Monthly Archives: May 2022

On the same day shares of Peter Thiels surveillance firm Palantir Technologies plummeted more than 20%, CEO Alex Karp sent out a letter to shareholders describing a world at an inflection point and a company on a path to doubling its revenue this year.

Palantir, a data and software company known for its national defense and intelligence partnerships with the federal government, was founded by a group led by Thiel and Karp in 2003.

Shares of the company dropped to a record low on Monday after it reported losing a wider-than-expected $101 million in the first quarter of 2022.

Here are some of the most memorable quotes.

Karp opened his letter with a stark warning, alluding to the war in Ukraine and declaring that the world is at an inflection point.

The world significantly underestimates the threat of nuclear conflict in Eastern Europe. The understandable desire to intervene must be targeted and strategic, balanced against the risk of further escalation, he writes.

Karp has acknowledged before that bad times are good for Palantir. But in his letter Monday, the 54-year-old billionaire offered advice to leaders seeking peace in the region, even suggesting that to best understand Russias strategy in Ukraine, leaders should look to inhabit Putins mind.

One must, in domestic politics and foreign affairs alike, inhabit the mind and aims of an adversary in order to prevail over the long term, he writes.

Citing the 20th-century German philosopher Theodor Adorno, Karp took aim at a withered discourse in the U.S., and offered his thoughts on the state of free speech in America.

Genuine discourse in this country has all but withered, in significant part because so few are either willing or able to say what they actually think, Karp wrote. Those searching for free expression used to seek refuge in and turn to established institutions for protection. The unaligned, however, now seem to be the most free.

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According to Karp, it is harder now to engage with opposing viewpoints because free speech has been repressed by cancel culture, so people are afraid to voice their opinions.

We are a company driven by ideas. And an openness to engagement with the other, to understanding the opposition, is a precondition for genuine thought and creativity, Karp wrote.

Karp took issue with Silicon Valleys focus on the metaverse, which he said is a distraction from the very real conflicts that we collectively face.

Such escapism is of no interest to us, Karp wrote. We at Palantir do not operate in the metaverse. There are enough challenges to address in this one.

Despite Mondays record drop in share price, Palantir remains optimistic that the company will rebound as the year progresses.

Karp wrote that he expects U.S. commercial revenue for Palantir to double for the third year in a row in 2022, growing to $400 million, driven by the companys ability to continue to profit off the pandemic and the increasingly unstable conflict in Europe.

In recent months, Palantirs work with the federal government has expanded through deals with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services. The company also announced in March that several former government officials, including former secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and former acting deputy secretary of defense Christine Fox, had joined its federal advisory board as a means of bolstering its national security efforts, according to Bloomberg.

This is our moment, Karp wrote. Our business is a rare amalgam from an investing perspective that blends aspects of both value and growth. We combine the resilience of the defense industrial sector with the growth of a software company.

Palantir did not respond to Fortune's request for comment.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Originally posted here:

Peter Thiels surveillance firm warns the world significantly underestimates the risk of nuclear conflict in Europe - Yahoo Finance

The NCAA spent years turning a blind eye to hush-hush inducements to get high-profile high school athletes to particular schools, and for years it kicked the idea of athletes being paid for their own names, images and likenesses down the road.

And now that at long last NIL means "now it's legal" for college athletes to be compensated and the NCAA's shamateurism has finally gone away, league commissioners and coaches are crying foul.

Like the inept, behind-the-times organization it has been for decades.

The NCAA had its chance to try to regulate NIL. It likely would have been highly restrictive, featured more arcane rules, led to more ridiculous punishments and of course still kept athletes from earning all they could off their talent, but the chance was there.

The NCAA blew this. No one else.

And now people want to try to put the confetti back in the cannon, just as scores of kids are getting to reap the financial rewards they've long been due.

Has it been surprising to see some of the amounts of money athletes are getting? To be honest, yes. Many of the fans crying that things are "out of control" because 18-year-olds are getting hundreds of thousands of dollars have been riding the same racially tinged bus for decades "They're given a scholarship, they should just be grateful!"

