KPMG Admits Wrongdoing Tied To Stealing PCAOB Information And Altering Audits

One of the big four accounting firms, KPMG, will be paying a $50 million fine to settle SEC allegations that it not only altered past audit work, but did so after receiving stolen information from an industry watchdog, according to Bloomberg.

The fine comes from a point in KPMG history that led to five of its former employees being accused of interfering with PCAOB inspections of the company.

The case stems from former KPMG officials who obtained a list of inspection targets by the PCAOB and tried to "revise certain audits" prior to inspections, in order to reduce the likelihood of the government finding shortfalls.

SEC Chairman Jay Clayton said:

“KPMG’s ethical failures are simply unacceptable. The resolution the Enforcement Division has reached holds KPMG accountable for its past failures and provides for continuing, heightened oversight to protect our markets and our investors.”

But don’t worry, as one astute Twitter observer noted, we’re sure the rest of those audits are all just fine.

KPMG admitted wrongdoing in its settlement with the SEC and also agreed to hire an independent consultant to review its internal controls.

The investigation ultimately resulted in criminal charges against three former PCAOB officials in January 2018. Federal prosecutors accused the PCAOB employees, who then went on to work for KPMG, of stealing information.

The SEC has stated that its probe into the matter is "continuing".

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-17/kpmg-admits-wrongdoing-tied-stealing-pcaob-information-and-altering-audits-0

Publisher ceasing sales of Nobody Died At Sandy Hook this month

Due to ongoing litigation, Moon Rock Books Publishing will no longer sell Nobody Died At Sandy Hook: It was a FEMA Drill to Promote Gun Control after June 30, 2019.

While the publisher is no longer a party to Pozner vs. Fetzer, et al., all proceeds from book sales will go to the Moon Rock Books Legal Defense Fund, as legal fees have and continue to mount, and Jim Fetzer and Mike Palecek are still embroiled in this litigation.

https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/73279/publisher-ceasing-sales-of-nobody-died-at-sandy-hook-this.html

Matt Gaetz: ‘America First’ Means Protecting U.S. Border Before Avenging Japanese Vessels

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) suggested on Sunday that America should secure its border before avenging foreign vessels allegedly attacked by Iran.

Congressman Gaetz tweeted Sunday, suggesting that America should heed Japan and Norway’s caution against war with Iran amid heightened tensions with the Middle Eastern nation.

The Florida congressman wrote, “Japanese and Norwegian vessels were attacked. If these nations aren’t calling for war, neither should the U.S. We can’t afford another #ForeverWar“:

Japanese and Norwegian vessels were attacked. If these nations aren’t calling for war, neither should the U.S. We can’t afford another #ForeverWar.

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 16, 2019

Rep. Gaetz wrote that President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy means that the country must protect its borders from illegal immigration and cartel violence before it attacks foreign nations.

President Donald Trump garnered much support for his America First foreign policy, contending that America should focus less on intervention and nation-building abroad and more on rebuilding the nation at home.

Gaetz charged, “‘America First’ means protecting our border from the ‘Gulf Cartel’ before avenging foreign vessels in the Gulf of Oman.” Gaetz also tweeted out a Breitbart News article which detailed how the FBI believes that murders on Texas soil were linked to Gulf Cartel violence.

“America First” means protecting our border from the ‘Gulf Cartel’ before avenging foreign vessels in the Gulf of Oman. https://t.co/YsOhQr4wB8

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 16, 2019

Opposition to war with Iran has become a bipartisan issue as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that she has no interest in going to war with Iran. Pelosi said, “We have absolutely no appetite for going to war, or to be provocative to create situations that might evoke responses, where mistakes could be made.”

Congressman Gaetz delivered an impassioned speech outlining his non-interventionist America First policy in May, in which he charged that because the neoconservatives and the “War Lobby” never received their intervention in Syria, they have turned their gaze towards Iran.

