – could lead to a dramatic loss of confidence in the U.S. government and attendant negative economic fallout. Gerald Baker’s latest column in the Wall Street Journal (paywall) notes this: “America’s reputation, built on its ideals and burnished over centuries, is the greatest geopolitical brand ever created. But as someone put it to me this past week, we may be witnessing the greatest exercise in brand destruction in history. Brands have real value. It isn’t always easy to calculate, but businesses from BlackBerry to Bud Light know when they have lost it. Destroying geopolitical brand value can be devastating too.” Take a few moments to think about the ramifications of this rapid reappraisal of the U.S. government brand. When investors and allies dump Treasury securities because they no longer have confidence that the U.S. is under sane leadership, it pushes up the yield. That raises mortgage rates (which are benchmarked against the 10-year Treasury note) in an already struggling housing market; it raises credit card interest rates which restrain consumer spending (which represents two-thirds of U.S. GDP); and, critically, it makes it more expensive for the U.S. to issue new debt because it has to offer higher fixed interest rates to compensate for the weaker demand. According to U.S. Treasury data, as of last month the U.S. is paying $582 billion in interest annually on its outstanding Treasury debt. This represents 16 percent of total federal spending for fiscal year 2025. If the U.S. government is forced to pay higher rates of interest on its debt because Trump undermines confidence in U.S. government functioning, interest costs could exponentially explode and put the credit rating of U.S. debt in jeopardy. There is already evidence of weakening demand for U.S. debt. Morningstar reported the following regarding last Tuesday’s $58 billion 3-year note auction: “The auction of 3-year Treasuries showed very weak domestic demand, with only 6.2% absorbed by US insurance and pension funds, compared with an average of 19.0%.” According to other sources, Primary Dealers, who are contractually obligated to the U.S. government to bid at Treasury auctions, were stuck with about a quarter of the 3-year notes offered in the auction. “Primary Dealers” is Fed code for the trading houses on Wall Street – the largest of which are owned by the federally-insured megabanks on Wall Street. Those names include JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup’s Citibank, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs. Given that the Federal Reserve has had to engage in bailouts of these Wall Street megabanks four times in the past 17 years, including the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression in 2008, one would think that the leaders of these institutions might find their voice and loudly call for Congress to fulfill its mandate as a co-equal branch of government and stop these wild and confidence-busting machinations from the White House.

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In other news: Argentina secured a $20 billion IMF bailout package, enabling President Javier Milei to lift most of the country's strict capital controls as part of his economic reform agenda. [PBS]
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

In other news China has pledged emergency humanitarian assistance worth *1 billion yuan ($137 million) to earthquake-struck Myanmar*. [Reuters <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZ0vIeclOKnFCJOkmYVFb92eWWABsBoLZXGr9…> ] *Argentina secured a $20 billion IMF bailout package*, enabling President Javier Milei to lift most of the country's strict capital controls as part of his economic reform agenda. [PBS <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZ0vIectchnlZ8bc65nkJV55HcJl4me4ML3vx…> ] Researchers revealed in a new study that *antimicrobial-resistant infections claimed the lives of over 3 million children* in 2022, with devastating impact across Southeast Asia and Africa. [Al Jazeera <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZ0vIeckXrQYUpEVuqc8SWF7WyQKjHQDMC0TV…> ]

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The way to play ODA: And thirdly, aid should be “an authentic and contemporary channel of those instincts of humanity: for cooperation, empathy, and partnership.”
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

*The way to play ODA* Even after this wave of punishing cuts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, it is likely that total annual global flows of official development assistance, or *ODA, will still sit at around $100 billion*, writes Adrian Lovett, executive director for the United Kingdom, Middle East, and Asia Pacific at ONE, in a Devex opinion piece <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhclVMjy-fPC1nQx1DZzXLnwxI59LN5r…> . That’s still a lot of money and *it needs to be used wisely*, he argues. For Lovett, there are three paths. One, ODA must be more than just an emergency service. “Firefighting without fire prevention is wasteful and has a deadly cost,” he writes. “Second, ODA should be *a tool for the redistribution of wealth*,” he adds, noting that “Mutual international investments in sustainable growth, stability, health, and prosperity are win-win, not zero-sum.” And thirdly, aid should be “an authentic and contemporary channel of those instincts of humanity: for cooperation, empathy, and partnership.” “Transactions that are merely tools for extracting power or for gaining geopolitical advantage have no place in this definition.” *Opinion:* From cuts to common cause, how do we rethink global development? <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhclVMjy-fPC1nQx1DZzXLnwxI59LN5r…>

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Letter rip: But an objection only has legal power if it results in an actual act of Congress, and with Republicans in charge, such an outcome is unlikely.
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

