Bill Conroy
Verified
Seattle
As seen in:
Medium,
Yahoo Finance,
Patreon,
The Daily Beast,
Puget Sound Business Journal,
Common Dreams,
NewsBreak,
CounterPunch,
HousingWire,
Riverfront Times
and
Independent Investigative Reporter(billconroy.pressfolios.com)
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Bill Conroy
The Great Pretense: A Tour through the Boneyard of the CIA’s War for Drugs, by Bill Conroy
The CIA broke U.S. law in the ‘80s by arming Nicaragua’s Contra rebels. Rumored was the drug-running angle, with the covert agency collaborating with drug cartels and street gangs, spreading crack to support its Central American activities.
U.S. guns cause carnage in Mexico
What Readers Are saying Goodreads Review This is one of those sweeping conspiracy tales that's easy to dismiss at first blush. Until Bill Conroy delivers a master class in proving it. It's the story of a house turned torture chamber in Juarez, where Mexican police systematically execute enemies real and perceived of their narcotrafficking employers. U.S. agents knew about it all along, courtesy of an informer.
Narco-Trafficking, Drug Boats and Regime Change
What Readers Are saying Goodreads Review This is one of those sweeping conspiracy tales that's easy to dismiss at first blush. Until Bill Conroy delivers a master class in proving it. It's the story of a house turned torture chamber in Juarez, where Mexican police systematically execute enemies real and perceived of their narcotrafficking employers. U.S. agents knew about it all along, courtesy of an informer.
Trump's Cruelty Will Create Blowback and an Ungovernable Nation
What Readers Are saying Goodreads Review This is one of those sweeping conspiracy tales that's easy to dismiss at first blush. Until Bill Conroy delivers a master class in proving it. It's the story of a house turned torture chamber in Juarez, where Mexican police systematically execute enemies real and perceived of their narcotrafficking employers. U.S. agents knew about it all along, courtesy of an informer.
Were American Voters Duped by a Kremlin PsyOps Campaign?
What Readers Are saying Goodreads Review This is one of those sweeping conspiracy tales that's easy to dismiss at first blush. Until Bill Conroy delivers a master class in proving it. It's the story of a house turned torture chamber in Juarez, where Mexican police systematically execute enemies real and perceived of their narcotrafficking employers. U.S. agents knew about it all along, courtesy of an informer.
ICE’s ‘Mayan Jaguar’ Exposed, Again
Bill Conroy · Follow 15 min read · Oct 9, 2024 -- The Gulfstream II with tail number N987SA, one month before it crashed in the Yucatán peninsula. Photo D.R. 2007, George N. Dean, Airliners.net Rolling Stone recently published a long investigative article about what is at best described as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) narco-trafficking interdiction operation that proved to be a boondoggle.
Exploring the 'revolving door' that rewards drug war warriors | Bill Conroy
“The so-called ‘War on Drugs’ is the longest and yet least understood conflict in the Americas and veteran journalist Bill Conroy is one of the most incisive reporters to tackle this crucial subject.
A Modest National Security Proposal for the 2024 Election | Bill Conroy
This suggestion will be controversial, but we live in controversial times. The proposal is designed to ensure that the will of the people is honored in the upcoming presidential election. The president has immense national-security powers that can be exercised without Congressional approval via executive orders. I’m not a fan of the use of national security powers generally, as they have historically been overbroad and over-used, i.e., the Patriot Act and its abuses.
Trump: ‘A Recipe for Nazi Soup’ | Bill Conroy
Why we should be paying attention to the ugly strain of racism and white supremacy now embedded in the Trump MAGA movement ..................
To Get to the Truth of Trump, Follow the Money | Bill Conroy
Taj Mahal Atlantic City, 2003. CC BY 3.0view terms People tend to forget this history. These are the waters Trump swims in. That explains recent allegations related to his 2016 presidential bid that he took an illegal $10 million campaign donation from Egypt through back-channel money pipes.
Bill Conroy | Independent Investigative Journalist | Patreon
Access to exclusive content and more
Donald Trump’s Past Lobbying Exploits Contradict Stated Policies
Presidential Candidate’s Special Interest Appears to Be His Own Pocketbook, Public Records Show This article appeared originally in The Narco News Bulletin, published on June 12, 2016. Republican presidential contender Donald Trump paints himself as a people’s candidate who is a Washington outsider and a successful businessman beyond the reach of lobbyists and special interests. But he now has lobbyists advising his presidential campaign.
