New York City Democrat Mayor Eric Adams has reportedly been indicted in the federal criminal corruption investigation that has cast a dark cloud over his administration for nearly a year. The New York Times reported that the indictment remains under seal and it is unclear what charges he faces, but once it’s unsealed, he will be the first NYC mayor to be charged while in office. “I always knew that If I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target—and a target I became,” Adams said in a statement. “If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.” The investigation had initially centered around whether he conspired with the Turkish government to funnel illegal foreign contributions to his campaign in exchange for actions that he took as mayor. Investigators were also looking at whether he got free flight upgrades from an airline owned by the Turkish government. Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here! The Times reported earlier this week that prosecutors subpoenaed City Hall, Adams, and his campaign two months ago for additional information related to China, Qatar, Uzbekistan, South Korea, and Israel. The New York Post reported that U.S. Attorney Damian Williams is expected to announce the charges tomorrow when the indictment is unsealed, and sources told the publication that Adams will turn himself in early next week. “I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,” said far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in a statement earlier in the day. “The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration,” she continued. “For the good of the city, he should resign.” Adams has seen numerous people in his orbit come under criminal investigation over the last year. The FBI executed search warrants earlier this month at the home of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks and a home shared by First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Schools Chancellor David Banks. Investigators seized phones belonging to then-NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and Timothy Pearson, a senior adviser to the mayor. A consultant, Terence Banks, brother of Philip Banks and David Banks, was also searched. The feds raided the home of Adams’ director of Asian Affairs, Winnie Greco, earlier this year as part of a criminal probe run by the Eastern District of New York, the Times said. His former buildings commissioner, Eric Ulrich, faces bribery charges, and several donors to Adams’ campaign have been charged in a straw-donor scheme. Caban resigned from his post last week and his successor, interim Commissioner Thomas Donlon, was raided by the FBI late last week.

Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter actress Riley Keough opened up about finishing her late mom’s memoir, calling the experience “incredibly painful.” During an interview with People magazine, the 35-year-old star talked about fulfilling her mom’s last wish by completing Presley’s memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown.” Lisa Marie died in January 2023 at the age of 54 from complications from prior bariatric surgery. “Because my mother was Elvis Presley’s daughter, she was constantly talked about, argued over and dissected,” Riley explained. “What she wanted to do in her memoir, and what I hope I’ve done in finishing it for her, is to go beneath the magazine headline idea of her and reveal the core of who she was,” she added. “To turn her into a three-dimensional human being: the best mother, a wild child, a fierce friend, an underrated artist, frank, funny, traumatized, joyous, grieving, everything that she was throughout her remarkable life.” Riley Keough Says She ‘Burst Into Tears’ While Working on Late Mom Lisa Marie Presley’s Unfinished Project: ‘Incredibly Painful’ https://t.co/n5FxvM6veC — Parade Mag (@ParadeMagazine) September 25, 2024 “I want to give voice to my mother in a way that eluded her while she was alive,” Riley continued. The actress said in order to finish her mom’s memoir, she listened to hours and hours of memories her mom had recorded on tapes of her life as the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, her romantic relationships, motherhood to Riley and her brother Benjamin, who died in 2020 at the age of 27, and later as a grandma to Keough’s daughter, Tupelo. Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here! “The tapes are an incredible portrait of the force of nature that she was,” Riley said. “Depending on the day and her mood, she can sound locked-in or distracted, vulnerable and open or annoyed and closed off, hopeful, angry, everything. You hear her in all her complications.” “I hope that in an extraordinary circumstance, people relate to a very human experience of love, heartbreak, loss, addiction and family,” she added of the book. “[My mom] wanted to write a book in the hopes that someone could read her story and relate to her, to know that they’re not alone in the world. Her hope with this book was just human connection. So that’s mine.” Priscilla confirmed Lisa Marie’s death on January 12, hours after she was rushed to a hospital, as previously reported. “My beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” a statement from her mother read. “She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment.” “From Here to the Great Unknown,” by Keough and Presley, comes out October 8, the outlet noted. Related: Lisa Marie Presley’s Daughter Riley Keough Finally Breaks Her Silence A Week After Mom’s Death

