Happy Monday! It’s May 5, and we’re tracking top stories to start the week: Ex-Kohl’s CEO posted LinkedIn video of lover 3 months before scandal broke, the potent powder and ‘narco-subs’ driving cocaine’s global surge, three VPs to leave TD Bank's AML team as new chief makes changes, inside China’s machinery of repression, and much more…

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🎯 FEATURED STORY

Ex-Kohl’s CEO posted LinkedIn video of lover 3 months before scandal broke. An investigation by an outside law firm found that Ashley Buchanan had not disclosed the relationship as required by company policy. NYP

🔥 TOP STORIES

The Potent Powder and ‘Narco-Subs’ Driving Cocaine’s Global Surge WSJ

Three VPs to leave TD Bank's AML team as new chief makes changes Reuters 

🎙️The TD Bank Disaster and How to Fix It with Jim Richards Designated 

Inside China’s machinery of repression — and how it crushes dissent around the world ICIJ 

🎙️China Challenge: Department of Defense Supply Chain Economics Coercive Capital

North Korea’s Black Knights and Dark Network RAND

US Treasury targets Cambodia's Huione, citing links to North Korean hackers Block 

UK police arrest several Iranian men over alleged attack plot AP

How a Pillar of New York’s Chinese Community Did Beijing’s Dirty Work WSJ

Trump threatens ‘secondary sanctions’ on importers of Iranian oil Politico

Trump-linked stablecoin used in $2B Abu Dhabi Binance investment Semafor

Kidnappers in France target cryptocurrency entrepreneurs for ransom AP

Brazil social security minister latest to quit in major pension fraud scandal BBC

DOJ alleges Medicare Advantage plans paid illegal kickbacks Axios

Suburban Charlotte banks used in major international drug money laundering scheme Charlotte Observer

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

Putin and Xi to sign ‘series’ of deals in Moscow summit Telegraph

EU prepares new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine war AFP

US readies Russia sanctions over Ukraine, unclear if Trump will sign Reuters 

TikTok Sent Europeans' Personal Data to China, Hiding Transfers From Users Free Beacon

The inspectors keeping China’s corrupt officials up at night SCMP

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

At a Dubai Conference, Trump’s Conflicts Take Center Stage Newsweek

A father battles Canada’s suicide machine UnHerd

Finance influencer charged with running $11M real estate fraud scheme NBC 

UC Berkeley Received Six-Figure Donations From CCP Officials Free Beacon

EU citizenship no longer for sale DW

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

US indicts Yemeni man in Black Kingdom ransomware attacks Record

Ransomware attacks on food and agriculture industry have doubled in 2025 Record 

OKX fires back at Tron's Justin Sun over mysterious 'freeze notice' Cointelegraph

A Tiny Company Wants to Buy $20M TRUMP Token to Change U.S.-Mexico Trade Deals CoinDesk 

North Korean hacker who tried to get a job at US tech company caught red-handed Sky

🚚 TRAFFICKING

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial to delve into the seediest side of rap’s ‘bad boy’ AP

US imposes sanctions on Mexican cartel AP 

First Trump targeted Mexico’s drug cartels. Now it’s the musicians who sing about them. CNN

The illegal adoption business in Chile is not only about the dictatorship El País

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