Monthly Archives: February 2021

Letters to the Editor Saturday, Feb. 20 – The Daily Gazette

Posted: February 25, 2021 at 1:15 am

Install device to warn drivers of spanIn a Feb. 9th Gazette article (Town looks at fines for striking bridge), Adam Shinder reported that Glenville Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle will introduce a law to assess penalties for hitting the low railroad bridge on Glenridge Road.This strikes me as a failure of the government to address this continued problem caused by the bridge being too low on a newly paved and much improved road.An attempt was made to address this problem with increased signage, but that was obviously not completely successful.Fines will certainly not correct or even reduce this problem any more than all the publicity from the numerous letters to the editor and articles in the paper have.If it really is too expensive to raise the bridge or lower the road to correct this problem, then why not install an active-warning device before the bridge to allow truckers time to stop before their trucks are damaged and local authorities have to get involved to remove the damaged truck.For a fairly small cost, this would be a win-win for everyone since taxpayers wouldnt have continuous costs involved with these accidents and delivery companies wouldnt have delayed deliveries and severely damaged trucks to repair.This active warning device could be as low-tech as hanging something the same height as the bridge, well before it, which when impacted would cause a loud noise. Or it could be a little more high-tech by using a laser to set off numerous bright lights and/or loud sounds.Stephen AndersonGlenville

Stockade residents need a civics lessonImagine my amusement when I opened my Gazette on the morning of Feb. 9 and read about the residents of the Stockade complaining about receiving parking tickets.These are the same people who screamed from the rooftops that their streets werent cleaned properly (and instantaneously) after the blizzard in December.Plows cant get through if there are cars parked all over the place. Anyone with any common sense who chooses to live in the Stockade should be aware of the difficulties the narrow streets pose in a typical upstate New York winter.For some reason, the residents of the Stockade seem to think they are entitled to both better city services and less law following than the rest of us commoners who reside in other neighborhoods.And a small lesson in civics: The police department doesnt make the rules; they just enforce them. If Stockade residents dont want parking restrictions, then they should go through the proper channels to have them changed.Jennifer DikemanSchenectady

Require voters to have identificationIf requiring an ID to vote is discriminatory and unconstitutional, then why is it legal to require an ID for all of these other things in life?DMV, airports, hospitals, pharmacies, for blood donation, banks, gun shops, Social Security office, pawn shops, jails, courts, unemployment, public schools, adoption agencies (for children and animals), parole and probation, auto insurance, traffic stops, passport, and at the post office (to pick up packages).By the way, liberals say that requiring an ID for voting is unconstitutional and discriminating.The ironic part of this is that most unions are Democratic supporters, and they require an ID for all union voting, but they are against requiring an ID to vote. Am I pazzo (crazy)?Domenico DicaprioVoorheesville

Both discouraged and encouraged by verdictIn his self-serving, cynical and manipulative speech after the impeachment vote, Mitch McConnell made it clear that this was not a great exoneration of Trump. He admitted, There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day.Yet, McConnells unashamed hypocrisy is appalling. He kept the trial from occurring while Trump was in office and then used a technicality to acquit him. History will not look kindly on the current Republicans, who with their votes declared that they are a far-right party that supports the philosophy of fascism and military coups.I continue to believe that the United States is a constitutional republic and not a cult of personality. However, the vote by the 43 Republican senators is evidence that there is an existential crisis in our country and evidence of two different Americas. This was not about the facts or the truth, but a way to preserve and defend a certain way of life.The facts were undeniable, and the substance of the charge is indisputable. Trump once declared that he could shoot someone and not lose a single vote. I am heartened that he lost seven Republican votes for inciting and contributing to the death of five citizens at the Capitol. I am also encouraged that the majority of Americans supported a conviction.President Biden said, each of us has a duty and responsibility as Americans, and especially as leaders, to defend the truth and to defeat the lies.Maxine BrisportRotterdam

Trump continues to damage the countryW-W-Way back in 2016, I turned to my wife after recovering from the shock of that November election night and said, Were screwed!Fast forward to 2021. Even though empathy and civility has arrived on Pennsylvania Avenue with Joe Cool, the man-child before him still has the floor. The damage to democracy continues.America, youve been duped repeatedly. Were still screwed!Dave BarnesRotterdam

Party not looking out for local residentsFor those of us who have lived here long enough, the residents who make this place diverse and colorful, the residents who look out for each other because that is who we count on, know that local government and officials do not see us.If anyone questions if our opinions are considered or our interests are thought of, look no further than the endorsed candidate a major party is supporting to represent us.It is almost comical if it wasnt going to directly impact the lives of my friends and family. I thought that the time had finally come, with two diverse candidates in the primary field.There are candidates who grew up and live in our neighborhood, with experience and who have overcome challenges my neighbors face day in and out.Despite this, a politically active student who has never lived in the district, jumping from race-to-race, is who the Democratic Party believes is best to be our legislator.I do not underestimate the power of the next generation, especially after the way we saw them come out this year. However, this is not the next generation to represent our community. Again, our voices are being bulldozed over by the agenda of the political machine and they have now found their candidate who will fall in line.David MillerSchenectady

Reviewer missed the point of miniseriesRegarding the Your Move article by Patti Nickell in the Feb. 14 Sunday Gazette Travel section:Im no chess player, but I greatly enjoyed The Queens Gambit miniseries.Nickell may have enjoyed it too. But if she thought the lead character was experiencing hallucinations, as she alluded to twice in her light and fluffy travel feature, then she clearly didnt get the core premise of the novel and the series.Was Elizabeth Harmon addicted? Yes! Was she seeing chess boards on the ceiling in her minds eye? Yes! But was the drug hallucinogenic or was she hallucinating? Absolutely not. She was taking and, sure, addicted to tranquilizers, long known for their infamous and nefarious abuses in institutional care.But the primary effect of the drug, clearly expressed in the screenplay, was that her mind could be calmed and focused, and she could shut out distractions so that she could, solely through her own inimitable brilliance, mentally project and play in her imagination one of the most cerebrally and strategically complex games in existence.If Nickell didnt grasp this point, then she missed the whole shebang, and clearly has no understanding or appreciation for the novel, the author, the entire miniseries or the game of chess. Checkmate.Carl SnyderNiskayuna

Time to hold Trump responsible for actsDonald Trumps impeachment trial led to an acquittal by the Senate. However, in the words of (Republican) Senator Mitch McConnell, Impeachment was never meant to be the final forum for American justice. it is not the criminal justice system, where individual accountability is the paramount goal. He didnt get away with anything yet.We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either one.Bruce Castor, one of the attorneys representing Trump at the impeachment trial, stated A high crime is a felony, and a misdemeanor is a misdemeanor. After hes out of office, you go and arrest him.Clearly, Donald Trump instigated and encouraged the insurrection that occurred on Jan. 6, all in the name of overturning an election he inarguably, demonstrably lost. Thats called treason. He lied and several people died; scores of others were seriously injured. Those are crimes that cannot be ignored.The Donald has always managed to avoid being held responsible for anything in his life; he has mastered the technique of deflecting blame onto others. When that hasnt worked, he has always managed to pay, lie, or weasel his way out of things.This time, finally, he must be held responsible. This country needs to heed the advice of McConnell and Castor. What are we waiting for?Paul DeierleinSchenectady

Deception will be difficult to explainI imagine my grandchild or great grandchild, bothered and curious well past her bedtime, will come to me, with innocent eyes, and ask, How did you elect a midway huckster to be president? I will look at her and say, I am writing my appeal to my death panel, now still your mouth and go to bed; youre 5, and stop listening to history shows on your Apple brain implant. I am sure she will look up sweetly and say, Its called an iThink, you fossil, and I hope you lose your appeal!I will have that response because I will not be able to explain that we ignored the very first president when he said of political parties, However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust domination.I will not be able to explain how a mass media, whose advertisers needed to sell electronics, pillows, hotel stays and cars, disseminated disinformation, or debated that disinformation, or reported the disinformation with outrage, all elevating the presence of this huckster, because it was exciting, so more people watched those advertisements.I will not be able to explain how we allowed ourselves to be so led and deceived.James CiminoSchenectady