Gaetz explained:

Luckily, the War Lobby never got its desired intervention in Syria, largely thanks to Donald Trump— the ONLY major presidential candidate who spoke against the idea. The so-called “experts” behind our failed foreign policy have not learned from their mistakes because they have never been held accountable for them. And so today the saber-rattling persists, and is directed toward Venezuela, Yemen, and, most disturbingly, Iran.

Rep. Gaetz even blasted the neoconservative experts who believe that America has a “moral obligation” to intervene abroad.

“Real morality and real toughness is standing up to the pro-war special interests and globalist power brokers. Real morality is affirming forever that the blood of American troops is not for sale,” Gaetz said.

“As policymakers, it is our task to fight harder in Washington to understand the deep consequences of US military force both at home and around the world. President Trump is staying true to the instincts he expressed while campaigning as an America First, anti-interventionist Republican,” the Florida conservative added.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/06/16/matt-gaetz-america-first-means-protecting-u-s-border-before-avenging-japanese-vessels/

Ex-Iranian Diplomat Claims Israel Behind Oil Tanker Attacks

A former Iranian diplomat claimed that Israel with responsible for Thursday’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, an Iranian media outlet reported.

Without offering any evidence, Hamid Reza Asefi, who served as Iran’s ambassador to France and Foreign Ministry spokesman, claimed the motive behind the attack was “clear.”

“I think the directing of such incidents in the region are done by the Zionist regime and this has no hidden dimensions,” Asefi told Iran Online in an interview cited by the Tehran Times.

Israel benefits the most from accusations against Iran, Asefi theorized, and therefore “logically the Zionist regime is the agent of this incident.”

He added that Israel seeks to drag the Islamic Republic into turmoil with the rest of the world.

Iran denies any involvement in the twin attacks. The country’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, implied Israeli involvement when on Friday he accused the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia of engaging in a plot to “sabotage diplomacy.”

Meanwhile Israeli intelligence has joined the U.S. in blaming Iran for the incidents.

Over the weekend, an Israeli TV report cited senior intelligence officials as saying that the Iranians used mines and a torpedo in the attack.

Limpet mines were spotted on one of the ships, leading the U.S. to conclude that Iran was behind the attack. The U.S. military released footage apparently showing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard removing one of the unexploded mines. A U.S. official also told CNN that Iranian forces in the Gulf of Oman spotted a U.S. drone hours before the attack and fired a surface-to-air missile at it.

According to the official, the missile missed the drone and fell into the water.

President Donald Trump on Friday called Iran “a nation of terror.” He said the attack had “Iran written all over it” and the Islamic Republic “did do it.”

“You know they did it because you saw the boat,” Trump said. “I guess one of the mines didn’t explode and it’s probably got essentially Iran written all over it.”

“You saw the boat at night, successfully trying to take the mine off — and that was exposed,” he said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that the “unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation and an unacceptable campaign of escalating tension by Iran.”

The UK also said it had concluded that Iran was responsible for the attacks.

“Our own assessment leads us to conclude that responsibility for the attacks almost certainly lies with Iran. These latest attacks build on a pattern of destabilizing Iranian behavior and pose a serious danger to the region,” British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Friday.

In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador for a dressing down.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday night also accused Iran of carrying out the attacks.

“We won’t hesitate to deal with any threat to our people, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity and our vital interests,” he said in an interview with Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat.

Iran’s mission to the UN issued a statement saying: “The US economic war and terrorism against the Iranian people as well as its massive military presence in the region have been and continue to be the main sources of insecurity and instability in the wider Persian Gulf region and the most significant threat to its peace and security.”

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2019/06/16/ex-iranian-diplomat-says-israel-behind-oil-tanker-attacks/

Pfizer raises drug prices again, rebuking Trump

Drug giant Pfizer announced on Friday it will increase the list prices of 41 medicines in January, just months after it agreed to temporarily roll back price hikes under pressure from President Donald Trump.

Pfizer's new price increases, which take effect Jan. 15, will apply to 10 percent of its portfolio, the company said. Most of those drugs will see 5 percent increases.

