#crypto trial

[tomorrowusa]

Sam Bankman-Fried, the indicted crypto con-man, just had his bail revoked by Federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan for discussing his case in the media. He will now await his trial in the slammer. Donald Trump should learn from this – but probably won't.

A prominent billionaire is arrested on criminal charges. At his arraignment, the presiding judge releases him pending trial on condition he not try to influence potential witnesses and orders him not to speak with the media about the pending trial. He repeatedly violates the order. Eventually, the judge has had enough. He revokes bail and orders him jailed pending trial. I’m not referring to Donald J. Trump — although on Thursday, Judge Tanya Chutkan designated witness interviews and recordings as covered by a protective order and warned Trump once again against trying to influence or intimidate potential witnesses. Trump had spent much of the past week blasting former Vice President Mike Pence — likely to be a key witness — and others. No, the person I’m referring to is Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Bankman-Fried — whose wealth had soared to $28 billion before the collapse — had been under house arrest at his parents’ home in Palo Alto, California, since his arrest in December on fraud charges stemming from FTX’s implosion. At a hearing yesterday, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of Federal District Court in Manhattan revoked Bankman-Fried’s bail and ordered him to await his October trial in jail. Prosecutors showed that Bankman-Fried had twice tried to interfere with witnesses, including by giving documents to reporters and engaging in numerous conversations with others in the media despite the judge’s order not to do so. “He has gone up to the line over and over again, and I am going to revoke bail,” Judge Kaplan said from the bench. Bankman-Fried was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. There is a lesson here for Donald J. Trump, as there is for other ultra-wealthy people who for too long have assumed that the law doesn’t really apply to them because they can buy their way out of whatever fix they’re in. Federal prosecutors and the federal courts are not buying it.

Judge Kaplan's words about Bankman-Fried ("He has gone up to the line over and over again") could easily apply to Donald Trump's behavior. Given that Trump is a pathological blabbermouth, I'd say the chances of pre-trial detention for him are over 50%.

Trump should not be allowed to use his upcoming trials as campaign stops for 2024.

Few things would do more to restore public confidence in the justice system than for people to see wealthy celebrities not getting preferential treatment in court. So Judge Kaplan and Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan seem determined not to let billionaire defendants hijack trials.

Judge Repeatedly Reminds Lawyers Trump Will Be Treated Like Any Criminal Defendant

[i-think-im-asleep]

does anyone else ship Coffee and Maxwell??? I never look at the comments on his youtube videos for my own sanity but I feel like it must be a thing, surely.

incidentally there is absolutely NO reason that Coffee would have to make his crypto and financial fraud-exposés have a side story continuity with amazing rendering, VAing, and acting, but he does anyway and i love him for that. everything is just so high quality and high effort it's genuinely inspiring.

anyways he and the robot should bone

[vulgartrader]

Man Lights Himself on Fire at Trump Trial; Publishes Manifesto

From his manifesto:

This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery: We are victims of a totalitarian con, and our own government (along with many of their allies) is about to hit us with an apocalyptic fascist world coup. These claims sound like fantastical conspiracy theory, but they are not.

He goes on to argue that crypto currencies are actually a planet wide ponzi scheme:

The March 2023 bank failures were all intentional: the banks were used to move out stolen Ponzi money. This signals that they’re no longer dumping cash in to keep the cryptocurrency Ponzi afloat, and that it will soon go insolvent, as all Ponzis must. When the Ponzi scheme goes insolvent, it will take down half the stock market with it: The perpetrators used their major companies to pipe into the blockchain so they could funnel money out from the crypto exchanges. This includes Google, Tesla, Apple, PayPal, Facebook, Disney, Walmart, Target, InBev, Zoom, and countless others. It is a Ponzi scheme so large that it created global inflation, which is why the price of Bitcoin has been a remarkable leading indicator for inflation rates. Victims who bought crypto don’t realize their money has already been stolen, so the money gets double-counted by the victims and the criminals who stole it... In order to explain the massive anomaly, our criminal government unleashed COVID on the world and told us these were the “stay at home stocks.”... It could best be described as an economic doomsday device, intentionally made to shatter the world economy. As it turns out, we have a secret kleptocracy: Both parties are run by financial criminals whose only goals are to divide, deceive, and bleed us dry. They divide the public against itself and blame the other party while everything gets worse and more expensive and handful of people take all the money. Since it is fully parasitic, a secret kleptocracy is an incredibly unstable form of government – left to its own devices, it can only lead to fascism or failed state.

He continues:

This is our rotten farce: For our entire lives, we have been flooded with media designed to slowly steer us into a world where the American Dream was dead, where the public was fully divided against itself, where everybody believed we were powerless to do anything about our worsening circumstances. It is all so they can organize an unprecedented, apocalyptic rug pull on the entire populace as they pivot to fascism, which is perhaps best understood as kleptocracy at the barrel of a gun. When we piece it all together, we understand the truth: We are in a totalitarian doomsday cult. Why on earth would our elites do this? There are many reasons, but the simplest is because capitalism is unsustainable, and they knew it: Climate change and resource extraction would catch up eventually. So, they never intended to sustain it. They knew all along that they would gobble up all the wealth they could, and then yank the rug out from under us so they could pivot to a hellish fascist dystopia... [T]he biggest lie we’ve been told is that we are powerless. We’ve got one way out of hellworld, and that’s for the public to realize that we’ve been conned completely so we can build a united movement that shatters every lie they’ve told us, mocks this rotten farce as loudly as it deserves, and aims at nothing short of abolishing our criminal government so we can build one that serves the public. To understand this story is to see right through the con, to become immune to the endless sea of criminal propaganda, and to feel the great joy and power that comes with freedom. If a small number of people quickly put on these truth-colored glasses, we are in for an unimaginably bright future. If not, we get an apocalypse.

