The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Billionaire Phillip Frost with participating in a classic pump-and-dump scheme. The Miami resident and founder of the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science made his billions through his large pharmaceutical company OPKO Health. The charge suggests that Frost and 9 other investors participated in the scheme from 2013 to 2018 and accuses the participants of manipulating stock prices of three companies. Once they managed to raise the prices, they would sell off their shares and leave a loss for the resident investors. Sanjar Wadhwa, the senior associate director of the SEC’s Division…
Author: Peter Boyer
Kerry Perry recently left her position as the head of USA gymnastics after she was asked to resign. Perry was hired as the CEO and president of the national gymnastics team, despite her lack of experience with the sport. When she was hired, Perry stated that her main focus was “on creating an environment of empowerment where all have a strong voice and we are dedicated every single day to athlete safety.” The ex-CEO will no longer have a say within the organization. Her resignation has come at an interesting time. Former team doctor Larry Nassar was accused and convicted…
Monica Lewinsky walked out of an interview in Jerusalem after she was asked a question regarding her relationship with former U.S. president Bill Clinton. The interview was conducted by famed Israeli news anchor Yonit Levi. Levi asked Lewinsky the following question: “Now recently in an interview with ABC News, former president Clinton was rather irate when he was asked if he ever apologized to you personally and he said I apologized publicly, do you still expect that apology? That personal apology?” After soaking in the question, Lewinsky stood up and began to walk away, saying “I’m so sorry, I’m not…
Colin Kaepernick is the face of a new Nike Campaign titled “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything”. The ad is obviously controversial and relates to the on-going National Anthem protest going on throughout the NFL. Some are praising Nike for their courage regarding the heated topic, and others are criticizing their choice to pick a side of the debate. Kaepernick is an ex-NFL-quarterback who took a stand against the National Anthem and eventually started a player movement that fights racism and police brutality in America. Kaepernick has since started a funding campaign called “Know Your Rights”. Nike…
Google just released a new AI tool that aids companies and organizations when searching for inappropriate images of child sexual abuse. The tool was released on Monday and is gaining recognition within the internet policing community. Lead Engineer Nikola Todorovic issued the following statement: “Quick identification of new images means that children who are being sexually abused today are much more likely to be identified and protected from further abuse. We’re making this available for free to NGOs and industry partners via our Content Safety API, a toolkit to increase the capacity to review content in a way that requires…
In Los Angeles, tensions are rising as the teachers strike gains nationwide attention. The main thing that teachers are fighting for are contract negotiations between the union and the school district. The union is claiming that there is illegal activity going on. Los Angeles Unified School District officials issued the following statement: “Students and families will bear the brunt of a strike. We hope our shared responsibility to put students first will prevent a strike and lead to a common-sense resolution that recognizes the hard work of our employees while addressing the safety and instructional needs of students and the…
After a man masturbated next to a woman passenger on a United Airlines flight, the company paid her $75 to keep the incident quiet. Mikaela Dixon, 21, since came out on Twitter about her encounter. Dixon Twitter posts read: “I just spent hours next to a guy who was masturbating on this flight. My bf was asleep in the window seat, I’m in the middle, and the man is in the aisle. I had no idea what to do, I couldn’t get up bc I didn’t want to go anywhere near him…” “I couldn’t call an attendant over because he’s…
A couple from Philadelphia set up a GoFundMe page for a homeless man who bought them gas with his life savings, $20. The campaign has been active for 9-months and has raised over $400,000. Recently, a court case has been filed because the homeless man did not receive a large portion of the campaign money. The GoFundMe reads: “This is Johnny. Driving into Philly one night, I made the mistake of thinking that I would be able to make it all the way down I- 95 with my gas light on. Needless to say, I was wrong. I never ran out of…
Electronic Arts CEO, Andrew Wilson, announced that three upcoming Madden tournaments are canceled as a result of the shooting this past weekend. Taylor Robertson, 28, and Elijah Clayton, 22, were killed while participating in a gaming event in Jacksonville Florida. David Katz of Baltimore Maryland is the identified shooter. Katz ended his own life after his rampage. Katz was a well-known player at these kinds of tournaments and even was featured on the Bills twitter page after winning one of their competitions. It has been reported that Katz previously was hospitalized for mental illness. His illness fell short of Maryland’s…
Foxconn Technology Group, the Taiwanese electronics company that specializes in multinational manufacturing, plans to invest $100 million into the engineering research program at the University of Wisconsin. The partnership will establish the Foxconn Institute for Research and Technology, an organization whose mission is to educate. A large amount of the money will go towards a new facility that will replace the current 1410 Engineering Dr. building. UW-Madison plans to raise $100 million as a part of the All Ways Forward program. Engineering, data, and computer science research will be the areas that will be the most affected by the movement.…
As the United States and Mexico work towards a trade agreement that, in theory, replaces NAFTA, the Asian markets are rising. Both the United States and Asia have been in a bull market since Monday afternoon and the upward trend continued into Tuesday evening. Japan’s Nikkei 225 stayed relatively flat, ending the day at 22,813.47. Japan’s shipping sector increased by 2.3%. South Korea’s Kospi increased 0.17% and ended the day at 2,303.12. Samsung Electronics increased by an impressive 0.54%. Australia’s ASX 200 ended up 0.57% and closed at 6,304.7. The increase comes after the political dilemma last week. Blackmores’ stock increased…
John Schnatter, also known as Papa John, resigned earlier this year for using the n-word during a conference call. The call was with a marketing agency and soon after the news broke, Schnatter left the pizza empire. Now, Schnatter is running a website called savepapajohns.com. Schnatter is using the platform to speak freely about his life’s work and about his ongoing legal battles with the company. Schnatter’s site issue the following statement: “As I said in a recent letter, I miss you all very much. More than words can express! Papa John’s is our life’s work and we will all…
