Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Smaller Bites – Connecting the Dots: New York, Joe Lieberman, Al Gore, Alfalfa Club & Soros Funding, All Networking

Joe Lieberman, Fiercely Independent Sen. and Onetime Dem VP Nominee, Dies at 82

Newsmax

Wednesday, 27 March 2024 05:13 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/joe-lieberman/2024/03/27/id/1158876/

Joe Lieberman, four-term independent U.S. senator from New York and Al Gore's vice presidential nominee in 2000, has died in New York City, multiple sources report.

He was 82.

Connecting the Dots:

Michael R. Bloomberg was a New York City mayor, is a member of the Alfalfa Club and founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation.

Joseph I. Lieberman was the president for the Alfalfa Club, a U.S. Senate Senator and a director at the Center for a New American Security (think tank).  

Frederic V. Malek is a member of the Alfalfa Club and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the Climate Reality Project.

George Soros is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Albert A. Gore Jr. is the chairman for the Climate Reality Project.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Climate Reality Project and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Bloomberg Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Madeleine K. Albright was a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a director at the Center for a New American Security (think tank).

Joseph I. Lieberman was a director at the Center for a New American Security (think tank), a U.S. Senate Senator and the president of the Alfalfa Club.

Dianne Feinstein was a member of the Alfalfa Club, a U.S. Senate senator and married to Richard C. Blum.

Richard C. Blum was married to Dianne Feinstein and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Resources: Past Research

Al Gore Teams with Fat Joe, Steve Aoki for ‘Inconvenient Special’ on MTV (Past Research on Al Gore)

THURSDAY, JULY 20, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/07/al-gore-teams-with-fat-joe-steve-aoki_20.html

Justice Roberts: O'Connor Blazed Historic Trail (Connecting the Dots: John Roberts, Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court, Phi Beta Kappa Society, The Alfalfa Club, The Belizean Grove, The Bohemian Club, The Smithsonian Institution & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on the Alfalfa Club)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/12/justice-roberts-oconnor-blazed-historic.html

Dem. Dianne Feinstein: We Need New Gun Laws Now (Past Research on the Center for a New American Security (think tank)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/11/dem-dianne-feinstein-we-need-new-gun.html

Monday, March 25, 2024

Smaller Bites – Connecting the Dots: FBI, 60 Minutes & Soros Funding, All Networking

Trump to Ask Judge to Delay or Dismiss Stormy Daniels Hush Money Case

Newsmax

Monday, 25 March 2024 06:54 AM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/donald-trump-judge-juan-merchen/2024/03/25/id/1158468/

Former President Donald Trump will ask a judge Monday to delay or dismiss his trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, citing thousands of pages of potential evidence about witness Michael Cohen that prosecutors turned over only weeks ago.

Cohen, Trump's onetime lawyer and fixer, made a $130,000 payment to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she said they had a decade earlier – an encounter Trump denies.

Lawyers for Trump accuse Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, which brought the criminal charges, of trying to bury documents that could help them challenge Cohen's credibility.

The documents came from the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan, which previously investigated the payment but did not charge Trump. Cohen testified Trump directed him to make the payment and went to prison after pleading guilty to violating campaign finance laws.

Trump's trial was initially scheduled to start Monday, but prosecutors consented to a 30-day delay to give Trump time to review the new documents. Trump's defense is asking Justice Juan Merchan for another delay or for the charges to be thrown out altogether because of the late disclosure.

Merchan's decision will set the course for what could be the first-ever criminal trial of a former president. Trump, the Republican candidate to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election, has pleaded not guilty and called the case a politically motivated "witch hunt."

The case is one of several legal travails Trump, 77, faces as he ramps up his 2024 campaign. He faces a deadline on Monday to cover a $454 million civil fraud judgment for manipulating the values of his real estate holdings to dupe lenders, or risk New York state seizing his properties.

He faces three other criminal cases, which focus on his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden and his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving office in 2021. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Trump has sought delays in most cases, and successfully pushed back an early March start date to his federal trial in Washington, D.C., over the 2020 election efforts as he pursued an appeal on presidential immunity grounds. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in that case on April 25.