Trump attacked Pfizer in July after the company raised prices, just weeks after he announced a drug pricing plan he claimed would result in "historic" price cuts. Trump accused the company of "taking advantage of the poor & others unable to defend themselves," and Pfizer a day later agreed to cancel the price increases.

Pfizer at the time said the rollback would give Trump an opportunity to work on his administration's drug price plan. The company said it would reinstate price increases at the end of the year if the administration's drug pricing plan didn't take effect.

A spokesperson for HHS Secretary Alex Azar criticized Pfizer’s latest price hikes, saying they “further illustrate the perverse incentives of America’s drug pricing system.”

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/16/pfizer-drugs-prices-increase-trump-981010

12 Things Parents of Mentally Strong Children Don’t Do

1. Condoning a Victim Mentality

Rejection, failure, and unfairness are a part of life. Refuse to attend your kids’ pity parties. Teach them that no matter how tough or unjust their circumstances, they can always take positive action.

2. Parenting Out of Guilt

Show your kids that even though you feel guilty sometimes—and all good parents do—you’re not going to allow your uncomfortable emotions to get in the way of making wise decisions.

3. Making Their Kids the Center of the Universe

If you make your entire life revolve around your kids, they’ll grow up thinking everyone should cater to them. And self-absorbed, entitled adults aren’t likely to get very far in life.

4. Allowing Fear to Dictate Their Choices

Although keeping your kids inside a protective bubble will spare you a lot of anxiety, playing it too safe teaches your child that fear must be avoided at all times. Show your kids that the best way to conquer fear is to face those fears head-on.

5. Giving Their Kids Power over Them

Letting kids dictate what the family is going to eat for dinner or where the family is going on vacation gives kids more power than they are developmentally ready to handle. Treating kids like an equal—or the boss—actually robs them of mental strength.

6. Expecting Perfection

Expecting your kids to perform well is healthy. But expecting them to be perfect will backfire. Teach your kids that it’s OK to fail and it’s OK not to be great at everything they do.

7. Letting Their Kids Avoid Responsibility

Kids who perform age-appropriate duties aren’t overburdened. Instead, they’re gaining the mental strength they need to become responsible citizens.

8. Shielding Their Kids from Pain

Hurt feelings, sadness, and anxiety are part of life. And letting kids experience those painful feelings gives them opportunities to practice tolerating discomfort.

9. Feeling Responsible for Their Kids’ Emotions

Cheering your kids up when they’re sad and calming them down when they’re upset means you take responsibility for regulating their emotions. Kids need to gain emotional competence so they can learn to manage their own feelings.

10. Preventing Their Kids from Making Mistakes

Correcting your kids’ math homework, double-checking to make sure they’ve packed their lunch, and constantly reminding them to do their chores won’t do them any favors. Natural consequences can be some of life’s greatest teachers.

11. Confusing Discipline with Punishment

Punishment involves making kids suffer for their wrongdoing. Discipline, however, is about teaching them how to do better in the future.

Raising a child who fears “getting in trouble” isn’t the same as raising a child who wants to make good choices.

12. Taking Shortcuts to Avoid Discomfort

Although giving in to a whining child or doing your kids’ chores for them will make your life a little easier right now, those shortcuts instill unhealthy habits in your kids.

More:

https://www.naturalblaze.com/2019/06/12-things-parents-of-mentally-strong-children-dont-do.html

Swimmer missing in Hudson is internationally-regarded AIDS researcher

The marathon swimmer who disappeared near the George Washington Bridge during a 120-mile race on the Hudson River is an internationally recognized AIDS researcher and former professor at the University of North Carolina.

Charles Van Der Horst, 67, of Chapel Hill, vanished on the New Jersey side of the bridge Friday afternoon during the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim, which stretches from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in Catskill to the Verrazzano Bridge.

Authorities resumed the search for him Saturday around 10:30 a.m., an NYPD spokesman said.

He was a professor at UNC from 1988 to 2015, began doing clinical trials after he retired from teaching, and also works with health organizations in Africa that focus on AIDS.