An illegal immigrant has been charged with the murder of Mollie Tibbetts, a college student from Iowa. Tibbetts went missing over a month ago and her body was recently found in a cornfield. Cristhian Rivera, 24, allegedly kidnapped Tibbetts while she was jogging in a small rural town. Rivera has been charged with first-degree murder. Rivera claims that he “circled around a few times” and that he eventually got out and approached Tibbetts. He then said to officials that after he ran up to her, she was startled. Rivera claims that this is when he blacked out. New details are…
Jakiw Palij is a 95-year-old man, a US citizen, and a former Nazi camp guard. The US deported the ex-Nazi to Germany early Tuesday morning. Palij has been living under the radar in Queens, New York City since the 1950’s and a judge stripped him of his citizenship back in 2003. Palij was scheduled to be deported by 2004 but the US government struggled to find a country that would take the ex-Nazi guard. After more than a decade later, Germany accepted the offer proposed by the US. The Justice Department accuses Palij of “helping to prevent the escape of…
An investigation in Boston 16 years ago sparked a widespread look into the Catholic Church and the priests who preach. Cases of sexual assault on children have cost the Catholic Church a fortune, roughly $3 billion. The clergy abuse crisis has affected over 300 children and families in Pennsylvania alone and the problems have been continuously surfacing for some time now. “I don’t like the word healing, because it’s too much of an individual process, but at the end of the day, that accountability is demonstrated by the payment of money,” says James Stang, an Attorney who works for a…
Adrian Peterson, 33, has signed with the Washington Redskins and the team is looking forward to working with the future Hall of Famer. The $1.015 million contract is a one-year deal with the team. The document was signed on Monday. The Redskins lost two of their backup running backs this off-season and are looking to revamp the running back position. Many people hit Twitter after the news broke. NFL media sports writer Mike Garafolo tweeted: “#Redskins are signing RB Adrian Peterson, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Peterson embarks on his 12th NFL season with his fourth team. Needs 37 rushing…
Within the past few days, President Donald Trump has sided with the argument that social media silences conservatives. Sources say that Trump’s recent tweets about the issued social media bans sparked from Alex Jones’ 7-day suspension from Twitter. Jones is a conservative podcast host and has been banned from Facebook, Google, and now Twitter, for hate speech. Donald Trump tweeted 3 separate threads: “Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won’t let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same…
On the show, Fox & Friends, Jay Sekulow, a member of President Trump’s legal team, explained that he believes that it is unconstitutional for Mueller to question the president regarding his firing. “The idea that a president could be asked questions… it’s counter to the constitution,” said Sekulow. Meuller was fired while he was conducting the Russian investigation. Here is the full statement made by Sekulow: “The idea that a president could be asked questions about — first of all, his Article II authority — it’s counter to the constitution. I mean, this whole notion that a president should be…
Lebron James’ fans started a petition to replace Betsy DeVos as education secretary after the NBA star started a school in the neighborhood where he grew up in Akron Ohio. Thousands of people have signed the petition and the document may be sent to President Trump. Sections of the petition read: “Unfortunately, Trump and his cronies chose Betsy DeVos for us and we are stuck with an uncaring Education Chief who has fought against teachers and has even expressed disdain for the very department she heads … at least until now.” “LeBron James is an inspiration to kids all over…
Lawmakers in the U.S. territory, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), have approved a bill that legalizes marijuana. It was an 18-1 vote. Lawrence Duponcheel of Sensible CNMI said in a statement: “The people of the CNMI recognize that the prohibition of marijuana has been terribly misguided and harmful, and our leaders are in touch with the public’s sentiment on this issue. Today, members of the CNMI House of Representatives showed their commitment to honoring the will of the people.” The island will be the first U.S. territory to change from having all forms of marijuana use illegal to legalizing recreational…
Moving company, College Hunks Hauling Junk, is headquartered in Tampa Florida and has been posting strong numbers since their appearance on Shark Tank. The company started in 2003 when founders Omar Soliman and Nick Friedman were attending the University of Miami. They are running the business out of a 10,000-square foot building in Ybor City Tampa. The company focuses on two moving strategies, decluttering homes and moving customers from point A to point B. They have a strong company presence on Angie’s list, a home services website that has seen huge growth since it started in 1995. Colege Hunks Hauling…
Conservative podcaster Alex Jones has been banned from several social media sites including Facebook, YouTube, Apple, Google, and Spotify. The sites are claiming that Jones infringed on their hate speech policy. The sites have not commented on what posts led to the banning. After being banned, Jones Tweeted: “We’ve been banned completely on Facebook, Apple, & Spotify. What conservative news outlet will be next? The one platform that they CAN’T ban and will ALWAYS have our live streams is infowars.com/show” Facebook issued the following statement: “We believe in giving people a voice, but we also want everyone using Facebook to…
The City of New York is to enforce new regulations regarding the cap of ride-sharing vehicles and the minimum hourly pay rates. The new regulations will immensely effect ride-sharing giants Uber and Lyft. Mayor Bill de Blasio is a big supporter of the new regulations. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted: “Our city is directly confronting a crisis that is driving working New Yorkers into poverty and our streets into gridlock. The unchecked growth of app-based for-hire vehicle companies has demanded action — and now we have it.” The new cap on vehicles will not affect the number…
A company based in California has developed the first breathalyzer type product for detecting marijuana drug use. The company, Hound Labs, is based in Oakland and has been developing this product for some time now. The product aims to aid police officers when they suspect DUI’s during traffic stops. Mike Lynn, the CEO of Hound Labs, issued the following quotes in an interview with NPR radio: “We are trying to make the establishment of impairment around marijuana rational and to balance fairness and safety.” “This is a disposable cartridge. And there’s a whole bunch of science in this cartridge.” “When…