'A big and beautiful rally'

'Niceness' is a 'tool of white supremacy'

'I think is the ultimate irony'

A tiny kitten found in an alley let nothing hold him back and soon discovered his "inside voice." LukaKris KaiserLuka, the kitten, was found screaming alone in an alley by a Good Samaritan. After searching for the mother and siblings to no avail, they contacted local rescuers for help.Volunteers at The Bond Between didn't hesitate to take the kitten in and were struck by his determination to live. "(Bottle feeding) can be a challenge when young orphaned kittens first come to the rescue" because they often don't understand the formula, but not Luka."He was skinny, hungry, and vocal when he arrived, but thankfully, he had a good appetite and took to the bottle immediately," Kris Kaiser, the foster mom, shared. Luka was found alone in an alleyKris KaiserAt first, Luka was a bit confused by his new surroundings, but he didn't let that hold him back. His purr motor roared to life, never stopping as he blissfully sank his paws into soft blankets.The kitten seemed relieved to finally have a roof over his head and a kind human to cater to his needs. Kris KaiserLuka's voracious appetite and fierce nature had him loudly voicing his every want and need. "He lets it be known whenever he's feeling hungry and has come so far in the week since he arrived.""He has almost doubled in size. He's now just over a pound. He clearly has a strong will to live." Kris KaiserLuka isn't afraid to speak his mind at mealtime, demanding attention whenever his foster mom enters the room. With his powerful lungs, he is the definition of persistence, and nothing will stand in his way."He has discovered his inside voice, which is often silent or a tiny squeak, which makes him all the more adorable." He has a big voiceKris KaiserAfter getting a full belly, Luka likes to flop onto his side and wave his paws in the air. He's learning to clean his tiny "bear paws" and never fails to amaze his humans with what he can do."His personality has really come out, and he has some funny little quirks." - YouTube www.youtube.com Kris gives Luka all the time he needs to wean and has noticed an endearing eating habit from the little guy."He tries to bunny-kick the bottle while trying to eat. Wiping his face offers the same challenges. The little man has a personality. That's for sure." Kris KaiserLuka is a mini house panther with a tiny roar but big cat energy."Right now, there is more of a need for bottle baby fosters. One perk with fostering orphans is that they live in tiny spaces like a storage tote when young and a playpen closer to weaning age." Kris KaiserAt four weeks old, Luka will be introduced to two other foster kittens his age, where he'll discover the joys of toys, wrestling, and playful antics."He will benefit so much from having other kittens to play with." Kris KaiserUntil then, Luka spends most of his day napping, waking only to demand food and attention. He rolls around with his rotund belly on display before drifting back into a deep slumber. Kris KaiserWhen Luka was found in the alley a little over a week ago, he was determined to live. He has since blossomed into a courageous kitty with a ravenous appetite and a larger-than-life personality. Kris KaiserShare this story with your friends. More on Luka and Kris's fosters on Instagram and The Bond Between on Instagram.Related story: Cat Found with Kittens that Don't Belong to Him, Months Later He Finally Has What He's Been Waiting for