He has also leveraged his criminal cases to try to raise money from supporters, as he lags Biden in fundraising.

Prosecutors say the payoff to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was part of a broader "catch-and-kill" scheme Cohen and Trump hatched to boost his candidacy by buying the silence of people with damaging information.

Trump's lawyers say the payment was meant to spare himself and his family embarrassment, not to benefit his successful 2016 campaign.

Defense lawyers subpoenaed federal prosecutors for Cohen's bank records and phone and email accounts in January, after Merchan denied their request to get some of those materials from Cohen himself.

"They sought to obstruct our efforts to collect evidence we are entitled to review and use in connection with our trial defense," Trump's lawyers wrote in a Feb. 15 court filing, referring to the state prosecutors.

Prosecutors say no further delay is needed because most of the new documents are irrelevant to the case or duplicates of material Trump already had.

Bragg's office said it asked the federal prosecutors for information from their case against Cohen and turned the materials over to the defense last June.

"Defendant has taken every possible step to evade accountability in this case," prosecutors with Bragg's office wrote in a March 21 court filing. "Enough is enough. These tactics by defendant and defense counsel should be stopped."

Stormy Daniels

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormy_Daniels#Trump_affair_allegations

Trump affair allegations

In a March 25, 2018, interview with 60 Minutes, Daniels said that she and Trump had sex once, and that later she had been threatened in front of her infant daughter and felt pressured to later sign a non-disclosure agreement.[58][59] On April 9, FBI agents raided Cohen's office and seized emails, tax documents and business records relating to several matters, including payments to Daniels.

Connecting the Dots:

William H. Webster was a director at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank)

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin Hood Foundation and the International Rescue Committee.

Diane Sawyer was a director at the Robin Hood Foundation and a co-anchor for 60 Minutes.

Scott Pelley is a correspondent for 60 Minutes and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.

Resources: Past Research

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (Past Research on the FBI)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2013

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/11/federal-bureau-of-investigation-fbi.html

60 Minutes Showcases "Smart" Guns Technology (Past Research on 60 Minutes)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2015

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/11/60-minutes-showcases-smart-guns.html

Thursday, March 21, 2024

DOJ Lawsuit: Apple Monopolizes US Smartphone Market (Connecting the Dots: Apple, DOJ, The Federal Trade Commission & Soros Funding, All Networking)

DOJ Lawsuit: Apple Monopolizes US Smartphone Market (Connecting the Dots: Apple, DOJ, The Federal Trade Commission & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax

Thursday, 21 March 2024 11:03 AM EDT

The Apple store on Fifth Avenue, New York (Dreamstime)

https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/apple-doj-lawsuit/2024/03/21/id/1158050/

The Justice Department Thursday announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors and stifles innovation.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Jersey, alleges that Apple has monopoly power in the smartphone market and uses its control over the iPhone to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.”

Apple called the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law” and said it “will vigorously defend against it.”

The suit — which was also filed with 16 state attorneys general — is the latest example of the Justice Department’s approach to aggressive enforcement of federal antitrust law that officials say is aimed at ensuring a fair and competitive market, even as it has lost some significant anticompetition cases.

President Joe Biden has called for the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to vigorously enforce antitrust statutes. The increased policing of corporate mergers and business deals has been met with resistance from some business leaders who have said the Democratic administration is overreaching, but it’s been lauded by others as long overdue.

The case is taking direct aim at the digital fortress that Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, has assiduously built around the iPhone and other popular products such as the iPad, Mac and Apple Watch to create what is often referred to as a “walled garden” so its meticulously designed hardware and software can seamlessly flourish together while requiring consumers to do little more than turn the devices on.

The strategy has helped make Apple the world’s most prosperous company, with annual revenue of nearly $400 billion and, until recently, a market value of more than $3 trillion. But Apple’s shares have fallen by 7% this year even as most of the stock market has climbed to new highs, resulting in long-time rival Microsoft — a target of a major Justice Department antitrust case a quarter-century ago — to seize the mantle as the world’s most valuable company.

