February 2024 - cypherpunks@lists.ogf.org

NYCB Faces Another Class Action Over CRE Challenges
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

NYCB Faces Another Class Action Over CRE Challenges <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1797651?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…> By Brent Godwin A New York Community Bank investor has brought a proposed class action alleging that executives falsely boasted of the bank's financial condition after making two large acquisitions, when the deals in fact weighed down its balance sheet and led to a significant dividend reduction. Complaint attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1797651?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1797651?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…>

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Ref Says Suspended Fla. Atty Needs To Take Ethics Class
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

Ref Says Suspended Fla. Atty Needs To Take Ethics Class <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1797945?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> By Carolina Bolado An ethics referee on Tuesday recommended not reinstating a suspended Tampa attorney to the Florida Bar because he failed to complete the ethics training required by the 2021 order that suspended him for making unfounded claims of racial bias against judges and opposing counsel. Report attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1797945?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1797945?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…>

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Exxon ESG Proxy Statement Suit May Chill Investor Proposals
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

Exxon ESG Proxy Statement Suit May Chill Investor Proposals <https://www.law360.com/compliance/articles/1796229?nl_pk=ab5ce197-c1fb-4d8e…> Exxon Mobil’s recent use of a Texas federal lawsuit to intimidate shareholders into withdrawing a climate-friendly proxy proposal could inspire more public companies to sue to avoid adopting ESG resolutions — a power move that would chill activist investor participation and unbalance shareholder-corporate relations, say Domenico Minerva and James Fee at Labaton Keller. Complaint attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/compliance/articles/1796229?nl_pk=ab5ce197-c1fb-4d8e…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/compliance/articles/1796229?nl_pk=ab5ce197-c1fb-4d8e…>

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Biden's OECD Pick Vows To Warren He'll Avoid Crypto Policy
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

Subject: Biden's OECD Pick Vows To Warren He'll Avoid Crypto Policy Biden's OECD Pick Vows To Warren He'll Avoid Crypto Policy <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1798024?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…> By Aislinn Keely A former New York congressman who's been nominated to serve as the U.S. ambassador to a global economic development body has said he'll forgo working on crypto-oriented policy if he's confirmed to the job after Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D.-Mass, expressed concern over his work with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. Letter attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1798024?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1798024?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…>

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Exclusive: Morale 'very low' over UNFPA New York staff move to Nairobi | Devex
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

https://www.devex.com/news/exclusive-morale-very-low-over-unfpa-new-york-st… FEB. 15, 2024 BY ANDREW GREEN Moving day is coming for a quarter of the U.N. Population Fund’s New York-based employees, who will begin transitioning to Nairobi next year. And many of the staff members slated to make that move are not happy about it. Staff members found out via email last September after the decision had already been made. The logic is that the agency will be made more efficient and effective by moving its core functions closer to the people it is helping. But some staff members, who spoke to Devex on condition of anonymity, are concerned the decision wasn’t fully thought through. The majority of the people moving to Nairobi are responsible for developing policy and maintaining interagency and intergovernmental relationships — something that’s tough to do remotely, they said. Only 10 members of the policy and technical programs staffers are slated to remain behind in New York, meaning that policy influence and advocacy work could fall disproportionately on that small group. UNFPA officials, for their part, are emphasizing the opportunity the move offers to respond faster to the communities they are supporting. The agency prioritizes reducing maternal mortality, and it will now have a headquarters on the same continent as nine of the 10 countries with the highest rates of maternal mortality. The move is also in line with a growing trend of agencies and NGOs relocating to the global south. Nairobi, in particular, has emerged as a major hub for the U.N., with UNEP and UN-Habitat also headquartered there. Staff members aren’t just voicing their displeasure, though. People who don’t want to move are already looking for other jobs or taking voluntary early separation — moves that threaten to disrupt UNFPA’s work between now and next year’s relocation.

