May 2024 - cypherpunks@lists.ogf.org

Ousted Publishing CEO Not Satisfied With Say In Potential Sale
by Gunnar Larson 28 May '24

28 May '24

Ousted Publishing CEO Not Satisfied With Say In Potential Sale <https://www.law360.com/mergersacquisitions/articles/1841043?nl_pk=a34c25b5-…> By Matthew Santoni The ousted CEO of the publisher behind the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Toledo Blade isn't dropping his case against his family's newspaper empire just because he won his bid to weigh in on the company's potential sale, his attorney told an Ohio state court judge Friday, who compared the conflict to a messy divorce. 3 documents attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/mergersacquisitions/articles/1841043?nl_pk=a34c25b5-…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/mergersacquisitions/articles/1841043?nl_pk=a34c25b5-…>

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Fwd: Your Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Request FOIL-2024-097305-022242 - Crypto's Most Powerful Regulator - Adrienne Harris Recusal Records
by Gunnar Larson 28 May '24

28 May '24

Dear Katerina: I hope this email finds you well. The email below from New York State does not allow me to take the quiz this weekend for religious purposes, as it says "In God We Trust" on the United States Dollar. Can I please request an extension to the MOOC Quiz scheduled this weekend? I would like to take the quiz on June 10, 2024. I do not feel comfortable taking the MOOC Quiz until New York State is clear with xNY.io - Bank.org on the recusal status of the DFS Superintendent. Katerina, without these crypto recusal records the MSc and UNIC in Cyprus would have been taken advantage of. xNY.io - Bank.org respectfully reserves all rights. Warm regards, Gunnar -- Gunnar Larson xNY.io | Bank.org MSc - Digital Currency MBA - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) G(a)xNY.io +1-917-580-8053 New York, New York 10001 ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: <Idel.Lendoff(a)dfs.ny.gov> Date: Fri, May 10, 2024, 10:41 AM Subject: Your Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Request FOIL-2024-097305-022242 To: <G(a)xny.io>, <Pascale.JeanBaptiste(a)dfs.ny.gov> Good morning, Attached please find correspondence from the NYS Department of Financial Services, pertaining to your FOIL request. Thank you. Tracking Number:FOIL-2024-097305-022242 SENT VIA EMAIL G(a)xny.io May 10, 2024 Gunnar D. Larson 406 W. 25th Street New York, NY 10001 Re: Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”) Tracking No. 2024-097305 Dear Gunnar D. Larson: I write in response to the FOIL request that you submitted to The New York State Department of Financial Services (“Department”), which has been assigned tracking number 2024-097305. The Department requires additional time to respond to your FOIL request because we are still working on your request. The Department intends to provide its determination of your request by June 10, 2024. Thank you. 2024-097305: 3/11/24: Dear Madam or Sir: On March 30, 2022 New York Magazine published a profile of NY-DFS Superintendent Adrienne Harris titled "Crypto’s Most Powerful Regulator Is Here Adrienne Harris, New York’s financial watchdog, has enormous sway over the industry’s future" ( https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/adrienne-harris-is-cryptos-most-pow…) The profile of Superintendent Harris quotes "... that she would recuse herself from any dealings with companies she has conflicts with." xNY.io - Bank.org seeks access to any and all records specific to Superintendent Harris' recusal(s) as of February 1, 2024. Thank you, Gunnar -- Gunnar Larson xNY.io | Bank.org MSc - Digital Currency MBA - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) G(a)xNY.io +1-917-580-8053 New York, New York 10001

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Havana Syndrome, Part 2: How a dog's brain may help solve the mystery of Canadian diplomats' Cuban nightmare
by Gunnar Larson 28 May '24

