- cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

From B to C and back again
by professor rat 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

Being a ' Natural Rights " anarch makes Juan closer to Gramps politically since he, G, is like an Americano Peronista. I will say one thing for this Latino Nazbol though - he doesn't spam this list with bad-faith bullshit like Gramps and Semich. As for my alleged support for Au politics I said I haven't voted since 1977 - say something once why say it again? I'll put my anti 5-Vey activism up against anyones for the last 21 years too. Bringing down the Five-Eyes means collapsing the au state along with the US state. Those practicing activism know things like that - those practicing COINTELPRO keep making evidence-free accusations of govt involvement. Another way Gramps resembles Juan - they're both Govt agent Truthers. Since we now have such a wide and deep reach for P2P remailers and ' Mints " ( Mining rigs ) the last piece of the puzzle will follow as surely as day follows night. And ' Everyone an assassin ' doesn't just mean the death of the 5-VEY. It spells certain doom for the serial pests on this list - the three stooges - Semich, Juan and you, G. I'll do you slowly.

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Revolution: Going Galt
by grarpamp 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

Time For Everyone To Go Galt https://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2022/12/an-inconvenient-revolution.ht… An Inconvenient Revolution It's inconvenient when those whose sacrifices are essential to the system get fed up and find some other way to live. Convenience isn't just about small appliances. It's also about ruling nations. Let's start with the semantics of ruling nations. Some labels might be viewed as somewhat inflammatory (Kleptocracy, anyone?), so let's stick with the neutral Ruling Order. Some things have been extraordinarily convenient for the Ruling Order. Take the life and death of one Jeffrey Epstein, an intel "asset" who assembled a veritable goldmine of dirt on an astounding collection of bigwigs, and then became, well, inconvenient. Very conveniently, the security camera in his cell failed, the guards dozed off and he hung himself in this fortuitous interlude. This was the acme of convenience. Extending the Surveillance State into Big Tech's planetary-wide social media networks was also convenient, and a bargain to boot. Instead of all that expensive stuff the Communist State in China had to pay for, America's Ruling Order just put the squeeze on Big Tech and saved a bundle. The Surveillance State assumes that any revolt / revolution can either be nipped in the bud by identifying foreign influences / domestic extremists, or crushed by foreknowledge of the storming of the barricades. In conventional times, these are pretty safe assumptions. But the times are no longer conventional, and so the Ruling Order is in effect investing its treasure and confidence in fighting the last war. It's convenient if rebelling citizens organize themselves in visible networks and concentrate into groups that can be crushed by force. It's inconvenient if the revolution is not neatly organized and crushable but an invisible revolution of not showing up. In other words, a revolution of getting fed up and opting out, of finding some other way to live rather than spending 10 years paying down the student loans and another 30 years paying down the mortgage and the last few years of one's life watching the tides of financial excess erode the sand castles of pensions and retirement. There's a consequential asymmetry to the inconvenience caused by people getting fed up and opting out. The average worker not showing up is consequential but not catastrophic. But when the managerial class thins out, and those doing the dirty work thin out, there are no replacements, and the system breaks down. Few are willing to make the beds, empty the bedpans and work in slaughterhouses. When those willing to do the work nobody else wants to do quit, the system collapses. Those with higher expectations will not volunteer to do the dirty work, and many are unable to do the work even if they are willing. It's too hard and too physically punishing. (Says a guy who's carried stupid amounts of lumber up hillsides where no forklift could go.) Despite what many of us may think, the majority of workers lack the experience and tools to manage complex operations. (Those of us who try soon reach our limits.) Many lack a deep enough knowledge to fix major breakdowns. When the critical operational and managerial people retire, quit, or find some other way to live, the system breaks down. All the surveillance and all the force that the Ruling Order depends on to maintain its dominance is useless when people get fed up and quit supporting the system with their labor and their borrowing / spending. All the surveillance and facial recognition software is worthless, all the monitoring of kitten and puppy photos on social media, all the tracking of foreign influence--none of it matters any more. It's inconvenient when those whose sacrifices are essential to the system get fed up and find some other way to live. Yet this is the inevitable consequence of a system hopelessly corrupted by fraud, inequality and unfairness, a system rigged to benefit the few at the expense of the many. People eventually get fed up and opt out. They don't throw themselves on the gears of an odious system, they simply stop greasing the gears with their time, effort, experience, debt and money. It doesn't take many opting out to trigger decay and collapse. The Pareto Distribution applies. The system can adjust to the first 4% opting out, but those consequential few trigger the decay of the commitment of the next 20%, and the system cannot survive when the 20% find some other way to live. The 80% can still be willing to grease the gears but that's no longer enough to maintain the coherence of the system. The asymmetry of decay and collapse is inconvenient.

