[Publius]

This is what happens when derivatives (commodity options) unwind. These are "bets" placed on the price of oil at the ratio of 110 to 1. None of this oil is scheduled for delivery.

What is happening is that people who bought a $110,000 contract on the price of oil for $1000 discovered that they were on the wrong side of the trade and have to cough up $109,000 to the counterparty. This means margin calls, so it should affect other markets to include the stock market and precious metals.

This is why I don't play with derivatives.

[Steven W.]

FBI Informant Bragged About Links To Russian Spies In Secret Recording Of Trump Aide

https://dailycaller.com/2020/04/19/stefan-halper-papadopoulos-fbi-russian-trubnikov-crossfire-hurricane/

While Halper was serving as an FBI informant, he inked $1.1 million in contracts with ONA for four studies on geopolitical events in Russia, China, and India. His offer to Papadopoulos closely matched his pitch to scholars for those studies, in which Halper paid scholars a small honorarium for analysis of geopolitical issues.

[Sounds like there were other Halper fraud setup ops]

[pgkdan]

Thanks very much for the explanations. This might be one of those days people remember for a long, long time. Scary stuff. I’ve never seen anything like this on my TV screen before. Shocking.