2019年6月16日
Mexico's cartels appear to be shaking up the cocaine trade 墨西哥的卡特尔似乎正在动摇可卡因贸易
Mexican criminal groups are taking a new approach to the cocaine trade, shipping it out of Colombia in an unrefined form called coca base and processing it in Mexico, according to Colombia’s anti-narcotics chief. Since drug users in the US, cocaine’s largest market, want powder cocaine, the shift can only mean that Mexican criminal groups are now refining the drug in Mexico in their own labs.
Bogota began to restrict access to precursor chemicals needed to produce those drugs four years ago, introducing controls on their import and sale. That legal change may mean precursors are now easier to obtain in Mexico.
Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine,outstripping the combined productionin Peru and Bolivia, the next two biggest producers. Colombia has also seen a major increase in cultivation of coca, the drug’s base ingredient, rising 11% year-over-year in 2017. Mexico’s Pacific coast ports are major entry points for precursors from China, and fighting among criminal groups for control of those cities has increased violence there in recent years.
The chemicals are becoming harder and harder to get into [Colombia] … the Mexican cartels are still getting a ton of precursor chemicals. Converting coca base to refined cocaine yields similar amounts, “so there’s no less bulk” if smugglers ship powder cocaine rather than coca base. Mexican criminal groups have been seeking more influence over the cocaine supply chain, Bosworth wrote in May, and taking more control of the refining process by shifting it to Mexico “would be one way to significantly lower their downstream costs and increase their profit margins.”
Ivanka Trump made nearly $4 million from the President's DC hotel last year
伊万卡·特朗普去年从总统的DC酒店赚了近400万美元
President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump made nearly $US4 million from her father’s Washington DC hotel in 2018. In total, the historic post office turned hotel brought in $US40.8 million for President Trump and his family in 2018, up about half a million from 2017.
It’s top spot as a haunt for foreign diplomats and lobbyists has resulted in two federal lawsuits which claim the President is violating a constitutional ban on foreign government payments to the commander in chief.
The AP reported that the Kushner Co’s slate of apartment buildings and commercial properties in New York generated $US1.5 million, while another holding for commercial buildings brought in $US6 million.
Both Ivanka Trump and Kushner have taken steps to separate their public lives from their businesses by stepping down as executives and selling some of their respective stakes. However, the couple have both been sued in the past for allegedly failing to disclose some financial holdings.
How to invest in index funds to build long-term wealth 如何投资指数基金来建立长期财富
Financial planners – and legendary investor Warren Buffet – agree: Index funds are one of the best investments for building long-term wealth. Buffett has sung its praises on multiple occasions, once calling the index fund “the most sensible equity investment.”
Index funds may sound intimidating, but they’re really just a type of mutual fund, an all-in-one investment that diversifies your money across a broad selection of stocks or bonds.
Consider a brokerage account: You can also invest in index funds through non-retirement accounts, otherwise known as taxable investment accounts or brokerage accounts. Some of the most popular low-cost brokerage firms include Charles Schwab, Fidelity, E*Trade, and Vanguard. You may also consider opening a brokerage account through a robo-advisor like Wealthfront,Betterment, or Ellevest.
Decide what market(s) you want to invest in: Index funds can track a particular asset (ex. foreign bonds), industry (ex. tech), or type of company (ex. large or mid-sized). There are S&P 500 index funds, which track the 500 largest companies that make up the US stock market; total stock market index funds, which track a much larger selection of stocks from large, mid-sized, and small companies; international index funds, which expose investors to companies abroad; bond index funds, which track the performance of a basket of US bonds; and many more.
Check the minimum investment amount: Most index funds require a minimum investment to buy into, typically anywhere from $US1 to $US3,000.
Look for index funds with expense ratios around 0.5%: you’ll want to opt for index funds with an expense ratio below 1% – ideally around 0.5% or lower.
Fund your account: You don’t have to invest your entire balance and future contributions in the same place – you’ll have the ability to choose how you want to allocate it.
Set up automatic contributions: You can decide how frequently the transfers will happen, how much, and where you want to direct them (either into your holding account or directly into the index fund). You can do this online, through your brokerage’s website, or by phone.
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