28 May '24

Right now, I am under entrapment (again) and Brody (my beautiful 13 year old St. Bernard) is nervous. Here is research on dogs getting nervous under such conditions: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/havana-syndrome-part-2-how-a-dogs… Could a dog’s brain offer any clues to the mysterious concussion-like syndrome affecting Canadian and American diplomats who were posted to Cuba? That is one of the many threads being pulled in an effort by researchers and scientists — and those affected — to better understand the condition referred to as Havana Syndrome, which has been blamed for debilitating some Canadian diplomats and their families. Little is known about what could have caused the symptoms shared by some diplomats who were posted in Cuba, although U.S. investigators have ruled out sonic weapons, according to the Washington Post. A doctor who examined some of the Canadian and U.S. diplomats has suggested the damage stems from a microwave weapon. 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'Far beyond' reasonable: Federal union wants 47 per cent compensation increase over three years TRENDING The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) headquarters in Ottawa. The TBS says the union’s demands for its 120,000 employees would cost nearly $10 billion over the next three years.Next Breadcrumb Trail Links Politics National Local News Havana Syndrome, Part 2: How a dog's brain may help solve the mystery of Canadian diplomats' Cuban nightmare Author of the article:Elizabeth Payne Published Feb 27, 2019 • Last updated Feb 28, 2019 • 5 minute read Join the conversation Andrew King sketches of Elizabeth Payne's Havana Syndrome series. PHOTO BY ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW KING /Postmedia Article content Could a dog’s brain offer any clues to the mysterious concussion-like syndrome affecting Canadian and American diplomats who were posted to Cuba? Advertisement 2 STORY CONTINUES BELOW This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content That is one of the many threads being pulled in an effort by researchers and scientists — and those affected — to better understand the condition referred to as Havana Syndrome, which has been blamed for debilitating some Canadian diplomats and their families. The brains of those diplomats and their spouses are being tested at Dalhousie’s Brain Repair Centre. Officials there were unavailable for interviews, but one of the diplomats involved told this newspaper that early findings have amazed researchers. Little is known about what could have caused the symptoms shared by some diplomats who were posted in Cuba, although U.S. investigators have ruled out sonic weapons, according to the Washington Post. A doctor who examined some of the Canadian and U.S. diplomats has suggested the damage stems from a microwave weapon. Still others have suggested the sounds being reported were actually crickets and that the symptoms are psychosomatic or a form of mass hysteria, hypotheses that anger those living with the after-effects. Dr. Michael Hoffer, a professor of otolaryngology and neurological surgery at the University of Miami, who examined 25 people linked to the diplomatic community in Havana, is frustrated by suggestions that the harms done to some of the diplomats are not real. Hoffer was the lead author of a paper that found all of the diplomatic personnel complaining of dizziness, ear pain and tinnitus suffered from an otolithic abnormality (affecting inner ear organs related to balance) and cognitive dysfunction. Such injuries could result in other symptoms such as cognitive difficulties and exhaustion, he said. “Here is the thing: These people did have an injury. I don’t know who injured them. I don’t know what injured them. But I am impatient with the fact that a lot of people are saying it was crickets or an infectious disease. “These people did have an injury. I don’t know who injured them. I don’t know what injured them. But I am impatient with the fact that a lot of people are saying it was crickets or an infectious disease. “Something happened to them. These findings of the inner ear disorder cannot be faked,” he said. “It is not hysteria. It is not crickets.” The suggestion that the symptoms could be psychosomatic has added to the frustration of affected Canadian diplomats. According to documents obtained through access to information by the National