Free Republic

COVID-19 infected the American psyche and stocks rather suddenly during the final week of February. Last week I attended at large technology investment conference in California -- The Montgomery Summit 2020 -- and was eager to see whether investors and entrepreneurs were pulling in their horns. I also moderated two discussions on the pandemic’s likely damage to the economy, markets and supply chains around the world. My first session was with Michael Milken, the noted financier and philanthropist. Milken was cautious for the short term, but generally optimistic. Computer power for gene sequencing and AI models to predict infection spread,...

PETER ACKERMAN'S QUEST TO TOPPLE TYRANNY Regime Change, Inc. by Franklin Foer   Post date 04.14.05 | Issue date 04.25.05 When the Rose Revolution began in the fall of 2003, there was little reason to hope for a happy ending. Twelve years earlier, the former Soviet Republic of Georgia had stepped from communism into civil war. The old Communist eminence Eduard Shevardnadze may have brought greater stability when he took over the government in 1992, but his corrupt rule also generated huge new pools of ill will among the populace. Some of this disgust manifested itself in small, peaceful street protests. But...

glaringly missing from the summary was mention of $15 million in fees paid by Burkle's Yucaipa Global Opportunities Fund since 2002

NEW YORK — Another 17 of America's richest people, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, junk bond pioneer Michael Milken and AOL co-founder Steve Case, have promised to give away most of their wealth. At 26, Zuckerberg has put himself on the map not only as one of the world's youngest billionaires, but also as a prominent newcomer to the world of philanthropy. Earlier this year, he pledged $100 million over five years to the Newark, N.J. school system. Now, he's in the company of media titans Carl Icahn, 74, Barry Diller, 68, and others who have joined Giving Pledge, an...

What follows is part 1 of a 15-part series. The remaining installments will appear on Deep Capture over the next several weeks, after which point the story will be published in its entirety. It is a story about the travails of just one small company, but it describes market machinations that have affected hundreds of other companies, and it contains a larger message for anyone concerned about the “deep capture” of our nation’s media and regulatory bodies. * * * * * * * * This story, like too many others, begins with Jim Cramer, the CNBC personality, making “a...

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is embarking on a whirlwind, 17-event fundraising tour from here to Boston, tapping donors who have a stake in bills soon to arrive at his desk for signature or veto. The events come at the end of the legislative session, when past governors and most legislators traditionally have raised money. But Schwarzenegger, who has raised $22 million so far this year, has criticized the practice. The fundraisers offer contributors a chance to sit with Schwarzenegger at a Rolling Stones concert Sunday at Fenway Park in Boston, and to watch a pennant-race baseball game between the...

LOS ANGELES – A federal judge urged both sides to resolve their differences after a jury found that a French company owned by billionaire Francois Pinault conspired to defraud California regulators as part of a scheme to take over failed insurer Executive Life. However, while ruling on the state's lawsuit, the jury cleared Pinault himself of any involvement in the scheme. Jurors also considered three allegations that the firm, Artemis SA, had caused harm to Executive Life policyholders. They found in favor of the defense on two of those counts. The rulings carried no immediate financial judgments. U.S. District Judge...

Fake Crimes Paul Craig Roberts Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004 Studies show Americans are close to being the worst educated and least aware population among First World countries. Americans easily stumble into war and give up their rights because of exaggerated fears of terrorists and criminals. Americans have been losing accountable government, liberty and justice for a long time. At some point, these values become irretrievable. Consider justice. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world and imprisons 6 to 10 times as many people as any other industrialized country. Between 1990 and 2000, the U.S. population...

Enron E-mails Confirm Schwarzenegger-Ken Lay MeetingDate: Tuesday, October 07 @ 18:04:55 Topic Politicians Enron E-Mails Show Arnold Met With Ken Lay During Energy CrisisConsumer Watchdog Internal Enron e-mails confirm that Arnold Schwarzenegger was among a small group of executives who met with Lay at the posh Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel in May of 2001, in the midst of California's energy crisis. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which obtained the e-mails, is calling on Schwarzenegger to acknowledge the meetings and disclose the information that was presented and discussed. The meeting with Enron occurred ten days after rolling blackouts...