Oscar Gonzalez
Oscar Gonzalez is a freelance writer and editor who covers tech, misinformation, business, and the stock market. He's written for Gizmodo, CNET, TheStreet, CBS, and NBC.
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News BriefFINTRAC hits British Columbia crypto firm with record $125M penalty for AML failures
Canada’s financial intelligence agency has issued its largest-ever penalties against a cryptocurrency exchange, a fine of $126 million (CA$176.9 million). The agency said the exchange’s compliance failures represented a “severe breach of Canada’s anti–money laundering framework.”
News BriefBinance’s Changpeng Zhao receives presidential pardon from Trump
The founder of crypto exchange Binance, Changpeng Zhao, received a pardon from President Donald Trump. This pardon comes almost two years after Zhao signed a plea agreement and was sentenced to a four-month prison sentence.
News BriefCanada to launch new federal office targeting financial crime and fraud
Canada is creating a new federal office to lead efforts against financial crime. The initiative marks the government’s most significant move yet to modernize its approach to fraud and money laundering.
News BriefSEC reportedly investigating MassMutual’s accounting amid ongoing government shutdown
Even though the U.S. federal government is currently shut down, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears to still be at work. The financial regulator is reportedly investigating a major insurance and asset management company over its accounting practices.
News BriefFTC secures $5.7M settlement after business data provider repeatedly broke compliance order
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused business credit reporting company Dun & Bradstreet of failing to comply with the commission’s 2022 order.
News BriefAmazon to pay $2.5 billion in FTC settlement over 'deceptive' Prime sign-ups
Amazon settled a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Thursday over allegedly enrolling consumers into its Amazon Prime subscription and making it difficult to cancel. The FTC says the amount of the settlement is one of the biggest in its history.
News BriefSupreme Court allows Trump to remove FTC commissioner ahead of final ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily allowed President Trump to remove a Federal Trade Commission commissioner without cause on Monday, setting up a final battle over whether he can dismiss commissioners despite congressional rules.
News BriefBank of America Securities avoids prosecution over market manipulation case
The DOJ announced Thursday that it has declined to prosecute Bank of America Securities over lapses related to a spoofing scheme conducted by two former employees that went on for almost seven years.
News BriefFTC orders AI firms to disclose safeguards for children and teens
AI chatbots are increasingly used by children and teens, prompting the FTC to order seven AI companies to explain how they monitor potential harms to minors.
News BriefDOJ sues Uber over alleged discrimination against disabled riders
The DOJ sued Uber Thursday, alleging it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by denying people with disabilities equal access to its services.
News BriefFreight forwarder fined $1.6M after using OFAC-blocked Venezuelan, Iranian carriers
A Houston-based freight forwarder, Fracht FWO Inc., will pay $1.6 million for violating U.S. sanctions tied to Venezuela and Iran, according to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The fine comes as OFAC ramps up enforcement in recent months.
News BriefFTC ends appeal over noncompete ban but seeks public input
The FTC officially withdrew its appeal in a federal court case over its ban on employer noncompete clauses that it passed last year. The agency, however, says it wants public input regarding the effects of employer noncompete agreements.
News BriefFederal Reserve Governor sues Trump over attempted removal
President Donald Trump announced he would fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook on Monday. On Thursday, Cook filed a lawsuit claiming Trump cannot remove her from office and is violating federal law.
ArticleCFPB makes move to stake a claim against bankrupt Synapse, the fintech software company
Synapse Financial Technologies, the troubled California fintech software provider, has agreed to let the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) eventually file a claim on its bankrupt estate.
News BriefFTC complaint accuses LA Fitness parent companies of blocking easy membership exits
The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against LA Fitness’ parent companies, citing difficulties canceling memberships, a month after a court blocked the agency’s click-to-cancel rule.
News BriefSEC charges duo in $275 million water vending machine Ponzi scheme
The owner of a water machine vending company and a portfolio manager were allegedly behind a Ponzi-like scheme that raised more than $275 million, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
News BriefEPA relaunches online portal for thousands of environmental guidance documents
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reopened its guidance portal on Wednesday. This online portal is a searchable database of EPA guidance documents, first created during President Donald Trump’s first term and shuttered under the Biden administration.
News BriefDOJ declines to prosecute Liberty Mutual in $4.7M FCPA bribery case
Liberty Mutual agreed to give up $4.7 million in profit – the amount it earned from a bribery scheme uncovered by the government – as part of a settlement related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice.
News BriefMore federal whistleblowers come forward amid government layoffs
As the Trump administration continues to reduce the number of workers at multiple federal agencies, there has been a record number of whistleblowers coming forward.
News BriefCFPB could run out of money by fall, report says
The Trump administration declawed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from the very beginning of his second term. It now appears the agency might be running out of money.