Ponzi Financier Bernie Madoff Dies At 82
Bernard L. Madoff, the financier who pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for orchestrating perhaps the largest Ponzi scheme in history, has died in federal prison, officials confirmed.
Trade
Biden seeks face-to-face meeting with Putin, urges Russia to ‘de-escalate tensions’
NATO leaders and Russia traded sharp threats Tuesday over a military standoff in Ukraine, with President Biden pressing the Kremlin to de-escalate the situation and suggesting it was time for him and Russian President Vladimir Putin to have a face-to-face talk about Russian provocations.
US To Withdraw All Troops From Afghanistan By Sept. 11
U.S. President Joe Biden will announce that all American troops will leave war-torn Afghanistan by September 11, officials said.
U.S. intelligence report warns of looming ‘catastrophic’ shocks worldwide due to tech, disease
A U.S. intelligence report is warning of a potentially grim set of scenarios in which factors like environmental issues and technology disruptions could have a significantly destabilizing effect on the global order in the near future.
District Judge Permanently Bans Undercover Abortion Trade Show Videos From Public Eye
A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California awarded a permanent injunction to the National Abortion Federation (NAF) on Wednesday, ordering that undercover videos recorded by pro-life activist and journalist David Daleiden are to remain sealed.
US Trade Deficit Hit All-Time High in Biden’s First Full Month in Office
The U.S. trade deficit hit an all-time high in February as Americans bought more imported goods in President Joe Biden’s first month in office.
Ship Blocking Suez Canal Almost Freed
A huge container ship that blocked the crucial Suez Canal for nearly a week was almost completely freed early Monday, officials confirmed.
China, Iran expected to sign 25-year accord, Iranian state media says
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Iran on Friday for a visit that Iranian state media said would see the signing of a 25-year cooperation agreement between the two countries, which are both under U.S sanctions.
EU, Britain Battle Over Vaccine Supplies
European Union leaders agreed to toughen export controls of coronavirus vaccines amid a row with Britain over deliveries. At an online summit attended by U.S. President Joe Biden, they also stressed the importance of a reliable global supply chain of COVID-19 jabs.
US President Biden Threatens To Change Senate Rules
U.S. President Joe Biden used his first news conference to threaten fundamental changes to Senate rules to battle Republican opponents and defend his controversial migration and China policies.
Massive ship runs aground in Suez Canal, blocks the waterway
A gigantic, fully loaded container ship has run aground and become wedged across Egypt’s Suez Canal, blocking all other vessels from passing through, and threatening the viability of a pandemic-beleaguered global shipping system, the Associated Press reports. The MV Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship that transports cargo between Asia and Europe, ran aground Tuesday for reasons that were still not clear on Wednesday.
Surge in US firearms imports in 2020
A new report estimates that the US in 2020 saw a 60% increase in personal firearm imports, compared to the same category of imports in 2019. Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) reported an estimated 6.4 million handgun and long-gun units were imported in 2020, a surge from 4.0 million in 2019. SAAF said its import estimates are based on raw data obtained from the International Trade Commission.
Blue states move to tax PPP loans, collect millions from unsuspecting small businesses
Late last year, a thorn emerged in the side of the historically successful Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided $525 billion in forgivable loans to more than 5 million American small businesses hurt by the pandemic. Suddenly, business owners feared facing a tax consequence for the aid they received.
Iran and Russia begin joint naval drill in Indian Ocean
The Iranian and Russian militaries have kicked off a joint naval drill in the Indian Ocean aimed at boosting security of maritime trade in the region, Iran’s state TV reported on Tuesday.
China dethroned the US as Europe’s top trade partner in 2020
According to new economic data, China dethroned the US as Europe’s top trade partner in 2020, likely buoyed by strong demand in China for European goods, and Chinese medical products in Europe.
EU Furious As Russia Expels German, Swedish, and Polish Diplomats
Amid mounting international pressure over its perceived crackdown on dissent, Russia has expelled three diplomats from Germany, Sweden, and Poland, prompting an angry response from the European Union. Moscow says the diplomats joined unauthorized protests supporting opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who was jailed earlier this week.
Fox News Cancels “Lou Dobbs Tonight” Amid Turmoil
“Lou Dobbs Tonight” has been canceled by Fox News. It comes amid turmoil within the previously favorite U.S.broadcaster of former President Donald J. Trump.
UK set to formally apply for trans-Pacific trade bloc membership
Britain will next week formally apply to join a trans-Pacific trading bloc of 11 countries, with negotiations set to start later this year, the government has said.
Senate and House committees to hold hearings on GameStop trading fallout
Both the House Committee on Financial Services and the Senate Banking Committee announced Friday that they will hold hearings regarding “recent market instability” after a number of major online stock brokerages introduced restrictions on trades involving tech stocks commonly shorted by institutional investors.
China President says US may trigger next Cold War
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Monday that US efforts to isolate China may trigger a “new Cold War,” the Washington Times (WT) reports. President Xi made his remarks during a video speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.