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Starlink Operational In Iran
by grarpamp 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

Iranians, and Billions of Humans, still not have free speech to expose their oppressors: Muhammad, and Govt Rulers... Elon Musk Says 100 Starlink Terminals "Active" In Iran Amid 100 Days Of Unrest More than a hundred days since the Iranian anti-government protests began, the longest since the 1979 Islamic revolution, SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk announced Starlinks are operational in the region. On Monday, Musk tweeted, "Approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran." He tweeted at Wall Street Silver, who posted a video showing Iranian women walking around without hijabs. Streets of Iran now ... more freedom for the women to choose whether they cover their hair or not. 🔊😲 pic.twitter.com/pytzEzDbr9 — Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) December 26, 2022 https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1607315407215403008 In September, Musk said he would activate Starlink terminals in Iran. At the time, he responded to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's tweet that the US would "advance internet freedom and the free flow of information" to Iranians. Starlink satellite broadband service -- already in use across Ukraine -- would allow Iranians to circumnavigate the government's authoritarian control over the internet and social media platforms amid widespread social unrest. The government has blocked YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Telegram, Snapchat, and Medium for fear these Western social media platforms could support continued uprisings and spread information that acts like a megaphone. But with Starlink terminals, access to the outside world is now possible. Over the years, especially during the Arab uprisings a decade ago, social media played a critical role in mobilizing young protesters -- some referred to the unrest as Facebook or Twitter revolutions. Reuters nor any other Western media outlet questioned who or what organizations were operating the terminals and for what purpose. If we had to guess, one logical assumption might be the terminals are used by anti-government groups with support from Western nations to disseminate information from the outside world and help organize protests to overthrow the government. And this could be true. It's clear Elon Musk is coordinating with the White House in its regime-change scheme targeting Iran Starlink is not a tool of "free speech"; it's a weapon of hybrid warfare to destabilize a sovereign state (like the CIA's fake Twitter in Cuba, ZunZuneo) https://t.co/vRpF07nnOl — Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) December 27, 2022 https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/10/21/white-house-in-talk…

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Cypherpunks Aren't Prepared For Disruption, Chaos, and War
by grarpamp 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

