The suspect in the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump was charged Monday with violating federal gun laws.
Ryan Routh, 58, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession and receipt of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Florida.
These may just be initial charges filed against Routh, who was arrested by police on Sunday outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has said it is investigating the incident as a possible assassination attempt targeting Trump.
The criminal complaint allows authorities to hold Routh in custody pending a formal indictment that is expected to be presented on Sept. 30. Additional charges could be added at that time.
The incident occurred while Trump, the Republican nominee for president, was golfing.
According to the criminal complaint, a Secret Service agent saw what appeared to be a rifle poking out of a tree line at the golf course on Sunday. The agent fired in the direction of the rifle.
Routh was apprehended after being chased in a vehicle by police.
Investigators have determined that Routh was previously convicted in December 2002 with possession of a weapon of mass destruction and in March 2010 with multiple counts of possession of stolen goods, according to the complaint. Both convictions were in North Carolina.
The federal charge of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years in prison. The obliterated serial number charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The case is US v. Routh, 24-mj-08441, US District Court, Southern District of Florida.
Global money supply has soared by $20.6 trillion since 2019, according to Bloomberg.
Additionally, global debt surged by over $15 trillion in 2023, reaching a new record high of $313 trillion. Around 55% of this rise came from developed economies, mainly the U.S., France, and Germany. Unfunded liabilities in the United States amount to $72 trillion, almost 300% of GDP. This may seem high until you look at Spain with 500% of GDP, France with close to 400%, or Germany with close to 350% of GDP.
There is no escape from debt. Paying for the government’s fictitious promises in paper money will result in a constantly depreciating currency, thereby impoverishing those who earn a wage or have savings. Inflation is the hidden tax, and it is very convenient for governments because they always blame shops or businesses and present themselves as the solution by printing even more currency.
Governments want more inflation to reduce the impact of the enormous debt and unfunded liabilities in real terms. They know they can’t tax you more, so they will tax you indirectly by destroying the purchasing power of the currency they issue.
High taxes are not a tool to reduce high debt, but rather to perpetuate the expropriation of national wealth. Countries with high taxes and big governments also have enormous public debt levels.
If you thought the monetary destruction we have witnessed in recent years was excessive, just wait for the suffering we will endure in the future.
In 2024, the world has seen more than seventy elections where none of the parties with access to power even bothered to present a realistic plan to cut debt. Governments and politicians understand that they can make any promises using someone else’s money, and many voters will readily accept the fallacy of taxing the wealthy. Naturally, currency debasement leads to widespread impoverishment.
Kamala Harris promises tax deductions for start-ups and first-time homebuyers, as well as families with children. It is hilarious. Inflation, a hidden tax, consumes their earnings and savings, while high direct and indirect taxes absorb the remaining funds. Despite this, she promises a tax deduction that most small businesses will never take advantage of, as they will shut down before generating any profit.
The Treasury expects a $16 trillion increase in public debt between 2024 and 2034, without taking into account any recession risk. The enormous government debt of $35 trillion, along with its subsequent additions, has the potential to destroy the currency. Citizens will face higher debt, reduced access to goods and services, and the ultimate dissolution of the middle class in the absence of a pro-growth plan and serious support for the currency’s purchasing power.
Governments and politicians need the votes of the middle class to reach power, and they also need to erode the savings and wages of that same middle class to reduce the weight of public debt in real terms. When the government says they can print and issue more debt, you pay for it.
The trillions of dollars accumulated in debt will lead to an unprecedented wave of central bank easing, which will continue to include negative real rates and even direct debt monetization. However, they need an excuse to present themselves as the solution to the problem they created. A recession or a significant slowdown will be the trigger to implement the plan to destroy the purchasing power of currencies. However, this time inflation is already evident and persistent.
Remember why governments are pleased to destroy the purchasing power of the currency they issue? It is a form of nationalization of the country’s wealth.
How can governments implement currency destruction when citizens are already upset about high prices? First, they need to silence you. Second, eliminate your options to run away from the currency. Thirdly, enforce the expropriation with the motto, “You may have nothing, but you will find happiness.” Yes, you won’t have anything, but you won’t be content either. Only this time you will be unable to complain. Eliminating free speech and independent media is a key part of this plan.
You think I am exaggerating? If the government really believed you would be better off and more prosperous with their policies, they would encourage free speech because everyone would value their welfare improvements. They need to limit free speech because they know they will make you poorer. Therefore, it’s crucial for you to safeguard yourself against the promises made by the government and comprehend the reasons behind the destruction of money.
Fiat money is just a promise, and the issuer knows they cannot pay it in today’s value. Making you dependent and rendering the currency worthless is the best way to control you. Protect yourself investing.
