ECP NetHappenigs Newsletter Headlines Change is Coming

#Change is Gonna Come

Delaware Democrat introducing DC statehood bill in Senate
Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., walks on Capitol Hill Wednesday, May 4, 2022, in Washington  announced he’s reintroducing a bill to grant statehood to the nation’s capital. “The rumors are true! I’m introducing the #DCStatehood bill in the Senate this week,”

#AI

To All Freelancers:
It’s time to include “My work will not be used to train AI in any present or future projects in any capacity” clauses to your contracts.

ChatGPT passes MBA exam given by a Wharton professor
The bot’s performance on the test has “important implications for business school education,” wrote Christian Terwiesch, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Shutterstock has *already* used contributors’ artwork in AI datasets, without the artists’ informed consent. Remove your artwork from Shutterstock immediately. Remove your artwork from ANY of the big licensing websites, because I’m positive they’re all doing this.

ChatGPT: students could use AI to cheat, but it’s a chance to rethink assessment altogether

10 ways blockchain developers can use ChatGPT

#HEALTH

Dr James E Olsson” with 238,000 followers almost exclusively tweets anti-vax content and poses as a doctor at Johns Hopkins, though no doctor under that name seems to exist at the university. A real doctor named James E Olsson from Maryland died in 2006

Zients Failed and the World Paid the Price
Jha Must Lead White House Global Covid Response with Far More Vision and Ambition

“BIDEN: “And I think we — I sometimes underestimate it because I stopped thinking about it, but I’m sure you don’t: We lost 1 — over 1 million people in several years to COVID.” We lost almost 700,000 people to covid since Biden took office two years ago.

#LAW

Former President Donald Trump posed for picture with former Philly mob boss Joey Merlino at South Florida golf club
They share an affinity for golf and an aversion to cooperating witnesses who “flip” to help federal investigators.
But former President Donald Trump and former Philly mob boss Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino don’t have much to say about how they wound up in a photo together at a South Florida golf course.

“It’s flabbergasting how many times Sullivan & Cromwell’s name comes up. If all roads lead to the same law firm, maybe let’s hand them another paycheck”
MetaLawMan @MetaLawMan Jan 19
5/ Inexplicably, Mr. Ray now supports S&C’s move to serve as Debtors’ counsel, even though S&C:
–handled 20 engagements for FTX (a criminal enterprise from inception) in just 16 months;
–was paid $8.5 million in fees; and
–represented key figures SBF and N Singh personally

Sullivan & Cromwell Gets Go-Ahead to Represent FTX in Bankruptcy Proceedings, Despite Controversy
A bankruptcy court judge in Delaware has given New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell the green light to continue representing FTX during its bankruptcy proceedings.
The decision, issued on Friday morning by Judge John T. Dorsey, comes despite recent controversy about the white-shoe law firm having potential conflicts of interest that critics say should disqualify Sullivan & Cromwell from acting as debtors’ counsel.
Late Thursday evening, former FTX attorney Daniel Friedberg – who served as the now-defunct exchange’s chief regulatory officer – filed an unorthodox declaration that contained numerous bombshell allegations of wrongdoing in Sullivan & Cromwell’s previous work with FTX.
In his declaration, Friedberg alleged that Ryne Miller – FTX US’ general counsel and a former partner at Sullivan & Cromwell – funneled millions of dollars in legal work back to his ex-colleagues. The relationship between Miller and Sullivan & Cromwell was not initially disclosed by the law firm, leading the U.S. Trustee’s Office to file an objection to the appointment of Sullivan & Cromwell as debtors’ counsel on Jan. 13.
Friedberg and the U.S. Trustee’s Office are not the only ones that question Sullivan & Cromwell putting its finger in the FTX pie.
On Jan. 10, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators sent a letter to Judge Dorsey urging him to appoint an independent examiner and to question Sullivan & Cromwell’s involvement. The senators pointed out that there were “significant questions about the firm’s involvement in operations of FTX” and “put bluntly, the firm is simply not in a position to uncover the information needed to ensure confidence in any investigation or findings.”

