Epstein's longtime accountant testifies he was 'not aware' of sex offender's crimes toggle caption Getty Images/Tom Williams Richard Kahn, Jeffrey Epstein's former accountant, testified before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door deposition Wednesday, telling lawmakers that he was "not aware" of Epstein's crimes and regrets that he may have "unknowingly assisted Epstein in any way." "Whi...
Epstein's longtime accountant testifies he was 'not aware' of sex offender's crimes toggle caption Getty Images/Tom Williams Richard Kahn, Jeffrey Epstein's former accountant, testified before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door deposition Wednesday, telling lawmakers that he was "not aware" of Epstein's crimes and regrets that he may have "unknowingly assisted Epstein in any way." "While Epstein was alive, I never observed any sexual abuse or trafficking of women and never received a complaint—either by one of Epstein's victims or anyone else—of such abuse or trafficking," Kahn said, according to a copy of his prepared opening statement obtained by NPR. The Republican-led committee subpoenaed Kahn, who started working as Epstein's accountant in 2005 and remained a close confidant until his death in 2019. Sponsor Message Two days before his death, Epstein made Kahn a co-executor of his estate, along with Darren Indyke, Epstein's former attorney. Both are named as beneficiaries of Epstein's estate. California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said in a statement after the deposition that along with managing Epstein's operations, Kahn admitted to facilitating a fake marriage between two women, impersonating Epstein in communications with banks, and "confirmed Epstein spoke about Donald Trump 'a lot.'" "Jeffrey Epstein's massive sex trafficking ring would not have been possible without the consistent payments and services of his long-time accountant Richard Kahn," Garcia said. "It's not credible that he had no knowledge of Epstein's activities, and his testimony today only raises more questions. Oversight Democrats won't stop fighting until we get justice for the survivors and end this White House cover-up." Committee Chair, Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, told reporters that Kahn had answered every question after two hours of deposition. Comer said that Kahn "confirmed there were five clients who paid money to Epstein." Those clie...
The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries – an effort that comes after the supreme court struck down Donald Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency. The US president and his team have made clear that they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the supreme court’...
The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries – an effort that comes after the supreme court struck down Donald Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency. The US president and his team have made clear that they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the supreme court’s February ruling by using different laws to establish new tariffs . In this case, the administration is starting investigations under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which could eventually lead to new import taxes. But US trade representative Jamieson Greer, in a Wednesday call with reporters, said he didn’t want to prejudge the outcome of the process. “The policy remains the same – the tools may change depending on, you know, the vagaries of courts and other things,” said Greer, stressing that the goal was to protect US jobs. The start of the process to fully replace Trump’s prior tariffs could invite a return of much of the drama that rattled the global economy last year. The since-overturned tariffs led to new frameworks with US trade partners – and it’s unclear what impact a new set of import taxes could have on those agreements. Greer described the trade frameworks as standing on their own and suggested they were separate from the new investigation. This new set of tariffs could play out against the backdrop of a war in Iran and midterm elections in which Democrats are running against Trump’s Republican allies by emphasizing that the public is owed tariff refunds following the supreme court decision. Greer said that the investigation would examine excess industrial capacity and government backing that could give foreign companies an unfair advantage over US companies. The entities subject to the investigation include China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, the self-governing island...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Crude oil rose to highs of the day following reports that a f ire broke out on an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf near Basra in Iraq's territorial waters after an apparent attack, and a second tanker anchored off the coast of Kuwait was said to have suffered an explosion. At least three cargo ships were hit earlier near the Strait of Hormuz, which had brought th...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Crude oil rose to highs of the day following reports that a f ire broke out on an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf near Basra in Iraq's territorial waters after an apparent attack, and a second tanker anchored off the coast of Kuwait was said to have suffered an explosion. At least three cargo ships were hit earlier near the Strait of Hormuz, which had brought the number of ships struck in the region since the Iran conflict began to at least 14. After-hours, front-month Nymex crude ( CL1:COM ) for April delivery jumped 7.5% to $93.83/bbl, after ending regular trading +4.6% to $87.25/bbl, while Brent crude ( CO1:COM ) for May delivery closed +4.8% to $91.98/bbl. Meanwhile, heavy waves of airstrikes hit Beirut and Tehran on Wednesday, adding to the toll of the war, as the Pentagon reportedly told Congress in a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill that the cost of the war for the U.S. topped $11.3B in the first six days. The U.S. said it plans to release 172M barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over the next four months, starting next week, as part of a coordinated effort by the International Energy Agency, whose 32 member countries announced an agreement to release 400M barrels into the market in an attempt to prevent prices from rising further. The proposed release is roughly equal to about four days of global production and 16 days of the volume of crude that transits through the Gulf, Macquarie analysts estimated, saying "If that doesn't sound like much, it isn't." "The big focus is on the Strait of Hormuz," Dennis Kissler of BOK Financial said in a note. "You're not going to see a real relief in prices until we see at least some ships come through there," If Hormuz does not open in the next few days, Kissler expects another rally in oil prices. The release of the reserves is "definitely not a big bullish factor, more of a relief near term" that may buy the U.S. and Israel some more time to get the strait open. U.S. natu...