Capitalism to blame for vaccine issuesPeople are currently frustrated and angry about how difficult it is to access the coronavirus vaccines, and they are absolutely correct to feel that way. The roll-out of the vaccines has, like the rest of the handling of the coronavirus by the Democrats and Republicans, been a disaster.But the root of this problem is the same as the root of all of our other societal problems: capitalism.The coronavirus vaccines were developed, like everything else in our society, through the massive investment of public funds. The Moderna vaccine alone received $2.5 billion in public funding: orders of magnitude higher than anything that company put toward R&D. We the people should own these vaccines because we paid for them.The Trump and Biden administrations not only granted intellectual property rights to these companies over vaccines that we paid for, they have also adamantly refused to allow for the manufacture of generic versions of these vaccines to increase supply. Democrats and Republicans have repeatedly put private profits over people.They have enshrined the profit margins of these companies to a product we paid for to the detriment of broader public health, contributing to increased delays in the reopening of schools and the economy, and of course to increased deaths from the coronavirus itself.Intellectual property has always functioned to inhibit production through granting monopoly rights.But maintaining such property rights during the supposed emergency of this pandemic highlights how truly sick capitalism and the two ruling parties are to the core.Samuel RoseSchenectady

McConnell failed to convince either sideMitch McConnells speech on Feb. 13 was an attempt to placate both the anti-Trump faction of his party and the pro-Trump base.The Lincoln Project supporters would be happy with his condemnation of Trumps role in creating the atmosphere necessary to stir up an insurrectionist mood with the Big Lie: the election was rigged against him and he actually won in a landslide, repeated ad nauseum, then lighting the fuse with his fiery speech to the angry crowd, many bearing weapons, that he summoned to the Capitol on Jan. 6.The Trumpistas would be content with his vote to acquit. I think he failed to hold on to the support of either faction. Before the actual trial began, the Senate affirmed, with a bipartisan vote, their right to try an impeached former president; the Senate has the constitutional authority to set trial rules and procedures. Thus, McConnells vote, justified by his personal belief that the Senate has no power to try a former president, will ring hollow with anti-Trump Republicans. His obvious disdain for Trump and his assertion that Trump bears much responsibility for the events of Jan. 6 will cancel the value of his vote to maintain support among the Trumpistas.Those without strong views may ask themselves why he didnt take the opportunity to bar a man he obviously sees as a grave danger to our democracy from holding any future federal office. This can be done only after a guilty verdict followed by a simple majority vote.Anthony J. SantoRotterdam

Trumps supporters will ultimately prevailOn Feb. 11 The Gazette featured a front page Associated Press article (Video shows chilling scenes of riot) describing chilling videos of a riot on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C.However, the paper never characterized the assaults, arson and looting in Washington last summer as other than mostly peaceful.Sam Adams, Benjamin Edes and John Hancock, leaders of the Sons of Liberty, would find it thrilling that the patriots on Jan. 6 replicated their actions. The Sons of Liberty tore down the homes of British agents, tarred and feathered Tory Bostonians and famously threw the tea in the harbor. Thomas Hutchinson, governor of Massachusetts, barely escaped to a fort on an Island and called for thousands of British troops. Sound familiar?The Redcoats shot down unarmed citizens on the street. The Capitol police shot an unarmed woman and caused the death of three others trying to enter the peoples house. Now the Biden/Schumer/Pelosi revolution, like the generals in Myanmar, hold power at the point of tens of thousands of National Guard rifles. Their icon, Chairman Mao, said power comes from the muzzle of a gun. Fealty to a stolen election is implemented by what is essentially martial law in the nations capital.Unlike the timorous Proud Boys, those who voted to re-elect President Trump will not stand down or stand by. We will peacefully assemble, we will not comply, and like Martin Luther King, we will prevail.Art HenningsonScotia

Cancel culture is the same as censorshipDonald Trump lost the election, and he should go to jail because he incited a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn the election. But John Figliozzi in his Feb. 7 column in The Gazette (Cancel culture: Old wine in new, mislabeled bottle) suggested those facts justify the cancel culture approach to political debate. Really?Its just an old wine that needs a new name on the bottle. George Orwell might call it GroupThink Kool-Aid.John cites a poll that says 53% expect social consequences for expressing unpopular opinions. He does not say how many of the 53% think the expected social consequences are a good thing or a bad thing. And what about the other 47%? Should they just shut up? Maybe the 47% can call themselves the Resistance. And isnt 3% the margin of error? So maybe its really 50-50? The last election also proved that polling data is not very reliable.Cancel culture or GroupThink is censorship, plain and simple, and I find censorship deeply offensive.And now even Republicans are copying the censorship model by censuring party members who did not buy Trumps lies. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But for true inspiration, GroupThink supporters should visit the Chinese re-education camps where the minority Uighurs are facing very harsh social consequences for their unpopular opinions.Tom HollandBallston Spa

Look for the signs of problem gamblingMarch is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to everyone across the nation.With that there has been an increase in the number of people that have found themselves struggling with problem gambling. Major triggers for problem gambling are being exacerbated during this time of isolation such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, boredom and stress.Financial uncertainty can drive a person to gamble in hopes of income. Unfortunately, the end result may be further debt and greater feelings of despair.Although most adults who gamble can do so for a fun recreational activity for some it may become a problem with negative consequences.Some warning signs that gambling might be a problem include: thinking about gambling often; lying or covering up gambling behaviors; missing time with friends and loved ones to gamble; gambling to escape negative feelings or problems; gambling more money than a person can afford or planned; unsuccessfully trying to cut back or stop gamblingIf you, or a loved one is struggling reach out. Call the free, confidential NYS HOPELINE 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) for help, and referrals to treatment.Becky SchroederAmsterdamThe writer is a Substance Abuse Prevention Educator with Fulton Montgomery Catholic Charities.

State-run elections saved democracyMichael J. Goff wrote a piece in the Jan. 23 edition of The Gazette entitled The Electoral College saved democracy.I believe, more precisely, it was the system of state-run presidential elections that carried the day.He conflates the Electoral College with state-by-state voting. Whereas the two are currently intertwined, state-controlled voting for presidential elections could exist without the Electoral College.Whats important is that authority over the election process remains distributed among the states and kept away from federal government control and, therefore, immune to possible influence from the current president.Why not have each states votes counted and totaled by their individual election boards using methods and procedures of their own choosing, same as today, and then the totals from all states combined to determine the winner?Mr. Goff asserts that mixing of votes from all states prevents the states from defending their individual totals. But thats no different than states defending their Electoral College vote today, which, by the way, is a function of the individual totals.Another approach, that still retains the Electoral College, is to apportion the electoral votes of each state according to the individual vote totals within that state.For example, in New York, Biden received 5,230,985 votes to Trumps 3,244,798. This would result in the states 29 electoral votes being split 18 for Biden, 11 for Trump. In Texas the split would be 18 for Biden, 20 for Trump. Today, its all or nothing.Larry JordanAmsterdam

Papers editorials unfair to NiskayunaOn Dec 8, 2020 this paper ran an editorial (Spa timing is bad; project is good) in support of the Saratoga schools referendum for a $129.7M capital project. The editorial says to support the referendum in part because: The project has been in the works for several years. The needs are real, and it appears the district has the funding in place to pay for them without overburdening local taxpayers. Dont let the distractions of the season keep you away from this important proposition.Yet on Feb. 9 this paper ran an editorial (District should push vote to May) in opposition to the Niskayuna schools referendum by saying in part Todays forecast calls for 2-4 inches of snow and urged voters to call on the district to come up with a more detailed, more realistic and more financially reasonable project.While on July 10, 2019, another editorial (Help plan districts future) on the Niskayuna schools project urged readers to become involved in the planning process: you can help the school district, yourself and your fellow taxpayers develop a plan for the future.In my opinion, the hypocrisy of the editorials mentioned above are as obvious as the years of an anti-Niskayuna school slant for this newspaper which hurts its credibility and makes the value of its editorial opinions meaningless as evidenced by the overwhelming voter support for the Niskayuna project. If you think mine is an isolated opinion, I urge you to read the Facebook comments on Your Niskayuna. Many of your readers and I are fed up with the irreconcilable editorials and baseless negativity.Carlene IrelandNiskayuna