Post, a federal government official suggested early on that the symptoms could be psychosomatic. When contacted by this newspaper, one of those diplomats was wary about people questioning the syndrome. That diplomat, who uses the pseudonym Diplomat Allen, is among 15 Canadian diplomatic staff and their families suffering from Havana Syndrome. They are suing the federal government for $28 million, citing lack of support, information and treatment, among other things. He and his family began experiencing mysterious symptoms now associated with the syndrome when they were living in Havana in 2017. Allen and his family left Havana in the fall of 2017 after a series of unexplained events, including a screeching metallic sound in the middle of the night that left them with a variety of symptoms including nausea, uncontrolled nosebleeds, headaches and cognitive difficulties. During the summer of 2017, before the family returned to Ottawa, their three Shih Tzu dogs were behaving strangely, said Allen. Almost every night, the dogs would run to the corner of their yard backing on to a house where American diplomatic staff lived and bark frantically, for no apparent reason. “There was nothing there.” The dogs were shipped back to Ottawa after the family returned. One of them, a seven-year-old, subsequently began behaving strangely — suddenly biting at non-existent flies, arching its back and lying on its back and putting its feet in the air. A veterinarian diagnosed seizures and told the family there was something wrong with the dog’s brain. The vet recommended the dog be euthanized. Allen passed the information to a medical official at Global Affairs who asked if they could arrange for a necropsy on the dog. The necropsy (similar to an autopsy but performed on an animal) was conducted in Kemptville, where the University of Guelph has a campus. Later, Allen and his wife, along with other Canadian diplomats from Havana, travelled to Halifax where they are being assessed and studied at Dalhousie University’s Brain Repair Centre. Doctors there obtained a sample of the dog’s brain, said Allen. In December, researchers at Dalhousie told Allen they had found “something significant” in the dog’s brain and needed more samples. “It could be related,” Allen was told. Any links may help fill in the many blanks surrounding the mysterious syndrome. Researchers at Dalhousie are continuing to study the Canadian diplomats and spouses. Allen said he has been told “they were amazed” at what they found through MRIs of the diplomats’ brains and other tests. “All of us have brain bleeds that we shouldn’t have — and our thought processes are slower than people our age,” he said. MRIs show bleeds coming from small capillaries in their brains, he said, which are completely different from the control group. “For us, this is the concrete evidence we needed that this was real.” Canadian diplomats and families have also been diagnosed with vestibular and vision disorders, cognitive disorders and other issues. There is a small sense of relief at seeing some concrete evidence, but for Allen and others, that does little to allay fears about the future. Those with young children are particularly worried about how they might be affected in the long term. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the affected diplomats have Canada’s “utmost sympathy and support.” Meanwhile, there are more questions than answers about how and why the damage occurred. Were Canadians collateral damage or targets? What kind of weapons were used? And why? Daniel Livermore, a former foreign service officer who is a senior fellow at uOttawa’s department of public and international affairs, said there is little more than speculation about the source of the mysterious injuries to diplomats — one is that Havana Syndrome resulted from some sort of eavesdropping device gone awry, another is that the injuries are the result of targeted weapons. Cuba, which has always had good international relations with Canada, is not considered to be behind the attacks, if that is what they were. Russia and China are both considered possible suspects if there were attacks with weapons. As to what kind of weapons, there are still more questions. “I don’t know how this is being weaponized,” Livermore said of speculation that the damage was done with microwave weapons. “I don’t even know what the motivation would be. I don’t see a motive,” he said.