AlexSecret/E+ via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 The fund outperformed its benchmark in the fourth quarterStrong stock selection in information technology ( IT ) added to relative return. Weakness in consumer discretionary and health care partially offset the favorable results. 2 The S&P 500 Index ended the quarter higher with some volatilityUS equity markets experienced renewed volatility during th...
AlexSecret/E+ via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 The fund outperformed its benchmark in the fourth quarterStrong stock selection in information technology ( IT ) added to relative return. Weakness in consumer discretionary and health care partially offset the favorable results. 2 The S&P 500 Index ended the quarter higher with some volatilityUS equity markets experienced renewed volatility during the fourth quarter amid economic crosscurrents and seemingly mixed investor sentiment toward artificial intelligence ( AI ) valuations and AI-related spending. 3 We remain focused on premier growth compoundersTechnology driven innovation has continued to disrupt large portions of the global economy, providing in our view substantial opportunities through investment in premier growth compounders. We remain focused on capturing those opportunities for fund shareholders. Manager perspective and outlook Invesco US Growth Team's constructive outlook for US equities is supported by a resilient economy, strong corporate profits, reduced regulatory burdens and US Federal Reserve rate cuts. Both GDP (gross domestic product) data and corporate profit reports are expected to show continued growth in 2026. In addition, we observe record stock buybacks and a strengthening of merger and acquisition activity. We also believe 2026 will usher a wave of exciting IPOs (initial public offerings) into the public markets. Meanwhile, the pace of AI-related innovation and infrastructure build-out has remained robust and industrial renewal still provides abundant investment opportunities in our view. We continue to focus on bringing the potential of premier growth companies to fund shareholders. Our recent emphasis has been on the industrial, financial and IT sectors. Top issuers (% of total market value) Fund Index Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc ( HLT ) 3.59 2.21 Howmet Aerospace Inc ( HWM ) 3.25 2.77 Monolithic Power Systems Inc ( MPWR ) 2.88 1.41 Quanta Services Inc ( PWR ) 2.61 1.62 Comfort System...
A sly fox slipped on to a cargo ship and travelled from Southampton to New York, according to officials at Bronx Zoo. The zoo, which is looking after the animal, said it appears healthy after early examinations. It is unclear how the male red fox boarded the ship, which had been transporting cars, to make the 3,400 mile journey to the east coast of the US. It left Southampton, Hampshire, on 4 Febr...
A sly fox slipped on to a cargo ship and travelled from Southampton to New York, according to officials at Bronx Zoo. The zoo, which is looking after the animal, said it appears healthy after early examinations. It is unclear how the male red fox boarded the ship, which had been transporting cars, to make the 3,400 mile journey to the east coast of the US. It left Southampton, Hampshire, on 4 February, and the vessel docked at the Port of New York and New Jersey on 18 February. Diane J Sabatino, executive assistant commissioner at the US Customs and Border Protection Department, wrote on X that port officers had found the “sly stowaway”, and agriculture specialists had coordinated with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife to find the fox a new home at Bronx Zoo. Officials brought the fox to the zoo the next day. He is estimated to be two years old and weighs 5kg (11lbs). Keith Lovett, the zoo’s director of animal programmes, said: “He seems to be settling in well. It’s gone through a lot.” A long-term home for the mammal will be found after he undergoes additional health checks. The omnivore has a diet of produce, proteins and some biscuit-like items at the zoo’s veterinary centre. The species, formally named Vulpes vulpes, is widespread in Europe, Asia, North America and parts of Africa.