Following the #KremlinAnnex movement, an anti-Trump posting frenzy on Twitter, Rosie O’Donnell organized a White House protest involving Broadway stars and musical tunes. The protest will take place in Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. on Monday night. The #KremlinAnnex protest began after the Helsinki Summit between Donald Trump and President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. O’Donnell issued the following statement: “Where we are as a nation, we have now till November to see whether or not democracy is going to survive. I think we all need to [do] everything we can right up to election day. Hopefully, we’ll take back the…
The Philadelphia Eagles won their first Superbowl and have extended their contracts with the two men who helped them do it, head coach Doug Pederson and General Manager Howie Roseman. The Eagle Organization signed the two through 2022 with hopes that there is a dynasty on the rise. Eagles CEO and Chairman Jeffery Lurie issued the following statements: “We are thrilled to solidify continuity in our organization’s leadership with the extensions of Doug Pederson and Howie Roseman, whose collaborative partnership helped deliver our city its first Super Bowl Championship. Doug and Howie are committed to the success of our franchise…
The Vatican announced on Thursday that the Catholic Church will now adjust teachings, deeming the death penalty ‘inadmissible’. Pope Francis stated that the Church will work towards the abolishment of worldwide capital punishment. The church stated that the death penalty is “inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person”. John Carr, the director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University, weighed in on the new Catholic curriculum: “I think what this does is get people to reexamine their own attitudes and convictions. The death penalty in the United…
New legislation in France has officially banned the use of smartphones in schools around the country. President Emmanuel Macron argued this policy during his election campaign and he will soon see his views in effect. The concern is a matter of public health and French kids have been categorized as ‘super-connected’. A new statistic says that 90% of kids from ages 12-17 have access to smartphones. The ban aims to disconnect the youth. According to statista.com, 77% of the smartphones in France are Androids. The ban will most likely affect smartphone sales. “We know today that there is a phenomenon…
Inner-city Akron native and arguably the best basketball player to ever live, LeBron James, opened a new public school in his hometown neighborhood. The institution, ‘I Promise’ aims to serve inner-city kids who face the challenges that come with growing up in poverty. James went through the system first hand and made it out on top of the basketball world and wants to solidify his legacy. James issued the following statement about the ‘I Promise’ school: “This school is so important to me because our vision is to create a place for the kids in Akron who need it most…
Both the NBA and WBNA have signed a deal with MGM Resorts International regarding access to sports data. Sports betting across the U.S. is branching out of Las Vegas and this deal is a win for the casino giant and the basketball leagues. MGM will pay the leagues for the data and will use the data to research gaming outcomes. The NBA has stated that they plan on gathering the most accurate data to ensure fair playing for bettors. “I know the value of data. To be able to have the official NBA data for sports bettors around the world…
The State of New York has decided that they no longer want any part of one of the largest cable providers in the United States, Spectrum. New Yorkers feel that “this is pretty radical,” says Aija Leiponen, a professor of applied economics at Cornell University. “I’ve never heard of such a thing”. The State and Public Service Commission said that the merger between Charter and Time Warner Cable is not meet the required conditions. The Commission voted 3-0 on Friday to revoke the previous 2016 approval. Regulators also fined Charter $1 million, which adds to the $2 million they were…
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been living in the Ecuador Embassy in London since June 29th, 2012. Assange’s legal team is preparing for the possibility of a U.S. trial because the journalist faces extradition. The Ecuadorian government hopes to schedule Assange’s exit as soon as possible and the Australian-born writer faces a harsh penalty regarding his involvement with WikiLeaks, a forum for confidential information. Assange first entered the Ecuador Embassy to avoid being extradited to Sweden over sexual assault and rape charges. He denies the allegations and has been hiding out since. The Ecuadorian Government has shut off Assange’s…
Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been sentenced to 7-years in prison for taking bribes and money laundering. The once respected democratic politician was convicted in November of 2015 and was originally sentenced to 12-years in 2016. Silver is still on his $200,000 bail that he posted back when he was first arrested. Silver, 74, took nearly $4 million in bribes and earned over $1 million in money laundering schemes. After his first court conviction, the charges were eventually dropped following a Supreme court decision regarding corruption laws. After Siler’s lawyers appealed, a retrial was set for May.…
Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell announced a stellar quarterly net profit and a $25 billion share buyback program that aims to reduced company debt and manage oil price conditions. The company pulled in $4.69 billion in profits during the second quarter. Company analysts predicted that last quarter profits would be $5.967r billion, however, the profit pulled in represents a 30% increase. “We have delivered on the synergies, on cost takeout, on capital discipline, we’re delivering on growth and we’ve protected the dividend … And now, indeed, our cash flow and the paydown of our debt has brought us to the…
Earlier this week, two sources told CNN that the White House plans to stop releasing information about Donald Trump’s phone calls with foreign leaders. The report follows Trump’s behind-closed-doors meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the Helsinki summit. The White House has been becoming more private and the timeline for the new phone call policy is indefinite. The White House declined to comment. Readouts allow political administrations and the press to follow what diplomatic issues are discussed between the U.S. and other countries. The readouts will continue to be issued to the entire Trump administration but will be kept quiet…
Demi Lovato has woken up in a hospital in California after nearly dying from a drug overdose. Previously, the pop star was sober for 6-years and was open about her struggles with addiction. Lovato is truly lucky to be alive. TMZ reported that Lovato OD’d on heroin but later retracted their statements. Lovato’s friends and family are hesitant to release the drug that almost ended her life. Lovato has always been an open book when it comes to her addiction struggles. In the past, her drugs of choice include cocaine, OxyContin, and alcohol. Lovato’s representative issued the following statement: “Demi…