Apple has defended the walled garden as an indispensable feature prized by consumers who want the best protection available for their personal information. It has described the barrier as a way for the iPhone to distinguish itself from devices running on Google’s Android software, which isn’t as restrictive and is licensed to a wide range of manufacturers.

Fears about an antitrust crackdown on Apple’s business model have contributed to the drop in the company’s stock price, along with concerns that it is lagging Microsoft and Google in the push to develop products powered by artificial intelligence technology.

But antitrust regulators made it clear in their complaint that they see Apple's walled garden most as a weapon to ward off competition, creating market conditions that enable it to charge higher prices that have propelled its lofty profit margins while stifling innovation.

“Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.”

With the attempt to rein in Apple's dominance, the Biden administration is escalating an antitrust siege that has already triggered lawsuits against Google and Amazon accusing them in engaging in illegal tactics to thwart competition, as well as unsuccessful attempts to block acquisitions by Microsoft and Facebook parent Meta Platforms.

Apple's business interests are also entangled in the Justice Department's case against Google, which went to trial last fall and is headed toward final arguments scheduled to begin May 1 in Washington, D.C. In that case, regulators are alleging Google has stymied competition by paying for the rights for its already dominant online search engine to be the automatic place to handle queries on the iPhone and a variety of web browsers in an arrangement that generates an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion annually.

Now that the Justice Department is mounting a direct attack across its business, Apple stands to lose even more.

The Justice Department is following up an other recent attempts to force Apple to change the way it runs the iPhone and other parts of its business.

Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in 2020 in an effort break down the barriers protecting the iPhone App Store and a lucrative payment system operating within it. Apple has long collected commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within apps, a setup that Epic alleged was enabled by an illegal monopoly that drives up prices for consumers.

After a monthlong trial in 2021, a federal judge ruled mostly in favor of Apple with the exception of deciding that links to competing payment options should be permitted inside of iPhone apps. Apple unsuccessfully resisted that portion of the ruling until the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal in January, forcing the company to relent. But the concessions that Apple made to comply with the ruling are still facing a “bad faith” challenge from Epic, which is seeking an April 30 hearing to ask U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to order more changes.

Apple also had to open up the iPhone to allow apps to be downloaded and installed from competing stores in Europe to comply with a new set of regulators called the Digital Markets Act, or DMA, earlier this month but its approach is being pilloried by critics as little more than an end-around the rules that will enable it to continue to muscle out real competition. European Union regulators already have vowed to crack down on Apple if it finds the company's tactics continue to thwart true consumer choice.

All of this comes on top of a $2 billion (1.8 billion euro) fine that European regulators slapped on Apple earlier this month after concluding that the company had undermined competition in the music streaming through the iPhone, despite Spotify being the leader in that market.

Connecting the Dots:

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr was the lobby firm for Apple Inc.

C. Boyden Gray was a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr and is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Frances Fragos Townsend is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), and was a counsel to the attorney general, assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Walter E. Dellinger III was the acting solicitor general for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and is a board of adviser’s member for the American Constitution Society.

Janet Reno was the attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and is a board of adviser’s member for the American Constitution Society.

Robert Raben was an assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a director at the American Constitution Society.

Eric H. Holder Jr. is attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Barack Obama Administration and was a board member for the American Constitution Society.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the American Constitution Society.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Faith Elizabeth Gay was a director at the American Constitution Society, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and is a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP and Crystal Nix Hines’s law school friend.

Crystal Nix Hines is of counsel at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP and was Barack Obama’s law school friend.

Edith Ramirez was a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP and is the chairman for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

William H. Webster was a director at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

C. Boyden Gray is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr was the lobby firm for Apple Inc.

Albert A. Gore Jr. is a director at Apple Inc. and the chairman for the Climate Reality Project.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Climate Reality Project.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society

Resources: Past Research

Rep. Ken Buck on D.C.’s Swamp: Politicians Are ‘Bought with Taxpayer Dollars’ (Researchers Note: Follow the Money!) (Past Research on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ))

SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2017

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2017/04/rep-ken-buck-on-dcs-swamp-politicians.html

FAKE NEWS: Google Targets Daily Wire, Other Conservative Sites With Left-Wing Fact Checks, Immunizes Left-Wing Sites (Past Research on Apple Inc.)

