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Bitcoin crosses $50,000, highest since 3 months after it fell below $30,000

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

Bitcoin crosses $50,000, highest since 3 months after it fell below $30,000

On Sunday, 10.40 ET Bitcoin rose to $50,000 according to Coin Metrics after seeing low values since the past three months. The Bitcoin market has been and will be a volatile market. Although the crypto currency had hit a brief high of $64,000 in April, it fell to below $30,000 in June and July. However, it has been fairly steady from mid July. On Monday, it fell below $50,000 and reached $49,710 at 1:07 p.m ET on Monday. Ethereum also increased by over 3 percent while Dogecoin saw an almost 2 percent rise.

In the middle of the year Bitcoin saw a lot of negativity as China cracked down on the crypto currency. It banned trading and mining in crypto currencies. The U.S. government is also looking to regulate the currency but this might have a positive effect as some of the problems it faces is due to its volatility and the fact that it is untethered. This lend appeal to many and yet leads to its illegal use by extortionists and others who wish to hide transactions from governments.

Two recent announcements by PayPal and Coinbase on digital currencies have been seen as positive ones leading to an increase in their value. On Monday, PayPal announced that it was launching a digital currency service in the U.K. This is the first time it has announced an overseas operation. The company said that its customers across the pond could buy, sell or hold crypto currency.

Earlier, on Friday, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong had said that he would buy $500 million in crypto currency. It also said that ten percent of the company’s profits would be allocated into a crypto assets portfolio, indicating a bullish trend for its future. It would deal in different crypto assets including Ethereum, DeFi tokens and more on its platform. Bitcoin price rose soon after this ambitious announcement was made.

Twitter and Square’s Jack Dorsey has always been in favor of the Bitcoin. In the past few weeks Elon Musk has also been in favor of crypto currencies. A few months ago, he did flip flop over crypto but has been steadily favoring from more than a few weeks.

Former Amazon employee sues for unfair termination as she took many bathroom breaks

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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Former Amazon employee sues for unfair termination as she took many bathroom breaks

Maria Iris Jennitte Olivero had filed a lawsuit again e-commerce giant Amazon saying that the company had terminated her services as she had taken too many bathroom breaks. She had sued the company in June, in New Jersey Superior Court and was seeking damages, according to a report by Business Insider. Early this month, Amazon responded to the suit by asking for it to moved to federal court, it detailed Olivero’s wages as she was expecting more than 75,000 in damages.

In the lawsuit, Olivero said that she started working in Amazon in June 2020. In November 2020 she informed a manager that she was suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). So, she had to take about six bathroom breaks per day.

She stated that the manager had asked her to get a note from a doctor about her condition. According to the filing, she did not get the note. Later in January, the manager told her that she would get written up unless she produced a doctor’s note within five days.

According to her filing she was unable to get a doctor’s appointment within five days as the first available appointment with her doctor was in six days. However , she got fired five days after she was written up. The manager informed her that it was “too late” to provide a doctor’s note and the company was terminating her services.

Olivero then decided to sue the e-commerce company under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination. She sued Amazon for discrimination against a person with a disability and failure to accommodate. During the pandemic, there had been reports that Amazon drivers were expected to pee in bottles during long hauls. Although the report was denied, initially but then accepted to be true, the company alone was not considered liable as many gas stations and more on highways and other routes had been closed due to lockdowns or economic distress.

Olivero did not disclose the amount of money she was seeking as damages though Amazon said that she was expecting more than $75,000 and that was one of the reasons that they asked for the case to be moved to federal court.

According to Business Insider, Amazon also detailed the wages of Olivero as follows- Amazon’s lawyers had replied that the plaintiff was earning $15.25 per hour or $31,720 annualized. It also mentioned that the plaintiff received a $0.60 per hour shift differential or $1,248.00 annualized. The company’s lawyers summed up the gross lost wages of the plaintiff. They said that at the time of filing, the “plaintiff’s purported gross lost wages to date are $17,251.75.”

Business Insider contacted both the plaintiff and defendant for comment but has not received any response, as yet.

