Prickly City by Scott Stantis for May 20, 2020

 “The probability lies in that direction.”

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Turnabout‘s fair play. Wasn’t it Monday when Winslow said “Sure” like a question?

“We all have neglected opportunities to deplore.” 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The answers are blowing in the wind, or more likely, in the next Katrina.

Day 27 of the Georgia Economic Recovery.

“Why do you always answer a question with a question?”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

Federal judge sitting in the Southern District of New York has refused to stay a lawsuit alleging that Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, and the Trump Corporation committed “various business torts,” including engaging in an illegal pyramid scheme.

The complicated and anonymous class action lawsuit, filed by a Jane Doe and others, resulted in motions to stay the proceedings and interlocutory appeals by the Trumps, the Trump Corporation, and a third party called ACN Opportunity, LLC. ACN was ordered to produce documents relevant to the claims.

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The lawsuit, originally filed in Oct. 2018 as an anti-“racketeering enterprise” action, was later streamlined.

The class sued on various state and federal charges–including “racketeering and conspiracy to racketeer” claims. The two federal claims were dismissed by the court after the Trump family filed for a broad dismissal in January 2019. But the case is yet living.

The class action plaintiffs allege that the Trump family business promoted a multi-level marketing, or pyramid, scheme known as ACN Opportunity, LLC. ACN, the plaintiffs said, was a “get-rich-quick scheme” that relied on Trump and his family “conn[ing] each of these victims into giving up hundreds or thousands of dollars,” in violation of various state laws:

According to the lawsuit, ACN was paying the Trumps for the above-described exposure but this was not public knowledge.

Schofield walked the case through the “traditional standard” for determining whether to stay litigation. The first factor is whether the parties applying for the stay — the Trumps and ACN — are likely to succeed on the merits. Here, Schofield ruled that they are not, and for several reasons.

https://lawandcrime.com/lawsuit/judge-deals-setback-to-trump-family-ugly-pyramid-scheme-lawsuit-likely-to-unfold-in-public/

New York City, with a population of about 8.4 million, has had over 28,000 coronavirus deaths as of May 18.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong has officially recorded only four Covid-19 deaths, despite having 7.5 million residents.

One reason that could help explain the stark disparity: In Hong Kong, nearly everyone wears a face mask in public.

If any city in the world was likely to experience the worst effects of the coronavirus, Hong Kong would have been a top candidate. The urban area is densely populated and heavily reliant on packed public-transit systems, and it has very few open spaces. Moreover, a high-speed train connects Hong Kong to Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus originated.

Hong Kong, it seemed, was doomed.

But almost as soon as the outbreak first began in the city, millions of residents started wearing masks in public. One local told the Los Angeles Times that the government didn’t have to say anything before 99 percent of the population put them on.

https://www.vox.com/2020/5/18/21262273/coronavirus-hong-kong-masks-deaths-new-york

Oh well, that didn’t work… this stupid commenting app doesn’t like image html, nor links… This looks kinda cool.

https://ritholtz.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/withatrace.png

I feel bad for this guy’s Secret Service, they have more on their plate with Trump than with any other president ever before. — "Mr. President, what did you eat? What is that in your mouth? Mr. President, what’s in your mouth?’” — TREVOR NOAH on Trump taking hydroxychloroquine

There is an old story about a student at a Catholic high school who asked one of the nuns “Why do you always answer a question with another question?” Her response was: “Oh, do I?”

I have been relentless in my criticism of Michigan Gov Whitmer, and think she mostly deserves the opprobrium. However, I have discovered one big thing she did right, and I think I am obliged, by fairness, to acknowledge it. From the Daily Examiner:

policy that deserves more praise is Whitmer’s decision to exempt churches and other religious organizations from state-enforced penalties assigned to those who violate the shutdown.Whitmer decided to implement this exemption almost immediately after mandating a statewide shelter-in-place order, and she is one of the only governors to have done so.

Maybe those anti-“lockdown” protesters should go shoot at the flood.

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About 10,000 people were told to evacuate from parts of Michigan after floodwaters caused two dams to fail following heavy rain across the state.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Tuesday for Midland County after the Edenville and Sanford dams breached and warned that downtown Midland could be under 9 feet of water by Wednesday afternoon.

The dam collapses have led to impassable roads, a boil water advisory — and raised regulatory questions about Edenville Dam’s hydro-power generating license. It was unclear whether there were any fatalities from the flooding.

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The Edenville Dam on the Tittabawassee River, which is owned by Boyce Hydro, breached Tuesday evening. A flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service warned to expect flooding of small creeks, streams and other low-lying areas.

The dam, which had its hydro-power generating license revoked in 2018 for its inability to withstand a major flood, is a 6,600-foot earthen embankment up to 54.5 feet in height, spanning both the Tittabawassee and Tobacco Rivers in Midland and Gladwin counties.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/20/michigan-flooding-what-we-know-evacuations-dam-failure/5226746002/

Now she’s in Jeopardy.