Google to pay Texas nearly $1.4 billion over alleged data privacy violations
therecord.media/google-texas-p…
Another lawsuit settlement has struck Google. This time, the company is now liable for one of the largest payouts from a state-level consumer data protection legislation in the United States.
Google has agreed to pay Texas more than $1.37 billion to resolve two lawsuits involving its use of location data, biometrics and its Incognito search engine.The payout far outstrips any other state settlements against the tech giant to date on claims involving data privacy.
Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Google in 2022, alleging the company illegally tracked and collected users’ private data, including their location, their voiceprints and faces and their searches in Incognito mode. The latter has been the subject of other lawsuits claiming the special search engine does not deliver the privacy it promises.
“In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law,” Paxton said in a statement, which accused Google of “secretly” tracking Texans’ data.
“This $1.375 billion settlement is a major win for Texans’ privacy and tells companies that they will pay for abusing our trust.”
A Google spokesperson noted that the settlement reached on Friday does not mandate new product changes and said the company has already made policy fixes which address the issues at the heart of the lawsuit.
The settlement also includes no admission of wrongdoing by Google, the spokesperson said.
Does this fix anything? Not really. Since Google has already changed much of its privacy policies since the original 2022 lawsuit, this settlement seems reactive at best.
Google to pay Texas nearly $1.4 billion over alleged data privacy violations
The payout far outstrips any other state settlements against the tech giant over data privacy.Suzanne Smalley (The Record)
Fitik likes this.
ZZ Bottom reshared this.
Schumann with Colli, Prokofiev and Schönberg from Florence - Schedule // - www.worldconcerthall.com
Federico Colli, and the Orchestra della Toscana conducted by Diego Ceretta play: SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 54. PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 1 in D major, op. 25 'Classical'. SCHÖNBERG: Kammersymphonie No. 2 in B flat minor, op. 38. Rec...www.worldconcerthall.com
Not sure what this means: “50% of people can die if infected” Can doesn’t mean will, so the statement is kind of vague.
From: @WGAvanDijk
mastodon.social/@WGAvanDijk/11…
WGAvanDijk (@WGAvanDijk@mastodon.social)
Bird flu (H5N1 avian flu) is now evolved so much it can infect mammals. Including humans. At the moment, it does not jump from human to human. Not yet. Gavi (well-respected organisation) warns that that jump will soon-ish happen.Mastodon
Landbouw, geen roofbouw!
Het huidige landbouwsysteem: 1. stoot te veel broeikas- en andere schadelijke gassen uit (CO₂ én stikstof én methaan), 2. vervuilt het water, 3. doodt steeds meer natuur en verstoort ecosystemen, 4.DeGoedeZaak
Last week, the Trump administration almost committed a horror the EU has been committing for years - but then the US seemed to balk. My Daily Brief today:
hrw.org/the-day-in-human-right…
Copycat Complicity in Crimes?
The EU is long complicit in vile abuses against migrants & asylum seekers intercepted at sea and sent back to #Libya – overcrowding, forced labor, rape, torture... Now, the US wants to do likewise? Read Andrew Stroehlein in HRW’s Daily Brief:Human Rights Watch
Apparently at least one US Attorney is willing to admit in federal court that he does not know where the clitoris is.
I'm integrating MCP (Model-Context-Protocol) with a real production-grade SaaS, built on Blazor and C# dotnet.
The tech landscape is ever-evolving, and I want to stay sharp for MSBuild next week—no surprises allowed! This is a hands-on journey with real SaaS software.
Catch me today from 3-4 pm PST, and likely every day this week. I will try to also stream on #owncast, but not sure if it is ready to share, we will see.
youtube.com/live/c1csMO0YD6U?f…
MCP + dotnet an hands-on exploration journey in a real production-grade SaaS
Hey everyone! I’m super excited to take you along on my journey integrating MCP (Model-Context-Protocol) with VocalCat, which is all about Blazor and C# dotn...YouTube
Maho 🦝🍻 reshared this.
Moviments
📍València, País Valencià.
📷 Minolta XD7
🎞 Ilford XP2 400 asa.
#photography #fotografia #35mm #analògic #analog #film #València #blackandwhite #blancinegre #noieretblanc #biancoenero #bnw #people #classicmono #filmphotography#35mmfilm
#believeinfilm #filmisnotdead
Sometimes the colors and textures are just a sensual pleasure. I want to take a bath in these.