But again, the NCAA had years to get in front of this situation before giving it the green light, and let's not be dumb. Even if the group had set limits on the money kids could get, boosters would have found ways around it, just as they have for years.

Some of the people grumbling loudest about the situation aren't surprising, but are definitely people who have no place to talk and are telling on themselves.

Alabama coach Nick Saban and Georgia coach Kirby Smart are among those calling for more regulation of players, to be clear. Far as we can tell, neither has ever called for regulation on coaching salaries or restriction of player movement, or groused about how "out of control" it is that head coaches can get boosters to pay off their mortgages or get bonuses for their players' grade-point averages and graduation rates.

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You know, getting rich off other people's work. Like how it's always been for NCAA coaches and the athletes they purport to develop into men and women.

Alabama's Nick Saban and Georgia's Kirby Smart are two coaches who have publicly called for NIL regulation in college football. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Given the brutal capitalistic nature of this country, in which many work for little pay while the few reap the rewards of the worker class, maybe student-athletes are getting the right lessons after all.

We digress.

It's interesting that football coaches like Saban and Smart would be so adamant that something just has to change. And by "interesting," we mean it reeks of sour grapes. The playing field in FBS has never truly been level, but now some schools who haven't been heavy hitters in recent years, like Miami or Texas and even HBCUs, can compete with Alabama and Georgia for the top players, and they don't like it.

There were always ever-plusher locker rooms and private barber shops and top-of-the-line weight rooms boosters funded to entice kids to play for free, while the coaches got more and more money and could leave any time for bigger and bigger paychecks. There were always secret cash payments for top recruits, well-paying jobs that didn't really require working.

And it was all well and good until there was actual, on-the-table money involved.

For all this cackling about the NCAA enforcing rules that are already in place to try to rein everything in, when was the last time it enforced rules, especially against big-name coaches? We're not old, but we're old enough to remember last month, when NCAA chief Mark Emmert handed Kansas coach Bill Self the national championship trophy despite the fact the program is currently being investigated for five Level I violations. And that investigation has dragged on for years.

The NCAA had its chance to regulate NIL deals and inducements to play for certain programs. It plugged its ears, ignoring the ticking that was counting down to a day that was coming ever sooner. Now boom it has arrived, and it's too late.

They're going to try, but it's impossible to put the confetti back in the cannon.

The rest is here:

Cry about NIL as NCAA power brokers might, the confetti isn't going back in the cannon - Yahoo Sports

Soccer star and activist Megan Rapinoe joins The Rush to chat with Jared about the evolution of the NWSL and womens sports, the root cause of the NWSLs poor officiating and how their refs rank among the worst in pro sports, how she can benefit from Tom Bradys megadeal to become a broadcaster after he retires from the NFL and her source at Lyon reveals the truth behind the Marcelo farting scandal that has rocked the soccer world seriously. Plus, Megan explains how quitting can be a good thing, as she partners with Schmidts Naturals to form a Quitters Support Group. Check out her post to learn how you can join the group and win prizes!

MEGAN RAPINOE: Listen, when I'm badgering these refs, like, I see the look in their eye, too. Like, I feel bad for them, too. They're like, well, what did I get myself into, and like, why am I here being abused by everyone? It's 'cause you can't keep control of the game. Anyways.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

JARED QUAY: What's up, everybody? I'm here with OL Reign star, two-time World Cup champion, Olympic champion, and champion of human and civil rights, Megan Rapinoe. How are you doing today, Megan?

MEGAN RAPINOE: I'm good. How are you? How are you? It's nice to be here.

JARED QUAY: I'm glad. You see all the introductions I gave you, a couple of good ones

MEGAN RAPINOE: I know.

JARED QUAY: You got a lot of intro.

MEGAN RAPINOE: I know. I got to bring it everywhere.

JARED QUAY: We're approaching the 10-year anniversary of the creation of the NWSL. When you first joined the league, did you expect to still be here a decade later?

MEGAN RAPINOE: Super proud, obviously, to be suiting up for my 10th year, but I think more so, just everything that's happened around, you know, women's sports in general but certainly, women's soccer in this country. And to see where we are today, adding a couple of new teams this year. You know, We're playing at Lumen Field this year back in Seattle which is great. So I'm hoping, you know, not just for the NWSL but for the WNBA, as well, and other sports leagues that this would be a great summer for us.