[drtrumpphd]

#GazaDoctorsUnderAttack by Satanic army of child killers the IDF, do you stand with Christ or Satan. Who stands closest to Satan Diddy or the IDF? Will Oasis stand with Christ unlike NATO, Trump, Starmer & government who support child killers & stand with Satan.I stand for Christ

[cryptobreakingnews]

Paradigm Calls for Clear Jury Decision in Tornado Cash Trial

In a recent development affecting the cryptocurrency sector, the venture capital firm Paradigm is publicly advocating for clearer legal guidelines following the arrest of Roman Storm. This incident has sparked considerable alarm within the blockchain industry about the clarity of regulations governing crypto asset recovery. Details of the Roman Storm Case Roman Storm, a respected figure in the blockchain community, was arrested in early December, with his detention drawing significant attention from key industry players. Storm, known for his contributions to cryptocurrency security, particularly in asset recovery and forensic analysis in blockchain environments, has been accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud among other charges. Paradigm, a major supporter of Storm's platform, Revert, has voiced concerns over the ambiguous legal landscape that professionals navigating this high-stakes field must contend with. Industry Impact and Calls for Clarity The arrest has stirred discussions about the need for more precise regulations in the crypto sector. Paradigm argues that the current vague legal scenarios could potentially stifle innovation and deter professionals from engaging in recovery operations, which are vital for the health and security of the blockchain ecosystem. The uncertainty highlighted by this case potentially jeopardizes numerous professionals working diligently to safeguard crypto assets against theft and misuse. Moreover, the broader implications for the digital currency landscape are profound. As the cryptocurrency market matures, the demand for definitive and supportive legal frameworks grows stronger. This case has underlined the urgency for legislators and regulators to provide clear, precise guidance to support the safe and lawful recovery of assets while ensuring the growth and security of the blockchain technology that underpins cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. What This Means for the Crypto Industry The Storm case could serve as a catalyst for change in the regulation of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Industry advocates and legal experts are hoping that it will prompt a reevaluation of current laws and practices that govern the crypto space, especially regarding security and compliance. The outcome of this case may influence how regulators approach incidents involving asset recovery and could lead to more protective measures for those active in this area. In conclusion, the Roman Storm case presents a critical juncture for crypto regulation. As digital currencies continue to evolve, the need for legal environments that both support innovation and provide substantial protections has never been more crucial. Paradigm’s call for clarity not only highlights the complexity of legal challenges faced by cryptocurrency professionals but also serves as a plea for the maturity of the legislative framework surrounding blockchain technologies.

[azurasdawn]

Win 200 USDT Futures

[wauln]

[ FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Found Guilty ]

[plutotimeslot]

Hearing that the new "financial genius" on the block was named BANK FRAUD was fucking wild.

Anyway, cheers to that life sentence!

[driskolreferrals]

Gomining Earn Bitcoin

No excessive hardware or crazy expensive equipment to mine crypto. Earn Bitcoin through owning NFTs. Try the 7 day free trial with no worries of entering credit card info. Choose from a selection NFTs to buy when you want to continue your journey as low as under $50. Be sure to use my link below.

[lnracer]

I have a requesttttt lately I’ve been thinking about Lando and I kinda think it would be so fun if he was with someone totally opposite to him SO my vision is:

Badass girlboss Reader (I personally imagine an Elle Woods-esque corporate trial lawyer or something) and Lando have been sneaking around but out in public they look like just friends and they’re kind of dating around but they end up getting jealous bc Reader thinks Lando wants the influencer/models he’s surrounded by and Lando thinks Reader wants a serious academic type. How it ends is up to you — maybe they work it out or maybe they just belong in different worlds :’)

Pairing: Lando Norris x Corporate Lawyer! Female Reader.

Warnings: Mild miscommunication, mild angst with a (very) happy ending and jealousy (mutual, a little petty).

Word Count: 3.601k.

a/n: Ahh, I just loved your vision so much! It was really easy to write and play with this dynamic (I don't think I've ever had so much creativity to write something so fast, but I ended up staying up all night writing this because I was genuinely so entertained 😅) but anyway, thank you for the request and I hope it meets your vision in the best way possible and that you like it! ☺️🧡

By day, she was the powerhouse trial attorney — the kind who walked into courtrooms in heels that could kill and left with verdicts that made headlines. The fashion magazines loved her almost as much as Forbes did. She was the youngest partner in her firm, a Harvard Law alumni with a Chanel addiction and a sharp tongue. Men underestimated her. Judges respected her. And juries? They adored her.

By night — well, lately, her nights often involved sneaking out of an apartment in Monaco, wearing one of Lando’s hoodies over her silk blouse.

Lando knew what the world thought. That they were “just friends.” That maybe she was his lawyer or his PR advisor or some business connection. The paddock shots of her standing beside him, sunglasses on, whispering something that made him smirk? Oh, the fan theories were relentless.

But behind closed doors? Their situationship was toeing the line of something real. No labels. No pressure. But a lot of stolen glances, late-night phone calls, and moments that felt too intimate for friends.

The problem? She was the type to keep her heart padlocked. Lando was used to people chasing him — but she didn’t chase. She leaned against his car in the McLaren garage and made fun of his post-race hair. She kissed him like he was hers, then told him she had court in the morning and disappeared in a plane.

Still, she wore his hoodie in her post-run selfies. And he kept saving seats for her in the paddock.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

They met at a charity gala in London — her firm was sponsoring, McLaren was donating, and neither of them wanted to be there. She was bored out of her mind, cornered by a finance bro pitching her crypto nonsense, when Lando swooped in like a cheeky, curly-haired lifeline.

“Sorry, mate,” Lando had said, slipping an arm around her waist with perfect ease. “I promised her the next dance.”

She had raised an eyebrow, amused and intrigued. He was only a year older than her, maybe a little cocky, but charming in that boyish, slightly-messy way. She didn’t dance, of course. Not at galas. But she let him lead her away anyway.

“You don’t look like a lawyer,” he’d said under his breath once they were out of earshot.

“And you don’t look like someone who reads contracts,” she fired back, her smile sharp.

That was the start of it. Flirty texts turned into late-night calls. Then came dinners in quiet places where no one recognized them. Then weekends in cities where she happened to be trying a case, and he happened to have a break in the calendar.

There was no official talk. No defining the relationship. But every time she passed through the paddock, Lando’s eyes would find her like muscle memory. And every time he showed up at her apartment with coffee after a red-eye flight, she didn’t send him home.

They didn’t owe each other explanations. Not when she was knee-deep in legal warfare Monday through Friday. Not when he was crossing continents chasing trophies. But there was something magnetic about them. Something they didn’t touch too closely for fear of setting off fireworks they couldn’t control.

He brought chaos into her perfectly curated life. She brought calm into his whirlwind. They weren’t each other’s type, and yet — they were exactly what the other kept coming back for.

Addictive in the best way. Dangerous if it ever tipped too far.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

It had been a week since the last time they’d spent time together. She was in New York for a deposition, Lando was in Italy for the race. Their texts had been sparse — just the typical “miss you” and “good luck” messages, but nothing too personal. It was their thing, keeping things light when the world was heavy.

But tonight, something felt off. She had just wrapped up a ten-hour workday and was about to dive into a pile of case files when she got a text from him:

Lan:

Can we talk?

She frowned at the screen. It wasn’t unusual for him to reach out like this, but there was a seriousness in the tone that made her stomach churn.

She stared at her phone for a few moments before typing back:

Y/N:

Of course, what’s up?

Seconds later, the phone buzzed again, this time with a FaceTime request. She hesitated, then answered, putting on the usual mask — cool, composed, business-like.

Lando’s face filled the screen, but it wasn’t the warm, mischievous grin she was used to. His brow was furrowed, eyes heavy, like he hadn’t slept well in days. She sat up straighter, her lawyer instincts kicking in, trying to gauge the situation.

“Hey,” she greeted, her voice carefully neutral.

“Hey,” he said, his voice tight. “I’ve been thinking.”

Her heart rate spiked. Thinking wasn’t good. When Lando thought, things got complicated. And she didn’t need anything complicated.

“About what?” she asked, her tone even but laced with caution.

“About us.”

There it was. The words she had known were coming, but hearing them still felt like a slap.

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms in front of her, the walls going up instinctively. “What about us?” she asked, her eyes narrowing, though she tried to keep the edge out of her voice.

Lando sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. “You know this whole thing… whatever it is… it’s killing me, Y/N.”

Her jaw clenched. “What are you talking about? You knew what this was when we started. No labels. No promises. Just… us. And if you didn’t like that, you should’ve said something earlier.”

“That’s the thing,” he snapped, frustration creeping into his voice. “I never wanted it like this. I thought maybe… maybe we could actually figure it out. But you’re so damn cold. You keep me at arm's length, and it’s like I’m not even real to you when we’re not together.”

Her breath caught. She was used to the cold, used to compartmentalizing her emotions, but this wasn’t a courtroom. It was Lando. And as much as she hated admitting it, it stung.

“I’m not cold,” she said, her voice tight, but the walls were beginning to crack. “I just… I don’t do messy. I have a career to focus on. And you have the entire world chasing after you. I’m not the type to play these games.”

“Games?” Lando repeated, his eyes flashing with frustration. “This isn’t a game, Y/N. I don’t get it. One second, it’s like I mean something to you. The next, I’m just some guy who’s filling space until the next big thing comes along.”

Her chest tightened. “You think I’m stringing you along?” She could feel the heat rising in her face. This wasn’t just an argument. It felt like it was unearthing something deeper — something they hadn’t dared to look at yet.

“I don’t know what I think anymore,” Lando shot back, leaning closer to the screen, his expression hard. “I’m asking you to be honest with me for once. What the hell is this? Because I’m not just gonna sit here pretending like it’s nothing while you keep everything locked up.”

Her pulse raced, the words threatening to spill out before she could stop them. “You think I’m the one who’s afraid of this? Of us? Lando, I don’t have time for games. You want someone who’s all in, someone who will follow you around and pretend that this is normal? It’s not. And I’m not some girl who’s gonna throw my life away for—”

“For what?” Lando interrupted, his voice sharp, cutting through her words. “For someone who you don't even give a damn? For someone who you treat like a casual fling when everyone’s watching?”

She froze, the hurt in his words hitting her harder than she expected. “That’s not fair,” she whispered. “You don’t get to do that. You know what my life is like. You don’t get to judge me for how I handle things. I’ve worked too damn hard to get where I am, and I won’t throw that away for anything or anyone.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched long between them, heavy and tense. Finally, Lando broke the quiet, his voice softer but laced with frustration.

“You don’t have to throw it all away. I just… I just want to know if I matter, Y/N. If I mean anything to you.”

Her throat tightened, the words suddenly stuck. “You do,” she said, barely above a whisper. “But it’s not that simple.”

“Then make it simple,” Lando pleaded, his eyes searching hers through the screen. “Stop hiding from me.”

