"This Is Democrats’ Doomsday Scenario for Election Night" by Trip Gabriel, New York Times | Sept. 2, 2020
As returns came in on election night in Florida in 2018, the Republicans running for governor and the Senate took narrow leads in races that were too close to call.
Over the next days, their Democratic opponents began closing the gaps as mailed-in votes were counted. President Trump raised an alarm. Demanding that the races be called for the Republicans, Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis, he tweeted falsely that “large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere,” adding: “An honest vote count is no longer possible-ballots massively infected. Must go with Election Night!”
Nothing was fraudulent about the ballots tallied in the days after Election Day, and neither Democrat went on to win his race, yet Trump has never let go of a baseless accusation that Democrats use mail voting to “steal” elections, a piece of disinformation he has promoted all year, including at the Republican National Convention.
It's amazing to read that in the New York Times given the endless Russian meddling, Russian meddling narrative we get while also assuring us the mail-in ballots are safe and secure, no fraud.
Now, with the coronavirus pandemic driving an explosion in absentee voting, and polls suggesting that far more Democrats than Republicans plan to vote by mail, a nightmare scenario haunts Democratic strategists and elected officials.
I plan to go vote just so mine can't be filled out for Biden.
What if early results in swing states on election night show the president in the lead because most Republicans voted in person, yet in the days afterward, as mail ballots that tilt heavily Democratic are tallied, states flip to Joseph R. Biden Jr.?
Would Trump claim premature victory — as he did on behalf of the two Florida Republicans and dangled as a possibility in a tweet in July: “Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later!”
How long is he supposed to wait, seriously?
Would the president, joined by allies in the G.O.P. and the news media, sow distrust in the election by arguing that mail ballots that shift states away from him are “rigged”?
Trump has been pushing denunciations of mailed-in votes for months, and his penchant for conspiracy theories is only intensifying, such as saying this week that people in “dark shadows” are behind Biden’s campaign.
Cue the music:
"Even Laura Ingraham thought it sounded a little wild. There was the president of the United States on her Fox News talk show that aired Monday night describing mysterious people in “dark shadows” secretly pulling the strings of his Democratic challenger amid the street protests against racial injustice. “People that you’ve never heard of” are controlling former Vice President Joe Biden, President Donald Trump told her. “People that are in the dark shadows.” “What does that mean?” Ingraham asked. “That sounds like conspiracy theory.” The president’s cryptic comments quickly drew attention on social media as people have tried to figure out what he was talking about. Trump has long embraced conspiracy theories, but in recent days he has increasingly trafficked in dark ideas and stories from the world of QAnon and other fringe elements. At various points lately, Trump has promoted a supposed medical expert who blames various ailments on demon sperm and says treatments are being developed from alien DNA....."
Those were the doctors that stood on the steps before having their video banished to the netherworld, telling the truth about HCQ and the lying pre$$ casts them as insane liars, and if has lost Laura Ingraham he has lost America, right?
Of course, we know what he is talking about and he hits a nerve every time.
On Wednesday in North Carolina, the president continued to try to sow doubts over the election’s legitimacy by appearing to encourage voter fraud, suggesting that people vote twice to help the system detect the casting of multiple ballots.
The nightmare scenario in November is worth preparing for, many Democrats say.
“We’ve certainly seen candidates trying to get out in front of a narrative and declare victory when all the votes have not been counted,” said Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state, a Democrat whom Mr. Trump has attacked for promoting mail voting.
In Michigan, Benson predicted that three million votes would be cast by mail this year, 60 percent of the total. She has called for changes to let election clerks process absentee ballots early — opening envelopes, contacting voters if ballot signatures don’t match registrations, and beginning the counting. If the changes don’t pass in the Republican-led Legislature, full results may not be known until the Friday or Saturday after Nov. 3, Benson said. “Time is running out.”
It's up!
Currently, 12 states do not allow mail-in ballots to be processed before Election Day, including the battlegrounds of Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
A Democratic data group backed by Michael R. Bloomberg said this week that it was likely that Trump would appear to have won on election night by a landslide, a scenario it called “a red mirage.”
That's because he will, in fact, win in a landslide, and my concern goes only so far as a fair election. I find both candidates lacking, unable to fix the problems that confront us, and the death of me.
