Weekly Notes, 044.
November 7, 2025
👋 Readers, this is 44 straight weeks of Weekly Notes!
Travel blog update: New York City 🗽, and nothing makes a boardroom atop the concrete jungle more tolerable than a Central Park view…
This week’s headline: The US Government remains shut down, and there were a few notable elections (New York has a new Mayor), otherwise it was somewhat business as usual across the areas I follow.
Below, you’ll find links to information that I’ve been consuming since last week and using to get smarter on issues of interest.
I hope these weekly notes are useful, and I appreciate any feedback you have.
Interesting issues and news across the US economic and national security landscape.
Analysis:
Treasury took a couple of key actions against proxies of foreign nation-state actors like Iran and the DPRK and their sophisticated illicit financing operations. There is another fact sheet out from the White House on the China deal. Undersecretary for TFI was on tour in the Middle East, talking peace and pressure on Iran. Jensen warns about the US losing the AI race with China.
Five (5) links below to sourced information from the past week.
Treasury Sanctions Hizballah Operatives Exploiting Lebanon’s Cash Economy
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strikes Deal on Economic and Trade Relations with China
Pressure on Iran is key to peace in Middle East, says top US sanctions official
Nvidia CEO says China will win AI race over US
Interesting issues and news across finance, technology, risk, regulation, and financial crime.
Analysis:
German and Irish regulators took action against a couple of US companies for AML weaknesses. AI and Crypto Czar, David Sacks, delivered some insights on an a16z podcast and separately weighed in on any potential federal subsidies for AI companies. A couple of interesting financial crime risk perspectives out on crypto and sports betting. JPM and BoA are being probed for their “debanking” practices.
Ten (10) links below to sourced information from the past week.
David Sacks on Polytheistic AI, Better Crypto Regulation, Beating China, and Fixing SF
Coinbase accuses banks of blocking crypto regulation
Sports Betting Risks: AML and Fraud in Focus
JPMorgan, Bank of America face federal “debanking” probe
White House rules out AI bailouts after OpenAI comments
PitchBook Analyst Note: The Big Theme Rivaling AI at Money20/20 USA
Interesting reports and resources.
Interesting charts of the week.
