Originally published at: https://peakprosperity.com/daily-digest/un-cyber-treaty-sparks-alarm-mask-banned-as-antisemetic/
Economy
Recent data from the Federal Reserve’s emergency funding program has revealed that the spring 2023 banking crisis was more severe than initially acknowledged. The Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP), launched on March 12, 2023, in response to a run on federally-insured banks involved with crypto and uninsured deposits, saw borrowing peak at $167.8 billion by January 24, 2024. This surge was driven by multiple bank downgrades and warnings from credit rating agencies, as well as a study from Stanford’s Institute for Policy Research highlighting the vulnerability of U.S. banks to runs by uninsured depositors. Despite the Dodd-Frank Act’s requirements for transparency, the Fed’s reports have been minimal, lacking details such as the names of borrowing banks and specific loan amounts. As of July 31, 2024, $100.86 billion in loans remained outstanding, with the program potentially holding balances until March 2025, raising questions about compliance with the Federal Reserve Act’s requirement for short-term emergency lending.
Geopolitics
The United Nations (UN) has introduced the Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes, a treaty aimed at combating cybercrime but seen by critics as a tool for global censorship and surveillance. The treaty grants the UN authority to monitor electronic communications worldwide, potentially affecting fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech and expression. It allows for broad interpretations of cybercrimes, enabling governments to prosecute individuals for online activities that may be deemed criminal in other countries. Critics argue that this undermines national sovereignty and the principles of due process and fair notice. The treaty’s adoption could lead to a global legal framework that overrides national laws and constitutional protections, potentially affecting free speech and dissent.
Health & Society
In Nassau County, a new post-pandemic mask ban has been enacted, prohibiting individuals over 16 from wearing masks or face coverings on public streets and property, with exceptions for health, safety, and religious reasons. County Executive Bruce Blakeman argued that the ban would enhance public safety, citing recent antisemitic incidents involving masked individuals. Governor Kathy Hochul, who had previously suggested support for a partial mask ban in New York City’s subways, now advocates for harsher penalties for those committing crimes while masked, rather than a blanket ban. The signing ceremony featured Jewish victims of antisemitism who supported the ban, while critics, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, argue that the law could lead to doxxing and arrests, and result in discrimination against those who wear masks for health reasons.
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has implemented new guidelines requiring X-ray operators to ask men if they are pregnant before conducting scans. This change was prompted by an incident where a woman, presenting as a man, had a CT scan while unknowingly pregnant, exposing her baby to radiation. The new guidelines have caused distress among patients, leading some to leave appointments in anger. Critics, including General Practitioner Dr. Louise Irvina, argue that the guidelines are unnecessary and that medical records should accurately record sex. Fiona McAnena from the human rights charity Sex Matters criticized the guidelines as prioritizing ideology over biological facts and called for their retraction.
Sources
Spring 2023 Banking Crisis: Fed Data Reveals Depths of Financial Turmoil
The latest iteration came in the spring of 2023 in response to a run on federally-insured banks that federal regulators had allowed to get in bed with crypto and/or had allowed to binge on uninsured deposits.
Source | Submitted by rhollenb
Nassau County Enacts Controversial Mask Ban Amid Rising Antisemitic Incidents
“No one has the constitutional right to hide their identity in public,” he said.
Source | Submitted by Walberga
NHS’s New X-Ray Policy: Asking Men About Pregnancy Sparks Outrage and Missed Appointments
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has instructed X-ray operators to ask men if they are pregnant before conducting scans, reportedly prompting patients to “storm out” of appointments in anger over the absurdity of the question.
Source | Submitted by Walberga
UN Cybercrime Treaty Sparks Fears of Global Censorship and Loss of Sovereignty
This cybercrime convention is a deliberate effort to silence the entire world.
Source | Submitted by bcoop