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2018/01/fake-news-google-targets-daily-wire.html

FAKE NEWS: Google Targets Daily Wire, Other Conservative Sites With Left-Wing Fact Checks, Immunizes Left-Wing Sites (Past Research for Apple Inc.)

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2018/01/fake-news-google-targets-daily-wire.html

Surveillance in aisle three (Past Research for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC))

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/02/surveillance-in-aisle-three.html

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

NTSB: Video Footage of Work on Boeing Jet's Door Plug Erased (Connecting the Dots: Boeing, FAA & Soros Funding, All Networking)

NTSB: Video Footage of Work on Boeing Jet's Door Plug Erased (Connecting the Dots: Boeing, FAA & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

Wednesday, 13 March 2024 01:49 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/ntsb-boeing-video/2024/03/13/id/1157117/

The head of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Wednesday investigators still do not know who worked on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 door plug involved in a Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines midair emergency and that video footage was overwritten.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a letter to senators that investigators sought security camera footage when the door plug was opened and closed in September but were informed the material was overwritten. "The absence of those records will complicate the NTSB’s investigation moving forward," Homendy said.

The NTSB said previously that four key bolts were missing from the door plug that blew out on the plane.

Last week, Homendy said she spoke to Boeing CEO David Calhoun "and asked for the names of the people who performed the work. He stated he was unable to provide that information and maintained that Boeing has no records of the work being performed."

Boeing did not immediately comment.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the mid-air emergency.

On Friday, Boeing said it believes required documents detailing the removal of the door plug during production were never created.

Boeing said its working hypothesis was "the documents required by our processes were not created when the door plug was opened."

Homendy last week criticized what she called Boeing's lack of cooperation and failure to disclose some documents, including on the door plug opening and closing, as well as the names of 25 workers on the door crew at the 737 factory in Renton, Washington. After Homendy's comments, Boeing provided the 25 names.

In the aftermath of the incident the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded the MAX 9 for several weeks in January, barred Boeing from increasing the MAX production rate and ordered Boeing to develop a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality-control issues" within 90 days.

Separately, the NTSB wrote Boeing on Wednesday reminding them they face restrictions on information they can release publicly as a party to the investigation.

"Releasing investigative information without context is misleading to Congress and the public and undermines both the investigation and the integrity of the NTSB," Homendy wrote.

Connecting the Dots:

Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr. is a director at the Boeing Company and a lifetime director for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Stanley O. Roth is a VP for the Boeing Company and was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

James L. Jones Jr. was a director at the Boeing Company and is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Rozanne L. Ridgway was a director at the Boeing Company and a co-chair for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Stanley Ebner was the SVP at the Boeing Company and is a lifetime director for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP and married to Ann Dibble Jordan.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for the Boeing Company.

Ann Dibble Jordan  is married to Vernon E. Jordan Jr. and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Teresa Heinz Kerry is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and married to John F. Kerry

Cameron F. Kerry is a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank)John F. Kerry’s brother and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Kathryn B. Thomson was a partner at Sidley Austin LLP and is the chief counsel for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP and Madelyn Payne Dunham was his maternal grandmother.

Madelyn Payne Dunham was Barack Obama’s maternal grandmother and an aircraft inspector for the Boeing Company.

Barbara G. Fast was a VP at the Boeing Company and a VP for the CGI Group Inc.

CGI Group Inc. was the Obamacare contractor that developed Healthcare.gov web site.

Obamacare is Barack Obama’s signature policy initiative. 

Donna S. Morea was the EVP for the CGI Group Inc. and a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr. is a lifetime director for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a director at the Boeing Company.

Stanley O. Roth was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and is a VP for the Boeing Company.

James L. Jones Jr. is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a director at the Boeing Company.

