May 2025 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Fwd: After 100 days of Trump, a reckoning
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Devex Newswire <newswire(a)devex.com> Date: Wed, Apr 30, 2025, 7:04 AM Subject: After 100 days of Trump, a reckoning To: <g(a)xny.io> Presented by Acumen. Problems reading this email? Try opening the web version <https://t.devex.com/v/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W5WvJ4xmd3vNmTLZfXw4OcBxBgpur…> <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W_dg0POMkAFBIciUuNWyZjqqhUmO2MX…> <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W9z3zoSuUlpDT_m5PfYdjpUVm90pbu_…> *PRESENTED BY ACUMEN <https://t.devex.com/n/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W_qrYl3G0ouGQc29omoa2HiYG-PwJ…>* APRIL 30, 2025 BY ELISSA MIOLENE <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W8VRQK8jXnGwBja09jP6r_8t2pHNsFb…> It’s been 100 days since U.S. President Donald Trump upended foreign aid — and the fallout has been swift and staggering. In just three months, more than 80% of USAID’s programs have been terminated. Today, the few nonprofits left are struggling to fill the gaps. *Also in today’s edition:* The fallout of a virtually shuttered Millennium Challenge Corporation and how a plunge in commodity prices is shaking developing economies. Paused, slashed, and burned <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POsOu8-V3XC2wqJP1JI_OWCssDlwjXWAZ…> The United States’ foreign aid freeze — billed as a 90-day review — has resulted in a global unraveling of the aid apparatus <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POsOu8-V3XC2wqJP1JI_OWCssDlwjXWAZ…> facilitated by the world’s largest donor. *Programs have been canceled, un-canceled, and re-canceled*; entire agencies have been gutted; and those that survived have been forced to carry the load. After that foreign aid review was declared finished, the Trump administration extended it yet again <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvf-tQPk7a-w…>. And the result? At least 36 million people in the world’s worst crisis zones may be left without support. “When big actors exit suddenly, like in this situation, *the system doesn’t just pause. It breaks*,” Aliona Pashchenko, a program manager at the Ukrainian nonprofit The Tenth of April, told me last week. With no clear signal from Washington on what comes next, the humanitarian community is *bracing for continued, systems-level disruption* — not just at USAID <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W4xW_qfiqrk5UzDHOlk30kFoGrvBKOS…>, but across all the U.S. agencies that were once committed to foreign assistance. *Read:* How Trump’s first 100 days have meant chaos for US foreign aid <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POsOu8-V3XC2wqJP1JI_OWCssDlwjXWAZ…> *ICYMI:* Trump administration extends foreign aid review for another 30 days <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvf-tQPk7a-w…> *Join us next Tuesday, May 6, for an exclusive conversation to dissect the impact of the Trump administration’s first 100 days on the global aid infrastructure and look forward to what we can expect to see next. Save your spot now <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W67v5bbFarhPp9ldQr5oUrDCUMtFCqb…>.* A message from Acumen <https://t.devex.com/n/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W2NvZvknQB-7eX53A0hBxlUDJd6sk…> *Bringing clean energy to Africa’s hardest-to-reach communities* See how Acumen is transforming lives through cleantech investments in Africa. From Ampersand’s electric motorcycles to Yellow’s solar home systems, these stories spotlight the real people powering change. Watch the short films from BBC StoryWorks’ “Humanising Energy” series, and explore Acumen’s bold approach to ending energy poverty. Learn more and watch the stories at acumen.org/energy-news <https://t.devex.com/n/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W2NvZvknQB-7eX53A0hBxlUDJd6sk…> In the crosshairs Case in point: the Millennium Challenge Corporation <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W4iH-_qhqlg6ldwqjHueaK2Rc0nkwUS…>. Last week, my colleague Adva Saldinger broke the story <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvo90jMfbVGn…> that the Department of Government Efficiency had steamrolled its way into MCC, an aid agency known for its results-based compacts and bipartisan appeal. “It's stunning to me, the irony to go after an agency that has, time and time, delivered one of the most cost-effective ways of bringing people out of poverty,” says Harvard University <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W1eTjtSk1Xb9BZWJEdmGQu71zaaRAE7…>’s Fatema Sumar, who previously served as MCC’s vice president of compact operations. But here’s the twist: Several sources tell Adva that it seems like *the Trump administration was not aligned on MCC’s fate*, and there’s even speculation that Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who chairs the agency’s board — might not have been informed about DOGE’s plans in advance. Now there are *efforts inside the State Department to save MCC*. But with many of the agency’s partner governments hearing about the news not through the government, but through the media, trust in MCC — and in the U.S. government — seems to already be splintering <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgUVuoHsRExWbceYoyZVC8_r6_0uVnqa…>. “To the extent you have these half-finished infrastructure projects, *they’ll be monuments to U.S. inconsistency and U.S. neglect*,” says John Simon, who helped build MCC in the early days. “A giant advertisement in the middle of a country about how the United States can’t be trusted.” *Read:* MCC shutdown would risk global trust, cede ground to China, experts warn <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgUVuoHsRExWbceYoyZVC8_r6_0uVnqa…> *Explore the data:* MCC in numbers — the grants, countries, and programs at stake <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POj9XgE7aI9K7ZY5IGZrC6HRsCiqMfhwU…> <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W1lpSdAcv6IXNfnUaJCD07bCUjU9UaX…> * Not yet a Devex Pro member? Start your 15-day free trial now <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W4Z0zqrIjKYSPaHRRLAdeklnkQ1G98Y…> to access the event as well as all our expert analyses, insider insights, funding data, and more. Check out all the exclusive content and events <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W0gHvYs0-YGgMQgWqgiAeQgUgcIUIEM…> available to you.* Boom to bust Global commodity prices are expected to drop to their lowest levels since the pandemic began, according to the World Bank’s latest Commodity Markets Outlook <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W2jeNuCgTBeC2Fcedwhg4ze5pnh7h6w…>. *Prices are projected to fall 12% this year and another 5% in 2026*, marking the end of a boom driven by the global economy’s recovery from COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, my colleague Jesse Chase-Lubitz tells me. While falling energy and food prices may help curb inflation amid rising trade tensions, the World Bank <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W2ZmUsEjG96PXunC5mRuqIbDBMUByfu…> warns the *price plunge could hinder economic growth* in two-thirds of developing economies — particularly commodity exporters. “The combination of high price volatility and low prices spells trouble,” says World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill, urging developing economies to restore fiscal discipline and liberalize trade. Energy prices alone are expected to fall 17% this year, with one type of crude oil averaging $64 a barrel, down from $81 last year. Coal prices are set to fall 27% this year as demand weakens. *Food prices are also forecast to decline*, though acute food insecurity is expected to rise in 22 vulnerable economies, affecting 170 million people. Gold is the outlier, likely to hit a record high this year amid geopolitical uncertainty. But overall, commodity price cycles are becoming shorter and more intense, the report finds — with *volatility reaching its highest level in over 50 years*. “In an era of geopolitical tensions, surging demand for critical minerals, and more frequent natural disasters, that could become the new normal,” says Ayhan Kose, the World Bank Group’s deputy chief economist and director of the Prospects Group. “Successfully navigating through repeated commodity prices swings will require developing economies to build fiscal space, strengthen their institutions, and improve investment climates to facilitate job creation.” *Learn more:* US tariffs threaten to push debt-distressed nations closer to the brink <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POtX5Usc-4sXyrSkGVGR2z3Jj8M0IeKnr…> Sponsored by MSD *Opinion: 5 ways to help cancer care* Medical advancements, increased screening rates, and expanded treatment options have helped bring considerable improvement in cancer survival rates, but large groups of patients still face inequities in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Read more → <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4WyV4zL5g8wvr0VCwGzubZawbORcXZ0y…> The survivors' shortlist <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POu8EQal6eAQeGbyBB29Fj9OhQc1f4Jcy…> Three months into Trump’s second term, the aid sector is sorting through the rubble. Over the last few days, my colleague Miguel Antonio Tamonan has done the same — and he’s figured out which organizations have survived the storm so far <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POu8EQal6eAQeGbyBB29Fj9OhQc1f4Jcy…> . “Overall, we identified *15 organizations with at least $100 million of active unobligated funding*,” Miguel writes. “Among them, four are for-profit, eight are nonprofit, two are multilaterals, and one is a U.S. government agency.” So, *who made the list?