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The 'cynical space' where aid, tech, and militaries intersect | Devex
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

https://www.devex.com/news/the-cynical-space-where-aid-tech-and-militaries-… FEB. 15, 2024 BY MICHAEL IGOE A new report maps the landscape of humanitarian aid data — and finds reason to worry. Data protection, cybersecurity, and information for sale are just a handful of the reasons to ask if the aid sector is doing enough to protect information about the people it serves. Also in today’s edition: A breakdown of aid donors’ sectoral spending, a look at the Munich Security Conference, and some thoughts on “epistemic humility” from billionaire and effective altruist Dustin Moskovitz. Responsibility to protect It’s Thursday, Feb. 15. Do you know where your data is? Humanitarian aid groups collect a lot of data: biometrics, phone numbers, identification cards, ethnic and religious identity, financial information, geolocation, dietary habits, family size, history of gender-based violence, birth and death certificates, medical data. Sometimes it’s even a condition for providing assistance, and in many cases the humanitarian sector says it is essential for getting the right support to the right people. But as data collection has proliferated, so have questions about privacy, security, and proper use of people’s personal information, my colleague Sara Jerving reports. Sara has the first look at a new report — released today — from Giulio Coppi at Access Now which maps the relationships between private technology companies and international humanitarian organizations. The map that Coppi has drawn is not a particularly comforting one. He finds “an opaque world, increasingly consolidated in few hands, dealing in the data of the world’s most vulnerable and providing fertile ground to greedy data brokers and intermediaries.” It’s a world that’s vulnerable to cyberattacks, exposed to a global economy in which the “rare datasets” gathered by aid groups can be valuable financial commodities, and populated by numerous players, each collecting different types of data through overlapping platforms under shifting rules and ethical norms. “There cannot be meaningful consent when your life depends on giving away your data,” Coppi says.

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Insurer Wants Out Of Covering SC Club Shooting
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

Insurer Wants Out Of Covering SC Club Shooting <https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/1797643?nl_pk=59612751-8689-4b1e-…> By Riley Murdock A Nationwide unit has told a South Carolina federal court it doesn't have to defend a nightclub operator against a former patron's negligence suit, arguing that an assault and battery exclusion in its liquor liability policy bars coverage for the claimant's shooting-related injuries. 2 documents attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/1797643?nl_pk=59612751-8689-4b1e-…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/1797643?nl_pk=59612751-8689-4b1e-…>

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Capital One Accused Of Hiding Savings Account Changes
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

Capital One Accused Of Hiding Savings Account Changes <https://www.law360.com/banking/articles/1798049?nl_pk=feb6bbba-7878-4d39-be…> By Henrik Nilsson Capital One concealed from existing account holders that it offered new customers superior high-yield savings account options while also cutting interest rates on older accounts to reap financial benefits, according to a proposed class action filed Wednesday in California federal court. Complaint attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/banking/articles/1798049?nl_pk=feb6bbba-7878-4d39-be…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/banking/articles/1798049?nl_pk=feb6bbba-7878-4d39-be…>

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9th Circ. Open To Rebooting Suit Over Apple App Crypto Theft
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

9th Circ. Open To Rebooting Suit Over Apple App Crypto Theft <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1797875?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…> By Dorothy Atkins A Ninth Circuit panel appeared open Wednesday to reviving a putative class action alleging Apple misrepresented the safety of its App Store after users' cryptocurrency was stolen from an app, with two judges questioning why the allegations can't survive when Apple has consistently touted its security in separate antitrust litigation. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1797875?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1797875?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…>

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Deputy AG Warns Of Harsher Penalties For Crimes Aided By AI
by Gunnar Larson 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

Deputy AG Warns Of Harsher Penalties For Crimes Aided By AI <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1797946?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…> By Stewart Bishop Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco on Wednesday said the U.S. Department of Justice will seek harsher penalties for crimes committed with the aid of artificial intelligence, calling the technology a "double-edged sword" that can be exploited by criminals but utilized by prosecutors with the right controls in place. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1797946?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/competition/articles/1797946?nl_pk=6416fd97-1dc4-4e0…>

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