Should regulations aimed at halting the financial activity of alleged criminals and terrorists be vastly expanded to include cryptocurrencies and firms that use them&;#63; Could this potentially harm entrepreneurial spirit and consumer freedom to deal in digital assets&;#63;Those were the questions asked this week in Washington as officials from the Treasury Department seek new tools to regulate and track Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies that would impact the estimated 50 million Americans who use them.On Tuesday‚ the Senate Banking Committee held an oversight hearing with Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo‚ who offered a series of rule changes to more strictly regulate the crypto activities of alleged criminals.The three main proposals sought by the treasury would be to develop a sanctions protocol for foreign digital asset providers through the Office of Foreign Assets Control‚ expand existing money laundering rules that apply to U.S. crypto exchanges‚ and somehow gain authority to apply those same restrictions to foreign crypto exchanges beyond America’s shores.Government officials justify these new powers by pointing to the reported cryptocurrency activities of groups like Hamas‚ which we reported were vastly overblown and technically inaccurate‚ and also several operations tied to gift cards and crypto exchange operations used by people sympathetic to Al Qaeda and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. These latter examples were successfully thwarted and stopped by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security using existing law‚ and the on-chain activities of these groups and the alleged money launderers who operated in Turkey were enough to secure criminal indictments.While there is no question that our governments should pursue terrorist activity and financing‚ there is little evidence that vastly expanded powers against crypto providers would increase enforcement or catch more bad actors. Especially when the vast majority of illicit financing of criminal activities still uses the traditional financial system and U.S. dollars‚ as the treasury admitted itself.In response to the Treasury Department’s requests‚ a new bill called the ENFORCE Act is being floated to expand existing money laundering rules into the crypto sector even more harshly than it is applied to traditional fiat currencies.It would apply to cryptocurrency custodians‚ money transmitters‚ and exchanges but would thankfully exempt any services that provide only non-custodial and peer-to-peer services.The proposed draft‚ authored by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN)‚ would require digital asset institutions to maintain robust anti-money laundering programs to ensure compliance with security measures and verify all customer information.It would also require filing Suspicious Activity Reports with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for any “suspicious transaction that it believes is relevant to the possible violation of any law or regulation‚” beginning at $2‚000. This overly broad definition extends to any crypto transactions that “serve no business or apparent lawful purpose” as determined by any crypto exchange‚ and they would be legally required to withhold information of this report from the customer.While this bill is much less harsh than similar proposals from anti-crypto firebrand Sen. Elizabeth Warren‚ it would provide stricter rules and procedures for crypto companies than the traditional banking sector. For the average American consumer and user of cryptocurrencies on custodial services‚ that means there would be more scrutiny and surveillance at a smaller threshold on Coinbase than Bank of America.Rather than embracing the permissionless innovation that Bitcoin and its cryptocurrency offspring provide‚ these rules would force yet more financial surveillance and regulatory compliance on the next iteration of digital money‚ artificially choking the growth of this industry. It would also cause even more Americans to be caught up in the dragnet of “de-banking” for crypto‚ as institutions would rather cut off customers’ access to their services rather than comply with the unreasonable requirement of Suspicious Activity Reports for transactions above a small threshold‚ as we already see in the traditional banking system. Because these reports have no inherent justification or process‚ except for the broad situational processes outlined in the Bank Secrecy Act and the Anti-Money Laundering Act‚ many bank customers have had their accounts closed or suspended without due process. Many are likely to be minorities‚ the underbanked‚ and politically active or religious groups.This measure‚ applied to cryptocurrencies at a laughable limit of $2‚000 — which exceeds the average rent paid in several states — demonstrates the government’s willingness to restrict crypto activity for law-abiding citizens not suspected of any formal crime.Along with the mounting financial regulations that compel institutions to restrict access to Americans both at home and internationally‚ this bill means that citizens who wish to participate in the crypto sector risk being denied actively.In pursuit of criminals and terrorists‚ legislators are expanding definitions to empower government action against everyday American citizens using their self-endowed natural rights to use new-age digital assets like Bitcoin and its crypto offspring.Whatever this bill or future legislation requires‚ it is clear that non-custodial solutions and peer-to-peer transactions without any intermediary will have to remain the focus for scaling the adoption of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.This will empower those who can hold their own private keys‚ generate addresses‚ and safeguard their wealth‚ but it will likely deprive millions of Americans who aren’t technically able to use these tools and choke the future innovation of entrepreneurs who would like to provide those solutions.Regulatory frameworks for digital assets will be vital going forward‚ but they should not come at the expense of neutering the very reason these technologies were invented: the separation of money and state.Ya&;euml;l Ossowski is the deputy director at the Consumer Choice Center and a visiting fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.