* Chemonics <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W0DvJYyRSL1HIVqXjetHT46dPWhiLFN…> is at number one, with seven active awards worth a cumulative $11.4 billion. FHI 360 <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W35DDA75VSopgu5-3u8EgPz53HHMhm1…> comes next, with 16 active awards worth $2.2 billion. And Abt Global <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W8AAoqsjPFrn7Sr-8EIMxAZxUnDjBKc…> ranks third, with three active awards worth $1 billion. That being said, there is a caveat. Miguel analyzed unobligated funding to create this list — that is, part of the total cost estimate that’s not yet committed but could potentially be received by the organization in the future. In a typical scenario, obligated money would be channeled to its intended target. But today, many are bracing for recissions or even impoundment of obligated funds by the U.S. Congress, meaning *lawmakers could claw back money* that was already slated to be spent. *Read:* Who’s still standing? USAID’s new top 15 implementers <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POu8EQal6eAQeGbyBB29Fj9OhQc1f4Jcy…> <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W1lpSdAcv6IXNfnUaJCD07bCUjU9UaX…> * Get the latest development funding insights and analysis, as well as practical business development and resource mobilization advice, in your inbox every Monday by signing up for Devex Money Matters <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4Wso0buZnRSXznFLqnc1svAfQ5KVPm6a…>, a free weekly newsletter.* Down bad Others have been less lucky. In recent days, we’ve seen *another wave of layoffs hit the aid sector*, this time at multiple United Nations agencies. At the World Health Organization, both senior leadership and departments are being cut to about half <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POoHk2D1_jNu1NIhtxikKHFKWbUR27qKd…>; at the UN Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, the number of senior leadership positions will be capped while several country offices close <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POr40vaUA3erJTUqTvQFJ0j0RoNIE8bcp…>. “The cuts come as several U.N. agencies — including the World Food Programme <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W0FIVpi62p0m0A03voWhMzc0wph3N1d…> and the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W4PHSYdaB97vUFIyzVaOqi3t0Hhcob2…> — have announced major reductions to staff and programs in recent months,” writes my colleague Ayenat Mersie. “The humanitarian sector is facing what officials describe as *an unprecedented funding crisis*, fueled in part by a freeze in U.S. foreign aid under President Donald Trump.” At WHO <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W0sn7jhPaZs0Lz1hzzqQz4BZJE9eUPa…>, it’s not clear who will remain in the organization’s senior ranks, my colleague Jenny Lei Ravelo reports. There’s also no clarity on how many staffers will be let go. The same can be said for UNHCR <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4WyoyhO3Q3UMQMXKgIoihQhL4SRvpTZM…>, though internal communications seen by Devex illustrated *a 30% reduction in overall costs* and regional bureaus and Geneva headquarters, while spending authority for operations will be reduced by 23%. “I have been dealing with humanitarian crises for more than 40 years,” said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi, speaking at U.N. headquarters last week. “*I have never, ever seen such a challenge* due to the lack of resources, cuts, freezes, and uncertainty.” *Read:* UN Refugee Agency to close some offices as donors cut funding <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POr40vaUA3erJTUqTvQFJ0j0RoNIE8bcp…> *See also:* WHO to slash senior leadership and departments to about half <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POoHk2D1_jNu1NIhtxikKHFKWbUR27qKd…> Special notice *5 billion people lack access to safe, affordable surgery. Here’s what needs to change* In a special edition podcast episode, Operation Smile’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Billy Magee and University of Rwanda professor Faustin Ntirenganya discuss the state of access to surgery worldwide, and why training of surgeons should be a top priority. Listen here → <https://t.devex.com/n/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W4JC-ZWVxosT4eA84Gj5x-R1EwU_U…> In other news A federal judge ordered the Trump administration *to reinstate $12 million for the pro-democracy outlet Radio Free Europe*. [AP <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W1U-UF14F4PvD827FH5Duz1muIpDksD…> ] U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned that *the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian territories is on the brink of collapse*, urging irreversible action to salvage the prospect of lasting peace. [UN News <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W2syoiiWYfL-7WXtyEiQUNW5XhJXHMX…> ] COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago *called the upcoming U.N. climate talks an “uphill battle”* as Trump’s rollbacks, tariffs, and environmental cuts undermine global cooperation efforts. [The Guardian <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4WsaD7QzS3kN2AJzFs55DHoAg5Ws10Gi…> ] Thank you for reading today’s Newswire, edited by *Fiona Zublin*, copy edited by *Florence Williams*, and produced by *Patricia Esguerra*. Have a news tip? Email elissa.miolene(a)devex.com <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W57CetbnkyUc1e3KZm34fzvuO2NlFAv…> . *Forwarded by a friend?* Sign up here <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4WyAW3J8ekTjA196gsGWVDUlaonrEob-…> to receive the Newswire directly. Devex thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Our editorial content remains independent. Interested in partnering with us? Get in touch. <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W52JGY-w_np49UfqbhRGmMyUEba2eyB…> *Would you recommend our content?* <https://t.devex.com/dc/0ZbAuOgrl4v58UVFaEW3yj01G_DYPkHxgbXH2Va6LGmw1vJsQtjR…> <https://t.devex.com/dc/0ZbAuOgrl4v58UVFaEW3yj01G_DYPkHxgbXH2Va6LGmw1vJsQtjR…> <https://t.devex.com/dc/0ZbAuOgrl4v58UVFaEW3yj01G_DYPkHxgbXH2Va6LGmw1vJsQtjR…> <https://t.devex.com/dc/0ZbAuOgrl4v58UVFaEW3yj01G_DYPkHxgbXH2Va6LGmw1vJsQtjR…> <https://t.devex.com/dc/0ZbAuOgrl4v58UVFaEW3yj01G_DYPkHxgbXH2Va6LGmw1vJsQtjR…> ©Devex is the media platform for the global development community. 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW Washington, DC 20036 USA +1.202 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1701+Rhode+Island+Ave+NW+Washington,+DC+…>.249.9222 To ensure delivery to your inbox, please add newswire(a)devex.com <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W0nm2PE7T2I-tR2ySv5eVVmPMkmqYfH…> to your address book. Support Center <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W-nZgGYM8WD35hLPEjssbsZ54ST8jnG…> Privacy Policy <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4Wx5leXVsrsrwNb8OIXHLxQFtc_cwH-Q…> Contact Us <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W2pOUqbrQ4uRbVI3DD7M4xpJ1WpI1QA…> Connect with us: [image: Facebook] <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W0qp2ZKFP9P6j2MtRNnANfl5dx2BIEL…> [image: Instagram] <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4Wx2hCiRONGTShZa9RrH0hFKOobwu_oe…> [image: YouTube] <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W1pblvSVSq2V8-nK85srPGrSCx42jF8…> [image: Twitter] <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W5SsjMHUM15WsS58jozjBibAYca3AHk…> [image: LinkedIn] <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W0T9shNX4kb02cDiMVtmaqn0LzLLHSf…> This email was sent to g(a)xny.io. You received this email because you signed up for Devex Newswire, or as part of your Devex membership. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgyRUVuBP-28EatP_Obe9IPhJkQTZ1ES…> or manage your newsletter preferences <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POgq6dGA2pC4YbfQkhRSH_SKqkFfEMr0L…>. <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGaJVd4W2_SgeKqvh59YDoNuhUBLWEG6boAe_H…>

