How I Made It Onto The Forbes 30 Under 30 List And Why I
How I Made It Onto The Forbes 30 Under 30 List And Why I
Forbes announces then cancels 30 Under 30 'bubble' in Bermuda
30 Under 30: People To Watch Out For | Forbes India
30 Under 30 Europe 2020 - Forbes
Nominations Open for Forbes' 30 Under 30 List 2019
30 Under 30 2021 Nominations - Forbes
Forbes Selects Meti and Massi Basiri of ApplyBoard for
Forbes 30 Under 30: Letitia Wright and Tom Holland among
How Forbes finds the best talent for their 30 Under 30
30 UNDER 30 - Association of British Orchestras
forbes 30 under 30 uk application
forbes 30 under 30 uk application - win
Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis
NEW INFO 5 Results from share redemption are posted. Less than .2% redeemed. Very bullish as investors are showing extreme confidence in the future of PLBY. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/playboy-mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-120000721.html NEW INFO 4 Definitive Agreement to purchase 100% of Lovers brand stores announced 2/1. https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Playboy+%28MCAC%29+Confirms+Deal+to+Acquire+Lovers/17892359.html NEW INFO 3 I bought more on the dip today. 5081 total. Price rose AH to $12.38 (2.15%) NEW INFO 2 Here is the full webinar. https://icrinc.zoom.us/rec/play/9GWKdmOYumjWfZuufW3QXpe_FW_g--qeNbg6PnTjTMbnNTgLmCbWjeRFpQga1iPc-elpGap8dnDv8Zww.yD7DjUwuPmapeEdP?continueMode=true&tk=lEYc4F_FkKlgsmCIs6w0gtGHT2kbgVGbUju3cIRBSjk.DQIAAAAV8NK49xZWdldRM2xNSFNQcTBmcE00UzM3bXh3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&uuid=WN_GKWqbHkeSyuWetJmLFkj4g&_x_zm_rtaid=kR45-uuqRE-L65AxLjpbQw.1611967079119.2c054e3d3f8d8e63339273d9175939ed&_x_zm_rhtaid=866 NEW INFO 1 Live merger webinar with PLBY and MCAC on Friday January 29, 2021 at 12:00 NOON EST link below https://mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/press-release-details/2021/Playboy-Enterprises-Inc.-and-Mountain-Crest-Acquisition-Corp-Participate-in-SPACInsider-ICR-Webinar-on-January-29th-at-12pm-ET/default.aspx Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis !!!WARNING READING AHEAD!!! TL;DR at the end. It will take some time to sort through all the links and read/watch everything, but you should. In the next couple weeks, Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp is taking Playboy public. The existing ticker MCAC will become PLBY. Special purpose acquisition companies have taken private companies public in recent months with great success. I believe this will be no exception. Notably, Playboy is profitable and has skyrocketing revenue going into a transformational growth phase. Porn - First and foremost, let's talk about porn. I know what you guys are thinking. “Porno mags are dead. Why would I want to invest in something like that? I can get porn for free online.” Guess what? You are absolutely right. And that’s exactly why Playboy doesn’t do that anymore. That’s right, they eliminated their print division. And yet they somehow STILL make money from porn that people (see: boomers) pay for on their website through PlayboyTV, Playboy Plus, and iPlayboy. Here’s the thing: Playboy has international, multi-generational name recognition from porn. They have content available in 180 countries. It will be the only publicly traded adult entertainment (porn) company. But that is not where this company is going. It will help support them along the way. You can see every Playboy magazine through iPlayboy if you’re interested. NSFW links below: https://www.playboy.com/ https://www.playboytv.com/ https://www.playboyplus.com/ https://www.iplayboy.com/ Gambling - Some of you might recognize the Playboy brand from gambling trips to places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Cancun, London or Macau. They’ve been in the gambling biz for decades through their casinos, clubs, and licensed gaming products. They see the writing on the wall. COVID is accelerating the transition to digital, application based GAMBLING. That’s right. What we are doing on Robinhood with risky options is gambling, and the only reason regulators might give a shit anymore is because we are making too much money. There may be some restrictions put in place, but gambling from your phone on your couch is not going anywhere. More and more states are allowing things like Draftkings, poker, state ‘lottery” apps, hell - even political betting. Michigan and Virginia just ok’d gambling apps. They won’t be the last. This is all from your couch and any 18 year old with a cracked iphone can access it. Wouldn’t it be cool if Playboy was going to do something like that? They’re already working on it. As per CEO Ben Kohn who we will get to later, “...the company’s casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth.” Honestly, I stopped researching Scientific Games' sports betting segment when I saw the word ‘omni-channel’. That told me all I needed to know about it’s success. “Our SG Sports™ platform is an enhanced, omni-channel solution for online, self-service and retail fixed odds sports betting – from soccer to tennis, basketball, football, baseball, hockey, motor sports, racing and more.” https://www.scientificgames.com/ https://www.microgaming.co.uk/ “This latter segment has become increasingly enticing for Playboy, and it said last week that it is considering new tie-ups that could include gaming operators like PointsBet and 888Holdings.” https://calvinayre.com/2020/10/05/business/playboys-gaming-ops-could-get-a-boost-from-spac-purchase/ As per their SEC filing: “Significant consumer engagement and spend with Playboy-branded gaming properties around the world, including with leading partners such as Microgaming, Scientific Games, and Caesar’s Entertainment, steers our investment in digital gaming, sports betting and other digital offerings to further support our commercial strategy to expand consumer spend with minimal marginal cost, and gain consumer data to inform go-to-market plans across categories.” https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tMDAA1 They are expanding into more areas of gaming/gambling, working with international players in the digital gaming/gambling arena, and a Playboy sportsbook is on the horizon. https://www.playboy.com/read/the-pleasure-of-playing-with-yourself-mobile-gaming-in-the-covid-era Cannabis - If you’ve ever read through a Playboy magazine, you know they’ve had a positive relationship with cannabis for many years. As of September 2020, Playboy has made a major shift into the cannabis space. Too good to be true you say? Check their website. Playboy currently sells a range of CBD products. This is a good sign. Federal hemp products, which these most likely are, can be mailed across state lines and most importantly for a company like Playboy, can operate through a traditional banking institution. CBD products are usually the first step towards the cannabis space for large companies. Playboy didn’t make these products themselves meaning they are working with a processor in the cannabis industry. Another good sign for future expansion. What else do they have for sale? Pipes, grinders, ashtrays, rolling trays, joint holders. Hmm. Ok. So it looks like they want to sell some shit. They probably don’t have an active interest in cannabis right? Think again: https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/09/24/playboy-gets-serious-about-cannabis-law-reform-advocacy-with-new-partnership-grants/?sh=62f044a65cea “Taking yet another step into the cannabis space, Playboy will be announcing later on Thursday (September, 2020) that it is launching a cannabis law reform and advocacy campaign in partnership with National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Last Prisoner Project, Marijuana Policy Project, the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Eaze Momentum Program.” “According to information procured exclusively, the three-pronged campaign will focus on calling for federal legalization. The program also includes the creation of a mentorship plan, through which the Playboy Foundation will support entrepreneurs from groups that are underrepresented in the industry.” Remember that CEO Kohn from earlier? He wrote this recently: https://medium.com/naked-open-letters-from-playboy/congress-must-pass-the-more-act-c867c35239ae Seems like he really wants weed to be legal? Hmm wonder why? The writing's on the wall my friends. Playboy wants into the cannabis industry, they are making steps towards this end, and we have favorable conditions for legislative progress. Don’t think branding your own cannabis line is profitable or worthwhile? Tell me why these 41 celebrity millionaires and billionaires are dummies. I’ll wait. https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2019/07/12/top-celebrity-cannabis-brands/ Confirmation: I hear you. “This all seems pretty speculative. It would be wildly profitable if they pull this shift off. But how do we really know?” Watch this whole video: https://finance.yahoo.com/video/playboy-ceo-telling-story-female-154907068.html Man - this interview just gets my juices flowing. And highlights one of my favorite reasons for this play. They have so many different business avenues from which a catalyst could appear. I think paying attention, holding shares, and options on these staggered announcements over the next year is the way I am going to go about it. "There's definitely been a shift to direct-to-consumer," he (Kohn) said. "About 50 percent of our revenue today is direct-to-consumer, and that will continue to grow going forward.” “Kohn touted Playboy's portfolio of both digital and consumer products, with casino-style gaming, in particular, serving a crucial role under the company's new business model. Playboy also has its sights on the emerging cannabis market, from CBD products to marijuana products geared toward sexual health and pleasure.” "If THC does become legal in the United States, we have developed certain strains to enhance your sex life that we will launch," Kohn said. https://cheddar.com/media/playboy-goes-public-health-gaming-lifestyle-focus Oh? The CEO actually said it? Ok then. “We have developed certain strains…” They’re already working with growers on strains and genetics? Ok. There are several legal cannabis markets for those products right now, international and stateside. I expect Playboy licensed hemp and THC pre-rolls by EOY. Something like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/842996758/10-playboy-pre-roll-tubes-limited?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pre+roll+playboy&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1 Maintaining cannabis operations can be costly and a regulatory headache. Playboy’s licensing strategy allows them to pick successful, established partners and sidestep traditional barriers to entry. You know what I like about these new markets? They’re expanding. Worldwide. And they are going to be a bigger deal than they already are with or without Playboy. Who thinks weed and gambling are going away? Too many people like that stuff. These are easy markets. And Playboy is early enough to carve out their spot in each. Fuck it, read this too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimosman/2020/10/20/playboy-could-be-the-king-of-spacs-here-are-three-picks/?sh=2e13dcaa3e05 Numbers: You want numbers? I got numbers. As per the company’s most recent SEC filing: “For the year ended December 31, 2019, and the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s historical consolidated revenue was $78.1 million and $101.3 million, respectively, historical consolidated net income (loss) was $(23.6) million and $(4.8) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA was $13.1 million and $21.8 million, respectively.” “In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Licensing segment contributed $44.2 million in revenue and $31.1 million in net income.” “In the ninth months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Direct-to-Consumer segment contributed $40.2 million in revenue and net income of $0.1 million.” “In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Digital Subscriptions and Content segment contributed $15.4 million in revenue and net income of $7.4 million.” They are profitable across all three of their current business segments. “Playboy’s return to the public markets presents a transformed, streamlined and high-growth business. The Company has over $400 million in cash flows contracted through 2029, sexual wellness products available for sale online and in over 10,000 major retail stores in the US, and a growing variety of clothing and branded lifestyle and digital gaming products.” https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF Growth: Playboy has massive growth in China and massive growth potential in India. “In China, where Playboy has spent more than 25 years building its business, our licensees have an enormous footprint of nearly 2,500 brick and mortar stores and 1,000 ecommerce stores selling high quality, Playboy-branded men’s casual wear, shoes/footwear, sleepwear, swimwear, formal suits, leather & non-leather goods, sweaters, active wear, and accessories. We have achieved significant growth in China licensing revenues over the past several years in partnership with strong licensees and high-quality manufacturers, and we are planning for increased growth through updates to our men’s fashion lines and expansion into adjacent categories in men’s skincare and grooming, sexual wellness, and women’s fashion, a category where recent launches have been well received.” The men’s market in China is about the same size as the entire population of the United States and European Union combined. Playboy is a leading brand in this market. They are expanding into the women’s market too. Did you know CBD toothpaste is huge in China? China loves CBD products and has hemp fields that dwarf those in the US. If Playboy expands their CBD line China it will be huge. Did you know the gambling money in Macau absolutely puts Las Vegas to shame? Technically, it's illegal on the mainland, but in reality, there is a lot of gambling going on in China. https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/10/19/magic-johnson-and-uncle-buds-cbd-brand-enter-china-via-tmall-partnership/?sh=271776ca411e “In India, Playboy today has a presence through select apparel licensees and hospitality establishments. Consumer research suggests significant growth opportunities in the territory with Playboy’s brand and categories of focus.” “Playboy Enterprises has announced the expansion of its global consumer products business into India as part of a partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, a leading fashion and lifestyle Company in India.” “The Indian market today is dominated by consumers under the age of 35, who represent more than 65 percent of the country’s total population and are driving India’s significant online shopping growth. The Playboy brand’s core values of playfulness and exploration resonate strongly with the expressed desires of today’s younger millennial consumers. For us, Playboy was the perfect fit.” “The Playboy international portfolio has been flourishing for more than 25 years in several South Asian markets such as China and Japan. In particular, it has strategically targeted the millennial and gen-Z audiences across categories such as apparel, footwear, home textiles, eyewear and watches.” https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/playboy-expands-global-footprint-india It looks like they gave COVID the heisman in terms of net damage sustained: “Although Playboy has not suffered any material adverse consequences to date from the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been impacted both negatively and positively. The remote working and stay-at-home orders resulted in the closure of the London Playboy Club and retail stores of Playboy’s licensees, decreasing licensing revenues in the second quarter, as well as causing supply chain disruption and less efficient product development thereby slowing the launch of new products. However, these negative impacts were offset by an increase in Yandy’s direct-to-consumer sales, which have benefited in part from overall increases in online retail sales so far during the pandemic.” Looks like the positives are long term (Yandy acquisition) and the negatives are temporary (stay-at-home orders). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921006093/tm213766-1_defa14a.htm This speaks to their ability to maintain a financially solvent company throughout the transition phase to the aforementioned areas. They’d say some fancy shit like “expanded business model to encompass four key revenue streams: Sexual Wellness, Style & Apparel, Gaming & Lifestyle, and Beauty & Grooming.” I hear “we’re just biding our time with these trinkets until those dollar dollar bill y’all markets are fully up and running.” But the truth is these existing revenue streams are profitable, scalable, and rapidly expanding Playboy’s e-commerce segment around the world. "Even in the face of COVID this year, we've been able to grow EBITDA over 100 percent and revenue over 68 percent, and I expect that to accelerate going into 2021," he said. “Playboy is accelerating its growth in company-owned and branded consumer products in attractive and expanding markets in which it has a proven history of brand affinity and consumer spend.” Also in the SEC filing, the Time Frame: “As we detailed in the definitive proxy statement, the SPAC stockholder meeting to vote on the transaction has been set for February 9th, and, subject to stockholder approval and satisfaction of the other closing conditions, we expect to complete the merger and begin trading on NASDAQ under ticker PLBY shortly thereafter,” concluded Kohn. The Players: Suhail “The Whale” Rizvi (HMFIC), Ben “The Bridge” Kohn (CEO), “lil” Suying Liu & “Big” Dong Liu (Young-gun China gang). I encourage you to look these folks up. The real OG here is Suhail Rizvi. He’s from India originally and Chairman of the Board for the new PLBY company. He was an early investor in Twitter, Square, Facebook and others. His firm, Rizvi Traverse, currently invests in Instacart, Pinterest, Snapchat, Playboy, and SpaceX. Maybe you’ve heard of them. “Rizvi, who owns a sprawling three-home compound in Greenwich, Connecticut, and a 1.65-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida, near Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, moved to Iowa Falls when he was five. His father was a professor of psychology at Iowa. Along with his older brother Ashraf, a hedge fund manager, Rizvi graduated from Wharton business school.” “Suhail Rizvi: the 47-year-old 'unsocial' social media baron: When Twitter goes public in the coming weeks (2013), one of the biggest winners will be a 47-year-old financier who guards his secrecy so zealously that he employs a person to take down his Wikipedia entry and scrub his photos from the internet. In IPO, Twitter seeks to be 'anti-FB'” “Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia looks like a big Twitter winner. So do the moneyed clients of Jamie Dimon. But as you’ve-got-to-be-joking wealth washed over Twitter on Thursday — a company that didn’t exist eight years ago was worth $31.7 billion after its first day on the stock market — the non-boldface name of the moment is Suhail R. Rizvi. Mr. Rizvi, 47, runs a private investment company that is the largest outside investor in Twitter with a 15.6 percent stake worth $3.8 billion at the end of trading on Thursday (November, 2013). Using a web of connections in the tech industry and in finance, as well as a hearty dose of good timing, he brought many prominent names in at the ground floor, including the Saudi prince and some of JPMorgan’s wealthiest clients.” https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/technology/at-twitter-working-behind-the-scenes-toward-a-billion-dollar-payday.html Y’all like that Arab money? How about a dude that can call up Saudi Princes and convince them to spend? Funniest shit about I read about him: “Rizvi was able to buy only $100 million in Facebook shortly before its IPO, thus limiting his returns, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” Poor guy :( He should be fine with the 16 million PLBY shares he's going to have though :) Shuhail also has experience in the entertainment industry. He’s invested in companies like SESAC, ICM, and Summit Entertainment. He’s got Hollywood connections to blast this stuff post-merger. And he’s at least partially responsible for that whole Twilight thing. I’m team Edward btw. I really like what Suhail has done so far. He’s lurked in the shadows while Kohn is consolidating the company, trimming the fat, making Playboy profitable, and aiming the ship at modern growing markets. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-ipo-rizvi-insight/insight-little-known-hollywood-investor-poised-to-score-with-twitter-ipo-idUSBRE9920VW20131003 Ben “The Bridge” Kohn is an interesting guy. He’s the connection between Rizvi Traverse and Playboy. He’s both CEO of Playboy and was previously Managing Partner at Rizvi Traverse. Ben seems to be the voice of the Playboy-Rizvi partnership, which makes sense with Suhail’s privacy concerns. Kohn said this: “Today is a very big day for all of us at Playboy and for all our partners globally. I stepped into the CEO role at Playboy in 2017 because I saw the biggest opportunity of my career. Playboy is a brand and platform that could not be replicated today. It has massive global reach, with more than $3B of global consumer spend and products sold in over 180 countries. Our mission – to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure – is rooted in our 67-year history and creates a clear focus for our business and role we play in people’s lives, providing them with the products, services and experiences that create a lifestyle of pleasure. We are taking this step into the public markets because the committed capital will enable us to accelerate our product development and go-to-market strategies and to more rapidly build our direct to consumer capabilities,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy. “Playboy today is a highly profitable commerce business with a total addressable market projected in the trillions of dollars,” Mr. Kohn continued, “We are actively selling into the Sexual Wellness consumer category, projected to be approximately $400 billion in size by 2024, where our recently launched intimacy products have rolled out to more than 10,000 stores at major US retailers in the United States. Combined with our owned & operated ecommerce Sexual Wellness initiatives, the category will contribute more than 40% of our revenue this year. In our Apparel and Beauty categories, our collaborations with high-end fashion brands including Missguided and PacSun are projected to achieve over $50M in retail sales across the US and UK this year, our leading men’s apparel lines in China expanded to nearly 2500 brick and mortar stores and almost 1000 digital stores, and our new men’s and women’s fragrance line recently launched in Europe. In Gaming, our casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth. Our product strategy is informed by years of consumer data as we actively expand from a purely licensing model into owning and operating key high-growth product lines focused on driving profitability and consumer lifetime value. We are thrilled about the future of Playboy. Our foundation has been set to drive further growth and margin, and with the committed capital from this transaction and our more than $180M in NOLs, we will take advantage of the opportunity in front of us, building to our goal of $100M of adjusted EBITDA in 2025.” https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company Also, according to their Form 4s, “Big” Dong Liu and “lil” Suying Liu just loaded up with shares last week. These guys are brothers and seem like the Chinese market connection. They are only 32 & 35 years old. I don’t even know what that means, but it's provocative. https://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/1832415.htm https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-ii-002600994.html Y’all like that China money? “Mr. Liu has been the Chief Financial Officer of Dongguan Zhishang Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd., a regional designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED lights serving commercial customers throughout Southern China since November 2016, at which time he led a syndicate of investments into the firm. Mr. Liu has since overseen the financials of Dongguan Zhishang as well as provided strategic guidance to its board of directors, advising on operational efficiency and cash flow performance. From March 2010 to October 2016, Mr. Liu was the Head of Finance at Feidiao Electrical Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese manufacturer of electrical outlets headquartered in Shanghai and with businesses in the greater China region as well as Europe.” Dr. Suying Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp., commented, “Playboy is a unique and compelling investment opportunity, with one of the world’s largest and most recognized brands, its proven consumer affinity and spend, and its enormous future growth potential in its four product segments and new and existing geographic regions. I am thrilled to be partnering with Ben and his exceptional team to bring his vision to fruition.” https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company These guys are good. They have a proven track record of success across multiple industries. Connections and money run deep with all of these guys. I don’t think they’re in the game to lose. I was going to write a couple more paragraphs about why you should have a look at this but really the best thing you can do is read this SEC filing from a couple days ago. It explains the situation in far better detail. Specifically, look to page 137 and read through their strategy. Also, look at their ownership percentages and compensation plans including the stock options and their prices. The financials look great, revenue is up 90% Q3, and it looks like a bright future. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF I’m hesitant to attach this because his position seems short term, but I’m going to with a warning because he does hit on some good points (two are below his link) and he’s got a sizable position in this thing (500k+ on margin, I think). I don’t know this guy but he did look at the same publicly available info and make roughly the same prediction, albeit without the in depth gambling or cannabis mention. You can also search reddit for ‘MCAC’ and very few relevant results come up and none of them even come close to really looking at this thing. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOvAd6lebs452hFlWWbxVjQ3VMsjGBkbJeXRwDwIJfM/edit?usp=sharing “Also, before you people start making claims that Playboy is a “boomer” company, STOP RIGHT THERE. This is not a good argument. Simply put. The only thing that matters is Playboy’s name recognition, not their archaic business model which doesn’t even exist anymore as they have completely repurposed their business.” “Imagine not buying $MCAC at a 400M valuation lol. Streetwear department is worth 1B alone imo.” Considering the ridiculous Chinese growth as a lifestyle brand, he’s not wrong. Current Cultural Significance and Meme Value: A year ago I wouldn’t have included this section but the events from the last several weeks (even going back to tsla) have proven that a company’s ability to meme and/or gain social network popularity can have an effect. Tik-tok, Snapchat, Twitch, Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter. They all have Playboy stuff on them. Kids in middle and highschool know what Playboy is but will likely never see or touch one of the magazines in person. They’ll have a Playboy hoodie though. Crazy huh? A lot like GME, PLBY would hugely benefit from meme-value stock interest to drive engagement towards their new business model while also building strategic coffers. This interest may not directly and/or significantly move the stock price but can generate significant interest from larger players who will. Bull Case: The year is 2025. Playboy is now the world leader pleasure brand. They began by offering Playboy licensed gaming products, including gambling products, direct to consumers through existing names. By 2022, demand has skyrocketed and Playboy has designed and released their own gambling platforms. In 2025, they are also a leading cannabis brand in the United States and Canada with proprietary strains and products geared towards sexual wellness. Cannabis was legalized in the US in 2023 when President Biden got glaucoma but had success with cannabis treatment. He personally pushes for cannabis legalization as he steps out of office after his first term. Playboy has also grown their brand in China and India to multi-billion per year markets. The stock goes up from 11ish to 100ish and everyone makes big gains buying somewhere along the way. Bear Case: The United States does a complete 180 on marijuana and gambling. President Biden overdoses on marijuana in the Lincoln bedroom when his FDs go tits up and he loses a ton of money in his sports book app after the Fighting Blue Hens narrowly lose the National Championship to Bama. Playboy is unable to expand their cannabis and gambling brands but still does well with their worldwide lifestyle brand. They gain and lose some interest in China and India but the markets are too large to ignore them completely. The stock goes up from 11ish to 13ish and everyone makes 15-20% gains. TL;DR: Successful technology/e-commerce investment firm took over Playboy to turn it into a porn, online gambling/gaming, sports book, cannabis company, worldwide lifestyle brand that promotes sexual wellness, vetern access, women-ownership, minority-ownership, and “pleasure for all”. Does a successful online team reinventing an antiquated physical copy giant sound familiar? No options yet, shares only for now. $11.38 per share at time of writing. My guess? $20 by the end of February. $50 by EOY. This is not financial advice. I am not qualified to give financial advice. I’m just sayin’ I would personally use a Playboy sports book app while smoking a Playboy strain specific joint and it would be cool if they did that. Do your own research. You’d probably want to start here: WARNING - POTENTIALLY NSFW - SEXY MODELS AHEAD - no actual nudity though https://s26.q4cdn.com/895475556/files/doc_presentations/Playboy-Craig-Hallum-Conference-Investor-Presentation-11_17_20-compressed.pdf Or here: https://www.mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/default.aspx Jimmy Chill: “Get into any SPAC at $10 or $11 and you are going to make money.” STL;DR: Buy MCAC. MCAC > PLBY couple weeks. Rocketship. Moon. Position: 5000 shares. I will buy short, medium, and long-dated calls once available.
ATNF (180 Life Sciences) Super low float MASSIVE potential with a ALL STAR DREAM TEAM MANAGEMENT with a proven track record second to none. 40X or more return very likely. Please read in full:
ATNF (180 Life sciences) Super low floater massive potential under the radar Gem with a "DREAM TEAM All STAR MANAGEMENT" THE BEST OF THE BEST IN BIOPHARMA WORLD WITH AN IMPECCABLE SECOND TO NONE RECORD. Will run many multiples from here in due time. 👉🏻👉🏻 ATNF (180 Life Sciences) Under the radar gem is an understatement. Potentially and very likely will soar 40X or more the current stock price ($4.60 at time of writing). ATNF is in phase 3 the last phase of a potential $7.5 Billion Early Dupuytren's therapy just in the US and UK. Worldwide its probably around $20 Billion or more. There is NO current treatment and NO competition for Early Dupuytren's therapy. Phase 2 exceeded all primary endpoints with a 95% chance this therapy gets FDA approval with the proven track record of this All Star Management Team. Multiple other therapies in pipeline also with a much larger market with projected revenues over $150 Billion worldwide. Co-Founded by Prof. Raphael Mechoulam "THE GODFATHER Of CANNABIS RESEARCH" (1 of 6 Super Stars of Management) Best known for discovering the Endocannabinoid system and isolating the two primary compounds, CBD and THC. 180 Life sciences Synthetic CBD Analogs therapies would potentially replace or very least upheaval the addictive OPIOID drug market. ATNF has a Tiny 1 million share true float with over $150 Billion in potential pipeline therapies on the number #1 cause of all autoimmune diseases in the world (Inflammation) and Chronic Pain Therapies with the absolute Best Minds in the world. All Star Dream Team Management created drugs and companies that sold well over $100 Billion. This could easily run 40X or more the current stock price ($4.60 at time of writing) They are fully funded with grants (Only the best of the best with proven track records 1% ers get grants) and cash on hand (NO Dilution) for 3 years as per CEO in last presentation on January 11th 2021. Management owns 50% of the outstanding shares and 72% of outstanding shares are locked up for 12 months. Management are NOT taking salaries. Market cap is tiny around $85 million. 180 Life sciences is an applicant and licensee of growing patent portfolio for three major drug platforms in the areas of inflammation, fibrosis and pain. The patent portfolio covers 16 patent families with 42 patents issues and 32 pending in several important jurisdictions including the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and China. The 74 Incredible Patent portfolio alone is worth 8X the current stock price with more patents to be added as they are processed. 👉🏻👉🏻VANGUARD filed 2 separate 13G’s on February 10th 2021 taking a 13% stake of the outstanding shares. 👉🏻👉🏻PT:$200.00 - $300.00 within a 1-2 year time frame if it happens sooner so be it. Not a pie in the sky number but very realistic and highly probable. (WITHOUT CBD pipeline therapies for Pain and Inflammation) 👉🏻👉🏻PT:$700+ which is conservative if they nail the CBD program therapies and get FDA approval. Would disrupt and potentially replace the highly addictive and deadly OPIOID market. Again if they succeed with these therapies that price target is conservative. 👉🏻Synthetic CBD Analogs (SCAs) for Pain and Inflammation•Safe and non-psychoactive• Formulated to offer improved oral bioavailability Rigorously tested in clinical trials for inflammatory pain (efficacy and dosing)•Granted market approval by FDA, EMA and others•👉🏻A real alternative to unregulated consumption of medical cannabis or OTC CBD (no clinical evidence, not FDA approved, unreliable composition, unpredictable dosing and safety) 👉🏻Need: 125 Million Americans have chronic inflammatory conditions, 61 million have more than one. Over 400 Million worldwide suffer from persistent pain, often associated with inflammatory diseases. 180 Life sciences is focused on providing effective therapies. Developing three families of novel drugs addressing significant market opportunities in inflammation, fibrosis and pain: 👉🏻👉🏻Anti-TNF for inflammation driven Fibrosis 👉🏻👉🏻Synthetic CBD analogs (SCAs) for inflammation and Pain (Synthetic CBD analogs are man-made derivatives of cannabidiol (CBD). These compounds have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anxiolytic properties, making it a potential treatment for arthritic conditions. This program is led by Professor Marc Feldmann with key players Professor Raphael Mechoulam , who discovered tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol, the main compounds in cannabis, and led pioneering research into the endocannabinoid system and also Gallily and Domb 👉🏻👉🏻a7nAChR nicotinic agonist for inflammation Numerous near-term inflection points for anti-TNF programs: 👉🏻First Clinical program fully enrolled in phase 2b/3 trial 👉🏻Two additional clinical programs projected to start 2H 2021 👉🏻First two anti-TNF clinical trials funded by UK grants and modest 180LS investment 👉🏻Very efficient cash flow model 👉🏻👉🏻Strong IP portfolio with a long lifespan, providing coverage up to 2039 https://180lifesciences.com/team/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/07/12/dr-mechoulam/?sh=669086286a45 https://merryjane.com/news/godfather-of-cannabis-isolated-a-new-weed-compound-that-has-profound-medical-value https://www.networknewswire.com/banking-on-the-next-blockbuster-drug/ 180 Life Sciences Corp. (180 Profile) since the founders have significant expertise in developing new therapeutics that were sold to big pharma for billions. They are renowned for development of some of the largest-selling drugs to ever come to market. Now they aim to do it again with a pipeline of drug candidates in sequential stages of development that address large untapped markets. The founding scientists at 180 Life Sciences discovered the anti-TNF drug class that led to Remicade, the fourth all-time best-selling drug in the world. Presently owned by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Remicade has exceeded $90 billion in total sales since approval. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) licensed the anti-TNF patents from these scientists for use with Humira, the second best-selling drug in the world, with lifetime sales of $137 billion. Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) owns the seventh best seller, Enbrel, that treats psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis and has generated over $81 billion in lifetime sales. Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) owns the world’s 12th best-selling drug, Diovan, which treats high blood pressure and heart failure and has over $60 billion in lifetime sales. 