Truth Social directors co-chairing Trump’s transition team, new nonprofit
Donald Trump, revealed this week via a regulatory filing on behalf of his company, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., that his campaign has created a nonprofit company to serve as the shell for his presidential transition team. It is clear from the fact that such a regulatory filing exists at all that the Trump presidential campaign and Trump Media & Technology, which controls the social media platform Truth Social, are as close as conjoined twins.
To Get to the Truth of Trump, Follow the Money
People tend to forget this history. These are the waters Trump swims in. That explains recent allegations related to his 2016 presidential bid that he took an illegal $10 million campaign donation from Egypt through back-channel money pipes.
Truth Social and the Cayman Islands Connection
Just when you thought the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump couldn’t get any weirder… it does. This time the weird ball has bounced into the court of Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social.
What the Chicago Beer Wars Teach Us Now About Biden VS. Trump
It's a cheap shot to blame the current media tempest over "Elderly-gate" on Biden and his ego. What politician isn't driven by ego? If that was a bar they had to clear, altruism, we'd have no one to run for office. Now to the real politics as I see it. Who has come out publicly asking Biden to step down, so far, two weeks or more into this media tempest? * 10 frightened Democratic congressmen, out of hundreds. And they are enabling a media pack mentality that has existed for a century.
a roadmap for remaking America into an authoritarian white christian nation
Following is a sample [with the full document even more frightening] of Trump's Project 2025 platform, prepared by his accolades. If you think he won't do all this, despite what he says to get elected, then I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn. This agenda is a threat to all our civil liberties but is particularly aimed at stripping away rights from women, people of color, immigrants and the LBGQT community.
Analysis: Loan-repurchase patterns at Fannie, Freddie, are divergent Original
Freddie Mac sign federal home loan mortgage Loan repurchases continue to trend downward at both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but there appears to be a separation developing in loan-repurchase patterns — with Freddie reducing its loan buybacks at a faster clip than Fannie, according to recently released data and public filings.
Freddie Mac’s plan to enter the home equity market draws mixed reviews Original
Government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Freddie Mac has put its finger on the scale of an emerging loan market that has been the domain of the private-label securities market, which has nurtured its reemergence in recent years. Last month, Freddie Mac announced a plan to begin purchasing single-family closed-end second (CES) mortgages from lenders, a proposal now subject to a public comment review period before adoption.
Student Encampments Are the Laboratory of Our Future | Common Dreams
“It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.”—Henry David Thoreau Thousands of students, many of them people of color, have in recent weeks gathered in encampments staked out on college greens across the country. They will tell you, many of them — and their protest signs will convey — that they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, who are now being systematically annihilated by the nation of Israel’s war machine.
Bill Conroy
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Student encampments are the laboratory of our future : Indybay
"It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right." - Henry David Thoreau Thousands of students, many of them people of color, have in recent weeks gathered in encampments staked out on college greens across the country. They will tell you, many of them - and their protest signs will convey - that they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, who are now being systematically annihilated by the nation of Israel's war machine.
Student encampments are the laboratory of our future
A protest action in the form of a student encampment organized and led by a united front of student groups who oppose the mass killing underway in Gaza recently sprung up on the Seattle campus of the University of Washington. - Photo by Bill Conroy "It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right." - Henry David Thoreau Thousands of students, many of them people of color, have in recent weeks gathered in encampments staked out on college greens across the country.
Secondary mortgage market adjusts to higher-for-longer rates - HousingWire
The housing market has been on a topsy-turvy roller-coaster ride in recent years that has been particularly neck wrenching since this past fall, fueled by stubbornly high inflation and a still-strong jobs market. In early November, 30-year fixed mortgage rates began a nosedive, declining from near 8% to below 7% in a matter of months before once again starting to rise at the start of 2024. They crested near 7.6% at the end of April, according to HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center.
Loan buybacks haven’t disappeared, but they are trending down
The loan repurchase trend that began to sting many mortgage originators in 2022 appears to finally be winding down, according to a recent report by Sterling Point Advisors and Augment Analytics. The report, based on loan-level data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, shows that the dollar amount of loan repurchases peaked in the second quarter of 2022, at $630 million for Freddie Mac and $593 million for Fannie Mae.
Rural America is losing affordable housing at a crisis pace Original
The lack of affordable housing in the United States is well-documented in the nation’s urban markets, where it is contributing to the swelling ranks of the homeless. That same dire need for affordable housing for the least prosperous among us, however, also is a serious problem in rural America — home to nearly 70 million Americans.