A few days after our recent interview‚ science writer Joe Pappalardo took his 89-year-old dad to the Space X Starbase in Boca Chica‚ Texas‚ so I tagged along. Before he'd entered the facility‚ the elder Mr. Pappalardo had never seen anything like it. At the entrance‚ he examined the message inscribed on the giant outer wall: “GATEWAY TO MARS.”These kinds of declarative (and imperative) statements rouse something prelinguistic in us. For some reason‚ humans have evolved into conquerors‚ desperate for more territory. This is good. It’s one of our finest qualities. So‚ father and son approached the hulking megastructures of Elon Musk’s aerospace wonderland‚ and Musk’s promises became more noticeable. Space flight‚ of course‚ but most impressively‚ the possibility of a safe return‚ rocket and all. Sunlight poured down‚ and the world around Mr. Pappalardo must have felt mechanically different as he strolled into the bustling‚ futuristic cityscape. Jutting up from the swarm are three giant modules‚ 160 feet tall. Were these the spires and beams of a science amusement park&;#63;It was all so advanced. He hadn’t expected so much construction‚ but when he considered it‚ it made sense: Invention and trial demand constant upkeep. Like ants ferrying soil into an empire‚ the hubbub of activity became a spectacle of its own. He couldn’t believe how many people were there‚ and he wondered why so many of them had cameras.“One guy out there had a telephoto zoom lens on his camera‚” he tells me. “He was taking pictures of everything. Maybe you're thinking‚ ‘Maybe he was a spy.’ Never know.”Very large chopsticks Kevin RyanMr. Pappalardo remembers waking everyone up to witness Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the lunar surface. The entire family was vacationing on the Jersey Shore. After a day at the beach‚ they were all tired‚ but that didn’t matter because there was a man‚ an American‚ on the moon with his giant space boots. But the machinery of Space X is insurmountably more advanced. At 5‚000 tons‚ Starship is the largest‚ most powerful rocket ever made‚ about the height of the Pyramid of Giza. It’s designed to be reusable. Starbase has 10 Starship launches‚ four of which also returned a landing.“The launch pad has these appendages called ‘chopsticks’‚” Mr. Pappalardo tells me‚ “where they plan on having the rocket come back and land on the launch pad where it left‚ which is quite remarkable.”As you can tell by his quotes‚ the man is incredibly sharp‚ not for his age‚ but in general. We spoke for 30 minutes‚ late afternoon‚ and he could have kept chatting for an hour. Born and raised in Haverstraw‚ New York‚ Mr. Pappalardo was a chemist for decades. His demeanor and intellectual precision reflect this‚ though not in the form of austerity. I ask‚ “Do the principles of the laboratory emerge in the Starbase setting&;#63;” “Well‚ it is very different‚” he says‚ “ because in the laboratory‚ we're dealing with little things‚ but the principles are the same. When you want to achieve something‚ you develop a hypothesis of how you want to get there‚ and you test it and get there.”The seafarerIn his northeastern baritone‚ Mr. Pappalardo recalls his sailing days. One trip took him from Antigua in the Caribbean to Charleston‚ South Carolina. He quickly learned the difference between sailing on the sea straight through the Bermuda Triangle and navigating the beastly power of the Atlantic Ocean. When storms hit‚ the waves could become mountainous. “You can see waves higher over your head on your left and waves over your head on your right‚” he tells me. “Now‚ you know the physics of it‚ that the waves can't do this‚” he brings his hands together‚ “they can't combine‚ but while you're there you're not too sure.”Sometimes‚ the endless waves stung with loneliness — the howl of repetition full of clouds. But‚ perhaps most of all‚ he remembers the moments of tranquility. “At nighttime when you hold the wheel and the boat is just hissing along through the surf and nothing around‚ it's all dark and just the moon: It's beautiful‚ absolutely beautiful.” Remember: Humans used to know a world of clear water‚ and what we did was build a ship and explore. The ways that history fell Head east a smidge along the Gulf of Mexico‚ and you’ll run into South Padre Island‚ where enthusiastic college kids have been known to chug until they start puking. Brownsville‚ in the other direction‚ has repeatedly been a battleground of all sorts over the past two centuries. It is one of America’s southernmost points — you can practically sneeze at Mexico and make contact. The closeness of it all feels uncanny‚ yet American‚ as if these locations had spilled out by accident and suctioned together like a Ziploc full of random souvenirs that don’t belong. Of course‚ what’s more American than this uncanny accidental mishmash of events‚ ideas‚ and places‚ where a person like Mr. Pappalardo can begin life as the son of Italian immigrants and then quickly‚ invisibly plug into the depths of a history like ours‚ so vibrant and strong and broken&;#63;DromologyWe discuss the engulfing pace of change‚ the fever of acceleration that keeps outpacing everything‚ even itself‚ too powerful and inhuman to get tired. These breakthroughs leap to action daily. “The problem is that they're advancing so fast that no one can possibly keep up‚” he tells me. “But every time this subject comes up‚ I always think of my father. He went from the horse-and-buggy days to the man on the moon. You don't get any more variation than that.”The debate is between the evangelists of a neuro-connective frontier‚ where technology‚ as an instrument‚ builds and destroys only at someone’s command‚ and the rapture-loving snobs all too eager to convince greater society to be sad about capitalism in a whole new depressing way. In his spaz of a book “One-Dimensional Man‚” Frankfurt School mainstay Herbert Marcuse characterizes technology as “an instrument for control and domination” and mass media as an integral part of that process. (Well‚ at least he’s right about the dubious habits of the media apparatus.)Marcuse frames this as the technological domination of our “advanced industrial society‚” and thus devotes himself to rattling the “new forms of control” that arise as part of this “one-dimensional society.”It strikes me as a paranoid and stubbornly theoretical stance‚ itself one-dimensional. There’s an incoherence to this lot’s obsession with characterizing technology as totalitarian. Instead‚ we have a society shaped by technological monks and bureaucrats who‚ yes‚ have special access to mass events. But this is entirely different than owning an iPhone.Tech is precisely what diminishes and even capsizes any sort of political rapture. It does appear that technology has eradicated geography as a reality or obstacle. But in its place‚ we have limitless access to the code of human thought.Like every other anecdote Mr. Pappalardo provides‚ this is guided by a spirit of exploration. As Italian philosopher Bifo Berardi observes in his book &;quot;Futurability‚&;quot; “Technology is not a chain of logical implications‚ but a field of immanent conflicting possibilities.” These potentialities strengthen the connective force of digital neural networks.In a world that constantly grows closer to all of its network machinery‚ including us‚ and all the equipment we have transformed into accidents and failures‚ with the one periodic success among them — the ship still belongs to both the expedition and the shipwreck. Because method‚ questions‚ and curiosity can calm the rigors of progress.