Rozanne L. Ridgway was a co-chair for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a director at the Boeing Company.

Stanley Ebner is a lifetime director for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was the SVP at the Boeing Company.

Resources: Past Research

Donald Trump Blasts Boeing for $4 Billion Air Force One: ‘Cancel Order!’ (Past Research on the Boeing Company)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/12/donald-trump-blasts-boeing-for-4.html

Hours After John Kerry Demands Green Transition Accelerated – His Emissions Closet Swings Wide Open (Connecting the Dots: Cameron Kerry, John Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Soros, the Climate Reality Project, the Brookings Institution (think tank), the EPA and onto the FDA, Pfizer & Johnson & Johnson. It’s the Network That Never Ends. One Project (Climate Change) Just bleeds into the Next (Covid Project)) (Past Research on Cameron Kerry)

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2022

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/07/hours-after-john-kerry-demands-green.html

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) & Southwest Airlines (Connecting the Dots: FAA, U.S. Transportation Department, Southwest Airlines, Earth Institute, Texas A&M University & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA))

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/12/federal-aviation-administration-faa.html

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Smaller Bites – Connecting the Dots: American Express, Bank of America & Soros Funding, All Networking

American Express says customer data exposed in third-party breach

Cybernews.com

Updated on: March 04, 2024 8:31 PM

Image by Colin Hui | Shutterstock

https://cybernews.com/news/american-express-hit-by-third-party-data-breach/

American Express (Amex) credit card holders may have had some of their account information exposed via a third party breach, the company has disclosed.

The financial services and credit card giant filed a breach notification letter as “a precautionary measure” with the Massachusetts State Attorney Generals Office on March 4th.

An American Express spokesperson told Cybernews the “incident was not caused by a data breach” at the company of any of its service providers.

The breach was the caused by “a point-of-sale attack at a merchant processor in which American Express Card member data was impacted,” they said.

It has been reported the merchant processor at the center of the hack is used by the American Express Travel Related Services Company, one of the entities under the company’s travel services division.

The Amex notification letter states that the account information of some Card Members “may have been involved,” including:

§  Your name

§  American Express Card account number

§  Expiration date

This applies to credit card account numbers that are currently active or were previously issued, which means some customers may receive more than one letter about the incident, the company said.

Image by Cybernews.

The breach notification letter states that Amex was informed by the third-party service provider – which is used by numerous merchants – that it had “experienced unauthorized access to its system” but did not provide any specific dates.

“A courtesy notice of this incident was provided to the Massachusetts regulators due to impacts to American Express Card members residing in Massachusetts,” the spokesperson said.

Amex addresses card holders

“Protecting the security of our Card Members’ information is very important to us and we strive to let you know about security concerns as soon as possible,” American Express said.

American Express Card Members will not be liable for fraudulent charges on their accounts, and the company will take protective actions if it sees any unusual activity on an account, the spokesperson told Cybernews.

“We have sophisticated monitoring systems and internal safeguards in place to help detect fraudulent and suspicious activity.”

Amex is recommending customer regularly review and monitor their account activity, and immediately contact Amex if they detect any suspicious activity.

“For added protection, customers can receive free fraud and account activity alerts via email, SMS text messaging, and/or notifications through our app,” the spokesperson added.

Headquartered in lower Manhattan, American Express provides multiple banking services, such as online checking and savings accounts, to personal loans, as well as corporate and luxury travel programs.

There are over 121 million Amex card holders worldwide, according to the latest research by Zippia, with more than 50% of those card holders in the United States.

Third-party service providers need to be held accountable

Liat Hayun, CEO and co-founder of Eureka Security highlighted to Cybernews that the Amex breach is “coming just weeks after similar incidents at Bank of America.”

“This incident likely stemming from unauthorized system access… underscores the critical need for organizations to hold their service providers accountable for data security,” Hayun said.

Mid-February, it was revealed that the data of more than 50,000 Bank of America customers was exposed from a third party breach of the American financial services Infosys McCamish Systems (IMS).

The IMS breach which took place last November was eventually claimed by the LockBit ransomware gang.