Crypto community found to be horribly unprepared, expected to have near zero odds of survival in real world... Emergency Preps From A To Z https://www.theorganicprepper.com/preps-a-to-z/ Emergency preparedness is serious business but not all of our endeavors need to take on the gravity of life and death. This is a fun list, and while the suggestions are solid, it is by no means a list that covers everything you need to be prepared. Without further ado, here’s an alphabetical list of preps that could serve you well. Emergency Preps from A-Z I’ve chosen one prep for each letter of the alphabet to help you get ready for disasters large or small. A – Alcohol-based hand sanitizer: It’s important to have hand sanitizer on hand in case you don’t have access to soap and water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer can help reduce the spread of germs and bacteria. Not a fan of hand sanitizer and prefer a natural approach? Here’s an article that explains when to use what kind of product. B – Battery-powered radio: In the event of a power outage, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio can be a vital source of information. It can help you stay updated on weather forecasts, evacuation orders, and other important alerts. We recommend this one. C – Cash: In an emergency, ATMs and credit card machines may not be available, so it’s important to have a supply of cash on hand. This can be used to purchase necessary supplies or pay for evacuation expenses. Put back small bills. You may not be able to get change during a crisis. D – Drinking water: It’s important to have a supply of clean drinking water in case the water supply is disrupted or contaminated. Consider storing bottled water, or filling up jugs or other containers with tap water in case of an emergency. Here’s an article on water storage. E – Emergency contact list: Having a list of emergency contacts can be invaluable in an emergency situation. This should include phone numbers for family members, friends, neighbors, and any relevant agencies or organizations. This is an important part of an emergency binder. Get a printable template here. F – Fire extinguisher: A fire extinguisher can be a crucial tool for putting out small fires or containing them until the fire department arrives. It’s important to have one on hand in case of a fire emergency. Here’s an article on choosing and maintaining your fire extinguishers. G – Generator: A generator can provide a reliable source of power in the event of a power outage. This can be especially important for those who rely on electricity for medical equipment or other essential needs. Daisy has this one for her apartment, and here’s some advice on choosing a larger one. H – Hazardous materials kit: In the event of a chemical spill or other hazardous materials incident, it’s important to have a hazardous materials kit on hand. This should include protective gear, such as gloves and respirators, as well as supplies for cleaning up and neutralizing the hazard. I – Insurance documents: In the event of a natural disaster or other emergencies, it’s important to have copies of your insurance documents on hand. This can help you quickly file a claim and get the financial assistance you need to recover. This printable helps you create a home inventory for insurance purposes. J – Jacket: A warm jacket can be essential in an emergency situation, especially if you are evacuated to a location with a different climate than you are used to. It’s important to have a jacket that is appropriate for the weather in your area, as well as any locations you may need to evacuate to. K – Knife: A knife can be a useful tool in a variety of emergency situations, including cutting through debris, opening cans, and preparing food. It’s important to have a reliable and durable knife on hand in case you need it. Here’s some advice on choosing a knife. L – Light source: In the event of a power outage, a light source can be essential for navigating your home and performing tasks. This can include flashlights, candles, or a headlamp. This article discusses different types of emergency lighting. M – Medical supplies: A basic first aid kit should be part of your emergency preparedness kit. This should include supplies like bandages, gauze, and pain medication, as well as any prescription medications you or your family members may need. Check out this article about OTC medications and medical supplies. N – Non-perishable food: It’s important to have a supply of non-perishable food, such as canned goods, dried fruits and nuts, and protein bars, in case you don’t have access to fresh food. These items will keep for a long time without refrigeration and can help sustain you in an emergency situation. Here’s some advice on building your prepper food supply. O – Oxygen tanks: If you or a family member relies on oxygen tanks for medical purposes, it’s important to have a supply of tanks on hand in case of an emergency. P – Pet supplies: If you have pets, it’s important to include them in your emergency. Here’s a printable checklist. Q – Quick clotting products: Quick clotting powder is a highly effective bleeding control agent that helps to stop bleeding within minutes of application. It is made from a clay-like substance that is applied directly to the wound, where it absorbs excess blood and helps to form a clot. This can be a lifesaving tool in situations where traditional methods of bleeding control, such as applying pressure to the wound, are not enough. Here’s a source of Quik Clot gauze and Celox powder. R – Respirator mask: In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency situation, it’s possible that the air quality may be compromised. A respirator mask can help protect you from inhaling harmful particles and contaminants in the air. Here’s our guide to respirators and masks. S – Smoke detector: A smoke detector is a vital component of any emergency preparedness plan. It can alert you to the presence of fire in your home, giving you the opportunity to evacuate or take other safety measures. Be sure to test your smoke detectors regularly and replace the batteries as needed. T – Tent: A tent is an important item to have in an emergency because it can provide shelter in case you need to evacuate your home or if you are caught in an unexpected outdoor situation. A tent can protect you from the elements and provide a sense of security. Here are the pros and cons of bugging out with a tent. U – USB charger: In an emergency, it’s important to have a way to charge your phone or other electronic devices. A USB charger can be a lifesaver, especially if you need to use your phone to call for help or stay in touch with loved ones. This portable charger has fantastic reviews on Amazon and is very reliable. V – Vaseline: Vaseline is a versatile product that can be used in a variety of emergency situations. It can be used to protect and moisturize skin, as well as to seal small cuts and scratches. In a survival situation, Vaseline can also be used as a fire starter or to lubricate gear. W – Water filter: A water filter is essential in an emergency because it can allow you to access clean drinking water if your regular source is compromised. There are many different types of water filters available, including straw filters, gravity filters, and pump filters. Choose one that is appropriate for the situation you may face. We recommend a gravity-fed water filter for home use and a Sawyer Mini or Lifestraw when you’re on the go. X – X-Acto knife: An X-Acto knife is a precise cutting tool that can be used to cut through a variety of materials, including paper, fabric, and plastic. It can be especially useful in an emergency if you need to cut through small items or make precise cuts. Y – Y: Yellow rubber cleaning gloves – You know the kind – your mother and grandmother swore by them to protect their hands when doing dishes. Yellow rubber gloves can be worn when handling hazardous materials, cleaning up after an emergency, or handling human waste. Z – Ziptop bags: Ziptop bags are a useful item to have in an emergency because they can be used to store and protect a variety of items. They are great for organizing supplies and keeping them dry, and they can also be used to store food or other perishable items.