SFR and fix-and-flip investors expect a better market in 2024 Original
HousingWire Fix and Flip Last year might best be described as a risk-prone atmosphere for the single-family rental sector and the related fix-and-flip market. The risky operating environment has been marked by volatile, high interest rates (with 30-year fixed rates now hovering around 7%), high financing costs and moderating rental rates as an influx of multifamily rental properties continues to come online across the country.
Private-label securities are in demand as investors bet Fed peak is reached
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated in recent congressional testimony that interest rate hikes are now likely at the “peak for the current tightening cycle,” after signaling in November of last year that the Fed was close to the end of its war on inflation.
Republican lawmakers recklessly push an indicted informant’s lies about Joe and Hunter Biden
Former deep-cover DEA agent Mike Levine has years of experience dealing with cooperating sources and informants in the world of law enforcement. Too often, he says the informants end up handling the agents, leading to corruption in the informant-handling world. Levine, who also testifies in court as an expert witness, has keen insight into the world of informants.
A knotty problem was resolved with a new skill [I Know a Story column]
I worked at a factory in Lancaster for most of my adult life. It provided a good living, and I feel fortunate to have had the job. I guess it was like a lot of places that had their own stories: some funny, some sad and some dangerous. This is one of those stories. Bud and I were tapped to wire a new production line. We were working on the electric feed to the load center. The engineers decided the feed would be 3-inch rigid conduit, which is difficult to manage.
Pending legislation would end home inspection waivers in Massachusetts
By signing up for our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Pending legislation would end home inspection waivers in Massachusetts Original
homes being looked at through a magnifying glass A housing market marked by relatively high interest rates and tight inventory — and punctuated by the practice of home inspection waivers to sweeten offers — are taking a bite out of business for home inspectors, who play a key role in the sales process by ensuring that buyers are not being sold a lemon of a house.
A repositioning of players in the MSR market is underway
The mortgage-servicing rights (MSR) market remains robust as we turn the corner into 2024, and though it is expected to slightly underperform 2023, the market is still projected to notch healthy trading volumes in 2024 — hovering near the $1 trillion mark for the fourth year in a row, market observers forecast.
A repositioning of players in the MSR market is underway
MSR mortgage servicing The mortgage-servicing rights (MSR) market remains robust as we turn the corner into 2024, and though it is expected to slightly underperform 2023, the market is still projected to notch healthy trading volumes in 2024 — hovering near the $1 trillion mark for the fourth year in a row, market observers forecast.
A repositioning of players in the MSR market is underway
The mortgage-servicing rights (MSR) market remains robust as we turn the corner into 2024, and though it is expected to slightly underperform 2023, the market is still projected to notch healthy trading volumes in 2024 — hovering near the $1 trillion mark for the fourth year in a row, market observers forecast.
Netflix’s new drug-war drama may be good, but only if it gets U.S. viewers to dig deeper
Yet another drug-war series is on display starting this week on Netflix, called “Griselda.” The promo for the show on the streaming service’s website goes as follows: “Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization shows Griselda Blanco’s journey from Medellín to becoming ‘the Godmother’ of Miami’s drug empire.” A movie based on Blanco’s life, supposedly staring Hollywood star Jennifer Lopez, has been rumored to be in the works for years, now.
MBS market imbalance fueling higher rates
U.S. Treasury Department Building, Washington, D.C. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in the spotlight again over the role some housing-industry experts say they could play in reducing mortgage rates if they resumed a more active investor role in the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) market. That’s a role those government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) have not played since prior to entering into conservatorship in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2007-2008.
Home-equity lending blossomed in 2023 Original
Home-equity lending overall found its wings in 2023 as a number of independent mortgage banks ramped up product lines over the course of the year — despite a bump in the road in the third quarter when mortgage rates surged past 7%. The popularity of home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and closed-end second (CES) mortgages last year was reflected in the secondary market as well, where the volume of securitizations rose sevenfold from 2022 levels.
Beneficial-ownership filing mandate takes effect in 2024 Original
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as of Jan. 1, 2024, is accepting beneficial-ownership information reports from existing and newly created companies, a mandate that applies to . FinCEN, part of the U.S. Department of Treasury, has been authorized to collect the reports, a requirement established under the Corporate Transparency Act of 2021.
