- Pair of nine-figure bails shows how wealthy stay out of prison
- Pretrial releases show justice system disparity, experts say
Tom Barrack
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/BloombergTuesday, August 03, 2021
Something about Utah properties....there could be more stuff to dig deeper into
What is it about these two CEOs and Utah properties? 
Somebody else needs to dig deeper into all this WEALTH
Ex-Wife’s Property, Utah Ranch: How Wealthy Secure High Bails
By , , and In less than a week, Trump ally Tom Barrack was freed for $250 million and Nikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton was released for $100 million -- two of the highest U.S. bail amounts in recent years.
The bail amounts highlight a little understood part of the criminal justice system, where deals are often made behind closed doors, and what critics say is a system that traps the poor. . .
Nikola Founder Pleads Not Guilty, Freed on $100 Million Bail
Updated on
WRONGDOING >> PRIVACY ON ZOOM and THE MESA CITY COUNCIL. . .ASK > Who in Mesa City Hall is taking precautions to protect our communities
In April 2020 (last year) there was this cautionary post on this blog
03 April 2020
Public Safety & Security on The Mesa City Council Virtual Platform Zoom?
ZOOM, the virtual platform deployed by the Mesa City Council, has come under scrutiny over issues and concerns over privacy and security for city employees and their "work-from-home" contracts.
From a security perspective, the basics are critical - High on the list are concerns about misinformation, weaponized information and social engineering.
ASK > Who in Mesa City Hall is taking precautions ???
COVID-19 is our new common watering hole, and malicious actors are manufacturing phishing attacks, devilish spear-phishing campaigns, rogue applications and more. Regular, short, routine communications to remind people of the basics, to gain a pulse on the organization and to provide clear policies are essential.
From a security perspective, the basics are critical - High on the list are concerns about misinformation, weaponized information and social engineering.
ASK > Who in Mesa City Hall is taking precautions ???
COVID-19 is our new common watering hole, and malicious actors are manufacturing phishing attacks, devilish spear-phishing campaigns, rogue applications and more. Regular, short, routine communications to remind people of the basics, to gain a pulse on the organization and to provide clear policies are essential.
YESTERDAY THERE WAS THIS
Zoom to pay $85M for lying about encryption and sending data to Facebook and Google
Zoom users to get $15 or $25 each in proposed settlement of class-action lawsuit.
Zoom has agreed to pay $85 million to settle claims that it lied about offering end-to-end encryption and gave user data to Facebook and Google without the consent of users. The settlement between Zoom and the filers of a class-action lawsuit also covers security problems that led to rampant "Zoombombings."
The proposed settlement would generally give Zoom users $15 or $25 each and was filed Saturday at US District Court for the Northern District of California. It came nine months after Zoom agreed to security improvements and a "prohibition on privacy and security misrepresentations" in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, but the FTC settlement didn't include compensation for users.
As we wrote in November, the FTC said that Zoom claimed it offers end-to-end encryption in its June 2016 and July 2017 HIPAA compliance guides, in a January 2019 white paper, in an April 2017 blog post, and in direct responses to inquiries from customers and potential customers. In reality, "Zoom did not provide end-to-end encryption for any Zoom Meeting that was conducted outside of Zoom's 'Connecter' product (which are hosted on a customer's own servers), because Zoom's servers—including some located in China—maintain the cryptographic keys that would allow Zoom to access the content of its customers' Zoom Meetings," the FTC said. In real end-to-end encryption, only the users themselves have access to the keys needed to decrypt content. . .
Technical preview of Zoom's end-to-end encryption, made available months after Zoom was caught lying to users about how it encrypts video calls. . .
With the pandemic boosting its videoconferencing business, Zoom more than quadrupled its annual revenue from $622.7 million to $2.7 billion in the 12 months ending January 31, 2021. Zoom also reported $672 million in net income for the 12-month period, up from $25.3 million the previous year. Zoom is on pace for even better results this year, having reported Q1 (February-April) revenue of $956.2 million and net income of $227.5 million.
> Zoom's failure to provide end-to-end encryption was reported by The Intercept in March 2020. Zoom's response to that article "made it clear that Zoom both knew that it did not use the industry-accepted definition of E2E encryption and had made a conscious decision to use the term 'end-to-end' anyway," the lawsuit said. . .
Settlement requirements
The settlement "requires Zoom to not reintegrate the Facebook SDK for iOS into Zoom meetings for a year" and to ask Facebook to "delete any US user data obtained from the SDK."
The security and transparency changes Zoom agreed to also include the following:
- Develop and maintain, for at least three years, documented protocols and procedures for admitting third-party applications for dissemination to users through Zoom's "Marketplace."
- Develop and maintain a user-support ticket system for internal tracking of, and communication with users about reports of meeting disruptions.
- Develop and maintain a documented process for communication with law enforcement about meeting disruptions involving illegal content, including dedicated personnel to report serial meeting disrupters to law enforcement.
- Develop and maintain security features such as waiting rooms for attendees, the suspend meeting activities button, and blocking of users from specific countries for a minimum of three years.