180 Life Sciences is led by Dr. James Woody: 👉🏻Dr. James N. Woody CEO•Discovered Remicade at Centocor•Founded Avidiaand Proteolix, which were sold to Amgen•GP of LatterellVenture Partners•25+ years of pharmaceutical research and management experience•General Manager of Roche Biosciences (Former Syntex) Chief Executive Officer Jim Woody has more than 25 years of pharmaceutical research and management expertise He currently serves as Chairman of Oncomed Pharmaceuticals, where he was previously a founder and CEO; he is also a General Partner at Latterell Venture Partners, a venture capital group focusing on early-stage healthcare companies He has served in a variety of health and management roles including as President of Roche Bioscience, and CSO and Senior Vice President of R&D for Centocor. At Centocor, Jim was part of the team that discovered Remicade, ($5.03 Billion in sales in 2019)used to treat arthritis and which is now one of the best-selling drugs in the world. He served as Commanding Officer and Director at the US Naval Medical Research and Development Command in Bethesda, Maryland trained in pediatric immunology at Duke University and Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard) He further holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of London, and has co-authored more than 140 publications. 👉🏻Prof Sir Marc Feldmann Co-Chairman•Pioneer of anti-TNF therapy, world’s biggest drug class ($40 billion) Anti-TNF discovery eventually led to Centocor’sacquisition by J&J for $4.9 Billion •7 International awards for Biomedical Innovation, including Crafoordand Lasker Awards Co-Chairman Professor Sir Marc Feldmann, AC FAA FRS FRCP Fmedsci is a pre-eminent immunologist, and an Emeritus professor at the University of Oxford. At the Kennedy in Insitute in London in the 1980's, he identified TNF as a target in the treatment of arthritis. Prof Sir Marc Feldmann led clinical trails of monocional antiTNF antibody in treatment resistant rheumatoid arthritis, which Centercor had generated and now called Infliximab, which J&J now sells as Remicade. Remicade was the main driver of the $4.9 Billion acquisition of Centocor by Johnson and Johnson . Since its approval of Remicade has sold over $50 Billion worldwide, and remains J&J's biggest selling drug. Feldmann is credited for the generation of anti-TNFs as the worlds biggest drug class since 2013, with global sales of $36 to $40 Billion in recent years. Sir Marc is intimately involved in the development of 2 of the 3 projects being developed by 180 Life Sciences, new uses of anti-TNF and synthetic cannabidiol analogues. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.This major impact on medical therapy led to his receiving a knighthood and also the Australian equivalent, Companion of the order of Australia. Sir Marc Feldmann is a fellow of the Royal Society, Australian Academy of sciences and a Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 👉🏻Prof Lawrence Steinman Co-Chairman•Discovered role of integrins, led to Natalizumab, highly effective treatment for MS and IBD•Tysabri sold to Biogen in 2017 for $3.25 Billion Member of National Academy of Sciences, 4 International awards for Biomedical Innovation including Charcot Prize; founder of Centocor Prof Lawrence Steinman is currently is the George A. Zimmermann Endowed Chair in Neurology department at Stanford University. His lab at Stanford University is dedicated to understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, particularly multiple sclerosis. Professor Steinman has overseen success in the pharmaceuticals industry; he was on the board of Centocor, sold to Johnson and Johnson for $4.9 Billion and was founder of Neurocrine Biosciences(NASDAQ:NBIX) which went public in 1997. Neurocrine Biosciences, a NASDAQ-listed company with an approximately $8.6 billion market cap. He served on the Board of Centocor and currently serves as an advisor to Atreca. Prof. Steinman received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 👉🏻Dr Jonathan Rothbard Chief Scientific Officer•Stanford University, broad experience in small molecule development•Founder of 5 biotech companies; Amylin sold to AstraZeneca and Bristol Myer Squibb for $7 Billion in 2012. Chief Scientific Officer Dr Jonathan Rothbard works in the neurology department at Stanford University Dr. Rothbard headed the mocecular Immunology Labortory at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London in 1990, where he first worked with Professor Sir Marc Feldmann Dr Rothbard has been involved at the high level with start-up pharmaceuticals discovery; in 1987 he founded Amylin in San Diego and has also founded start-ups CellGate and Immulogic Amylin was sold in 2012 to Brstol-Myers Squibb for $7 billion. 👉🏻Prof Raphael Mechoulam CO-Founder, 180 LS•Godfather of cannabinoid chemistry.Labeled as "THE GOD FATHER" of cannabis research, having worked on the chemistry with credited for the discovery of CBD and THC, pharmacology and clinical effects of natural products, including cannabis for over 50 years. He isolated numerous cannabinoids, including the active constituent of cannabis, delta9-THC, and elucidated its structure and CBD. This also paved the way to his discovery of 2AG and anandamide, both endogenous cannabinoids in late 1990s. He has published over 400 papers in esteemed scientific journals and be awarded several notable prizes including the Israeli Prize in Exact Sciences in 2000, NIDA discovery award in 2011, 2012 Rothschild Prize in Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences, and Lifetime achievement award at CannaMed in 2016. Nominated for the NOBEL PRIZE Currently his work focuses on generating novel cannabinoids and anandamide-like compounds which are being developed as drugs. 👉🏻Prof Jagdeep Nanchahal Chairman of Clinical Advisory Board•Surgeon-scientist, Leading 2b/3 trial funded by WellcomeTrust and UKDept. of health•Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons; discovered new treatments for fibrosis. Professor Nanchahal is a surgeon at the University of Oxford, focused on defining the molecular mechanisms of common diseases such as fibrosis He has pioneered the treatment of fibrosis of the hand(Dupuytren's disease). 👉🏻Word from the CEO James Woody:' TAKES TIME TO GET WORD OUT'": Noting that the company has only been public since November 9th, James Woody acknowledged there hasn't been"a lot of time for analysts to come on board." I think the most important points are that we have a phenomenal team of people, and our projects are also quite exciting.It just takes time to get the word out," he added. (From an exclusive interview with the The Fly). I’d like to close by telling you why I took the role as CEO and what my personal goal is for the Company. My goal and the goal of the other members of management is to build stockholder value by developing world leading products to solve unmet medical needs. As management and insiders currently own over 50% of the Company, we believe our goals are directly aligned with the stockholders of the Company. Many members of our management team have not taken a salary to date. The good news for stockholders is that my team and I have done this before. We are a team who have developed not one but many blockbuster drugs. Our goal for 180 Life Sciences is to execute on a model we all know well, building upon past success, experience, and relationships to bring our pipeline candidates to market. We look forward to working hard for our collective benefit and communicating with you regularly moving forward. Thank you again for your invaluable support. Sincerely, James Woody MD, PhD CEO, 180Life Sciences Many people are asking what happened with the stock price when it dropped from $11 to $2. First you have to understand how SPACs work to get this price movement. 1. This was a very old SPAC that started in 2017 and took forever and ever to complete merger 2. Because of delays, lot of shareholders "redeemed" their shares (You can do this in SPACs) 3. This gave a false impression that the company might not be good 4. This SPAC had 12 million rights that automatically convert into 1.2 million shares after the merger. 5. Most of the right holders bought them between .10 and .30(which equates to $1 to $3 in price) 6. After the merger, most of the rights holders dumped their shares to lock in profit or break even rather than wait for the common to go up 7. Hence the big drop from $11 to $2 8. The fundamentals of this company and team are world class. So it's just a matter of time it's true value is reflected in the share price. 9. SPAC managers are NOT involved in the operations or management of ATNF in any way shape or form. They have nothing to do with ATNF anymore. 10. All the SPAC issues are behind them now 11. THE END
ATNF (180 Life Sciences) Super low float MASSIVE potential with a ALL STAR DREAM TEAM MANAGEMENT with a proven track record second to none. 40X or more return very likely. Please read in full: ATNF (180 Life sciences) Super low floater massive potential under the radar Gem with a "DREAM TEAM All STAR MANAGEMENT" THE BEST OF THE BEST IN BIOPHARMA WORLD WITH AN IMPECCABLE SECOND TO NONE RECORD. Will run many multiples from here in due time. 👉🏻👉🏻 ATNF (180 Life Sciences) Under the radar gem is an understatement. Potentially and very likely will soar 40X or more the current stock price ($4.60 at time of writing). ATNF is in phase 3 the last phase of a potential $7.5 Billion Early Dupuytren's therapy just in the US and UK. Worldwide its probably around $20 Billion or more. There is NO current treatment and NO competition for Early Dupuytren's therapy. Phase 2 exceeded all primary endpoints with a 95% chance this therapy gets FDA approval with the proven track record of this All Star Management Team. Multiple other therapies in pipeline also with a much larger market with projected revenues over $150 Billion worldwide. Co-Founded by Prof. Raphael Mechoulam "THE GODFATHER Of CANNABIS RESEARCH" (1 of 6 Super Stars of Management) Best known for discovering the Endocannabinoid system and isolating the two primary compounds, CBD and THC. 180 Life sciences Synthetic CBD Analogs therapies would potentially replace or very least upheaval the addictive OPIOID drug market. ATNF has a Tiny 1 million share true float with over $150 Billion in potential pipeline therapies on the number #1 cause of all autoimmune diseases in the world (Inflammation) and Chronic Pain Therapies with the absolute Best Minds in the world. All Star Dream Team Management created drugs and companies that sold well over $100 Billion. This could easily run 40X or more the current stock price ($4.60 at time of writing) They are fully funded with grants (Only the best of the best with proven track records 1% ers get grants) and cash on hand (NO Dilution) for 3 years as per CEO in last presentation on January 11th 2021. Management owns 50% of the outstanding shares and 72% of outstanding shares are locked up for 12 months. Management are NOT taking salaries. Market cap is tiny around $85 million. 180 Life sciences is an applicant and licensee of growing patent portfolio for three major drug platforms in the areas of inflammation, fibrosis and pain. The patent portfolio covers 16 patent families with 42 patents issues and 32 pending in several important jurisdictions including the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and China. The 74 Incredible Patent portfolio alone is worth 8X the current stock price with more patents to be added as they are processed. 👉🏻👉🏻VANGUARD filed 2 separate 13G’s on February 10th 2021 taking a 13% stake of the outstanding shares. 👉🏻👉🏻PT:$200.00 - $300.00 within a 1-2 year time frame if it happens sooner so be it. Not a pie in the sky number but very realistic and highly probable. (WITHOUT CBD pipeline therapies for Pain and Inflammation) 👉🏻👉🏻PT:$700+ which is conservative if they nail the CBD program therpies and get FDA approval. Would disrupt and potentially replace the highly addictive and deadly OPIOID market. Again if they succeed with these therapies that price target is conservative. 👉🏻Synthetic CBD Analogs (SCAs) for Pain and Inflammation•Safe and non-psychoactive• Formulated to offer improved oral bioavailability Rigorously tested in clinical trials for inflammatory pain (efficacy and dosing)•Granted market approval by FDA, EMA and others•👉🏻A real alternative to unregulated consumption of medical cannabis or OTC CBD (no clinical evidence, not FDA approved, unreliable composition, unpredictable dosing and safety) 👉🏻Need: 125 Million Americans have chronic inflammatory conditions, 61 million have more than one. Over 400 Million worldwide suffer from persistent pain, often associated with inflammatory diseases. 180 Life sciences is focused on providing effective therapies. Developing three families of novel drugs addressing significant market opportunities in inflammation, fibrosis and pain: 👉🏻👉🏻Anti-TNF for inflammation driven Fibrosis 👉🏻👉🏻Synthetic CBD analogs (SCAs) for inflammation and Pain (Synthetic CBD analogs are man-made derivatives of cannabidiol (CBD). These compounds have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anxiolytic properties, making it a potential treatment for arthritic conditions. This program is led by Professor Marc Feldmann with key players Professor Raphael Mechoulam , who discovered tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol, the main compounds in cannabis, and led pioneering research into the endocannabinoid system and also Gallily and Domb 👉🏻👉🏻a7nAChR nicotinic agonist for inflammation Numerous near-term inflection points for anti-TNF programs: 👉🏻First Clinical program fully enrolled in phase 2b/3 trial 👉🏻Two additional clinical programs projected to start 2H 2021 👉🏻First two anti-TNF clinical trials funded by UK grants and modest 180LS investment 👉🏻Very efficient cash flow model 👉🏻👉🏻Strong IP portfolio with a long lifespan, providing coverage up to 2039 https://180lifesciences.com/team/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/07/12/dr-mechoulam/?sh=669086286a45 https://merryjane.com/news/godfather-of-cannabis-isolated-a-new-weed-compound-that-has-profound-medical-value https://www.networknewswire.com/banking-on-the-next-blockbuster-drug/ 180 Life Sciences Corp. (180 Profile) since the founders have significant expertise in developing new therapeutics that were sold to big pharma for billions. They are renowned for development of some of the largest-selling drugs to ever come to market. Now they aim to do it again with a pipeline of drug candidates in sequential stages of development that address large untapped markets. The founding scientists at 180 Life Sciences discovered the anti-TNF drug class that led to Remicade, the fourth all-time best-selling drug in the world. Presently owned by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Remicade has exceeded $90 billion in total sales since approval. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) licensed the anti-TNF patents from these scientists for use with Humira, the second best-selling drug in the world, with lifetime sales of $137 billion. Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) owns the seventh best seller, Enbrel, that treats psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis and has generated over $81 billion in lifetime sales. Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) owns the world’s 12th best-selling drug, Diovan, which treats high blood pressure and heart failure and has over $60 billion in lifetime sales. 180 Life Sciences is led by Dr. James Woody: 👉🏻Dr. James N. Woody CEO•Discovered Remicade at Centocor•Founded Avidiaand Proteolix, which were sold to Amgen•GP of LatterellVenture Partners•25+ years of pharmaceutical research and management experience•General Manager of Roche Biosciences (Former Syntex) Chief Executive Officer Jim Woody has more than 25 years of pharmaceutical research and management expertise He currently serves as Chairman of Oncomed Pharmaceuticals, where he was previously a founder and CEO; he is also a General Partner at Latterell Venture Partners, a venture capital group focusing on early-stage healthcare companies He has served in a variety of health and management roles including as President of Roche Bioscience, and CSO and Senior Vice President of R&D for Centocor. At Centocor, Jim was part of the team that discovered Remicade, ($5.03 Billion in sales in 2019)used to treat arthritis and which is now one of the best-selling drugs in the world. He served as Commanding Officer and Director at the US Naval Medical Research and Development Command in Bethesda, Maryland trained in pediatric immunology at Duke University and Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard) He further holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of London, and has co-authored more than 140 publications. 👉🏻Prof Sir Marc Feldmann Co-Chairman•Pioneer of anti-TNF therapy, world’s biggest drug class ($40 billion) Anti-TNF discovery eventually led to Centocor’sacquisition by J&J for $4.9 Billion •7 International awards for Biomedical Innovation, including Crafoordand Lasker Awards Co-Chairman Professor Sir Marc Feldmann, AC FAA FRS FRCP Fmedsci is a pre-eminent immunologist, and an Emeritus professor at the University of Oxford. At the Kennedy in Insitute in London in the 1980's, he identified TNF as a target in the treatment of arthritis. Prof Sir Marc Feldmann led clinical trails of monocional antiTNF antibody in treatment resistant rheumatoid arthritis, which Centercor had generated and now called Infliximab, which J&J now sells as Remicade. Remicade was the main driver of the $4.9 Billion acquisition of Centocor by Johnson and Johnson . Since its approval of Remicade has sold over $50 Billion worldwide, and remains J&J's biggest selling drug. Feldmann is credited for the generation of anti-TNFs as the worlds biggest drug class since 2013, with global sales of $36 to $40 Billion in recent years. Sir Marc is intimately involved in the development of 2 of the 3 projects being developed by 180 Life Sciences, new uses of anti-TNF and synthetic cannabidiol analogues. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.This major impact on medical therapy led to his receiving a knighthood and also the Australian equivalent, Companion of the order of Australia. Sir Marc Feldmann is a fellow of the Royal Society, Australian Academy of sciences and a Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 👉🏻Prof Lawrence Steinman Co-Chairman•Discovered role of integrins, led to Natalizumab, highly effective treatment for MS and IBD•Tysabri sold to Biogen in 2017 for $3.25 Billion Member of National Academy of Sciences, 4 International awards for Biomedical Innovation including Charcot Prize; founder of Centocor Prof Lawrence Steinman is currently is the George A. Zimmermann Endowed Chair in Neurology department at Stanford University. His lab at Stanford University is dedicated to understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, particularly multiple sclerosis. Professor Steinman has overseen success in the pharmaceuticals industry; he was on the board of Centocor, sold to Johnson and Johnson for $4.9 Billion and was founder of Neurocrine Biosciences(NASDAQ:NBIX) which went public in 1997. Neurocrine Biosciences, a NASDAQ-listed company with an approximately $8.6 billion market cap. He served on the Board of Centocor and currently serves as an advisor to Atreca. Prof. Steinman received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 👉🏻Dr Jonathan Rothbard Chief Scientific Officer•Stanford University, broad experience in small molecule development•Founder of 5 biotech companies; Amylin sold to AstraZeneca and Bristol Myer Squibb for $7 Billion in 2012. Chief Scientific Officer Dr Jonathan Rothbard works in the neurology department at Stanford University Dr. Rothbard headed the mocecular Immunology Labortory at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London in 1990, where he first worked with Professor Sir Marc Feldmann Dr Rothbard has been involved at the high level with start-up pharmaceuticals discovery; in 1987 he founded Amylin in San Diego and has also founded start-ups CellGate and Immulogic Amylin was sold in 2012 to Brstol-Myers Squibb for $7 billion. 