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JARED QUAY: And you've done a lot in this decade, I will say that. It's [INAUDIBLE] a lot.

MEGAN RAPINOE: I've been working.

- I'm busy.

MEGAN RAPINOE: It's early in the season and your team already fell victim to a bad missed call by the refs which happens a lot in sports. So I mean, not to put you on the spot, but which league would you say has the worst officiating?

MEGAN RAPINOE: I mean, the worst officiating is always going to be in a women's league, because we have the least funding. You know, oftentimes, we feel like the mistakes are being made, because the understanding or the level is just not consistent with what is happening on the field which, obviously, then feels very unfair. So I don't want to hear about any, like, you know, Scott Foster didn't see the fingernail tip on an out of bounds and neither did the 900 cameras. Everybody can miss me with that. We know-- we know where the most improvement can be made.

JARED QUAY: And it's hard to get all the correct calls when you've got to get to your second job, so you can pay your bills [INAUDIBLE].

MEGAN RAPINOE: Exactly, right? I mean, come on.

JARED QUAY: Tom Brady, reportedly, signed a 10-year broadcasting contract worth nearly $400 million which kicks in when he retires from the NFL. So my question to you is, what's your dream job when you retire from soccer, and will you do it for anything less than $350 million?

MEGAN RAPINOE: Yeah, I guess, the standard has been set. I guess, I'm going into football commentating. I mean, it can't be that hard, right? It's like they're doing-- if I was Tom, I'd probably be quitting football right now and just going directly into it. You know, that'll probably serve him better for his future. But yeah, that's just insane. I wish he would quit taking all of that check and just pass half of it to me. That'd be fine.

- Some for you. Some for you.

JARED QUAY: Reports say that veteran footballer Marcelo was demoted by Lyon, because he constantly farted around teammates and management. So I just got to know what are your thoughts about that, 'cause that's such a crazy story?

MEGAN RAPINOE: I mean, that's far out, losing a check because you can't so farting and laughing around. I mean, that's just like-- I did reach out to a homie and Lyon lately. I think, they said it was true. And, you know, sometimes in French, they can be a little uptight. Maybe it was just one or two farts, and then I don't know what happened. But that-- I just saw that today. And I'm just like, you won't catch me losing a check over farts.

JARED QUAY: But it had to be that last one. Look, you got one more fart, Marcelo.

MEGAN RAPINOE: You've got one more in you, and then you do it again. Like, it's just cra-- I'm just like, what's going on? Obviously, there's something more going on. We're going to need to get down to the bottom of that. But yeah, that's-- it could be a digestion issue or like an allergy, so.

JARED QUAY: The notion of quitting is a big no, no in sports culture. But you're here today partnering with Schmidt's Naturals to talk about the positives of quitting. In your experience when is bowing out being an act of courage?

MEGAN RAPINOE: You now, there's, of course, like in sports culture, there is something to working, and grinding, and you know, sort of sacrificing and putting it all on the line. I feel like quitting something, or changing your approach, or moving on to something else in an effort to actually fulfill yourself, I think that can be really courageous and really positive. You know, the owner and the founder, Jamie Schmidt, you know, quit her just normal job which I'm sure was safe and comfortable and you know, decided to do something different, do something that served her and fulfilled her, not from, you know, not only from a creative perspective but putting something grayed out into the world. So I love the idea of giving people courage to do that.

JARED QUAY: How can people watching right now join you on your quitter support group?

MEGAN RAPINOE: Yeah, so we have a little contest going on right now. I believe it's on my Instagram page. We have a little video up there. But drop in the comments, share a story about your career just quitting, and we're going to pick some winners. Me and Jamie are going to have a conversation, have a little support group, if you will. So we'll invite the winners into there. And then there's a gift card available, I believe, it's $1,500 gift card for a retreat for the winners to go off and do their thing, and kind of recenter themselves, and find what fulfills them. And if it means quitting a few things in the process, then we're here to support you.

