u/SuperFaulty

For some unexplained reason, I feel bad about this...

>An unofficial adviser to the Trump administration who has played a leading role in shaping U.S. Venezuela policy and multimillion-dollar deals to exploit the OPEC state's vast oil resources has told Reuters he is no longer overseeing the portfolio.

>In a role likened by current and former government officials and business sources in the U.S. and Venezuela to ​that of a viceroy, Miami-based businessman Mauricio Claver-Carone reported to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has spearheaded Venezuela policy.

>Though he held no formal government position, he emerged as one of ‌the Trump administration's most influential players on Venezuela since the January 3 U.S. raid that captured President Nicolas Maduro.

>He said his departure was voluntary, though multiple sources familiar with the matter say he was forced out in recent weeks.

>During his tenure, Claver-Carone wielded heavy influence over decisions that could eventually be worth billions of dollars, from debt restructuring to oil deals.

>Maduro was replaced by former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who has worked closely with Claver-Carone and proved more compliant to U.S. demands to open the country up ​to U.S. business.

>Behind-the-scenes talks by Claver-Carone, who served briefly as Trump's special envoy on Latin America early in his second term, were a large part of the Trump administration's approach to post-Maduro Venezuela. The ​U.S. has taken a domineering role in determining the future of the country's energy sector while refraining from pushing for substantial political reforms or democratic elections anytime ⁠soon.

>Claver-Carone was key to U.S. firm Centerview Partners clinching a contract - worth more than $150 million with no competitive bidding process - to restructure Venezuela’s some $200 billion of debt. He also helped arrange talks between the Venezuelan government and opposition ​leaders scheduled for August 1 and weighed in on oil deals, including some cases in which companies were awarded potentially lucrative business, eight sources said.

Articulo completo: https://www.reuters.com/world/trumps-powerful-unofficial-venezuela-adviser-leaves-his-role-2026-07-31/

After 10 years with a trusted iPhone 7, I finally got a new phone (iPhone17). Now, online banking, which used to be a quick process, has become an lengthy ordeal of never ending "verifications".

Before: I logged to my RBC account in my desktop. A verification note was sent to my phone, I clicked "OK, it was me" (or something to that effect) on my phone. Logging on my desktop succeeded without a problem.

Now: I log to my RBC account in my desktop. A verification note is reportedly sent to my phone. It never gets there. I check my RBC phone app, and oh I need to log in, so to enter my RBC card number and password. Then it says I have to check the notification in "my other device". What other device?? I *changed* my phone! THIS is "my device"! So I click on "other ways to verify" (or something to that effect). It asks me to take a photo of my driver's license, which I do. Then I have to take a selfie, and it asks me to smile (why? but OK). It takes a while ("move closer", "move away") and It always ends up with "unable to verify". This happens OVER AND OVER.

What used to be a quick 5 minute chore is now a 20 minute ordeal.

Technology is really going backwards.

Any suggestions??

As seen in the ongoing FIFA 2026 World Cup... So many sport news websites have articles about which footballer would score more goals this World Cup. Would it be Messi? Would it Be Ronaldo? Would it be Mbappé? Would it be Haaland? Listening to commentators it would seem like the purpose of the World Cup is to determine which player scores the most goals.

Sports reporters keeps asking these players the same stupid questions about what they think of the prospect of being the player with the most goals. It *SHOWS* these reporters/commentators don't get what the World Cup is all about. It's a team sport. These players care more about their TEAM WINNING than about setting any kind of "record". They're not awake at night wondering how they can score more goals than the next guy and beat any personal "record".

So FIFA is blaming the sky-rocket ticket prices on it's supposed "dynamic pricing" model that supposedly sets the ticket price according to demand. I don't know what algorithm or process they are using, but whatever it is, it's not working, as there is alarm at how almost 180,000 tickets remain unsold, and many people blaming the ridiculously expensive prices.

So tickets remain unsold because people are not buying them because they are too expensive... Sounds like the total opposite of "dynamic pricing" and suggest that FIFA was just guessing whatever price they thought people were willing to pay.

I think "dynamic pricing" is a great idea totally aligned with basic principles of supply and demand, but it has become just a buzz word tossed randomly to justify jacking up prices when there is NO demand that justifies it.

Has there been any studies analyzing indicators that would herald when a bubble is about to burst? From the Tulip Bubble of 1634 and the South Sea bubble of 1720, to the DotCom bubble of 2000 and the sub-prime mortgage bubble of 2008, there would be plenty of examples to study.

We know that it all comes to a "crisis of faith", or the collective realization that what was widely considered to be a sound investment is actually just wishful thinking. I'm curious about the "triggers", about what exactly makes people wake up from the illusion.

I also wonder if in today's environment of hyper-manipulation of the media, it would be possible to maintain (indefinitely?) the illusion that there is no bubble and that everything will be well. After all, as long as most people "believe" in their investment, the value of their investment will hold or increase. If bubbles only bursts when panic sets in, then as long as people isn't panicking, all will be well, right?

Maybe in this era of "alternative truths", facts and reality no longer have any significant bearing on the markets?

Thoughts?

Hello all... Canadian here, I Just came here to say that I can hardly believe that Eva Marija's "Mother Nature" didn't qualify for Eurovision's Saturday final. That song was SO MUCH BETTER than most of the others, top 5 at least, imho.

I guess I just don't get the mainstream European music taste? Or maybe it's a matter of the so-called strategic voting where some countries ally with others, and Luxembourg being so small has no allies...?

At any event, respect. As far as I'm concerned, Eva Marija has put Luxembourg high in my musical map!

Just venting! 😄