On Wednesday, the White House informed CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins that she is banned from attending the upcoming Rose Garden press event. Collins was pulled into a back office by White House officials after she asked tough questions after Trump’s meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker. Collins questions were about Trump and Cohen’s conversation about hush money, which was captured on audio and recently released to the public. The White House has since called her questions “inappropriate”. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders issued the following statement following the banning: “At the conclusion of a press event in the…
Georgia state Rep. Jason Spencer was duped by Sacha Baron Cohen and his crew during the making of the new TV special, “Who is America?”. The episode aired on Sunday and sullied Spencer’s reputation. In his appearance, Spencer exposed his buttock and screamed racial slurs. In response, House Speaker David Ralston suggested Spencer’s resignation. In the episode, Cohen posed as an Israeli self-defense specialist against terrorism. Cohen tricked Spencer into participating Spencer recalled his experience: “Sacha Baron Cohen and his associates took advantage of my paralyzing fear that my family would be attacked. In posing as an Israeli Agent, he…
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte has been issued a 14-month suspension for violating the U.S Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) IV rule. After Lochte’s wife and son got sick and went to the hospital, the swimmer used an IV to inject himself with vitamins to prevent himself from getting sick too. The stunt prohibits Lochte from participating in the national championship this week in California. Lochte will also have to sit out of the Pan Pacific Championship later this year. Even though the simmer did not participate in banned substances, the harsh rule came with harsh consequences. Lochte wanted to make sure that…
Hurricane Maria ripped through Puerto Rico 10 months ago and completely destroyed the island’s electric grid system. Now, the efforts to rebuild and replace the grid lays on federal funds and local agencies and so far, $1 billion has been spent on the project. During this insane time to repower the island, two chief executive officers and 4 board members of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority have resigned. The island is in turmoil. “In spite of missteps in the past, everybody will see that we have the right person at the right time,” said Governor Ricardo Rossello, regarding the…
The National Rifles Association (NRA) is suing the city of Seattle alongside two gun-owning civilians for a law that passed earlier this year. The law requires owners to store their guns safely. Individuals who are noncompliant face a maximum of $10,000 in fines. The law was developed during the on-going mass-shooting epidemic in America. The lawsuit was filed last Friday and aims to prevent Seattle and other Washington cities from implementing gun laws that counteract state policy. The Mayor of Seattle, Jenny Durkan, issued the following statement: “While they go to court – kids go to the hospital. We can’t…
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has put iPhone sales in jeopardy with their new rules regarding user privacy and spam. The new regulations may cause the deactivation of millions of iPhones throughout the country. The regulations are being issued in response to the on-going spam epidemic going on in India. A woman was killed after rumors about her involvement with a gang that kidnapped children. The rumor traveled through the Facebook-owned app WhatsApp. So far, 5 people have been lynched in similar WhatsApp rumor cases. The Indian government is trying to combat these crimes by enforcing harsher regulations.…
On Thursday, the US homeland security department announced that around 500 Somalians will be allowed in the US until March of 2020, despite Trump’s anti-immigration policies. These Somalis have escaped the drought and terrorism going on in their home country. Among Trump’s efforts to end immigration, the temporary protected status (TPS) program has yet to be abolished. The decision to extend TPS comes from the severe conditions back in Somalia. The DHS Office of Public Affairs issued the following statement: “After carefully reviewing conditions in Somalia with interagency partners, Secretary [Kirstjen] Nielsen determined the ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and…
When Jeanine Pirro appeared on The View to promote her new book “Liars, Leakers and Liberals” she was bombarded with verbal attacks coming from show host Whoopi Goldberg. The two were discussing a recent heated topic, President Trump. Pirro explained that she believes that Trump has been doing an exceptional job as president and Goldberg was triggered. “I suspect this is going to go on because she has a show on Saturday and stuff. But look, you can come to this show, we treat everybody with respect. But you cannot come and call people names,” Goldberg explained after the incident.…
The New York City Council has advanced new regulations regarding short-term rentals like Airbnb. The bill intends to force Airbnb hosts to register with New York City’s Office of Special Enforcement. The bill was proposed back in May. The City is trying to enforce these regulations to enable landlords and tenants from creating illegal hotels. If passed, the host will need to provide the City with information on a monthly basis including addresses, full names, primary addresses and an update on whether they are renting out an entire home, or just a room. Airbnb was quick to comment. Airbnb spokesperson…
Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive officer of Amazon, hit a new net-worth record at $151.4 billion. Following strong sales on Amazon Prime Day, Forbes reported that Bezos’ worth reached its peak during the 36-hour period. Amazon shares increased 1.18% and closed on Tuesday at $1,843.93. In an email with Forbes, a spokesperson stated “Prime Day sales in the U.S. continue to be bigger than ever. In fact, in the first 10 hours, Prime day grew even faster, year-over-year, than the first 10 hours last year”. Prime day began in 2015 during the celebration of Amazon’s 20th birthday. Since…
The founder of JetBlue Airways, David Neeleman, bought 60 Airbus A2220-300 commercial jets and is starting a new airline. The 60 planes cost him $5.4 billion and Neeleman plans on launching the airline by 2021. Neeleman issued the following statement: “After years of U.S. airline consolidation, the conditions are improving for a new generation of U.S. airline to emerge. The A220 will enable us to serve thinner routes in comfort without compromising cost, especially on longer-range mission. With deliveries starting in 2021, we will have ample time to assemble a world-class management team and another winning business model.” “This U.S.…
Large companies are racing to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. In the past, companies like Patagonia and REI have focused their marketing strategies on giving back to the earth. Now, non-outdoors sportswear companies are joining in on the breath of fresh air. Sports brand giant Adidas announced their new mission to only using recycled plastic by 2024. Adidas stated that they are trying to use 100% recycled plastics by 2024 and environmentalists are ecstatic about it. They also said that they are planning on getting rid of virgin plastic (newly manufactured plastic) in their office and warehouse spaces. Adidas…