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From B to C and back again
by professor rat 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

By ' you fools ' I understand Gramps to mean ' you herd of sheeple " or as Mange put it , " the 95% that compromise the flock ". The Lunar Right feel threatened by the majority and with good reason. Rightwing morons - like Gramps and Assmange - are losers and have been losers for centuries. The last time these morons ever prospered was the dark ages. They only feel empowered now cos they have an over-inflated, force-propped space to recreate what most people today are revolted by. For centuries " democrat ' and ' democracy ' were reactionaries swear-words - now its the turn of anarchist and anarchy. But revolutionary anarchists never expected anything from the likes of Dorsey and co. So we were never disappointed. The Gramps type ought to be riding high with a mostly uncontested Btc narrative. Trouble is they seem so insecure they don't inspire any confidence. Whatever happened to ' Money Badger don't care "? Somehow it morphed into Maxi gonna badger youse. And bombard with bullshit. And shovel in the shovelware. And spam more links. And spread more clickbait. And shout louder and louder. And spray more memes around like a sexually excited skunk. Meh. Mongo would puke.

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Cryptocurrency: Rising To Downsize Theft Of Equity
by grarpamp 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

When you route your P2P money around them instead of foolishly dumping it into their pockets, they no longer have the resources to steal from you anymore... 12 States Allow Home Equity 'Theft' Over Homeowners' Tax Payment Shortfalls, Study Says https://www.theepochtimes.com/12-states-allow-home-equity-theft-over-homeow… https://alec.org/model-policy/statement-of-principles-on-ending-home-equity… https://homeequitytheft.org/size-and-scope https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-160/233950/20220819091504898_F… https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-237/237523/20220909120626309_N… https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-166/233999/20220819120827692_T… Twelve states and the District of Columbia allow local governments and private investors to seize dramatically more than what is owed from homeowners who fall behind on property tax payments, according to a new report. Christina M. Martin, senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, in a file photo. (Courtesy of Pacific Legal Foundation) The practice, which Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) calls “home equity theft,” is documented in what the organization bills as the first national study aimed at exposing “the injustice of home equity theft through tax foreclosure.” “Our findings are alarming,” PLF’s strategic research director, Angela Erickson, said in a statement. “Home equity theft is robbing thousands of people of their homes and all the equity they’ve built. A system that allows governments and private investors to take more than what is owed creates a perverse incentive to work against the homeowner—not with the homeowner—to get the tax debt paid.” Homeowners lost more than $777 million in life savings on more than 5,600 homes, based on their market value, in transactions that took place from 2014 to 2021. The true total is probably higher because statistics from New York state and some statistics from the other states studied were not available. On average, homeowners lost 86 percent of their equity, the study found. Government entities, which often unload properties for a fraction of their market value, collected an estimated $26 million more than they were owed on about 1,300 homes. At the same time, private investors, who purchase tax liens, took in about $250 million more than what they were owed on about 2,600 homes. Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, and the District of Columbia have laws on the books that let local governments and private investors “steal” substantial amounts of home equity from homeowners who are late on their property taxes, according to PLF. Nine other states—Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wisconsin—safeguard home equity in the foreclosure process but provide loopholes that permit governments or private entities to capture excess equity value that PLF says should belong to the homeowner. These laws allow government officials and investors to take homes that have been in families for generations and leave some people homeless over tax debts that, in some cases, work out to less than 1 percent of their property’s value, according to PLF. In one case, a county in Michigan seized a man’s house over an $8.41 underpayment, leaving him with nothing. The report notes that in the end, the homeowner prevailed when the Michigan Supreme Court determined that the county had acted unconstitutionally. PLF takes the position that these so-called tax-and-take transactions violate the Fifth Amendment, which prevents the government from taking property without just compensation, and the Eighth Amendment, which bans excessive penalties. Some government treasurers’ organizations, counties, and tax lien investors who “personally profit off the system in some of these states” are in favor of laws that lead to home equity theft, Christina Martin, a senior attorney at PLF, told The Epoch Times. “Everybody else seems to be against it—groups on the left, right, [and] center,” she said. “The vast majority of people seem to be against this. And most people actually have no idea this is even happening.” The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an alliance of conservative lawmakers, is opposed to home equity theft. Laws should be changed to require surplus profits to be returned to a home’s prior owner after a “tax lien investor or county collects what it is due and any other debts or levies on the property are paid,” ALEC says. The Epoch Times reached out to the Government Finance Officers Association, the National Governors Association, and the National Conference of State Legislatures for comment but had not received a reply from any of the three organizations as of press time. PLF currently has three home equity theft-related petitions from homeowners pending before the Supreme Court, all of which are scheduled to be considered by the justices on Jan. 6, 2023. Two are from Nebraska. One petition (pdf) is Fair v. Continental Resources, court file 22-160, and the other (pdf) is Nieveen v. Tax 106, court file 22-237. A petition (pdf), Tyler v. Hennepin County, court file 22-166, is from Minnesota.