Always better quality at Flickr:
flickr.com/photos/jbm0/5451501…
flickr.com/photos/jbm0/5451501…
#photograph #photography #fujiGFX #250mm #gf250mm #colors #colours #textures
smiling goat.
#FotoMontag #photography #darktable
Kidical Mass in Berlin | Changing Cities
Es ist wieder soweit: Die Kidical Mass Fahrraddemos rollen durch Berlin! Von Freitag, den 16. bis Sonntag, den 18. Mai 2025.Mara Hasenjürgen (Changing Cities)
📰 Lil Wayne door ex-partner beschuldigd van mishandeling
🕣 20:19 | RTL Nieuws
🔸 #Mishandeling #Beschuldiging #Partner #Instagram
Lil Wayne door ex-partner beschuldigd van mishandeling
Lil Wayne is door Denise Bidot, met wie hij een knipperlichtrelatie had, beschuldigd van mishandeling. De vrouw deelt haar aantijgingen via Instagram Stories.RTL Boulevard
Stocks Surge as US, China Trade Tensions Cool | Bloomberg Open Interest 05/12/2025
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-05-12/bloomberg-open-interest-05-12-2025-video?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Bloomberg Television @bloomberg-television-bloomberg
T2 SDE: The Next Generation of Customizable Linux Build Systems
T2 SDE is revolutionizing the way developers create Linux distributions with its highly customizable and portable build system. From embedded platforms to full desktop systems, T2 offers unprecedented...
news.lavx.hu/article/t2-sde-th…
#news #tech #OpenSource #T2SDE #LinuxBuildSystem
Ich mag den Humor dieses Freiburger Spielzeugladens 😀
Feeling anxious before surgery? Anxiety can harm healing but innovative mental health support could help
https://theconversation.com/feeling-anxious-before-surgery-anxiety-can-harm-healing-but-innovative-mental-health-support-could-help-255354?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Science & Tech @science-tech-ConversationCA
Feeling anxious before surgery? Anxiety can harm healing but innovative mental health support could help
Preoperative anxiety is a problem for patients and linked to worse surgical outcomes. The Canadian system needs innovative solutions to address this.The Conversation
Trump’s cryptocurrency scheme: Buy his digital coin, win dinner with him — or even a White House tour. Critics call it a pay-to-play scheme, while insiders may profit. The SEC? Silent. Democracy for sale?
nytimes.com/2025/05/12/us/poli… #press
Chinesa Meituan confirma lançamento no Brasil para concorrer com iFood
https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/chinesa-meituan-confirma-lancamento-no-brasil-para-concorrer-com-ifood/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Últimas Notícias de Tecnologia @ltimas-not-cias-de-tecnologia-Tecnoblog
Chinesa Meituan confirma lançamento no Brasil para concorrer com iFood • Tecnoblog
Mercado de delivery local também será disputado pela 99, que vai voltar com o 99Food, e pela Rappi, que pretende investir em estratégia agressivaGiovanni Santa Rosa (Mobilon Mídia LTDA)
#deancastlecountrypark #jacobite #williamboyd #photography #fotografia #fotografie #canon
This 2-In-1 Robot Vacuum Is The 'Perfect Little Helper' — And Only $94
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/robot-vacuum-sale-walmart-ud_l_6822355be4b09ed532501b0f?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Shopping @shopping-huffingtonpost
This 2-In-1 Robot Vacuum Is The 'Perfect Little Helper' — And Only $94
“This vacuum has gotten up SO much dog fur and general yuck around our floors,” says one happy reviewer.Kevin Cortez (HuffPost)
logistik-heute.de/news/csddd-m…
CSDDD: Merz fordert Abschaffung von EU-Lieferkettengesetz
(dpa) Der neue Bundeskanzler will Bürokratie für Unternehmen abbauen und unterstützt entsprechende Vorhaben auf EU-Ebene. Bei seinem Antrittsbesuch stellt Friedrich Merz eine konkrete Forderung.LOGISTIK HEUTE
Apple Plans AI-Powered Battery Management Mode for Devices in iOS 19
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-12/apple-plans-ai-powered-battery-management-mode-for-devices-in-ios-19?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Profiles @profiles-bloomberg
Vor wenigen Jahren waren die ,Omas gegen Rechts‘ Kult und gern gewähltes Fotomotiv. Inzwischen sind sie besonders im Osten massiv bedroht. Die kleine Anfrage der CDU hat ihren Beitrag dazu geleistet. Hier muss die Regierung dringend Stellung beziehen und mit den Betroffenen reden.