Consequences of unelecting a presidentWe did not elect Mr. Biden. We unelected Mr. Trump.We did the same thing in 1976. We unelected Gerald Ford due to his guilt by association with Mr. Nixon and having pardoned Mr. Nixon. Thats how we got Jimmy Carter, who gave away the Panama Canal, pardoned the draft-dodging cowards who ran away to Canada, totally blew the Iran Hostage Crisis and boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, even after what we did to USSR at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.Hopefully history wont repeat itself.Robert GrimmAmsterdam

Cuomo responsible for covid deathsGov. Andrew Cuomo is being characterized as an Angel of Death.Local Democrats Angelo Santabarbara and Patricia Fahy are now speaking up, now that it is convenient. Better late than never. Their language is measured; they fear Cuomo; they are Democrats. That has not changed. They do not want to come under the woke blade.How many of our beloved elderly would be alive in nursing homes if Santabarbara and Fahy spoke up sooner? This is known only to God.The state Legislature is on graveyard shift, that is all they are good for. Pallbearers! No one is safe from self-serving politicians.The governors casual references to death are reminiscent of what difference does it make. Democrats think that way. The cat being let out of the bag speaks more to arrogance than stupidity. They believe they can do anything. We allow it. Ignorance is a form of stupidity; it borders on evil.There is a commercial on TV showing a polar bear in a cage banging his head against the sides of the cage. The bear has been confined too long. That is Andrew Cuomo in the governors office. He has been affected. Like the bear, Cuomo will not get out of the cage on his own. Cuomo needs help.Edmond DayRotterdam

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Rory McIlroy’s cut record snapped as he misses out on weekend for first time since Royal Portrush at Riviera – Belfast Telegraph

Posted: at 1:15 am

Rory McIlroy must go back to the drawing board to get ready for next week's World Golf Championship after missing his first cut since the 2019 Open in The Genesis Invitational at Riviera.

attling an ice-cold putter (33 putts) and a two-way miss, the World No.7 carded a five-over 76 - his worst round on the PGA Tour since the same score in the second round of last year's US Open to finish seven shots outside the projected cut mark on seven-over par.

The four-time Major champion hadn't missed a cut since he shot rounds of 79 and 65 to miss out by a shot at Royal Portrush 19 months ago - ending a 30-event streak that was, admittedly, 117 events shy of Tiger Woods' record of 142.

But he'll be hoping to rebound strongly as he did after his last failure on the Dunluce links which heralded the start of a red-hot run that brought him three wins, plus another 14 top-10 finishes and a second FedEx Cup title.

With less than seven weeks to go to the Masters, this was a glaring failure on a course that's a serious barometer of a player's preparedness for Major championship golf.

And having gone 15 months without a win, he will be keener than ever to make a statement when he joins Shane Lowry in the WGC-Workday Championship at The Concession in Florida next week.

He started the day tied for 85th after opening with a two-over 73, but while there was little wind for his 7.13 am tee-time, he failed Riviera's chess-like examination.

After failing to birdie the short par-four 10th or the par-five 11th, he was facing an uphill task when he three-putted the 12th from 65 feet.

Clearly struggling with his swing, he hit back by holing a 20 footer for a birdie at the next but handed that shot straight back when he took three to get down from the front edge of the par-three 14th.

There was still time to get back to level par, but his agent was likely telling the pilot to warm up the engines on his jet when he short-sided himself at the 17th and made a bogey six, then three-putted from the fringe at the 18th to go out in three-over 39.

An eagle three at the 493-yard, par-five first could have changed his fortunes, but he missed an eight-footer for a birdie there, then reeled off a series of pars before he tangled with the barranca at the eighth and ran up a double-bogey six.

Bidding for his maiden win, overnight leader Sam Burns (24) took up where he left off following his sensational opening 64, carding a bogey-free, five-under-par 66 to lead by five strokes from Tyler McCumber and Jason Kokrak on 12-under par - the joint lowest 36-hole aggregate in the event's history.

"I think just having patience out there," Burns said when asked the key to his impressive play. "I didn't try to force anything."

Burns' thoughts were echoed by Jordan Spieth, who continued his resurgence in form when he shot a second successive 68 to share fourth place with Max Homa, who shot 70, on six-under.

"It's one of those rare weeks where you just can't get away with firing at flagsticks," Spieth said. "Precision is so key, but being smart and recognising when even being precise still won't work out."

"It's such a different experience from what we normally have on Tour where you're used to 20 to 25 under winning, where you get away with short-siding yourself because guys' short games are so good, but here it just doesn't happen.

"I said yesterday I'd take four rounds of three-under, and as the weekend comes around and the greens start to firm up, and conditions get tougher, I think six-under on the weekend will be a great score."

European Ryder Cup captain Harrington added a five-over 76 to his opening with a 75 to miss the cut on nine-over, having spent 10 days in self-isolation following a positive COVID-19 test.

Belfast Telegraph

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How Tesla and Elon Musk can fight the new EV rivals – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 1:14 am

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

This article was first featured in Yahoo Finance Tech, a weekly newsletter highlighting our original content on the industry. Get it sent directly to your inbox every Wednesday by 4 p.m. ET. Subscribe

Tesla (TSLA) is synonymous with electric vehicles, but a new generation of EV automakers inspired by CEO Elon Musks electrified empire may be coming after its crown.

Lucid Motors, which is headed by former Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson and promises better performance than Tesla, announced on Monday its plans to go public. Meanwhile, Amazon (AMZN)-backed Rivian, which is also planning an IPO this year, is taking on Tesla in the truck space. Traditional automakers like Ford (F) and Volkswagen also pose a threat to the world leader in EV sales. And then theres potentially Teslas biggest eventual rival: Apple and its own EV ambitions.

Tesla clawed its way to the top of the EV market through the sheer will of outspoken, and often mercurial, CEO Elon Musk. And while, as of Tuesday, Teslas stock price dropped as much as 18% in the last month following its $1.5 billion bitcoin bet, the company is still up 319% in the last 12 months.

But its going to need much more than a charismatic leader and rabid fan base to maintain its lead in the coming years. According to Deloitte Insights, EVs will make up 32% of new car sales by 2030, up from just over 2.5% in 2020 meaning theres plenty of space for competitors.

An unsold 2021 Model X sports-utility vehicle sits at a Tesla dealership Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in Littleton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Tesla has lots...of competition, Craig Irwin of Roth Capital Partners told Yahoo Finance. There are companies that have superior technology in autonomous, there are companies that have superior technology in batteries, there are companies that have superior technology in electric vehicles. Tesla has great cars, don't get me wrong, but you're going to see a number of very exciting developments over the course of the next year.

So how can Tesla hold onto its lead? By continuing to press its global expansion into India, and ensuring its secret sauce its technical prowess stays ahead of its rivals. But the increasingly crowded market for EV vehicles could throw some obstacles in Teslas path.

Story continues

For Tesla, global expansion is the easiest way to keep pace with the new crop of competitors, and its made progress on that front. The company has already rolled out its vehicles and built a plant in China, and is in the midst of constructing its first European plant in Germany.

Tesla also has the advantage of understanding the difficulties of bringing its own manufacturing capabilities online. The company went through what Musk called production Hell when getting its Model 3 assembly line up and running in 2018. The firm was just weeks from going under during the build up, and in a recent tweet Musk revealed that during the buildout he tried getting in touch with Apple CEO Tim Cook to sell the automaker.

While Teslas move into China was crucial because the country has the worlds largest car market, its next move into India, also one of the worlds largest markets, will be nearly as important for the companys continued growth.

The key development this year is the start of sales into India, Irwin noted, adding that hes heard chatter that Tesla has already selected a site for the Indian factory.

Lucid's Air Dream is the automaker's top-of-the-line vehicle, and, according to the company, outclasses Tesla's Model S in terms of range. (Image: Lucid)

Tesla, which was down just over 2% as of market close Tuesday, also needs to ensure it doesnt get caught up in its recent move into bitcoin (BTC-USD). The company put $1.5 billion of its cash into the cryptocurrency, helping to send bitcoin soaring even higher. And while it saw roughly $1 billion in profits on paper, Musks subsequent statements on the cryptocurrency may have helped send its price down.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, however, warns that Teslas crypto play shouldnt distract investors from the companys overall efforts.

This is a golden age of EVs and we forecast that $5 trillion will be spent over the next decade, Ives told Yahoo Finance. EV, led by Tesla, is changing the way investors value these companies going forward. Its not your grandfathers auto industry anymore, as Detroit is showing on EVs.

