Hello Saturday! It’s March 1, and we’re tracking top stories to take you through the weekend: Traders are racing to bet on the end to Russian sanctions, executive at Russian pasta maker Makfa arrested on bribery charges, China accuses U.S. of fentanyl 'blackmail' after latest tariff threat, a memecoin family’s checkered past, and much more…

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💥 FEATURED STORY

Traders Are Racing to Bet on the End to Russian Sanctions.  With speculation swirling that the U.S. easing of Russian sanctions is perhaps just weeks away, investors are rushing to buy assets with any link to Moscow. Bloomberg

🎯 TOP STORIES

Executive at Russian Pasta Maker Makfa Arrested on Bribery Charges MT

China accuses U.S. of fentanyl 'blackmail' after latest tariff threat Reuters

🎙️How Fentanyl Funds the Transnational Illicit Economy Coercive Capital 

Counterfeits and cult murder: A memecoin family’s checkered past Bloomberg 

Zelensky, Trump clash will accelerate U.S. probe of fraud in Ukraine aide Reuters

TD Bank appoints compliance monitor after $3B U.S. penalty for money laundering Reuters 

🎙️How TD Bank Laundered $670 Million Designated 

🔐 Industry News: How Consilient is transforming financial crime prevention with federated AI Regtech Analyst

Mexican drug lord appears before US judge, pleads not guilty to murder, kidnapping charges in DEA agent’s 1985 killing CNN 

Hegseth Warned of Military Action if Mexico Fails to Meet Trump’s Border Demands WSJ 

Inside the Lazarus Group money laundering strategy Cointelegraph

Crypto mogul who invested millions into Trump coins is getting a reprieve on civil fraud charges CNN

Unlikely trio linked to hack of AT&T data, attempt to sell it Fortune 

FinCEN Not Issuing Fines or Penalties in Connection with Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Deadlines FinCEN

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🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

Nvidia warns of growing competition from China’s Huawei, despite U.S. sanctions CNBC

Where did Russia’s shadow fleet come from? Brookings

First Sanctioned Ship Gets Scrapped in Watershed for Dark Fleet Bloomberg

North Carolina company owner pleads guilty over attempted technology sale to China AP

More Thai firms turning up on U.S. sanctions list for trade with Russia VOA 

Microsoft Urges Trump to Overhaul Curbs on AI Chip Exports WSJ

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

Inside the U.S. Mint’s Scramble to Conceal DEI Personnel Free Press 

FBI takes up EPA probe amid pushback from judge, prosecutors Newsmax

Singapore charges three after probe into Nvidia server fraud Bloomberg

Switzerland fines Morgan Stanley $1M over 2010 money laundering case Reuters

Agent who infiltrated Trump campaign revealed; woman was one of two ‘honeypots’ Wash Times

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

SEC‘s ‘Demolition’ of Crypto Enforcement Met With Cheers as Well as Jeers Bloomberg 

UK sentences individual in first unregistered cryptoasset case Reuters 

The UK will neither confirm nor deny that it’s killing encryption Verge 

Microsoft identifies developers it says evaded AI guardrails Axios

🚚 TRAFFICKING

California couple convicted after plane chat leads to animal trafficking bust Guardian 

U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Seven In Armed Transnational Cocaine And Meth Distribution Conspiracies DOJ

‘Real deal’ illegal migrant terror suspect released at border by Biden is caught in NYC, ordered deported NYP 

Secret U.S. Drone Program Helped Capture Mexican Cartel Bosses WSJ

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