Proposed healthcare Bill for the US and Vault 7 for WikiLeaks | Calamatta Cuschieri

US and European markets searched for a direction as they digested the Trump administration’s proposals for the new healthcare Bill

Pharmaceuticals led the dull tone after President Donald Trump and the House of Republicans unveiled details on the new healthcare Bill proposal set to replace Obamacare
Pharmaceuticals led the dull tone after President Donald Trump and the House of Republicans unveiled details on the new healthcare Bill proposal set to replace Obamacare

On Tuesday, US and European markets searched for a direction, as they digested United States President Donald Trump and House of Republican’s proposals for the new healthcare Bill. Meanwhile, markets are digesting trade balance data as they await the Federal Reserve, which is widely expected to raise interest rates at its upcoming meeting.

Pharmaceuticals led the dull tone after President Donald Trump and the House of Republicans unveiled details on the new healthcare Bill proposal set to replace Obamacare. The proposed legislation creates a new, refundable tax credit tied to an individual’s age and income aimed at helping Americans buy insurance if they do not get it at work. The credits would replace subsidies currently in place under the Affordable Care Act. The Bill would end the mandate under the current law that individuals buy insurance or else pay a penalty, as well as the requirement that larger businesses offer insurance to their employees. Popular consumer protections in the Obama law would be retained, such as insurance safeguards for people with pre-existing medical problems, and parents' ability to keep young adult children on their insurance until age 26. On Wednesday, voting on the proposal will get the ball rolling.

Vault 7

The organisation went ahead and published Vault 7, and now we know what it is: the secrets of CIA hacking tools
The organisation went ahead and published Vault 7, and now we know what it is: the secrets of CIA hacking tools

WikiLeaks has been teasing the release of what they call #Vault7 for a while, with more and more clues as to what they are planning to release. Today, the organisation went ahead and published Vault 7, and now we know what it is: the secrets of CIA hacking tools.

The United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has a “global covert hacking program,” which targets Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows and Samsung TVs, WikiLeaks said as it revealed its latest leaked documents that came directly from the agency. A statement from WikiLeaks says that phones, computers and TV used as microphones to spy on users. Specifically, the release pointed out that the CIA worked with the British MI5. The CIA used its instruments to spy on users of popular social media apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal, the documents show.

The hacking base for CIA’s hackers was a top-secret location within the US Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany. From the location, "malware, viruses, Trojans, weaponised 'zero day' exploits, malware remote control systems and associated documentation" were created. CIA agents working on the cyber-attacks were given diplomatic passports and false identities to enter Germany, according to WikiLeaks. The source of the documents remains unknown.

The fourth day of Snap Inc.

On the US Corporate side, the owner of the disappearing photo app Snap Inc. continues to see a drop in the share price for the second consecutive day as its shares plummeted around 11%. Will it follow the similar story to Twitter’s IPO in November 2013? Twitter’s value has fallen to $15.56 per share from the IPO price of $26 per share after finishing its first day of trading at $44.94 per shares. Who knows?

This article was issued by Rodrick Duca, Trader at Calamatta Cuschieri. For more information visit, www.cc.com.mt. The information, view and opinions provided in this article is being provided solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be construed as investment advice, advice concerning particular investments or investment decisions, or tax or legal advice. Calamatta Cuschieri Investment Services Ltd has not verified and consequently neither warrants the accuracy nor the veracity of any information, views or opinions appearing on this website.