Today, President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed many things including the 2016 election interference case. Trump yet again has used the term “Witch Hunt” and Putin seems to agree. The meeting between the two presidents last about 2-hours behind closed doors in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. People are outraged with the type of language Donald Trump used against the U.S. this morning on Twitter. Donald Trump tweeted: “Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigger Witch Hunt!” Many U.S. senators criticized…
Remnants of the collapse of Kiel Bros. Oil Co. in 2004 is costing tax-paying Americans. The father of the Vice President, Edward Pence, grew the gas station chain from a small-town vendor in Columbus, Indiana to an oil empire of around 200 gas stations. Since the chain’s demise, 85 contaminated sites have been identified across 3 states. Large underground oil tanks have leaked into the soils and have contaminated dirt, wells, and rivers. The average cost of decontaminating one site is around $500,000 U.S. dollars, totaling the environmental project at $21 million. So far, the old Kiel Bros. franchise has…
Protestors in London protested Trump’s visit to London by coming together in the tens of thousands and hoisting a large balloon of “Baby Trump”. People were banging pots and pans together while they chanted different slogans about the U.S. president. Tensions and frustrations were running high. The balloon was 20-feet-high and was chosen to represent a baby because Trump “is uniquely vulnerable to personal insults, so we just got right down at his level, to speak to him in a language that he understands” said Leo Murray, one of the people responsible for the baby blimp. Jeremy Corbyn, U.K. opposition…
Automobili Pininfarina, the car manufacturing company that produces Ferraris in Germany, announced that they will be building a $2 million electric hypercar. The blueprints of the new luxury vehicle present a thin, sleek, two-seater with a single beam of light on the front bumper. The Italian sports car is in the niche market of electric vehicles and captures the consumer’s eye. The lavish vehicle goes by the code-name PFO. During an interview with The Verge, CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, Michael Perschke, stated that “as a super sports car brand, no one has embarked fully on an EV strategy”. Later in…
Forbes featured Kylie Jenner in America’s Women Billionaires in the August 31st, 2018 issue. Jenner, 20, is the youngest Kardashian-Jenner in the reality TV family and has created a cosmetic empire with her company Kylie Cosmetics. Forbes reported $630 million in lip kit sales and values Jenner’s company at $800 million. With Jenner’s TV appearances and endorsements with companies like Puma and Pac Sun, Forbes values her net worth at $900 million. Forbes referred to Kylie Jenner as a “self-made billionaire” and this rubbed people the wrong way. Kris Kardashian is Jenner’s mother and PR/Financial advisor. Many people think that…
Protestors in London protested Trump’s visit to London by coming together in the tens of thousands and hoisting a large balloon of “Baby Trump”. People were banging pots and pans together while they chanted different slogans about the U.S. president. Tensions and frustrations were running high. The balloon was 20-feet-high and was chosen to represent a baby because Trump “is uniquely vulnerable to personal insults, so we just got right down at his level, to speak to him in a language that he understands” said Leo Murray, one of the people responsible for the baby blimp. Jeremy Corbyn, U.K. opposition…
Founder and former CEO of Papa Johns Pizza, John Schnatter, resigned after news broke about him using the n-word in a conference call with a marketing agency. The purpose of the call was to participate in a training program regarding racism but, it obviously got out of hand. Schnatter resigned on Wednesday evening. During the conference call, Schnatter was asked how he would avoid online racist groups. He responded by making his comments about the NFL protest less important. Later in the call, he went on to say that “Colonel Sanders called blacks n—–s”. Schnatter complained that Sanders never experienced…
Toyota has developed and launched a new car-sharing service around Honolulu, Hawaii. The service allows islanders and tourists to access Toyota vehicles at car-sharing stations on the island of Oahu. The service is run through an app called “Hui Car Share”. In the app description, Toyota states that “Hui is round-trip, station-based care share service developed by Toyota Connected and Servo Pacific Inc. Vehicles are available 24/7 and can be booked by the hour or day, now or in the future. There’s no fee to sign up or required monthly commitment. Book, change, or cancel reservations all from your smartphone”.…
Lauren Simmons became the youngest women to be a full-time stockbroker for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) back in early June. Despite her early plans of working in the medical field, Simmons took a different path, down the road of finance opportunity. “The one thing that I love about numbers and statistics, and kind of one of the reasons I came to the New York Stock Exchange, is because numbers are a universal language. When you put them on a board it connects everyone, which is probably one of the reasons why the New York Stock Exchange is so…
Maine governor Paul LePage (R) vetoed a bill that if passed, would have banned gay conversion therapy throughout the entire state. LePage vetoed the bill last Friday and described that it was a “threat to an individual’s religious liberty”. Many Mainers are disappointed with this verdict. Governor LePage wrote in his veto message: “This bill attempts to regulate professionals who already have a defined scope of practice and standard of care per their statutory licensing requirements. I strongly agree that young people should not be physically or mentally abused if they come out to their parents or guardians because they…
Therese Okoumou is a Congo native, a political activist, a member of Rise and Resist and is the woman who scaled the Statue of Liberty in a political protest over the 4th of July. New York Police evacuated the island after her ascent. There were 8 other protesters present and a large banner with the words ‘Abolish ICE’ (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) hung down the concrete platform lady liberty is erected on. Okoumou climbed the statue around 3:15 in the afternoon and cops from ESU Truck 1 in Manhattan were the first to respond. She sat on the sloped metal of…
