^{The Saint Louis River, as seen from the swinging bridge in Jay Cooke State Park.}

We hiked some of the trails in Jay Cooke State Park yesterday. Yeah, I got my 10,000 steps in. The fall leaves haven’t peaked yet, but a nice walk in the woods anyway. Several times, the trail was marked with Caution signs, without any indication of why one might want to be cautious. No big trees perilously close to falling, no treacherous streams to be forded, just a trail through the woods.

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, and Debt:

New York judge orders Tether to document USDT backing

SEC Wants to ‘Remake the Law,’ Rather Than ‘Apply it,’ Says Ripple General Counsel

Powell Signals More Pain to Come With Fed Sending Rates Higher

Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:

How Big Were Pandemic Learning Losses, Really?

China’s Vast 14,000-Bed Covid Isolation Center Revealed in Drone Footage

Politics:

Trump Sued for “Staggering” Fraud by New York Attorney General

The 220-page lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, lays out in new and startling detail how, according to Ms. James, Mr. Trump’s annual financial statements were a compendium of lies. The statements, yearly records that include the company’s estimated value of his holdings and debts, wildly inflated the worth of nearly every one of his marquee properties — from Mar-a-Lago in Florida to Trump Tower and 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, according to the lawsuit.

Letitia James Beat Trump at His Own Game

Unfortunately for the former president, the attorney general seems to have the goods to back up her case.

MyPillow CEO Under Federal Investigation

Mike Lindell, the My Pillow chief executive and ally to former President Donald Trump, is under U.S. federal investigation for identity theft and for conspiring to damage a protected computer connected to a suspected voting equipment security breach in Colorado.

The House just passed a bill that would make it harder to overthrow an election

Russia arrests hundreds at anti-war protests

The Moscow prosecutor's office on Wednesday warned that calls on the internet to join unauthorised street protests, or participation in them, could incur up to 15 years in jail. They could be prosecuted under laws against discrediting the armed forces, spreading "fake news" about Russia's military operation in Ukraine, or encouraging minors to protest.
Russia's tough penalties for spreading "disinformation" about the Ukraine war and police harassment of anti-Putin activists have made public anti-war protests rare.

Zelensky calls for ‘just punishment’ for Russia

The word “punishment” cropped up some 15 times in Mr Zelensky's speech, and was the first of his five non-negotiable conditions for peace.

January 6 Panel to Interview Ginni Thomas

Leaked House GOP Platform Uses Shorthand For Extreme Anti-Abortion Position

Putin Now Commanding His Generals in the Field

Russia’s military is divided over how best to counter Ukraine’s unexpected battlefield advances this month, according to multiple sources familiar with US intelligence, as Moscow has found itself on the defensive in both the east and the south.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is himself giving directions directly to generals in the field, a highly unusual management tactic in a modern military that these sources said hints at the dysfunctional command structure that has plagued Russia’s war from the beginning.

Serendipity:

The cheating scandal roiling the chess world has a new wrinkle

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