:: La segretaria della CISL, Daniela Fumarola, promuove l'astensione per i referendum dell'8 e 9 giugno.
reshared this
episode 12, page 53 - Kings of Sorts
- - fantasy/sci-fi webcomic by jacki crabbngcrabbng (Kings of Sorts)
Here is today's anti-depressant prescription:
More GOOOOOD transgender news!
tapatalk.com/groups/crossdream…
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Crossdream Life-Good Transgender News
Apple unveils 2025 Pride Collection ‘to celebrate the strength and beauty of LGBTQ+ communities’ https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/06/ ... crackCrossdream Life
📱m.emsc.eu/#app
🌐m.emsc.eu
🖥emsc-csem.org
⚠ Automatic crowdsourced detection, not seismically verified yet. More info soon!
EMSC - European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre
earthquakes today - recent and latest earthquakes, earthquake map and earthquake information. Earthquake information for europe.EMSC - European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre
Just click t.me/lastquake_bot to register and you'll receive personalised information about felt #earthquakes around you!
🌐m.emsc.eu/?id=1807493
🖥emsc-csem.org/Earthquake_infor…
Telegram t.me/lastquake_bot
📱m.emsc.eu/#app
![Xi Defiance Pays Off as Trump Meets |
Most Chinese Trade Demands
Summary by Bloomberg Al
= After two days of talks in Switzerland, the US and China announced a massive de-escalation in tariffs, with the US slashing duties on Chinese products to 30% from 145% for a 90-day period, and Beijing dropping its levy on most goods to 10%.
= The deal met nearly all of Beijing's core demands, including the suspension of the elevated "reciprocal” tariff, the establishment of a point person for talks, and agreements on fentanyl and tariffs.
= The reduction in tariffs is seen as a positive development for China, with the potential to boost its economy and make it easier to hit a growth target of about 5% this year, although some caution that a “durable resolution” remains challenging.
By Bloomberg News
05/12/2025 10:16:49 [BN]](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45802066 "Xi Defiance Pays Off as Trump Meets |
Most Chinese Trade Demands
Summary by Bloomberg Al
= After two days of talks in Switzerland, the US and China announced a massive de-escalation in tariffs, with the US slashing duties on Chinese products to 30% from 145% for a 90-day period, and Beijing dropping its levy on most goods to 10%.
= The deal met nearly all of Beijing's core demands, including the suspension of the elevated \"reciprocal” tariff, the establishment of a point person for talks, and agreements on fentanyl and tariffs.
= The reduction in tariffs is seen as a positive development for China, with the potential to boost its economy and make it easier to hit a growth target of about 5% this year, although some caution that a “durable resolution” remains challenging.
By Bloomberg News
05/12/2025 10:16:49 [BN]")
@motori
🚗 🚗 🚗
Scopri la storia della Mercedes SLR McLaren e dell'orologio TAG Heuer da 20.000 dollari, simbolo di lusso e collezionismo
motori.it/mercedes-slr-mclaren…
#motori #auto
Motori - Gruppo Forum reshared this.
Das Bild zeigt eine Nachrichtenartikelüberschrift auf einem weißen Hintergrund. Oben links steht in orangefarbenen Buchstaben "Neue SPD-Spitze". Darunter befindet sich ein rotes Quadrat mit einem weißen "S+" und der Überschrift "Soll Bas schon alles gewesen sein?" in schwarzer Schrift. Der Artikeltext beschreibt, dass Bärbel Bas die neue SPD-Chefin wird, während Saskia Esken sich zurückzieht. Es wird erwähnt, dass Lars Klingbeil auf ganzere Linie durchsetzt. Am Ende des Textes steht: "Nicht allen in der Partei gefällt das." Der Artikel ist von Sophie Garbe und Christian Teevs verfasst und dauert laut dem Symbol unten links 5 Minuten.
Bereitgestellt von @altbot, privat und lokal generiert mit Ovis2-8B
🌱 Energieverbrauch: 0.186 Wh
My world in 1 photo
.
.
.
.