“We are sounding an alarm and saying that this is a very real possibility, that the data is going to show on election night an incredible victory for Donald Trump,” Josh Mendelsohn, the chief executive of the group, Hawkfish, told “Axios on HBO.” The company’s survey of registered voters concluded that twice as many planned to cast a ballot by mail as ever before, and that they were mostly Biden supporters.
What will happen is the Democrats will see how many votes they need in key electoral states, and the former phone banks will be enlisted to fill out the ballots of those who didn't vote. Obama was a master at it, and it would have worked last time had Trump not won massive and overwhelming victories in the Rust Belt.
Benson and other Democrats in Michigan and Pennsylvania, both key battlegrounds, are trying to change election laws that prohibit absentee ballots from being processed or counted before Election Day. As of now, mail-in votes from large Democratic cities like Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Detroit are not reported until after in-person votes, sometimes days later. Party lawyers are girding for a worst-case scenario in which Trump fights in courts and state legislatures after declaring a premature victory.
“There has been (rightly) a lot of concern about this,” J.J. Balaban, a Democratic consultant in Pennsylvania, said in an email.
As Trump demonizes mail ballots, many of his supporters do not plan to use them.
An NBC/Wall Street Journal national poll last month found that nearly half — 47 percent — of supporters of Biden planned to mail in their votes, compared with two-thirds of Trump supporters — 66 percent — who planned to vote in person on Election Day.
In some states, the discrepancy is even more stark. A recent Marquette Law School poll of Wisconsin, another swing state, found that among voters planning to cast a mail ballot, Biden was favored by 67 percentage points. Among those who planned to vote on Election Day, Trump led by 41 points.
Trump himself casts his own Florida ballots as an absentee voter. He has claimed a distinction between “good” absentee ballots and “bad” mail-in ballots, but there is no meaningful difference. His real target seems to be certain states — which this year include California, New Jersey and Utah — where all active registered voters are sent mail-in ballots, not just ballot request forms. Thirty-four states allow all voters to use an absentee ballot without an excuse, mailing it back or dropping it off.
Elections experts say that absentee or mail voting is potentially more subject to instances of fraud than in-person voting, but that states with a history of all-mail voting have a minuscule number of cases. Wide-scale cheating that could swing a close race would be easy to detect.
That's because exit polls used to help mitigate such things, but not any more. The pre$$ still has to uphold the integrity of the system, though, or we would believe in it even less.
“Imagine if you tried to change the outcome in Pennsylvania; you’d need a widespread conspiracy,” said Richard L. Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Irvine.
Yeah, so?
It's not like elections haven't been stolen in this century already!
Even before Mr. Trump injected new partisanship into mail voting, election analysts identified a “blue shift” in how late-counted absentee ballots tend to boost Democratic candidates.
If they say it, it must be true!
On election night of the 2018 midterms, a predicted wave of Democratic gains looked like a wipeout, but as mail ballots were tallied in the days and weeks afterward, Democrats kept winning close races. Their net gains in the House went from an apparent 26 seats on election night to 41.
Republicans need to get their heads out of their asses or they will no longer exist.
“We’re likely to see a significantly dramatic blue shift in multiple states because of the virus and the political response to the virus,” said Edward Foley, an election law expert at Ohio State University, who coined the term “blue shift.”
Truth be told, there is a HUGE BACKLASH to DEMOCRAT-DESTROYING LOCKDOWNS!
While TV viewers are used to election night projections of who has won, some broadcast and digital journalists are discussing ways to clearly inform voters that results may be incomplete.
I didn't watch last time. I went to bed, woke up about 3 a.m. -- just in time to see them call Pennsylvania for Trump.
A claim of victory on election night by Trump, before results are certified by officials, would have no legal effect, Dr. Hasen said. “That said,” he added, “it could have a great political effect and convince his most ardent supporters that he has won the election and any changes in the counts are due to fraud. That’s really a huge concern.”
Anthony Spano, a Trump supporter in Old Forge, Pa., said the president was “so right” when he warned of potential fraud by Democrats. “If they think there’s unrest now, just wait to see if they try to steal this election,” said Mr. Spano, who has worked as a truck mechanic. “Personally, I think people that are nonviolent, we’re going to get very violent.”