👉🏻Prof Raphael Mechoulam CO-Founder, 180 LS•Godfather of cannabinoid chemistry.Labeled as "THE GOD FATHER" of cannabis research, having worked on the chemistry with credited for the discovery of CBD and THC, pharmacology and clinical effects of natural products, including cannabis for over 50 years. He isolated numerous cannabinoids, including the active constituent of cannabis, delta9-THC, and elucidated its structure and CBD. This also paved the way to his discovery of 2AG and anandamide, both endogenous cannabinoids in late 1990s. He has published over 400 papers in esteemed scientific journals and be awarded several notable prizes including the Israeli Prize in Exact Sciences in 2000, NIDA discovery award in 2011, 2012 Rothschild Prize in Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences, and Lifetime achievement award at CannaMed in 2016. Nominated for the NOBEL PRIZE Currently his work focuses on generating novel cannabinoids and anandamide-like compounds which are being developed as drugs. 👉🏻Prof Jagdeep Nanchahal Chairman of Clinical Advisory Board•Surgeon-scientist, Leading 2b/3 trial funded by WellcomeTrust and UKDept. of health•Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons; discovered new treatments for fibrosis. Professor Nanchahal is a surgeon at the University of Oxford, focused on defining the molecular mechanisms of common diseases such as fibrosis He has pioneered the treatment of fibrosis of the hand(Dupuytren's disease). 👉🏻Word from the CEO James Woody:' TAKES TIME TO GET WORD OUT'": Noting that the company has only been public since November 9th, James Woody acknowledged there hasn't been"a lot of time for analysts to come on board." I think the most important points are that we have a phenomenal team of people, and our projects are also quite exciting.It just takes time to get the word out," he added. (From an exclusive interview with the The Fly). I’d like to close by telling you why I took the role as CEO and what my personal goal is for the Company. My goal and the goal of the other members of management is to build stockholder value by developing world leading products to solve unmet medical needs. As management and insiders currently own over 50% of the Company, we believe our goals are directly aligned with the stockholders of the Company. Many members of our management team have not taken a salary to date. The good news for stockholders is that my team and I have done this before. We are a team who have developed not one but many blockbuster drugs. Our goal for 180 Life Sciences is to execute on a model we all know well, building upon past success, experience, and relationships to bring our pipeline candidates to market. We look forward to working hard for our collective benefit and communicating with you regularly moving forward. Thank you again for your invaluable support. Sincerely, James Woody MD, PhD CEO, 180Life Sciences Many people are asking what happened with the stock price when it dropped from $11 to $2. First you have to understand how SPACs work to get this price movement. 1. This was a very old SPAC that started in 2017 and took forever and ever to complete merger 2. Because of delays, lot of shareholders "redeemed" their shares (You can do this in SPACs) 3. This gave a false impression that the company might not be good 4. This SPAC had 12 million rights that automatically convert into 1.2 million shares after the merger. 5. Most of the right holders bought them between .10 and .30(which equates to $1 to $3 in price) 6. After the merger, most of the rights holders dumped their shares to lock in profit or break even rather than wait for the common to go up 7. Hence the big drop from $11 to $2 8. The fundamentals of this company and team are world class. So it's just a matter of time it's true value is reflected in the share price. 9. SPAC managers are NOT involved in the operations or management of ATNF in any way shape or form. They have nothing to do with ATNF anymore. 10. All the SPAC issues are behind them now 11. THE END
Red Light Holland engages in the production, cultivation, and sale of magic truffles to the legalrecreationalmarket in the Netherlands. It sells its products under the iMicrodose brand name through smart shops operators and an advanced e-commerce platform, iMicrodose.nl
In accordance with the highest standards, in compliance with all applicable laws.
Red Light Holland is strategically based in the Netherlands, an area with a long-standing, established legal magic truffles market.
What sets Red Light Holland apart from competition?
Unique approach of recreational market first, medicinal after. The medicinal route requires large amounts of capital and time to acquire the data needed for an FDA approval. Red Light Holland plans to be IN STORES and is currently generating revenue with their iMicrodose product online and in smart shops in Netherlands.
EU GMP Facility Red Light Holland is starting to build out its potential EU-GMP facility which aims to pioneer and lead EU-GMP in the naturally occurring PSILOCYBIN category with the strictest legal compliance measures.
a proposed plan to seek a EU-GMP certification for its production facility in the Netherlands in order to also produce and supply medical grade, EU-GMP certified premium magic truffles within the Netherlands (in addition to a non-EU-GMP grade of premium magic truffles), in a clean room facility.
This is the beginning of entering into the medicinal side of things.
Red Light Holland ‘s management and advisory members are comprised of a core group of highly skilled individuals with the wealth of combined knowledge and experience (relating to growing, mass-producing, compliance, distributing, marketing and managing, etc.) necessary to help fix Red Light Holland as a leader in this early-stage, emerging field.
Todd Shapiro (CEO)
after being a top rated Radio Show host & a brilliant Marketing Entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience, he has recently moved on from mainstream media to concentrate his efforts on being the CEO of Red Light Holland.
Shapiro also has an incredible history as one of North America's most professional & effective Brand Ambassadors and Influencers having worked with Canopy Growth, Samsung, Canada Goose, Canadian Tire & Boveda Inc.
Russell Peters (CCO)
Russell Peters was recently named as one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Comics of All Time. He started doing stand-up at the age of nineteen at open mics in his native Toronto, and spent the next fifteen years honing his craft at clubs across Canada and the UK. In 2004, Peters gained critical and global recognition for his CTV “Comedy Now!” special and soon became the first comedian to sell-out Toronto’s Air Canada Centre in 2007. Peters went on to set attendance records at venues from Madison Square Garden to the Sydney Opera House to London’s O2 Arena – where he broke the UK attendance record for highest number of tickets sold for an individual comedy show.
Peters has been awarded Gemini, Peabody, Emmy and Canadian Screen Awards for his hosting, producing and acting talents. His last TV series, the Indian Detective set a Canadian viewership record for Bell Media /CTV in 2017 and was released globally on Netflix.
Hans Derix (President)
Hans is a certified Substance Abuse therapist (APCB) and member of the Association of Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) with over a decade of experience in the field of addiction treatment. He is the founder and managing director of Sensum, Asia’s first and only addiction treatment provider specialized in round-the-clock, one on one, in-home rehab services.
As a founding member of the New Life Foundation and former, senior member of Asia’s largest rehab center the Cabin, Hans has been instrumental in promoting third wave, mindfulness based therapies to the field of addiction recovery in Asia. Hans recognizes the huge potential of natural remedies, including magic truffles, in treating individuals suffering from mental health disorders such as addiction. He is a strong advocate of further, clinical research and his aim is to achieve such with Red Light Holland.
Hans was born and raised in the south of Holland in an area known for its mushroom production. He is very well connected within the Netherlands psychedelia community.
Bruce Linton (Chair of Advisory Board)
Founder & former Chairman, CEO and Co-CEO of Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) formerly Tweed Marijuana Incorporated, a cannabis company based in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada. Bruce founded Tweed in 2013 and renamed it Canopy Growth Corporation in 2015. Canopy Growth Corporation was the first cannabis company in North America to be listed on a major stock exchange (TSX-V in April 2014 and TSX in July 2016) and to be included on a major stock index (S&P/TSX Composite Index in March 2017). Bruce led CGC from a TSX-V listed start-up company with an $80 million market cap to a NYSE/TSX listed company (S&P/TSX60) including more than 30 M&A activities. Ranking number one on the TSX30 with a market cap of over $20 billion by the summer of 2019.
Bruce’s experience as a founder, CEO, and board member across a diversity of sectors was a huge influence for the success of CGC. Earning market support for capital raises of over $6 billion in public capital markets and private placements, the company funded capacity growth and opened new markets, including a $5 billion CAD investment by Fortune 500 beverage company, Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ).
Why are a radios show host and comedian starting a psychedelic company? Im sure many are wondering why Todd Shapiro and Russell Peters are important factors and why they are management of a psychedelic focused company. The simple answer is they are marketing geniuses. Both Todd and Russell have built a brand out of themselves and have incredible expertise in marketing. Russell Peters has 4M twitter followers, an absolute massive following. Todd has had an extensive career in the radio show business and has his own SiriusXM show. They are targeting the adult recreational market with a small, legal micro dose kit. Marketing this kit will be essential to their success as it needs to be appealing and gain traction within the public audience. Having outside-the-box thinking heads working together to create a uniquely special niche product will prove to be a game changer. "Red Light Holland’s goal is to, over time, help make the relatively unknown ‘magic truffle’ a familiar name across the world. We are currently setting up to grow, distribute and market a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, and we can't wait to shift the existing paradigm to direct further attention to the legal and responsible use of magic truffles.“ -Todd Shapiro CEO, Red Light Holland Red Light Holland Verticals and Products
Red Light Holland intends to, in the future, establish Scarlette Lillie Science and Innovation, a business segment to supplement its core business. Scarlette Lillie Science and Innovation's goal will be to supply the medical market, with naturally occurring, nonsynthetic psilocybin as current research shows clinical trials are using a synthetic pro-drug compound. Red Light Holland hopes to explore the entourage effect of whole fungi medicine and to establish itself as a pioneering company with the capability to grow medical grade truffles which will potentially help discover more about the entire psilocybin Truffle.
Red Light Holland has developed iMicrodose, a non-synthetic premium truffle microdosing kit to promote responsible use. Microdosing involves taking a much smaller dose on a scheduled routine, compared to that of a recreational dose. The magic truffles are sold in their natural, raw and unprocessed form, and need to be refrigerated prior to use. the iMicrodose kits are currently only available for purchase in the Netherlands.
Red Light Holland has released a line of custom merchandise for supporters and fans to enjoy globally. Merch includes Red Light Holland branded; Toques, fitted hats, trucker hats and baseball jerseys. Most merch items are printed with the company logo, name and ticker symbol ($TRIP) and will be available fo purchase through the company website .
Why is merch important? INSTANT REVENUE. Selling something as simple as merch is an easy stream of income for a company looking to expand. This is something unique about Red Light Holland that almost all other psychedelic comapanies have not done yet.
Financials
Total Common Shares Outstanding (Fully Diluted): 289,923,964
Float: 192.09M
Market Capitalization: $92.37M
Share Price: $0.41
Future Growth The legal psilocybin market is expected to reach$7 billion by 2027. I personally think this is a rather conservative estimate and as we advance in research, we will begin to see the full potential psychedelics could provide to the medical field (PTSD, addiction disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, depression, ADD/ADHD, migraines, etc.) Microdosing is a popular trend and is continuing to gain traction.
Risks The fate of this company lies in the hands of governments around the world to create a legal, recreational marketplace for adult psychedelic use. Although this subject is gaining traction everyday, it will take time and science to prove the worthiness. Luckily, Netherlands recreational truffle market is already legal and operating currently. I have not been able to find the balance sheet and do not know current debt, revenue, or cash-on-hand numbers. As soon as i find that information I plan to add it in an edit. Recent News
Conclusion With Red Light Holland beginning operations in an already legal market, this gives them the ability to establish their brand before going global since their isn't a global market, YET... and Unlike most psychedelic stocks, Red Light Holland does not have to burn cash like crazy up front to fund pre-clinical/clinical trials to acquire the data needed for FDA Approval. Their capital goes directly into marketing their iMicrodose Kit, expanding production capabilities, and potential M&A possibilities. The unique approach this company is taking, along with the strategic assembly of the management and advisory board is why I plan to hold a small position long term 5-10% of my portfolio. My position: 2250 shares @ $0.37 This is not financial advice. Penny stocks are extremely volatile and risky. Only risk what you are willing to lose! Please do not use this DD as conviction, do your own research!
Red Light Holland engages in the production, cultivation, and sale of magic truffles to the legalrecreationalmarket in the Netherlands. It sells its products under the iMicrodose brand name through smart shops operators and an advanced e-commerce platform, iMicrodose.nl
In accordance with the highest standards, in compliance with all applicable laws.
Red Light Holland is strategically based in the Netherlands, an area with a long-standing, established legal magic truffles market.
What sets Red Light Holland apart from competition?
Unique approach of recreational market first, medicinal after. The medicinal route requires large amounts of capital and time to acquire the data needed for an FDA approval. Red Light Holland plans to be IN STORES and is currently generating revenue with their iMicrodose product online and in smart shops in Netherlands.
EU GMP Facility Red Light Holland is starting to build out its potential EU-GMP facility which aims to pioneer and lead EU-GMP in the naturally occurring PSILOCYBIN category with the strictest legal compliance measures.
a proposed plan to seek a EU-GMP certification for its production facility in the Netherlands in order to also produce and supply medical grade, EU-GMP certified premium magic truffles within the Netherlands (in addition to a non-EU-GMP grade of premium magic truffles), in a clean room facility.
This is the beginning of entering into the medicinal side of things.
Red Light Holland ‘s management and advisory members are comprised of a core group of highly skilled individuals with the wealth of combined knowledge and experience (relating to growing, mass-producing, compliance, distributing, marketing and managing, etc.) necessary to help fix Red Light Holland as a leader in this early-stage, emerging field.
Todd Shapiro (CEO)
after being a top rated Radio Show host & a brilliant Marketing Entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience, he has recently moved on from mainstream media to concentrate his efforts on being the CEO of Red Light Holland.
Shapiro also has an incredible history as one of North America's most professional & effective Brand Ambassadors and Influencers having worked with Canopy Growth, Samsung, Canada Goose, Canadian Tire & Boveda Inc.
Russell Peters (CCO)
Russell Peters was recently named as one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Comics of All Time. He started doing stand-up at the age of nineteen at open mics in his native Toronto, and spent the next fifteen years honing his craft at clubs across Canada and the UK. In 2004, Peters gained critical and global recognition for his CTV “Comedy Now!” special and soon became the first comedian to sell-out Toronto’s Air Canada Centre in 2007. Peters went on to set attendance records at venues from Madison Square Garden to the Sydney Opera House to London’s O2 Arena – where he broke the UK attendance record for highest number of tickets sold for an individual comedy show.
Peters has been awarded Gemini, Peabody, Emmy and Canadian Screen Awards for his hosting, producing and acting talents. His last TV series, the Indian Detective set a Canadian viewership record for Bell Media /CTV in 2017 and was released globally on Netflix.
Hans Derix (President)
Hans is a certified Substance Abuse therapist (APCB) and member of the Association of Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) with over a decade of experience in the field of addiction treatment. He is the founder and managing director of Sensum, Asia’s first and only addiction treatment provider specialized in round-the-clock, one on one, in-home rehab services.
