Authorities on 3 continents crack down on dark web
Law enforcement agencies have disrupted a global drug trafficking operation on the dark web, resulting in the arrests of more than 150 people and the seizure of $31.6 million in cash and virtual currencies and substantial quantities of opioids and other drugs, the Department of Justice said Tuesday. Results of the sting followed the takedown in January of DarkMarket, at the time the world’s largest online marketplace for illicit goods. Over the past 10 months, the FBI and other international law enforcement agencies used the information from DarkMarket to identify drug vendors and buyers.
Birx: Trump White House could have prevented thousands of COVID deaths
Dr. Deborah Birx, who helped run the coronavirus pandemic response for former President Donald Trump, told the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis that tens of thousands of deaths could have been prevented if Trump had pushed efforts to slow the spread of the virus. “I believe if we had fully implemented the mask mandates, the reduction in indoor dining, the getting friends and family to understand the risk of gathering in private homes, and we had increased testing, that we probably could have decreased fatalities into the 30% less to 40% less range,” Birx testified.
Biden nominates FCC’s first female leader
President Joe Biden on Tuesday nominated Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, to the permanent job, putting her on track to become the first woman to lead the agency. If she is confirmed by the Senate, Rosenworcel would lead an agency whose responsibilities include ensuring that millions of Americans have internet access. The FCC promotes competition among providers, scrutinizes mergers between telecommunications and broadcast companies, and regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. Biden also named Gigi B. Sohn to the seat on the five-member commission vacated by Rosenworcel when she became the acting chair.
Democrats push novel taxes
Senate Democrats rushed Tuesday to nail down the details of a groundbreaking tax on billionaires’ wealth, part of an elaborate menu of tax increases to finance a significantly scaled-back bill that would strengthen the social safety net and address climate change. Democrats’ plans to pay for about $1.5 trillion in social policy and climate spending could prove to be the most innovative components of the legislation. As President Joe Biden and his allies cut down the plan to ensure it can pass, they are toiling to agree on new tax policies that could have far-reaching consequences.
Potential legal woes mount after ‘Rust’ shooting tragedy
Alec Baldwin the actor, who pulled the trigger on a prop gun while filming “Rust” in New Mexico and unwittingly killed a cinematographer and injured a director, likely won’t be held criminally or civilly liable for the tragedy. But Alec Baldwin the producer might be, along with several others in leadership positions for the Western. Experts predict a tremendous legal fallout from the tragedy, definitely in civil lawsuits and potentially in criminal charges. In addition to Baldwin, a call sheet for the day of the shooting obtained by The Associated Press lists five producers, four executive producers, a line producer and a co-producer.
By wire sources