Besides, there are plenty of other companies taking aim at Tesla in the meantime.

Lucid Motors revealed Monday it was going public via a reverse merger with special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, Churchill Capital IV (CCIV). The deal values Lucid at a whopping $24 billion and will provide the upstart automaker with $4.4 billion to expand its Arizona-based plant.

Lucid aims to get its high-end luxury sedan, the Lucid Air, on the road this year, and eventually have the Arizona plant pumping out as many as 365,000 units a year. The company is also working on production of its luxury SUV, the Lucid Gravity, which is set to launch in 2023.

The Lucid Air Dream is Lucids top-of-the-line model priced at $161,500, well above the $119,900 Tesla Model S Plaid. Our first product is unashamedly a luxury car that will compete with the Mercedes Benz S-Class at the top table, CEO Peter Rawlinson told Yahoo Finance Live Monday. And currently there isnt an EV offering in the true luxury arena.

What makes Lucid so impressive is that, according to its own number, it already outclasses Tesla in terms of battery performance. With an estimated range of 503 miles per charge, the Dreams battery can also be charged to 300 miles in just 20 minutes. Teslas long-range Model S, meanwhile, gets just 412 miles on a charge, and can be charged with up to only 200 miles of power in 15 minutes.

R.J. Scaringe, Rivian's 35-year-old CEO, introduces his company's R1T all-electric pickup truck and all-electric R1S SUV at Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 27, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Lucid is not the only competitor coming after Tesla, of course. Rivian is also set to launch its long-awaited electric truck this year, with backing from heavyweights including Amazon, which is preparing a fleet of Rivian-based electric delivery vehicles. Rivian also has the backing of Ford, which will use Rivian technology in its own offerings. The company promises more than 300 miles of range in its R1T truck with a starting price of $67,500.

Rivian is also expected to IPO this year at an estimated valuation of $50 billion, according to Bloomberg. That company is powering out of the gate with an electric truck, setting up stiff competition for Teslas upcoming Cybertruck, which is also launching this year.

Tesla has even managed to inspire an electric truck company fittingly called Nikola (NKLA) Tesla is named after the inventor Nikola Tesla though that firm was blasted in a report from short seller Hindenburg accusing it of being a fraud. (Nikola denied the report and called it a hit job.)

Traditional automakers entering the space include Ford, which will launch its highly anticipated Mustang Mach-E crossover in the coming months at a starting price of $42,895 and upwards of 250 miles per charge. Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategies says that Volkswagen could become a Tesla rival, too, noting that a large automaker could, in a few years, become the No. 2 EV automaker after Musks company.

Then theres Apple, which is rumored to be teaming up with an established automaker like Hyundai, on an electric vehicle of its own. Still, details on how Apple will actually manufacture the car are scant, and it isnt expected to hit the market until 2024.

But Apple is just one part of the bigger picture, which is this: The EV field is becoming crowded. Tesla may have the best-selling EV of all time, by a wide margin, as my colleague Rick Newman pointed out, but the flurry of new competitors may expose its weak points.

Those flaws include an unpredictable CEO who was sued by the SEC over a tweet saying he had funding to take Tesla private, as well as fatal car crashes that have invited scrutiny into its autopilot system. Tesla may still be the EV leader despite these flaws but now is not the time for Elon Musk to take his empire for granted.

By Daniel Howley, tech editor. Follow him at @DanielHowley

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Charlie Munger says Costco ‘has one thing that Amazon does not’ – Yahoo Finance