Letter rip Democrats are in the minority in both chambers of the U.S. Congress, but they’re still trying to make their voices heard as *they oppose the Trump administration’s deep cuts to foreign aid* — even insisting the merger of USAID into the State Department could be unlawful <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKjKGNr42ku…> . “As proposed, this plan will overburden the State Department, jeopardize the continuity of programs that save lives and keep Americans safe at home and *further undermine U.S. credibility and reliability*,” four top-ranking Democratic lawmakers write in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The letter, Elissa reports, came two weeks after the Trump administration delivered a congressional notification <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvf-tQPk7a-w…> to Capitol Hill that laid out a plan to “abolish” USAID as an independent entity, and to subsume select programs into the Department of State. <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKjKGNr42ku…> Last week, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Sen. Brian Schatz, Rep. Gregory Meeks, and Rep. Lois Frankel formally objected to the State Department’s plan, stating *the process Rubio had undertaken to reform USAID was unlawful*. But an objection only has legal power if it results in an actual act of Congress, and with Republicans in charge, such an outcome is unlikely. *Exclusive: *Lawmakers oppose USAID merger, citing ‘unlawful’ process <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POrHUo-5KRfbBK_1WFNkKZUKjKGNr42ku…>

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Sally Yates - Wikipedia
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Yates *Sally Quillian Yates* (born *Sally Caroline Quillian*; August 20, 1960[1] <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Yates#cite_note-1>) is an American lawyer. From 2010 to 2015, she was United States Attorney <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Attorney> for the Northern District of Georgia. In 2015, she was appointed United States Deputy Attorney General <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Deputy_Attorney_General> by President Barack Obama <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama>. Following the inauguration <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_inauguration_of_Donald_Trump> of President Donald Trump <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump> and the departure of Attorney General <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Attorney_General> Loretta Lynch <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Lynch> on January 20, 2017, Yates served as Acting Attorney General for 10 days.

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Open questions: “There’s always been a lot of talk about aid dependence,” she says. “And so here is the moment now that nobody wanted to actually address: What happens when aid is switched off?”
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

*Open questions* When the Open Society Foundations announced a significant, multiphase restructuring in 2021, it made headlines in the philanthropy world and beyond. Now, *its dramatic transformation is complete*, and it has fully “stepped into a new operating model,” <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POquLMWQDCK6SR9GxRixA_IlRzYWV_ckR…> its president, Binaifer Nowrojee, says, admitting that the decision to reduce staff and offices was a “difficult” one. While OSF <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZ0vIecvSVyNEwKSY7dVBIv8VDa42Buqy0TMB…> had already been *moving toward a leaner structure*, the foundation has now finalized that transition — cutting staff <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkpr086FbTPNGengllvEop_ad9b-oKk0…> from around 2,000 to 500 and reducing its global footprint from about 40 offices to 13, my colleague Ayenat Mersie writes. The new operating model also includes *sweeping changes to OSF’s grantmaking*. The foundation has simplified its internal processes to make it easier for partners to access funding, enabled multiyear commitments, and expanded core support for organizations in the global south. “We’re trying to make it better and easier for grantees and partners to access funds,” says Nowrojee. Previously, “every grant, regardless of the risk level or the renewal number of years, would go through 40 touch points and a very strong application process that actually was adding uncompensated complexity to the process,” she adds. One thing it’s not doing though? Filling the void left by USAID. “We got *a lot of requests to fill the gap left behind by USAID*,” Nowrojee says. “We could have taken our whole budget this year and filled the gap. At the end of the year, we’d be back where we started — and we’d have diverted all our funds away from our mandate.” Instead, the foundation is *using its advocacy to push for the restoration of U.S. assistance* and encourage other donors to step in. Nowrojee also described this moment as one of reckoning for the broader development sector. “There’s always been a lot of talk about aid dependence,” she says. “And so here is the moment now that nobody wanted to actually address: What happens when aid is switched off?” *Read more:* OSF’s new strategy bets on longer-term, more flexible funding <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POquLMWQDCK6SR9GxRixA_IlRzYWV_ckR…>

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Gone, but not forgotten: “He is no longer at State,” the official says.
by Gunnar Larson 14 Apr '25

14 Apr '25

Gone, but not forgotten Peter Marocco, who led the Office of Foreign Assistance at the U.S. State Department <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZ0vIecgxosNHTfEzTU2hSoeb_b4-ijKFx6V-…> and was considered the point person for dismantling USAID <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZ0vIecn4BHhumZ9CtHKdsfm8J245KQUeZgZh…>, has left the State Department, according to The Wall Street Journal <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZ0vIecgiLS2iRFmYMsHeR6aaY_DdZxCzJxAt…>, which spoke to a U.S. official who said *it wasn’t Marocco’s choice to leave* after barely three months in office. A senior administration official confirmed Marocco’s departure to WSJ. “Pete was brought to State with a big mission — to conduct an exhaustive review of every dollar spent on foreign assistance,” the official says. “He conducted that historic task and exposed egregious abuses of taxpayer dollars. We all *expect big things are in store for Pete on his next mission*.” “He is no longer at State,” the official says.

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