The United Arab Emirates and neighboring states were rocked this week by the heaviest rains on record‚ which resulted in devastating floods‚ dozens of deaths‚ significant damage‚ and diverted flights. A government meteorologist indicated early on that the UAE's well-known geoengineering efforts were at least partly to blame. However‚ now that there is a body count‚ the government task force responsible for cloud-seeding missions in the region is attempting to deny responsibility. Liberal media outlets such as the Guardian and Wired and so-called experts have dutifully accepted these denials‚ insinuating that climate change or other factors may instead be responsible. When it rains‚ the NCM makes it pour Cloud seeding is the controversial weather modification technique whereby aircraft‚ rockets‚ cannons‚ or ground generators release various chemicals and tiny particles‚ such as potassium chloride‚ into clouds in an effort to artificially increase precipitation. Professor Ari Laaksonen of the Finnish Meteorological Institute indicated that there are two principal cloud-seeding techniques. Hygrocopic cloud seeding serves to speed up droplet coalescence in liquid clouds‚ &;quot;leading to production of large droplets that start to precipitate.&;quot; The other technique‚ called glaciogenic cloud seeding‚ serves to &;quot;trigger ice production in supercooled clouds‚ leading to precipitation.&;quot; Cloud seeding not only works but has reportedly helped increase Utah's water supply by an estimated 12% in 2018. The UAE has been conducting cloud-seeding missions for decades. According to the Khaleej Times of Dubai‚ the UAE has ramped up its efforts under the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement‚ managed by the Gulf state's National Center of Meteorology. This particular scheme was kicked off by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the UAE. Alya Almazroui‚ director of the initiative‚ told the Khaleej Times in September‚ &;quot;By experimenting with various seeding approaches‚ we anticipate that these campaigns could lead to a more effective cloud-seeding approach and‚ consequently‚ increased rainfall in the targeted areas.&;quot; On average‚ the NCM reportedly conducts more than 1‚000 hours of cloud-seeding missions every year‚ using aircraft equipped with hygroscopic flares full of nucleating agents. It appears as though the NCM may have succeeded in its efforts at the expense of numerous lives. Disaster and denial ABC News Australia reported that a year's worth of rain descended on the UAE Tuesday‚ paralyzing Dubai and effectively closing the Dubai International Airport — the world's busiest hub for international air travel. Extra to prompting hundreds of flights to divert course‚ rains fed destructive floods across the Emirates and Bahrain‚ killing at least 20 in Oman and one person in the UAE. Underground parking lots were flooded and metro operations were shuttered. Power was also knocked off in certain areas. Dubai's media office acknowledged Tuesday that the downpour the UAE experienced this week was the heaviest it has experienced in 75 years. Dr. Ahmed Habib‚ a meteorological specialist with the Gulf state's National Center of Meteorology‚ told Bloomberg that the NCM dispatched seeding planes from Al Ain airport on Monday and Tuesday to &;quot;take advantage of convective cloud formations.&;quot; Bloomberg indicated that NCM flew several cloud-seeding flights prior to the downpour. The Associated Press also indicated at least one aircraft associated with the cloud-seeding initiative flew around the country on Monday. The NCM claimed on Wednesday it had instead seeded the sky on Sunday and Monday. State media did not acknowledge earlier flights. Omar AlYazeedi‚ deputy director of the NCM‚ later told CNBC that the agency &;quot;did not conduct any seeding operations during this event.&;quot; Habib also later changed his tune‚ suggesting that the six cloud-seeding flights he had previously told the press about had indeed flown missions but had not seeded any clouds. Various so-called experts have apparently taken the NCM at its word and seized on the opportunity to instead blame climate change. Daniel Swain‚ a &;quot;climate scientist&;quot; at the University of California‚ Los Angeles‚ tweeted‚ &;quot;Did cloud seeding play a role&;#63; (Spoiler: likely no&;#33;) But how about #ClimateChange&;#63; (Another spoiler: likely yes&;#33;).&;quot; &;quot;When we talk about heavy rainfall‚ we need to talk about climate change. Focusing on cloud seeding is misleading‚&;quot; Friederike Otto‚ a supposed global warming specialist at the Imperial College of London‚ told the Associated Press. &;quot;Rainfall is becoming much heavier around the world as the climate warms because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture.&;quot; &;quot;Rainfall from thunderstorms‚ like the ones seen in UAE in recent days‚ sees a particular strong increase with warming. This is because convection‚ which is the strong updraft in thunderstorms‚ strengthens in a warmer world‚&;quot; Dim Coumou of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam told Reuters. Maarten Ambau‚ an atmospheric physics professor at the University of Reading‚ told the Guardian that &;quot;cloud seeding‚ certainly in the Emirates‚ is used for clouds that don't normally produce rain. ... You would not normally develop a very severe storm out of that.