#betergejatdanslechtbedacht #art #artvisual #photooftheday #moeitewaard #impressive #streetphotography #visuals #artoflight #artinstallation #performance #myworldinonephoto #video #videooftheday #short #interesting #youbringonthesun #youmakeitshine #leeuwarden #photography #gabekamphuis #visualstoryteller #photovisionary
owncast.ghost.io/owncast-newsl…
Owncast Newsletter May 2025
5th Anniversary Spectacular!!! In This Issue * A Note From The Editor * Owncast, Five Years On * Maho Pacheco On Installing Owncast On A Livestream * Featured Streamer: INPC, The Kali Mera Show * Closing Remarks A Note From The Editor Whoo…Kit Rhett Aultman (Owncast)
Warum die neue Arbeitsministerin Bas die Rente reformieren will
Eine Reform der gesetzlichen Rente gilt als überfällig. Arbeitsministerin Bas will deshalb, dass künftig auch Beamte in das System einzahlen. Die Union lehnt das ab. Worum geht es? Von Jim-Bob Nickschas.
Die Besserstellung der Beamten erfolgt schon alleine durch die #Unkündbarkeit, gerade in der heutigen Zeit.
Vorschlag:
Die #Pensionen so absenken wie die #Renten und das eingesparte Geld in die #Rentenversicherung einzahlen
und dann noch die versicherungsfremden Leistungen rausnehmen und schon kann die Rente angehoben werden und ist mehr als sicher.
"Feel alive. Splash a little color around. " - Anthony T. Hincks
#dye #silk #hotan #china #silkroad #overland #solotravel #solofemaletravel #art #photography #travelphotography #quote #travel
#travelphotography
Is it wrong to try out an album strictly because the cover art turns you on?
@motoridersd I would put this as somewhere between Hozier and Robbie Williams
and I like it and I just ordered the vinyl and CD 🤣
Common crane / Kurki
#commoncrane #commoncranes #birdphotography #bird #photography #naturephotography #kurki #lintukuvaus #valokuvaus
:: Oggi ci invitano a non andare a votare, domani ce lo impediranno, la libertà si perde così un pezzetto alla volta
davgian reshared this.
Documenting the everyday life is still the best way of taking pictures. For yourself and not for everyone else
🎞 Fujifilm Superia X-TRA 400
#streetphotography #film #35mm #shootfilm #analog #filmphotography #shotonfilm #cinematiclook #street #canona1 #analogphotography
youtube.com/watch?v=3FTwOBUF_q…
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.www.youtube.com
Newsletter: Three major crypto schemes in a single week underscore how aggressively Trump is leveraging the presidency for illegal personal gain. This blatant corruption has sparked Democratic outcry, blockage of a crypto bill, and a Senate PSI inquiry.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
Issue 83 – Trump’s crypto-backed plan to auction off access to the White House
Trump’s crypto conflicts continue to multiply as Democratic legislators demand ethics inquiries and block industry-backed billsMolly White (Citation Needed)
reshared this
Citation Needed is an independent publication, entirely supported by readers like you. Consider signing up for a pay-what-you-can subscription.
reshared this
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
![Onstage in Dubai with shady crypto billionaire Justin Sun [I71], President Trump’s son Eric and World Liberty Financial co-founder Zach Witkoff announced that the state-backed Emirati investment firm MGX would be taking a $2 billion stake in the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, using the World Liberty-issued USD1 stablecoin to complete the transaction. USD1 is a brand new stablecoin, and there’s little reason to use the unproven token over a traditional financial transfer or more established stablecoin other than to cozy up to the Trumps. World Liberty Financial, the Trump venture that issues USD1, profits from deals like this by earning yield on the stablecoin’s backing assets, which function essentially as an interest-free loan to the Trumps. “Virtually every detail of [the] announcement ... contained a conflict of interest,” observed the New York Times.
Photograph of Justin Sun, Zach Witkoff, and Eric Trump onstage at Token2049 in Dubai](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45802052 "Onstage in Dubai with shady crypto billionaire Justin Sun [I71], President Trump’s son Eric and World Liberty Financial co-founder Zach Witkoff announced that the state-backed Emirati investment firm MGX would be taking a $2 billion stake in the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, using the World Liberty-issued USD1 stablecoin to complete the transaction. USD1 is a brand new stablecoin, and there’s little reason to use the unproven token over a traditional financial transfer or more established stablecoin other than to cozy up to the Trumps. World Liberty Financial, the Trump venture that issues USD1, profits from deals like this by earning yield on the stablecoin’s backing assets, which function essentially as an interest-free loan to the Trumps. “Virtually every detail of [the] announcement ... contained a conflict of interest,” observed the New York Times.