Speak for yourself, and let's hope “cooler heads prevail.”
--more--"
The Times tells me there has been little change in Biden’s lead as Trump ditches the mask in a law-and-order strategy that might win him Montana and New Hampshire with dirty tricks and Mike Pence on standby waiting for word from Melania.
Once you get past the political gamesmanship, a bipartisan group that gamed out a contested Trump-Biden election is offering recommendations based on a tabletop exercise, a fixture in national security and military circles that involves elaborate role-playing and a 10-sided die, to explore worst case scenarios for the 2020 election (they had the pervert Podesta play pedo Joe).
{@@##$$%%^^&&}
In sticking with the theme, here is a Green Screen:
"For the rising generation of progressive activists who helped return him to the Senate, Senator Edward J. Markey’s win sent a message: The restive left-wing is looking for champions, not just blood — and its passionate army of engaged young voters will rally to the defense of incumbents who partner with them and who embrace their causes. Markey did just that, championing the Green New Deal, capturing attention with a cheeky social media campaign, and winning the early backing of a newly emboldened advocacy group, the Sunrise Movement, that champions climate change solutions. It’s not just progressives who see the power of Sunrise and climate change in Democratic politics. Dan Pfeiffer, who served as senior adviser to former president Barack Obama, penned a piece Wednesday arguing that Markey’s win should lead more Democrats to “embrace bold climate action.” The Sunrise Movement “didn’t just defend their champ,” he said on Twitter. “By beating a Kennedy in Mass, they sent a message to the whole party about the political power of the Green New Deal.”
Was a thing of beauty was the high turnout How do they explain the other losses, especially Morse?
They say age beats youth and youth beats the establishment -- even though Markey, who has served in Congress since 1976, IS the e$tabli$hment.
Related: The 2020 VMAs: A Dystopian Abomination
I didn't watch it, never would, but some weird things were done with the green screens as the devils try to trick you.
"Trump Plan to Block Green 401(k)s Stirs Fund Industry Fury" by Tim Quinson, Bloomberg News | August 31 2020
The world’s largest asset managers are speaking out against a Trump administration plan that would make it more difficult for them to incorporate environmental, social and governance factors when making investment decisions, a move that could limit green investing in 401(k) plans.
Fidelity Investments wrote in an 11-page letter to the U.S. Department of Labor that the proposal’s assumption that ESG investment strategies sacrifice returns, increase risks and promote goals unrelated to financial performance isn’t “well grounded or supported by much of the emerging data.” BlackRock Inc. said the recommendation is “overly prescriptive and burdensome.” State Street Global Advisors, Putnam Investments and Legal & General Investment Management are among numerous other firms that also oppose the the plan.
The outcry follows the Labor Department’s decision in June to propose the new rule, which would change the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require those overseeing pension and 401(k) plans to always put economic interests ahead of so-called non-pecuniary goals.
The agency specifically focused on ESG investing. The announcement followed a call from the White House to examine retirement plans’ investments in the energy sector. The fossil fuel industry is a major supporter of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed skepticism toward efforts to fight climate change, calling widely accepted science about global warming and its intensifying impact on the planet a “hoax.”
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It's part of the Great Re$et of inve$ting.
Related:
Trump Relaxes Limits on Toxic Waste from Coal Power Plants
It’s the latest act by the Trump administration to bolster the U.S. coal industry and it's just one more broken promise, according to Bloomberg.
Speaking of broken promi$es:
Federal workers will have taxes deferred under Trump’s order
It's sparking an outcry they’re being treated as a ‘guinea pig,’ and they have some nerve given the jab we will all be getting.
Mnuchin Talks With Pelosi, Signals Urgency on New U.S. Stimulus
The markets must need more loot, and the temporary $300 boost in benefits you will $oon $ee is thanks to a directive issued by President Trump after Congress failed to adopt a follow-up to the initial round of pandemic jobless aid (no thanks nece$$ary).