1 0

Fwd: FBI Top Stories: Raising Awareness: Sexual Assault Aboard Aircraft
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: FBI <fbi(a)subscriptions.fbi.gov> Date: Wed, Apr 30, 2025, 12:20 PM Subject: FBI Top Stories: Raising Awareness: Sexual Assault Aboard Aircraft To: <g(a)xny.io> Raising Awareness: Sexual Assault Aboard Aircraft Sexual assault aboard aircraft—which usually takes the form of unwanted touching—is a federal crime that can land offenders in prison. April 29, 2025 Full Story <https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/raising-awareness-sexual-assault-aboard-ai…> ------------------------------ <https://www.facebook.com/FBI> <https://twitter.com/FBI> <https://www.youtube.com/user/FBI> <https://www.fbi.gov/e-mail-updates?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=…> * You have received this message because you are subscribed to one or more of the following categories: FBI Top Stories * Manage Subscription <https://delivery.fbi.gov/account-reminder> | Unsubscribe <https://delivery.fbi.gov/subscriber/c57956fe9830b3f02d21fe7a2581942df706f0b…> If you have questions about this service, email us at delivery(a)subscriptions.fbi.gov. Help <https://www.fbi.gov/e-mail-updates?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=…> | Privacy Policy <http://www.fbi.gov/privacy_policy?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=e…> | Visit FBI.gov <https://www.fbi.gov/?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=email&utm_sour…>

1 0

First airline to introduce seat-back entertainment
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1YJcNmG4s2/ In 1984, people thought we were crazy to launch an airline. I had no idea how the aviation world worked, but I knew that flying was no fun. I went against everyone’s advice. Friends, experts, the press, the pundits – and on paper, they were right. But I was fed up with airlines being allowed to get away with sub-par service just because no real competition existed. I realised then that there was a gap to give passengers a great experience – and I love a challenge! Since we launched, there have been many occasions where people told me we’d fail. But we’ve stuck by our belief that if you can create something better than everybody else, then you at least have a chance of succeeding. Here are some of the aviation ‘firsts’ Virgin Atlantic has brought to the industry — thanks to a lot of hard work and imagination from the best team in the skies: - First airline to introduce seat-back entertainment - First airline to launch premium economy - Built the first-ever in-flight bar - Designed the first-ever double beds in the air - Developed a feature called Earth Calling — an in-seat call service for passengers’ mobile phones - Launched charity donations with loose change from foreign currencies (an idea my wonderful wife had) - First airline to fly the Airbus A340-600 - First commercial airline to fly across the Atlantic using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel - First airline to introduce a gender identity policy which removed the requirement for our people to wear gendered uniform options - First airline to allow crew to display tattoos and one of the first to remove compulsory make-up requirements for cabin crew Virgin Atlantic is proof that you don’t need to stay in your lane. Keep thinking of ways to deliver the best possible experience for your customers and your people. Taking a human approach to innovation is how you stay ahead. You can find the full story in my audiobook, Losing and Finding my Virginity: https://linktr.ee/bransonaudiobook

1 0

Finally got to sing Texas Hold ‘Em at the top of my lungs with Beyoncé! Threw my keys up so hard and now I gotta go find them 🤠
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JiyQrp6YE/ Finally got to sing Texas Hold ‘Em at the top of my lungs with Beyoncé! Threw my keys up so hard and now I gotta go find them 🤠

1 0

The appearance is part of back-to-back events in Michigan marking the 100th day of the president's second term.
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