Photograph of Justin Sun, Zach Witkoff, and Eric Trump onstage at Token2049 in Dubai")
reshared this
A Texas transportation firm announced it plans to buy up to $20 million TRUMP tokens explicitly because they believe buying the tokens is “an effective way to advocate for fair, balanced, and free trade between Mexico and the US.”
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
reshared this
Multiple Democratic Congresspeople are calling for investigations and demanding info, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has opened a preliminary inquiry by the Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations into “Trump’s crypto-backed plan to auction off access to the White House.”
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
reshared this
Trump’s grifts are causing problems with crypto legislation. Dem Senators mounted unanimous opposition to the GENIUS Act stablecoin bill after Trump’s $2 billion deal. Some Congresspeople are calling for new legislation to limit officeholders’ crypto involvement.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
![Some Democrats cited corruption as their reason for opposing the bill. Others, like crypto-backed Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), said they merely opposed it because the vote was premature, and they hadn’t reviewed a final version with Democrat-negotiated amendments.36 The two Republicans who voted against the bill were Josh Hawley (MO) and Rand Paul (KY). Hawley said he wanted prohibitions against big tech firms issuing stablecoins;37 Paul’s concerns were rooted in fears that the regulations might stifle the crypto industry.38 Majority leader John Thune (R-SD) switched his vote to oppose the bill for procedural reasons, allowing him to reintroduce it later. Republicans were furious at the bill’s failure, with Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-SC) threatening “painful” political consequences for the Democratic Senators.39 Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) accused Democrats of “unilaterally ced[ing] American leadership capability in the digital asset industry to the CCP because they fear the far-left radicals of their party”.40
House opposition
In the House, Democrats led by Maxine Waters (CA) blocked a hearing on digital assets and the FIT21 crypto market structure bill, instead opting to convene their own discussion about President Trump’s crypto conflicts of interest. Waters demanded a change to the legislation to prevent presidents and Congresspeople from owning cryptocurrency firms or cryptocurrencies themselves.41 Representative Torres (D-NY) has separately announced he plans to int](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45802250 "Some Democrats cited corruption as their reason for opposing the bill. Others, like crypto-backed Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), said they merely opposed it because the vote was premature, and they hadn’t reviewed a final version with Democrat-negotiated amendments.36 The two Republicans who voted against the bill were Josh Hawley (MO) and Rand Paul (KY). Hawley said he wanted prohibitions against big tech firms issuing stablecoins;37 Paul’s concerns were rooted in fears that the regulations might stifle the crypto industry.38 Majority leader John Thune (R-SD) switched his vote to oppose the bill for procedural reasons, allowing him to reintroduce it later. Republicans were furious at the bill’s failure, with Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-SC) threatening “painful” political consequences for the Democratic Senators.39 Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) accused Democrats of “unilaterally ced[ing] American leadership capability in the digital asset industry to the CCP because they fear the far-left radicals of their party”.40
House opposition
In the House, Democrats led by Maxine Waters (CA) blocked a hearing on digital assets and the FIT21 crypto market structure bill, instead opting to convene their own discussion about President Trump’s crypto conflicts of interest. Waters demanded a change to the legislation to prevent presidents and Congresspeople from owning cryptocurrency firms or cryptocurrencies themselves.41 Representative Torres (D-NY) has separately announced he plans to int")
Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦 reshared this.
The CFTC has dropped its appeal, ending a case against the Kalshi (non-crypto-based) prediction markets platform over its election betting markets. Donald Trump Jr. joined Kalshi as an adviser in January.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
![In regulators
The CFTC has dropped its appeal of a September 2024 decision that found the regulator had overstepped when they blocked Kalshi, a non-crypto-based prediction markets company, from offering betting markets on US elections [I66].2930 President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., joined Kalshi as a senior adviser in January 2025.
FinCEN has designated the Cambodian Huione marketplace and payment services provider a “primary money laundering concern”. Last year, blockchain research firm Elliptic reported that the firm enabled romance scams and other illicit activity [I62]. The Treasury Department seems to agree, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent adding that “Huione Group has established itself as the marketplace of choice for malicious cyber actors like the DPRK and criminal syndicates, who have stolen billions of dollars from everyday Americans”.31](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45802280 "In regulators
The CFTC has dropped its appeal of a September 2024 decision that found the regulator had overstepped when they blocked Kalshi, a non-crypto-based prediction markets company, from offering betting markets on US elections [I66].2930 President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., joined Kalshi as a senior adviser in January 2025.