JARED QUAY: I'll start first I'm quitting dessert from now on, after today. I'm going to get some more dessert today, but tomorrow--

MEGAN RAPINOE: After tonight, obviously, after dinner, after I do--

JARED QUAY: Megan, thank you so much for rushing with me today, and thanks for sharing the positive aspects of quitting. I appreciate you dearly, and good luck to you this season. I can't wait for America to win another World Cup, 'cause I know it's happening.

MEGAN RAPINOE: Word. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Excerpt from:

The Rush: Megan Rapinoe on bad reffing, following in Tom Bradys footsteps and farting faux pas - Yahoo Sports

LAS VEGAS Were it not for the low point of his career, the moment when he learned just how much he didnt know, Canelo Alvarez may not be the same boxer he has become since losing to Floyd Mayweather in 2013.

Alvarez was 23 years old on Sept. 14, 2013, an undefeated champion overflowing with confidence. He spoke next-to-no English in those days, but he didnt need to say a word to express himself. His body language said it all. He was a super talented, impeccably trained young man who knew he was going to win.

For months on a cross-country tour, hed heard others speak of Mayweathers greatness, of Mayweathers sublime defensive skills and of his ability to completely take a fighter out of his game plan. Alvarez would just sneer and nod his head when he heard those words as if to say, "Just wait. Youll see.

The first bell rang and Mayweather took Alvarez to school. Mayweather knew subtle tricks that only the super elite know and understand how to put into practice. Alvarezs eyes were opened. Mayweather knew things he hadnt been exposed to yet, and he exploited every weakness Alvarez had and took advantage of every mistake he made.

It was a humbling moment for Alvarez, but in a substantial way, it made him who he is today. Alvarez took the loss to heart and set out to make certain it never happened again. He worked diligently on the flaws in his game that Mayweather exposed.

And over time, he turned himself from an uber-talented force of nature into an uber-talented force of nature who happened to be smarter than everyone else.

At that time, Canelo was young and he was a great fighter even then, but he didnt know exactly what it took to beat those true superstars, said Sergio Mora, a former world champion and a broadcast analyst for DAZN, which will stream Alvarezs fight Saturday at T-Mobile Arena against Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight title.

He got that experience against Mayweather and he learned from it. He gained a lot from that. He had all of this talent, but he gained an incredible amount of knowledge from that fight.

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. put on a defensive clinic against Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 14, 2013 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images)

Eddy Reynoso, Alvarezs highly regarded trainer, told Yahoo Sports when the Bivol fight was first announced that Alvarez had an insatiable desire to learn. Alvarez has a tremendous amount of pride and a deep desire to be the best at whatever he does.

Mayweather would often say, Skills pays the bills, but it was more than just skills that led him to a 50-0 career and a spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It was knowing how to use those skills, and which to use at a given time, that made him so great.

Since his only loss, thats what Alvarez has done, as well. He made the loss work for him and turned it into a positive.

Hes still a young guy and wont turn 32 until July. In the nearly nine years since he fought Mayweather, Alvarez has added layers to his game. Hes put the time in in the gym, and so there is nothing now that he hasnt seen or doesnt know how to do.

When he faces Bivol, hell give up a lot of height, but its no big deal. Hes been here before.

Saul, he just loves boxing and he loves to learn about this sport, every day, more and more, Reynoso said.

Its led him to become the elite fighter of his generation. No one in this era has fought more top fighters than Alvarez. No one has fought more champions. No one has faced more undefeated fighters.

Going back to the start of his career, hes fought 13 undefeated boxers. Bivol, who is 19-0, will be the third in a row. Caleb Plant (21-0) and Billy Joe Saunders (30-0) were his previous two opponents.

Alvarez has been successful against these great fighters, all of whom have had different styles and are built differently, by using the knowledge he gained in the ring to better himself.

Canelo Alvarez overwhelmed Caleb Plant for 11 rounds until finishing him by TKO to attain undisputed status at super middleweight on Nov. 6, 2021 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Ask him if hed like to fight any great fighter hes yet to meet, be it unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev or unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, Alvarez basically shrugs and says, Why not?

He needs the challenge and he gets himself motivated by picking the best opponents he can find.

He loves the sport, he loves the competition and he loves the satisfaction he gets from winning.