Van Der Horst is also a key player in North Carolina’s “Moral Mondays” demonstrations, a weekly protest initially sparked by the state’s law to prohibit transgender people from using the public restroom of their choice. Van Der Horst told local media he joined the movement after state lawmakers rejected the expansion of Medicaid.

“My heart is so heavy,” the Rev. Dr. William Barber, the founder of Moral Mondays, posted on Twitter. “Dr Van Der Horst is among my deepest friends. I’m praying & crying for his family & so hoping there is a chance he is still with us.”

University of Minnesota professor David Boulware posted on Facebook that when he was asked a few years ago to name his hero in the infectious disease field, he named Van Der Horst. “I couldn’t come up with a close second. Dr. Van der Horst was both a passionate clinician, researcher, and advocate.”

“He exhibited political activism when North Carolina legislature refused to expand Medicaid,” Boulware wrote. “He saw firsthand how policy impacted people’s lives and didn’t stand by on the sidelines watching people die. He protested and was arrested on numerous occasions at the NC State Capitol.”

Race organizer New York Open Water canceled the final leg of the race scheduled for Saturday.

https://nypost.com/2019/06/15/swimmer-missing-in-hudson-is-internationally-regarded-aids-researcher/

Dancing Iranians: Is President Trump Preparing to Blame Iran for 9/11?

Clare Bronfman to Be Charged With Additional Crimes

This one you can take to the bank.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the federal investigation into Nxivm and its key players confirmed that Clare Bronfman, Director of Operations for Nxivm, and a Seagram’s heiress, with a reported net worth of about $250 million, will be charged with additional crimes following the results of the current trial of Keith Alan Raniere.

Her crimes will likely include visa fraud, tax evasion, racketeering, and racketeering conspiracy.

Bronfman was charged as a co-conspirator of Raniere’s and avoided racketeering charges when she pleaded guilty in April to two felony counts. The first count was conspiracy to conceal or harbor an illegal alien [the illegal alien was the first witness in the case against Raniere, her first name is Sylvie] for financial gain. The second count was fraudulent use of the late Pam Cafritz’s identification [her American Express Card] after Cafritz’s death.

Bronfman faces sentencing in late July and sentencing guidelines are from 21-27 months, according to Judge Nicholas Garaufis, who will sentence her. Bronfman must also pay $6 million in cash as a fine. Her payment is due tomorrow. In addition, she must pay restitution to Sylvie of $96,605.25.

With the latest news, Bronfman may be facing a much longer prison sentence than a mere 21-27 months. And more fines.

Sources say that, in addition to FBI agents, senior agents for Homeland Security and the IRS are presently investigating – in the Eastern District of New York – with a focus on Bronfman and her role in visa fraud and tax evasion.

The Northern District is also reportedly investigating, but sources indicate that Assistant US Attorney Moira Kim Penza, who has been the lead prosecutor in the instant case, will continue her role as prosecutor regardless of whether the next spate of charges is prosecuted in the Northern District or the Eastern District of New York or both.

In addition to visa fraud and tax evasion charges, Bronfman’s role in the Nxivm racketeering enterprise is being investigated in contemplation of additional racketeering charges.

Among the racketeering acts currently being investigated is her perjury in several legal cases to further the goals of the Nxivm racketeering enterprise. Among the cases Bronfman is suspected of perjuring herself in are a civil and criminal computer trespassing case. In the criminal case, her perjury led to indictments that were later dismissed against Joe O’Hara and Toni Natalie – longtime Nxivm enemies.

In another case, which involved this writer, she is suspected of perjuring herself when she went before a grand jury in the Western District of NY in 2011 and falsely swore that she had entered into a certain written contract that she had previously testified in a civil court case she never entered into.

Representatives of Homeland Security have been in court every day, as well as IRS agents and FBI agents. As per her suspected visa fraud, the pattern is similar to what she admitted she did with Sylvie.

https://frankreport.com/2019/06/17/sources-clare-bronfman-to-be-charged-with-additional-crimes/