A White House teleprompter operator who left his post amid accusations that he used inside knowledge to make bets on Donald Trump’s speeches on an online prediction market has been fined $172,000, according to federal regulators.
Gabriel Perez illicitly exploited material, nonpublic information that he gathered through his work for the president in order to place wagers on the Kalshi platform for his personal benefit, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) maintained in a news release on Friday.
The CFTC ordered Perez to both disgorge the profits he made from his unlawful [conduct] totaling $107,539.02 and to pay a civil penalty of $65,000, the agency’s news release said. Such amounts represented a substantial discount, the CFTC added, attributing that to what the agency called Perez’s exemplary cooperation with its investigation into him.
Wenigstens wird kooperierenden Ochsen ein Rabatt gewährt.
The U.S. State Department and U.S. Treasury placed the anarchist-aligned Italian tech support collective Autistici/Inventati on the specially designated global terrorist list on Wednesday. This designation makes it illegal for Americans to engage in any transactions with Autistici/Inventati.
The U.S. government hasn't accused Autistici/Inventati of committing any crimes. Instead, the State Department announcement states that the group builds and operates the digital infrastructure for violent Antifa cells and other far-left militants across the world, allowing these militants to disseminate target information, tactical manuals and techniques, and communiqués about recent attacks while staying anonymous, untraceable, and beyond the reach of the law.
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. As I announced in Executive Order 14172 of January 20, 2025 (Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness), it is the policy of my Administration to recognize the extraordinary contributions of the American people and the rich heritage of our history by naming great natural landmarks for our shared achievements. The United States is the greatest protector of the Great Lakes, including the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario. Without the security and investment provided by the United States, this freshwater system would not be open for shipping, recreation, and responsible use to the same extent as it is today. The United States Coast Guard supplies 9 of the 11 ice breaking vessels on the Great Lakes, securing commercial shipping lanes free of charge. The United States has invested nearly $4 billion in protecting the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem in the last decade, while Canada has invested far less in similar initiatives over the same period.
Sec. 2. Lake America. (a) The body of water currently known as Lake Ontario is a tremendous asset to the United States and part of our Nation’s heritage. With the deepest parts of the Lake’s waters lying within United States territory, the United States claims most of the Lake’s volume. The Lake has long been an integral asset to American exploration, settlement, commerce, and defense. From the colonial period through the early republic, the Lake served as a critical artery for American trade, commerce, and military logistics, including the establishment in Oswego of a historic fort and the first United States port of call from the St. Lawrence Seaway, shipbuilding and naval operations during the War of 1812 at Sackets Harbor and other New York posts, and the movement of goods, settlers, and later industrial cargoes that linked the interior of the United States to eastern markets and the Atlantic. Maritime commerce on the broader Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system — of which the Lake is the easternmost and gateway segment — continues to generate substantial economic activity for the United States, supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars in annual economic output, cargo value, and related business revenue, with our ports, carriers, and States deriving a significant share of the system’s benefits in iron ore, limestone, coal, agricultural products, and other bulk commodities. Water from the Lake is used to supply nuclear, natural gas, and oil-fired power plants and to supply municipal drinking water to nearby communities. United States domestic and cross-border shipping activity on the Great Lakes system has historically underpinned regional manufacturing, steel production, agriculture, and energy supply chains in several States, reflecting the strategic and economic importance of these waters to the United States that continues to this day. The Lake will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy. In recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation’s economy and its people, I am directing that the Lake officially be renamed as Lake America.
Dieses Dekret wird seine Wirkung nicht verfehlen. Beobachterinnen rechnen damit, dass der störrische Premierminister Kanadas innerhalb weniger Stunden den Gang nach Washington antritt und untertänigst um eine förmliche Annexion seines Landes bittet.
Lie to people who want to be lied to, and you’ll get rich.
Tell the truth to those who want the truth, and you’ll make a living.
Tell the truth to those who want to be lied to, and you’ll go broke.
– haben eine starke Tendenz zur Verkitschung, aber Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean scheint tatsächlich eine rundum anständige Frau gewesen zu sein, die ganz ohne Lügen zu Reichtum kam. RIP.
For years, Iran confronted a balance of power in the Middle East that tilted against it. The region was dominated by a hostile American superpower, a nuclear-armed and militarily superior Israel, and significant local actors—Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates—that were strategically and economically aligned with the United States.
Today finds Iran in entirely new circumstances. It has gone head-to-head with the superpower and Israel, withstood a pounding from their most advanced weapons, and more than survived. As a result, Iran has, with American help, completely reconfigured the power structure of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. The dominant power in the region going forward will be Iran, not the U.S. or Israel. Neighboring countries are already making their adjustments to this new reality. More distant powers will too. For years, the world has been dealing with an Iran constrained. It will now discover what Iran unleashed looks like.
But Beijing and Moscow might not comply with Bessent’s demands. The Russian embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington told me in a written statement that sanctions and pressure tactics do no help in resolving issues and called on all parties to act rationally and to avoid doing anything that may further escalate tensions or deal a blow to global economic growth and financial stability. The spokesperson added that China will watch the developments and do what is necessary to protect our legitimate rights and interests.
– kann er der Versuchung eines heroischen Zweifrontenwirtschaftskriegs nicht widerstehen. Als zweitenGegner hat sich der Wirtschaftsnarr (B.Sc.) zielsicher ein höfliches, aber nichtunterwürfigesNachbarland mit einer hohen Integration in die Wirtschaft wahltaktisch wichtiger US-Bundesstaaten ausgesucht.