Under Threat from Assassins, Trump Team Considers How to Safely Campaign

In the age of the internet, the viral clip is king, and no one in politics churns out viral clips quite like Donald Trump. During his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump acknowledged the plight of Springfield, Ohio, where the local population is dealing with a massive influx of Haitian immigrants brought in by the Biden-Harris administration. Trump’s assertion that “they’re eating the dogs, they’re eating the cats,” became the breakout clip of the debate, quickly creating a viral TikTok trend and even inspiring a hit dance song. The media attempted to “fact-check” and censor the claim, but the Streisand effect took hold. Dozens of conservative and independent journalists began investigating the town and interviewing its residents. The nation soon learned that not only was the situation in Springfield out of control, but it was just one of many cities across the country facing the threat of replacement-level immigration. The right to associate, to form communities with others and maintain the character and way of life in those communities, is the most basic of natural laws. Once it became clear that replacement-level immigration was happening, the media moved to the next stage of gaslighting: Well, of course it’s happening, and it’s a good thing. The discussion shifted from questioning whether the government was coordinating the mass migration of foreign populations into Midwestern towns to debating whether this massive displacement was somehow beneficial. Liberals quickly adopted neoconservative rhetoric, relying on the idea that raw economic activity is the sole determining factor of communal well-being. They argued that immigrants were “revitalizing” the economies of these small, forgotten towns, and that was all that mattered. The claims of economic revitalization are incredibly dubious. Most of the Haitian “refugees” are living on heavy federal subsidies that cover everything from housing to health care. Yes, more money is technically being spent in those neighborhoods, but the funds come from unsustainable, inorganic sources and are driving up the cost of living for the native population. Working-class families are being priced out of the housing market as federally subsidized immigrants raise rents. Crime and automotive accidents have skyrocketed, while parents pull their children out of local schools overwhelmed with non-English-speaking students. None of this matters to ideologues justifying replacement migration. If an arbitrary economic chart shows the line going up, the entire project is a success. No one explains why the economy can't be revitalized by handing the same money to the town's existing population. Somehow, only massive immigrant populations are credited with possessing this magic. Amid this debate over economic benefits, the people of towns like Springfield are suddenly asked to justify their desire to maintain the character of their communities. Both sides of the immigration debate trade abstract statistics about economic development or crime, but it’s the people whose families have lived in these communities for generations who are witnessing the real impact. Tiresome and lazy accusations of racism are the default slander against these communities, even though black residents have been some of the most vocal in pushing back against mass migration. Scornful politicians and journalists demand that these victims of cynical political maneuvers present a rational, statistically objective case for protecting their communities. But they should be able to make the most basic moral argument of all: Because we live here. The right to associate, to form communities with others and maintain the character and way of life in those communities, is the most basic of natural laws. The idea that what a community builds is the rightful inheritance of its posterity, and that cultural continuity from one generation to the next is worth preserving, forms the foundation of civilization. This principle was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, but it was taken for granted. In any previous era, the notion that people would need an abstract academic argument to justify preferring their own community and prioritizing its welfare over that of strangers would have been seen as absurd. A radical shift in epistemology now serves as a convenient tool to smuggle in dogmatic assumptions. The idea that expert opinion and data are the only valid sources of truth in any public debate allows the institutions producing those experts and generating that data to define the parameters of every discussion. The most ancient appeals suddenly become invalid in the face of expert institutions and statistics. What if a community is more than just a zone of economic activity? What if there are critical factors, like social cohesion, that don't immediately show up in data but are vital to defining human well-being? These questions are never answered because they aren't easily addressed by our new sources of authority. They would challenge the very foundation of that authority.Of course, our ruling class considers some communities more valuable or valid than others. Recently, the Chicago City Council approved $51 million to house a large population of illegal immigrants for a 30-day period. During the council meeting, the police removed several outraged residents who demanded to know why that enormous amount of money wasn’t being spent to improve the lives of their community members instead. The community in question is predominantly black, which will spare it from the ire of the media and the disdain of the Democratic Party, even though the argument is the same one being made in forgotten Midwestern towns: because we live here and have the right to prefer our community. Economic data can be valuable, and crime statistics are important, but none of these metrics matter if we don’t first understand the community they represent. American towns and cities should not be treated as sandboxes where the ruling elite can run social experiments until they produce the kinds of subjects they favor. It is enough for the people of the United States to prefer their neighbors and the way of life they have built in their communities. It is reasonable to expect a degree of ownership over what your ancestors built. It is also acceptable to love something and defend it because it is yours, without needing abstract data or the validation of experts. It is both moral and just to protect our communities from replacement migration “because we live here,” and we must never be shamed into believing otherwise.