Reminiscence (3/10) Movie Review

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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Reminiscence (3/10) Movie Review

by Tony Medley

116 minutes

PG-13

I would rate this movie R, which under the Medley scale stands for Rotten. From the outset it is hard to swallow. In the first place it is set in the dystopian future somewhere that is already flooded all the time by the rising sea levels due, I guess, to the woke theory of human-caused global warming. It is sort of a pseudo noir with Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman), some kind of “Private Eye of the mind,” narrating.

The problem is that the script by Lisa Joy, who also directed, is banal to give the best of it. Mae (Rebecca Ferguson) is the doll with whom Nick is infatuated. The fact that Ferguson is no Jane Greer (Out of the Past, 1947) or Mary Astor (The Maltese Falcon, 1941) or Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity, 1944) is just one of the many defects of this movie.

The premise is infuriatingly absurd. Jackman has some kind of water filled crypt that his patients lie in with something strapped to their brains. They go into some sort of a sleep and Nick prods them to think about certain things from their past which is then projected as holograms onto some sort of platform with incidents from their past played out in physical reality. It is beyond ridiculous.

The McGuffin is who is Mae and why did she run away from Nick. Why Nick cared for Mae is difficult to comprehend, but then the entire movie is so counter real life, why shouldn’t his obsession be any different?

It reminded me of another film based on a ludicrous premise, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Inception (2010), in which Leonardo and his crew personally invaded someone’s dreams. Preposterous as it was, it did well and made money.

The best thing in the movie, though, is Thandiwe Newton’s performance as Emily “Watts” Sanders, Nick’s devoted assistant, that, while not enough to save it, does give the film one plus. Her performance was perhaps enhanced because Joy did not give her any of the hackneyed lines that Jackman and Ferguson were required to mouth.

With a different premise and a different female lead, this might have been a good movie. But it is so dark, the script is so clichÃ©d, the setting and premise so phantasmagoric, I thought it would never end. In fact, it took me 3 sittings to get through it because I couldn’t take much more of it than 1/2 hour at a time.

Tony Medley is an attorney, columnist, and MPAA-accredited film critic whose reviews and articles may be read in several newspapers and at rottentomatoes.com, CWEB.com, Movie Review Query Engine (mrqe.com), and at www.tonymedley.com. His most recent book is “Learn to Play Bridge Like a Boss,” the most complete “all in one” book for beginners and also for advanced players. He is also the author of three books, UCLA Basketball: The Real Story, Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed, the first book ever written on the interview for the interviewee and still in print after more than thirty years, having sold over a half million copies, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Bridge, which has sold over 100,000 copies. He is an American Contract Bridge League Silver Life Master and an ACBL accredited director.

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Jolt (4/10) Movie Review

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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Jolt Movie Review (4/10)

by Tony Medley

91 minutes.

NR.

If this isn’t the dumbest movie to come along, it will do for a while. Linda (Kate Beckinsale) is a psycho with what is defined as a “neurological disorder” that causes her to become extremely violent. She’s treated by Dr. Munchin (Stanley Tucci) who is supposed to be a psychiatrist but every scene in which he appears he is in what looks to be a rundown office, dressed like a bum and needing a shave.

He treats her with an electronic device with which she shocks herself out of the rages. At his encouragement she finds herself in love with a man who is murdered the next day and she spends the rest of the movie trying to find out who murdered him and get revenge.

What follows is utter nonsense. There are plotholes galore, characters who don’t make sense, and situations that could only appear on a Hollywood sound stage. Apparently, it’s only purpose is to show that a woman can fight man after man, many at the same time, and put them down barely working up a sweat.

Directed by Tanya Wexler from a script by Scott Wascha, advertised as a comedy, it’s not funny. Also advertised as a thriller, it is so absurd and ridiculous that there aren’t any thrills. There are even crass “jokes” like Linda’s apartment when she and her new boyfriend are entering that has its number, 6, flipped over so it’s 9. Get it? 69? Wow, these people are really clever.

This is typical of the junk put out by today’s Hollywood, vacuous, anti-intellectual drivel with an unsatisfying denouement that only a stinker like this deserves. Boy, I hope they aren’t telegraphing a sequel with 48-year-old Beckinsale as a superhero.