“But I only have 100000.” ~Sam Bankman-Fried
Sam Bankman-Fried Lists $3.28 Million Washington D.C. House for Sale
https://watcher.guru/news/sam-bankman-fried-lists-3-28-million-washington-d-c-house-for-sale

Feds seize almost $700 million of FTX assets in Sam Bankman-Fried criminal case

sarah emerson “Many have wondered about FTX’s ties to its banks Moonstone and Deltec. FTX was a Deltec client when Alameda invested $11.5M in Moonstone, a rural Washington bank acquired by Deltec’s chairman Jean Chalopin (a co-creator of Inspector Gadget!) @DavidJeans2 and I have some answers.”

Educational CyberplayGround: NetHappenings Politics, AI, FTX, Debt, Good News

#POLITICS

Why are there so many tech layoffs, and why should we be worried?
As layoffs in the tech sector mount, Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer is worried. Research – by him, and others – has shown that the stress layoffs create takes a devastating toll on behavioral and physical health and increases mortality and morbidity substantially. Layoffs literally kill people, he said.
Why are so many tech companies laying people off right now?
The tech industry layoffs are basically an instance of social contagion, in which companies imitate what others are doing. If you look for reasons for why companies do layoffs, the reason is that everybody else is doing it. Layoffs are the result of imitative behavior and are not particularly evidence-based.

Texas Paul Schroder @Paultx890
FYI, cutting funding to cripple the IRS by Republicans has to pass through not just the House but also the Senate. It must also survive a Presidential veto. It’s dead before it finished leaving the vocal cords of those traitor bastards.

Senator Amanda Cappelletti @SenCappelletti
I was just called “out of order” in committee for calling January 6, 2021 exactly what it was: an insurrection.

WOW: After Dr Dre got her locked out of her Twitter account for stealing his music, Marjorie Taylor Greene just ATTACKED his “thug” lyrics.
Is there anything more Republican than appropriating a Black man’s music AND attacking it with racist dog whistles at the same time?

Kevin McCarthy agreed to cut aid for Ukraine 🇺🇦 to secure enough votes to become Speaker of the US 🇺🇸 House of Representatives, reported The Telegraph

@emptywheel
The people pretending there are hairs to split between the Biden and Trump docs story are missing one of the funniest differences.
At the time–continually since 2008–Biden had clearance.
Trump did not.
Anyway the crime in question–18 USC 793e–is refusing to give [classified] docs back.
Biden gave them back.
Trump still hasn’t.

The moment they were discovered they were all returned – they were not hidden or moved to another hiding place.
No search warrant was needed.
No affidavit falsely asserting all were returned was made.
No special master from a special’ judge was ordered.
Traditionally, former Presidents continue to receive classified intelligence briefings Biden did not extend this courtesy to Trump because of the security risk he presented *before* classified documents were found at MAL.

#AI

Cybercriminals Starting to Use ChatGPT – Check Point Research
hatGPT has also added some spice to the modern cyber threat landscape as it quickly became apparent that code generation can help less-skilled threat actors effortlessly launch cyberattacks.

Researcher Deepfakes His Voice, Uses AI to Demand Refund From Wells Fargo

“Kids are using AI to write essays and get straight A/s”
Will AI Art Help or Hurt Artists?
Imagine creating an entire painting by typing a few sentences. AI tools like Stable Diffusion will forever change how people create art. But will AI help or hurt artists? And what lessons can we learn from history on how this will play out? The AI model trains using images from other artists without their permission. As you can imagine, this has ethical implications.