As a founding member of the New Life Foundation and former, senior member of Asia’s largest rehab center the Cabin, Hans has been instrumental in promoting third wave, mindfulness based therapies to the field of addiction recovery in Asia. Hans recognizes the huge potential of natural remedies, including magic truffles, in treating individuals suffering from mental health disorders such as addiction. He is a strong advocate of further, clinical research and his aim is to achieve such with Red Light Holland.
Hans was born and raised in the south of Holland in an area known for its mushroom production. He is very well connected within the Netherlands psychedelia community.
Bruce Linton (Chair of Advisory Board)
Founder & former Chairman, CEO and Co-CEO of Canopy Growth Corporation (CGC) formerly Tweed Marijuana Incorporated, a cannabis company based in Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada. Bruce founded Tweed in 2013 and renamed it Canopy Growth Corporation in 2015. Canopy Growth Corporation was the first cannabis company in North America to be listed on a major stock exchange (TSX-V in April 2014 and TSX in July 2016) and to be included on a major stock index (S&P/TSX Composite Index in March 2017). Bruce led CGC from a TSX-V listed start-up company with an $80 million market cap to a NYSE/TSX listed company (S&P/TSX60) including more than 30 M&A activities. Ranking number one on the TSX30 with a market cap of over $20 billion by the summer of 2019.
Bruce’s experience as a founder, CEO, and board member across a diversity of sectors was a huge influence for the success of CGC. Earning market support for capital raises of over $6 billion in public capital markets and private placements, the company funded capacity growth and opened new markets, including a $5 billion CAD investment by Fortune 500 beverage company, Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ).
Why are a radios show host and comedian starting a psychedelic company? Im sure many are wondering why Todd Shapiro and Russell Peters are important factors and why they are management of a psychedelic focused company. The simple answer is they are marketing geniuses. Both Todd and Russell have built a brand out of themselves and have incredible expertise in marketing. Russell Peters has 4M twitter followers, an absolute massive following. Todd has had an extensive career in the radio show business and has his own SiriusXM show. They are targeting the adult recreational market with a small, legal micro dose kit. Marketing this kit will be essential to their success as it needs to be appealing and gain traction within the public audience. Having outside-the-box thinking heads working together to create a uniquely special niche product will prove to be a game changer. "Red Light Holland’s goal is to, over time, help make the relatively unknown ‘magic truffle’ a familiar name across the world. We are currently setting up to grow, distribute and market a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, and we can't wait to shift the existing paradigm to direct further attention to the legal and responsible use of magic truffles.“ -Todd Shapiro CEO, Red Light Holland Red Light Holland Verticals and Products
Red Light Holland intends to, in the future, establish Scarlette Lillie Science and Innovation, a business segment to supplement its core business. Scarlette Lillie Science and Innovation's goal will be to supply the medical market, with naturally occurring, nonsynthetic psilocybin as current research shows clinical trials are using a synthetic pro-drug compound. Red Light Holland hopes to explore the entourage effect of whole fungi medicine and to establish itself as a pioneering company with the capability to grow medical grade truffles which will potentially help discover more about the entire psilocybin Truffle.
Red Light Holland has developed iMicrodose, a non-synthetic premium truffle microdosing kit to promote responsible use. Microdosing involves taking a much smaller dose on a scheduled routine, compared to that of a recreational dose. #e magic truffles are sold in their natural, raw and unprocessed form, and need to be refrigerated prior to use. the iMicrodose kits are currently only available for purchase in the Netherlands.
Red Light Holland has released a line of custom merchandise for supporters and fans to enjoy globally. Merch includes Red Light Holland branded; Toques, fitted hats, trucker hats and baseball jerseys. Most merch items are printed with the company logo, name and ticker symbol ($TRIP) and will be available fo purchase through the company website .
Why is merch important? INSTANT REVENUE. Selling something as simple as merch is an easy stream of income for a company looking to expand. This is something unique about Red Light Holland that almost all other psychedelic comapanies have not done yet.
Financials
Total Common Shares Outstanding (Fully Diluted): 289,923,964
Float: 192.09M
Market Capitalization: $92.37M
Share Price: $0.41
Future Growth The legal psilocybin market is expected to reach$7 billion by 2027. I personally think this is a rather conservative estimate and as we advance in research, we will begin to see the full potential psychedelics could provide to the medical field (PTSD, addiction disorder, anxiety, eating disorder, depression, etc.) Microdosing is a popular trend and is continuing to gain traction.
Risks The fate of this company lies in the hands of governments around the world to create a legal, recreational marketplace for adult psychedelic use. Although this subject is gaining traction everyday, it will take time and science to prove the worthiness. Luckily, Netherlands recreational truffle market is already legal and operating currently. I have not been able to find the balance sheet and do not know current debt, revenue, or cash-on-hand numbers. As soon as i find that information I plan to add it in an edit. Recent News
Conclusion With Red Light Holland beginning operations in an already legal market, this gives them the ability to establish their brand before going global since their isn't a global market, YET... and Unlike most psychedelic stocks, Red Light Holland does not have to burn cash like crazy up front to fund pre-clinical/clinical trials to acquire the data needed for FDA Approval. Their capital goes directly into marketing their iMicrodose Kit, expanding production capabilities, and potential M&A possibilities. The unique approach this company is taking, along with the strategic assembly of the management and advisory board is why I plan to hold a small position long term 5-10% of my portfolio. My position: 2250 shares @ $0.37 This is not financial advice. Penny stocks are extremely volatile and risky. Only risk what you are willing to lose! Please do not use this DD as conviction, do your own research!
Atnf DD what do you guys think of it? ATNF (180 Life Sciences) Super low float MASSIVE potential with a ALL STAR DREAM TEAM MANAGEMENT with a proven track record second to none. 40X or more return very likely. Please read in full: ATNF (180 Life sciences) Super low floater massive potential under the radar Gem with a "DREAM TEAM All STAR MANAGEMENT" THE BEST OF THE BEST IN BIOPHARMA WORLD WITH AN IMPECCABLE SECOND TO NONE RECORD. Will run many multiples from here in due time. 👉🏻👉🏻 ATNF (180 Life Sciences) Under the radar gem is an understatement. Potentially and very likely will soar 40X or more the current stock price ($4.60 at time of writing). ATNF is in phase 3 the last phase of a potential $7.5 Billion Early Dupuytren's therapy just in the US and UK. Worldwide its probably around $20 Billion or more. There is NO current treatment and NO competition for Early Dupuytren's therapy. Phase 2 exceeded all primary endpoints with a 95% chance this therapy gets FDA approval with the proven track record of this All Star Management Team. Multiple other therapies in pipeline also with a much larger market with projected revenues over $150 Billion worldwide. Co-Founded by Prof. Raphael Mechoulam "THE GODFATHER Of CANNABIS RESEARCH" (1 of 6 Super Stars of Management) Best known for discovering the Endocannabinoid system and isolating the two primary compounds, CBD and THC. 180 Life sciences Synthetic CBD Analogs therapies would potentially replace or very least upheaval the addictive OPIOID drug market. ATNF has a Tiny 1 million share true float with over $150 Billion in potential pipeline therapies on the number #1 cause of all autoimmune diseases in the world (Inflammation) and Chronic Pain Therapies with the absolute Best Minds in the world. All Star Dream Team Management created drugs and companies that sold well over $100 Billion. This could easily run 40X or more the current stock price ($4.60 at time of writing) They are fully funded with grants (Only the best of the best with proven track records 1% ers get grants) and cash on hand (NO Dilution) for 3 years as per CEO in last presentation on January 11th 2021. Management owns 50% of the outstanding shares and 72% of outstanding shares are locked up for 12 months. Management are NOT taking salaries. Market cap is tiny around $85 million. 180 Life sciences is an applicant and licensee of growing patent portfolio for three major drug platforms in the areas of inflammation, fibrosis and pain. The patent portfolio covers 16 patent families with 42 patents issues and 32 pending in several important jurisdictions including the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan and China. The 74 Incredible Patent portfolio alone is worth 8X the current stock price with more patents to be added as they are processed. 👉🏻👉🏻VANGUARD filed 2 separate 13G’s on February 10th 2021 taking a 13% stake of the outstanding shares. 👉🏻👉🏻PT:$200.00 - $300.00 within a 1-2 year time frame if it happens sooner so be it. Not a pie in the sky number but very realistic and highly probable. (WITHOUT CBD pipeline therapies for Pain and Inflammation) 👉🏻👉🏻PT:$700+ which is conservative if they nail the CBD program therpies and get FDA approval. Would disrupt and potentially replace the highly addictive and deadly OPIOID market. Again if they succeed with these therapies that price target is conservative. 👉🏻Synthetic CBD Analogs (SCAs) for Pain and Inflammation•Safe and non-psychoactive• Formulated to offer improved oral bioavailability Rigorously tested in clinical trials for inflammatory pain (efficacy and dosing)•Granted market approval by FDA, EMA and others•👉🏻A real alternative to unregulated consumption of medical cannabis or OTC CBD (no clinical evidence, not FDA approved, unreliable composition, unpredictable dosing and safety) 👉🏻Need: 125 Million Americans have chronic inflammatory conditions, 61 million have more than one. Over 400 Million worldwide suffer from persistent pain, often associated with inflammatory diseases. 180 Life sciences is focused on providing effective therapies. Developing three families of novel drugs addressing significant market opportunities in inflammation, fibrosis and pain: 👉🏻👉🏻Anti-TNF for inflammation driven Fibrosis 👉🏻👉🏻Synthetic CBD analogs (SCAs) for inflammation and Pain (Synthetic CBD analogs are man-made derivatives of cannabidiol (CBD). These compounds have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anxiolytic properties, making it a potential treatment for arthritic conditions. This program is led by Professor Marc Feldmann with key players Professor Raphael Mechoulam , who discovered tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol, the main compounds in cannabis, and led pioneering research into the endocannabinoid system and also Gallily and Domb 👉🏻👉🏻a7nAChR nicotinic agonist for inflammation Numerous near-term inflection points for anti-TNF programs: 👉🏻First Clinical program fully enrolled in phase 2b/3 trial 👉🏻Two additional clinical programs projected to start 2H 2021 👉🏻First two anti-TNF clinical trials funded by UK grants and modest 180LS investment 👉🏻Very efficient cash flow model 👉🏻👉🏻Strong IP portfolio with a long lifespan, providing coverage up to 2039 https://180lifesciences.com/team/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/07/12/dr-mechoulam/?sh=669086286a45 https://merryjane.com/news/godfather-of-cannabis-isolated-a-new-weed-compound-that-has-profound-medical-value https://www.networknewswire.com/banking-on-the-next-blockbuster-drug/ 180 Life Sciences Corp. (180 Profile) since the founders have significant expertise in developing new therapeutics that were sold to big pharma for billions. They are renowned for development of some of the largest-selling drugs to ever come to market. Now they aim to do it again with a pipeline of drug candidates in sequential stages of development that address large untapped markets. The founding scientists at 180 Life Sciences discovered the anti-TNF drug class that led to Remicade, the fourth all-time best-selling drug in the world. Presently owned by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Remicade has exceeded $90 billion in total sales since approval. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) licensed the anti-TNF patents from these scientists for use with Humira, the second best-selling drug in the world, with lifetime sales of $137 billion. Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) owns the seventh best seller, Enbrel, that treats psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis and has generated over $81 billion in lifetime sales. Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) owns the world’s 12th best-selling drug, Diovan, which treats high blood pressure and heart failure and has over $60 billion in lifetime sales. 180 Life Sciences is led by Dr. James Woody: 👉🏻Dr. James N. Woody CEO•Discovered Remicade at Centocor•Founded Avidiaand Proteolix, which were sold to Amgen•GP of LatterellVenture Partners•25+ years of pharmaceutical research and management experience•General Manager of Roche Biosciences (Former Syntex) Chief Executive Officer Jim Woody has more than 25 years of pharmaceutical research and management expertise He currently serves as Chairman of Oncomed Pharmaceuticals, where he was previously a founder and CEO; he is also a General Partner at Latterell Venture Partners, a venture capital group focusing on early-stage healthcare companies He has served in a variety of health and management roles including as President of Roche Bioscience, and CSO and Senior Vice President of R&D for Centocor. At Centocor, Jim was part of the team that discovered Remicade, ($5.03 Billion in sales in 2019)used to treat arthritis and which is now one of the best-selling drugs in the world. He served as Commanding Officer and Director at the US Naval Medical Research and Development Command in Bethesda, Maryland trained in pediatric immunology at Duke University and Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard) He further holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of London, and has co-authored more than 140 publications. 👉🏻Prof Sir Marc Feldmann Co-Chairman•Pioneer of anti-TNF therapy, world’s biggest drug class ($40 billion) Anti-TNF discovery eventually led to Centocor’sacquisition by J&J for $4.9 Billion •7 International awards for Biomedical Innovation, including Crafoordand Lasker Awards Co-Chairman Professor Sir Marc Feldmann, AC FAA FRS FRCP Fmedsci is a pre-eminent immunologist, and an Emeritus professor at the University of Oxford. At the Kennedy in Insitute in London in the 1980's, he identified TNF as a target in the treatment of arthritis. Prof Sir Marc Feldmann led clinical trails of monocional antiTNF antibody in treatment resistant rheumatoid arthritis, which Centercor had generated and now called Infliximab, which J&J now sells as Remicade. Remicade was the main driver of the $4.9 Billion acquisition of Centocor by Johnson and Johnson . Since its approval of Remicade has sold over $50 Billion worldwide, and remains J&J's biggest selling drug. Feldmann is credited for the generation of anti-TNFs as the worlds biggest drug class since 2013, with global sales of $36 to $40 Billion in recent years. Sir Marc is intimately involved in the development of 2 of the 3 projects being developed by 180 Life Sciences, new uses of anti-TNF and synthetic cannabidiol analogues. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.This major impact on medical therapy led to his receiving a knighthood and also the Australian equivalent, Companion of the order of Australia. Sir Marc Feldmann is a fellow of the Royal Society, Australian Academy of sciences and a Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 👉🏻Prof Lawrence Steinman Co-Chairman•Discovered role of integrins, led to Natalizumab, highly effective treatment for MS and IBD•Tysabri sold to Biogen in 2017 for $3.25 Billion Member of National Academy of Sciences, 4 International awards for Biomedical Innovation including Charcot Prize; founder of Centocor Prof Lawrence Steinman is currently is the George A. Zimmermann Endowed Chair in Neurology department at Stanford University. His lab at Stanford University is dedicated to understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, particularly multiple sclerosis. Professor Steinman has overseen success in the pharmaceuticals industry; he was on the board of Centocor, sold to Johnson and Johnson for $4.9 Billion and was founder of Neurocrine Biosciences(NASDAQ:NBIX) which went public in 1997. Neurocrine Biosciences, a NASDAQ-listed company with an approximately $8.6 billion market cap. He served on the Board of Centocor and currently serves as an advisor to Atreca. Prof. Steinman received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 👉🏻Dr Jonathan Rothbard Chief Scientific Officer•Stanford University, broad experience in small molecule development•Founder of 5 biotech companies; Amylin sold to AstraZeneca and Bristol Myer Squibb for $7 Billion in 2012. Chief Scientific Officer Dr Jonathan Rothbard works in the neurology department at Stanford University Dr. Rothbard headed the mocecular Immunology Labortory at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London in 1990, where he first worked with Professor Sir Marc Feldmann Dr Rothbard has been involved at the high level with start-up pharmaceuticals discovery; in 1987 he founded Amylin in San Diego and has also founded start-ups CellGate and Immulogic Amylin was sold in 2012 to Brstol-Myers Squibb for $7 billion. 👉🏻Prof Raphael Mechoulam CO-Founder, 180 LS•Godfather of cannabinoid chemistry.Labeled as "THE GOD FATHER" of cannabis research, having worked on the chemistry with credited for the discovery of CBD and THC, pharmacology and clinical effects of natural products, including cannabis for over 50 years. He isolated numerous cannabinoids, including the active constituent of cannabis, delta9-THC, and elucidated its structure and CBD. This also paved the way to his discovery of 2AG and anandamide, both endogenous cannabinoids in late 1990s. He has published over 400 papers in esteemed scientific journals and be awarded several notable prizes including the Israeli Prize in Exact Sciences in 2000, NIDA discovery award in 2011, 2012 Rothschild Prize in Chemical Sciences and Physical Sciences, and Lifetime achievement award at CannaMed in 2016. Nominated for the NOBEL PRIZE Currently his work focuses on generating novel cannabinoids and anandamide-like compounds which are being developed as drugs. 👉🏻Prof Jagdeep Nanchahal Chairman of Clinical Advisory Board•Surgeon-scientist, Leading 2b/3 trial funded by WellcomeTrust and UKDept. of health•Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons; discovered new treatments for fibrosis. Professor Nanchahal is a surgeon at the University of Oxford, focused on defining the molecular mechanisms of common diseases such as fibrosis He has pioneered the treatment of fibrosis of the hand(Dupuytren's disease). 👉🏻Word from the CEO James Woody:' TAKES TIME TO GET WORD OUT'": Noting that the company has only been public since November 9th, James Woody acknowledged there hasn't been"a lot of time for analysts to come on board." I think the most important points are that we have a phenomenal team of people, and our projects are also quite exciting.It just takes time to get the word out," he added. (From an exclusive interview with the The Fly). I’d like to close by telling you why I took the role as CEO and what my personal goal is for the Company. My goal and the goal of the other members of management is to build stockholder value by developing world leading products to solve unmet medical needs. As management and insiders currently own over 50% of the Company, we believe our goals are directly aligned with the stockholders of the Company. Many members of our management team have not taken a salary to date. The good news for stockholders is that my team and I have done this before. We are a team who have developed not one but many blockbuster drugs. Our goal for 180 Life Sciences is to execute on a model we all know well, building upon past success, experience, and relationships to bring our pipeline candidates to market. We look forward to working hard for our collective benefit and communicating with you regularly moving forward. Thank you again for your invaluable support. Sincerely, James Woody MD, PhD CEO, 180Life Sciences Many people are asking what happened with the stock price when it dropped from $11 to $2. First you have to understand how SPACs work to get this price movement. 1. This was a very old SPAC that started in 2017 and took forever and ever to complete merger 2. Because of delays, lot of shareholders "redeemed" their shares (You can do this in SPACs) 3. This gave a false impression that the company might not be good 4. This SPAC had 12 million rights that automatically convert into 1.2 million shares after the merger. 5. Most of the right holders bought them between .10 and .30(which equates to $1 to $3 in price) 6. After the merger, most of the rights holders dumped their shares to lock in profit or break even rather than wait for the common to go up 7. Hence the big drop from $11 to $2 8. The fundamentals of this company and team are world class. So it's just a matter of time it's true value is reflected in the share price. 9. SPAC managers are NOT involved in the operations or management of ATNF in any way shape or form. They have nothing to do with ATNF anymore. 10. All the SPAC issues are behind them now 11. THE END
I made this post ages back. I know there’s still debates or sensitive issues surrounding being respectful with ancient North African and Middle Eastern religions where whitewashing and theft of artefacts is still a important topic to address. When it comes to revival of these lost traditions these ways of smoke cleansing can help modern practitioner who is unable to be taught or wants to avoid problems that can come from people over using surviving Indigenous ceremonies. At the bottom is Romanian sweeping traditions but I can’t say 100% if it’s open or needs training I trust the blogger on their own culture It’s an old post so no worries if I made any errors in it or history. I’m no professor Ancient Greek/Hellenism
A thymiaterion (from Ancient Greek: θυμιατήριον from θυμιάειν thymiaein "to smoke"; plural thymiateria) is a type of censer or incense burner, used in the Mediterranean region since antiquity for spiritual and religious purposes and especially in religious ceremonies.
Thymiateria were used in antiquity to burn incense during religious rituals such as sacrifices or offerings to the gods. Carved from marble, this thymiaterion is composed of three parts: a stemmed foot, a deep receptacle, and a lid. The deep bowl, which could have held a large amount of costly incense, rests on the spreading tray-like top of the tall foot. The lip of the bowl is scored along the edges to suggest an organic plant pattern. The same pattern is repeated on the domed lid, which is decorated with small ridges and perforated at regular intervals to allow the scented smoke to escape. The top of the lid is flat and undecorated, but a separately-made finial may originally have been attached. The sharp-edged, angular form of the thymiaterion with its decorative ridges imitates metal vessels. Traces of red paint remain on the foot and lid suggesting that the vessel was originally brightly painted.
The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage. The spread of thyme throughout Europe was thought to be due to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms and to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs".[2] In the European Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares.[3] In this period, women also often gave knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals, as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.[4]
Greece: the Latin name for mint, Mentha, comes from an ancient Greek myth. The story goes that a water nymph named Minthe had an affair with Hades, the god of the underworld. Hades’ wife, Persephone, was not happy about this and she used her powers to transform the water nymph into a low-growing plant that would be trampled by passersby. Hades could not undo the transformation, but he did give the plant a beautiful fragrance so that when Minthe was trampled, her true beauty would appear in the form of the aroma of mint. In ancient Greece, mint was used in funerary rituals along with rosemary and other aromatic herbs. The use of mint in funerals and association with death and the afterlife probably had practical reasons and came about because the strong smell of the herb would cover up any decaying odor from the body of the deceased.
Kyphi is a compound incense that was used in Ancient Egypt for religious and medical purposes. Kyphi is latinized from Greek κυ̑φι for Ancient Egyptian "kap-t", incense, from "kap", to perfume, to cense, to heat, to burn, to ignite.[1][2] The word root also exists in Indo-European languages, with a similar meaning, like in Sanskrit कपि (kapi) "incense", Greek καπνός "smoke", and Latin vapor. The manufacture of kyphi involves blending and boiling the ingredients in sequence. According to Galen, the result was rolled into balls and placed on hot coals to give a perfumed smoke; it was also drunk as a medicine for liver and lung ailments.[7]
There is also a type of incense known as jb (referred to on the Stele of Sekerkhabau from Saqqara). The name was written using the hieroglyph for kid (a young male goat) leading some to suggest that it was based on musk. According to Plutarch the Ancient Egyptians burned frankincense in the morning, myrrh at midday and Kyphi (Kapet) in the evening. In addition certain gods were associated with specific types of incense (for example, Hathor was strongly associated with myrrh) and certain types of incense were used for specific ceremonies. Incense ingredients were either ground and thrown on hot coals or mixed with dried fruit (such as raisins or dates) and formed into small pellets to be burned.
The experience of aromatic oils was not just for the Gods, it was felt by the people in and around the spaces where they were burned. This was particularly true within Assyrian culture in northern Mesopotamia. Kiersten Neumann, a Curator and Research Associate at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, discussed the raw materials connected to aromatics within Assyrian temples: cedar, cypress, juniper, boxwood and fir (terebinth). Service to the gods was performed by elite personnel within the temple. The Arabian peninsula was the principle place to acquire these spices and incenses. Arabic caravans used camels that traveled along a set trade route that then sold these precious substances to those who wished to burn them.
Takpirtu or Takpertu, inscribed tak-pir-tú and as a gloss to the term šu-gur-gur-meš, and literally meaning “wiping,” from kupurru,[1] “to wipe, rub,” or more generally ““to perform a wiping rite,” were Mesopotamian purification rituals whose oldest attestations go back to the Old Babylonian period. It was an integral part of the Bīt rimki and Bīt salā’ mê rituals and may have been a cleansing rite in its own right as it is listed separately in the Exorcists Manual, perhaps in the form of tak-pir-tú nussētiq, burnt offerings.[2] Its earliest appearance seems to have been at Mari. Middle Babylonian attestation comes in the form of two references to the supply of grain or flour for the ceremony in temple administrative tablets from Kassite Nippur.[3] In later neo-Assyrian and neo-Babylonian periods it was used for the spiritual cleansing of a field or a building, especially in the temple of the moon god Sîn in Uruk, but also in the context of a person, such as a sick person or the king, a type of cleansing ceremony was accompanied by a liḫšu, whispered prayer, “By the life of Anu and Enlil they are conjured,”[4] or conjuration, "butting evil." Dough was wiped over the thigh of the subject, a scapegoat was sacrificed or carcass of a sheep was used to purify the cella of the temple,[5] which was afterwards cast into the river along with the zisurrû, “magic circle of flour,” and garakku-brazier, a black and white cord.[6]
Mîs-pî, inscribed KA-LUḪ.Ù.DA and meaning “washing of the mouth,” is an ancient Mesopotamian ritual and incantation series for the cultic induction or vivification of a newly manufactured divine idol. It involved around eleven stages: in the city, countryside and temple, the workshop, a procession to the river, then beside the river bank, a procession to the orchard, in reed huts and tents in the circle of the orchard, to the gate of the temple, the niche of the sanctuary and finally, at the quay of the Apsû, accompanied by invocations to the nine great gods, the nine patron gods of craftsmen, and assorted astrological bodies The rituals are for the consecration of a cultic image, a statue formed from a wooden core encased in gold and/or silver, decorated with inlaid precious stones, and dressed in robes. They involve the “washing of the mouth” (mîs-pî proper) on the first day to cleanse the statue of all traces of human contamination in the production of the idol, and the “opening of the mouth” (inscribed KA.DUḪ.Ù.DA, Akkadian: pit pî) performed with syrup, ghee, cedar and cypress on the second to bring it to life, sacraments which may be related to the pit uzni, “ear-opening” ceremony. “On this day be present: for this statue which stands before you ceremoniously grant him the destiny that his mouth may eat, that his ears might hear.”[3] The rituals facilitated the idol taking on the persona of the deity, awakening the supernatural force within it, and enabling it to see, act, eat and drink the offerings and smell the incense:[4] ṣalmu annû ina la pīt pî qutrinna ul iṣṣin akala ul ikkal mêul išatti, “this statue cannot smell incense without the “Opening of the Mouth” ceremony, it cannot eat food nor drink water.”[3] Four exemplars from Hellenic Uruk do not include the pit pî stage, but instead introduce a burnt offering of a brushwood fire, lamentations recited by a kalû-priest and the presence of the monarch. Its application seems to have spread to encompass other objects, such as a ceremonial torch, the hide of a bull which is to cover a lilissu- or kettledrum,[5] the apotropaic figurines used in the Šēp lemutti ritual, the divinatory bag of the barû-priest, the mouth of the river to abate its torrent, and even the jewels adorning a king’s chariot. It seems that the process of mouth-washing was intended to prepare a person or thing for contact with the divine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%AEs-p%C3%AE
Pagan Heathen and Old English
To hallow is "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate".[1] The adjective form hallowed, as used in The Lord's Prayer, means holy, consecrated, sacred, or revered.[2] The noun form hallow, as used in Hallowtide, is a synonym of the word saint.[3][4][5]
The noun is from the Old English adjective hālig, nominalised as se hālga "the holy man". The Gothic word for "holy" is either hailags or weihaba, weihs. "To hold as holy" or "to become holy" is weihnan, "to make holy, to sanctify" is weihan. Holiness or sanctification is weihiþa. Old English, like Gothic, had a second term of similar meaning, wēoh "holy", with a substantive wīh or wīg, Old High German wīh or wīhi (Middle High German wîhe, Modern German Weihe). The Nordendorf fibula has wigiþonar, interpreted as wīgi-þonar "holy Donar" or "sacred to Donar". Old Norse vé is a type of shrine. The weihs group is cognate to Latin victima, an animal dedicated to the gods and destined to be sacrificed.
Fire in general used to hallow or sanctify an area
In Eyrbyggja saga (bit not in Landnamabok) it is recorded Poroflr carried fire round the land he claimed. This ritual was probably also performed in order to sanctify his new homeland. It is possible that this land was related in one or another sense to the Hof building. This may be supported by other Old Norse texts.
The saga begins with Gotland being discovered by a man named Þieluar (Tjalve) (Gutnish: Tjelvar). He was a mythical figure who shows up twice in the Prose Edda and once in Gutasaga. Gotland is under a spell and under water during the day and out of water only during the night, a spell that is broken by Þieluar lighting a fire on the Island. Þieluar's son Hafþi (Havde) and his wife Vitastjerna (Gutnish: Hwitastierna) had three sons named Graip, Gute and Gunfjaun, the ancestors of the Gutes. After Havde's and Vitastjerna's first night together, she had a dream about three snakes entwined in her bosom. This was interpreted as a symbol that all things are connected in circles and that they would have three sons. The subject is depicted on some of the picture stones on Gotland.
Reocan From Proto-Germanic *reukaną, whence also Old Frisian riāka, Old High German riohhan, Old Norse rjúka. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reocan#Old_English Reek From Middle English rek, reke (“smoke”), from Old English rēc, rīec, from Proto-Germanic *raukiz (compare West Frisian reek, riik, Dutch rook, Low German Röök, German Rauch, Danish røg, Norwegian Bokmål røyk), from Proto-Indo-European *rowgi- (compare Lithuanian rū̃kti (“to smoke”), rū̃kas (“smoke, fog”), Albanian regj (“to tan”)).[1] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reek
and
however, a term with old english roots that conveys the proper meaning of smoke cleansing in witchcraft: rēcan. pronounced similarly to the modern word “reek,” the term rēcan means: “to fumigate, expose to smoke, cause to emit smoke, or burn as incense.” closely related, the old english word rēocan means: “to emit vapor, steam, or smoke.” the term later evolved into the middle english word reken, meaning “to emit smoke.” while the word was not exclusively used to refer to foul smells, it lost much of its original meaning as it evolved into the modern day “reek,” which is now associated only with unpleasant stenches. given its old english roots and lackluster definition, the term rēcan makes an eloquent and appropriate moniker for the smoke cleansing performed in non-native practices of witchcraft and paganism.
The "Nine Herbs Charm" is an Old English charm recorded in the tenth-century CE[1] Anglo-Saxon medical compilation known as Lacnunga, which survives on in the manuscript London, British Library, Harley 585.[2] The charm is intended for the treatment of poisoning and infection by a preparation of nine herbs. The numbers nine and three, significant in Germanic paganism and later Germanic folklore, are mentioned frequently within the charm.[2] The poem contains references to Christian and English Pagan elements, including a mention of the major Germanic god Woden.
The Apple Wassail is a traditional form of wassailing practiced in the cider orchards of southern England during the winter. There are many well recorded instances of the Apple Wassail in the early modern period. The first recorded mention was at Fordwich, Kent, in 1585, by which time groups of young men would go between orchards performing the rite for a reward. The practice was sometimes referred to as "howling". On Twelfth Night, men would go with their wassail bowl into the orchard and go about the trees. Slices of bread or toast were laid at the roots and sometimes tied to branches. Cider was also poured over the tree roots. The ceremony is said to "bless" the trees to produce a good crop in the forthcoming season. Among the most famous wassail ceremonies are those in Whimple, Devon and Carhampton, Somerset, both on 17 January.
Saining is a Scots word for blessing, protecting or consecrating.[1] Sain is cognate with the Irish and Scottish Gaelic seun and sian and the Old Irish sén - "a protective charm."[2][3][4] Traditional saining rites may involve water that has been blessed in some fashion, or the smoke from burning juniper, accompanied by spoken prayers or poetry.[2][3] Saining can also refer to less formal customs like making religious signs to protect against evil, such as the sign of the cross. In Shetland, the Scottish folklorist F. Marian McNeil refers to the custom of making the sign of Thor's hammer to sain the goblet that was passed around at New Year's celebrations.[5] An old Hogmanay (New Year's) custom in the Highlands of Scotland, which has survived to a small extent and seen some degree of revival, is to celebrate Hogmanay with the saining of the household and livestock. Early on New Year's morning, householders drink and then sprinkle 'magic water' from 'a dead and living ford' around the house (a 'dead and living ford' refers to a river ford that is routinely crossed by both the living and the dead). After the sprinkling of the water in every room, on the beds and all the inhabitants, the house is sealed up tight and branches of juniper are set on fire and carried throughout the house and byre. The juniper smoke is allowed to thoroughly fumigate the buildings until it causes sneezing and coughing among the inhabitants. Then all the doors and windows are flung open to let in the cold, fresh air of the new year. The woman of the house then administers 'a restorative' from the whisky bottle, and the household sits down to its New Year breakfast.[6] Saining with juniper was also used in healing rites, where the evil eye was suspected to be the cause of the illness, but it apparently fell out of use by the end of the nineteenth century after a young girl with respiratory problems suffocated due to the amount of smoke that filled the house.[7] Saining is a common practice in modern traditions based on Scottish folklore, such as blessing and protecting children and other family members.[2][3] While many of the surviving saining prayers and charms are Christian in nature,[2][3] others that focus on the powers of nature are used as part of Gaelic Polytheist ceremonies.[8][9]
Each household would have a hearth fire over which all the household food would be prepared, and around which the most important aspects of family life would happen. The hearth fire would traditionally have been kept alight all year long in both Scotland and Ireland, with the exception of Bealltainn eve when it was extinguished and then relit from a flame brought from a communal bonfire to ensure health and prosperity upon the household in the coming year.1 It was a matter of pride and superstition not to let the flame die out even in the height of summer, and many households could boast that their hearth had remained alight for several generations – even centuries. If the fire did die out, it was said “the soul goes out of the people of the house.”2 Smooring, therefore – a Scots word usually translated as ‘smothering,’ but perhaps more accurately ‘subduing’3 – was a process by which the fire was dampened down so it would not need tending, and therefore could be left safely alight during the night. In Ireland, it was said that the Good Folk would be displeased if they arrived at a house during the night to find that there was no fire for them.4 In Ireland, a charm such as this was said as the fire was covered with the ashes: “Coiglim an tine seo mar choigleann Críost cáidh; Muire ar mhullach an tí, agus Bríd ina lár; An t-ochtar ainglí is tréine i gCathair na nGrás Ag cumhdach an ti seo ‘s a mhuintir thabhairt slán. I save this fire, as noble Christ saves; Mary on the top of the house and Brigid in its centre; the eight strongest angels in Heaven preserving this house and keeping its people safe.)”6 These days it’s not really possible for most households to keep a flame burning all year round, if at all. As a result, the ritual becomes more symbolic, something to be done as you go up to bed and make sure all the lights and appliances are switched off, for example. The following rune is just one example of a smooring that was recorded by Carmichael. I tend to visualise the sacred three as being the gods, the ancestors and the nature spirits: Smooring the fire An Trì naomh A chumhnadh, A chomhnadh, A chomraig An tula, An taighe, An teaghlaich, An oidhche, An nochd, O! an oidhche, An nochd, Agus gach oidhche, Gach aon oidhche. The sacred Three To save, To shield, To surround The hearth, The house, The household, This eve, This night, Oh! this eve, This night, And every night, Each single night.8
Sweeping In Romanian lore, the besom is a potent object which becomes truly magical at special occasions. For example, for Marina’s Day which is celebrated in Romania on July 17, mothers celebrate Marina, the protector of the souls of dead children, by crafting brooms with bristles made out of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and offering them to each other alongside flowers, corn, and chicks, and they keep the brooms which they use to sweep their homes and yards. They believe that these special brooms not only sweep away the dirt, but also bad luck and spirits such as the strigoi. Strigoii, which are believed to mount the brooms of the villagers to go to their nocturnal gatherings on the nights of Sângiorz (April 23) and Sântandrei (November 30), were unable to mount the brooms made of Wormwood. The Wormwood broom is also used by the Romanian people to bring someone back home, to sweep away evil forces, and even illness by sweeping around the ill. The broom is also a potent tool against Muma Pădurii (the mother of the forest). For this, the broom of the witch or the disenchantress or the broom of the mother whose child is haunted by the mother of the forest is used during a disenchanting ritual by sweeping the entrance to the home or by placing it next to the child’s bed. In all the spells and charms where the broom is used to repel something evil, the disenchantress or the witch always says to said evil to leave and go far away “because I will sweep you with the broom” (“Că eu cu mătura te-oi mătura”) otherwise.
Recent Updates (Note: These are the updates from the last 48-72 hours.)
MARCH 30 - General:
Coronavirus death rate is lower than previously reported, study says, but it's still deadlier than seasonal flu. The research, published in the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, estimated that about 0.66% of those infected with the virus will die. That coronavirus death rate, which is lower than earlier estimates, takes into account potentially milder cases that often go undiagnosed -- but it's still far higher than the 0.1% of people who are killed by the flu. When undetected infections aren't taken into account, the Lancet study found that the coronavirus death rate was 1.38%, which is more consistent with earlier reports. Read more here.
Updates from around the world:
Portugal has temporarily given all migrants and asylum seekers full citizenship rights, granting them full access to the country's healthcare as the outbreak of the novel coronavirus escalates in the country. The move will "unequivocally guarantee the rights of all the foreign citizens" with applications pending with Portuguese immigration, meaning they are "in a situation of regular permanence in National Territory," until June 30. Read more here.
Sweden is open for business during its coronavirus outbreak; the Scandinavian country believes its distinctive high-trust culture will protect it from needing to shut down for the pandemic. It's now the only country in Europe to not have restricted movement. Read more here.
Brazil’s governors are defying President Jair Bolsonaro over his call to reopen schools and businesses, dismissing his argument that the “cure” of widespread shutdowns to contain the spread of the coronavirus is worse than the disease. Read more here.
Panama has announced new movement restrictions: Starting April 1, women will circulate Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and men Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On Sundays everyone should stay at home. The same schedule is used with the last ID number and exceptions established in Decree 507 remain. See the tweet here.
Netherlands: A painting by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh was stolen in an overnight smash-and-grab raid on a museum that was closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, police and the museum said Monday. Read more here.
Updates from the United States:
A 1,000-bed Navy ship, the Comfort, has arrived in New York City. The ship has 12 operating rooms, a medical laboratory and more than 1,000 officers. See the video here.
Federal judges block 3 states from enforcing abortion bans tied to the pandemic. Ohio, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama and Oklahoma are among the other states that recently moved to suspend access. The judges on Monday lifted restrictions Texas, Ohio and Alabama imposed on abortion during the coronavirus pandemic in decisions that could have repercussions for several more Republican-led states that have deemed the procedure non-essential during the crisis. Read more here.
Arizona, Virginia, and Washington D.C. have now joined dozens of other states in issuing stay-at-home orders. You can see all the states that currently have stay-at-home orders and advisories here.
MARCH 29 - Updates from around the world:
Hungary: Parliament passes bill that gives PM Orbán unlimited power & proclaims:
State of emergency w/o time limit
Rule by decree
Parliament suspended
No elections
Spreading fake news + rumors: up to 5 yrs in prison
The former Italian Prime Minister calls for Hungary to reverse its dictatorship law or else be expelled from the EU. See the tweet here.
The postponed Tokyo Olympics have been rescheduled and will now be held from July 23 to August 8 in 2021. Read more here.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude plunged to its cheapest in 18 years on Monday, while U.S. crude briefly tumbled below $20 per barrel, on heightened fears that the global coronavirus shutdown could last months and demand for fuel could decline further. Read more here.
Spain's Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma has become the first royal to die from the novel coronavirus. The 86-year-old was a cousin of Spain’s King Felipe VI. She died after contracting COVID-19. Read more here.
Australia: Two Australian states close gun shops. Read more here.
Japan will deny entry to people coming from the U.S., China, South Korea, and most of Europe. See the tweet here.
Mexico is calling on all residents in Mexico to stay at home until April 19, saying it was the only way to reduce the transmission rate of the coronavirus.Read more here.
Belarus president refuses to cancel anything - and says vodka and saunas will ward off COVID-19. Read more here.
Netherlands: In a national address to the Dutch nation on Monday, March 16th, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country would aim to develop immunity to the novel coronavirus among its population by allowing large numbers to contract the illness at a controlled pace. In the past week, Rutte has since walked back the herd immunity policy line by introducing what could be characterized as lockdown light. The country's pragmatic balancing act doesn't seem to be working as well as intended...The confirmed case fatality rate in the Netherlands of approximately 7% stands in stark contrast to its neighbor Germany’s 0.7%. Read more here.
Indonesia may soon quarantine almost 30 million people in its capital and surrounding areas and limit people’s movement between regions to contain the spread of the coronavirus that’s killed more than 100 people in the world’s fourth-most populous nation. Read more here.
South Korea: Around 14 million South Korean households will qualify for financial assistance under the government’s newly announced disaster support fund. The level of support depends on the number of people in the household, with one person households qualifying for 400,000 won ($327), while households with four or more people will receive 1 million won ($817) in support. Read more here.
Nigeria: Both Nigeria's largest city and its capital city will be under a "cessation of movement" for 14 days, said Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in a Sunday address, which was published on Twitter. See the tweet here.
Updates from the United States:
President Trump extends social distancing guidelines to April 30. See the tweet here.
CDC issues domestic travel advisory for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Read more here.
The Justice Department has started to probe a series of stock transactions made by lawmakers ahead of the sharp market downturn stemming from the spread of coronavirus, according to two people familiar with the matter. The inquiry, which is still in its early stages and being done in coordination with the Securities and Exchange Commission, has so far included outreach from the FBI to at least one lawmaker, Sen. Richard Burr, seeking information about the trades, according to one of the sources. Read more here.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke to reporters Sunday morning saying Americans should start to see checks from the $2 trillion stimulus bill direct deposited into their accounts over the next three weeks. Read more here.
New York City builds emergency field hospital in Central Park. The mayor announced the construction of a 68-bed emergency field hospital in Central Park's East Meadow. Read more here.
Maryland has now joined other U.S. states in announcing a stay-at-home order. Read more here.
Michigan: State Rep. Isaac Robinson, D-Detroit, died Sunday. Crain’s reported that Robinson died of “suspected coronavirus infection,” but the cause of his death was not immediately confirmed late Sunday. Read more here.
Liberty University reopened last week, igniting a firestorm. As of Friday, Dr. Eppes said, nearly a dozen Liberty students were sick with symptoms that suggested Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Three were referred to local hospital centers for testing. An additional eight were told to self-isolate. Read more here.
MARCH 28 - Updates from around the world:
Germany: Mr Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germany's Hesse state, has committed suicide apparently after becoming "deeply worried" over how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus. Mr Schaefer, 54, was found dead near a railway track on Saturday. Read more here.
India is planning to turn some railway coaches into isolation wards for patients with coronavirus, as authorities scramble to prepare the country's health infrastructure for an expected surge in cases. Read more here.
United Kingdom: Fruit and veg ‘will run out’ unless Britain charters planes to fly in farm workers from eastern Europe. UK urgently needs to fill 90,000 positions to pick crops that will otherwise die in the fields. Read more here.
Spain's quarantine measures have been extended until April 9. Read more here. Meanwhile, the regional government of Madrid is planning to set up a second makeshift morgue, which could start receiving coffins on Monday. The facility is located inside a failed development project called the City of Justice that was launched in 2005 to bring together all of Madrid’s judicial institutions. Read more here.
France: A French former cabinet minister and former president of the Parisian Haut-de-Seine administrative district has become one of the first high-profile politicians to die of COVID-19. Patrick Devedjian was 75. Read more here.
Vietnam has started closing non-essential services and restricting religious activities, parts of measures under a directive signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc that runs from Saturday until April 15. Provincial and municipal leaders will decide which specific services are to be shut down. Read more here.
Mexico: President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been criticized at home and abroad for what many called a lackadaisical posture — urging people to hug, shaking hands and kissing well-wishers as he stumped and extolling his personal good-luck charms such as Catholic scapulars, a shamrock and $2 bill. But the president and his team have shifted their message radically in recent days, as virus cases have begun surging, urging people to stay home and to practice social distancing — and warning of dire results if that advice is ignored. Although the Mexican government still hasn't instituted curfews or mandatory stay-at-home orders. Read more here. This change comes after a Mexican governor sparked outrage earlier in the week by claiming that poor people are immune to the virus. Read more here.
Updates from the United States:
Kansas joins dozens of other states in issuing a stay-at-home order. Read more here.
Rhode Island sparked outrage with the state's new coronavirus measures, which include stopping and screening passengers in cars wtih New York license plates, and going door-to-door to inform any New Yorkers who may have come to the state that they must self-quarantine for 14 days. Read more here. In response, NY Governor Cuomo has threatened to sue Rhode Island. Read more here.
Meanwhile, President Trump and Governor Cuomo got into a constitutional slapfight about whether or not a federal quarantine would be mandated for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In the end, President Trump backed down and instead requested the CDC issue a "strong travel advisory" for the area, which has now happened. Read more here.
Lost in the Sauce: DHS hides intelligence that reveals Trump using Russia's playbook, again
Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis. Housekeeping:
HOW TO SUPPORT: I know we are all facing unprecedented financial hardships right now. If you are in the position to support my work, I have a patreon, venmo, and a paypal set up. No pressure though, I will keep posting these pieces publicly no matter what - paywalls suck.
NOTIFICATIONS: You can signup to receive notifications when these posts are done.
Trump’s playbook is Russia’s playbook
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in July withheld an intelligence bulletin warning of a Russian plot to spread misinformation regarding Joe Biden's mental health. The bulletin, titled “Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of U.S. Candidates to Influence 2020 Election,” was blocked by the office of acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf on July 9.
The bulletin states that analysts had “high confidence” in their conclusion. However, a DHS spokesperson tried to defend the “delay” in issuing the document by saying it did not meet the agency’s standards. This is curious because just a week later, on July 16, DHS circulated a bulletin on anarchists in Portland that officers admitted they had “low confidence” in. Why was the Russia memo held back but the Portland one released?
Trump has been pushing the same line of attack against Biden for months - yet another instance of Russia and Trump operating from the same playbook. For instance, in March Trump said there was “something going on” with Biden; in June Trump ran selectively edited ads asserting that Biden is “unfit to serve as Commander in Chief”; last month Trump ran a digital ad portraying Biden as perpetually confused and mentally unstable. Most recently, Trump said questions about his own health are only in the news because “they want to try and get me to be on Biden's physical level."
DHS is just the latest agency in the Trump administration to erode election security, following actions by the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) last month. DNI John Ratcliffe announced he was ending in-person congressional briefings on election security ahead of November and AG Bill Barr removed a leading career official at the Justice Department’s national security division, replacing him with an inexperienced political appointee. The ODNI’s decision to halt congressional election briefs may have been influenced by top White House officials. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, among others, have repeatedly discussed in meetings with staff and with Trump “how to restrict and control the flow of information on such sensitive topics to Capitol Hill.”
One White House official told The Daily Beast that Meadows has for months been wary of the type of briefings on Capitol Hill that Democratic sources can potentially use to try to make Trump look bad through surreptitious leaks to media outlets.
