3 chapters across the catalog
Final Birthday Shout-outs and Global Producer Notes
The show concludes with a final round of birthday wishes and acknowledgments for smaller donations. A producer in India describes the availability of $2 "COVID packs" containing Ivermectin and zinc, contrasting this with Western pharmaceutical marketing. Other donors are thanked for sending checks via the post office to avoid third-party payment processors.
The European Parliament is set to approve a bank transfer information-sharing agreement with the US under the SWIFT system. The deal is intended to track terrorist financing but raises significant concerns regarding the privacy of international financial transactions.
Financial Telex Systems, Boeing Transactions, and SWIFT Codes
The Economist reports that a small number of financial institutions still use Telex systems for high-value settlements, such as Euroclear and Boeing aircraft sales. These closed-loop systems provide a level of security for "wiring" money that modern retail banking lacks. The hosts explain the origin of the term "wire transfer" and the role of SWIFT codes in government tracking of international funds.