It was the second third-party breach for Bank of America in 2023 – BOA fell victim to the infamous MoveIT hacks when accounting giant Ernst & Young was hit by the Cl0p ransom group, exposing another 30,000 customers.

“Lessons from past breaches highlight the importance of robust access controls,” Hayun said.

“While mapping access points for sensitive data can be complex, it's a crucial security measure that organizations must prioritize in alignment with their overall business objectives and compliance requirements,” she said.

Connecting the Dots:

James D. Robinson III was the chairman & CEO for the American Express Company (Bailout Company) and is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Joan E. Spero was the EVP for the American Express Company (Bailout Company) and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

A.W. Clausen was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and the chairman & CEO for the Bank of America Corp.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle and was a director at the American Express Company (Bailout Company).

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is the lobby firm for the American Express Company (Bailout Company).

Stephen J. Squeri is the group president for the American Express Company (Bailout Company) and a trustee at the Harlem Children's Zone.

George Soros was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone and is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Harlem Children's Zone, the International Rescue Committee and the ClimateWorks Foundation.

Thomas Schick is a director & overseer for the International Rescue Committee and the EVP for the American Express Company (Bailout Company).

Richard C. Levin is a director at the American Express Company (Bailout Company) and the vice chair for the ClimateWorks Foundation.

Resources: Past Research

American Express Company (Bailout Company) (Past Research on the American Express Company)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2013

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2013/11/american-express-company-bailout-company.html

Bank of America Reaches $17 Billion Mortgage Settlement with US (Past Research on Bank of America)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/08/bank-of-america-reaches-17-billion.html

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Smaller Bites – Connecting the Dots: Hamas, United Nations, Antony Blinken, The Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) & Soros Funding, All Networking

No, most people in Gaza are not ‘just like us’

Israel365News.com

GERALD STEINBERG  OPINION  MARCH 1, 2024  3 MIN READ


https://israel365news.com/387161/no-most-people-in-gaza-are-not-just-like-us/

According to the mantras of peace activists, the way to end wars—and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular—is by recognizing that the people on the other side are “just like us.” Students in university peace studies programs are taught that conflicts end by bringing individuals from opposing sides together, to discover shared values and overcome stereotypes about “the other.” Based on this seemingly indisputable truth, millions of dollars are provided every year for women’s reconciliation dialogues, summer peace camps and similar frameworks. 

The articles of faith are also passionately repeated by Western diplomats. Speaking to the Israeli public on Feb. 7, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that most people in Gaza “are just like our families…The overwhelming majority of the people in Gaza had nothing to do with Oct. 7. Their mothers and fathers want to earn a decent living, send their kids to school and have a normal life…We cannot, we must not lose sight of our common humanity.”

But is this belief reflected in reality? Is Palestinian society “just like” Israeli society, or is this a comforting but very dangerous illusion?

When Israelis look at the evidence from Gaza, we see that many supported the horrendous brutality in the Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7. Large crowds in Gaza turned out to cheer the terrorists returning from their heinous spree of torture, murder, rape and kidnapping. When some Israeli hostages in Gaza were transferred to the International Red Cross after weeks of torture, mobs harassed and intimidated them. 

Long before Oct. 7, everyone living in Gaza (including United Nations Relief And Works Agency employees) knew that Hamas was stealing international aid to build a massive underground terror infrastructure that could be used to attack Israelis. Some of these “ordinary civilians” who saw the horrendous pogrom ran immediately to join in the looting. No Palestinian has expressed human empathy for the Israeli victims. But Secretary Blinken did not lecture Palestinians on the theme that Israelis are “just like” them. 

In the face of this overwhelming evidence, what leads Western liberals to cling to the myths of “common humanity” and a universal society?  One explanation is “mirror imaging,” which is a mindset that erases obvious and fundamental societal differences. This filter removes the disturbing fact that, in contrast to the majority of Israelis, many Palestinian mothers repeatedly encourage their children to become “martyrs” and express pride when they are killed while murdering and brutalizing Jews. No, they are not “just like us.”