Many of you may remember my reporting around "Operation Choke Point 2.0" from the spring of 2023; TLDR, Biden's financial regulators, namely the Fed, FDIC, and OCC, launched a crackdown on banks covering the crypto space. The first casualty was Silvergate Bank, which voluntarily liquidated. The standard reporting around Silvergate was that the bank lent to crypto depositors and those depositors were flighty; when rates rose, Silvergate suffered M2M losses on bond portfolios and ended up insolvent. Except that's not true. Silvergate weathered the storm, even though short sellers and members of Congress like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) encouraged a bank run based on rumors that Silvergate had criminal exposure to FTX. The company has since been cleared of those allegations. They are targeting your livelihood and making it impossible for you to operate normally, by making banking inaccessible/expensive. Silvergate suffered massive redemptions after FTX but were still solvent and able to do business. However, there was one problem: The Fed told the bank that it had to reduce its crypto exposure to only a nominal ("ancillary") part of its business. This is like telling Dunkin’ Donuts that it can’t sell donuts or coffee. Silvergate was a boutique crypto bank that served the crypto industry. So after the Fed issued this new informal guidance, its business ceased to exist, and it voluntarily liquidated. The bank's assets were also toxic, as it became clear with Silicon Valley Bank and Silvergate that any crypto-related lines of business would not be eligible to be sold, according to the OCC. This included SEN and Signet, as well as crypto deposits at those banks. I broke the story in two pieces in Pirate Wires in 2023, and since then, "Operation Choke Point 2.0" has become normalized in the discourse. One point I've endeavored to make is that Silvergate died by murder, not suicide. The critical point is that the Fed told Silvergate after the drawdown that it had to cut its crypto deposits to 15% of its book, dooming the bank. (This is obviously unconstitutional, by the way.) In my original reporting, I thought this was the FDIC, but it was actually the San Francisco Fed that was passing down this guidance. It had the same effect — killing pro-crypto banks and making crypto firms unable to get banking. Until now, we haven't had any evidence of the scandal at Silvergate beyond statements made by bank executives on background to journalists. Most of my reporting on OCP 2.0 has been corroborated hundreds of times over by folks affected. Still, the Silvergate stuff has remained a mystery since the bank has been in wind-down mode and has been settling with the SEC and so on. (There's another story here about the settlements, but that's for another day.) So what's new now is that Elaine Hetrick, former chief administrative officer of Silvergate, filed a declaration as part of Silvergate's Chapter 11 filings. For the first time, it completely corroborates what I wrote in my reporting. And it's all on the record. You can find it here. We have never had a Silvergate executive able to go on the record and tell the real story of what happened. With Signature, at least Barney Frank was willing to talk. But because of the litigation and bankruptcy proceedings, Silvergate execs couldn’t talk. Hetrick's affidavit is fascinating. She first talks about the infamous Fed/FDIC/OCC "joint statement" in January 2023 that was a first sign something was wrong: “At the time of the First Joint Statement, Silvergate Bank’s remaining deposit base was highly concentrated with crypto-asset related depositors, as it had been for several years.” Hetrick points out that Silvergate was able to weather the drawdown associated with rate rises and crypto industry balance sheet contraction – the company was still solvent when the dust had cleared. “The crisis of confidence across the digital asset industry, along with similar problems faced by banks across the country, caused a ‘run on the bank.’” Silvergate Bank was able to manage this bank run and pay all its depositors as they withdrew funds as a result of its liquidity risk management and planning. In an article included in the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’s Economic Synopses detailing the speed and size of the most severe bank runs in 1984, 2008 and 2023, Silvergate Bank was the only bank included in the list of most severe bank runs that did not fail, experience a forced sale or government takeover or require government funds for stabilization. This is the smoking gun: Silverage was solvent and able to operate, but the Fed had informed executives that they had to curtail their crypto business. Without a crypto business, they would have had to reshape the entire firm. It was this that caused them to liquidate: “The increased