https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/03/ukraine-war-us-sanctions-rus…
U.S. imposes new sanctions on pro-Putin Russian oligarchs and their families over Ukraine invasion
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/09/amazon-referred-to-doj-for-p…
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday sent a letter to the Justice Department, urging it to open an investigation into Amazon and its executives for potentially criminal obstruction of Congress.
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/03/08/now-lets-do-the-us-oli…
America’s oligarchs, like their Russian counterparts, have bilked billions — no, make that trillions — from their own regime. Some of their bilking comes directly from its violence, in the form of “defense” contracts to entities like Halliburton, Lockheed Martin and the Carlyle Group.
America’s oligarchical influence extends from healthcare and fossil fuels to the industry of war itself.
A 2014 Princeton political science study showed that government actions nearly always conform to the wishes of wealthy and powerful U.S. elites. “Our central finding was this: Economic elites and interest groups can shape U.S. government policy — but Americans who are less well off have essentially no influence over what their government does,” wrote co-authors Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page.
Meanwhile a billionaire complains his rights were trampled.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/manufacturing/elon-musk-…
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk asked a judge to end a 2018 consent decree with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that he claims is being used “to trample” on his “First Amendment rights and to impose prior restraints on his speech”.
Mr Musk said in a court affidavit he was “forced to sign” the consent decree because the “SEC’s unrelenting regulatory pressure” and “collateral consequence” of the government complaint against him “stood to jeopardise” Tesla’s ability to raise money.