The appearance is part of back-to-back events in Michigan marking the 100th day of the president's second term. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16N9baTN2H/

1 0

President Trump hails record in his first 100 days as tensions over tariffs mount.
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

President Trump hails record in his first 100 days as tensions over tariffs mount. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AMKwwAwhg/

1 0

Syracuse Diocese Strikes $61M In Deals With Insurers
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

Syracuse Diocese Strikes $61M In Deals With Insurers <https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/2330999?nl_pk=347c5954-47a8-495c-…> By Rick Archer The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse informed a New York bankruptcy judge that it has reached nearly $61 million in settlements with its insurance carriers to fund a trust for child sexual abuse claims in the diocese's Chapter 11 plan. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/2330999?nl_pk=347c5954-47a8-495c-…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/2330999?nl_pk=347c5954-47a8-495c-…>

1 0

Fwd: Mayor Adams' house: finally rat-free?
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Gothamist <gothamist(a)lists.wnyc.org> Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2025, 9:27 AM Subject: Mayor Adams' house: finally rat-free? To: <g(a)xny.io> Plus: NYC's new plan to fill affordable apartments View this email in a browser. <https://view.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=19d4235ff18fd11cfce1b8973cb02758c42ed991088…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeed095e329bb88c2362608f8664…> Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? Consider donating and join today. <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae6b006212033c05ad4c7ff0e324…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeaa3b48767ad4e2768cafbd33f7…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faec9382d6e5d52ed1ff896ec4fed…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae7fe58a70198d588e76ab4b508b…> NYC is still at war with rats, but Mayor Adams won the battle in his Brooklyn home <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faee7180ac773db8c2b43efc4bf80…> [image: Mayor Adams making a rat-related public announcement] <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae712bc331ac5e1f70fe706a7f15…> *Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae499873ce2626e39c48c03ac390…>* *Weather*: ☀️ Sunny, highs in the lower 80s. It's Tuesday in New York City, where — for the first time since 2023 — inspectors have found no evidence of rats at Mayor *Eric Adams*' Bedford-Stuyvesant rowhouse. Since taking office in 2022, Adams has been hit with five violations <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faee30eea133623130786bc623e41…> tied to evidence of rat activity outside his home. (Four of those citations were eventually dismissed; Adams paid $300 to settle the other.) But Monica Reyes, an eight-year resident of Bed-Stuy, said Adams’ own victory in the war on rats should not be interpreted as a win for the neighborhood. “As you can see. We have a rat smashed right there,” she said, pointing to flies buzzing around a dead rat at the curb <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faed06e6bea4ff57a72c2e1dff496…> . Here's what else is happening: - There's a special non-partisan election today to fill *Staten Island*'s open City Council seat. Meet the three candidates vying for the job <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae7be762d1c1859d857445f8bcd0…> . - Starting May 1, New Yorkers will be able to apply directly for *affordable apartments* once a previous tenants move out — without going through the city's housing lottery system <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae1b81fa512e823860bd7cb0f1b7…> . - New York state lawmakers said they've tentatively agreed to a *$254 billion budget deal* that includes phone bans in schools <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae7badf8a9dd944a1db2beda3a65…>, rebate checks for middle-class families and a new charge for wearing a mask while committing a crime. - The MTA said it plans to use *AI technology* to analyze real-time subway station security footage and issue automated alerts to the NYPD <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae1762f93eaefa5823ffdb83b851…> "if someone is acting out irrationally." - The final investigation of a deadly collapse of a Lower Manhattan *parking garage* in 2023 found that unauthorized demolition work and years of structural neglect <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faec7a2e9b2efec7ec3f5989bce7e…> triggered the event. - Documents obtained by Gothamist show that back in 2024, the NYPD used an outdated form to *put someone in jail* for allegedly obstructing government administration — a charge that can apply to resisting arrest or blocking traffic during a protest — when they should've been released with a court ticket <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae0ff386b20bad2e070e4ec3323f…> . - A *Queens* man is facing felony charges after allegedly performing a surgical procedure without a license <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faef19017b03a06c38d30c564d782…> on a woman who police say is unlikely to survive. - The top federal prosecutor in Albany said he's considering a lawsuit to force *telecom and social media companies* to monitor users’ conversations to catch sexual predators <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae32ea981fe116619b264bb42fa0…> . - The father of a teenager who was shot and killed on a *Coney Island* street corner on Sunday said he believed his son was set up by someone <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faee786e175d6840eba07620900e9…> who called him on the phone and told him to come outside. <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faefc362812ca55896979c3ae1309…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae6151890cab83c9a6f29e0ea59c…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae6d7bce51c218ad1099e27a3bf0…> - The *New York Hall of Science* has a new exhibit that lets you simulate driving a city bus <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae3be1d7598b4bb73ef0750a8f13…> . - With all due respect to *Mayor Adams*' press office, these are not "just shirts <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae5d01b032a99d4b201b200bc179…> ." - Despite Gov. Kathy Hochul's push for more people to get *released early* from state prisons, hundreds of otherwise eligible detainees aren't being freed <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae4dd791739b02ac07b8045474ad…> due to a shortage of housing options that aren't classified as "shelters." - Authorities said *Petros Krommidas*, a 29-year-old Long Island Democrat who's running for a seat on the Nassau County Legislature, has been missing for nearly a week <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeb2ffb87a7e8f328d0bf633418c…> . - A YouTuber has been arrested for pretending to pass out in his car <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeab56053ef403cf067bb7ca1aa8…> in *Times Square*. (He claimed he was shooting a video of himself testing the NYPD's emergency response time.) - *Mark Carney* will remain Canada's prime minister <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae21eacb312ed4b0490c9e0b3a73…> after yesterday's election. - In other news from America's hat, the Canadian Journal of Cardiology published a new study claiming that *drinking champagne*, eating fruit and keeping a positive mood could all reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faec4122013250b0cad345403d82f…> . - *Jeremy Renner*'s new memoir about getting run over by a snow plow <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae05a769e91301b4d6ec258bd497…> is on shelves now. <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faebecea6c30136f6e0bd2e2e1f9e…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faebecea6c30136f6e0bd2e2e1f9e…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae3be4e1d16afcba78a8d67137a8…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae3d1a264e84f87b9baaad4144b8…> “I have two machines that collect and kill rats.” <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faee908fe29c470a6fc98fcb85a1b…> - Mayor Eric Adams on HIS AT-HOME RAT MITIGATION STRATEGY <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeb84afa1236f81538510ca89b56…> More from Gothamist [image: futuristic subway turnstiles] <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faee790336f0f692877d861e9c2d0…> MTA to begin replacing NYC's subway turnstiles with modern fare gates <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae7fbcdbf52be8a280ead3081f0b…> The transit agency said it'll install modern fare gates at 20 subway stations later this year as part of a push to crack down on fare evasion. 12 completely free things to do in New York City this May <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faea728307797e45845850c90d0e3…> Ride a bike, meet some urban wildlife, take a niche history walking tour or simply tiptoe through some tulips. [image: We rely on your support to make local news available to all.] <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faef06dbc54a86adf9f0ea8851cce…> Are you smarter than a NYC 6th grader? Try solving these new math curricula problems. <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeededd997b4508f80d91af231fb…> New math curricula being rolled out in the city’s school system prioritize more hands-on work using real-life examples, like recipes, often before students are explicitly taught exactly how to figure out the answer. A new off-Broadway play explores the life of a trans rabbi <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae6d0d73b60af07af5fd3edad896…> "Becoming Eve" is based on the memoir of Abby Chava Stein, a trans woman from a prominent Hasidic family in Williamsburg who was trained from a young age to be a rabbi. [image: Instagram] <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae5c1660cf8093f9e56fb5cc2857…> Instagram <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae5c1660cf8093f9e56fb5cc2857…> [image: Facebook] <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae1218758ee4f2a20c8f9f78ae95…> Facebook <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae1218758ee4f2a20c8f9f78ae95…> [image: Twitter] <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae2e79eca09c3887b86e11ca592b…> Twitter <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae2e79eca09c3887b86e11ca592b…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae313f47e0262f9d3d3f6e33cc83…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae0e14611fe17aadee07754fa7fc…> <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeff846155e6c28610d23b0926a2…> [image: New York Public Radio] WNYC <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faebd88c75a6318c9190f35eff009…> | WQXR <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeab8a3cacda3003a2a3aadb23a2…> | NJPR <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae1f9ec692503bdb8e5e66837409…> | GOTHAMIST <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faeb3d305cdb56c01b736a3760c99…> WNYC STUDIOS <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae0ce18b3b5d257dbaafde8fe641…> | THE GREENE SPACE <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae99063c0027034df8d075f5f830…> Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/160+Varick+Street,+New+York,+NY+10013?en…> TERMS OF USE <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5faec39d4eb5d169942e64982fed57…> You can update your PREFERENCES <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae8cf485b3d4baecfa495087bb93…> or UNSUBSCRIBE <https://click.lists.wnyc.org/?qs=3b690570790e5fae70d554bf8e8dc8c747ae4ccd60…> from this list.

