Hello Saturday! It’s November 16, and we’re tracking top stories to take you through the weekend: Trump’s new oligarchy, MetLife reaches settlement over Iran sanctions, how a corruption ‘carousel’ got fugitives off Interpol’s Red Notice list, T-Mobile hacked in massive Chinese breach of telecom networks, and much more…

💸 Illicit Edge Originals
Inside TD Bank’s $3 Billion Money Laundering Disaster

Featured Story

🌎 Trump’s New Oligarchy Is About to Unleash Unimaginable Corruption. The elevation of Elon Musk to a key role suggests that right-wing elites are set to embark on a spree of sordid self-dealing. TNR 

🚩 Iranian official met with Musk in a possible step to ease tensions with Trump AP

Top Stories

🌎 US says MetLife unit reached settlement over Iran sanctions violations. MetLife agreed to settle its potential civil liability for over 2,300 violations of sanctions against Iran. Reuters

💥 Illicit Edge Originals: The Corruption Continuum Coercive Capital

🌎 How a Corruption ‘Carousel’ Got Fugitives Off Interpol’s Red Notice List. Suspects sought on various charges, including drug trafficking, paid officials to exploit a mechanism intended to protect asylum seekers. NYT 

🌎 T-Mobile hacked in massive Chinese breach of telecom networks. Carrier joins growing list of known victims, including AT&T and Verizon, of the major Chinese spying operation. Reuters

🌎 China’s Dream of ‘Powerful Currency’ Runs Into Trump’s Return. The yuan risks years of downward pressure during the second Trump presidency, and the threat of another trade war is already fueling bets against the currency. Bloomberg 

🌎 At Columbia’s Gates, Anti-Israel Activists Recruit Classmates To 'Get Involved' With Designated Terror Financier Samidoun. The U.S. sanctioned Samidoun calling it a sham charity that serves as an international fundraiser for the PFLP terrorist organization. Free Beacon 

🌎 U.S. targets Syrian conglomerate with sanctions for funding IRGC-QF, Houthis. 26 companies, people and vessels linked to the Al-Qatirji Company were blacklisted. UPI

🌎 Man who stole and laundered $1B in bitcoin is sentenced to 5 years in prison. Ilya Lichtenstein masterminded one of the largest-ever thefts from a virtual currency exchange. AP

🔐 Indian police arrest suspect in $230 million WazirX crypto exchange hack Record 

🌎 Russian sales of Chinese cars surge after western sanctions hit. Purchases of vehicles from Asian nation’s automakers reach fresh records as Russians ‘vote with their wallets’. FT 

🌎 Man sentenced to 30 months in prison for evading US sanctions on Venezuela. The case against Quintero marks a significant enforcement action against efforts to bypass sanctions on the Venezuelan regime. CBS 

🌎 Deloitte held close ties to a now-sanctioned Cyprus firm accused of shielding oligarchs’ wealth. Leaked documents show the accounting giant collaborated with the firm and its controversial founder for years — despite publicly downplaying the relationship. ICIJ 

📕 The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Tariffs: Historical Background and Key Issues CRS

Russia

🇷🇺 Russia Takes Aim at US Nuclear Power by Throttling Uranium Bloomberg

🇷🇺 Senators Call for Probe of Musk’s SpaceX Contracts Over Russia Hill 

🇷🇺 British Army and UK police using drones made by sanctioned Kremlin supplier Telegraph 

🇷🇺 EU Readies More Sanctions on Russia’s Shadow Fleet by Year’s End Bloomberg

China

🇨🇳 China opens huge port in Peru to extend its reach in Latin America WaPo

🇨🇳 China’s Asymmetrical Tools for New Trade War Carry Global Peril Bloomberg

🇨🇳 Former TuSimple co-founder urges courts to block asset transfer to China TechCrunch

🇨🇳 Chinese Teapot Opts for African Crude Over Iranian, Russia Flows Bloomberg

Corruption & Financial Crime

💸 Clashes, confusion and secrecy consume the Harris campaign's finances NBC 

💸 House Ethics chair reiterates he does not plan to release Gaetz report CNN 

💸 Detroit nonprofit CFO admits to stealing $44 million in decades-long scheme AP 

💸 Corruption looms over Ukraine's massive reconstruction effort AFP

Crypto & Cyber

🔐 Ohio man behind Helix cryptocurrency mixer gets 3-year sentence Record

🔐 An Interview With the Target & Home Depot Hacker Krebs

🔐 White Supremacist, Nazi Content Spread on Steam Game Service Bloomberg

🔐 Suing to recover billions, FTX’s receiver discloses the stunning scale of its grift LAT

🔐 Google Warns of Rising Cloaking Scams, AI-Driven Fraud, and Crypto Schemes Hacker News

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Share Illicit Edge with friends!

They can subscribe here for free and never miss a story.