The EU is once again out to get Google regarding their antitrust laws put in place. This time around it is about how Google manages Android. The open-source operating system has certain features the EU does not particularly agree with including the pre-installment of Google apps by device manufacturers HTC and Samsung. Google previously described their operating system: “Android has unleashed a new generation of innovation and interplatform competition. By any measure, it is the most open, flexible, and differentiated of the mobile computing platforms.” The EU seems to have problems with what the firm views as a new competitive…
In an experiment, Australian scientists may have discovered a way to wipe out disease-carrying mosquitoes. The trial locations spread across north Queensland Australia and successfully took out 80% of the test mosquitoes. The test was conducted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and scientists from James Cook University (JCU), a public university in Townsville Australia. The trials involved 20 million bred mosquitoes and the males were infected with bacteria to make them sterile. During the summer of 2017, over 3 million were released in three Australian towns on the Cassowary Coast. The results were extraordinary. The males…
BMW announced that the all-electric iX3 SUV will be manufactured in China and exported to outside markets. The German automaker also confirmed a new battery contract for all of their new electric cars. The contract is bigger than this firm expected. Chairmen of the Board of Management of the BMW AG, Harald Krüger, issued the following statement about the iX3: “Today’s signing represents a new chapter in the success story of our BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture. Our agreement sets a long-term framework for our future in China – a future involving continued investment, further growth and a clear commitment…
The YouTube channel High on Life lost 3 of their creators in a waterfall accident in British Columbia. Megan Scraper, Ryker Gamble, and Alexey Lyakh all lost their lives while filming near a 100-foot waterfall at Shannon Falls, near Squamish BC. Scraper fell in first and Gamble and Lyakh jumped in to save her. Scraper was 29 years old and Lyakh and Gamble were both 30 years old. The channel High on Life has been posting traveling videos since 2011 and is run by a group of Canadian adrenalin junkies. In many of the videos, they perform dangerous stunts in…
Facebook has apologized for flagging pieces of the Declaration of Independence as hate speech. The post was published by The Vindicator, a newspaper located in Texas, and included several sections of the document. After only minutes, Facebook’s algorithm for deleting hate speech flagged the post and took it down. The term “Indian Savages” set off the Facebook flag and the post was quickly taken down. The entire sentence reads: “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction…
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s socialist views, including free medicare for all, free college for students and federal guaranteed jobs, have stirred up the conservative community. So much so, that John Cardillo, TV host of Newsmax’s ‘America Talks Live’, has falsely accused the congressional candidate’s backstory. Earlier this week, Cardillo tweeted a picture of Ocasio-Cortez’s childhood home with the caption: “This is the Yorktown Heights (very nice area) home @Ocasio2018 grew up in before going off to Ivy League Brown University. A far cry from the Bronx hood upbringing she’s selling.” Ocasio-Cortez was quick to respond, listing the 4 major mistakes with Cardillo’s…
Harley-Davidson has reported that they will be moving production abroad due to Trump tariffs. President Trump did not hesitate to hit Twitter. Trump fired back via Twitter on Tuesday: “Early this year, Harley-Davidson said they would move much of their plant operations in Kansas City to Thailand. That was long before Tariffs were announced. Hence, they were just using Tariffs/Trade Was as an excuse. Shows how unbalanced & unfair trade is, but we will fix it… We are getting other countries to reduce and eliminate tariffs and trade barriers that have been unfairly used for years against our farmers, workers,…
For the past 12-days, Thai soccer team has been trapped in a cave in Northern Thailand. After their descent into the cave, monsoon rains poured down and filled parts of the cave with water, leaving the team trapped. The team consists of 12 boys, between the ages of 11 and 16, and their coach. The boys were found alive and basically in good physical and mental shape, but before, they were trapped in the pitch black for 9-days surrounded by bats and without food or water. After rescuers made the first contact, CNN posted a video of the boys wrapped…
Amazon announced on Thursday that they will enter the package delivery industry alongside UPS, DHL, and the U.S Postal Service. They call it the Delivery Service Department program, a program that offers incentives to people who want to deliver packages for Amazon. These incentives include branded uniforms, discounted Amazon-branded vehicles, fuel, and insurance coverage. Dave Clark, Amazon SVP Worldwide Operations, issued the following statement: “We have a great relationship with all of our core providers. Whether it’s UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL, around the world we are in all the above supply chain. We use everything in order to meet our…
The dark web is filled with a lot of illegal activity, ranging from selling drugs to selling guns. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 40 “illicit vendors” by tracking them on the dark web. The operation was called “Operation Dark Gold” and was established by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The mission targeted illegal marketplaces and communities on the darknet and was successful. The bust involved $20 million dollars in cryptocurrency and cash and $3.6 million in gold bars. Grenade launchers, 24 kilograms of Xanax and synthetic opioids were also confiscated by the Justice Department. Angel Melendez, HSI-NY special agent…
Harley-Davidson has reported that they will be moving production abroad due to Trump tariffs. President Trump did not hesitate to hit Twitter. Trump fired back via Twitter on Tuesday: “Early this year, Harley-Davidson said they would move much of their plant operations in Kansas City to Thailand. That was long before Tariffs were announced. Hence, they were just using Tariffs/Trade Was as an excuse. Shows how unbalanced & unfair trade is, but we will fix it… We are getting other countries to reduce and eliminate tariffs and trade barriers that have been unfairly used for years against our farmers, workers,…
Allison Ettel, dubbed as #PermitPatty on Twitter, has stepped down as CEO of a Cannabis Company in California. The social media villain became famous last Saturday when Erin Austin posted a video of Ettel calling the cops on her daughter Jordan for selling bottled water on a hot summer day. Jordan was raising money to go to Disneyland in response to her mother losing her job. The video immediately went viral, amounting to over a million views. In an interview with CNN, Ettel explained her role in the viral video: “I did call the police, but not on anybody. I…
