
Bank of America Probe Needed of Leon Black Money to Epstein, Wyden Says
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Senator Ron Wyden urged the US Justice and Treasury departments to investigate Bank of America over its role in facilitating $170 million in payments that private equity titan Leon Black made to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a letter made public Wednesday, the Oregon Democrat said the US should probe a 'major financial institution' for potential violations of anti-money laundering laws in its handling of transactions involving Epstein. That institution is Bank of America, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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Business Insider
28 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Why Bank of America's (BAC) Bold Leap for Digital Dollars Could Benefit Shareholders
Legacy banks are beginning to embrace digital assets, and Bank of America (BAC) is the latest to prepare for a potential U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, pending regulatory clarity. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter The timing aligns with growing momentum behind the GENIUS Act (Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins) in Washington. As Bank of America signals caution about the macroeconomic outlook for the rest of 2025, this strategic move reflects both a necessary shift to keep pace with peers and a bold step into uncharted territory. While the risks are real and the implications far-reaching, I remain cautiously bullish about BAC's forward-looking approach. Joining Forces for a Unified Digital Dollar Network Bank of America is planning to join major peers, such as JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and Citigroup (C), in developing a stablecoin network modeled after Zelle. The initiative would leverage existing infrastructure—specifically, Early Warning Services and The Clearing House—to create a unified, fiat-backed stablecoin designed for retail and cross-border payments. The goal is to streamline traditional systems, such as ACH, by offering faster and more cost-efficient transactions. Bank of America has also floated the idea of launching its own 'Bank of America Coin', but for any of this to move forward, it will depend on the passage of favorable legislation. Washington Paves the Way with the GENIUS Act This is where the GENIUS Act comes into play. Just days ago, the Senate passed the crypto regulation bill with strong bipartisan support in a 68–30 vote, sending it to the House for further consideration. The bill includes key provisions like 1:1 reserve backing, segregated customer funds, and strict anti–money laundering standards. Regulation has always been an inevitable and necessary step for digital assets, and now that more explicit rules are emerging, traditional banks are finally feeling confident enough to get involved. Costs and Benefits for BAC Shareholders There are clear incentives for banks to enter the stablecoin market. It offers potential cost savings, new revenue streams from transaction processing, and opportunities to develop innovative financial products. At a broader level, it could help reinforce the U.S. dollar's dominance as the global reserve currency. However, stablecoins carry real risks. Though more 'stable' than unbacked cryptocurrencies, they are still vulnerable to collapse, as seen with TerraUSD in 2022, and pose potential systemic threats. Critics warn that the failure of a major issuer could have a ripple effect across the financial system. Some advocacy groups argue the GENIUS Act lacks sufficient consumer protections and could shift the burden of failure onto taxpayers. Building a Zelle-style stablecoin alliance also presents challenges. Banks must align on key features and governance—a challenging task given differing priorities. Even if the network succeeds, it will face competition from established players like Circle's USDC, Tether (USDT), and PayPal (PYUSD). Retail giants like Walmart and Amazon are also eyeing the space, potentially bypassing card networks like Visa by tapping into their massive customer bases. Bank of America's Strong Q1 Amidst Macroeconomic Caution Still, this transformation will take time to unfold. In the meantime, Bank of America's Q1 2025 earnings were largely positive. The bank posted a solid EPS beat at $0.90, driven by a 9% year-over-year rise in sales and trading revenue and 4% growth in consumer spending. Perhaps most notably, Bank of America's capital position is stronger than ever, with total assets climbing to $3.35 trillion. However, the outlook isn't as rosy as its first quarter results. The company expressed uncertainty over the macroeconomic outlook due to potential tariffs and their impact on the economy. For example, if retailers raise the price of a television due to tariffs, fewer Americans will use their Bank of America cards to process the transaction. So, banks are quite vulnerable to economic stagnation. This, combined with the risky pivot into digital currencies, may be 'cause for pause' among investors. Is Bank of America a Buy, Sell, or Hold? On Wall Street, BAC earns a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 18 Buy, two Hold, and zero Sell ratings in the past three months. BAC's average price target of $49.38 implies an upside potential of almost 10% over the next 12 months. Recently, Wells Fargo analyst Mike Mayo issued a Buy rating on BAC, noting the bank's 'strategic focus on expanding its consumer deposits and wealth management services, along with international commercial expansion, positions it for long-term growth.' BAC Positioned for a Win in Ongoing Stablecoin Shift Bank of America's move into digital currencies reflects a clear shift in the financial landscape—an uncertain but necessary step that no major bank can afford to ignore. While details are still being finalized and collaboration among competing banks will be crucial to building a stablecoin network, Bank of America's core business remains solid, consistently exceeding expectations. With its strong balance sheet and operational scale, the bank is well-positioned to lead innovation in this emerging space. One thing is sure: the GENIUS Act favors large institutions, and Bank of America is well placed to capitalize on it.