FinCEN has designated the Cambodian Huione marketplace and payment services provider a “primary money laundering concern”. Last year, blockchain research firm Elliptic reported that the firm enabled romance scams and other illicit activity [I62]. The Treasury Department seems to agree, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent adding that “Huione Group has established itself as the marketplace of choice for malicious cyber actors like the DPRK and criminal syndicates, who have stolen billions of dollars from everyday Americans”.31")
reshared this
Crypto lending is making a comeback with the SEC standing down. The Nexo platform exited the US after paying $45 million in fines to regulators; now they’ve announced they’re coming back at an event they hosted in Bulgaria titled “Trump Business Vision 2025”, which featured Donald Trump Jr.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
![SEC
The cryptocurrency lending platform Nexo exited the United States in 2022, amid increased scrutiny from regulators towards crypto lending firms in general following the catastrophic collapse of companies including Celsius, BlockFi, and Voyager. The firm faced significant regulatory actions in the United States, including from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and eight state regulators [W3IGG]. Nexo ultimately settled with the SEC and state regulators for $45 million in January 2023 [W3IGG].
Now, with the SEC defanged, Nexo is ready to make its comeback. At an event Nexo hosted in its native Bulgaria, titled “Trump Business Vision 2025” and featuring Donald Trump Jr. as a headline speaker, Nexo announced their return to the US for both retail and institutional investors with “high-yield crypto savings accounts, asset-backed credit lines, advanced trading, and institutional-grade liquidity solutions”.32 They added, “Thanks to the vision and leadership of President Donald J. Trump, his administration, and his family, the United States is once again a place where innovation is championed, not stifled.”33](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45802344 "SEC
The cryptocurrency lending platform Nexo exited the United States in 2022, amid increased scrutiny from regulators towards crypto lending firms in general following the catastrophic collapse of companies including Celsius, BlockFi, and Voyager. The firm faced significant regulatory actions in the United States, including from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and eight state regulators [W3IGG]. Nexo ultimately settled with the SEC and state regulators for $45 million in January 2023 [W3IGG].
Now, with the SEC defanged, Nexo is ready to make its comeback. At an event Nexo hosted in its native Bulgaria, titled “Trump Business Vision 2025” and featuring Donald Trump Jr. as a headline speaker, Nexo announced their return to the US for both retail and institutional investors with “high-yield crypto savings accounts, asset-backed credit lines, advanced trading, and institutional-grade liquidity solutions”.32 They added, “Thanks to the vision and leadership of President Donald J. Trump, his administration, and his family, the United States is once again a place where innovation is championed, not stifled.”33")
reshared this
In the courts, Celsius founder Alex Mashinsky has been sentenced to twelve years in prison for the Celsius fraud, which resulted in customers losing over half a billion dollars.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
![Alex Mashinsky has been sentenced to twelve years in prison for his Celsius fraud, which culminated in the mid-2022 collapse of the US-based cryptocurrency lending firm, causing over half a billion dollars in customer losses [I82, 71]. The government had requested a 20-year sentence; Mashinsky asked for just a single year of imprisonment. Mashinsky pleaded guilty to fraud in December, just before his case was set to go to trial, and that plea was a major factor in his receiving a substantially shorter sentence than Sam Bankman-Fried’s 25 years.
Photo of Alex Mashinsky on stage, wearing a shirt with the Celsius logo and the slogan “Banks are not your friends”. CC BY 2.0, WebSummit, https://flic.kr/p/2mGvJLc](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45802414 "Alex Mashinsky has been sentenced to twelve years in prison for his Celsius fraud, which culminated in the mid-2022 collapse of the US-based cryptocurrency lending firm, causing over half a billion dollars in customer losses [I82, 71]. The government had requested a 20-year sentence; Mashinsky asked for just a single year of imprisonment. Mashinsky pleaded guilty to fraud in December, just before his case was set to go to trial, and that plea was a major factor in his receiving a substantially shorter sentence than Sam Bankman-Fried’s 25 years.
