Your weekly recap for Politics, Entertainment, Business, Sports and Global Events.
Politics
- The Mueller Report
The lingering fallout from the Mueller Report has continued. Democrats insist the report must be delivered ASAP, and AG Barr has assured them they will have it sooner rather than later. An infamous piece was put together in the New York Times this week. It was full of anonymous sources stating that the No Collusion claim from Barr last week summarizing the report was not an adequate description.
- Joe Biden #MeToo
Joe Biden commanded most of the political news in a relatively slow week. A targeted attack has been waged against him in hopes of taking him down before he officially launches his presidential bid. The rumor is that Bernie Sanders and his camp are behind this. Seven women have now accused the former VP of inappropriate touching. Most instances are viewable since they occurred in public. Even prominent Democrats came out this week saying this is taking #MeToo too far.
- Trump’s response
Trump didn’t shy away from the topic. He retweeted a meme mocking Biden on Twitter. Biden publicly addressed the controversy on Friday. He did so my making light of the allegations.
- Democrat Debates
The first round of Democratic debates is set for the end of June. Time will tell who gets what stage and time. Grab the popcorn!
- New York City Taxation
New York City has implemented two big taxes in their recent budget. They officially became the first big city to create congestion pricing in an attempt to decrease city traffic. They also put forth the Mansion Tax hitting homeowners who don’t reside in the city but purchase high dollar properties. Finally, the city has implemented a ban on plastic bags.
- Department of Defense new contract
An odd order from our Department of Defense was placed this week. The army order a lot of gas masks. What do they know or expect?
Avon Protection Systems Inc., Cadillac, Michigan, was awarded a $245,961,250 firm-fixed-price contract for production of M53A1 Chemical Biological Protective Mask systems. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 24, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911SR-19-D-0005).
- Mayor Pete
Mayor Pete, the dark horse candidate from the left, found himself in Liberal Jail this week when his quote was unearthed which shows him stating that All Lives Matter. This has typically been seen as a jab against Black Lives Matter. He has had to explain his stance.
- Marijuana Taxation
The data from marijuana tax collection is becoming more accessible and it is clear the Federal Government is missing out on a huge cash opportunity. Expect graphics like the one below to be used as a reason to legalize marijuana in the next decade. This is especially true when most Democrat candidates are in favor of the move, and Trump has expressed he is OK with it as well.
- Chick Fil A Ban
Two airports have banned Chick Fil A due to the company’s anti-LGBT stance. The ban in Buffalo, NY was a few days removed from San Antonio, TX implementing the first.
- Democrat Fundraising
Bernie Sanders remains in the lead with regard to fundraising for the 2020 Presidential campaign. He led the way in Q1.
- Chicago Mayoral Race
Lori Lightfoot won Chicago’s mayoral race. The win is important considering she is openly gay. She pledges to take down the corruption. Speaking of Chicago, the police are officially suing Jussie Smollett.
Entertainment
- Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber found himself in hot water when joking that his wife, Hailey Baldwin, was pregnant. The April Fool’s joke was seen in bad taste considering many woman struggle to conceive.
- Netflix
Netflix found themselves in two odd stories this week.
First, the DOJ has pressured the Academy that they cannot exclude streaming services from their awards.
Second, Dame Helen Mirren didn’t hold back her disdain when speaking of the streaming giant.
- The Joker
Joaquin Phoenix debuted his look for the upcoming Joker film. The role looks good, but let’s hope the incredibly dark character doesn’t drive Phoenix mad like it did for the late Heath Ledger.
- Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is oh so close to premiering its incredibly long-awaited final season. A premiere took place in NYC this week. Episodes debut April 14.
- Dumbo
Dumbo didn’t do as well as Disney hoped over its opening weekend. The likely reason is the storied elephant is almost 80 years old, and many children today have no clue about our favorite pachyderm.
Business
- Boeing …Week Three
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Boeing remains in the news.
Ethiopian Airlines published the preliminary report of the infamous MAX crash. The findings show the jet failed because of the plane, not the pilots. They did all they could to save the jet
Boeing’s CEO made news when he announced he flew in the now grounded MAX model this week to try to drive up support for the jet.
The company surprised investors after hours on Friday when they announced they’d be cutting production by 20%. The company hasn’t experienced other orders canceled apart from Ethiopian Air, and it remains unlikely US carriers cancel existing orders. Their threat comes from international carriers canceling.
- Facebook & Regulation
Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg published a piece in the Washington Post. He highlighted a need for more government involvement in regulating Facebook. The move appears more like a PR stunt. Let’s be honest. Zuck and his cronies cannot control the monster they created and they know it.
- Youtube
YouTube is dealing with an investigative piece published by Bloomberg this week. The piece highlights the failure of the company to regulate inappropriate content in favor of reaping higher profits. It seems Google cannot control this monster they created as well.
- Kroger & Whole Foods
Kroger and other grocers fell this week when Amazon announced they intend to lower the prices of a wide range of products at Whole Foods. They’re trying to ditch the Whole Wallet stigma.
