Odds and Ends — 28 February 2025

2 months ago

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, and Debt:

Bitcoin’s Decline: How It Stacks Up Against Past Market Corrections

https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1894845539839021478

Justin Sun, who invested millions into Trump coins is getting a reprieve on civil fraud charges

A businessman who pumped $75 million into the Trump family-backed crypto token finds himself in a fortunate position this week as federal securities regulators are hitting pause on their civil fraud case against him.
On Wednesday, lawyers for the Securities and Exchange Commission and Justin Sun, a 34-year-old Chinese crypto entrepreneur, asked a federal judge to put the agency’s case on hold, citing the interests of both sides and ‘the public’s interest.’
The pause is a 180 for the SEC, America’s top financial regulator, which two years ago charged Sun and his companies — Tron, BitTorrent and Rainberry — with selling unregistered securities and fraudulently manipulating the price of digital token Tronix.

Coronavirus and Public Health:

FDA Cancels Meeting to Update Flu Vaccines

The Food and Drug Administration unexpectedly canceled an annual meeting of its advisers to update next season’s influenza vaccines, potentially upending the process to start manufacturing next winter’s flu shots.

The Covid Alarmists Were Closer to the Truth Than Anyone Else

Politics:

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1894616074861130182
https://twitter.com/JJ_McCullough/status/1894621224418123935

Yes indeed, it’s a cult:

https://twitter.com/RepJoeWilson/status/1894492941919379575

Russia Looks to Rebuild Spy Network

Russia is eyeing talks with the Trump administration about re-establishing a significant diplomatic presence in the US as an opening to rebuild its spy network in the West.

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1894939051838619679

Judge Wants Sworn Testimony from DOGE Officials

https://twitter.com/rcbregman/status/1894614358149222845
https://twitter.com/angel_0f_deathx/status/1894543473107505658

Trump’s New World Order

The international order forged after World War II is imploding, squeezed on all sides by the return of strongmen, nationalism and spheres of influence — with President Trump leading the charge.
Trump is openly scornful of international institutions and traditional alliances. Instead, he sees great opportunity in a world dominated by superpowers and dictated through dealmaking.

Ex-Defense Chiefs Denounce Trump’s Pentagon Firings

Five former defense secretaries on Thursday denounced President Donald Trump’s firing last week of the Joint Chiefs chairman and several other senior military officials, urging Congress to hold hearings and declaring they have concluded the officers were “fired for purely partisan reasons.”
The extraordinary public appeal was signed by Lloyd Austin, Jim Mattis, Chuck Hagel, Leon Panetta and William Perry — who served in Republican and Democratic administrations dating back to the 1990s — after Trump’s Friday night firings caused an uproar on Capitol Hill and among many military veterans.

https://twitter.com/sandibachom/status/1894518433833681304

https://twitter.com/UrbaneUrban/status/1894813265852580195

GOP Staffers Told Not to Use ‘West Bank’

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) instructed committee staff to refer to the Israeli-occupied West Bank by its Hebrew name Judea and Samaria.
The international community, including the U.S. government, refers to the territory Israel occupied in 1967 as the West Bank and doesn’t recognize Israeli sovereignty there.

https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/status/1894461539110850985

From the *delusions of grandeur files: Peter Navarro threatens to redraw Canadian border

https://twitter.com/KwikWarren/status/1894757630385557542

Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ Visa Comes with Hidden Tax Break

President Trump’s proposed $5 million ‘gold card’ for U.S. residency would be one the most expensive in the world.
It also includes a tax loophole that would give the new-card holders a lucrative benefit not available to American citizens.
Trump said gold-card holders would not be subject to taxes on their overseas income.

https://twitter.com/DrewPavlou/status/1895015354403094853

In First Few Weeks, Trump Administration Reversed Course More Than A Dozen Times

Those mistakes are already proving costly—and embarrassing—as the administration’s cuts hit critical functions of government like nuclear security, pandemic prevention, and veteran assistance, prompting officials to backtrack.
Less than six weeks into Trump’s presidency, the administration has already reversed itself more than a dozen times in high-profile decisions.

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1894792161440211382

Carlos Slim orders to cancel his collaboration with Elon Musk’s Starlink

https://twitter.com/RepJackKimble/status/1894629610886775118

Trump Prepares to Invoke ‘Alien Enemies’ Law

The Alien Enemies Act is designed to be invoked if the US is at war with another country, or a foreign nation has invaded the US or threatened to do so. Legal experts say it would be difficult for Trump to use the act when the US isn’t being attacked by a foreign government, even if the administration does cite threats from gangs or cartels.

https://twitter.com/covie_93/status/1894945349292228744

Trump Scraps Fair Housing Rule

https://twitter.com/RossKneeDeep/status/1895071378606285251
https://twitter.com/EastEndJoe/status/1895062602914635977

We study mass surveillance for social control, and we see Trump laying the groundwork to ‘contain’ people of color and immigrants

https://twitter.com/Ally_Sammarco/status/1895144727638405221