#FTX

Sullivan & Cromwell, FTX Lead Counsel in Bankruptcy, Says It Has No Adverse Relationships, Despite Representing Four of FTX’s Crypto Exchange Competitors Andrew (Andy) Dietderich, Law Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell Sullivan & Cromwell ranks among the oldest law firms in America. It was founded 144 years ago by Algernon Sydney Sullivan and William Nelson Cromwell in Manhattan’s financial district. During the financial bust in the 1930s, Sullivan & Cromwell […]

JPMorgan Chase Hit with Lawsuit for Facilitating Jeffrey Epstein’s Crime Network; Similar Charges Were Brought Against It for Facilitating Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme

#DEBT

2022 Visualizing $65 Trillion in Hidden Dollar Debt
FX swap debt a $80 trillion ‘blind spot’ BIS says

No less than $65 trillion in unrecorded dollar debt circulates across the global financial system in non-U.S. banks and shadow banks. To put in perspective, global GDP sits at $104 trillion.

This dollar debt is in the form of foreign-exchange swaps, which have exploded over the last decade due to years of monetary easing and ultra-low interest rates, as investors searched for higher yields. Today, unrecorded debt from these foreign-exchange swaps is worth more than double the dollar debt officially recorded on balance sheets across these institutions.

No less than $65T in unrecorded debt circulates across the global financial system in non-US banks & shadow banks today

Visualizing $65 Trillion in Hidden Dollar Debt
READ https://elements.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-65-trillion-in-hidden-dollar-debt/

We’ve charted the rise in hidden dollar debt across non-US financial institutions & examined the wider implications of its growth:
According to the BIS, non-banks outside the US owe a mind-blowing $25 trillion in missing debt. And if that wasn’t enough, non-US banks owe an additional $35 trillion. It’s more than the combined total of US dollar Treasury bills, repurchase agreements, and commercial paper.
No problem – just create more! That’s the game.

Or….  maybe there is no such thing as a debt. There is only wealth transfer.

Fix The Money

Stack sats, separate money from state, end war, make the world a better place.

Total global debt is somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 trillion.
Couple that with total global assets and you get to 900 trillion USD.
Now say #bitcoin only absorbs 5% of that 900 trillion, that gives you a price target of 2.2 million per #bitcoin. Math is fun.

White Hat Gummo @GummoXXX Dec 13, 2022
#Binance should not be trusted. If you have money with this outfit you should remove it. #cryptocurrencies
Being kind to others is probably one of the best fucking things you can do today & everyday..
As per his claims, he says he is holding 171,347.32 BTC with BTC trading at $16,962 per coin, his stack is worth $2,906,387,814 today.

@GummoXXX teaching at https://www.ju.edu/
#hacker #blackhat | Hacker since 1986.
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
#Ethereum is an un-trusted biased network
Nov 21, 2022
Guys, if some #bitcoin or crypto evangelists is selling books, offering advice, has a telegram channel, website, app, has a significant ostentatious tone, it’s probably #bullshit these fuckers getting on stages at these crypto conferences are all fucking frauds. DONT send them $!
fun fact : I learned how to read & write aramaic by the agE of 14 😉 my colleagues used to trip out when they would see my notes ha!

Nov 10, 2022
…typical crypto scams be like

1. Has a telegram channel
2. Cannot be verified through ANY legitimate diligence
3. Obscure technologies
4. Operates outside of United States Jurisdictions
5. Usually some self professed crypt0 ‘god’ supposedly has the ‘secret’
6. +4% rtn

Good News

99% Efficiency: Princeton Engineers Have Developed a New Way To Remove Microplastics From Water

FDA Approves Alzheimer’s Drug Lecanemab Intended To Tackle The Root Of The Condition And Slow Cognitive Decline Amid Safety Concerns What many regard as a milestone approval has been tainted by reports of deaths that may have been caused by the therapy. Lecanemab, the second medication to treat Alzheimer’s disease and delay cognitive decline, has been given the green light by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Researchers applaud the decision, but the joy is tempered by reports that the FDA acted incorrectly when it approved the first such medicine last year and patient deaths.