Taylor Swift's music label Universal Music Group holds its first capital markets day on Tuesday, nearly two months after it posted lower-than-expected second quarter streaming and subscription revenue, knocking 24% off its share price.
Analysts have stressed the importance of the event at London's Abbey Road studios as an opportunity for UMG to spell out how it plans to restore slowing subscriber growth.
"We expect the company to discuss its vision for the industry and its medium-term ambitions," Deutsche Bank analyst Silvia Cuneo said in a preview note.
UMG's shareholders include tycoon Vincent Bollore and Bill Ackman's Pershing Square. Vivendi, which has a 9.98% stake, had no comment on the event, which Citi analysts said will offer "an opportunity to reset the equity narrative".
UMG did not respond to requests for comment.
Since reaching a low of 21.29 pence in July, UMG's shares have risen by 10%. However, they are trading 17% below their level before the warning and are at their lowest since November.
Citi's analysts said they were looking to see whether UMG will diversify beyond recorded music as they estimate a substantial opportunity in supporting markets.
"The onus is very much on the group to show how it will re-invigorate growth," they said in a research note.
UMG's recorded music accounted for 76% of first-half group revenue and reached 4.2 billion euros ($4.7 billion).
"We expect encouraging commentary around the group's long term growth potential but see it as unlikely we receive positive surprises on further cost savings, capital allocation, guidance," UBS analysts said in note.
The Swedish state will not take a stake in battery maker Northvolt and the company's future must be determined by its private owners, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference on Monday.
Northvolt last week announced it would shrink its operations and cut jobs, sparking fears that Europe's best shot at a home-grown electric vehicle battery champion may stall.
"There is no doubt that we are committed to Sweden being a good place for new technology that is needed in the green transition, but it is not relevant for the Swedish state to step in and take a stake," Kristersson said.
Northvolt did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The prime minister's statement came in reply to a question on whether the Swedish government would participate in a potential financial rescue of Northvolt.
"The ball is in the company's court now," said Kristersson, who leads Sweden's conservative Moderate Party, adding that it was up to Northvolt's owners to develop the group.
"We don't involve ourselves in the business plans of individual companies but we do want to be a good place for this kind of industry," he said.
Northvolt on Sept. 9 said it would suspend parts of the production at its gigafactory in Sweden and that the planned construction of plants in Germany, Canada and southern Sweden faced delays as the company scales back its rapid expansion.
With Volkswagen among its owners, Northvolt has led a wave of European startups investing tens of billions of dollars in battery production to serve the continent's automakers as they switch from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles.
But growth in EV demand is moving at a slower pace than some in the industry had projected, and competition remains stiff from China, which controls 85% of global battery cell production, International Energy Agency data shows.
A Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran is set to appear in U.S. court on Monday on charges of scheming to assassinate an American politician in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Revolutionary Guards top commander Qassem Soleimani.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn say Asif Merchant, 46, spent time in Iran before traveling to the United States to recruit people for the plot.
Merchant told a confidential informant he also planned to steal documents from one target and organize protests in the United States, prosecutors said.
The defendant named Donald Trump as a potential target but had not conceived the scheme as a plan to assassinate the former president, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Court papers do not name the alleged targets, and no attacks were made. As president, Trump had in 2020 approved the drone strike on Soleimani.
There are no suggestions that Merchant was tied to an apparent assassination attempt on Trump at his Florida golf course on Sunday, or a separate shooting of the Republican presidential candidate at a rally in Pennsylvania in July.
Merchant faces one count of attempting to commit terrorism across national boundaries and one count of murder for hire.
He is expected to enter a plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy in Brooklyn at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT). Merchant was arrested in Texas on July 15.
Iran's mission to the United Nations said in August that the "modus operandi" described in Merchant's court papers ran contrary to Tehran's policy of "legally prosecuting the murder of General Soleimani."
Mike Pyle, who had served as an economic adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden, will return to BlackRock as deputy head of its Portfolio Management Group (PMG), according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Monday.
The unit, which has $3.2 trillion in assets under management, encompasses multiple asset classes, including fundamental and systematic fixed-income and equities.
Pyle served as envoy to the G7, G20, and APEC summits and was most recently U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics, leading the Biden administration's international economic policy efforts for nearly two years. The role ended in February.
He left the world's largest asset manager in 2021 after serving in key roles in its investment institute and multi-asset strategies and solutions units.
Pyle's appointment is effective Wednesday, the memo said.
Assets managed by BlackRock hit a record $10.65 trillion in the second quarter due to stronger equity markets and higher inflows into the company's exchange-traded funds.