Photo of Alex Mashinsky on stage, wearing a shirt with the Celsius logo and the slogan “Banks are not your friends”. CC BY 2.0, WebSummit, https://flic.kr/p/2mGvJLc")
reshared this
![Avi Eisenberg has been sentenced to four years and four months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material, a crime that was discovered during a law enforcement search of his devices while investigating his $110 million exploit of the Mango Markets cryptocurrency platform [W3IGG, I6, 43, 55, 56, 67, 81]. The judge declined to impose a sentence for the crypto crime, citing the defense’s request for an acquittal or retrial, but noted that the majority of Eisenberg’s sentence would likely stem from the CSAM conviction regardless.21](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45802450 "Avi Eisenberg has been sentenced to four years and four months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material, a crime that was discovered during a law enforcement search of his devices while investigating his $110 million exploit of the Mango Markets cryptocurrency platform [W3IGG, I6, 43, 55, 56, 67, 81]. The judge declined to impose a sentence for the crypto crime, citing the defense’s request for an acquittal or retrial, but noted that the majority of Eisenberg’s sentence would likely stem from the CSAM conviction regardless.21")
Also, the trial has begun against SafeMoon CEO John Karony, the thief suspected to have exploited Nomad bridge has been arrested, and Shaq has settled with FTX customers.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
![The criminal trial against former SafeMoon CEO John Karony has begun in the Eastern District of New York, with prosecutors already launching into key testimony from cooperating witness and former SafeMoon CTO, Thomas “Papa” Smith. Smith was the second of three executives charged in November 2023 with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, and he pleaded guilty. The third executive, Kyle Nagy, is still in the wind. Karony argues that because SafeMoon investors could theoretically have traced public blockchain transactions to observe that he and others were draining money from the liquidity pools, it wasn’t fraud (despite their representations that the pool was locked). For detailed coverage, David Z. Morris is there in person covering the trial for Protos, his Dark Markets newsletter, and on social media.
Alexander Gurevich, accused of crafting the August 2022 exploit that enabled a $190 million theft from the Nomad bridge [W3IGG], has been arrested in Israel and is in the process of being extradited to the United States. Although Gurevich was the first to identify the vulnerability, he’s only accused of stealing about $3 million; the remaining amount was stolen in a mad scramble of copycats replicating his exploit. He was reportedly arrested at the Tel Aviv airport en route to Russia, where he has dual citizenship, and was attempting to travel under a different identity after changing his name the prior week.22](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45802678 "The criminal trial against former SafeMoon CEO John Karony has begun in the Eastern District of New York, with prosecutors already launching into key testimony from cooperating witness and former SafeMoon CTO, Thomas “Papa” Smith. Smith was the second of three executives charged in November 2023 with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, and he pleaded guilty. The third executive, Kyle Nagy, is still in the wind. Karony argues that because SafeMoon investors could theoretically have traced public blockchain transactions to observe that he and others were draining money from the liquidity pools, it wasn’t fraud (despite their representations that the pool was locked). For detailed coverage, David Z. Morris is there in person covering the trial for Protos, his Dark Markets newsletter, and on social media.
Alexander Gurevich, accused of crafting the August 2022 exploit that enabled a $190 million theft from the Nomad bridge [W3IGG], has been arrested in Israel and is in the process of being extradited to the United States. Although Gurevich was the first to identify the vulnerability, he’s only accused of stealing about $3 million; the remaining amount was stolen in a mad scramble of copycats replicating his exploit. He was reportedly arrested at the Tel Aviv airport en route to Russia, where he has dual citizenship, and was attempting to travel under a different identity after changing his name the prior week.22")
The Samourai Wallet case is on hold while the government decides whether to dismiss the criminal case based on Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s instructions to deprioritize enforcement of crypto crime. They’re charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and money laundering conspiracy.
Samourai defendants have also accused prosecutors of withholding evidence that FinCEN representatives didn’t believe Samourai was a MSB, and have requested a hearing about a potential Brady violation. Prosecutors argue this was not an official position by FinCEN, and that the evidence was disclosed in a sufficiently timely fashion.