ECP NetHappenings Headlines – Security, Health, FTX, Politics, Friends

ECP NetHappenings Headlines

#SECURITY

U.S. lawmakers unveil bipartisan bid to ban China’s TikTok

Oath Keepers Have Worked for Department of Homeland Security: Report – Rolling Stone

Who Really Invented the Thumb Drive?

Which Explains This

An intel analyst tried to prevent the Jan. 6 attack — but DHS failed to act

#HEALTH

“US outbreaks reported since Spring:
Covid, RSV, severe rhinovirus, Enterovirus-D68, parechovirus, Influenza A/H1N1, Mpox, measles, “mystery” pediatric hepatitis, adenovirus, Legionella, meningococcal disease, a cornucopia of foodborne pathogens, & C-auris. And polio returned.”

Judge rejects vaccine choice law in health care settings

How Medicare Advantage plans dodged auditors and overcharged taxpayers by millions

Research-Giant Salk Institute Partners with HUMAN Protocol to Tap into Web3’s Biggest Workforce

Catholic collective narcissism linked to acceptance of myths about child sexual abuse

POLITICS

Clarence Thomas Should Resign for Being ‘Corrupt as Hell’: Congressman

Freedom of the Press “URGENT: Tell @SenSchumer to pass the PRESS Act and stop the government from spying on reporters! @ChuckSchumer can put the PRESS Act in the Senate’s end-of-year package and be a hero for press freedom.
https://freedom.press/news/urgent-tell-sen-schumer-to-pass-the-press-act-and-stop-the-government-from-spying-on-journalists/

Laurence Tribe on Twitter: “The constitutional officer second in line to the presidency should not be someone who tried to overturn the last election for the presidency.” But too few Dems will vote for any R. So the problem is bipartisan, though asymmetrical.

Preparing for the Worst
Unless voters wake up—and Democrats wake them up—we’re on the verge of permanent, minoritarian, single-party rule.

Mark Meadows Exchanged Texts With 34 Members Of Congress About Plans To Overturn The 2020 Election

Senator Merkley Introduces Legislation to Ban Hedge Fund Ownership of Residential Housing

Billionaire Ken Griffin sues IRS over tax disclosure
Hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin has sued the IRS and the Treasury Department over the “unlawful disclosure” of his tax information, escalating the battle in Washington over leaked tax filings of super-wealthy people including Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos.

Tech Figure In Dot-Com Child Sex Scandal Was A Clinton Global Initiative Member

#FTX

Chief Economist at the European Central Bank takes 1m30s to explain why fiat is a scam. Peter Praet, Chief Economist at the ECB, trying to explain how central bank money gets created.

Crypto Insurance Firm Evertas Bucks Bear Market With $14M Raise

FOLLOW FTX CASE Kroll Restructuring Administration

Congressman Tom Emmer alleges SEC Chairman Gensler was aware of FTX fraud

New FTX CEO is getting paid $1,300 an hour, and customers will foot the bill

FTX’s inner circle had a secret chat group called ‘Wirefraud’

How a secret software change allowed FTX to use client money | They all knew they were stealing funds that’s why “conspiracy”

Co CEO Carolyn might be the whistle blower and may have been paid 20 million dollars reward money.  SBF’s Daddy was also working there for 1 year so we don’t know if he will get charged.

Neeraj K. Agrawal on Twitter: “@SenWarren The Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act is an opportunistic, unconstitutional assault on cryptocurrency self custody, developers, and node operators Nothing about the bill would prevent the next FTX. In fact, it puts users at more risk.

The Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act is an opportunistic, unconstitutional assault on cryptocurrency self custody, developers, and node operators

“Context: in her decade as a Senator, Elizabeth Warren has introduced 315 bills. Only one has been enacted into law. That’s a 0.32% success rate.”

Canadian regulator bans margin and leverage crypto trading and says stablecoins are considered securities

Musk suspended the twitter acct that follow his Jet.
“The powers-that-be don’t want you know how they’re using their private jets.”