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NYPD, FDNY, teachers and NYC worker pension funds have millions sunk in TikTok parent ByteDance
by Gunnar Larson 28 May '24

28 May '24

https://nypost.com/2024/05/14/us-news/nypd-fdny-teachers-and-nyc-worker-pen… US NEWS EXCLUSIVE NYPD, FDNY, teachers and NYC worker pension funds may have millions sunk in TikTok parent ByteDance By Caitlin Doornbos Published May 14, 2024, 4:57 p.m. ET WASHINGTON – Millions of dollars from US pension funds – including those of New York’s police officers and firefighters – are likely invested in ByteDance, the Chinese-controlled parent company of TikTok that is under a standing order from Congress to sell off the popular social media platform or face its banning. The non-profit investment-watchdog group Future Union has identified 48 pension funds that have entrusted their money with venture capital and private equity firms known to have invested in ByteDance since 2012, according to a new report obtained by The Post Tuesday. Six of the largest are directly tied to New York, including the state’s common retirement fund and teacher’s retirement system, as well as New York City’s employees’ retirement system, police pension fund and teachers’ retirement system. Future Union was unable to track down exactly how much money was directly invested into ByteDance because its proprietary data “is not required to be publicly provided by the pensions funds.”

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FCA Bans Two Advisers Accused Of Misleading Clients
by Gunnar Larson 28 May '24

28 May '24

FCA Bans Two Advisers Accused Of Misleading Clients <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840846?nl_pk=a94fc…> By Josh White The Financial Conduct Authority has banned two advisers from working in financial services for "recklessly" exposing pension holders to high-risk investments, the regulator said Friday. Read full article » <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840846?nl_pk=a94fc…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840846?nl_pk=a94fc…>

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Woman Imprisoned For Laundering From $5B Bitcoin Fraud
by Gunnar Larson 28 May '24

28 May '24

Woman Imprisoned For Laundering From $5B Bitcoin Fraud <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840845?nl_pk=a94fc…> By Ronan Barnard A British-Chinese woman was imprisoned for more than six years on Friday at a London court for laundering bitcoin converted from an alleged £5 billion ($6.3 billion) investment fraud. Read full article » <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840845?nl_pk=a94fc…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840845?nl_pk=a94fc…>

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Labour Gov't Could Force Big Tech Into Fraud Repayments
by Gunnar Larson 28 May '24

28 May '24

Labour Gov't Could Force Big Tech Into Fraud Repayments <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840910?nl_pk=a94fc…> By Alex Davidson A potential new Labour government means a turning point in tackling financial fraud if it should force big tech companies like Meta and Google to join banks in having to reimburse customers duped into sending fraudsters money, according to lawyers. Read full article » <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840910?nl_pk=a94fc…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.co.uk/financial-services-uk/articles/1840910?nl_pk=a94fc…>

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Hong Kong and Singapore Litigation Investment Forecast
by Gunnar Larson 27 May '24

27 May '24

Check out a recent article Litigationfinancejournal.com article of mine: Hong Kong and Singapore Litigation Investment Forecast <https://litigationfinancejournal.com/hong-kong-and-singapore-litigation-inv…> International arbitration has experienced an uptick in activity over the past decade, with litigation finance driving increased accessibility to quality arbitration outcomes. Hong Kong and Singapore have both passed regulations to authorize third party funding in each jurisdiction. New research sponsored <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eqM4r9MPm7JDSBEo8QlHcG8uKDTrW13t/view?usp=…> by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, led by faculty of law professor Can Eken profiles Hong Kong and Singapore’s regulatory environment in granular detail. Eken compares and contrasts nuances between both markets, while asking what innovations Hong Kong and Singapore may embrace to further expand third party funding engagement across the international arbitration spectrum. Governments in Hong Kong and Singapore overwhelmingly embrace a ‘soft touch’ approach to litigation finance regulation. Forecasting the region’s growth prospects signal both Hong Kong and Singapore are in competition to be Asia’s arbitration capital, supported by friendly third party funding regulation. Eken suggests that with the high cost associated with international arbitration, viability is often framed by financial capacity. With such need, Hong Kong and Singapore are recognized as having pioneered international arbitration regulation, legalizing the use of third party funding agreements. As an added bonus, we have included 36 highlights <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eqM4r9MPm7JDSBEo8QlHcG8uKDTrW13t/view?usp=…> to Eken’s 23 page essay for your general reference. -- *Gunnar Larson - xNY.io <http://www.xNY.io> | Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* MSc <https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-digital-currency/?utm_source=Google&u…> - Digital Currency MBA <https://www.unic.ac.cy/business-administration-entrepreneurship-and-innovat…> - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) G(a)xNY.io +1-646-454-9107 New York, New York 10001

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Stubhub, Attys Beat Sanctions Bid For Lost Hyperlinked Docs
by Gunnar Larson 27 May '24

27 May '24

Stubhub, Attys Beat Sanctions Bid For Lost Hyperlinked Docs <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1840299?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> By Bonnie Eslinger A California federal magistrate judge on Monday rejected a request for sanctions against StubHub and its counsel over problems finding hyperlinked documents in a case brought by consumers seeking refunds for events that were canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19, saying the court's order requiring their production was "in most cases impossible to comply with." Order attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1840299?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1840299?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…>

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Pa. Justices OK Teacher 'Character' Test For Suspended Atty
by Gunnar Larson 27 May '24

27 May '24

Pa. Justices OK Teacher 'Character' Test For Suspended Atty <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1829570?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> By Matthew Santoni The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on Thursday upheld a lower court's ruling that an ex-attorney's disciplinary records can be used by the state Department of Education when evaluating whether that attorney has the "good moral character" to get a teaching license. Order attached | Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1829570?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/legalethics/articles/1829570?nl_pk=153d4a8a-6fb9-4a5…>

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