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The Daily Beast

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos via Facebook/GettyWhen serial pedophile and former doctor for the U.S. womens gymnastics team Larry Nassar was sentenced to a maximum of 175 years in prison, more than 150 women of all ages came forward to share their horrific stories of abuse.They bravely told of how they endured years of trauma and how they had been silenced. For Olympian McKayla Maroney, unfortunately, it had been no different.The now 25-year-old went dark on Instagram in September of 2017; the next month, she shared her harrowing story about Nassars abuse, starting from age 13 and even up until she was competing in the Olympics in 2012.It happened in London before my team and I won the gold medal, and it happened before I won my silver, she said in a Twitter statement, before detailing a night in Tokyo where she thought shed die. Maroney continued to speak out against the former doctor who abused her hundreds of times and labelled him a monster. He would work on me for like an hour and a half, she told NBC News in April of 2018. And just like full abuse And Id be crying.The Trials of Simone Biles: Im Still Stuck in My Thoughts All the TimeThen in January 2019, Maroneys father Mike suddenly died while trying to detox from opioid painkillers. He went to a hotel randomly one day and was like Im going to quit... His best friend took him, and he died trying to detox, quit from pain pills, Maroney said, explaining she was completely unaware of his addiction. He could have just gone to a rehab place and done it right. He didnt and he passed away.Maroney finally reemerged and returned to Instagram in September 2019, citing Nassars trial and her fathers death. Ill definitely talk about it more, but for now Ill just say that even on the worst days, I knew I had so much to be thankful for, she wrote. I have the most supportive family, and friends, and u guys are part of that. blessed to have u, and happy to be back.Nothing about the accompanying selfie looked unusual save a peculiar accessory: a large silver pendant necklace from the Church of the Master Angels (CMA). View this post on Instagram A post shared by McKayla Maroney (@mckaylamaroney) The church is mysterious in nature and is relatively new, only officially formed in 2017. Its clunky and outdated website is filled with mumbo-jumbo phrases, making it difficult to understand exactly what CMA is.It describes itself as a unitary, non-denominational, faith-based community Church that welcomes all seekers of truth, cosmic awareness and soul-realization, regardless of belief, tradition, creed, or religious affiliation that promotes the selfless worship of God through the teaching of Gods Masters, Angels, and Holy Saints.On the website, members can receive free blessings and remote healings, plus they have access to video workshops. It hawks various supplements, such as phytoplankton droplets, and sells vague audio repair prayers for $200. The geometric pendants that Maroney wears can cost up to $2,000. YouTube Similar to Scientology, the church offers coursesthe most advanced being the elite course. Participants pay around $10,000 to attend a gathering held at the church headquarters, a few miles outside of Boone, North Carolina. CMA also has a hub in Los Angeles, where Maroney lives.The four-day developmental training includes preparation and installation of the apparatus for beginning remote scanning ability of matter and energies and preparation and installation of the apparatus and angelic assistance. Its advised that for two months before the course, one should reduce ones meat intake, avoid alcohol, and completely cut out eating pork and shellfish and taking recreational drugs.The shining star of the church is Master John Douglas, an elusive figure who is praised as a prophetic minister, spiritual healer and extraordinary teacher.Douglas is from Australia and details about him are scant, but he claims to have had a clairvoyant awakening at 9 years old that enabled him to be able to see the frequencies of thoughts, emotions, desires, weaknesses, beliefs, [and] karmic governance.It has allowed me to analyze and discover and experiment and find the real causes of disease in the body, he previously said.A handful of books have been dedicated to his Angelic Reformation healings and people claim hes cured them of Morgellons and Lyme disease, anxiety, and even cancer. Douglas did not respond to request for comment.Maroneys ties with the church are murky. In fact, if it wasnt for Maroney wearing the churchs pendant, which claims to reduce the negative effects of electromagnetic radiation, negative thoughts, and negative emotions, her involvement would be hard to spot.But she follows the churchs Twitter page and was once pictured attending an event hosted by Douglas, smiling and wearing a floral lei necklace while surrounded by four other attendees in a photo posted in January 2019. Aw, my angel friends, she commented. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @themillenialmonk Maroney reportedly put a link to CMAs YouTube channel in her Twitter bio in August 2019, according to an internet sleuth who runs a blog dedicated to investigating the church. He also claims he stumbled upon a Twitter fan page called WeLuvMasterJohnDouglas that was allegedly run by Maroney. Maroney also appeared to go on fellow CMA member Renata Maniacis podcast in February of 2020 to talk about how she had met Douglas four years prior. In episode 40 around the 7:30-minute mark, a woman who identified herself as McKayla said, I used to be a gymnast, trained 8 hours a day all the time, was in the Olympics.It didnt make sense for me go from being a high-energy, hard-working person to thinking I was crazy, the woman continued. Who am I now? Am I lazy? Whats wrong? You go to doctors and they tell you youre making it up. A big part of being sick was the mental toll it took on me. I didnt know who I was anymore.I also knew there was something missing in my life spiritually, she added. Ever since I was young, I wanted to meet some sort of guru. It was crazy that I ended up meeting a friend in Long Beach and she told me, I think this Master John guy can maybe help you, he works with angels. And I was like I love angels! There is also a statement reportedly signed by Maroney in March 2020 where she praised Douglas work and credits him for giving her life back.I dont know if I can put into words what Master John has done for me, the post reads. My life only gets better because of Master John Thank you never seems like enough. So I listen to all the tools, (his CDs) to try and be the best person I can be. To honor him, and make him proud. We love you Master John. Thank you!While Maroney did not reply to requests for comment, Dr. Christopher Hartnett, chairman of CMA International Foundation, confirmed Maroney was a member of the church when contacted by The Daily Beast.Inside Will and Jada Pinkett Smiths Scientology School for KidsDuring a 10-minute tirade, he said raising questions about CMA was imposing on a church and claimed an article could ruin members lives, pushing for the story to be dropped.We protect our people, he said. The church has not done one negative thing to anybody. Is there any person in the church complaining? Its people outside the church.We help people, we pray for people, Hartnett said at another point in the conversation. Nobody heals anybody except for God the angels heal. We pray for people, thats all. Show me one person that says they were prayed on and wasnt healed. Well, then they didnt deserve to be healed by God, but I cant even find one. Most of them get healed.Hartnett was adamant that CMA is free and that nobody has to come here and pay money. When it was pointed out that the elite course costs $10,000, Hartnett described it as a donation, saying its nobody elses business.Elite courses are for people who have been healed They dont have to take the elite course, its a free choice, he said. Its a donation that goes to help perpetuate this around the world."They do it because they want to help the cause. Theres nothing wrong about paying money to come to something that the money is going to be used to perpetuate goodness, why is that bad?Hartnett became defensive when asked about the pendant Maroney wears, saying that necklace, just so you know, is a Metatron and Metatron is the angel that protected Christ while he was on Earth. So now you are going to talk about it? Jeez, talk about devils.At one point, Hartnett raised his voice and asked, Do you consider yourself a woman? Do you consider yourself a good woman?While Maroney might be the churchs most prominent member, CMA has never publicly recognized her membership. The only other notable member linked to the church is the inventor of the sex toy Fleshlight, Steve Shubin. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Church of the Master Angels (@churchofthemasterangels) A former employee posted a review of Shubins company on Glassdoor, writing that while a perk of working there was getting an amazing discount on fantastic products, the main con was that Shubin was allegedly part of the cult. Shubins wife confirmed to The Daily Beast that they are members of CMA, but denied it was a cult.Hartnett maintained the church doesnt like to promote itself and likes to be private. In fact, a section of the website that is dedicated to those who have graduated from its elite training course must have a password to access it.CMAs website and social media pages rarely include photos of members, with a majority of the posts being informational messages about services and quotes from Douglas.The only way to spot members is on its YouTube channel, which includes about a dozen testimonial videos from followers who claim to have been healed from various pains, conditions, and diseases after meeting with Douglas.Member Allen McEuen claimed that Douglas had cured him of HIV after the leader went into my body with his Godly vision and he saw things about HIV that modern medicine didnt know.So, with that vision, and his ability to kill viruses, he was able to go into my body and kill the HIV virus and everything that was associated with it and completely cleanse my body from HIV, McEuen claimed. From that day forward, I stopped taking the meds. Its been over three years now and I have a perfect bill of health. Chapel of the Master Angels in North Carolina Facebook Another member, Jan Casebolt, said she was diagnosed with Cardiac sarcoidosis, a rare cardiovascular disease where white blood cells form in heart tissue, which left her reliant on a wheelchair.Describing her constant pain, she said she decided to meet with Douglas before a scheduled surgery. He closes his eyes, and you know really homes in on me, she said. Within a matter of moments, he says, Ah, I see what the problem is. Theres two bacteria hiding in your white blood cells and they are causing your illness. He just performed a blessing over me. And within two minutes, I felt the pain leaving me.But while CMA prides itself on healing through prayer and sells products that are supposed to help cure members from various ailments, the website is plastered with medical disclaimers that the churchs products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.For leading cult expert and former Sun Myung Moon follower Steven Hassan, PhD, CMA has all the warning signs of an emerging cult.The director of the Freedom of Mind Resource Center said he hadnt come across CMA before, which he found odd considering Douglas spectacular claims of healing.He makes these extraordinary claims, and alarm bells go off, Hassan said. Hes a renowned theologian, by whom? Hes a noted practitioner of Angelic Reformation, what is that?Upon listening to some of CMAs free workshop videos, he said Douglas talks in an authoritative, hypnotic manner, making assumptions and claims that are very alarming to me, but are very representative of authoritarian cult leaders.In my line of work, when someone is claiming extraordinary things, they need extraordinary proof, Hassan said. Wheres the scientific study? Its all self-referential. As someone who has studied hypnosis, I know the power of suggestion, especially if you accept the authority figure, its more likely youll be hypnotized. Thats how the mind works. A lot of people want to believe, so its known as the placebo effect that kicks in. I have no problem using mind power, but when they claim to be master healers and have zero credentials, alarm bells go off.Hassan said these types of leaders often go after vulnerable people, those who have dealt with abuse, trauma, or the death of a loved one. In the wake of a worldwide pandemic, economic hardship, and deep political divides, Hassan said these have the potential to make even more people vulnerable to exploitation.The price of a $2,000 pendant and $10,000 training courses also made Hassan suspicious. Im reminded of so many other cults that would sell jewelry that was blessed by the master, he said.One thing about psychology is that when people do a behavior thats a big deal, whether its more money they spend, the more they start justifying how great it is. If you are a cult leader, you want your followers to do bigger and dramatic things to keep them involved.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Charlie Munger says Costco 'has one thing that Amazon does not' - Yahoo Finance

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Yahoo Sports, Wall Street Journal and The Kansas City Star announce Terez A. Paylor Scholarship at Howard University – Yahoo Sports

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In partnership with The Wall Street Journal and The Kansas City Star, Yahoo Sports has started the Terez A. Paylor Scholarship at Howard University. The scholarship honors Paylor, Yahoo Sports' senior NFL reporter, who passed away on Feb. 12.

The scholarship will be presented to students studying journalism, who have an emphasis in sports journalism and meet the 3.0 GPA requirement. Paylor's fiancee and the Journals New Audiences Chief Ebony Reed announced the creation of the scholarship.

"Terezs extraordinary life touched so many, and the Terez A. Paylor scholarship will continue that impact," Reed said in the official release. "It was a long-term goal of Terezs to have a scholarship in his name at Howard University to help bring more students, especially those of color, into sports journalism. Terez was an exceptional journalist whose passion for football made him a respected voice. His legacy of excellent reporting with a human touch, deep knowledge of football and being known as someone who always had time to help a friend or offer mentorship will now impact future generations, too."

Yahoo Sports is also partnering with apparel manufacturer BreakingT to create an All-Juice Team shirt in his honor. All proceeds from the sale of the shirts will go toward funding the scholarship.

Effort. Attitude. Performance. These are the traits that make up the All-Juice Team as defined by Terez Paylor. They also defined Terez personally and the spirit of his outsized contributions in sports journalism before his unexpected passing in 2021. Juice, in football terms, means having the goods. What could be better than representing the All-Juice Team and all that it stands for and supports?

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If you'd like to donate directly to the fund, you can set up either a one-time or recurring gift via Howard's official giving portal. Please note where applicable that your gift is made in memory of Terez A. Paylor.

We linked the shirts by BreakingT below, which are officially available for pre-order.