Also see:
"J. Jill Inc. has just 10 days to get permission from the vast majority of its lenders for a deal that would extend the struggling retailer’s debt maturities, excuse it from financial covenants and give it fresh cash. The pandemic forced the women’s clothing retailer to temporarily close its more than 280 U.S. stores in March. The company warned in June that the challenges related to Covid-19 had raised “substantial doubt” about its ability to survive, but like many struggling retailers, its problems predated the virus. J. Jill has struggled to find the right fashion to appeal to its customers, who were shifting spending to new online merchants and other categories....."
They have struggled to stay solvent three years after the IPO, and it's because of Winn-Dixie that all the 24/7 convenience stores are closing.
When Jack fell down, he broke his crown and....
"The Martha’s Vineyard estate of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is being sold to a pair of nonprofits that plan on turning the property into conservation land open to the public, officials said Thursday. The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission and the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation have agreed to pay $27 million for Red Gate Farm in Aquinnah on the Massachusetts island, Land Bank Executive Director James Lengyel and Sheriff’s Meadow Executive Director Adam Moore said in a joint statement. The below-market transaction is expected to be completed by Dec. 15. The purchase price will be paid over a four-year period. The property was put on the market last year for $65 million....."
Yes, the Kennedy's are in on the Great Re$et, and it's further proof that the dynasty is dead.
Time to go fishing, and if you could only have seen the one that got away.
{@@##$$%%^^&&}
Time for the Black and Blue division:
"3 current and 6 retired Boston police officers charged with overtime fraud, US attorney says" by Milton J. Valencia, Matt Rocheleau and Gal Tziperman Lotan Globe Staff, September 2, 2020
Federal authorities arrested nine current and former Boston police officers Wednesday and charged them with running an overtime scam out of the department’s evidence warehouse, where they allegedly falsified time sheets to collect more than $200,000 over a three-year period.
The officers, including a lieutenant and two officers still on the department, are accused of claiming they had worked full overtime shifts to clear an evidence backlog, when they worked only a portion of that time. Authorities alleged that three of them were supervisors who not only took part in the scam, but approved the false reports, according to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday.
The officers also allegedly inflated the time it took for them to transport surplus items, such as prescription drugs confiscated by police, to an incinerator in Saugus for destruction.
“These officers are charged with stealing taxpayer money, year after year, through fraud,” US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a statement. “Beyond the theft of funds, this kind of official misconduct also erodes trust in public institutions, at a time when that trust is most needed.”
Once you erode trust, you never get it back.
There will always be some doubt in the back of the mind.
The indictment comes amid a national reckoning over systemic abuses within law enforcement and amid widespread calls for police reform. Several departments across the state have been mired in payroll scandals in recent years, most notably the Massachusetts State Police, but the Boston Police Department, the venerated, and oldest, police force in the country, had emerged unscathed, until now.
Each of the officers was arrested at their homes Wednesday morning without incident. Police Commissioner William Gross said in a statement the department’s anticorruption unit discovered the payroll abuses within the evidence management unit, though he would not describe the nature or the origins of the investigation, or whether any other officers were involved. The criminal investigation was ultimately handled by federal investigators.
Why do the feds always have to do the dirty work in this state?
Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins, who watched the virtual court hearings Wednesday, said she was dismayed by the allegations. Rollins’s office said the nine officers’ credibility has been tainted: Their names have been added to a database maintained by her office that raises flags whenever their names are associated with a criminal case the office is pursuing.
“We in law enforcement cannot adequately perform our duties if the community does not trust us or believes that we lack integrity,” she said in a statement.
Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins (left) and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan have criticized ICE's attempts to arrest people at state courthouses (Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff)
Couple of mean looking bi**hes.
Mayor Martin J. Walsh called the allegations “an affront to the thousands of police officers who do their jobs every day with honesty, integrity, and bravery.
“I am outraged and, quite frankly, outright disgusted at the utter breach of trust by these nine individuals at the Boston Police Department,” Walsh said.
All of a sudden he supports the police!
The indictment alleged that the Boston police officers worked together in their conspiracy.
One lawyer, a Robert Goldstein, “fully expects [his client] will be exonerated.”
Several of the other defendants have lengthy careers with the department. One of them was featured in “Boston’s Finest,” a reality television series that was produced by Dorchester native Donnie Wahlberg.
How ironic!
The case could also raise questions about the police department’s management of its resources.
City Councilor Andrea Campbell, who has probed police spending and called for greater oversight and accountability within the department, said the department spends tens of millions of dollars on police overtime that could fund community-lead violence prevention efforts, “but instead was possibly partly spent on the fraudulent claims of these officers.”
Maybe defund has a point, up to a certain point anyway.
--more--"
They certainly look like thieves, what with the masks and all.
Unfortunately, these guys need a hospital:
"A 17-year-old male has been charged in connection with the alleged hit-and-run crash in Natick that injured two pedestrians in mid-August. The unidentified juvenile is being charged with two counts of operating under the influence of drugs causing serious bodily injury, and one count each of leaving the scene of personal injury, leaving the scene of property damage, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, and failure to stop, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office. Authorities also filed an immediate threat with the state Registry of Motor Vehicles. During the Aug. 18 crash, authorities allege the suspect was under the influence of marijuana when the Chevy Silverado he was driving jumped the curb and struck the two pedestrians while they were walking on the sidewalk along Washington Avenue, near the Summer Street intersection, a release from the district attorney said. At the time of the crash, there were two other juveniles in the vehicle. The suspect vehicle was found parked at a Holliston residence after the crash. The crash injured 51-year-old Kimberly Gunner, and her husband, Andrew Colbert, 39, both of Natick. Gunner and Colbert were rushed to trauma centers. Gunner remains hospitalized, according to the release. As of a week ago Sunday, she was “still fighting for her life,” family told The Boston Globe. Colbert was treated and released. A GoFundMe set up for them by family has raised over $130,000. The suspect is set for a Sept. 10 arraignment. Court proceedings for juveniles are closed to the public."
He was arrested after running from police and allegedly dropping a gun and cocaine in North Attleborough.
Bicyclist, 55, killed in Harvard Square crash identified
The probe into collision with a tractor-trailer still ongoing.
"Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, shifted their focus to the city’s mayor, and police declared a riot as people broke windows, vandalized a business, and set a small fire inside the upscale apartment building where Mayor Ted Wheeler lives. The demonstration that began late Monday and extended into Tuesday fell on Wheeler’s 58th birthday and featured shiny golden alphabet balloons that protesters used to spell out an expletive. They sang on the street outside the mayor’s building, some wearing party hats. Wheeler, who is also police commissioner, has come under fire for his failure to bring the violence in Oregon’s largest city under control and for heading up a police force that has used tear gas multiple times against demonstrators. Some also blame the mayor for engaging in a war of words with President Donald Trump instead of focusing on local needs. A supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer was killed Saturday during clashes between dueling protesters. A caravan of Trump supporters, estimated at about 600 cars, encountered Black Lives Matter protesters as they drove through the downtown and skirmishes broke out. Police have not announced an arrest in the slaying of Aaron J. Danielson, 39, of Portland, and have said nothing about what led up the shooting. Protesters were angered last Sunday when Wheeler held a news conference about the shooting and traded barbs with Trump, who was watching the conference live on TV and tweeted insults at Wheeler. Many said afterward that they wanted to hear about solutions to the violence and how to keep the city’s Black residents safe. They complained that the mayor instead engaged in “political theater” with the president to raise his own profile. Wheeler, the son of a wealthy timber scion, is seeking a second term against Sarah Iannarone, a candidate to the left of him who has marched repeatedly with protesters. Wheeler said at the news conference that he does not believe in completely defunding the police, would not resign and would not turn over the Portland Police Bureau to Jo Ann Hardesty, the city’s first Black councilwoman....."
Related:
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Moving from Condo that Was Vandalized to Avoid Rioters Targeting His Home
Looks like he has already conceded if you ask me.
"Another parent charged in ‘Varsity Blues’ college admissions scandal" by Travis Andersen Globe Staff, September 2, 2020
A federal grand jury in Boston has indicted another parent in connection with the “Varsity Blues” college admissions cheating scandal that has ensnared Hollywood celebrities, titans of industry, and other luminaries.
Amin Khoury, 54, was indicted in US District Court Monday on charges that he paid $200,000 in bribes to have his daughter admitted to Georgetown University as a phony tennis recruit, according to US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling’s office.