&;quot; Like Blaze News&;#63; Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. 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Inflation is still on the rise‚ and Americans across the country are struggling to stay afloat because of it. However‚ there’s one thing all the states have in common where the money needed to “live comfortably” is through the roof: They’re all blue states. “Living comfortably” is defined as the monthly income needed to cover a 50/30/20 budget‚ which allocates 50% of your earnings for necessities like housing and utility cost‚ 30% for discretionary spending‚ and 20% for savings or investments. “They’re saying this is the minimum‚ this is what it takes to‚ you know‚ live comfortably in America‚” Glenn Beck says‚ noting that barely anyone is capable of living like this under the current circumstances. The top five most expensive states are all blue states. It costs $116‚000 annually to “live comfortably” in Massachusetts‚ $113‚000 in Hawaii and California‚ $111‚000 in New York‚ and $106‚000 in Washington. The median income for a single‚ full-time worker is around $60‚000‚ while the national median for living comfortably is $89‚000. “So there’s a shortage there‚” Glenn says. While Americans are expected to live comfortably despite ever-rising prices and losing a huge chunk of their salary to taxes‚ the government continues to spend in a way that will ensure this all only gets worse. “What is the 50/30/20 number for the United States right now&;#63;” Stu asks. “It’s insanity. And we’re getting to the point very soon where just the interest on the money we’ve already spent is going to be more than our entire defense budget.” Want more from Glenn Beck&;#63;To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Counter-Strike 2 is the ultimate team-based shooter. Sure‚ you can go rogue‚ and skip around de_dust with the AWP‚ attempting to wipe the whole enemy team‚ but realistically‚ success is only guaranteed if you’re smart‚ co-operative‚ and work in tandem with your comrades. You take that multiplayer sensibility and combine it with the weighty‚ physical mech combat of Armored Core 6‚ that immensely gratifying feeling as you zip along the open terrain‚ launching bullet and missile salvos into distant enemies‚ before drawing your giant‚ metal sword for a close-up melee battle - that mix of power‚ speed‚ and maneuverability. At a glance‚ CS2 and AC6 might seem like two games difficult to unify‚ but a smart‚ super slick upcoming mech shooter manages to find the sweet spot between individualistic battlesuit combat and team-driven cooperative strategy. And if you want to try it for yourself‚ there’s a new beta about to launch‚ and we’ve got all the sign-up details right here. Continue reading Big new mech game is like multiplayer Armored Core‚ beta sign ups open MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best multiplayer games ‚ Best co-op games‚ Best upcoming PC games

Cities Skylines 2 developer Colossal Order says that it is sorry for the current condition of the city building sequel‚ as it lays out plans to heal its relationship with the CS2 community. Purchasers of the first Cities Skylines 2 DLC‚ Beach Properties‚ will be refunded‚ and the pack itself will be available for free going forward. Likewise‚ owners of the Cities Skylines 2 Ultimate Edition will receive additional material‚ as Colossal Order affirms that its focus now is on repairing and rectifying the base CS2 game before releasing any further paid expansions. The release of the Bridges and Ports DLC has been moved to 2025‚ as Colossal Order explains how it plans to make CS2 into the “best city builder it can be.” Continue reading Cities Skylines 2 dev offers refunds‚ makes DLC free‚ apologizes MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Cities Skylines 2 review‚ Cities Skylines 2 roads‚ Cities Skylines 2 maps

One of the best things about the Dark Souls games‚ and of course Elden Ring‚ becoming smash hits is seeing new takes on the formula‚ developers mashing together genres or adding their own unique twists on what being a soulslike means. In Kingdom of Fallen: The Last Stand the unique idea is to mix together the challenge‚ dark worldbuilding‚ and combat from a soulslike with the open-world crafting of a survival game like Sons of the Forest. Continue reading Slip some survival into your soulslike in this new‚ grim RPG MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best soulslike games‚ Best action-adventure games‚ Best survival games

Nine pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested Tuesday for staging sit-ins at three Google offices across the U.S.

Ya' LOVE to See It&;#33; NPR CEO Now Losing Support From the LEFT and It's a GLORIOUS Thing (Screenshots)

Google Employee and Hamas Rape Apologist Fired After Protests Whines 'McCarthyism Is Alive and Well'