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Yahoo Sports, Wall Street Journal and The Kansas City Star announce Terez A. Paylor Scholarship at Howard University - Yahoo Sports

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Square buys $170 million more in bitcoin to boost crypto holdings – Yahoo Finance

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The Daily Beast

The Washington Post/Mark Felix/GettyDALLASFirst they had to deal with a nightmare of a winter storm, an historic assault that wiped out their power, heat, water, or all three at once.Now they have to deal with bosses denying them pay.Internal company emails and text messages obtained by The Daily Beast indicate that dozens of employers in Texas, many of them in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, have told people who were unable to go to work or work remotely due to loss of electricity during last weeks destructive winter storm that they must consider the lost days as vacation, or otherwise go without pay.These are not small businesses, either. Several large companies are among them, such as Bell Textron Inc.formerly known as Bell HelicopterUnited Ag & Turf, BAE Systems, and the City of Dallas itself.And workers are seething.People Are Greedy: The Absurd Electric Bills Slamming TexansWe are required to use vacation on the days of the storm when I had no heat or WiFi, or I can forfeit the money and not get paid, a Bell Helicopter employee, who like other workers quoted in this report spoke under the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, told The Daily Beast.Im disappointed and nervous about the next year, the worker said, adding, Even though Im salaried, Im entry-level, and any knock to my income will put me on the streetand thats terrifying.Representatives from Bell did not return a call or email requesting comment, but emails sent by management and reviewed by The Daily Beast made the policy clear.Employees who are unable to fully dedicate their time and attention to company business due to current conditions should use available PTO, vacation, or holiday flex time if they wish to be paid for today. Otherwise, employees who do not have any remaining PTO, vacation, or holiday flex time or do not wish to use their unused PTO, vacation, or holiday flex time will not be paid for today, read an email sent last week from Bell executive management.The worker told The Daily Beast that Bell facilities were closed the entire week, but that at one point they were unable to access the VPNa virtual private network that allows them to access company systemsmeaning many employees at Bell couldnt work from home even when they had electricity.Executives at United Ag & Turfa John Deere equipment dealerand managers at BAE Systemsa British multinational arms, security, and aerospace companysent similar messages. But they also allowed employees to effectively borrow paid time off, which would come out of their future allotments or pay, according to emails reviewed by The Daily Beast.Some employees did not appreciate the offer.[I] just felt like people should know. Its not right, an employee at BAE Systems told The Daily Beast.A spokesperson for BAE Systems told The Daily Beast, As a government contractor, there are regulations we must follow for labor charged by our employees. The events of last week are unusual and we are working with employees on how to properly handle any time they were unable to work. In addition, we activated our Immediate Response Program to support our colleagues and provide financial assistance to affected employees and their families.Employees at United Ag & Turf, meanwhile, were even told they must take responsibility for maintaining a time-off balance in case such events occur in the future. This despite the devastating storm and the associated power crisis being the largest insurance claim event in Texas history.To be prepared for circumstances like this in the future, each employee is expected to manage their PTO and encouraged to always carry a balance for unexpected situations like health issues and bad weather. This type of assistance will not be offered in the future, read an email from the executive management of United Ag & Turf.United Ag & Turf did not respond to a request for comment. I feel angry. They could have said nothing and been fine. They could have paid people for the canceled days and looked like heroes. They instead opted to add insult to injury, said a worker at United Ag & Turf.For-profit employers are not the only ones who have told their employees that they must use their vacation days. Even some government employees have been affected: An email sent to the library department at the City of Dallas told employees to use personal leave time for lost work. The veracity of the email was confirmed by a Dallas City Council member, Adam Bazaldua, as well as a city communications representative, Catherine Cuellar.Its really disheartening that HR (who have worked entirely from home for the past year, by the way) get to just decide whether people get paid or not, one city employee said.This Is Some Crazy Nightmare: Mom Recounts Last Moments With Her 3 Kids Who Died in Texas Power OutageCuellar told the Daily Beast that for those without available paid time off, they can either make up time within the pay period or apply for emergency administrative paid leave, which would then have to be approved by FEMA.Nobody gets to just decide anything; we have processes and layers of accountability for taxpayer dollars, she said.So it becomes a question at the federal government level whether or not paying that worker emergency administrative pay was a necessary expense during the weather event, Cuellar added.That has been the citys policy for emergency weather-related pay for a decade, she said.When asked whether the policy could be changed to cover all employees, Cuellar said that things would be handled on a case-by-case basis.Austin Kaplan, an employment lawyer based in Austin, described these situations as a consequence of a lack of adequate labor protections in a state with notoriously weak safeguards for workers.Theres no requirement in Texas that people pay any vacation time at all. Theres just no safety net, or anything like that, Kaplan told The Daily Beast.This means that its been entirely up to employers to decide how to handle the fallout. Some, like Cisco, not only paid their employees for the lost days, but also offered offices as a shelter and sent resources for mental-health support.But it appears they are in the minority. And without any clear sign of the government taking actionGov. Greg Abbott has hinted at relief for workers facing sky-high electric bills, but little elsethey appear to be on their own.In my estimation, the state that turned the power grid off ought to be the one paying, Kaplan said.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Square buys $170 million more in bitcoin to boost crypto holdings - Yahoo Finance

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The Great Government Giveaway of 2021 – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 1:14 am

The federal government is poised to give the typical American family enough money this year to buy a month-long vacation, a Harley Davidson motorcycle or 200 shares of GameStop. Most recipients wont spend the money that way, but theyll benefit from unprecedented largesse all the same.

With Congress likely to soon pass President Bidens $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, the cash transfer to a typical family of four will total at least $10,000 in 2021, and considerably more for some households. The coronavirus pandemic isnt the first crisis the government has responded to with stimulus checks and other types of cash relief. But fiscal stimulus during the last 12 months dwarfs the response during the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009, and during any other downturn since the 1930s.

Heres how different types of aid add up to $10,000. A family of four earning less than $150,000 already received four stimulus payments of $600 per person in January. The Biden bill would include another set of payments, of $1,400 each. That totals $8,000.

The Biden bill also would also raise the child tax credit from $2,000 to $3,000, an extra $1,000 per kid, with an additional $600 for each child under 6. Families that pay little or no income tax would get the full amount of the credit in cash, and instead of coming as part of the following years tax return, the payments would arrive monthly. Combined, the stimulus checks and tax credits range from $10,000 to $11,200 per family, based on the age of the two children.

Theres more. The Biden bill would also boost federal unemployment insurance payments from $300 to $400 per week, through September. An increase in the child care tax credit could shave several thousand dollars off the annual cost of care, for families earning up to $150,000. For low-income workers without kids, a boost in the earned-income tax credit could put an extra $964 in the bank.

The amount of aid is so substantial that in a Feb. 24 research note, analysts at investing firm Raymond James declared, a test of universal basic income has arrived in the United States. UBI, as its known, is a controversial strategy of providing every adult citizen with an annual cash stipend, to spend as they wish. Democrat Andrew Yang proposed a UBI of $1,000 per month on an ongoing basis, when he ran for president in 2020. (He didn't win.)

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Photo by: STRF/STAR MAX/IPx 2021 1/7/21 Stimulus checks for $600 continue to go out to the public for economic hardship brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The stimulus payments going out in 2021 arent technically UBI, because theyre one-time transfersor, theyre supposed to be. In reality, Bidens bill would trigger the third set of stimulus checks, following $1,200 checks that went out last April and the $600 checks from earlier this year. Congress wont do this in perpetuity, but the Raymond James analysis does note that once a benefit has been created through legislation, it is very difficult to reverse.

Stimulus checks are expensive. The batch in Bidens bill will cost $422 billion, money the Treasury will borrow and add to the $28 trillion national debt. Thats the single-costliest measure in the bill. Economists dont love checks blanketing most Americans, because they dont target people who have lost income and are struggling the most. Still, Biden and his fellow Democrats promised $2,000 in additional payments last fall, if they won the White House and Congress. They did, and the $1,400 checks that would bring the 2021 total to $2,000 are a campaign promise Biden needs to fulfill, even if imprudent.

Once hes met that promise, Biden may not seek any additional stimulus payments. Some of the new tax breaks could endure, however. The increase in the child tax credit in the Biden stimulus bill is temporary, but some policymakers argue that permanently enlarging this tax break would substantially help people living close to the poverty line, including up to 5 million children. It wouldnt be surprising if Democrats pushed to make this change and perhaps others permanent.

Can the United States afford all this spending? Who knows!? Once upon a time, politicians tried to finance most new spending with tax hikes or spending cuts elsewhere. Such fussiness is out of fashion. Congress has passed $4 trillion in stimulus spending since the pandemic erupted last March, and Bidens bill would push that close to $6 trillion. All of that has come from new Treasury borrowing, on the premise that massive spending now will speed the recovery and get people back to work faster, which in turn will boost output and improve tax revenues down the road. Sounds, uh, good.