Whether its fighting Gennadiy Golovkin a third time after going 1-0-1 in two bouts against him or calling out Usyk, Alvarez is willing to take on anyone in an effort to prove hes the best.

Hed probably still be the best had he not faced Mayweather, but it almost certainly wouldnt have been such a linear rise to the top like it has been. Alvarez has gone 15-0-1 since losing to Mayweather and has won belts at 154, 160, 168 and 175.

Hes now the pound-for-pound king and has an ambitious schedule lined up if he wins on Saturday, with bouts against Golovkin and the Beterbiev-Joe Smith Jr. winner on the line.

Hell take on all comers, even if his team thinks hes making a mistake. Daring to be great takes a rare courage. Alvarez has that in abundance.

He has the lessons he learned from his only career loss to thank for putting him on the rocket to greatness that hes on now. And if that means a move to heavyweight, well, as he loves to say, Why not?

Here is the original post:

The humbling moment that made Canelo Alvarez who he is today - Yahoo Sports

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is fortunate to have walked away from his car crash without any significant injuries. Video of the crash shows a scary scene, in which Jones' car collided with another car in the middle of an intersection.

The video, which was obtained by TMZ, shows Jones' car hitting another car that was trying to turn.

The crash was caught on another car's dashcam. In the video, the driver of the car who captured the video said he was going to give the footage to both parties. Jones appears to check his knee at one point in the video, but looks mostly unhurt after the crash.

Jones, 79, was hospitalized following the crash. He was released a few hours later and was resting at home.

The crash was deemed "minor" at the time.

Jones is "all good," per team vice president Stephen Jones. The Cowboys have not provided additional information regarding the crash or Jones' status.

Jerry Jones was involved in a car crash. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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Video of Jerry Jones' car crash shows scary collision in the middle of intersection - Yahoo Sports

Kayvon Thibodeaux didnt want to lose his No. 5 now that hes with the New York Giants.

But instead of simply buying it off of Graham Gano, something many rookies have to do upon arrival to the league, the longtime kicker had a better idea.

Gano had the former Oregon standout and Giants rookie donate $50,000 to Puppies Behind Bars, a charity that helps train incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs for veterans and first responders. Now, Thibodeaux gets No. 5, and Gano jumps up to No. 9.

"I feel like it was where the money that Kayvon was donating would be able to make the largest impact and help the most people throughout him giving that money," Gano said, via the Giants. "The whole idea behind the number five being special to myself and being special to Kayvon was being able to help five people get the five dogs and be able to make an impact in five people's lives for the better. That was the whole goal behind that. I'm really excited about it."

Puppies Behind Bars sends puppies into prison at eight weeks old, where theyll stay with their incarcerated puppy-raisers for about two years. Then the dogs will move on to work as service dogs with wounded veterans and first responders.

Gano will enter his 13th season in the league this fall and his third with the Giants, who signed him after more than a year off from the league after his seven-year run with the Carolina Panthers where he also wore No. 9.

He missed just four field goals last year and made all of his extra-point attempts, and set a franchise record with 37 field goals made in a row.

Thibodeaux, who the Giants took with the No. 5 overall pick, knew that it would cost a lot to actually land the number.

"It's funny, you guys just know, this is real now, we're talking real numbers," Thibodeaux said during his introductory news conference, via ESPN. "When you tell somebody 250, I don't know what 250 means. You forget all the zeros behind it. Things are a lot different now.

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"But yeah, he's a great guy and we obviously are going to build a relationship, and I'm going to be able to really get into it and we're going to talk about it."

Though Graham isnt walking away with a check for himself, both he and Thibodeaux are clearly happy with how things worked out.

"The opportunity to give to something is exciting, and the number is obviously very special to Kayvon, Gano said, via the Giants. While it is special to me as well, there's a whole lot of meaning in that No. 5 to him. I just wanted to be a good teammate and also be able to support others throughout the whole process."

It took a $50,000 donation, but Kayvon Thibodeaux got his number after all. (Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Kayvon Thibodeaux buys Graham Ganos No. 5 with $50,000 donation to Puppies Behind Bars - Yahoo Sports