Zoom would be required "to better educate users about the security features available to protect meeting security and privacy, through dedicated space on the Zoom website and banner-type notifications." Zoom's website will also have to include "centralized information and links for parents whose children are using school-provisioned K-12 accounts."
After the settlement was announced, Zoom gave media outlets a statement that did not admit any wrongdoing. "The privacy and security of our users are top priorities for Zoom, and we take seriously the trust our users place in us," Zoom said. "We are proud of the advancements we have made to our platform, and look forward to continuing to innovate with privacy and security at the forefront."
STRONG STATEMENT from 2 Nobel Prize-Winning Economists: Failure of Rich Countries To Share Vaccines and Financial Assistance
We need to hear this again: from Dave Lawler 29 July 2021
Rich world’s pandemic selfishness won't be forgotten
Here's all of it - the entire report:
"The failure of rich countries to share vaccines and financial assistance with poorer ones during the pandemic will exacerbate the rise in global poverty and could come back to bite them, Nobel Prize-winning economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee tell Axios.
Why it matters: Duflo initially believed the pandemic would produce a “more cooperative world order” as rich countries felt compelled to show solidarity with the developing world, potentially boding well for future collaboration on issues like climate change. Now she fears the opposite.
- With the critical COP26 climate summit approaching and "the rich world so brilliantly demonstrating how it doesn’t care about one thing besides itself," Duflo says, "you could imagine a developing country to come very uninterested in doing their bit."
- "There’s very significant resentment that has built up," Banerjee adds, referring to the hoarding of vaccines by rich countries. "It seems to me there will be a reckoning. I’m not sure in the end where that will land."
Duflo and Banerjee — MIT professors known for their work on poverty, and also a married couple — have long advocated steps like the direct cash transfers many countries have employed to support the poor during the pandemic. But they note that poorer countries found their hands tied.
- Several countries, including Togo, developed mobile payments systems to carry out such transfers but lacked the funds to make full use of them.
- Rich countries have spent more than 20% of GDP on average on financial support during the pandemic, Duflo notes. Developing countries, operating under tighter fiscal constraints, managed just 2%.
- Extreme poverty rose around the world last year for the first time since 1997, with an additional 120 million people falling into extreme poverty, per a World Bank estimate.
Driving the news: The IMF this week revised its 2021 growth projections upward for rich countries and downward for developing countries. Low vaccination rates have tempered hopes that low-income economies would come roaring back and the increase in poverty would be quickly erased.
- Most people who have fallen into poverty during the pandemic were already in fairly precarious positions, living off their weekly earnings in industries like construction, transportation or agriculture, Banerjee says. For millions, that income dried up during the pandemic.
- "One could imagine a very fast revival," he says, as such industries ramp back up — but that won’t be fully possible without widespread access to vaccines. Meanwhile, countries like Indonesia and Bangladesh are still having to choose between spikes in hunger or in cases.
- Banerjee is particularly worried about the implications of school closures that are now dragging into a second year. "We know that one year of school increases lifetime earnings by 7%," and that many kids who leave the classroom for two years will never return, he says.
Duflo and Banerjee contend that rich countries now have an enormous opportunity to expand access to vaccines and, with interests rates low and economic growth booming, to increase their aid to developing countries.
- "Nobody is talking of expanding aid. I think the psychology, unfortunately, in rich countries somehow — even though the U.S. is going to grow faster in this year than it has in modern memory — is that we are in dire straits and we need to keep resources," Banerjee says.
- "I find it extremely depressing, I must say. The reaction seems just mean-spirited."
Worth noting: Rich countries including the U.S. are now donating doses, but have moved fairly cautiously while also buying up additional supply for potential boosters at home.
- Duflo and Banerjee also lament the slow progress on providing cash flow to developing countries via "special drawing rights" at the IMF.
PUBLIC LEFT IN THE DARK FOR A PUBLIC HEARING Planning & Zoning Board Meeting - 7/28/2021
From all appearances that we can see there's a somehwhat sloppy opening by new Chair Jessica Sarkissian who asks Board member Shelly Allen (remote Zoom) to read the entire Consent Agenda, starting at 0:40 seconds to bumble through for about another eight minutes, asked to repeat the reading on some items to be forwarded for approval to the City Council, and then has to be reminded to vote on approving the Consent Agenda!
Chair Sarkissian has to be reminded to at least recognize the new Board member Troy Peterson sitting at the far right in the Upper Chambers.
WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE PRECEDING STUDY SESSION OR THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE VOTE!