We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25% below current market prices, he wrote on Truth Social, without specifying which companies or importers were involved. This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again.
But the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, one of industry’s largest trade organizations, said it was disappointed by the announcement, writing that flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd.
The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate. We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.
In furtherance of the diplomatic campaign we launched last month to address the ICC’s abuses of power, I am designating two ICC officials – President of the ICC, Tomoko Akane of Japan, and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer, Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal – pursuant to Executive Order 14203, Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court. These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.
The ICC has repeatedly attempted to assert authority over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction or ratified the Rome Statute. This sets a dangerous precedent for all nations.
Our whole of government campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the ICC to national sovereignty will be sweeping and we expect more countries to join our campaign by ending their funding and participation in this politicized and unaccountable court. The ICC’s ability to target American nationals and those of other non-States Parties must end. The Trump Administration stands ready to take additional measures, if necessary, to systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty.
In praktischer Hinsicht ist das Vorgehen für ambitionierte Völkerrechtlerinnen jedenfalls ein weiterer Grund, nicht allzu viel in eine Microsoft-basierte digitale Existenz zu investieren.
Trump on Friday called on Americans to accept higher gasoline prices as the cost of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He posted this morning that the number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon—even though his administration assessed before the war that Iran was not actively building weapons, even though the White House hasn’t offered any explanation for how the war will prevent the regime from restarting its weapons program, and even though the war may make Iran’s desire for a nuclear arsenal only more urgent. Meanwhile, Vice President Vance says that lowering fuel prices is actually now goal No. 1 of the war.
Dass Donald Trump ein schlechter Verlierer ist, haben die Machthaber in Teheran früh verstanden – und den US-Präsidenten in sechs Monaten Krieg militärisch und politisch Schritt für Schritt gekonnt auflaufen lassen. Nun muss Trump die wenigen Karten, die er noch auf der Hand hat, neu bewerten. Findet er noch ein Ass oder einen Joker? Der Überwältigungssieg aus der Luft ist ausgeblieben; der politische Deal zur Öffnung der Straße von Hormus erweist sich als Non-Starter; die Islamische Republik wirtschaftlich zu erdrosseln, wird dauern, und ein Erfolg ist keineswegs garantiert. Was also tun?
Erst einmal Radau machen. Wenn Oman sich uns in den Weg stellen sollte, werden wir es in Grund und Boden bomben, bellt der Präsident in Richtung seines zuverlässigen arabischen Verbündeten. Trump will seinen Wählern daheim das Gefühl vermitteln, dass die in der Straße von Hormus auf Grund gelaufene US-Militärmacht weiter tun kann, was sie will. Kann sie aber nicht.
Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea. These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful. Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises! While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, No thanks! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP
Whatever Trump’s feelings, his bumbled comments (and needless fumbling of likely classified information) nonetheless revealed how much Trump regards nuclear weapons as a sign of status, and sent a message of crystalline clarity to Iran: Nuclear deterrence, even with only a few bombs, works. Get a nuclear weapon as soon as you can if you want to be safe and treated with the kind of deference America shows to North Korea.
Wenn man nicht wüsste, dass im Weißen Haus multidimensionales Schach gespielt wird, könnte man glatt auf die Idee kommen, die US-Administration sei kommunikativ und strategisch völlig überfordert.
Man kann über die etwas verstaubte Bürgerlichkeit der CDU spotten, aber zivile Umgangsformen haben durchaus ihren Charme. Wenn beispielsweise ein CDU-Parteifreund und -Amtsträger einer rechtsextremen Partei eine größere Summe spendet und deren Wahlsieg herbeiwünscht, reagiert der sachsen-anhaltinische CDU-Spitzenkandidat im Wahlkampf so gesittet, wie es gerade in innerparteilichen Konflikten leider selten geworden ist:
Finde ich nicht gut.
Es ist kaum vorstellbar, dass Faschisten in einer derart zivilen und von Respekt geprägten politischen Kultur einen Fuß auf den Boden bekommen.
Over the past nine years, Donald Trump has returned again and again to the concept of steam power. He loves the way that steam propels fighter jets off the decks of aircraft carriers, and he laments that the Navy has pivoted to electromagnetic launchers in its new ships. That beautiful scene, he rhapsodized at a rally in 2023: That steam goes off, and that plane gets thrown the hell off; the power, beautiful. And it’s cheap!
By The Guardian’s accounting, Trump has spoken publicly about these steam catapults every year since 2017, when he claimed to have told the crew of the USS Gerald Ford that they’d be going to goddamned steam. The Gerald Ford is the only one of the Navy’s 11 operational aircraft carriers that’s not currently equipped with steam catapults. Instead, it uses the more modern Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which runs on electricity from the vessel’s two nuclear reactors. Trump’s wish for the Gerald Ford to return to steam was never fulfilled; the ship was already in the water. Until last week, future ships were set to use electromagnetic propulsion too. But on Thursday, Trump ordered one of the Navy’s planned carriers, the USS Doris Miller, to be outfitted with steam catapults instead.
Man kann nur hoffen, dass die zeitintensive präsidentielle Befassung mit den Vor- und Nachteilen von EMALS nicht zu einer Vernachlässigung anderer strategisch wichtigerProjekte führt.
