Plotting a pump-and-dump stock scheme? Waiting to trade on that hush-hush tip you got from a friend? Looking to corner the market on pork bellies? Now might be your chance for any and all of those shenanigans. The thousands of people who keep U.S. financial markets running smoothly and fraud-free could be on unpaid leave starting tomorrow, along with the National Park rangers that corral unruly grizzly bears and the scientists tracking deadly pathogens at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A few days ago, Bart Chilton, head of the U.S. Commodity Future Trading Commission, said the shutdown could have “disastrous impacts” for consumers. “You can bet the do-badders are licking their chops,” his statement read. More on Bloomberg BusinessWeek here.
