Two Examples of capitalism being the highest form of organized crime.
S. E. Anderson
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Courtside Crime Ring |
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Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were among over 30 people arrested yesterday as part of two multimillion-dollar gambling schemes. Federal prosecutors charged both men with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering. Billups allegedly conspired with La Cosa Nostra—the five-family crime network known as the Mafia—to fix high-stakes poker games. He allegedly did so using X-ray tables, premarked cards, and hidden cameras. Rozier is accused of coordinating gameplay decisions (like leaving a game early) to rig sports bets. Both men were placed on leave yesterday, days into the 2025-26 season. Separately, collegiate athletes and team staff will be allowed to bet on professional sports beginning next month. The rule change and federal indictments come as the American sports betting industry posted a record $13.71B in revenue last year, and 43% of Americans say legal sports betting is bad for society, up 9% from 2022. |
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Binance Founder Pardoned |
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President donald trump [the felon in the White House] pardoned Binance cofounder and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao yesterday. The move clears a path for one of the world's richest men (valued at over $80B) to regain control of his company. Binance is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, processing over one-third of all digital currency transactions. In November 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to money laundering charges after failing to prevent terrorist organizations—including al-Qaida and Hamas—from using his platform. As part of a $4.3B plea deal, Zhao stepped down as CEO and served four months in a California prison. Today, the billionaire lives in the United Arab Emirates, where he has retained a majority stake in Binance. The move comes two months after The Wall Street Journal reported Binance struck a deal to promote digital coins from World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency startup cofounded by trump and his sons. /// |
s. e. anderson
author of The Black Holocaust for Beginners
www.blackeducator.org
"If WORK was good for you, the rich would leave none for the poor." (Haiti)
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