YouTube conference VidCon has announced that they will be issuing a weekly grant to qualified emerging YouTuber’s for the next year. The grant will be $2,000 and the money can be spent however the participant chooses. The grant amounts to $104,000 for up-and-coming creators. VidCon founder Hank Green issued the following statement: “We think we’re in trouble if the creativity and passion of the last ten years starts to be beaten down by the new established powers, whether that’s agencies or networks, or even VidCon, with its [sic] necessarily finite invites. We just want to make things a little easier…
Uber hopes to overturn the decision that stripped the company of its license to operate in London. Uber has since made some changes, introducing a 24-hr support phone line and the proactive reporting of illegal activity to London police. Last year Uber attempted to coerce London into signing a 5-year contract but was rejected. This time around, they are trying an 18-month deal with hopes to prove that they can change. Uber has 50,000 drivers throughout the UK and 80% is in London. There is no doubt that this is a must need market for the Silicon Valley startup. The…
American motorcycle company Harvey-Davidson plans to bring production overseas in order to avoid EU tariffs. The iconic company becomes the latest organization to restructure operations during the ongoing global trade war. The aggressive approach the United States has taken regarding trade has strengthened the relationship between Europe and China. Harley-Davidson said that the EU tariffs were scheduled to cost them $100 million a year. The tariff on motorcycles was raised from 6% to 31%. For Harley-Davidson, the export cost per bike is $2,200 more expensive. Harley-Davidson issued the following statements: “The tremendous cost increase, if passed onto its dealers and…
In North Korea, anti-U.S. propaganda is currently being siphoned out of the country. For years, Kim Jong-un and his family have been brainwashing North Koreans into thinking that the United States is evil. Propaganda posters have depicted the U.S as a “rotten, diseased, pirate nation”. After summits with South Korea and the U.S, Kim has decided to take down these hateful messages. Back in April Kim Jong-un signed a declaration with South Korean President Moon Jae-in promising their people the unification of countries. The meeting took place at the Peace House in Panmunjeom and declared that there will be no…
Saudi Arabian women are officially able to drive now after a longtime ban that has been lifted. The ban was lifted just after midnight on Sunday and women did not hesitate to hit the road. Before, women had to rely on men in their family to provide them with rides to run errands and go to work. Now, Saudi Arabia becomes the last country to allow women to drive. Fawaz al-Harbi, a Saudi woman, issued the following statement: “I see that this decision will make women equal to men and this will show us that women are capable of doing…
New footage has been released that shows the true horror of plastic contamination. The video was shot for the BBC One documentary Drowning in Plastic. The documentary is set on the remote Lord Howe Island and includes graphic footage of plastic shards being picked out of the stomachs of Shearwater birds. The video includes a team of biologists who are fighting for these island birds. The team collected hundreds of chicks to flush the plastic out of their stomachs and “give them a chance to survive”. Lowe Howe Island, the nesting ground for these birds, is more than 600 kilometers…
The separation of immigrant families is touching the hearts of people around the world. Hundreds of thousands of donations have rolled in, totaling more than $19.4 million in less than a week. The Facebook fundraiser is called “Reunite an immigrant parent with their child”. The fundraiser launched on Sunday, June 17th and the target is rising. The goals have included $5 million, $8 million, and $15 million. Currently, the goal stands at a whopping $25 million and rising. The campaign money is going towards the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). RAICES is a non-profit that…
On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that states are now allowed to collect sales tax from online retailers. The vote was close at 5-4. President Trump has been advocating for this ruling since his political venture started and he is happy about the decision. When news broke about the ruling, Trump tweet, “Big Supreme Court win on internet sales tax – about time. Big victory for fairness and for our country. Great victory for consumers and retailers.” Large online retailers like Amazon are greatly affected by this ruling, and law experts say that the tax will be beneficial for them.…
The news of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston started brewing last night after the report surfaced by an ESPN radio commentator in Tallahassee. Back in November, an Uber driver, known as “Kate”, accused Winston of groping her while they were waiting in a drive-thru line late at night. The NFL conducted a formal investigation and is likely to issue a 3-game suspension within the next couple days. Kate filed the incident with Uber shortly after the incident and stated that “I didn’t want to be publicly known as the woman who Jameis Winston groped”. Kate chose not to file…
Waiting for your Uber driver just became a way of saving money on travel. Uber, the ridesharing company founded back in 2009, now offers a new feature which lets riders wait longer in exchange for cheaper fares. The new feature offers a new traveling experience. So Far, the option has been tested in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Uber confirmed their new feature test to Quartz news: “Affordability is a top reason riders choose shared rides, and we’re internally experimenting with a way to save money in exchange for a later pickup” The formula for Uber’s pricing strategy is determined…
After 20 years of existence, SurveyMonkey is finally going public. The survey-software company started during the dot-com era and has become the largest survey company in the world. The company helps their customers collect online survey data to people around the world. On average, 2-million online responses are recorded a day and SurveyMonkey was last valued at $2 billion back in 2014. On Monday, the tech company announced that their corporate parent, SVMK Inc., filed a draft S-1 with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). The stock price and the number of shares is still unclear. The company stated that…
Michigan Central Station is no longer abandoned after decades of vacancy. Ford Motor Company has purchased the 18-story building and executive chairman Bill Ford plans on upgrading. Bill Ford, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, issued the following statements: “I kept staring at the train station thinking, ‘What if? Wouldn’t that be amazing? If all we did was to restore this fabulous building and make it sparkle, that would be great. But we’re going to do much more than that. It’s really about creating the future of transportation. And doing it in Corktown.” Corktown is the Detroit neighborhood where the building…