Soon to Be Former Governor Cuomo Touts His Accomplishments in his Farewell Speech

Politics
US

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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Soon to Be Former Governor Cuomo Touts His Accomplishments in his Farewell Speech

Cuomo spent the weekend providing updates on tropical storm Henri from his New York City Office.

In Cuomo’ farewell address he declares that he was unfairly treated in the Attorney Generals report that that he sexually harassed staffers political theatre-a “political firecracker.” And “intense political pressure and media frenzy” surrounding the allegations had resulted in a “rush to judgment.” He said there would be another time to “talk about the truth.”

“When government politicizes allegations, and the headlines condemn without facts you undermine the justice system. And that doesn’t serve women, and it doesn’t serve men, or society. Of course, everyone has a right to come forward and we applaud their bravery and courage in doing so,” Cuomo said.

“When government politicizes allegations, and the headlines condemn without facts you undermine the justice system. And that doesn’t serve women, and it doesn’t serve men, or society. Of course, everyone has a right to come forward and we applaud their bravery and courage in doing so,” he said.

“Allegations must still be scrutinized and verified, whether made by a woman or a man that is our basic justice system.

“I am a fighter, and my instinct is to fight this because it is unfair and unjust in my mind, but you also know that I love New York, and I serve you. That is the oath that I took. “In this moment, I believe the right thing is that my service come first. Prolonging this situation could only cause governmental paralysis. That is just not an option for you and not an option for the state, especially now.”

He also used the farewell speech to tout his accomplishments- “Please don’t forget what we learned together last year and don’t forget what we accomplished. We went from the highest infection rate in the nation to the lowest,” he said.

This Friday his belongings were moved to his sister’s house in Westchester, NY, Maria Cuomo Cole, who is married to fashion-designer mogul Kenneth Cole.

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Disney wants to move Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit in a closed arbitration, her lawyers want trial in open court

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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Disney wants to move Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit in a closed arbitration, her lawyers want trial in open court

Walt Disney reported in a court filing this past Friday that it has received $125 million in online revenue from the Marvel superhero film “Black Widow.” -three weeks after getting sued by its star Scarlett Johansson. The actress filed suit against Disney for reduced compensation and not receiving the extra income from her base $20 million dollar pay.

Johansson’s claim is that Disney released the long-delayed movie by its Premier Access service on Disney+ at the same time as its theatrical window. Marvel claimed that Johansson’s contract stipulated her compensation would be tied Black Widow’s box office performance but was decreased die to fans choosing to watch it at home instead.

Deadline.com reported- “After initially responding to this litigation with a misogynistic attack against Scarlett Johansson, Disney is now, predictably, trying to hide its misconduct in a confidential arbitration,” said the Oscar nominee’s main lawyer John Berlinski today after the House of Mouse’s response to Johansson’s scathing profits lawsuit went public.

Celebrity actress Scarlett Johansson is suing for breach of contract when the movie Black Widow simultaneously streaming online at the same time is plays in theaters.

Disney has countered Johansson’s request for a civil trial to be held in Los Angeles and is asking for the trial to be heard and sent to a confidential, binding arbitration in New York. That means the issue goes behind closed doors and not on public display.

The entertainment company, in the filing, has countered Johansson’s request for a civil trial in Los Angeles by asking for the suit to be sent to arbitration in New York.

The trial could set a precedence in the entertainment industry as more movie companies are streaming films online and in theatres at the same time to gain as many subscribers as possible with premium packages for increased revenue.

The film grossed over $367 million in worldwide box-office receipts and more than $125 million in streaming and download retail receipts since August 15^th, 2021.

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FDA Approves Pfizer for The First COVID-19 Vaccine

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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FDA Approves Pfizer for The First COVID-19 Vaccine

The highly anticipated decision now replaces emergency use authorization granted by the agency last December for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

The full approval can help employers, the military, and universities to mandate vaccination. People that were hesitant to get the vaccine may now feel more at ease for getting the shot sue to the full FDA approval.