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SpyVeillance: T-Mobile and Starlink Deploy Global Satcom Cell Interception and Tracking
by grarpamp 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

Two of the biggest TOP-SECRET US Govt Telecom and Satcom Contractors combine to deploy global phone sats... nope, no spyveillance going on there. Bluffdale will be storing and mining literally all 8 Billion phone convos. Feed them end2end p2p crypto noise. "Eliminate Dead Zones": Elon Musk Partners With T-Mobile For New Satellite-To-Cell-Service https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-26/how-musk-plans-to-kill-o… https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/t-mobile-takes-coverage-above-and-… https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1562956451538014209 Elon Musk's SpaceX teamed up with T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert to beam cell service via Starlink satellites to "most places in the US," including more than half a million square miles of dead zone areas that aren't covered by cellular networks. The two companies would create a new mobile network to broadcast T-Mobile's existing mid-band spectrum via Starlink satellites to anywhere in the continental US, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, and Puerto Rico. SpaceX and T-Mobile wrote in a press release that the new network would "provide near complete coverage in most places in the US — even in many of the most remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell signals." Musk tweeted that the new service, launching in 2023, will "eliminate dead zones worldwide." Starlink V2, launching next year, will transmit direct to mobile phones, eliminating dead zones worldwide — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2022 Bloomberg explained how the new satellite-to-cellular service would work through powerful antennas attached to upgraded Starlink satellites: The new network will be accessible thanks to large, powerful antennas attached to Starlink satellites. Musk said each antenna would measure some 25 square meters (269 square feet) and be "extremely advanced because they've got to pick up a very quiet signal from your cell phone and then be caught by a satellite that's traveling 17,000 miles an hour." The T-Mobile service will run in a similar way to data roaming, where a user's mobile will scan for service and if it finds none it will connect to the satellite. Musk, at an unveiling event at SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, along with T-Mobile Sievert, on Thursday evening, gave an "open invitation to carriers around the world" about adding the new service. Bloomberg noted that most smartphones are already equipped with technology to beam a signal to space so that additional equipment won't be required. But there are limitations, and the main issue is bandwidth, as Bloomberg pointed out: The main issue is bandwidth, which will at first limit the service to text messaging. The coverage area will be divided into large cell zones, with each zone's connectivity limited to around 2-4 MBs. Musk said that would allow for some 1,000-2,000 voice calls per cell, or millions of text messages, but the service would not provide a substitute for ground cell stations. "This is really meant to provide basic coverage to areas that are currently completely dead," Musk said, adding there could initially be a delay of "half an hour, maybe worse" for messages to pass through the system. Testing for the new satellite-to-cellular service is expected later this year after SpaceX launches the new satellites into low Earth orbit.

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From B to C and back again
by professor rat 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

Crime scene confidential runasand Aug 10 Ahmad Abouammo was convicted of spying for Saudi Arabia by turning over personal information of Twitter users who had criticized the Kingdom and its royal family. He faces 10 to 20 years when sentenced. BITCOIN not crypto! Namecoin @Namecoin Sep 5 Reliable, easy way to spot “#decentralized web” #scam projects Bounty Law. The spaghetti-western Maxi’s narrative is not as laugh-out-loud as Mack-Sennett-REASON’s version. I hope to remedy this by playing a man-with-no-nym. For a fistful of crypto, of course. And for a few tokens more I’ll shoot holes all over these Italian pudgepits and then ask my friends to start chewing up their podcast scenery. ( cue Morricone ) The arc of the Maxi cypherpunk universe is long - but it bends towards Btc government bonds.

