Patti Mohr

Trump Administration Moves to Establish Federal Rules for Crypto Markets

6Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Capitalism, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

Trump Administration Moves to Establish Federal Rules for Crypto Markets

Following Trump's Directive, the CFTC and SEC Request Public Feedback on Proposed Rulemaking The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has begun the process of establishing a federal regulatory framework for cryptocurrency markets. It follows a similar draft proposal by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Both proposed rules are now available for public review and comment. The crypto industry is one of the most active in Washington, DC, not only in terms of financing campaign activity in the run-up to the midterm elections, but also in shaping policy. President Trump is actively engaged in promoting the cryptocurrency industry. He hosted crypto and stock trading executives at the White House ahead of the CFTC meeting in August. Attendees included Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, R...

Progressives Take Economic Agenda Global as Spain Tests the Model

6Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Capitalism, Democracy, Europe, EU, Eurozone, and United Kingdom, Types of News: Brief

Progressives Take Economic Agenda Global as Spain Tests the Model

Spanish PM Calls for Snap Elections in November Amid Housing Crisis October 6, 2026—On the sidelines of the United Nations general debate in September, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was the featured guest at a breakfast hosted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The two politicians, along with other progressives, put forward an economic agenda focused on larbor rights, a higher minimum wage, housing regulations and rent control, and social protections across borders. https://youtu.be/JWbihVjDirM While he is celebrated among progressive circles overseas, back home Sánchez faces a crucial test. On Monday, he called for snap elections on November 29. It comes at a time of political crisis in Spain and neighboring France over affordability. The impact of the November 29 el...

Crypto, AI, and Israel All Spending Big to Influence U.S. Elections

6Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Democracy, Domestic Politics, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Crypto, AI, and Israel All Spending Big to Influence U.S. Elections

Spending by political action committees far outpaces what candidates running for office can and do spend. Follow the Money: PACs Lead Spending in the 2026 Midterms October 5, 2026—Campaign finance is where powerful interests intersect with government. The money spent does not just influence elections, it can also shape policies affecting society as a whole. In terms of money flowing through the campaign-finance system, political action committees (PACs) direct nearly three times as much money as candidates running for reelection or office. That concentration of money gives PACs considerable potential influence over which candidates reach—and remain in—office. The Power of the PAC Purse In terms of spending, candidates for office paid out$2 billion, while PACs reported $6.5 b...

DOJ Not Reopening Investigation into Former Fed Chair Powell

3Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates

DOJ Not Reopening Investigation into Former Fed Chair Powell

Federal Reserve Employed 'Insufficient' Oversight of $2.5 Billion Renovations October 3, 2026— Following the release of an inspector general report into renovations at the Federal Reserve under former chair Jerome Powell’s leadership, the case is effectively closed and will not be reopened. The Fed’s watchdog concluded that the central bank failed to manage the costs of the five-year construction project effectively. It produced a 121-page report detailing cost overruns and insufficient oversight and includes a letter by the current Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to make changes. In April, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, closed a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve that the DOJ started in January. The department’s subpoenas of the central bank were ...

Senator Seeks Accountability for Nine Americans Killed by Israeli Settlers and Military

1Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Foreign Aid, International Development, Human rights, Types of News: Brief, United States

Senator Seeks Accountability for Nine Americans Killed by Israeli Settlers and Military

Senate Rejects West Bank Human Rights Report in 51–47 Vote UNITED STATES October 1, 2026—Since 2022, nine Americans have been killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers and Israeli security forces. The fallen include three teenagers, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmad al-Khdour, Amer Rabee, and six adults, Omar Assad, journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, Sayfollah Kamel Musallet, Khamis Ayyad, and Nasrallah Abu Siyam. To date, none of the deaths has resulted in a publicly documented criminal conviction. While Israeli authorities have examined some of the cases and the FBI reportedly started an investigation into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the families have received no criminal accountability, according to the senators sponsoring the resolution. Senate...

Government Consumer Watchdog Investigating AI

1Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Types of News: Brief

Government Consumer Watchdog Investigating AI

FTC Oversight Includes Treatment of Consumer Data, Potential Deceptive Practices FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson resists the notion that AI can go rogue on its own. Ultimately, companies and the humans who use AI are responsible. UNITED STATES October 1, 2026—The consumer watchdog agency, the Federal Trade Commission, is investigating artificial intelligence companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, examining not only how children interact with the technology but also potential use of deceptive practices by firms. The investigation is not surprising given widespread concerns voiced by industry insiders and the public over the seemingly unlimited power of AI. Recent news stories on hacking and autonomous AI agents have fueled controversy. The New York Times, citing an unnamed source...

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy

30Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Communism, Dictatorship, authoritarian, Democracy, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy

The Strange Irony of Using Government Funds for Self-Promotion Ads Against ‘Communism’ and ‘War’ President Trump is using $20 million from the Homeland Security Department to finance political ads promoting himself ahead of the midterm elections. September 30, 2026—Democracy is built on the notion that the government represents the will of the people in a system of checks-and-balances and adheres to a rule-of-law. It is not a given that democracies survive. In fact, modern-day dilemmas such as corruption, the increasing power of technologies and the firms that run them, and consolidation of power in the executive branch of government test the foundation. In the lead up to the nationwide November elections for Congress, President Donald Trump is also pushing the limits of what is a...

US Bond Yields Rise Again as China Competes for Capital

29Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

US Bond Yields Rise Again as China Competes for Capital

September 29, 2026—U.S. borrowing costs climbed even further on Tuesday, as the yields on the 10-year and 30-year Treasury bonds rose to 5.26 and 5.59, respectively. That brings the 30-year bond to the highest level since 2002. The rising yield not only raises the interest payments on the U.S. national debt of $40 trillion, it also makes borrowing costs higher for consumer loans on mortgages and cars. Today, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is 7.25 percent. That is up a full percentage point in a year. Lenders typically use Treasury’s 10-year note as a baseline for credit vehicles. Surging sovereign debt has fueled a sell-off in long-term debt, despite efforts by officials to calm markets. Investors are looking elsewhere, including in stocks of AI-driven compani...

Business in Occupied Territories Tests the Limits of International Law

27Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Human rights, Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Types of News: Analysis

Business in Occupied Territories Tests the Limits of International Law

More than 200 companies are doing business in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, supporting illegal settlements, according the the United Nations. Photo by Levi Meir Clancy courtesy Unsplash. Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and other major companies appear in a UN database examining business activities connected to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, raising questions about corporate responsibility for human rights. September 28, 2026—Businesses operating in occupied Palestinian territories are not bound by international law in the same way that UN-member states are, but they are not exempt from upholding human rights either. Hundreds of companies headquartered in 11 countries conduct business in or near Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to an u...

House Rep Pitches Bessent for Free Financial Flows to Breakaway ‘Somaliland’

26Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Geopolitics, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief, Types of News: Videos

House Rep Pitches Bessent for Free Financial Flows to Breakaway ‘Somaliland’

"The sun descends, painting the city in warm, golden light. A spectacular sunset view." Somaliland is a part of Somalia that is on the strategic Gulf of Aden, across from Yemen. Photo by Go to Abdulkadir Hirabe's profilevia Unsplash UNITED STATES September 27, 2026—Given the national attention on inflation, the cost of war, uncertain outlook for interest rates, one might expect a congressman representing a largely middle-class district in Tennessee to ask the Treasury Secretary about an array of issues affecting Americans. But when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared before the House Financial Services Committee this month, Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., had a different part of the world in mind: The Horn of Africa. What is curious is that Rose asked about a breakaway movement ...