Afternoon Tea 2.3.2021 - Euphemisms & Unity

Bezos stepping down, Amazon paying up, police unions don’t really understand finance, Germany needs a vibe check, and Trump’s team misspelled the country we live in, on impeachment documents, if you’re still unsure if editors have value. It’s Wednesday, February 3rd 2021, and this is the Tea.

Trump’s Lawyers Submit Impeachment Response, Misspell ‘United States’ in Opening Line (The Root) No matter how badly you fucked up today, you didn’t submit your legal brief, defending against Second Impeachment to “the Unites States Senate.”

Amazon will pay $61.7 million to flex drivers after wage theft allegations (The Verge) & Jeff Bezos to step down as Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy to helm in Q3 (CNBC) After the FTC alleged Amazon stole nearly 1/3 of the tips drivers earned. Somehow not related, Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon yesterday, being replaced by the Prince of AWS. Somehow also not related, here’s a 2014 study from the Economic Policy Institute showing that minimum wage violations alone, steal more money money than all “violent” types of theft.

Police Unions Are Fighting Against Fossil Fuel Divestment (VICE News) It would be one thing if they could make a coherent argument that Fossil Fuel companies were a smart investment to hold for the next 20 years. But these jagoffs are so politically and financially up their own butts, they get to be wrong twice in a single idea. When you learn that the cop trying to fight fossil fuel divestment in California also tried to get them to reverse divesting from cigarette companies, the morality becomes clear.

German Nuns Sold Orphaned Children to Sexual Predators (Daily Beast) & An All-White Panel on German TV Decided Racism Wasn’t a Big Deal (VICE World News) Hey Germany, you good? The USA can’t exactly talk shit on Christian child horrors or the TV racism, but, wanted to check in anyway, to see if you needed anything.

The 31-day campaign against QAnon (WaPo) & The Capitol Rioters Aren’t Like Other Extremists (The Atlantic) Harrowing story of the Kevin Van Ausdal’s campaign, the one who ran against QAnon Greene. Paired with deep analysis of many found and charged after 1/6. Very few (10%) had connections with established violent groups. They’re also older, more wealthy, and didn’t travel from deep Trump country to the Capitol.

NYC 2021: City Council 24 Special Election (CSPANopticon) The debut of Ranked Choice Voting in NYC happened in Queens, yesterday. While it wasn’t needed, the commentary provided is critical for a race in my own backyard that I knew nothing about. Firstly, CSPANopticon is best domain name in the last two decades. Secondly, Jon at Competitive Advantage Research, discussing the kinetics of elections is a voice we need way, way more of.

Markets Have ALWAYS Been Rigged, Broken, & Manipulated (Wealth of Common Sense) & Wall Street thanks you for your revolution (Reformed Broker) If this week didn’t convince you, these two finance guys should be able to.

There’s a Plan to Bring Sports Gambling to the Futures Market (Bloomberg) Promoters are literally saying that the financial instrument related to the outcome of a football game, for example, isn’t actually gambling. Football futures y’all.

The Right to Repair Movement Is Poised to Explode in 2021 (Motherboard) Seems like Apple and John Deere might not be able to ride that planned obsolescence scheme as hard. With 14 states in the process of debating “Right to Repair” laws, that brick-you-subscribe-to in your pocket, where your Xbox used to be, on in your Farmhouse, might last a little longer.

Newly discovered “nano-chameleon” is world’s smallest known reptile (New Atlas) The formal name of the adorable little (half inch long) guy who looks like the oldest Senator ever, is Brookesia nana. Nano-chameleon, that’s what we put mp3s on before the iPod right?

Song of the Tea: Slightly delayed because of the last few days of music, but to celebrate the arrival of Black History Month, an absolute banger of a remix. Mike Taylor’s vocals on “Everything Black” by Unlike Pluto are wonderful, but the original just never really pushed you onto your feet. floatinurboat gets you there.

You’re still standing. Even if you’re limping or bleeding, you’re still standing.

Yours,T