an hour ago
Judge asks if troops in Los Angeles are violating the Posse Comitatus Act
SAN FRANCISCO -- California's challenge of the Trump administration's military deployment in Los Angeles returned to a federal courtroom in San Francisco on Friday for a brief hearing after an appeals court handed President Donald Trump a key procedural win. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer put off issuing any additional rulings and instead asked for briefings from both sides by noon Monday on whether the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits troops from conducting civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil, is being violated in Los Angeles. The hearing happened the day after the 9th Circuit appellate panel allowed the president to keep control of National Guard troops he deployed in response to protests over immigration raids. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his complaint that 'violation of the Posse Comitatus Act is imminent, if not already underway' but Breyer last week postponed considering that allegation. Vice President JD Vance, a Marine veteran, traveled to Los Angeles on Friday and met with troops, including U.S. Marines who have been deployed to protect federal buildings. According to Vance, the court determined Trump's determination to send in federal troops 'was legitimate' and he will do it again if necessary. 'The president has a very simple proposal to everybody in every city, every community, every town whether big or small, if you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we're not going to send in the National Guard because it's unnecessary,' Vance told journalists after touring a federal complex in Los Angeles. Vance's tour of a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center and a mobile command center came as demonstrations have calmed after sometimes-violent clashes between protesters and police and outbreaks of vandalism and break-ins that followed immigration raids across Southern California earlier this month. Tens of thousands have also marched peacefully in Los Angeles since June 8. National Guard troops have been accompanying federal agents on some immigration raids, and Marines briefly detained a man on the first day they deployed to protect a federal building. The marked the first time federal troops detained a civilian since deploying to the nation's second-largest city. Breyer found Trump acted illegally when, over opposition from California's governor, the president activated the soldiers. However, the appellate decision halted the judge's temporary restraining order. Breyer asked the lawyers on Friday to address whether he or the appellate court retains primary jurisdiction to grant an injunction under the Posse Comitatus Act. California has sought a preliminary injunction giving Newsom back control of the troops in Los Angeles, where protests have calmed down in recent days. Trump, a Republican, argued that the troops have been necessary to restore order. Newsom, a Democrat, said their presence on the streets of a U.S. city inflamed tensions, usurped local authority and wasted resources. The demonstrations appear to be winding down, although dozens of protesters showed up Thursday at Dodger Stadium, where a group of federal agents gathered at a parking lot with their faces covered, traveling in SUVs and cargo vans. The Los Angeles Dodgers organization asked them to leave, and they did. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass lifted a downtown curfew that was first imposed in response to vandalism and clashes with police after crowds gathered in opposition to agents taking migrants into detention. Trump federalized members of the California National Guard under an authority known as Title 10. Title 10 allows the president to call the National Guard into federal service when the country 'is invaded,' when 'there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government,' or when the president is otherwise unable 'to execute the laws of the United States.' Breyer found that Trump had overstepped his legal authority, which he said allows presidents to control state National Guard troops only during times of 'rebellion or danger of a rebellion.' 'The protests in Los Angeles fall far short of 'rebellion,' ' wrote Breyer, a Watergate prosecutor who was appointed by President Bill Clinton and is the brother of retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. The Trump administration argued that courts can't second-guess the president's decisions. The appellate panel ruled otherwise, saying presidents don't have unfettered power to seize control of a state's guard, but the panel said that by citing violent acts by protesters in this case, the Trump administration had presented enough evidence to show it had a defensible rationale for federalizing the troops. For now, the California National Guard will stay in federal hands as the lawsuit proceeds. It is the first deployment by a president of a state National Guard without the governor's permission since troops were sent to protect Civil Rights Movement marchers in 1965. Trump celebrated the appellate ruling in a social media post, calling it a 'BIG WIN' and hinting at more potential deployments.


New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Accused Minnesota assassin wildly claimed in ‘incoherent' letter that Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to kill Sen. Amy Klobuchar: report
Accused Minnesota political assassin Vance Boetler wrote a deranged letter addressed to the FBI in which he wildly claimed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to kill Sen. Amy Klobuchar, according to a report. Boetler, 57, alleged in the rambling, conspiratorial letter that the former Democrat vice presidential candidate directed him to murder Klobuchar (D-MN) as part of a supposed plot for Walz to take her spot in the Senate, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported, citing people familiar with the writings. The letter, which is one and a half pages long, is mostly incoherent and gives insight into the muddled mind of the Minnesota madman, those sources told the outlet. Advertisement 5 Boetler is accused of killing Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and shooting state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Vance Boelter/Linkedin 5 Boelter was arrested on June 15, 2025. via REUTERS Neither Walz nor Klobuchar responded directly to the information contained in the letter but each issued statements on the shootings following the report. Advertisement 'Governor Walz is grateful to law enforcement who apprehended the shooter, and he's grateful to the prosecutors who will ensure justice is swiftly served,' Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann told the Star Tribune. Klobuchar said in a statement, 'Boetler is a very dangerous man and I am deeply grateful that law enforcement got him behind bars before he killed other people.' Boetler is accused of killing Minnesota House rep Melissa Hortman and her husband and shooting state senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in an early morning targeted attack on June 14 during which the alleged killer donned a creepy latex mask and wore a police officer's uniform. 5 A copy of notes the suspect allegedly wrote in his notebook. District Court of Minnesota Advertisement 5 Boetler alleged that he was ordered to murder Sen. Amy Klobuchar Getty Images 5 Neither Walz nor Klobuchar responded directly to the information contained in the letter. AP At the home of Hoffman, investigators got into a shootout with Boetler who fled — leaving behind a 'manifesto' that listed the names of 70 politicians to kill – including Gov. Walz who once appointed the 57-year-old to a state-wide board. Advertisement Boetler was captured in a wooded area in Sibley County on Sunday following the largest manhunt the Land of 10,000 Lakes has ever seen — with SWAT teams swarming after getting a tip from a local resident who spotted the fugitive on a trail cam, the Star Tribune reported. The maniac faces federal murder and stalking charges in addition to state charges and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.