Proponents of the Clarity Act say it will fill a crucial regulatory vacuum and give law enforcement new tools to tackle these evolving crimes. But the bill’s opponents argue it contains dangerous loopholes and prioritizes untested programs instead of holding crypto services to stringent anti-money laundering standards.
In apparent response to the pushback, a crypto industry group sent a letter earlier this month promoting the bill to U.S. Senate leadership. It was signed by several high-profile, former law enforcement officials. While they were identified as part of the industry group, the letter failed to specify which crypto firms many of those signatories currently work at.
“By doing this light-touch regulation, people are going to say ‘this is regulated so it’s safer now,’ ” said Gary Kalman, who leads the advocacy group Transparency International U.S. “But this is largely window-dressing type regulation.”
LOWER DOSES, LOWER COST
New studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual conference suggest that reducing the dosage of anti-cancer medicines — including Keytruda, the world’s bestselling drug and subject of ICIJ’s Cancer Calculus investigation — could drastically cut global health costs by billions of dollars a year and improve access for patients.
EX-CYPRIOT PRESIDENT NAMED IN CRIMINAL REFERRAL
Cyprus’ anti-corruption authority has found “potential acts of corruption” by former President Nicos Anastasiades during his 10 years in power, referring possible criminal charges to prosecutors for further scrutiny. He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
USING DATA TO INVESTIGATE BIG PHARMA
For the Cancer Calculus, ICIJ’s data team tracked Keytruda-related patents around the world, showing how Merck & Co. and other pharmaceutical companies created a dense web of patent applications that can make it harder for more affordable versions of the drug to enter markets.
Thanks for reading!
Carmen Molina Acosta
ICIJ's digital producer |