1 0

BREAKING: High Court Backs HHS In Hospital Pay Formula Dispute
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

BREAKING: High Court Backs HHS In Hospital Pay Formula Dispute <https://www.law360.com/health/articles/2285549?nl_pk=0f5983ea-0173-4e74-85e…> By Mark Payne The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with federal health officials in a challenge over a formula used to calculate billions of dollars in annual payments to hospitals treating indigent patients, saying that those entitled to Supplemental Security Income should be collecting cash payments before they're counted in the formula. Opinion attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/health/articles/2285549?nl_pk=0f5983ea-0173-4e74-85e…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/health/articles/2285549?nl_pk=0f5983ea-0173-4e74-85e…>

1 0

Fwd: The top blockchain & crypto private companies for 2025— the New Oligarchs, Open letter to AI & Crypto Czar David S…
by Gunnar Larson 01 May '25

01 May '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: The Cryptonite Weekly Rap <cryptoniteventures(a)substack.com> Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2025, 2:43 PM Subject: The top blockchain & crypto private companies for 2025— the New Oligarchs, Open letter to AI & Crypto Czar David S… To: <g(a)xny.io> Achieving the Bitcoin metaphor ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ Forwarded this email? Subscribe here <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9jcnlwdG9uaXRldmVudHVyZXM…> for more <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9jcnlwdG9uaXRldmVudHVyZXM…> The top blockchain & crypto private companies for 2025— the New Oligarchs, Open letter to AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks... <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1665481&post_id=161610387…> Anthony Perkins <https://substack.com/@anthonybperkins> and The Cryptonite Weekly Rap <https://substack.com/@cryptoniteventures> Apr 29 <https://substack.com/@anthonybperkins> <https://substack.com/@cryptoniteventures> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1665481&post_id=161610387…> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1665481&post_id=161610387…> <https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1665481&post_id=161610387…> <https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvbS9…> READ IN APP <https://open.substack.com/pub/cryptoniteventures/p/the-top-blockchain-priva…> <https://substack.com/redirect/f5bff05e-b536-4052-a4ee-3ddc15638c87?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Offering you the power to transact in a decentralized, trustless, and transparent world with no central authority and its usurious fees. Imagine that! Street Art by Lucho Poletti <https://substack.com/redirect/c693657d-0b1d-49a4-a1c6-5930ca447349?j=eyJ1Ij…>.* Achieving the Bitcoin metaphor The principles and promises of the Bitcoin metaphor <https://substack.com/redirect/cfa208a2-5d8e-4e14-b5c9-df18e225a052?j=eyJ1Ij…> remain the same: financial sovereignty, peer-to-peer interaction, global accessibility, and resilience—that is, freedom from censorship, shutdowns, and single-point failures. Fairness and transparency are the common threads. When Perplexity AI's <https://substack.com/redirect/f848d5f3-3257-44c0-a00a-ab62fce8e163?j=eyJ1Ij…> search and Chat GPT first hit the scene at the tail end of 2022, AI had finally touched the masses. One could tell immediately that those were historic events that foreshadowed how AI would transform the world and how we operate and live. Suddenly, the crypto and NFT crazes seemed like desperate stories of days gone by. We will stick out our necks and predict that the blockchain promise and the companies delivering on it will rise again in 2025 and through 2026. Part of the reason for this belief is that we see the AI movement as an offensive strategy to increase individual power and productivity. At the same time, blockchain is our defense against AI innovation spinning out of our control. We need both to move ahead safely. <https://substack.com/redirect/ff1d366f-5732-411b-84b5-07038b904208?j=eyJ1Ij…> <https://substack.com/redirect/5d4cef9e-cbf0-43a1-9e82-b02daf345ea4?j=eyJ1Ij…> *AI market data here <https://substack.com/redirect/0d876a37-b442-4f51-9b30-a3938b778938?j=eyJ1Ij…>*. *Blockchain and crypto market data here <https://substack.com/redirect/787d449c-1d58-472a-bd73-80e7772b0381?j=eyJ1Ij…>* . At first glance, the AI sales numbers <https://substack.com/redirect/b0b9379c-ca35-4223-baa9-b2eaf8e4a201?j=eyJ1Ij…> appear to support the idea that the AI opportunity is 5 times larger than the blockchain one measured by total industry sales. At a closer look, one can see a different yet fascinating reality beneath these numbers. First, on average, it takes twice the VC money for AI companies to achieve the same revenue levels as blockchain companies. AI companies have to buy lots of AI chips and build expansive computational infrastructures <https://substack.com/redirect/fbfb9647-b504-4964-8764-47ed50e8b125?j=eyJ1Ij…>, which come with massive capital requirements. We haven't done the numbers here, but it will be interesting to see how the VC AI investment multiples scale, especially in the later funding stages. AI could become a less exciting (or underwater) investment experience for late-stage VCs, especially with a stodgy IPO market. As we know, high-capital-intensive businesses traditionally show lower multiples. Second, when you analyze the companies in our top blockchain company list below, you will see many impressive examples of companies such as Ripple, Solana, Chainlink, Dapper, and Polygon Labs complementing their VC money <https://substack.com/redirect/94a4993d-5fe7-422c-a86b-b07ec427235f?j=eyJ1Ij…> by selling non-equity-based tokens and significantly preserving founder ownership.