She stared at him, her heart racing, the emotional walls crumbling faster than she could rebuild them. “I can’t promise you what you want,” she said finally, her voice shaking just a little. “But I’m not walking away. Just… just give me time.”

Lando sighed deeply, his expression softening. “Time. Yeah. Okay. But I don’t know how much longer I can keep pretending I’m fine with this.”

She didn’t have an answer for that. Not yet.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

The next couple of weeks after their argument were… strange. Awkward. Almost like both of them had hit a wall they didn’t know how to scale.

She kept herself busy. Ridiculously busy. Court cases, meetings, contracts — anything to keep her mind off the tension that still clung to her thoughts. She buried herself in work, refusing to admit to herself that something about Lando was starting to haunt her, even if she wasn’t ready to admit that out loud.

Lando, on the other hand, was everywhere. In the paddock. At fashion shows. With influencers, models, and people who seemed to have everything in the world but didn’t seem to be doing anything. They laughed, they posed for the cameras, they made it look easy.

It drove her insane.

She wasn’t supposed to care. She wasn’t supposed to get jealous over him. But when she saw a photo of Lando and a famous Instagram model sharing a laugh at a recent charity event, it felt like a punch to the gut.

It wasn’t that she was jealous. No, of course not. She wasn’t like that. But… they were so perfect for each other. Gorgeous, carefree, and living in a world where appearances were everything. The kind of world she didn’t belong to.

So, she did what she did best: she pretended it didn’t bother her.

She posted a few pictures from her latest trial, looking fierce in a tailored suit, with her caption reflecting the confidence she wanted to project: “Court’s in session. Winning isn't a choice. It's a guarantee.”

Her phone buzzed almost immediately with messages — friends, colleagues, even a few family members. But the one that made her stop was from Lando.

Lan:

Looking good in court. You know, you should wear a suit more often…

She stared at the message, blinking as the words sat in front of her. Was it a compliment? Or was it just a casual comment, like he always sent? Either way, she couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling in her gut that told her he was distracted by something — or someone — else.

So, she ignored his text. Just for a few hours. Maybe she was being petty. But she couldn’t help it.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

Meanwhile, Lando had his own demons. He’d been thinking about the conversation they had, replaying it over and over in his head. Make it simple. She’d said that to him. But the more he thought about it, the more complicated it seemed.

He'd been surrounded by people, sure, but all these models, influencers, and socialites? They didn’t fill the space she left behind. They never could.

Still, seeing her posts — those posts — with all her academic accomplishments, her sleek, polished persona… it made him second-guess everything. He knew she was fierce. She was a force. But sometimes, he wondered if he was the right match for her. Was he really what she wanted? Or was she just pretending, keeping him at arm's length like she had from the start?

He'd seen how she interacted with the serious academics — those suave lawyers, those well-dressed business types she surrounded herself with at galas. People who played the game of life like it was a chess match, making calculated moves every step of the way. People who probably looked better on paper than he did. Lando couldn’t help but think, Does she need someone like that? Someone more… professional? More grounded?

The thought twisted at his insides.

A couple of days later, his answer came when he saw her with one of those very types at an event — a tall, dark-haired man in a crisp suit. He was talking to her, laughing at something she said, clearly enjoying her company.

Of course she likes someone like him, Lando thought bitterly, as he watched from across the room. The man was everything Lando was not — serious, calculated, and mature. He didn’t need to be the center of attention, and he certainly didn’t have to make himself a spectacle for people to notice him.

Lando’s grip tightened around the flute of champagne in his hand. He turned away, trying to shake off the unease bubbling in his chest. But the feeling stuck with him. All night.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

The next day, he texted her again, his message half-accusatory, half-playful:

Lan:

So, who’s the guy? Looks like a lawyer from here. Thought you were into people who could keep up with your… complicated life.

She read the message and snorted. Was he really going to throw that at her? The jealousy card? Really?

She quickly typed back, biting her lip.

Y/N:

He’s just a colleague. Someone from work. You know, not everyone revolves around F1 or the latest influencer trends.

The words stung even as she typed them. She hated that she was putting walls up, but she was so tired of constantly second-guessing herself.

Lan:

Right. And I suppose I’m the one who’s into those trends?

Y/N:

I mean, you’ve been hanging around them enough.

There. She said it. She was being petty, but jealousy was eating at her.

Lando’s response came quickly, almost instantly.

Lan:

Yeah, because that’s exactly what I want, more Instagram followers and pretty girls with no substance.

Her eyes narrowed at the text. She read it twice, the sharp edge in his words cutting deeper than she expected.

Y/N:

Then why do you keep surrounding yourself with them?

His response came even faster this time.

Lan:

I don’t know, Y/N. Maybe because I’m tired of wondering if you even want to be with me or if you’d rather be with someone who looks like he has it all together.

She froze, her heart dropping.

The tension between them had reached its peak. It was a tangled mess of insecurities, unspoken fears, and silent accusations. They both thought the other wanted something they weren’t ready to give. They were both fighting to keep a part of themselves that the other couldn’t touch.

But maybe… just maybe, it was time to tear down the walls and face it.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

Monza had been a whirlwind for Lando — racing, media events, and the pressure that always seemed to come with the spotlight. But that wasn’t what weighed on his mind. No, it was her.

He had tried to act like he was fine, ignoring the nagging feeling in his gut, but deep down, he knew things were slipping. Every moment without her felt like they were growing further apart, despite how hard they tried to convince themselves otherwise. The jealousy, the silence — it was building up, and he couldn’t take it anymore.

So, without a second thought, he packed his bags and boarded a plane. Destination: New York. The city that never sleeps, or so they said. But for him, it was the city where he would finally have it out with her.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ──────

Lando stood outside her apartment building, his heart racing. He wasn’t sure how he got there, just that something in him had snapped. The confusion, the doubt — it was all consuming. The thought that they could end like this, with all the words left unsaid, made him angry. Angry at himself. Angry at the situation. And angry at her for shutting him out, even if she didn’t realize it.

He hit the buzzer.

A moment later, her voice crackled through the speaker. "Yes?"

He didn't even give it a second thought. "It's me. Lando. Open the door."

There was a pause. He could almost hear her hesitation through the intercom. Then the lock clicked, and the door swung open.

She stood there in front of him, looking stunned, her hair disheveled from a long day of meetings and calls. But despite the exhaustion, the moment their eyes met, everything else seemed to disappear. The anger, the confusion, the jealousy — it all melted away in that instant. But she didn’t move. She didn’t speak.

Lando stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click. “We need to talk,” he said, his voice tight with emotion.

She crossed her arms, not backing down. “I didn’t think you’d show up.”

“You didn’t think I would?” Lando’s voice cracked, and the rawness of it hit her like a punch to the chest. “I’ve been standing on the edge of this whole damn mess for weeks. Watching you pull away, acting like I don’t even exist. And then I see you with some guy at that gala, acting like I’m nothing but a distraction. So yeah, I came here to figure this out once and for all.”

Her face flushed, but she refused to back down. “You think I want to be with you, Lando? You think I’m the one pulling away? I saw you with all those models and influencers. You think I can’t see what’s right in front of me? You want someone who fits your world — someone who doesn’t have a career that takes up all her time, someone who doesn’t get tangled up in complicated lawsuits and corporate contracts.”

Lando shook his head, walking toward her, his frustration mounting. “No! That’s not it at all! I don’t want someone like that. I want you.” He stepped closer, his voice rising. “But you keep acting like I’m not good enough for you. Like you don’t want someone who’s just... here. You want someone serious, someone who can sit in boardrooms and talk numbers and contracts all day. I’m just some guy who drives cars.”

“Lando…” She started, but he cut her off, his words tumbling out faster now.

“You don’t get it, do you? I’m in this world, yes, but I don’t care about that crap. I care about you. I care about us. But every time I try to get close, you push me away, like you’re afraid I’ll screw it all up. And you’re right, I’ve been surrounded by people who don’t care about anything. But you— you’re different. You’re smart. You’re ambitious. You’re real. And that scares me, okay? It scares me because I’ve never had someone like you before. And I don’t want to lose you because I’m too scared not being enough.”

She stood there, silent for a moment, the weight of his words sinking in. Her gaze softened, the tension in her shoulders releasing as she let out a long breath.

“I’m scared too,” she admitted quietly, almost in a whisper. “Scared that I’m not the kind of person you need. I’ve seen how you are around those people— how easy it is for you to just... slip into that world. And I thought, maybe, that’s what you wanted. Someone who can play that game better than I ever could.”

Lando shook his head vehemently. “No. No. I don’t need that. I need you. You’re the one who makes me want to get out of bed every morning, who pushes me to be better. Not some model or influencer with a perfect smile and a million followers. I need someone who knows who they are and isn’t afraid of what the world thinks. And that’s you. I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

Her lips parted as if she was about to argue, but something in his eyes stopped her. She took a step forward, looking up at him.

“Lando... I don’t know how to make this easier. But I can’t keep pretending that everything’s okay when it’s not. I’ve been so wrapped up in what I think you want, and I forgot what I need. I want us. I just need to figure out how to stop being so damn scared.”

Lando reached for her hand, his voice softer now. “Then let’s figure it out together. No more pretending. No more games. Just us.”

She smiled, the weight lifting off her shoulders. She finally closed the space between them, letting her arms wrap around him.

“I’ve never been good at this,” she murmured, her face buried in his chest. “But I want to try.”

Lando squeezed her tighter. “Me too. I’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means figuring out how to play the long game with you.”

They stood there for a long time, just holding each other. The silence between them felt different now — like they were both finally on the same page, after all the chaos.

And as the city buzzed around them, they finally understood: sometimes, the best relationships weren’t the ones you planned out. They were the messy, complicated ones you couldn’t live without.

[apricitystudies]

crimes of the elite: a deep dive

voted on here. (other editions) bold = favourite

corporate harms

behind the smiles at amazon

the long, dark shadow of bhopal (bhopal gas disaster)

how lobbying blocked european safety checks for dangerous medical implants

7-eleven revealed

who controls the world's food supply?

the true cost of tuna: marine observers dying at sea

how a big pharma company stalled a potentially lifesaving vaccine in pursuit of bigger profits

24 years after, some victims not compensated and still can't live normal lives (pfizer's nigeria vaccine trials)

the corporate crime of the century

uber broke laws, duped police and secretly lobbied governments, leak reveals (the uber files)

the baby killer (nestle infant formula scandal)

2 paths of bayer drug in 80's: riskier one steered overseas (hiv-risk contaminated blood product scandal)

global banks defy u.s. crackdowns by serving oligarchs, criminals and terrorists (fincen files)

the ultra-rich

eliminalia: a reputation laundromat for criminals

the fall of the god of cars (international fugitive carlos ghosn)

a u.s. billionaire took over a tropical island pension fund. then hundreds of millions of dollars allegedly went missing (cyprus confidential)

the trial of sam bankman-fried, explained (ftx crypto fraud)

how the wealthiest avoid income tax (the irs files)

the haves and the have-yachts

madoff and his models (madoff ponzi scheme)

the imposter (blockchain terminal fraud)

the ultra-rich: (allegedly) stolen antiquities

crime of the centuries

stolen treasure traders

a hunt for cambodia's looted heritage leads to top museums (pandora papers)

an art crime for the ages

[river-taxbird]

SCAM ALERT: Cryptocurrency related but can affect trans people buying HRT. I was probably 10 seconds away from having money stolen and I know what I'm doing. (Crypto Clipper)

Today I was helping a trans friend order some DIY HRT. A lot of DIY HRT places only accept cryptocurrency for security reasons. I am not looking to promote cryptocurrency or anything associated with it, but if you may be forced to use it for HRT or other reasons, you need to know this.

In general if you are forced to use crypto, you should use the cheapest coin your supplier will accept. If it is cheap, that means there is not a lot of activity on the chain and energy use will be less. I used one called Zcash as it was the cheapest one the site accepted but that's not really relevant.

I used an old coinbase account I had used for similar situations in the past. I was doing it on her PC. I got the instructions to pay on the HRT site, and I pasted the wallet address into Coinbase and just before I hit send I noticed the wallet address I had pasted didn't match the wallet address I had copied.

I looked it up and found this is from a form of malware called a Crypto Clipper, that detects when you have copied a crypto address, and makes you paste a different one so it can steal your money. I am lucky I noticed. To remedy it, I installed the free trial of Malwarebytes on her PC to remove malware, and completed the crypto transaction on my PC, and confirmed that the wallet address matched what the HRT site had given me.

I managed to avoid falling for it but it's such an easy thing to fall for, especially if you have avoided crypto thus far for extremely understandable reasons. Be careful out there! It could happen to anyone.

[capuccinodoll]

For whoever wants to read me—I’m tired of living in a reality without consequences.

In 2022, Santiago Mitre released his film Argentina, 1985, set in the 1980s, telling the story of the group of lawyers who investigated and prosecuted those responsible for Argentina’s civil-military dictatorship. During this dictatorship, people were disappeared and murdered, thrown into the water from airplanes as if they were not human beings but worthless cargo. The trial was historic, and Argentina became the first country to prosecute its own perpetrators of genocide.

41 years later, our freedom is slowly beginning to fade away again.

Today—or rather, yesterday (it’s already 1:30 AM here)—the police shot Pablo Grillo (a photojournalist) in the head in the middle of a protest in Buenos Aires.

If you're not aware of the context of my country, let me give you a brief summary: We're being governed by liberal idiots who support figures like Videla—the dictator responsible for the disappearance of an estimated 30,000 people.

Since Javier Milei took office as president, he has done nothing but destroy our economy with false promises of magical economic solutions. Not only that, but he has also attacked the public healthcare and education systems—both of which are of excellent quality—by cutting access to medication for cancer patients, defunding hospitals and medical centers, and attempting to dismantle public universities.

Meanwhile, he somehow found the time to scam people worldwide out of $80,000,000 through a cryptocurrency fraud scheme. (You're not a fucking genius crypto bro, you're a loser)

This figure is dreadful not only because of what he does but also because he isn’t the brilliant villain many believe him to be. He is nothing more than a small, pathetic man pretending to be intelligent when, in reality, he couldn't even pass the Ciclo Básico Común (common basic cycle) at the University of Buenos Aires or the psychometric test for the Central Bank. So now, he hates the University and wants to shut down the bank. Typical loser behavior.

He is not intelligent—he is just a clumsy, easily manipulated pawn for the politicians behind him, many of whom have been involved in previous abusive governments. Take Patricia Bullrich, for example, the Minister of Security responsible for unleashing the police on Wednesday, March 12, during a protest led by retirees. Yes, retirees. They attacked and beat elderly people over the age of eighty.

The protest was massive, with thousands of people participating, including members of football club supporter groups known as barra bravas (organized fan groups that hold significant power in Argentina). These groups support the retirees’ demands: in a country where the minimum cost of living is extremely high, retirees receive a pension of around $240 (USD).

For context, renting even a relatively cheap apartment can cost around $500.

Among the protesters were journalists and photographers. I think we all understand how important these people are for historical records. Without photographers, there would be no evidence of many events. Without (honest) journalists, we would have little to nothing.

Pablo Grillo was photographing the streets when a police officer shot him with a tear gas canister. For those who don’t know, when fired at close range, these can be lethal. In my city, almost 18 years ago, a teacher was killed in the same way—just sitting in a car, doing… nothing. And today, nearly twenty years later, history is repeating itself.

Pablo Grillo is currently in the hospital, fighting for his life, while the minister of "security" went on television saying, “Pablo is a left-wing militant, and now he is under arrest.” He is NOT under arrest. He's in the fucking hospital fighting for his life. Also, are you saying that because of his political stance, Pablo deserved to have his head blown off? I’m exhausted.

I'm tired of living in a country that drains my hopes. Tired of living in a world where people like Javier Milei hold power over massive societies. I'm tired of living in a country where freedom of expression is preached, yet you can be killed for taking a photo or censored for writing an article that the politician in charge doesn’t like.

I'm tired of watching these pathetic men take over countries and destroy them with their outdated ideas and dirty hands. I'm tired of all of this, tired of feeling like there is no relief, no respite in my country.

I'm sure that if you're from Latin America, you might have experienced this too. Bolsonaro in Brazil is one of the first examples that comes to mind.

And I have no hope. Today, I came home from university, and the first thing I saw online was the shattered head of a journalist. So what place is left for those of us who dream of teaching, telling stories, and writing about the truth?

As a future communicator, it saddens and overwhelms me to think that I am growing up in a world that constantly tries to silence us, to erase us. And I know this post is long and has nothing to do with my fanfics, but I just needed to get this off my chest.

Argentina is a beautiful country, but it is infected with an ever-growing disease. It is plagued by hatred, by citizens who deny past dictatorships, who despise others, who refuse to have empathy. It is infected by the fascism of ignorant politicians—because that’s what they are, ignorant.

And I know he will never read this, but let me play around with this space for a moment.

Javier Milei, you’re a failure. You’ve accomplished nothing of real value in your life. You’re a 54-year-old virgin who pays washed-up celebrities to pretend to be your girlfriends and had to wait to be handpicked by a clueless, rich businessman who molded you into the most appealing candidate for young people. And now, you just do whatever they tell you to.

Oh, and you talk to your dead dogs and have an incestuous relationship with your own sister. You can’t be this evil while looking that ugly, though. Honestly, you should stop doing your eyebrows and makeup like that—you look like a poorly painted Victorian doll. Your fashion sense is terrible; your suits are way too big, and you wear leather jackets in 40-degree heat. I bet you stink. BOOO. Trump is never going to love you. He’s just using you because you’re willing to hand over all our natural resources for a damn kiss on the ass. Elon Musk doesn’t care about you either—he just wants all of Argentina’s lithium. You’re nothing but a puppet with a horrible haircut.

Oh, and we all saw that you stand on a little stool during your speeches to pretend you’re taller than you actually are.

Honestly, I hope the absolute worst for you. There isn’t a single positive feeling in my heart for you or your cabinet. I hope all the harm you’ve done to this country and its people comes back to you in the worst possible way. And I hope I’m alive to see it.

That’s all. It’s horrible. Frustrating and terrifying. And I’m writing this in english because I know most of my followers speak it, but oh god, you have no idea how much angrier and more powerful my words sound in spanish.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go write The Boyfriend Act to distract myself from this horrifying reality. Lately, writing that story is the only thing that takes my mind off everything.

Thank you so much for reading me. <3 Love you all

[guessthatrec-poll]

Guess That Rec Season 2: Round 1, Poll 10

Rec #83

Want a whip-smart, badass, gender-nonconforming girlboss (written in the 50s!) and her trials and tribulations of love and struggle in the midst of the collapse of an oppressive crypto-dystopian government? Then take a look at this doorstopping fusion of philosophical speeches, alternate history, and romance novel!

Rec #84

Political intrigue. Secret romance. Assassination plots. This piece of media has it all, from tragedy to comedy to contemplations of what it truly means to be human, and whether that even matters at all. Gunfights and sword fights are carefully balanced with scathing social commentary in this visually striking piece of media. Strong, well-written female characters with cringefail loser boyfriends who nonetheless love and support their s/o the best way they can. Nonhuman characters who are fully allowed to be nonhuman, with all that entails. Massive conspiracies. Mental health issues and grief representation. POC. Cannon queer characters. Prophecies and visions. Women with guns. And best of all -- in this story, the villains well and truly win. This piece of media really does have it all.

[unitedwestand2025]

Judge Roberts, First I would like to remind you of why we formed this country. When our old government waged war against us we created the Declaration of Independence. We had a revolution because our government was “cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World: For imposing Taxes” or tariffs “ on us without our Consent: For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences” “ in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an arbitrary Government” ‘’ abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.”” “He has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us.”  What led us to REVOLT then are the very things Trump and his administration are doing to us now.

Trump violated his oath of office to uphold the constitution by not allowing due process for all people, birthright citizenship and wants to run for a third term as president. His priority to make him and his cronies rich while taking away our rights. The Whitehouse said “Long live the king” and he has made $TRUMP. Per Chris Murphy (CT), "The President is running a backdoor bribery scheme in which any CEO or foreign oligarch can send him money secretly through crypto coin scam in exchange for favors." His admin is CORRUPT and manipulates markets by buying before he announces what he will do, then selling stock before he says he has changed his mind. All of this done while our 401k plummet, there is video of Trump in the oval office congratulating the 1% on all the money they are making in the markets. I do not want the US economy to be Trumps’s seventh chapter 11 bankruptcy. ENOUGH of the RICH special interests influencing government. You have only to look at Elon and unelected official tearing apart our government while firing the IGs that were investigating him before the election.

Elon Musk & DOGE have illegally gone through our data. 14 states have had our AGs petition for what was searched and it was illegal. He & his DOGE employees need to be brought up on charges. Whistleblower Daniel Berulis has come forward saying after DOGE breaks into depts like NLRB then there are Russian IPS taking data.  Elon and his DOGE staff should be arrested and if applicable should be charged with acts of espionage and TREASON. Their assets should be frozen and if convicted all their money goes to fixing what he broke. 

He is VIOLATING THE LAW because he has always violated the law and our judges have repeatedly let him get away with it. He was convicted 34 felonies. This judge gave him unconditional discharge with NO jail time or large fines. He was convicted of an insurrection by the Colorado court. This DOES violate the 14th amendment and is brought up in the Declaration of Independence. However, the Supreme Court FAILED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC and the oath they made to uphold the CONSTITUTION when they granted Trump immunity. KINGS are above the law not presidents. NOT holding him to the law has gotten us to this place & he keeps getting WORSE. Using masked men that do not identify themselves, do not state any crime a person is being charged with then without due process sent to a neighboring province of El Salvador not subject to our laws. This is kidnapping and its illegal. Some of these people are green card holders and some US citizens have also been taken too. Many of these people, per a 60 minute piece, are not criminals at all. Since they have citizenship in Venezuela and other countries this also violates international laws and subject to International Criminal Court. Even after repeated US court orders the president not only has not brought back people, he continues to deport more under these Nazi tactics. These actions are in blatant disregard for rule of law and YOU the supreme court. I would also like to know if the Trump administration threatened to pull broadcasting licenses if networks discussed these events?  Since recently Bill Owns left CBS because of Shari Redstone, majority shareholder of Paramount Global that owns CBS wants to sell Paramount. She needs Trumps FCC head to approve a deal in the next month and Trump has opened an investigation on 60minutes now. Bill did not want Presidential oversight on news so he left. The president’s actions of intimidation is a way to suppress our first amendment rights is deplorable. Mexico is not going to let this alt right propaganda into her country to infect the minds of her people. She is enacting legislation to fine companies 2-5% of their profits if they put out disinformation or lies like Fox has been found to have done in the past. The European Union is fining Elon Musk for 1 Billion dollars for disinformation, purposeful lies being spread on X. The US needs to create such a law. This is how this administration is infringing on all our constitutional rights by intimidating the press to only print what he wants to hear, not the truth. The FBI recently arrested a WI judge, talk about intimidation. Revoke his presidential immunity to stop this from continuing.

