Washington
Washington’s second-biggest city, Spokane, bans crypto ATMs
Spokane, the second-largest city in the US state of Washington, has banned crypto ATMs to fight rising scam activity targeting the city’s residents.
Spokane City Council said on Monday that it became the first city in Washington to ban cryptocurrency ATMs following a unanimous vote.
The measure was proposed by Council member Paul Dillon, who helped to put forward the ban, said that crypto ATMs “have become a preferred tool for scammers looking to defraud unsuspecting victims,” and the ban would “protect vulnerable Spokane residents from scams involving virtual currency kiosks.”
Dillon told local newspaper The Spokesman-Review that the measure “will ban future ones, as well as remove existing kiosks. We see a lot located in poor neighborhoods, convenience stores, grocery stores.”
According to the ordinance, the city of Spokane has seen a “significant increase in scams arising from the use of cryptocurrency kiosks, and there has been a steady increase in victims losing thousands of dollars.”
The edict added that it provides a tool “to protect consumers from those individuals who rely primarily on virtual currency to defraud others.”
Monitoring the impact
Crypto ATM operators have 60 days to remove dozens of kiosks citywide or face civil infractions and business license revocation.
On Tuesday, the Spokane City Council said it will track progress and report on whether the ordinance has a measurable impact on the frequency of reported crimes involving crypto kiosks.
Hotbed for scammers
Police detective Tim Schwering reportedly told the council that he’s seen a number of cases where money fed into these kiosks “will end up in places like China, North Korea, Russia.”
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He said criminals impersonate law enforcement or tax officials, telling victims to buy crypto at the ATMs to protect their money or avoid jail time.
“They’re scamming people, saying that they need to move their money into cryptocurrency in order to protect it,” Schwering said, according to The Spokesman-Review. “By the time the money is into the cryptocurrency, it’s already too late.”
Crypto kiosk scams surge
The FBI reported in April that there were almost 11,000 complaints and over $246 million in losses associated with crypto ATM scams in 2024, a 31% increase from 2023.
Scammers have also been targeting the elderly, with two-thirds of the victims of crypto kiosk fraud and scams being over 60, it noted.
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Washington
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Washington
Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack
DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional U.S. military bases as “legitimate targets”, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament.
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Washington
Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics
The Washington National Opera on Friday announced it is parting ways with the Kennedy Center after more than a decade with the arts institution.
“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.
The decoupling marks another high-profile withdrawal since President Donald Trump and his newly installed board of trustees instituted broad thematic and cosmetic changes to the building, including renaming the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The opera said it plans to “reduce its spring season and relocate performances to new venues.”
A source familiar with the dynamic told CNN the decision to part ways was made by the opera’s board and its leadership, and that the decision was not mutual.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who was appointed by Trump’s hand-picked board, said on X, “Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”
Grenell added, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”
Since taking the reins at the center, Grenell has cut existing staff, hired political allies and mandated a “break-even policy” for every performance.
The opera said the new policy was a factor in its decision to leave the center.
“The Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance—a requirement incompatible with opera operations,” the opera said.
Francesca Zambello, the opera’s artistic director, said she is “deeply saddened to leave The Kennedy Center.”
“In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision,” she said.
The New York Times first reported the opera’s departure.
Founded in 1956 as the “Opera Society of Washington,” the group has performed across the district, taking permanent residency in the Kennedy Center in 2011.
The performing arts center has been hit with a string of abrupt cancellations from artists in recent weeks including the jazz group The Cookers and New York City-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers who canceled their performances after Trump’s name was added to the center – a living memorial for assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
The American College Theater Festival voted to suspend its relationship with the Kennedy Center, calling the affiliation “no longer viable” and citing concerns over a misalignment of the group’s values.
American banjo player Béla Fleck withdrew his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying that performing at the center has become “charged and political.”
The Brentano String Quartet, who canceled their February 1 performance at the Kennedy Center, said they will “regretfully forego performing there.”
CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center on the additional cancellations.
The opera said, “The Board and management of the company wish the Center well in its own future endeavors.”
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.
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