Musk Didn’t Even Vote in Midterms He Cared So Much About

Friends

All thanks to Jonny for sending the following:

How Elon Musk’s anti-Fauci attacks are designed for the ‘right-wing information ecosystem’

Musk Declares ‘I’m Rich, Bitch!’ After Thousands Boo Him At Dave Chappelle Show

Dr. Fauci Hits Back At Elon Musk Attack With Withering Description Of Twitter

‘Losing value’: Mary Trump reveals the real reason why Ivanka and Kushner distanced themselves from Trump

In Wake Of Shocking Dinner, Trump Says It’s Jews Who Should Be ‘Ashamed’ For Disloyalty

Coinbase has 66% rise in police, government info requests
Coinbase says law enforcement departments and other government agencies sent it 12,320 requests for information from October 2021 through September, a 66% increase from what the cryptocurrency exchange saw in the previous 12-month period. Nearly 90% of the requests in the US were connected to federal, state or local criminal inquiries, while the remainder involved civil matters.

They Weren’t Rich But They Wanted to Invest. Then They Lost Everything on FTX.

The FTX Collapse Is Also a Huge Campaign Finance Scandal

Why Tom Brady, David Ortiz, Jimmy Fallon and other celebrities are getting sued over crypto

Snap Snap
They’re Really Spooky Mysterious and Ooky

Charles Addams: The Addams Family’s Ties to Penn

Sam Bankman Fried Apologizes

Reminder:
“Bitcoin Moderates” told you to put your money in FTX and BlockFi.
Still think it’s Maximalists who are toxic?

Uncertain US regulations drove 95% of trading activities offshore,
all Thanks to Gary but that also left  FTX.us customers unaffected!

Tom Emmer @RepTomEmmer
Interesting. @GaryGensler runs to the media while reports to my office allege he was helping SBF and FTX work on legal loopholes to obtain a regulatory monopoly. We’re looking into this.
@GaryGensler I’ll be joining @andrewrsorkin on @SquawkCNBC at 8:00am ET to discuss recent developments in the crypto markets.

HOLY SHIT In front of a room of lawmakers…

SBF @SBF_FTX Sam Bankman Fried Apologizes

1 though 15
https://twitter.com/SBF_FTX/status/1590709166515310593

Take away
[THIS IS ALL ABOUT FTX INTERNATIONAL, THE NON-US EXCHANGE. FTX US USERS ARE FINE!]

ending with

15) First, one way or another, Alameda Research is winding down trading.

–//–

FatMan @FatManTerra
After Hodlnaut defrauded their customers by secretly putting everything into UST, the court-appointed judicial managers stored the leftover funds for creditors in various places for safekeeping… Including $13m in FTX. RIP, double rugged.

FTX tapped into client accounts to fund risky bets, WSJ reports.
FTX HAD $16 BILLION IN CUSTOMER ASSETS; FTX LENT MORE THAN HALF OF ITS CUSTOMER FUNDS TO ITS SISTER COMPANY ALAMEDA – WSJ
Being that causal about stealing $8B of customer deposits and lending it out without their consent is disgusting.

FTX Japan ordered to stop operations!

Tether
Begins Freezing FTX USDT at the Request of Law Enforcement While Investigations Occur: Tether Exec
Tether freezes $46 million $USDT linked to an FTX address at the request of law enforcement, CoinDesk reports.

@JasonPLowery
“Have fun staying poor” wasn’t just a meme.

Lea Kissner @LeaKissner (Now former) CISO @Twitter Privacy eng, security, crypto & build respect. they/them
I’ve made the hard decision to leave Twitter. I’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing people and I’m so proud of the privacy, security, and IT teams and the work we’ve done.
I’m looking forward to figuring out what’s next, starting with my reviews for @USENIXSecurity

The youth saved our ass, now it’s time to put them in office.