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🎯 US willing to take 'targeted' actions against China for national security. U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Jay Shambaugh said on Wednesday the Biden administration will not hesitate to take targeted actions against China to secure the national security interests of the U.S. and its allies. Reuters
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🌎 House Financial Services Committee Votes in Favor of Crypto, Blockchain Bills. A majority of lawmakers voted in favor of H.R. 4763, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act and H.R. 1747, the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act after a day-long markup session, referring both bills to the full House of Representatives. CoinDesk
🌎 Sanctioned Iraqi banks say they are ready to face audit, warn of dinar slide. Fourteen Iraqi private banks sanctioned by the United States over siphoning U.S. dollars to Iran said they were ready to challenge the measures and face audits and called on Iraqi authorities to provide assistance. Reuters
🌎 Stunned onlookers gasp as Hunter Biden’s ‘sweetheart’ plea deal crumbles in court: ‘Tear this up!’ US District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who set a follow-up court date for Aug. 25, had been expected to quickly sign off on the Biden Justice Department’s deal with Hunter, but instead the proceedings began to break down about 90 minutes into the three-hour hearing. NY Post
🌎 Giuliani concedes he made defamatory statements about Georgia election worker. Judge Howell acknowledged Giuliani’s concessions in the lawsuit and ordered him to pay more of Moss and Freeman’s legal fees, after previously ordering him to pay them $90,000. CNN
🌎 Lazarus hackers linked to $60 million Alphapo cryptocurrency heist. Alphapo is a centralized crypto payment provider for gambling sites, e-commerce subscription services, and other online platforms, which was attacked on July 23rd, with the initial stolen amount estimated to be $23 million. Bleepingcomputer
🌎 Baltimore musician who organized protest never knew his client had links to pro-China operatives. The protest was likely funded by pro-Beijing operatives as part of a plan that is aimed at undermining American democracy and promoting China’s economic interests. CNN
🌎 Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis posts $300M bond with help of superyacht, private plane in insider trading case. Lewis, 86, surrendered to federal authorities in New York on charges he gave inside information to a slew of people who made millions by using his tips in the stock market. NY Post
🌎 EU bans export of aircraft engines to Belarus in new sanctions. The European Union agreed to ban exports of battlefield equipment and aviation parts to Belarus, expanding sanctions on the Kremlin ally. Reuters
🌎 Prosecutors want Sam Bankman-Fried sent to jail after witness-tampering allegations. Wednesday's hearing followed volleys of sharp letters between prosecutors and defense attorneys over a NY Times story citing diary entries by Caroline Ellison. Insider
🌎 Frontman for Venezuelan oil company looting scheme funneled $1.1 billion through an Andorra bank. Luis Mariano Rodríguez Cabello controlled 11 murky accounts in the now-closed Banca Privada d’Andorra. El País