‘Mortgage winter’ is expected to thaw a bit Original
The year ahead promises to offer the housing industry some relief, compared with a grueling 2023, but it is likely to be only a small bounce forward toward a healthier market. The housing industry, including the secondary market it feeds, is still likely to be sluggish in 2024, with marginal improvements in some sectors as others tread water or retreat slightly, industry players who spoke with HousingWire predict.
Podcast goes deep on the ‘war for drugs’
Show delves into the new book ‘Dispatches from the House of Death’ New York Times best-selling author and Heroes Behind the Headlines podcast host Ralph Pezzullo recently devoted a show to my book, “Dispatches from the House of Death,” and what it tells us about the long-running “war for drugs.” Journalist and author Charles Bowden (1945–2014) summed it up best with respect to the House of Death mass murder case at the heart of my book, pointing out that in a better world, my journalism would...
Trump-Bezos quid pro quo touches Blue Origin and Amazon Fire TV
What Readers Are saying Goodreads Review This is one of those sweeping conspiracy tales that's easy to dismiss at first blush. Until Bill Conroy delivers a master class in proving it. It's the story of a house turned torture chamber in Juarez, where Mexican police systematically execute enemies real and perceived of their narcotrafficking employers. U.S. agents knew about it all along, courtesy of an informer.
Ending the drug war, with justice and dignity
What Readers Are saying Goodreads Review This is one of those sweeping conspiracy tales that's easy to dismiss at first blush. Until Bill Conroy delivers a master class in proving it. It's the story of a house turned torture chamber in Juarez, where Mexican police systematically execute enemies real and perceived of their narcotrafficking employers. U.S. agents knew about it all along, courtesy of an informer.
Kremlin’s Quid Pro Quo Deal With Trump Camp Comes Into Focus
What Readers Are saying Goodreads Review This is one of those sweeping conspiracy tales that's easy to dismiss at first blush. Until Bill Conroy delivers a master class in proving it. It's the story of a house turned torture chamber in Juarez, where Mexican police systematically execute enemies real and perceived of their narcotrafficking employers. U.S. agents knew about it all along, courtesy of an informer.
2023: A year of retrenchment for the secondary mortgage market Original
As 2023 winds to a close, so too does a brutal year for the housing market, a year marked by rising rates, steep home prices, scarce inventory and anemic mortgage originations, compared with the boom years of 2020 and 2021.
How a strategic coalition is fighting homelessness in Dallas
Housing Forward is leading the charge in the greater Dallas area against homelessness, a vexing problem that plagues many cities across the county, and in recent years the nonprofit has notched some significant victories in the effort. Still, the organization and the coalition of groups it leads face deep systemic challenges that continue to feed the pipeline of economic despair fueling the growth of homelessness in the Dallas area — and across the nation.
How a strategic coalition is fighting homelessness in Dallas
Housing Forward is leading the charge in the greater Dallas area against homelessness, a vexing problem that plagues many cities across the county, and in recent years the nonprofit has notched some significant victories in the effort. Still, the organization and the coalition of groups it leads face deep systemic challenges that continue to feed the pipeline of economic despair fueling the growth of homelessness in the Dallas area — and across the nation.
How a strategic coalition is fighting homelessness in Dallas
home-swap-solution-e1693831047468 Housing Forward is leading the charge in the greater Dallas area against homelessness, a vexing problem that plagues many cities across the county, and in recent years the nonprofit has notched some significant victories in the effort. Still, the organization and the coalition of groups it leads face deep systemic challenges that continue to feed the pipeline of economic despair fueling the growth of homelessness in the Dallas area — and across the nation.
Reviewing 'Dispatches from the House of Death,' plus a short history of Narco News
Tune in to the show, get the book and uncover the hidden history of the 'war for drugs' I recently had a great on-air conversation with Ben Reed about my new book, "Dispatches from the House of Death - A Juarez Cartel informant, a DEA whistleblower, mass murder and a coverup on the edge of the Empire." Ben is the program director for radio station KYJJ Ke Buena - FM 95.7 and AM 1330.
Mortgage lenders facing a dark, cold winter
The coming winter is expected to be an existential test of survival for many independent mortgage banks (IMBs), according to leaders of several mortgage advisory firms. It’s expected to be dark, difficult doldrums ahead, one marked by unyieldingly high mortgage rates — now hovering near 8% — and a dearth of mortgage-origination opportunities. “We’re really at the darkest part of the market this winter,” Brian Hale, CEO and founder of consultancy Mortgage Advisory Partners, said.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Bill
Contact Bill, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack