News roundup - FAs push for higher wages and Tesla may be replaced in the Mag 7

CNBC: Pilots got their payday. Now flights attendants are pushing airlines for higher wages

Feb 13, 2024

Pilots at major carriers have won large raises, partly due to a shortage of aviators in the post-pandemic travel boom.

Flight attendants make an average of about $67,000 a year, according to the Labor Department, though pay can range from around $38,000 at the bottom 10th percentile to about $97,000 at the top.

Inflation has been “the most difficult for our new hires,” said Julie Hedrick, national president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents about 27,000 flight attendants at American. “We want [American] to come to the table and recognize what we’ve done to return this airline to profitability.”

Flight attendants for the most part are paid when the aircraft door is closed. Unions are largely pushing for either ground pay or boarding pay to compensate flight attendants for their work before takeoff.

Move Over, Tesla! These 6 Stocks Could Replace It in the "Magnificent 7"
March 15. 2024

1. Berkshire Hathaway
2. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM)
3. Eli Lilly (LLY)
4. Novo Nordisk (NVO)
5. Broadcom
6. Visa (V)

My Top 3 Stock Candidates to Replace Tesla in the Magnificent 7 - Investor Place
Feb 16, 2024

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B): Buffett keeps delivering for shareholders. 

Eli Lilly (LLY): It’s got an up-and-coming $14 billion drug. 

JPMorgan Chase (JPM): Jamie Dimon remains America’s top banker.

Bozeman among the 'safest small cities' in Montana despite increase in crime rate, police say - KBZK
Feb 20, 2024

The Bozeman Police Department says there has been a 29% increase in felony cases since the same time last year. ..."Compared to the rest of the state of Montana, Bozeman is one of the safest small cities," says Swanson.

Articles and Headlines that forewarned of the next Stock Market Downturn

7/4/23
The 'superbubble' in stocks and housing will burst - but the AI boom might delay the crash, Jeremy Grantham says

Blackstone Announces Major Asset Liquidations As Redemption Requests For Its REIT Continue

Montana Covid Cases Explode in August 2021

New Covid cases in Montana surpassed 700 per day, with a 7 day average of 471 on August 27, 2021.

These are the highest levels since early January, where Jan 8th saw 820 new cases and 776 new cases on Jan 5th.

The growth seen in the current wave mirrors the growth during the 2020 winter climb when cases hit 712 daily and a 7-day average of 471 on October 8th.  

Governor Gianforte is one of the few governors that made it illegal for employers to require vaccinations in Montana, with the exception of health care.

The mask mandate has not been reinstated and very few people are wearing masks, even as stores ask the unvaccinated shoppers to mask up. 

22 States with Shelter in Place Orders as of March 26th

From the New York Times article:
See Which States and Cities Have Told Residents to Stay at Home

"This means at least 212 million people in 22 states, 64 counties, 16 cities and one territory are being urged to stay home."

The NYT article did not include Montana, where the governor issued a Shelter in Place order that takes effect on Saturday, March 28.  Montana would be the 23rd state to ask residents to stay home, unless another state takes action earlier.

Montana's Governor issued a shelter in place order shortly before the first COVID-19 death happened in the state.

"The order to stay at home, which takes effect Saturday at 12:01 a.m. and expires April 10, will have a dramatic effect on day-to-day life here. Bullock said Thursday he understands the hardships it places on Montanans, but told residents it's a necessary step to do everything possible to try to prevent an even sharper spike in COVID-19 cases that would flood the state's health care system."

Brett Kavanaugh's Undoing

Your past can come back to haunt you, and for would-be Supreme Court judge Brett Kavanaugh, a "one time" incident of sexual assault may prevent him from ascending to the high court.

California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault [Washington Post]

Opinion: Boy Will Be Supreme Court Justices [NY Times]

Woman Delivers Baby with Internet Tutorials, Ancestry DNA Privacy - News Roundup

USA Today article about DNA ancestry privacy
https://usat.ly/2FkOqYR

LA Times article about false ICE arrests
https://lat.ms/2I2WKj9

Air National Guard Member who delivers a baby all by herself using the internet
https://usat.ly/2jdKPU1

Ford Develops Car Materials from Dandelions, Shredded Currency, and Tree Pulp

Indsutrial and agricultural waste products can be used to create and augment plastic materials and Ford is taking a big step forward by developing car materials from unusual sources.

1,000 pound woman accused of murder

"Half-Ton Killer" [Youtube]

News documentary about a 1,000 pound woman who is accused of murdering her nephew by sitting on him.

Her skin is prone to infection unless it's cleaned.  She is totally dependent on her husband for everything.

Morbidly obese patients tend to eat about 18,000 calories per day.  A regular person eats closer to 2,000 calories per day.  Patients that are bed bound have to have an enabler, that is how they get to be that big.
~ Dr. Bryan Lipsen

She admitted to the doctor that she would eat three or four cakes a day.

By only age 23, she found it increasingly difficult to support her own weight.

Each one of her buttocks is probably at least 120 pounds.
~ Dr. Lipsen

She had been bed-bound for six years.

She is a prisoner in her own body.
~ Dr. appointed to monitor Mayra's health to see if she can stand trial.

Pakistan's Muslims Blow a Fuse Over a Facebook Page

Muslim anger prompts Pakistan to block Facebook - Yahoo News

LAHORE, Pakistan – Pakistan's government ordered Internet service providers to block Facebook on Wednesday amid anger over a page that encourages users to post images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

These people are being outrageous, as this is not something actually created or endorsed by Facebook, but merely posted on Facebook by an individual. If Facebook were to cave in under pressure, it would signal that they are willing to censor non-pornographic content on shaky grounds.

As an American, even in a Christian dominated society, it makes me appreciate the freedom of the first ammendment and that fact that our government would not resort to censorship methods comparable with the Chinese government's censorship of the internet.

Blockbuster gets new releases when Netflix and Redbo don't

Blockbuster gets deal that Netflix, Redbox couldn't
Warner Bros., the same movie studio that has recently announced "deals" with Netflix and Redbox to delay the DVD release of its titles for 28 days, has announced a new agreement with movie rental company Blockbuster. Unlike to its previous deals, however, the new agreement makes Warner's titles available immediately in Blockbuster's dying brick-and-mortar stores, by mail, and on-demand.

In its announcement, Warner reaffirmed its commitment to assuring that Blockbuster remains the "only multichannel provider that has every hot new movie on the day of its release." Indeed, with the agreements it struck with more innovative and competitive movie rental services like Netflix and Redbox, Blockbuster really is the only mainstream way for people to get movies on release day without buying them.

The company has been entertaining the idea of bankruptcy for close to a year now and has closed nearly a thousand stores in recent years.

Blockbuster: Warner Bros Pact Retains New-Release Advantage - WSJ.com
To capitalize on its head start for rentals, Blockbuster wants to boost the number of movie copies it has, but its cash is constrained, and studios are concerned about the health of movie-rental chains. Another movie-rental chain, Movie Gallery Inc. (MVGRQ) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year.

Keyes said last week that one option under consideration by at least one studio was using Blockbuster's Canadian assets as collateral for inventory purchases. A Blockbuster representative on Monday couldn't immediately say whether collateral was pledged in connection with the Warner Bros. pact.

Blockbuster estimates that 60% of the $22 billion in movie rentals and movie sales at retail occur during the first 30 days after a film is released.


The Official Netflix Blog: Netflix via Wii - Coming Soon

About the swine flu

• National Public Health Emergency declared in April.
• Unprecedented effort to promote the H1N1 vaccine.
• Not more lethal than the influenza strains that circulate every year.
• People over 60 apparently have antibodies to the H1N1 flu.

"That's the way you get natural, long lasting, robust immunity is you recover from an infection and you have those antibodies that last you for a long time."

"A vaccination only provides a temporary immunity at best, if it works at all."

Roundup: academic incentives, best places to live

The Difference Between a “B” and a “B”-Plus - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com

A Policy Screwup? - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com
Some Italian professors told me about one of the most bizarre incentive systems in the world. The amount of fees that an Italian university can charge to students is linked to the amount of support the university receives from the national government.

Cell phone incentive plan - Freakonomics Blog

Abortion was legalized in Mexico City in April for the first trimester.

America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up - Yahoo! Real Estate