Another major difference is cultural—particularly what professor Richard Landes calls “honor-shame cultures,” in which humiliation (such as defeat in an aggressive war) leads to unbounded determination to exact revenge. This is the essence of the Palestinian nakba—the ongoing humiliation of the Arab armies’ loss of the 1948 war. If Palestinians were “just like us,” they would instead examine their own shortcomings. In contrast to the Palestinian textbooks and those in many Arab countries, in which Jews and Israelis are depicted as monsters, Israeli children are not systematically raised on hate and incitement. The fundamental differences in our identities are deeply embedded in cultural values, taught to children from generation to generation. 

Another key difference is that for some groups (Christians and Muslims, in particular), affirmation of their identity and beliefs requires the conversion of others, often through coercion and humiliation. The Islamic world relegates Christians and Jews to second-class status (dhimmis). In contrast, Jews have nothing comparable—we are content to be “a nation that dwells alone” and a “light unto the nations,” neither of which leads to mass murder. 

At the same time, those who believe that people on the other side are “just like us” need different explanations for wars and terror. These include conspiracy theories that blame a small group of evil manipulators, often painted with classical antisemitic symbols, who gain power illicitly and create conflict. For example, instead of blaming Hamas and its allies for the Oct. 7 slaughter and the war that followed, the myth spinners refer to “Netanyahu’s war” against the presumably innocent civilians in Gaza. 

These illusions carry a very high cost. The “Oslo disaster” was the product of good intentions and myths, but instead of expected cooperation toward shared goals, Arafat and the Palestinians interpreted Israel’s decision to give up territory as weakness. Similarly, the hopes and illusions accompanying Israeli withdrawals from southern Lebanon in 2000—and from Gaza in 2005—quickly turned to dust. Even after the Hamas takeover and escalating attacks that followed, Israel’s leaders continued to avoid a full-force response, and this mistake culminated in the Oct. 7 slaughter. 

To avoid more disasters, Israelis must firmly reject the temptations of mirror imaging, “common humanity” and other messianic illusions. Instead, we need to return to the unfiltered political realism of Ben-Gurion, Begin, Meir and others. As long as the goal of the Palestinians, Iran and their allies is the elimination of Israel, sufficient military power must be available and displayed so that they understand that attacks on Israel will result in their own destruction. A strong and what might be falsely denounced as “disproportionate” deterrent force is the best option for survival.

Hopefully in the future, Palestinians and their allies will begin to view Israelis as “like us” enough to end generations of hate and terror. But until that happens, we cannot afford to entrust our survival to illusions and myths.

Originally published by The Jewish Journal.

Connecting the Dots:

Palestine (Hamas) is a member of the United Nations.

Donald F. McHenry was a U.S. ambassador for the United Nations and is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is a board member for the International Crisis Group.

Zbigniew Brzezinski is a board member for the International Crisis Group and a trustee at the Center for Strategic International Studies (think tank).

Antony Blinken was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank) and is the national security adviser to the vice president for the Barack Obama administration.

Henry A. Kissinger is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), a friend of Brent Scowcroft and a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Brent Scowcroft is a trustee at the Center for Strategic International Studies (think tank), a friend of Henry A. Kissinger and the chair, international advisory board for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee.

Elie Wiesel is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and a messenger of peace for the United Nations.

William J. vanden Heuvel is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and was a U.S. representative for the United Nations.

Samantha Power was a director at the International Rescue Committee and is the U.S. ambassador for the United Nations.

Palestine (Hamas) is a member of the United Nations.

Resources: Past Research

Blinken Urges 'Calm' as Israel-Palestinian Conflict Rises (Connecting the Dots: Antony Blinken, Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), Iran, United Nations, Palestine (Hamas), Obama, Sidley Austin LLP & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Antony Blinken)

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/11/blinken-urges-calm-as-israel.html  

Smaller Bites – Connecting the Dots: Palestine (Hamas), Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Sidley Austin LLP, Israel & Soros Funding, All Networking (Past Research on Hamas)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2023

https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2023/11/smaller-bites-connecting-dots-palestine.html