😎👍🏼 <https://substack.com/redirect/2424ae0c-5e4f-47ba-b539-d3a37b26ed4e?j=eyJ1Ij…> Back to the future of four VC partners and a receptionist. We see the VC model going back to the future. That is, the VC business will consolidate back to a small cadre of early-stage firms and startup industry networked and savvy partners who live on the streets of global Silicon Valley and source all the deals. Many entrepreneurs with solid tokenomics strategies will offer a hybrid of equity and utility tokens to preserve ownership. Other entrepreneurs will give up traditional early-stage prices with quality VCs but quickly offer higher-priced equity tokens to broader audiences (think talent-to-fan <https://substack.com/redirect/fb1babb5-756f-4136-a41e-116c4319c8c3?j=eyJ1Ij…>) with fewer rights as a tactic to retain more control and higher ownership stakes in their companies. The inevitable two questions every entrepreneur eventually asks: 'I understand the value I get out of Draper <https://substack.com/redirect/c1e723a3-45c1-44e3-8bcb-048ecdc29627?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Andreessen <https://substack.com/redirect/c1e723a3-45c1-44e3-8bcb-048ecdc29627?j=eyJ1Ij…>, and Sequoia <https://substack.com/redirect/f1c36ebf-632a-405b-884c-5ce5a8580f71?j=eyJ1Ij…>, but what value do these 'later stage VCs' provide? Why do these money managers get VC pricing?' This approach could also prolong and even eliminate the need to go public. Speaking of street-savvy VCs, we would like to give a shout-out to the handful of firms that invested in extensive blockchain projects and helped pioneer the early Bitcoin, blockchain, and crypto revolution through some truly crazy times: Draper Associates <https://substack.com/redirect/c1e723a3-45c1-44e3-8bcb-048ecdc29627?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Boost VC <https://substack.com/redirect/15b56308-71cc-4fa0-aa51-b8c65bb7ab5b?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) <https://substack.com/redirect/c1e723a3-45c1-44e3-8bcb-048ecdc29627?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Sequoia Capital <https://substack.com/redirect/f1c36ebf-632a-405b-884c-5ce5a8580f71?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Pantera Capital <https://substack.com/redirect/deeca5b2-beb8-4ef6-b584-5aeb50389016?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Coinbase Ventures <https://substack.com/redirect/ab0b3daf-9240-405f-8386-d3038cccfa3a?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Binance Labs <https://substack.com/redirect/edc1419c-a28a-40e4-9178-b775bcc583a0?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Digital Currency Group (DCG) <https://substack.com/redirect/da1e5c0b-f4f7-4079-bb53-919a3cfb1354?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Paradigm <https://substack.com/redirect/69a0cbb0-538f-4f67-9cde-90d18e52ceea?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Polychain Capital <https://substack.com/redirect/98dd9ee0-093e-4614-a756-c5cf913b4e9a?j=eyJ1Ij…>, Blockchain Capital <https://substack.com/redirect/9319cf8d-714e-4958-8647-ab049be5749b?j=eyJ1Ij…>, and Multicoin Capital <https://substack.com/redirect/fdaec593-0353-49a6-a7e0-5f7313a736eb?j=eyJ1Ij…>. *👏🏼👏🏼.* There are other firms in this exclusive crypto club and a whole slew of amazing angels.😇 In the next issue of *The Rap*, we will uncover the risk investors behind the top blockchain companies*.* ------------------------------ <https://substack.com/redirect/85759b6b-ffda-474d-b454-37c1c696c4bc?j=eyJ1Ij…> *David Sacks speaking at the Republican National Convention last July. Mr. Sacks raked in $12 million in TechBro funding for Trump <https://substack.com/redirect/ab74cff4-7fd6-47e7-bd5c-46d95827805b?j=eyJ1Ij…> in 2024 via a campaign fundraiser at his San Francisco home.* Putting US cryptos on the table for the security and sanity of us all It would be hard to find a curriculum vitae touched more divinely than that of Bogeyman's AI & Crypto Czar, David Sacks. A South African who came to Silicon Valley via Stanford University, Mr. Sacks started his career as the COO of PayPal, founded by Peter Thiel and the Cowardly Lion, and one of only a handful of companies that survived *Web1*. He went onto to form Craft Ventures <https://substack.com/redirect/ad8b5a84-0e32-41ff-ae49-97a0667e768c?j=eyJ1Ij…>, which has to have one of the most pristine and successful early stage investment portfolio records on the planet. <https://substack.com/redirect/e3f34685-5a5b-4d7b-b252-abf20df48296?j=eyJ1Ij…> 😳 As a loyal immigrant who hugely benefited from the privilege of landing on our soil and pursuing the American Dream, Mr. Sacks has apparently cashed it all in to show appreciation for his adopted country. To join Trump 2.0 and help put in the work to keep the US on top of the crypto and AI industries, Mr. Sacks divested $200 million <https://substack.com/redirect/f8625bf7-5d4e-4998-8e3a-c03624502b03?j=eyJ1Ij…> of personal assets, including $85 million in cryptos. We frankly have no idea how Mr. Sacks is doing in DC, a dark, creepy, lawyer-infested world that Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are violently allergic to. From what we can tell, Mr. Sacks is to help inform and guide AI and crypto policy <https://substack.com/redirect/8500d56b-8410-4931-b57e-db4c8a613442?j=eyJ1Ij…>, which is fair enough and a good thing because we trust him. <https://substack.com/redirect/2511ed72-82eb-49fa-a81c-51f98fd2b823?j=eyJ1Ij…> According to Pew Research <https://substack.com/redirect/176bb115-7895-42ff-9eb8-58da317ba364?j=eyJ1Ij…>, 35 percent of Democrats say they trust the federal government just about always or most of the time, compared with 11 percent of Republicans. Not a good average.😬 Rising above all the wonkism, we offer six big ideas to our man in DC that would display our Web3 dreams in full and living color. We are not naive and believe these initiatives are simply implemented. They are disruptive and intense and need to be demo'd and pitched to our fellow citizens. We need to show that the opportunity to take back the power from the institutions we no longer trust and will never trust again is at hand. And the innovation required to make this happen is already here and enshrined in Mr. Sack's new title. *According to Silicon Valley business standards, the US government and most of the top US institutions (save, small business, military, and police) are failed businesses, which is no surprise to anyone. When Twitter's trust rate hit 28 percent, they were forced to sell, even if it was to their perceived worst enemy. Ironically, the average trust US citizens have for our biggest institutions, including our government, is at a historical low of 28 percent <https://substack.com/redirect/89d2556d-4ba5-499c-805d-c84148478c3a?j=eyJ1Ij…>.