Republicans are wagging their fingers, but they dont have much room for criticism, given that the 2017 GOP tax cuts also added to the deficit, with none of the trickle-down magic that was supposed to turbocharge the economy. Theyll have more to complain about later this year, when Biden is due to unveil an infrastructure program that could top $2 trillion. Theres always more where that came from.

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including "Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman. You can also send confidential tips, and click here to get Ricks stories by email.

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The Great Government Giveaway of 2021 - Yahoo Finance

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Tesla’s Swoon: Is Bitcoin The Tail Wagging The Dog? – Yahoo Finance

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TipRanks

Were in a volatile period right now, as stocks slipping after starting the year on a strong note. Big Tech, which boomed during the pandemic lockdowns and the move to remote work, is leading the declines. Investors have taken the measure of the vaccination programs, and now, in fueled by both a belief and a hope that economies will soon return to a more normal footing, they are seeking out those stocks that will gain we revert to a pre-corona market situation. There is also inflation to take into account. Oil prices are up this year, and thats one commodity whose price fluctuations are certain to trickle down the supply chain. Along with rising consumer demand, theres an expectation that prices are going to increase, at least in the near term. All in all, this is the moment to take the old market advice: buy low and sell high. With stock prices falling for now, and volatility up, the low is covered. The key is finding the stocks that are primed to gain when the bulls start running again. Wall Streets analyst corps know this, and they are not shying away from recommending stocks that may have hit bottom. Using TipRanks database, we pinpointed two such stocks. Each is down significantly, but each also has enough upside potential to warrant a Buy rating. TechnipFMC Plc (FTI) Well start in the hydrocarbon sector, where TechnipFMC operates two divisions in the oil and gas business: subsea, and surface. The companys projects, until recently, included oil and gas exploration and extraction, rig and platform operations, crude oil refining, petrochemical (ethylene, benzene, naphtha, hydrogen) production, and both on- and offshore liquified natural gas (LNG) plants. Earlier this month, the petrochemical and LNG operations were spun off as Technip Energy, a separate independently traded company. TechnipFMC retains the subsea and surface hydrocarbon activities, allowing the company to better focus its efforts. TechnipFMC may need that focus, as the company has had a difficult time gaining traction in the stock markets. Like most of its peers, TechnipFMC saw share value fall steeply last winter at the height of the coronavirus crisis, but since then the stock has only regained about half of the losses. Over the past 12 months, shares of FTI are down 53%. Q4 results are due out today, after market close, and should shed more light on the companys full-year performance. The company has reported quarterly earnings in 2020 that are in-line with the previous years results. The second quarter showed a year-over-year loss; Q1 and Q3 both showed yoy gains. Covering FTI for JPMorgan, analyst Sean Meakim writes, Since the spin-off of Technip Energies was placed back in motion on 1/7, after outperforming considerably in the first days, FTI shares are now down With newfound visibility to an exit from spin purgatory, investors are giving FTI another look with some still taking a wait and see approach until post-spin... We view the completion of the spin as a re-rating opportunity allowing for broader investor participation. Monetization of TechnipFMCs stake in Technip Energies helps the balance sheet and provides optionality on capital allocation. To this end, Meakim rates FTI an Overweight (i.e. Buy) and his $20 price target suggests the stock has room to more than double in the year ahead, with a 172% upside potential. (To watch Meakims track record, click here) Overall, there are 13 recent reviews on FTI, breaking down 8 to 5 in favor of Buy versus Hold. This makes the analyst consensus rating a Moderate Buy, and suggests that Wall Street generally sees opportunity here. Shares are priced at $7.35, and the $12.18 average price target implies a bullish upside of ~65% over the next 12 months. (See FTI stock analysis on TipRanks) CoreCivic, Inc. (CXW) Next up, CoreCivic, is a for-profit provider of detention facilities for law enforcement agencies, primarily the US government. The company owns and operates 65 prisons and detention centers with a total capacity of 90,000 inmates, located in 19 states plus DC. Effective on January 1 of this year, the company completed its switch from an REIT to a taxable C-corporation. The move was made without fanfare, and the company reported its Q4 and full-year 2020 results which covers the preparation period for the switch earlier this month. CXW showed a top line of $1.91 billion for the corona year of 2020, a small drop (3%) from the $1.98 billion reported in 2019. Full-year earnings came in at 45 cents per share. During the fourth quarter, the company reported paying off some $125 million of its long-term debt; CoreCivics current long-term liabilities are listed as $2.3 billion. The company showed liquid assets on hand at the end of 2020 as $113 million in cash, plus $566 million in available credit. The heavy debt load may help explain the companys share performance, even as revenues and earnings remain positive. The stock is down 50% in the past 12 months, having never really recovered from share price losses incurred in the corona panic last winter. 5-star analyst Joe Gomes, of Noble Capital, covers CoreCivic, and remains sanguine on the stock despite its apparent weaknesses. We view the fourth quarter as continuation a trend, one across the last three quarters of 2020. In spite of COVID, the large reduction in detainees, the reduction in normal operations of the court system, and other impacts, CoreCivic posted relatively flat revenue and sequential adjusted EPS growth. We believe this illustrates the strength of the Company's operating model, Gomes noted. In line with his optimistic approach, Gomes keeps his Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating and $15 price target as is. This target puts the upside potential at 97%. (To watch Gomes track record, click here) Some stocks fly under the radar, and CXW is one of those. Gomes' is the only recent analyst review of this company, and it is decidedly positive. (See CXW stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for beaten-down stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Tesla's Swoon: Is Bitcoin The Tail Wagging The Dog? - Yahoo Finance

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Bitcoin collector MicroStrategy fills its wallet with another $1 billion – Yahoo Finance

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TipRanks

Were in a volatile period right now, as stocks slipping after starting the year on a strong note. Big Tech, which boomed during the pandemic lockdowns and the move to remote work, is leading the declines. Investors have taken the measure of the vaccination programs, and now, in fueled by both a belief and a hope that economies will soon return to a more normal footing, they are seeking out those stocks that will gain we revert to a pre-corona market situation. There is also inflation to take into account. Oil prices are up this year, and thats one commodity whose price fluctuations are certain to trickle down the supply chain. Along with rising consumer demand, theres an expectation that prices are going to increase, at least in the near term. All in all, this is the moment to take the old market advice: buy low and sell high. With stock prices falling for now, and volatility up, the low is covered. The key is finding the stocks that are primed to gain when the bulls start running again. Wall Streets analyst corps know this, and they are not shying away from recommending stocks that may have hit bottom. Using TipRanks database, we pinpointed two such stocks. Each is down significantly, but each also has enough upside potential to warrant a Buy rating. TechnipFMC Plc (FTI) Well start in the hydrocarbon sector, where TechnipFMC operates two divisions in the oil and gas business: subsea, and surface. The companys projects, until recently, included oil and gas exploration and extraction, rig and platform operations, crude oil refining, petrochemical (ethylene, benzene, naphtha, hydrogen) production, and both on- and offshore liquified natural gas (LNG) plants. Earlier this month, the petrochemical and LNG operations were spun off as Technip Energy, a separate independently traded company. TechnipFMC retains the subsea and surface hydrocarbon activities, allowing the company to better focus its efforts. TechnipFMC may need that focus, as the company has had a difficult time gaining traction in the stock markets. Like most of its peers, TechnipFMC saw share value fall steeply last winter at the height of the coronavirus crisis, but since then the stock has only regained about half of the losses. Over the past 12 months, shares of FTI are down 53%. Q4 results are due out today, after market close, and should shed more light on the companys full-year performance. The company has reported quarterly earnings in 2020 that are in-line with the previous years results. The second quarter showed a year-over-year loss; Q1 and Q3 both showed yoy gains. Covering FTI for JPMorgan, analyst Sean Meakim writes, Since the spin-off of Technip Energies was placed back in motion on 1/7, after outperforming considerably in the first days, FTI shares are now down With newfound visibility to an exit from spin purgatory, investors are giving FTI another look with some still taking a wait and see approach until post-spin... We view the completion of the spin as a re-rating opportunity allowing for broader investor participation. Monetization of TechnipFMCs stake in Technip Energies helps the balance sheet and provides optionality on capital allocation. To this end, Meakim rates FTI an Overweight (i.e. Buy) and his $20 price target suggests the stock has room to more than double in the year ahead, with a 172% upside potential. (To watch Meakims track record, click here) Overall, there are 13 recent reviews on FTI, breaking down 8 to 5 in favor of Buy versus Hold. This makes the analyst consensus rating a Moderate Buy, and suggests that Wall Street generally sees opportunity here. Shares are priced at $7.35, and the $12.18 average price target implies a bullish upside of ~65% over the next 12 months. (See FTI stock analysis on TipRanks) CoreCivic, Inc. (CXW) Next up, CoreCivic, is a for-profit provider of detention facilities for law enforcement agencies, primarily the US government. The company owns and operates 65 prisons and detention centers with a total capacity of 90,000 inmates, located in 19 states plus DC. Effective on January 1 of this year, the company completed its switch from an REIT to a taxable C-corporation. The move was made without fanfare, and the company reported its Q4 and full-year 2020 results which covers the preparation period for the switch earlier this month. CXW showed a top line of $1.91 billion for the corona year of 2020, a small drop (3%) from the $1.98 billion reported in 2019. Full-year earnings came in at 45 cents per share. During the fourth quarter, the company reported paying off some $125 million of its long-term debt; CoreCivics current long-term liabilities are listed as $2.3 billion. The company showed liquid assets on hand at the end of 2020 as $113 million in cash, plus $566 million in available credit. The heavy debt load may help explain the companys share performance, even as revenues and earnings remain positive. The stock is down 50% in the past 12 months, having never really recovered from share price losses incurred in the corona panic last winter. 5-star analyst Joe Gomes, of Noble Capital, covers CoreCivic, and remains sanguine on the stock despite its apparent weaknesses. We view the fourth quarter as continuation a trend, one across the last three quarters of 2020. In spite of COVID, the large reduction in detainees, the reduction in normal operations of the court system, and other impacts, CoreCivic posted relatively flat revenue and sequential adjusted EPS growth. We believe this illustrates the strength of the Company's operating model, Gomes noted. In line with his optimistic approach, Gomes keeps his Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating and $15 price target as is. This target puts the upside potential at 97%. (To watch Gomes track record, click here) Some stocks fly under the radar, and CXW is one of those. Gomes' is the only recent analyst review of this company, and it is decidedly positive. (See CXW stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for beaten-down stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and the 10 biggest 2021 NBA All-Star snubs – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 1:14 am