- Costco & Roundup
Costco made the move to officially drop Roundup. The weed killer that has since been related to causing cancer is in a heap of trouble with lawsuits. Bayer finds themselves in a long legal battle but showed they have their intent to fight on. Despite the warnings of many shareholders last year about their plans to purchase Monsanto, Bayer now will handle this mess for decades to come.
Backstory – Monsanto owned Roundup. Bayer (Think Aspirin) purchased Monsanto during pending cancer lawsuits. The merger went through and soon after the court held Monsanto liable for cancer via Roundup. Now, Bayer will have to handle the lawsuits for decades. This is similar to asbestos lawsuits which still go on today.
- Elon Musk
Elon Musk actually posted a mixtape dedicated to famed gorilla, Harambe, who was killed in a zoo a few years back. You can listen to his mixtape here
Tesla has announced that their Q4 Model 3 deliveries were a few thousand short of Wall Street expectations. The stock is down over 30% to start the year and fell 10% this week. Maybe Musk should relax on rapping.
- Student Loan Debt & Sex
Younger Americans are not having sex and it is likely due to debt. The Washington Post put forward an excellent piece highlighting the problem. Japan, as well as Western Europe, has already been dealing with this problem and it seems we have joined in on the lack of fun.
- Fed Reserve
Donald Trump seems to have made a move to put Herman Cain on the Federal Reserve. This is an unorthodox move, but it will create necessary friction amongst current Fed Governors. The new ideology will be welcomed by the stock market. The former CEO is incredibly business friendly.
- J&J
Johnson and Johnson remains in damage control.
First, all but one charge was dropped against the company in the opioid abuse trial going on in Oklahoma. Prosecutors have attempted to prove J&J was to blame.
Second, India didn’t approve their baby shampoo because they claim the shampoo tests positive for cancer causing agent, formaldehyde. J&J has refuted the claim.
Sports
- Lonzo Ball
The Laker officially fired his friend and co-CEO of his Big Baller Brand. Millions of dollars went missing a few weeks back. This is a tale as old as time. Athletes trusting the wrong people with their money and falling prey to fraud.
- George Washington Mascot
George Washington University students voted to remove their colonial mascot, Colonial George. The reason was that he did not represent equality and reminds students of a bad time where colonials often mistreated others, such as Native Americans and slaves. This is another instance of American youth tearing down history because they now disagree with it.
- AAF Folds
The league designed to act as a gateway to the NFL folded only eight games into the season. The AAF ran out of money and closed their doors this week.
- Bryce Harper
Former Washington National Bryce Harper returned to DC this week. He initially struck out, but got revenge later in the game with a monstrous home run. The Phillies won the game. He was showered with boos all throughout the game by his former hometown fans.
- Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has allegedly requested that the team revise his contract by April 15. He expects to be paid more, and receive a longer term deal. Rumors have swirled he would end up in New York for the Giants since his wife has expressed her intent to leave Seattle.
- 23 Dead Horses
Another horse has passed away after racing at the Santa Anita horse track. The track reopened less than two weeks ago after 22 horses died in a few-month stretch. It seems they have yet to isolate and fix this mysterious problem.
- Tom Brady Retires
Tom Brady tried to be funny when he joined Twitter on April Fool’s day to announce he was retiring. It didn’t seem like anyone fell for the attempted joke.
- Dodger Stadium fighting
A man was critically injured leaving Dodger stadium last Saturday in a fight that ensued after the game. This is relevant considering Dodger stadium was where the Giants fan was paralyzed a few years back from a fight on opening weekend in the parking lot as well.
- Kristaps Porzingis
The unicorn, Kristaps Porzingis is being investigated for rape. The NYPD has been called on to search the matter. A woman alleges she was raped by the famous basketball player in her apartment while he was playing for the Knicks. Kristaps lived in the same building as the victim.
Honorable Mentions
- Anti-Vax
The measles outbreak has continued and hit fever pitch when an unvaccinated child was forcibly removed from his parents’ home. The video is quite jaw dropping
- No More Patagonia
Not an April Fool’s joke. Apparel company Patagonia announced they will not sell their coveted logo fleece to Wall Street finance giants. The company believes these companies are not aligned with their views, especially with regard to the environment. What will the interns wear this summer!?
- Missing Child
A roller coaster of a story took a grieving family on an unfortunate ride. A man claimed to be a missing child, until it was discovered he was lying. Horrible turn of events. Police will charge him for the lie.
Somehow and for some reason the top trend in the USA over the weekend on Twitter was white people explaining their instances of white privilege. Slow news day.
‘Entirely Scientific’ Prediction Meter
Because, why not?
1. Chance of Impeachment = 0%
Unchanged
2. Chance Trump wins reelection in 2020 = 55%
Up 1% from last week
3. Most likely Democrat contender = Joe Biden
Change from Kamala Harris last week
4. Chance Howard Schultz runs as an Independent? = 99%
Unchanged
5. Chance the Golden State Warriors repeat = 20%
Unchanged
6. Chance the Washington Capitals Repeat = 5%
Unchanged
7. Chance that Captain America dies in Avengers: Endgame = 99%
Unchanged
8. Chance of a US Recession in 2019 = 20%
Unchanged
Phil Your Day 