Here are the MEETING DETAILS: 13 Records
that include small items of a few acres to 101.7 acres for
| File #: | PZ 21095 |
| Type: | PZ Preliminary Plat | Status: | Agenda Ready |
| In control: | Planning and Zoning Board - Public Hearing |
| On agenda: | 7/28/2021 |
| Title: | “AirPark 202” District 6. Within the 7600 to 7800 block of east Warner Road (south side) and within the 4400 to 4700 block of the South Sossaman Road alignment (east side). Located east of the Sossaman Road alignment on the south side of Warner Road. (101.7± acres). Preliminary Plat. Wendy Riddell, Berry Riddell LLC, applicant; Gateway Business Park LLC/Tonto Corp., owner). (Companion case to case ZON21-00394, associated with item *5-e). Planner: Kellie Rorex Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions |
| Attachments: | 1. Vicinity Map, 2. Staff Report, 3. Narrative, 4. Preliminary Plat, 5. Presentation |
____________________________________________________________________________________
| Meeting Name: | Planning and Zoning Board - Public Hearing | Agenda status: | Final |
| Meeting date/time: | 7/28/2021 4:00 PM | Minutes status: | Draft |
| Meeting location: | Council Chambers | ||
| Published agenda: |  Agenda | Published minutes: | Minutes | |
| Meeting video: |
PERSONAL TRIUMPHS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED BROADCAST FROM TOKYO: 1500-Meter Women's Heat Run + Greco-Roman Wrestling
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are broadcast worldwide attracting billions for good reasons, some are political naturally and of course from the Greek word simply put where there are people there's always politics. . . and copyright laws.
Let's get to that subject after this maneuver in the Greco-Roman wrestling competition that didn't get much attention
Mohammadali Geraei has impressed in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Olympic Games © Piroschka Van De Wouw / Reuters
‘On another level’: Olympic wrestler downs opponent with flying squirrel attack as fans claim move ‘deserves gold medal’ (VIDEO)
"Iranian wrestling great Mohammadali Geraei has stunned fans and Croatian opponent Bozo Starcevic with a flying squirrel move during their meeting at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, showing off his array of violent methods of attack.
The two-time world bronze medalist went for broke with seconds remaining in the quarterfinal, leaping over Starcevic to execute the Flying Squirrel move to perfection, sealing two points and a 5-5 win on criteria.
Geraei's eye-catching attack was not the first time the Greco-Roman wrestler had endeared himself to fans, producing another sensational piece of craftsmanship in his previous fight, when he picked up Pena Flores, held him over the mat and front-rolled his opponent on the way to a 7-3 victory.
Beaten Starcevic was understandably distraught at his narrow defeat, reportedly taking several minutes to leave the arena.
Viewers, meanwhile, took to social media to lavish praise on the victor and his evident skills.
"Fantastic move," said one. "Well implemented, well deserved. There's a valuable lesson in this: never give up."
Ali Geraei’s move on the Croatian wrestler deserved a Gold Medal On its Own wow 🤯💪🏽🇮🇷
— arsalan (@kazemiworld) August 2, 2021
Flying squirrel 🐿😃 thats the name of the move pic.twitter.com/wrjRbtnay6
— arsalan (@kazemiworld) August 2, 2021
"Ali Geraei’s move on the Croatian wrestler deserved a gold medal on its own," said basketball star Kazemi, who was the first ever Iranian to be drafted by the NBA. "Wow."
The man is on another level of technique, agility and strength! Can't wait for the semi-final and his brother's game tomorrow.
— Amir (@Amir4real) August 2, 2021
What a warrior.
— Shahid (@mirzashahid786) August 2, 2021
Geraei was hailed as a "warrior" who "makes it look easy", with one admirer responding: "The man is on another level of technique, agility and strength."
His quest for gold at 77kg, though, ended with defeat to Hungarian Ferenc Lorincz, meaning he will battle Shohei Yabiku for bronze on Tuesday."
========================================================================
COPYRIGHT LAWS
Every few years, the Olympics comes along to remind us not so much about the power of personal triumphs in sports, but the vast overreach of copyright laws to control absolutely everything for no damn reason at all. 
Over the weekend, a pretty amazing story came out of the Olympics. Dutch runner Sifan Hassan was entering the final lap in a 1,500 meter heat, when the runner in front of her tripped, leading Hassan to fall as well. Both runners were then way behind the rest of the pack, with just about 350 meters left to go. Somehow, Hassan got up, and passed 11 other Olympic runners to win the race.
The only reason I learned about this was because I saw a tweet by Sports Illustrated writer Chris Chavez that included a clip showing that final lap from the fall to the victory. That tweet went super viral. When I spotted it, it had thousands of retweets. Indeed, the NPR link I put above with the story suggests you watch it by linking to Chris's tweet. Of course, if you go there now this is what you'll see:
That missing tweet in the middle was the video.
It's unclear if it was NBC or the Olympics (or someone else?) who took it down, but either way this is ridiculous. Yes, you can argue that the copyright holder has a right to take it down, but even that seems debatable. This seems like a pretty clear case of fair use -- a reporter reporting on something.
But, even ignoring the fair use argument, this is just so stupid and pointless. Chavez was giving free advertising and promotion to an amazing moment at the Olympics. And it was going viral. Crazy viral. What kind of stupid landlord looks at someone giving them massive promotional value for free and says "we gotta stop that sorta thing!" The infatuation with ownership and control at the expense of word-of-mouth promotion makes no sense at all. It actively holds back interest in the event.
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