The NBA announced its list of 14 All-Star reserves for this year's game in Atlanta on March 7. There were perhaps more deserving candidates this year than ever before, which means there were plenty of worthy candidates left out.

This year's snubs could make a solid argument that the NBA should expand its All-Star teams to at least 13 players from each conference the number of active players in each team's lineup and maybe even to a 15-man roster. That would throw a wrench into the league's historical context, and even at 15 there would be players on the bubble.

The question with snubs is always: Which selections would you take off this year's list of All-Stars?

Has Nikola Vucevic done more for the 12th-place Orlando Magic than Domantas Sabonis has for the fourth-place Indiana Pacers? Is Chris Paul more deserving than Phoenix Suns teammate Devin Booker? Are Zach LaVine's numbers for the 14-win Chicago Bulls emptier than Khris Middleton's on the 18-win Milwaukee Bucks? Those are questions for the 30 head coaches who made the reserve picks as the NBA's standings changed from day to day.

All that said, these 10 players submitted All-Star-worthy campaigns that may have earned them selections in years past. Some of them might even get the recognition they deserve if injuries or excused absences make more room.

Devin Booker is the leading scorer for the fourth-place Phoenix Suns. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

24.7 PPG (50/38/85), 4.3 APG, 3.8 RPG

Booker's scoring has dipped slightly from last year, but sharing the floor with Paul has also helped improve his efficiency. There are few players whose shot you feel more confident in when it leaves his hand. An All-Star injury replacement for Lillard last year, Booker left no doubt of his status with a 31-5-6 average for the 8-0 Suns in the bubble. It is only the sheer number of worthy candidates in the West that left his candidacy on the bubble this year.

16.4 PPG (45/41/82), 5.6 APG, 3.4 RPG

Story continues

Conley is the best active player never to make an All-Star Game, and he might be the best ever not to appear in one. The narrative to get him in was stronger than ever this year, because his case was as legitimate as ever, and he may be running out of chances at 33 years old. His per-game plus/minus of 11.2 is the NBA's best by nearly two points, ahead of Rudy Gobert, and Utah's 25-6 record is impressive enough to warrant consideration for a third All-Star.

22.8 PPG (51/41/78), 6.5 APG, 5.2 RPG

No player has enjoyed a quieter All-Star-worthy campaign than Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder were supposed to be on the short list of teams vying for the NBA's worst record, but his performance as a lead scorer and playmaker has lifted them from the basement. OKC has its blue-chip talent from the trades of Westbrook, George and Paul, and now it is on general manager Sam Presti to use all the draft picks from those blockbuster deals to build around him.

Other notable exceptions: De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings; DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs; Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans; Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies; Christian Wood, Houston Rockets.

Two-time All-Star Khris Middleton is enjoying a career year for the Milwaukee Bucks. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

20.5 PPG (51/43/90), 6.0 RPG, 5.7 APG

After two straight All-Star nods, Middleton continues to quietly carve out quite a legacy. It should not be so quiet, considering he plays alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo on a contender, but such is the life of a silent assassin in Milwaukee. Middleton missed a 50/40/90 season by .003 field-goal percentage points a year ago, and he is .005 shy from the free-throw line this year, while also increasing his workload both as a facilitator and in late-game situations.

19.6 PPG (57/33/85), 9.4 RPG, 5.5 APG

If you needed more evidence of Adebayo's All-Star worthiness after last season's run to the Finals, let his production this season serve as further justification. He is hovering around a 20-10-5 average, something only Hall of Fame big men (and Chris Webber, who should be in Springfield) have accomplished. The Heat have struggled to keep their heads above water in the East, but Adebayo has kept them afloat in the absences of a number of his teammates.

19.3 PPG (44/16/85), 7.8 RPG, 7.6 APG

Butler missed three weeks in the NBA's coronavirus-related health and safety protocol, and his scoring is down from last season (to a concerning level from distance), but he proved his mettle on last year's Finals run. He is among the hardest workers in a league full of them, and his other numbers are a reflection of his impact on the game beyond scoring. There is no doubt he is one of the 24 best players alive, and even in a down year he is worthy of a selection.

21.5 PPG, (53/36/71), 11.6 RPG, 5.7 APG

Another member of the 20-10-5 club. It is a testament to the evolution of the big man position, and Sabonis' game may be the most refined of the bunch perhaps unsurprising, given his Hall of Fame bloodlines. He has been the fulcrum for everything the fourth-place Pacers do, and they have not missed a beat since trading Victor Oladipo. Indiana is Sabonis' team now, and there are worse places to be than building around a 24-year-old two-time All-Star.

26.9 PPG (44/38/89), 9.5 APG, 3.9 RPG

The Hawks remain outside the playoff picture looking in, despite numerous intended upgrades to the roster over the past year, and Young bears some responsibility for that, particularly on defense. He is still one of the most thrilling offensive players in the game (eighth in scoring and third in assists), and the All-Star Game is supposed to be fun.

20.1 PPG (41/38/89), 6.6 APG, 4.4 RPG

The last time the Raptors did not have an All-Star is 2013. Their rough start in Tampa Bay during this pandemic-impacted season certainly threatened that streak, but they have risen to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, and VanVleet has been their most consistent contributor. His numbers, while remarkable, fall short of others on this list, but let us never forget to appreciate that an undrafted guard has put himself in this conversation.

21.9 PPG (49/42/87), 5.4 RPG, 3.7 APG

Hayward's max contract from the Hornets drew plenty of criticism, but it turns out he was the perfect player for their development. He is as malleable a player as there is in this league, and this season has served as a nice reminder that he can still command the game at an All-Star level. Hayward has been both a primary option and a stabilizing safety valve on a roster replete with young, inconsistent talent, and Charlotte is in the playoff discussion as a result.

Other notable exceptions: Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers; Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons; Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors; Russell Westbrook, Washington Wizards; Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers; Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors.

Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach

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Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and the 10 biggest 2021 NBA All-Star snubs - Yahoo Sports

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