🤔* We can fix the trust crisis, and we must fix it because it's our country. The days of waiting around for politicians to get their shit together are long gone. It's never a good idea to give a job to people you don't trust anyhow. <https://substack.com/redirect/2bc6faaf-b163-487e-8320-536ca449bb11?j=eyJ1Ij…> We are gonna fly like an eagle until we are free. Dear Mr. Sacks, Congratulations on your new appointment. It's time to deploy the power of AI-infused blockchain apps and mint cryptos to help restore our trust in government. A higher purpose here is to also rally everyone from the AOC and Bern Man groupies fighting Oligarchs to the red-hatted throngs who want to take down the Deep State. The desire on both 'sides' is the same—Take Back the Power. Everyone wants to bring down the Bigs, and we are all exhausted from corporate media and political party indoctrination and manipulation. The pain point in the market for US citizens *Only 9% in the US trust our Congress, and only 26% trust the Office of the Presidency. Out of the top 20 Bigs, Americans only trust the military, small business, and the police more than they don't. According to The 50th Harvard Youth Poll <https://substack.com/redirect/864549f7-5983-458b-aabe-d82c8a976ca0?j=eyJ1Ij…> conducted in March, the approval rating for congressional Democrats among Americans aged 18-29 stands at 23%, down from 42% in the spring of 2017. Approval of congressional Republicans inched up slightly from 28% to a still dismal 29%. Collectively, only 15% said the country is headed in the right direction.* The following are the top six initiatives we propose to get started. They nicely cross-sect with the initial spirit of the Boogeyman administration's earnest efforts to downsize and decentralize government. They should also appeal to those interested in addressing the needs of the hungry and single mothers, democratizing 'elite' education, reducing education costs, and re-establishing our personal sovereignty and privacy. And to emphasize what we know you already know: All the technology solutions necessary to execute these initiatives exist today, so this is not a trip to Neverland. Reclaiming our identities This initiative is just as much about restoring our mental health as it is about maintaining the long-term security and privacy of our citizens. The Trump administration has made initial efforts to tighten ID requirements <https://substack.com/redirect/567251a3-6ad7-472f-b164-790ab752cc25?j=eyJ1Ij…> to help prevent voter and social security fraud. As an example, DOGE has identified <https://substack.com/redirect/e0c1997a-22c4-4809-9ddf-e72d578f18ed?j=eyJ1Ij…> 20,789,524 US citizens shown in the SS as over 100 years old and receiving Social Security benefits, with 1,039 of those folks between the ages of 220 and 229.😳 A July 2023 SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report also found improper SS payments from 2015 to 2022 totaled $71.8 billion <https://substack.com/redirect/edc9bb75-9362-4e73-acf7-e7107b37b190?j=eyJ1Ij…> .😳 <https://substack.com/redirect/470570b5-419a-4bcc-bcaa-f0a2eeb0e4bd?j=eyJ1Ij…> 'Maybe Twilight is real, and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,' observed the Cowardly Lion <https://substack.com/redirect/edc9bb75-9362-4e73-acf7-e7107b37b190?j=eyJ1Ij…> after examining the SS books. - As it works today <https://substack.com/redirect/7960c2ef-d066-4157-89f5-c0bbe67cddc2?j=eyJ1Ij…>, the new ID process would begin at state-validated hospitals (or doulas), which validate the ID of parents, collect the baby's name, date, and time of birth, and complete a birth registration form. In addition, they would scan and record the baby's retina, hand, and footprints and post all the data on a public and immutable blockchain app viewable by the state's vital records office. - The state office would complete the final validation of the new citizen when they present themself and biometrically sign into the registration system. At that point, the state officially validates the new citizen and with their birth date and place enshrined on an immutable blockchain visible only to only by each citizen and no other person or government agency. *Note to conspiracy theorists*: This means NO central citizen database. Only each citizen knows they are a citizen with their proof on an unhackable public app. - In the future, any citizen can then biometrically validate their citizenship and age to whomever to sign up for a driver's license or government service, set up a business, open a bank account, or any of the zillions of ways we are now required to present our ID <https://substack.com/redirect/7960c2ef-d066-4157-89f5-c0bbe67cddc2?j=eyJ1Ij…>. The benefit here is that you will only have to show the necessary data and no more. For instance, to get into a bar, they only need to see your photo and that you are over 21. - On our 18th birthdays, citizens will automatically be able to log into voting systems to vote without any new registration requirements. The same goes for other government services triggered by birthdates, such as Social Security and Medicare. - The Bern Man in us also would like to assure that each citizen who can not afford a smartphone has one underwritten by their fellow citizens (via the same app that connects neighbor-to needy noted below) for their ID, Wi-Fi, web, and mobile app access. What we don’t want *The CCP is a ruthless regime that uses a centralized national database and ID facial recognition technology to surveil its citizens and monitor financial transactions, social media, and government databases to assign 'trustworthiness' scores <https://substack.com/redirect/91d4d4d3-9a35-4737-a005-5f610f523df2?j=eyJ1Ij…>. Low scores lead to restrictions, such as bans on buying plane or train tickets, limited job opportunities, and public shaming.* <https://substack.com/redirect/48c11ae2-78b0-4fa5-9215-144091a7942d?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Chairman Xi is watching you. Art by Grok3* *What we do want is a system free of totalitarian control, surveillance, propaganda, and psychological manipulation. Decentralized citizen power is about anonymous and immutable identity. Centralized power is in tearing human minds to pieces <https://substack.com/redirect/f3f8375f-5aa2-41aa-b4ac-fe967e9becd3?j=eyJ1Ij…> and putting them together again in new shapes of the government's choosing.