Khoury, of Palm Beach, Fla., and Mashpee, is the 57th defendant charged in connection with the scheme, in which wealthy parents allegedly cut large checks to have their children falsely classified as athletic recruits at selective schools or to facilitate cheating on the SAT and ACT exams.
While many parents paid bribes to the scheme’s admitted ringleader, William “Rick” Singer, prosecutors allege Khoury dealt directly with former Georgetown tennis coach Gordon Ernst, who’s also charged in connection with the probe.
Federal prosecutors said Khoury allegedly agreed in 2014 to pay Ernst, then the Georgetown coach, approximately $200,000 though a third party in exchange for Ernst designating his daughter as a “purported tennis recruit,” even though the daughter’s “tennis skills were below that of a typical” Hoyas prospect.
A lawyer for Khoury, Eóin Beirne, defended his client in a statement.
“This indictment differs significantly from the so-called Varsity Blues case,” Beirne said. “Amin C. Khoury had nothing whatsoever to do with Rick Singer. There was no test or class cheating. His child’s college application was completely accurate and contained no misrepresentations about being a fake athlete or anything else. We look forward to this process to rebut the government’s claims.”
Khoury hasn’t entered a plea to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, as well as a charge of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, legal filings show.
He was released after an initial appearance in federal court in Florida, authorities said. He’ll appear in Boston at a later date.
Parents who’ve pleaded guilty in the scandal include Hollywood stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, former PIMCO boss Douglas Hodge, Hot Pockets heiress Michelle Janavs, and onetime Canadian Football League player David Sidoo.
--more--"
Related:
"Two college coaches were indicted Tuesday on new conspiracy charges in connection to the college admissions scandal, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Gordon Ernst, the former Georgetown University tennis coach was charged with three counts of federal programs bribery and three counts of filing false tax returns, and Jovan Vavic, the former water polo coach at the University of Southern California, is charged with conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, US Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a statement. In addition to taking bribes from William Singer, the private college counselor behind the scheme, Ernst allegedly solicited and received bribes from three prospective Georgetown applicants, the statement said. He then failed to report a significant portion of those payments in his federal income tax returns. Vavic allegedly solicited and accepted bribes to facilitate admission for students at the University of Southern California, the statement said. Both men had been previously charged in connection to the scandal. Of the 12 coaches, administrators, and employees initially charged in the case, Ernst and Vavic are two of four who pleaded not guilty, the statement said. An arraignment date has not been scheduled, the statement said."
Also see:
"After refusing to enter school buildings Monday, members of the Andover Education Association returned “under duress” on Tuesday and took a no-confidence vote against the district’s superintendent, Sheldon Berman. The decision came after the Andover School Committee voted unanimously to authorize its legal counsel to petition the state to investigate the union’s action....."
Here is someone you can have confidence in if history is any guide:
"Michael Jordan joins DraftKings as a special adviser" by Andy Rosen Globe Staff, September 2, 2020
Basketball legend Michael Jordan will join the Boston sports betting company DraftKings as a special adviser, providing “strategic and creative input” to the board of directors in exchange for a stake in the company.
Jordan will advise it on “product development, diversity, equity and belonging, marketing activities and other key initiatives,” DraftKings said Wednesday.
“Michael Jordan is among the most important figures in sports and culture, who forever redefined the modern athlete and entrepreneur,” DraftKings’ chief executive, Jason Robins, said in a statement. “The strategic counsel and business acumen Michael brings to our board is invaluable, and I am excited to have him join our team.”
The company did not say the size of the ownership interest that Jordan will receive in exchange for his role, which begins immediately, but as of Wednesday evening, the company had not filed regulatory documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission that would be required if the NBA great took a stake of 10 percent or more.
Michael Jordan (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
That is what they call a token smile.
For Jordan, the relationship with DraftKings helps formalize a long-held interest in gambling. He has been known to wager on golf, card games, and other propositions. Netflix and ESPN’s recent documentary series on Jordan’s time with the Chicago Bulls, “The Last Dance,” showed him wagering with members of his security detail on who could toss a coin closer to a wall. “I can stop gambling. I have a competition problem,” the star said in a 1993 interview.
Jordan, a billionaire, has had an active business career since his retirement that has made him one of the wealthiest Black people in America. He is majority owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, owns restaurants and car dealerships, and continues to earn substantial money from his relationship with Nike and its enduring Air Jordan line. Forbes reported this year that Jordan is the richest athlete of all time.....
