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Sam Knight - page 18

Sam Knight has 859 articles published.

Obama Admin. Regulator Warns “Massive” Derivatives Market Fraud Is Flying Under the Radar

A former top financial regulator who served under President Obama has warned that there is “a massive amount of misconduct” that goes unpunished in derivatives markets. Ex-Commodity Futures Trading Commission enforcement chief Aitan Goelman told Reuters on Friday that the body lacks the means to ferret out malfeasance, in the era of computerized trading. “We could do a lot more manipulation cases. We have all these new enforcement tools and this vastly expanded jurisdiction and data,” Goelman said. “But you have to be acutely conscious… Keep Reading

Wall Street Can Hire Firm Tied to Trump SEC Chair to Lessen Chance of Getting Punished

President Trump’s pick to be the United States’ top stock market regulator has been described as a “fox guarding the henhouse.” But the predator analogy might not be appropriate because he would be napping for much of the time, according to ethics rules and his job history. SEC Chair-nominee Jay Clayton would have to recuse himself from a wide range of cases involving heavy-hitters in the financial industry, he admitted on Thursday, before the Senate Banking Committee. As a partner at a well-heeled law firm, Clayton… Keep Reading

Distrust of Surveillance State Grows, As Expiration of Key Law Inches Closer

Democrats and Republicans teamed up to blast the FBI on Wednesday, using a government audit on facial recognition capabilities to suggest that surveillance reform could be in the offing. The Bureau has been the target of anger from both parties over the past few months, with criminal investigations impacting presidential politics like they haven’t since the Nixon Era. House Oversight Committee chair Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) brought up some of the recent displeasure from conservatives, in a hearing before the panel. “Somebody decided to take off… Keep Reading

Pro-Gorsuch Dark Money Raises Doubts About Judicial Independence

A Democratic lawmaker expressed concerns on Tuesday about a well-funded advocacy campaign compromising the independence of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) noted that conservative donors are anonymously spending $10 million on lobbying for Gorsuch’s appointment. He said the initiative raises questions about Gorsuch needing to recuse himself from future cases, should his nomination pass the Senate. Those queries, however, cannot currently be answered, with the money having been given anonymously. When asked by Whitehouse about the source of the funding, Gorsuch… Keep Reading

Pattern of Deportation As Retaliation Emerging in Trump Era

Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions raise questions about the Trump Administration using deportation proceedings to punish political opponents—both institutions and individuals. Three undocumented activists in Vermont were arrested over the past week by ICE agents—two of them, while leaving the office of an organization that advocates for immigrants’ rights. In Texas, meanwhile, a federal magistrate judge on Monday confirmed that immigration agents were conducting raids in response to policy changes carried out by the county seat of Austin. The Texas-based federal magistrate, Judge Andrew… Keep Reading

Corruption Case Against Sen. Menendez Can Proceed, SCOTUS Rules

The Supreme Court won’t consider throwing out corruption charges filed against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). Justices did not give any reasoning for not granting Menendez a hearing, as is the norm. The lawmaker’s appeal was one of many on Monday that the high court declined to hear. The decision means prior rulings on the indictment will stand, and that a criminal trial can now proceed this fall. Last summer, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia rejected Menendez’s arguments for dismissing the charges. Menendez… Keep Reading

Senior Navy Officials Accused of Interfering in Sexual Assault Investigation

The Pentagon is investigating charges that senior Navy officials “adversely affected the independence” of an internal probe into the “career paths” of those who claim to be victims of sexual assault. The Department of Defense Inspector General said Wednesday that it is launching the inquiry after receiving “hotline allegations.” Carolyn Hantz, an official within the Pentagon’s primary watchdog, disclosed the opening of the investigation in a letter her naval counterparts. “This evaluation will include but is not limited to reviewing relevant supporting documentation and interviews… Keep Reading

Congress Approves of Drug Test Measure that “Vilifies Unemployed Workers”

Congress has voted to jettison Labor Department regulations that limit who can be drug-tested before collecting unemployment benefits from state governments. The Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution under the Congressional Review Act, disapproving of the rule in a 51-48 party line vote. Lawmakers in the House had already advanced the measure, and it now only needs the signature of President Trump before the Obama-era framework is fully scrapped. “It isn’t some fringe or mean-spirited notion that there’s a connection between the use of illegal… Keep Reading

Federal Judge: FBI Can Keep Secret Rules on Warrantless Espionage of Reporters

A federal judge in San Francisco declined on Monday to force the FBI to reconsider a request to divulge guidelines for spying on journalists without a warrant. District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. ruled that the agency had properly responded to public records requests at the heart of the litigation, under Freedom of Information Act requirements. The Freedom of the Press Foundation, which filed the lawsuit, had claimed the FBI failed to reference a relevant memo, in response to prior FOIA requests and litigation filed by… Keep Reading

Trump Budget Puts 12 Million People at Risk of Losing Housing

Twelve million Americans could find themselves less secure in their housing situation, if President Trump’s budget is approved by Congress. Proposed cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could see 8 million people lose public housing, while an additional 4 million could see rental subsidies disappear, according to a report published Sunday by The Washington Post. The newspaper, which obtained the information in a “preliminary budget document,” said that overall outlined cuts to HUD would see the agency’s budget erode by $6… Keep Reading

Trump Pentagon Considering More Troops for Afghanistan War

The Trump Administration is considering the deployment of more troops to Afghanistan, according to testimony Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Gen. Joseph Votel, the leader of US Central Command, told the panel that the Pentagon is developing a new strategy, and that it will likely include an uptick in soldiers serving in the 15-year-old conflict. “I do believe that it will involve additional forces to ensure that we can make the ‘advise and assist’ mission more effective,” Votel told committee chair John McCain… Keep Reading

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