随着霍尔木兹海峡进入关闭第11天,真正的主战场也许并不在中东,而是在美国国债市场。 尽管市场最初普遍预期,地缘政治冲击将推动美债收益率走低,但10年期美国国债收益率却反而升至4.2%。Forest for the Trees创始人兼总裁Luke Groman指出,持续发酵的能源危机,正在暴露全球金融体系内部一系列愈发清晰的局限性。 Groman认为,对美国经济结构的真正威胁,并不来自传统意义上的军...
随着霍尔木兹海峡进入关闭第11天,真正的主战场也许并不在中东,而是在美国国债市场。 尽管市场最初普遍预期,地缘政治冲击将推动美债收益率走低,但10年期美国国债收益率却反而升至4.2%。Forest for the Trees创始人兼总裁Luke Groman指出,持续发酵的能源危机,正在暴露全球金融体系内部一系列愈发清晰的局限性。 Groman认为,对美国经济结构的真正威胁,并不来自传统意义上的军事对抗,而是根植于债务问题以及全球对美元体系的高度依赖。 “伊朗不需要打败美国军方——即便它真有这个能力,我也表示怀疑,”Groman说,“它只需要打败债券市场就够了。” 美债抛售链条如何形成 问题的核心在于,那些高度依赖进口能源的海外经济体,同时也大量持有美元资产。全球投资者目前持有约27万亿美元的净美元计价资产。一旦油价飙升、美元同步走强,这些国家和机构就会被迫面对一个艰难选择。 Groman解释称:“他们必须获得能源,必须获得粮食,必须获得这些 大宗商品 。因此,他们会开始出售美元资产,而最先卖出的往往就是美国国债,因为它流动性最强、市场最深,用来换取 石油 最方便。” 在这种机制下,海外国家实际上会通过抛售美债来为本国能源赤字融资,从而进一步推高美国国债收益率。 这一脆弱性又被当前美国财政现实进一步放大。美国国会预算办公室预计,2026财年联邦预算赤字将达到1.9万亿美元;与此同时,美国财政部最新数据显示,外国持有的美国国债规模已升至约9.4万亿美元,创历史新高。Groman指出,1973年美国债务占GDP比重约为31%,而如今已升至122%左右,“这已经完全不是一个量级”。这一比值也与美国联邦政府近来的公开数据大体一致。 霍尔木兹危机折射全球供应链与权力重组 除了眼前的金融链条,Groman认为,这场冲突也暴露了全球供应链安全格局正在发生变化。霍尔木兹海峡是全球最关键的能源咽喉之一,历史上通常承载着约每日2000万桶石油运输,占全球海运石油贸易逾四分之一。亚洲市场对这一通道依赖极高,几乎接收了通过该海峡运输的近九成原油和凝析油出口。 尽管更广泛的市场几乎已将霍尔木兹视为“被掐住的通道”,但部分买家仍在继续拿到货源。数据显示,中国接收了经由该海峡运输石油出口中的近38%;此外,中国还构建了庞大的供应缓冲,因为其已成为伊朗石油出口90%以上的买家。分析人士估计,目前约...
The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries – an effort that comes after the Supreme Court struck down US President Donald Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency. Trump and his team have made clear that they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the Supreme Cour...
The Trump administration on Wednesday opened a new trade investigation into manufacturing in foreign countries – an effort that comes after the Supreme Court struck down US President Donald Trump’s previous use of tariffs by declaring an economic emergency. Trump and his team have made clear that they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the Supreme Court’s February ruling by using different laws to establish new tariffs. In this case, the administration is starting investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which could eventually lead to new import taxes. But US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in a Wednesday call with reporters, said he did not want to prejudge the outcome of the process. Advertisement “The policy remains the same – the tools may change depending on, you know, the vagaries of courts and other things,” Greer said, stressing that the goal was to protect American jobs. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks to the media in Brussels, Belgium, in November 2025. Photo: Reuters The start of the process to fully replace Trump’s prior tariffs could invite a return of much of the drama that rattled the global economy last year.