That's why he has been smiling, and he has been remarkably quiet on the BLM matter.
--more--"
Related:
"The torrid coronavirus summer across the Sun Belt is easing after two disastrous months that brought more than 35,000 deaths. Whether the outbreak will heat up again after Labor Day and the resumption of school and football remains to be seen. Seven of the nine states along the nation’s Southern and Western rim are experiencing drops in three important gauges. As of Tuesday, there were more than 25.3 million confirmed cases and over 850,000 deaths worldwide, according to the tally by Johns Hopkins University, with the U.S. accounting for more than 6 million infections and 183,000 of the dead....."
What do you mean he can't bet on the games?
Can't play with his bum knee:
"The pharmaceutical industry’s leading lobby group said Tuesday it did not know of a meeting at the White House to discuss lowering prescription drug prices, after President Donald Trump said executives were coming in this week to negotiate....."
Is he on drugs?
U.S. says it won't join WHO-linked effort to develop, distribute vaccine
Fauci debunks coronavirus death misinformation promoted by Trump
Everyone died of COVID, he says.
New York Times Estimates 90% of ‘Positive’ COVID Test Results Really Are Negative!
The Roth$childs Buy a Pandemic (and Everyone Promoting it)
They also bought a country:
"In Israel, more than 2 million students returned Tuesday despite a relatively high coronavirus infection rate and concerns that academic institutions could facilitate the spread. In Russia, which reached one million confirmed cases on Tuesday, schools opened with few precautions. Teachers and children were not required to wear masks. The global reopenings come as the United States has opted to carry on with remote learning for the most part. New York City is the only major school system in the country planning on offering some in-person education this fall, though it pushed back its start date on Tuesday....."
Also see:
Media Silence: Israel Has Been Bombing Lebanon, Gaza and Syria This Week
They flew through Saudi Arabian airspace to do it, with Trump's full support:
"Trump on the global stage: Which voters like the show?; Voters are divided between ’tough’ isolationism and diplomatic internationalism" by Diane Hessan, Boston Globe | September 3, 2020
.... The primary sentiment expressed by these voters is embarrassment, a sense that the United States is no longer a respected leader on the global stage. Said Rob, a Democrat from Massachusetts, “Trump’s performance in global affairs will be the most negative legacy of his presidency. We have alienated allies and emboldened Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea. We’re a joke.”
These voters see America’s best interests as inextricably interconnected with other countries: We breathe the same air; we contract the same virus; we use the same Internet; and our trade is mutually beneficial. In their world, strength is less about the size of our military or the intimidating tactics that get us a better bargain and more about influence: the ability to affect events beyond our border, and the path to having influence is centered on earning trust, ensuring that our treaties are sacrosanct, our word is our bond, and the United States is looking out for more than solely the United States.
Then the pre$$ has completely blown it.
Regardless of which side they are on, most voters are uninformed about the details and complexities of international relations. For example, when asked about the recent peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, more than 50 percent of my panel had not heard about it. Most voters don’t know what was in the Iran nuclear deal, but Trump supporters buy the narrative that it was wimpy to stick with a deal that had any disadvantages for the United States.
The November election will not be won or lost on detailed foreign policy positions, but voters could be persuaded to reimagine what real strength looks like. Bullying your friends, being unpredictable, backing out of agreements, and shoving your way to the front of the line may work in New York real estate, but they are not necessarily the paths that make us respected and persuasive leaders of the rest the world. Ignoring our global responsibilities and opportunities and going it alone is an antiquated idea. As journalist Fareed Zakaria said, “Just as the world is opening up, America is closing down.”
The nature of our leadership on the world stage is at stake in November. Donald Trump, the isolationist, and Joe Biden, the internationalist, could not be more different in their approach to global issues. A bigger spotlight on how we see the world — and how the world sees us — just might educate an electorate about why our relationship with other countries affects what happens in their homes. It’s one rational point in an election filled with emotion and accusations, but one that may well be vital to America’s future.....
When they put it that way, there is no choice.
The antiwar candidate is clear!
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With the future so uncertain, interest in astrology is booming.