supervisory pressure on Silvergate Bank and other banks focused on servicing crypto-asset businesses forced Silvergate Bank to a point where it would have needed to remake its business model away from its focus on crypto-asset businesses, seek to sell itself as a going concern in the shadow of the regulatory overhang or begin winding down its affairs[.]” Hetrick also discusses the Signature receivership and points out further evidence of Choke Point (as I wrote at the time) coming from the fact that crypto-related bank lines of business were NOT included in the acquisitions. “The closure and sale of the failed Signature Bank is illustrative of the intense regulatory pressure faced by banks in the digital assets industry at that time,” she notes. “On March 20, 2023, the FDIC announced Signature Bank was sold to Flagstar Bank, N.A., and that the sale did not include the transfer of cash depositors related to Signature Bank’s digital asset banking business.” Hetrick is very stark, writing: "This public signaling and sudden regulatory shift made clear that, at least as of the first quarter of 2023, the Federal Bank Regulatory Agencies would not tolerate banks with significant concentrations of digital asset customers, ultimately preventing Silvergate Bank from continuing its digital asset focused business model." So the Biden bank regulators made it impossible for banks serving a particular legal industry to operate. And in doing so, they actively caused the collapse of certain banks, namely Silvergate and Signature. These banks did not die by suicide but by murder. This remains a gigantic scandal, and no one has ever faced any responsibility for it. Neither the press nor the public really knows the truth. And the Biden administration keeps denying its role in OCP 2.0 even though the evidence is abundantly clear. Hetrick's testimony is so important because it's direct, on-the-record, under-penalty-of-perjury evidence of what we have known all along but that no one has been willing to admit: The Biden administration directly forced Silvergate out of business. The bank did NOT die on its own due to mismanagement or bad trades. It was killed because the Fed said it wasn't allowed to serve crypto clients, as a bank. When executives liquidated, the crypto lines of business like SEN were tossed in the garbage rather than allowed to continue to exist. And by the way, what the Biden administration is doing is blatantly illegal. Cooper and Kirk, the law firm that sued over OCP 1.0 under Obama, has pointed out that OCP 2.0 violates the Fifth Amendment. I'm still so fired up about this over a year later because the popular narrative around Silvergate and Signature is "oh they just made stupid balance sheet mistakes," when the truth is they were taken out back and shot by their own regulators. The fragility of the crypto banks was worsened by folks like Sen. Warren publicly calling for a bank run and making false allegations that these banks had criminal exposure to FTX. Which proved to be a huge lie. The fact that a sitting senator encouraged a bank run is completely insane, by the way! And then the regulators took the outflows from these banks as evidence that crypto was indeed too risky for banks to deal with and used that as an excuse to clamp down and install new rules making it impossible to be a crypto bank – Dunkin’ banned from selling donuts. The whole thing is such a maddening scandal that it makes my blood boil, which is why it's so important that we get to the truth and testimony like Elaine's is so important. If we let the Biden administration pretend government did nothing wrong and these banks just happened to die on their own, regulators will do it again. As I write, they are still actively suppressing the crypto industry via the deprivation of banking. If you are an entrepreneur or have any exposure to crypto, you should be upset about this too. They are targeting your livelihood and making it impossible for you to operate normally, by making banking inaccessible/expensive. I feel extremely vindicated. Since it was published in 2023, my original reporting has been 100% correct (with small details wrong, like the Fed, not the FDIC, imposing the 15% cap). But I'm not happy. I’m upset because even though people talk about OCP 2.0, no one really understands how bad a scandal it was. The government destroyed several banks because the government didn't like that they served a totally legal industry. That's the plain truth of it. It's 10 times worse than people think. This article originally appeared as a thread posted at X. It has been lightly edited for clarity.

The newly-discovered drawings include a decapitated head, a llama, and even a knife-wielding orca. The post An A.I.-Powered Survey Of Peru’s Deserts Just Identified 303 More Nazca Line Drawings appeared first on All That's Interesting.