The college application process is both stressful and scary. On Tuesday, Google announced that they are developing a new feature. The feature will make college information more accessible to prospected college students. It’s been reported that this information will include the average cost after financial aid, the typical annual income of students who attend and graduation, and admissions rates. In a blog post, Google’s product manager Jacob Schonberg said that “Information is scattered across the internet, and it’s not always clear what factors to consider and which pieces of information will be most useful for your decision. Schonberg also wrote…
On Wednesday, London Breed (D) made history by becoming the first African-American woman elected mayor of San Francisco. Her running mate Mark Leno (D) conceded while votes were rolling in. Breed is scheduled to serve until 2020, completely Mayor Ed Lee’s term following his death. After Breed’s win, Leno issued the following statement: “She is a remarkable young woman. She is going to do a very fine job and we all wish her the best because her success is San Francisco’s success”. London Breed issued the following statements: “I am so hopeful about the future of our city, and I…
A 7-2 vote last Tuesday by The Seattle City Council is a surprise victory for huge companies including Amazon and Starbucks. The vote repeals a head tax for all big companies in the city. The meeting was called by Council President Bruce Harrell and 6 other city council members. Seattle citizens protested the meeting with “stop the repeal” chants while councilmembers attempted to cast their votes. Back on May 14th, a council ruling required companies that pull in $20 million or more in revenue to pay $275 per employee annually. The tax was aimed to fight Seattle’s growing homelessness problem.…
The science of psychedelic party drugs has been evolving in recent years. Governments worldwide have previously criticized drugs like LSD and MDMA. These kinds of drugs became extremely popular in America during the 1960’s countercultural movement. For years, scientists have been trying to determine whether microdoses of psychedelic drugs can help cure mental health disorders like anxiety, chronic depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and addiction. On Tuesday, Cell Reports published a study on these drugs showing evidence that psychedelics may alleviate mental disorders. The study tested humans, rats and other animals with microdoses of the amphetamine MDMA, the ergoline LSD and…
Last Tuesday, Delaware became the first state outside of Nevada to offer sports betting. On this historic day, $322,135 of bets were placed, including a $10 bet on the Philadelphia Phillies by Delaware Gov. John Carney (Phillies won 6-1). This Monday, NJ Governor Phil Murphy signed a law that authorizes sports betting in New Jersey as well. The first betting day will be this Thursday. Gov. Carney issued the following statement: “For us, it’s really an enhancement of our tourism industry. It will attract a lot of visitors to our state, particularly at this time of year, during the summer,…
On Friday, June 8th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspect Service reported that Tyson Foods Inc. has issued a recall for approximately 3,120 pounds of frozen chicken. Reports state that the uncooked breaded chicken tenders may be contaminated with blue and clear soft plastic. The contaminated products that are being recalled were packaged on May 17th, 2018. The USDA has reported that the products establishment number is “P-746”. The items were shipped to several food establishments around the nation. Luckily, the products that were affected are not available for purchase anywhere. Tyson Inc.’s breading supplier discovered the…
Contract manufacturer Foxconn reported on Sunday that an investigation of a plant in China that makes Amazon products is underway. The investigation was initiated by a 94-page report by the New York-based organization China Labor Watch. The investigation has been going on for nine months and has reported multiple violations of Chinese laws. The report cited low wages, inadequate training, excessive work hours and an overreliance on temporary employees. Foxconn Technology Group issued the following statements: “We are carrying out a full investigation of the areas raised by that report, and if found to be true, immediate actions will be…
Federal Judge Alison J. Nathan of the U.S District Court for the Southern District of New York has put a stop to the deportation of Ecuadorian immigrant Pablo Villavicencio Calderon. Villavicencio issued a standard pizza delivery from a restaurant in Queens to an Army base in Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn. Military police took Villavicencio into custody upon his arrival. Base officers passed Villavicencio on to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). An extensive background check revealed that Villavicencio, age 35, is a native of Ecuador and had an open order of removal set in place since 2010. Upon this discovering, agents…
The famous Amazon Alexa has now spilled over into the Apple brand. The new app Voice in a Can allows Apple Watch users to communicate with Amazon’s Alexa from their wrists. The third-party app does not require the user to pair with an iPhone in order to be linked to the device. Alexa was first introduced by Amazon through the Amazon Echo, a speaker that is controlled by human speech. The popularity of this product was immediate and led to other Amazon releases such as the Echo Spot, Echo Show and Echo Plus. Voice in a Can is set up…
NFL sources announced on Thursday that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has been issued a four-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Edelman was quick to appeal. This is the first-time Edelman has tested positive for league banned substances. If suspended, Edelman faces a $470,588.20 deduction from his base salary. The Patriots start the 2018 NFL season with Houston, Jacksonville, Detroit, and Miami. Edelman’s participation in these games is currently undetermined. Edelman is recovering from an ACL tear that took him out of the entire 2017 season. The injury occurred during a preseason game against the Lions on…
The drunk community finally catches a break. A recently completed study done by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) strongly shows that non-drinkers are more likely to miss work than people who drink moderately. The conducted study involved 47,000 people from the UK, France, and Finland. The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire regarding their drinking habits. After laborious analysis, a u-shaped regression model emerged. The data shows that non-drinkers and heavy drinkers tend to take more sick days than moderate drinkers. So, how did the study define “Moderate drinkers”? For men, the study suggests you are a…
The XFL, a professional American football league that only survived one season back in 2001, now has a scheduled reboot. Originally the league was run by the NBC and the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE). Vince McMahon, WWE’s main spokesperson, announced back in January that the relaunch will be “fan-centric, with all of the things you like to see and less of the things you don’t”. On Tuesday, McMahon announced that Oliver Luck, former NCAA executive, will become the commissioner of the new XFL. Luck did not hesitate to take a stance on the kneeling debate that has…