On February 27th, 2025, five former Secretary of Defense generals wrote an ”Appeal to the Congress from Former Secretaries of Defense.” They were concerned with the dismissal of “several senior U.S. military leaders” followed by the dismals of JAG in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. “Mr. Trump’s dismissals raise troubling questions about the administration’s desire to politicize the military and to remove legal constraints on the President’s power.” They asked the “House and the Senate to hold immediate hearings to assess the national security implications of Mr. Trump’s dismissals.” They “asking them to do their jobs” but the majority led republican congress basically did NOTHING.

Three NY prosecutors including Hagan Scotten resigned. He said “No system of ordered liberty can allow the Government to use the carrot of dismissing charges, or the stick of threatening to bring them again.“ “any assistant U.S. attorney would know that our laws and traditions do not allow using the prosecutorial power to influence other citizens, much less elected officials, in this way. If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then ‘’ eventually the system will give.   Scotten, a previous co-worker of yours, had the courage and integrity to stand up against intimidation of this administration. He did the right thing and declined breaking the law. How many have to fall on their sword Roberts before you do your job and revoke presidential immunity of a man 233 medical professionals found to be a “sociopath” in an open letter published in NY Times Oct 2024?

Trump has promised 1 Trillion to the military, our navy is building up in the middle east, congressmen on military budget committees are buying stock in companies that supply our military equipment like candy. Trump is calling the rich resources of Canada “the 51st state.”  This is in violation of 1945 United Nations Charter & General Assembly Resolution 2625.   He seems to want to create a war just like Putin did to steal resources in the Ukraine, who we promised to support in the Budapest Memorandum. All while JD Vance, Waltz, Hegseth and many others are violating the Espionage Act by inappropriately using Signal which is putting our military at risk. An independent council should be created to investigate and prosecute.  If treason was committed by staff or Trump they should be charged with this offense.

Trump’s executive order says what he and Pam Bondi say is law. This is a violation of the separations of powers because it bypasses congress. If Trump doesn’t comply w/ Alien Enemies Act to bring back ALL those deported & stop future deportations then Judge James Boasberg of DC needs to send this matter to the Supreme Court so you can REVERSE presidential immunity. His continued disobedience to the courts is causing us a constitutional crisis and if the Supreme Court does not act we will have a second “trail of tears.”   

Judge Roberts if you are being leveraged into NOT upholding the Constitution then step down. We are already being called authoritarian by the European Parliament and we are listed as an unsafe country to travel to. We need you to immediately reverse Trump’s immunity, hold Trump and Bondi in contempt then prosecute them. You can use US Marshals & call upon the previous Secretaries of Defense to pick up these corrupt officials and hold an independent counsel to investigate Elon, DOGE employees and those involved in Signal-gate with Espionage Act violations up to TREASON. If it is within your power have the dept heads, who are sending out masked men, held and investigated, we the people demand you put forth some effort to protect us from this corrupt administration. Know if you fail to act NOW its not just going to throw the US into a depression, it will end in people starving around the world while we enter WW III. The stakes could NOT be higher.  Judge Roberts you can uphold your oath and the constitution that NO Man is above the law. Stop the reign of lawlessness and corruption that runs rampant in this administration. Will you be the man that allowed Hitler 2.0 to plunge us into war? Or will you choose to be the hero that upheld the constitution and stopped this? Choose now which side of history you are going to be on Roberts and know the 99% and future Nuremberg Trials will JUDGE YOU for your choice. I am not a lawyer but a concerned citizen, one of the 99% If others agree with my letter please send your own to: The Supreme Court of the US, 1 First Street, NE, Washington DC 20543 [Demand they reverse immunity]

[shamanfox]

they summoned me at midnight

with hashtags for torches

and pitchfork emojis clutched in pixel hands—

a jury of strangers in sweatpants and virtue.

“stand,” they said,

“we’ve already scrolled your sins.”

no need for facts—

they had feelings.

my name: misspelled.

my crimes: vibes.

my trial: a slideshow of screenshots,

memes out of context,

a video paused at the ugliest frame.

in this court,

truth is a mood

and nuance is a luxury no one can afford

when outrage has a refresh rate.

they passed judgment

with fire in their retweets,

verdicts whispered between

ads for skin cream and crypto scams.

i tried to speak—

but the comment section

gnawed at my vowels,

fed them to the algorithm gods

who crave only blood and clicks.

guilty,

they cried,

for not being palatable enough

to people who never once

looked me in the eyes.

sentence: exile.

from grace, from gigs,

from dinner tables and dating apps.

but they forgot—

you can’t cancel a ghost.

i haunt the margins,

ink on torn receipts,

a name they misremember

just well enough

to crucify again tomorrow.

careful, darling.

today’s gavel could be

your own reflection.