* ------------------------------ <https://substack.com/redirect/20173544-b217-44f1-9236-1827fa46bc8e?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Somebody's Watching Me, performed by Rockwell (Kennedy William Gordy) in his 1984🤔 debut album, topped charts around the world and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. This one-hit-wonder features Michael Jackson on chorus vocals. Gordy is the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy*. ------------------------------ Feeding the poor taxpayer-to-neighbor We previously shared the stat that the Mother Teresa-founded Missionaries of Charity can feed 20 people with $1, whereas USAID can only feed one. Assisting people directly and on a local level is the best way to deliver services, and it is the least expense. (i.e., no overhead). Today, we could set up a decentralized platform to achieve the same efficient model and spirit as the Missionaries of Charity. Here are the two basic bullet points: - Local police, fire departments, and assigned local workers would validate the families, single mothers, and others in need via their digital IDs to appear on a neighbor-to-needy public blockchain platform. They can introduce themselves anonymously or by first name, with photos optional, and tell their stories if they wish. Each person is eligible to receive a set limit of food tokens a month. - Every US citizen would be granted the same amount of food tokens from the government each year to distribute to any person or family that appears on the system. If they wish they can search so as to identify and assist people in their most immediate area. - In return, they would receive a dollar-for-dollar tax write-off, giving citizens a greater sense of power and satisfaction over how their tax dollars are spent. If you do not distribute the tokens, the government will do it for you, and there will be no tax credit. This model will inspire broader community awareness and foster a deeper connection with our neighbors and their needs. ------------------------------ <https://substack.com/redirect/c84aa99a-c3bb-4e59-a946-2a6d2520bd41?j=eyJ1Ij…> *Harvard's, Columbia's, and NYU's scores are ranked as 'abysmal. <https://substack.com/redirect/5da020ee-a4a1-4233-89f6-522cc6b3a796?j=eyJ1Ij…>' 😳* Putting our CVs on the blockchain When only 36 percent of people trust higher education <https://substack.com/redirect/89d2556d-4ba5-499c-805d-c84148478c3a?j=eyJ1Ij…>, only 32% of four-year college graduates say college is worth the cost <https://substack.com/redirect/bfe4103f-2a15-4cf1-86a0-db88a6af0885?j=eyJ1Ij…>, and our 'most esteemed' educational institutions are no longer open to free speech <https://substack.com/redirect/5da020ee-a4a1-4233-89f6-522cc6b3a796?j=eyJ1Ij…>, you know our current education system is f*ucked. (Pardon us, but...) Thankfully, the solution to gaining more access to the best experts and instructors, building and managing our own credentials and transcripts, and substantially reducing education costs is right in front of us. Here is how it works. - The goal is to create a public blockchain-based network so any US citizen can access and learn directly from community-validated and student-rated experts, teachers, and online programs such as Synthesia, Duolingo, and Khan Academy. To gain access to some courses, passing a pre-test could ensure the student is prepared for the program they are signing up for. - The platform would then immutably document everyone's achievements, and people could build, maintain, and manage their transcripts and credentials in a format that only they could access. - This system could go well beyond the kind of learning found in the traditional US college by accessing and documenting expert certifications, volunteer work, travel, and athletic and artistic accomplishments without the need for intermediaries like high schools and universities. - Citizens would be able to easily prepare and send customized versions of their validated curriculum vitae for potential employers, etc. who would have more confidence in the accuracy and legitimacy of how you a presenting yourself and your background. - Just as with food tokens, every US citizen would be granted the same amount of education tokens from the government each year to distribute to validated students who post on the same app and seek support for specific classes and programs, with a dollar-for-dollar tax write-off. <https://substack.com/redirect/afd683d8-6f8e-4b87-a0dc-f873ebc86c7c?j=eyJ1Ij…> *All citizens gain affordable access to the best teachers. Art by Grok.* Ideally, gaining new knowledge is one of the most enjoyable, rewarding, and lifelong experiences. The ability to more easily access the best and the brightest, master a subject or skill, and add it to your immutable credentials that only you can share is a motivating and self-esteem-building setup. Significantly, a more comprehensive and validated background record also increases your perceived value in the marketplace. In turn, the best teachers would be free from institutional administration and restrictions, build their reputations, and have the potential to make millions of dollars by leveraging and sharing their knowledge and expertise with the world. *The Bern Man in us also says we should take all the money we save by closing down the Department of Education, cutting off the Federal subsidies to freedom-of-speech-hating colleges, and paying off all of the $1.8 trillion😳 in outstanding student loans <https://substack.com/redirect/b86815ce-eb68-41c9-9eb2-55a03843472c?j=eyJ1Ij…>. Only the Evil One could have seduced us to load our kids up with six-figure debt to fund a broken, negative-return experience and push them out on the streets at 21, broke and scrambling for a minimum-wage-plus job. We owe that to them.* ------------------------------ Outflank the CCP’s e-CN¥ <https://substack.com/redirect/08bf464c-056f-4f37-8de6-2ea910d33c86?j=eyJ1Ij…> with a digital USD The US is not only behind in doing the work to set proper crypto policy, we are way behind the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in piloting a digital USD. To summarize the potential value of a digital USD, all you have to do is read the analysis of the US-educated Governor of the <https://substack.com/redirect/3a9b912a-9b42-4096-b9d1-a06921ed221e?j=eyJ1Ij…>

1 0