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Breaking News: Exxon sues EU in move to block new windfall tax on oil companies | Financial Times
by Gunnar Larson 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

https://www.ft.com/content/4bd2590f-3aa3-4f0b-a001-165f61c7af5f ExxonMobil is suing the EU in a bid to force it to scrap the bloc’s new windfall tax on oil groups, arguing Brussels exceeded its legal authority by imposing the levy. The lawsuit is the most significant response yet against the tax from the oil industry, which has been targeted by western governments amid a surge in energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The action threatens the viability of a levy the European Commission said would raise €25bn “to help bring down energy bills”. Exxon said the lawsuit was filed on Wednesday by its German and Dutch subsidiaries at the European General Court in Luxembourg City. It challenges the Council of the EU’s legal authority to impose the new tax — a power historically reserved for sovereign countries — and its use of emergency powers to secure member states’ approval for the measure. Casey Norton, a spokesperson for Exxon, said the US supermajor recognised high energy costs were “weighing heavily on families and businesses” but argued the levy was “counterproductive” and would “undermine investor confidence, discourage investment and increase reliance on imported energy”. Exxon had spent $3bn on European refining projects in the past 10 years, increasing output “at a time when Europe struggles to reduce its energy imports from Russia”, Norton said. Exxon was now considering “future multibillion-euro investments” in the continent, Norton added. “Whether we invest here primarily depends on how attractive and globally competitive Europe will be.” The so-called solidarity contribution was one of several measures agreed by the council in September to ease the burden on energy consumers, with the money raised to be recycled to hard-hit consumers or invested in clean energy supply. Other measures included a cap on revenue from low-cost power generation. Exxon was not opposing these, Norton said. The European General Court will decide whether to rule on Exxon’s lawsuit. If it does, any future judgment may be appealed at the European Court of Justice. Proceedings could drag on through much of next year.

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RNC Funding of Trump's Legal Campaign Undermines GOP State AGs' Attack on Litigation Funding - Litigation Finance Journal
by Gunnar Larson 29 Dec '22

29 Dec '22

Check out my new article: https://litigationfinancejournal.com/rnc-funding-of-trumps-legal-campaign-u… Litigation Finance Journal recently reported <https://litigationfinancejournal.com/state-ags-join-chamber-of-commerces-ca…> on a group of 14 state attorneys general that have called for action from the Department of Justice to review potential threats to U.S. national security from foreign adversaries’ engagement of litigation investment. Litigation funders and industry advocates have new ammo in response to the AGs’ claims, given recent news of the RNC funding former President Donald Trump’s various legal entanglements. According to ABC News <https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/year-election-rnc-spending-hundreds-thousan…>, RNC leaders earmarked $1.6M in legal funding to support President Donald Trump’s defense over lawsuits brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Meanwhile, the United States Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform’s research has prompted <https://tmsnrt.rs/3FNpLgP> 14 state attorneys general to ask for the Justice Department to assess national security risks of adversaries ‘undermining’ the United States by engaging litigation funding and third party investment vehicles. The group of 14 state attorneys general are concerned about foreign adversaries ‘weaponizing’ United States legal frameworks via litigation investment, to attack critical national industry and infrastructure, such as energy sectors. The group of 14 seeks the Department of Justice to detail how a network of federal agencies could engage a blueprint for defending United States independence from international litigation investors, hostile groups, agencies or governments such as Russia and China. This latest attack on the industry, prompted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is simply another attempt to undermine the nascent and growing litigation funding sector. It is ironic, given that in the case of Consumer Legal Funding–which the Chamber specifically targets–the funding in question does not go to support legal fees, but rather to finance claimants’ livelihoods while they remain injured and unable to work. While the RNC’s funding of Trump’s legal battles does not constitute foreign investment, it illustrates the acceptance of third party legal funding across political lines, and should be noted by industry advocates looking to respond to the negative publicity put forth by the U.S. Chamber.

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