#crypto #cryptocurrency #USpolitics #USpol
![Samourai Wallet
Prosecutors who filed charges a year ago against the operators of Samourai Wallet [I56, 57, 67] have joined the defense in requesting a pause in the case “while the Government determines its position” on a request to dismiss the case based on Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s “Memorandum on Ending Regulation by Prosecution” [I81].24 The memo directed the Justice Department “not [to] charge regulatory violations in cases involving digital assets … unless there is evidence that the defendant knew of the licensing or registration requirement at issue and violated such a requirement willfully”.25 The Samourai Wallet defendants are charged with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business — one of the violations Blanche instructed prosecutors not to charge — but also with money laundering conspiracy.26](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45803450 "Samourai Wallet
Prosecutors who filed charges a year ago against the operators of Samourai Wallet [I56, 57, 67] have joined the defense in requesting a pause in the case “while the Government determines its position” on a request to dismiss the case based on Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s “Memorandum on Ending Regulation by Prosecution” [I81].24 The memo directed the Justice Department “not [to] charge regulatory violations in cases involving digital assets … unless there is evidence that the defendant knew of the licensing or registration requirement at issue and violated such a requirement willfully”.25 The Samourai Wallet defendants are charged with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business — one of the violations Blanche instructed prosecutors not to charge — but also with money laundering conspiracy.26")
![After the joint request, the defense also submitted a letter accusing prosecutors of improperly suppressing evidence that “senior representatives” at FinCEN believed Samourai Wallet didn’t function as a money services business. “It’s hard to imagine a clearer example of ‘regulation by prosecution’ than what we have here: The relevant regulator telling the prosecutors that Samourai Wallet was not a money transmitter — under the same public guidance that Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Hill relied on to guide their conduct — and the prosecutors going ahead and indicting them for operating an unlicensed money services business anyway,” wrote the defense team. They have asked the judge to hold a hearing regarding the late disclosure, which they argue was a Brady violation that could have influenced the Magistrate Judge’s bail determinations and Judge Berman’s decision not to allow the defendants to file a motion to dismiss immediately after their arraignment.27
The government replied to characterize the call described in the disclosure as merely “FinCEN employees express[ing] their individual, informal, and caveated opinion”, writing that “the individual employees of FinCEN were not speaking on behalf of FinCEN, they were not providing FinCEN’s opinion, and they ‘did not have a sense of what FinCen would decide if this question were presented to their FinCen policy committee.’” Prosecutors also argue the evidence was provided in a sufficiently timely fashion for the defense team to use in](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/45803455 "After the joint request, the defense also submitted a letter accusing prosecutors of improperly suppressing evidence that “senior representatives” at FinCEN believed Samourai Wallet didn’t function as a money services business. “It’s hard to imagine a clearer example of ‘regulation by prosecution’ than what we have here: The relevant regulator telling the prosecutors that Samourai Wallet was not a money transmitter — under the same public guidance that Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Hill relied on to guide their conduct — and the prosecutors going ahead and indicting them for operating an unlicensed money services business anyway,” wrote the defense team. They have asked the judge to hold a hearing regarding the late disclosure, which they argue was a Brady violation that could have influenced the Magistrate Judge’s bail determinations and Judge Berman’s decision not to allow the defendants to file a motion to dismiss immediately after their arraignment.27
The government replied to characterize the call described in the disclosure as merely “FinCEN employees express[ing] their individual, informal, and caveated opinion”, writing that “the individual employees of FinCEN were not speaking on behalf of FinCEN, they were not providing FinCEN’s opinion, and they ‘did not have a sense of what FinCen would decide if this question were presented to their FinCen policy committee.’” Prosecutors also argue the evidence was provided in a sufficiently timely fashion for the defense team to use in")
Molly White's Citation Needed
Keep up with the happenings in the tech world without all the boosterism. Cryptocurrency critic, technology researcher, and software engineer Molly White publishes Citation Needed, a newsletter that features weekly explainers of developments in the c…pod.link
Joe Vinegar reshared this.
It's like the only department of the Trump crime family ever active is the Grifting Department.
Same as it ever was.
Britain’s Labour government unveiled plans to clamp down on migration, the latest in a spate of left-leaning Western parties talking tough on the issue.
semafor.com/article/05/12/2025…
UK’s left-wing government announces major immigration overhaul
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that the UK was at risk of becoming an ‘island of strangers.’Tom Chivers (www.semafor.com)
Even before Rump, people didn't want to travel to the US. My partner goes to conference series that rotates between Europe and the US. When it's the US's turn to host, paper submissions drop by 30-50%.
Nobody should be travelling to the US right now.
Vesna Manojlović reshared this.
Steve Woods
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •Mike
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •netflexx
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽
in reply to netflexx • • •bouriquet
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •Anyone who has traveled on business for the US government knows that extravagance is strongly discouraged to avoid fraud waste and abuse of taxpayer funds.
PEET8
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •AstroShine
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽
in reply to AstroShine • • •Cosmic Librarian
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •食 Shoku the MN Wolf
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •Sensitive content
Face Thumb
in reply to George Takei 🏳️🌈🖖🏽 • • •