Meanwhile, interim Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Marco Rubio (R-FL) said last week that his committee will be granted an exception to the ODNI’s new policy and continue to receive in-person briefings from top U.S. intelligence officials about election-security issues. This essentially means that only Democrat-led committees have been cut out of the process ensuring election security. House Democrats wrote to Ratcliffe insinuating if his office does not provide the previously scheduled briefings this month they will issue subpoenas and/or defund the ODNI in the appropriations bill due by the end of the month. Read the letter here. In addition to attacks on Biden’s health, DHS has determined that Russia is seeking to “amplify” concerns over the integrity of U.S. elections by promoting allegations that mail-in voting will lead to widespread fraud. Intelligence analysts say this strategy has been underway since at least March, coinciding with Trump’s own assaults on mail-in voting.
For instance, in March Trump said if he agreed to funding vote-by-mail expansions in the first coronavirus stimulus bill, the U.S. would see “levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again” (clip). Fact check: Neither party has historically benefited. On April 7, at the White House press briefing, Trump claimed: "Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country, because they're cheaters… They're fraudulent in many cases" (clip). Fact check: There is no evidence that mail ballots are dangerous or fraudulent.
At a White House press briefing on Friday, Trump denied there is any proof that Russia poisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Instead of backing the German government's analysis of Nalvany's illness, Trump then redirected the criticism from Russia to China (clip).
"I don't know exactly what happened. I think it's tragic. It's terrible; it shouldn't happen. We haven't had any proof yet, but I will take a look. It is interesting that everybody is always mentioning Russia - and I don't mind you mentioning Russia - but I think probably China, at this point, is a nation that you should be talking about much more so than Russia. Because the things that China's doing are far worse.”
Trump then went on to say he’s “taken stronger action against Russia than any other country in the world,” but added “I do get along with President Putin” (clip).
RELATED: Leaked notes obtained by the Telegraph say that when Theresa May asked for Trump to take a strong stand after Russia poisoned Sergei Skripal, Trump replied “I’d rather follow than lead.” He pushed May to “put together a coalition” first.
The Trump administration plans to deport a Russian national living in America, a move experts say is in response to a politically motivated request by Russia. Gregory Duralev was persecuted by the Russian state for exposing corruption. He fled to America and applied for asylum in 2015. While waiting for a decision on his application, he was arrested by ICE and jailed for nearly 18 months. His case is now in court.
“DHS has acted no better than the Russian authorities,” Duralev said. “They simply fabricated charges against me for violations I never committed — and if DHS can trump up charges against immigrants with impunity, nobody can guarantee they won’t start doing it” to regular Americans. “So that’s the main message I now hope to send.”
Michael Cohen & Peter Strzok
Former FBI agent Peter Strzok has a book coming out called “Compromised.” In it, he alleges that FBI investigators came to believe it was “conceivable, if unlikely” that Russia was secretly controlling President Trump after he took office:
“We certainly had evidence that this was the case: that Trump, while gleefully wreaking havoc on America’s political institutions and norms, was pulling his punches when it came to our historic adversary, Russia,” Strzok writes. “Given what we knew or had cause to suspect about Trump’s compromising behavior in the weeks, months, and years leading up to the election, moreover, it also seemed conceivable, if unlikely, that Moscow had indeed pulled off the most stunning intelligence achievement in human history: secretly controlling the president of the United States — a Manchurian candidate elected.”
He now says he doesn’t believe that Trump is literally a Russian spy: “I don’t think that Trump, when he meets with Putin, receives a task list for the next quarter,” Strzok said, referencing the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. “But I do think the president is compromised, that he is unable to put the interests of our nation first, that he acts from hidden motives, because there is leverage over him, held specifically by the Russians but potentially others as well.” In an interview with Politico, Strzok confirms that he and then-deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, opened a counterintelligence case on the president, but that it likely was never pursued. Two weeks ago, NYT reported that Rosenstein secretly closed it. As if there weren’t enough political books coming out this summefall, Michael Cohen is releasing his, called “Disloyal: A Memoir.” The following a couple of quick takeaways: Cohen says that he, Trump, Aras Agalarov, Emin Agalarov, and others, watched a strip show in Las Vegas where one performer simulated peeing on another performer, who pretended to drink it. Trump reportedly reacted with “delight.” Aras Agalarov, a Russian real estate mogul, is a trusted associate of Putin and reportedly served as a liaison between Trump and the Russian president during Trump’s trip to Moscow. WaPo:
On Russia, Cohen writes that the cause behind Trump’s admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin is simpler than many of his critics assume. Above all, he writes, Trump loves money — and he wrongly identified Putin as “the richest man in the world by a multiple.” Trump loved Putin, Cohen wrote, because the Russian leader had the ability “to take over an entire nation and run it like it was his personal company — like the Trump Organization, in fact.” ...According to Cohen, Trump’s sycophantic praise of the Russian leader during the 2016 campaign began as a way to suck up and ensure access to the oligarch’s money after he lost the election. But he claims Trump came to understand that Putin’s hatred of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, dating to her support for the 2011 protest movement in Russia, could also help Trump amass more power in the United States.
USPS & mail voting
According to a Washington Post report yesterday, Postmaster Louis DeJoy engaged in campaign money laundering, also called a straw-donor scheme, at his former logistics business. Five of his former employees told WaPo that they were “urged” to donate to politicians in North Carolina and would be paid back through bonuses from DeJoy. Such a plan would allow DeJoy to illegally circumvent campaign donation limits.
“Louis was a national fundraiser for the Republican Party. He asked employees for money. We gave him the money, and then he reciprocated by giving us big bonuses,” said David Young, DeJoy’s longtime director of human resources, who had access to payroll records at New Breed from the late 1990s to 2013 and is now retired. “He would ask employees to make contributions at the same time that he would say, ‘I’ll get it back to you down the road,’ ” said [another] former employee. ...A Washington Post analysis of federal and state campaign finance records found a pattern of extensive donations by New Breed employees to Republican candidates, with the same amount often given by multiple people on the same day. Between 2000 and 2014, 124 individuals who worked for the company together gave more than $1 million to federal and state GOP candidates. Many had not previously made political donations, and have not made any since leaving the company, public records show.
More than one million mail-in ballots were sent late to voters during the 2020 primary elections, an audit by the USPS IG’s office determined. Most of the ballots were late, the USPS says, because local election boards sent the ballots to voters at the last minute. Official press release.
[The audit] found the problems during primaries had been most pronounced in Kentucky and New York, where a combined 628,000 ballots were sent out late. In 17 states, the audit found, more than 589,000 ballots were sent from election boards to voters after the state’s ballot mailing deadline. In 11 states, more than 44,000 ballots were sent from election boards to voters the day of or the day before the state’s primary election. One particularly troubling situation, auditors found, unfolded in Pennsylvania, where 500 ballots were sent to voters the day after the election.
Furthermore, only 13% of the ballots were mailed with the recommended bar code tracking technology. Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) was blocked from attending two scheduled tours of USPS facilities last week. Local Postal Service officials informed her and union leaders waiting to accompany her into the building that national USPS leadership had directed them to bar the group from the building. A Postal Service spokeswoman said they simply needed more notice for a tour. Many states, including important battleground states, are not legally permitted to process mail-in/absentee ballots until Election Day, leading to concern that results will be delayed by days or weeks. For instance, in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan election officials cannot even begin processing ballots until Election Day. Processing involves opening envelopes, flattening ballots to run through the scanning machine, and prepping for the scanning.
"When voters have to wait so long for results, it erodes trust in the process and leaves room for partisan bad actors to dispute the will of the people," said Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, a nonprofit organization.
AG Bill Barr made three stunning false claims about mail voting during an interview with Wolf Blitzer last week. First, Barr wouldn’t even acknowledge that voting twice is a crime - because just hours earlier, Trump encouraged his North Carolina supporters to vote twice to “test” the state’s mail-in voting system (clip).
BLITZER: It sounds like he’s encouraging people to break the law and try to vote twice. BARR: It seems to me what he’s saying is, he’s trying to make the point that the ability to monitor this system is not good. And it was so good, if you tried to vote a second time you would be caught if you voted in person. BLITZER: That would be illegal if they did that. If somebody mailed in a ballot and then actually showed up to vote in person, that would be illegal. BARR: "I don't know what the law in the particular state says.” BLITZER: You can’t vote twice. BARR: "I don't know what the law in the particular state says.”
Then, Barr tried to assert that foreign countries could fake ballots, but when challenged he admitted he had no evidence (clip).
BLITZER: You’ve said you were worried that a foreign country could send thousands of fake ballots, thousands of fake ballots to people that it might be impossible to detect. What are you basing that on? BARR: I’m basing — as I’ve said repeatedly, I’m basing that on logic. BLITZER: Pardon? BARR: Logic.
Finally, Barr cited a supposed incident of mail-in voting fraud in Texas. Too bad it doesn’t exist.
The payroll
Charles Rettig, the Trump-appointed IRS Commissioner who has refused to release President Trump’s tax returns, has made hundreds of thousands of dollars renting out Trump properties while in office. Rettig makes $100,000 - $200,000 a year from two units at Trump International Waikiki. When first nominated, Rettig failed to disclose his financial ties to Trump Waikiki. When questioned by Congress, he did not directly answer concerns about the properties.
CREW: With Trump’s name removed from some buildings as it began to hurt property values, we can only imagine how toxic it would become if a bombshell in his tax returns were released. Which means the IRS Commissioner has a vested interest in the success of the Trump brand—and of preventing anything that could damage it.
Voice of America staffers say Trump appointee Michael Pack is threatening to wash away legal protections intended to insulate their news reports from political meddling. Since arriving, Pack has fired the network's leaders, pushed out agency executives, refused to approve allotted budgets, and refused to renew visas for foreign employees.
Further reading: “Deleted Biden video sets off a crisis at Voice of America,” Politico.
Pack suggested the staff he fired and foreign journalists he essentially kicked out may have been foreign spies, without offering any evidence to support his claim. A group of 14 senior VOA journalists are openly disputing his explanation:
“Mr. Pack has made a thin excuse that his actions are meant to protect national security, but just as was the case with the McCarthy ‘Red Scare,’ which targeted VOA and other government organizations in the mid-1950s, there has not been a single demonstrable case of any individual working for VOA — as the USAGM CEO puts it — ‘posing as a spy,’ ” they wrote.
The White House is searching for a replacement for Federal Trade Commission Chair Joe Simons, a Republican who has publicly resisted President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on social media companies. Simons, a veteran antitrust lawyer, cannot legally be removed by the president except in cases of gross negligence. But the White House has already interviewed at least one candidate for the post.
RELATED: The Justice Department plans to bring an antitrust case against Google as soon as this month, after Attorney General William P. Barr overruled career lawyers who said they needed more time to build a strong case.
Richard Grenell, formerly the highest-ranking out gay official in the Trump administration, has joined a law firm founded by Pat Robertson that has a history of opposing LGBTQ+ rights. Grenell also recently joined the Republican National Committee to do outreach to LGBTQ+ voters. The Trump administration has quietly named a new acting State Department inspector general. Matthew Klimow, the U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan since mid-2019, is the third acting IG since Trump and Pompeo ousted Senate-confirmed IG Steve Linick in May. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s current special envoy to Northern Ireland, former Chief of Staff, and former acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is starting a hedge fund focused on financial services regulation. Ethics experts say Mulvaney explicitly using his knowledge of CFPB to place bets for and against companies gives him an unfair and perhaps illegal advantage.
Court and DOJ matters
Court cases The Trump administration must, for now, stop winding down in-person counting efforts for the 2020 census, a federal judge in California ordered. The three-judge panel hearing a challenge to Trump’s new anti-immigrant census policy seemed hostile to the government’s arguments in a hearing last week. A federal judge has stopped the Trump administration from enforcing a rule change that would let health care providers deny medical services to LGBTQ patients on the grounds of religion. Justice Department Federal prosecutors are preparing to charge longtime GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy in connection with efforts to influence the U.S. government on behalf of foreign interests. Broidy helped raise millions for Donald Trump’s election and the Republican Party. Barr ordered another round of changes to FISA rules, tightening the use of government surveillance on political candidates or their staffers — a move conservatives will likely cheer, as they have long criticized how the FBI investigated the Trump campaign in 2016.
Before conducting physical searches or wiretaps of a federal election official, members of the official's staff, candidates for federal office, or their staff or advisers, the FBI must now consider giving them a "defensive briefing," to tell them that they could be the target of foreign influence.
Meet The Top Young Entrepreneurs Of The Forbes Under 30 2020 List A. t a time of great global uncertainty, it is hard to see beyond the doom and gloom. 30 UNDER 30 APPLICATION FORM - CONFIDENTIAL Please type or write in black ink. Once completed please email the completed application form to [email protected] no later than 5pm, Friday 29 November 2019. Criteria for Application - You must be 30 or under at the time of ABO Conference 2020 (29 – 31 January 2020) - This offer applies to Full Place delegate bookings only - This offer applies to Want to make the Forbes Under 30 list? Nominations are now open for the 2021 list. You can nominate yourself, a colleague, a friend or other visionary you think deserves a spot on this year’s list. Forbes announced and quickly canceled a 75-person "bubble" in Bermuda for its 30 Under 30 honorees. Guests would've paid for their hotel and meals. Forbes urged rooming together for the month-long KITCHENER, ON / December 3, 2019 — Forbes has named ApplyBoard’s Meti Basiri, Co-Founder and CMO, and Massi Basiri, COO, to three 30 Under 30 lists: Immigrants, Education, and Big Money. The lists—which only four percent of applicants make—feature 600 young innovators, entrepreneurs, and risk-takers who are putting a new twist on what it means to be a leader for the next generation. These 20-somethings have the potential to make it big, and while they missed being on the main 30 Under 30 list by a whisker, Forbes India will be tracking their progress closely over the next few Next, Forbes staff picks around 60 finalists for each field. Finally, independent industry legends select the final 30 in each category. Application. Think you or someone you know should join the ranks of the Under 30? Nominations for U.S. and Europe are now open! Please complete this online nomination form for the 2019 U.S. and Europe lists. Challenge: How do Forbes make sure they get enough nominations every year for their 30 Under 30 list?; Solution: A typeform with custom branding and logic jumps that makes the long nomination form more fun to fill out.; Result: 15k nominations in a year—and a higher completion rate than Forbes' previous form builder. Forbes 30 Under 30: Letitia Wright and Tom Holland among UK names . Published 12 February 2019. Share. close. Share page. Copy link. About sharing. image copyright Getty Images. Marvel stars However, Martin isn’t your usual MBA candidate, as he has already earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list earlier this year and also received the Rising Star in Product Marketing award last year, given to just one recipient globally each year. Taking the plunge for an MBA
30 Amazing Android SECRETS, TIPS and TRICKS - YouTube
JTube in Birmingham asking guys how they approach girls in public. But there's a twist to it, I am actually going to make them move to a girl on the spot for... I juiced celery first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for 30 days. Loads of people are trying this and experiencing amazing benefits. Is there any e... Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1Stay ConnectedForbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbesForbes Video on Twitter: htt... ప్రతిష్ఠాత్మక ఫోర్బ్స్ 30 అండర్ 30లో సాందీప్కు చోటు...సాంకేతిక విప్లవంత� About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators ... Tips, Tricks and Secrets that you can use on your Android (and iOS) Phone. They also work on the new Android 9 Pie, and upcoming Android 10, and can help you... 2020 was a tough year for both individuals and businesses. Whether a company is having a billion-dollar operation or it is a startup, all of them faced uniqu... Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. In this video I show you the best 30 tips and tricks that you must review for your Apple iPhone XR.Get the Apple iPhone XR - https://ebay.to/2FPgecCAll model... Bingo and Rolly are going on a mission! They're off to Europe for adventures in France, Italy, Ireland, England, Germany and Switzerland!Watch Puppy Dog Pals...
