There is a saying that the best way to make money during a gold rush is to sell picks and shovels. The worst way, presumably, would be to run a government taskforce drafting regulations for the retailers of picks and shovels. Perhaps relatedly, Bo Hines – who from January to August was the executive director The post The Tehran-Washington Crypto Connection appeared first on Coda Story.| Coda Story
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine happened more than three years ago, which means full-scale Western sanctions on Russia did too. Concurrently, Russians have had just as long to figure out ways to dodge those sanctions, and I fear Western countries are being a bit too slow in realising quite how good they’re getting at it. The post Russian sanction-dodgers, Chinese gangsters & Mexican cartels appeared first on Coda Story.| Coda Story
As you may have noticed, I’ve been away for a couple of weeks. I spent my days off in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, in search of the legacy of the only famous person there has ever been with the same surname as me: Sir George Bullough, a late Victorian moustachioed flaneur who inherited a fortune and The post The Bulloughs of Kinloch Castle appeared first on Coda Story.| Coda Story
Just days before their CEOs pledged to work for all Americans, a dozen major corporations sent lobbyist to ALEC’s annual retreat to work in secret with lawmakers on bills to promote fossil fuels and bust unions.| Sludge
Bipartisan representatives including Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse were gifted a luxe trip to England last month by a business-funded centrist group as the GOP advanced its budget reconciliation bill.| Sludge
When I lived in Bishkek 25 years ago, then-president Askar Akayev was so effusive in expressing his desire for Kyrgyzstan to become the Switzerland of Central Asia that the Swiss ambassador once joked that Akayev liked his homeland better than he did. It was a pretty understandable hope – who wouldn’t want their poor ex-Soviet The post Crypto’s backdoor through Bishkek appeared first on Coda Story.| Coda Story
Years of sanctions have substantially weakened the Iranian economy, as evidenced by Iran’s keenness to have them cancelled, with sanctions removal a key sticking point in negotiations with the U.S. before Israel began bombing Iranian nuclear sites on June 13. But anyone who thinks sanctions are an all-powerful tool should spend some time speaking to| Coda Story
One Nation's newest board member is a longtime GOP political operative who led lobbying for Devon Energy and Koch Industries.| Sludge
I’ve been thinking a lot about the apocalypse in the last few days, and wondering what options oligarchs believe are available to help them escape it. In Mark Lynas’s new book about atomic weapons, he helpfully provides a table showing what percentage of each country’s population would die during or immediately after a nuclear war. The post The oligarch’s guide to sitting out a nuclear winter appeared first on Coda Story.| Coda Story
A new Treasury Department rule will hamper the government's power to address money laundering and illegal political donations.| Sludge
Nearly $220 million from "dark money" nonprofits has already flowed into super PACs spending money on the presidential race.| Sludge
