Originally published at: https://peakprosperity.com/daily-digest/brics-precious-metals-exchange-court-rules-on-mail-in-ballots/
Geopolitics
At the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia announced plans to establish a BRICS Precious Metals Exchange, reportedly aiming to challenge existing international pricing mechanisms for metals like gold and silver. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to de-dollarize and create a multi-currency system involving member states’ currencies and monetary metals. The BRICS nations, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, are also exploring alternatives to the SWIFT payment system, which Russia has been banned from using since its invasion of Ukraine. The bloc is considering blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) to potentially bypass the dollar’s dominance. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov emphasized the importance of digitization in moving beyond SWIFT and establishing a BRICS currency. Former UK lawmaker George Galloway described the summit’s outcomes as a pivotal moment marking a potential shift in global economic dynamics.
A report by Oxfam has revealed that the World Bank has reportedly lost track of between $24 billion and $41 billion intended for climate change initiatives due to poor record-keeping. Critics argue that the World Bank is not doing enough to reduce global reliance on fossil fuels. The United States, as the World Bank’s largest shareholder, may have lost nearly $4 billion. Despite these concerns, the Biden-Harris administration recently supported increasing the bank’s lending capacity by $150 billion over the next decade. The World Bank’s total capital is nearly $320 billion, with US taxpayers potentially responsible for up to $57 billion. Ajay Banga, former Mastercard CEO, became World Bank president in May 2023, succeeding David Malpass.
US Politics
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted if they arrived up to five days after Election Day is illegal under federal law. This decision, made shortly before the 2024 elections, sends the case back to the lower court without issuing an injunction to stop the Mississippi law. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley celebrated the ruling as a victory for election integrity. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson argued that an election is determined on Election Day, even if ballots are received later. The RNC is involved in over 130 lawsuits across 26 states, with states facing challenges from entities like the Justice Department. On the same day as the ruling, a federal judge halted Virginia’s program for purging non-citizens from voter rolls, citing a violation of the National Voter Registration Act’s 90-day timeframe.
In Newport Center, Vermont, game cameras set up by a local family have captured images of illegal border crossings, raising concerns about border security. The footage, which has circulated widely on social media, shows groups of individuals crossing the border, including one led by a guide. Border Patrol agents responded to the initial camera footage, detaining a separate group in a subsequent incident. The family expressed concern for their safety, noting that the groups appeared to consist entirely of men.
Safety concerns persist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where a near-disaster in 2011 involving plutonium rods highlighted ongoing safety culture issues. The incident led to a mass resignation of criticality safety engineers and prompted Washington officials to shut down plutonium operations for retraining. Despite efforts, Los Alamos reportedly continues to violate nuclear safety rules more frequently than other U.S. nuclear sites. The lab’s management has been criticized for prioritizing productivity over safety, leading to repeated safety violations. The situation at Los Alamos reflects broader challenges in managing nuclear safety across U.S. facilities, where the balance between safety and productivity remains contentious.
Sources
Russia Proposes BRICS Precious Metals Exchange to Challenge Dollar Dominance and SWIFT Monopoly
Russia will create new BRICS Precious Metals Exchange to become ‘key regulator of prices’ – Finance Ministry
Source | Submitted by Friedrichs_teeth
Russia’s BRICS Move: A New Era for Precious Metals Pricing?
“Russia has proposed that BRICS member countries create their own precious metals exchange in a move that could upend the long-established international pricing mechanisms for gold, silver, platinum, and other precious metals.”
Source | Submitted by Friedrichs_teeth
Fifth Circuit Court Rules Mississippi’s Post-Election Ballot Law Unconstitutional
“Because Mississippi’s statute allows ballot receipt up to five days after the federal election day, it is preempted by federal law,” Judge Andrew Oldham, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, wrote in his opinion for the court.
Source | Submitted by AaronMcKeon
World Bank Misplaces Up to $41 Billion in Climate Funds, Oxfam Report Reveals
An investigation by Oxfam revealed “poor record-keeping practices” by the DC-based international lender that resulted in anywhere between $24 billion and $41 billion in misplaced funds.
Source | Submitted by Shplad
The Great Election Heist: Unmasking the Cons of 2020 and 2022
“This is what happened in 2020 and 2022. It was classic criminality, cons run for a thousand years brought out and fluffed for a digital audience.”
Source | Submitted by Redneck Engineer
Newport Center VT Family’s Game Cameras Reveal Surprising Border Activity
“This is an everyday thing,” LeBlanc said, expressing concern for his family’s safety on their farm.
Source | Submitted by AaronMcKeon
Los Alamos Lab’s Plutonium Photo-Op Sparks Safety Exodus, Halts U.S. Nuclear Core Production for Years
“Eight rods of plutonium within inches — had a few more rods been placed nearby it would have triggered a disaster.”
Source | Submitted by permiegirl