A study by the Kaiser Foundations reports- While half the public overall say employers should require their workers to get vaccinated, most workers do not want their own employer to require vaccination, including the vast majority of unvaccinated workers (92%) as well as four in ten workers who are already vaccinated (42%). About four in ten adults say employers should provide cash bonuses or other incentives to workers who get vaccinated, but just 12% of workers say their own employer has offered such an incentive. Source Kaiser

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”

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California Governor Recall Candidate Larry Elder under investigation for improper financial disclosure

Politics
US

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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California Governor Recall Candidate Larry Elder under investigation for improper financial disclosure

California regulators are investigating whether Larry Elder, a recall election candidate for California’s gubernatorial recall race had improperly disclosed his income sources. The Los Angeles Times reported that a spokesman with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) had confirmed the launch of an investigation into Elder’s filing, on Sunday. All candidates who stand for public office have to file financial disclosures.

Larry Elder’s initial filing was only two pages long, according to the LA Times. The agency had also reported that he might have failed to disclose ownership of Lawrence A. Elder and Associates Inc. as he had only reported income from the company.

After the agency broke the story, the California Democratic Party filed a complaint with FPPC with allegations that Elder had failed to make proper financial disclosures about his income. According to the FPPC, an administrative penalty that could reach almost $5000 per violation would be levied if a candidate fails to comply with the disclosure requirements.

The FPCC sent a letter to Elder’s attorney stating that the watchdog agency had launched an investigation, but it had “not made any determination about the validity of the allegation(s) your client has made about the culpability, if any, of the person(s) identified in the complaint.”

Elder, a conservative radio show host amended the filing on Tuesday to show the following finance income and disclosures:

Elder owns 100 percent of Lawrence A. Elder and Associates Inc. which is worth between $100,000 to $1 million.
He received at least $10,000 from conservative organizations including Alachua County, Florida Republican Executive Committee and Epoch Times.

Elder’s amended filing on Tuesday also disclosed income from other conservative organizations such as

Heartbeatat22 – an anti-abortion nonprofit
Calvary Chapel Chino Hills
Promedev Relief Factor – a supplement Elder endorses
Turning Point USA – a conservative nonprofit
Salem Media Group – a media group which syndicates his radio show.

Gage Skidmore

First Iron Dome Missile Interceptor That Stops Rockets Successfully Test Fired by U.S. Military

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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First Iron Dome Missile Interceptor That Stops Rockets Successfully Test Fired by U.S. Military

On Monday, the Israeli Ministry of Defense tweeted that the Iron Dome Interceptor acquired by the U.S. military from Israel had been successfully fired in White Sands, New Mexico. The first test was declared successful at about 9 a.m. ET. It was developed by Rafael and IAI Elta. Software support was provided by mPrest.

The Iron Dome is designed to shoot down short-range rockets. It could be used by the U.S. to intercept cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, rockets and shrapnel. It is an important component of Israel’s defense systems. The U.S. army had recently acquired these defense systems from Israel and on Monday, it has been successfully test fired on U.S. soil.

It is a fully mobile system and has 10 kg of explosives. It can intercept an incoming rocket or other aerial projectiles from a distance of four to seventy kilometers. It can calculate when rockets will land in open areas choosing not to intercept or towards civilian centers.

Earlier this year, the U.S. military had said that it was aiming to develop a “force field” that would stop missiles reaching the nation by 2060. The Air Force Research Lab is investigating the use of laser to develop such systems. It eventually hopes to be able to intercept nuclear missiles as well.

Meanwhile the U.S. army has also reported that it is building a cannon that is similar to Star Wars weaponry. It could be the most powerful laser weapon in the world.

The U.S. military is updating its arsenal with the Iron Dome Battery Shield as an initial step, for short term use, to combat probable future enemies. U.S. relations with two superpowers: Russia and China are at low points. Russia is looking to develop hypersonic missiles and stealth navy ships. Chinese military weaponry is reportedly being developed as well with less fanfare.

The U.S. has recently been caught on the wrong foot as the chaos in Afghanistan continues. The Taliban recently said that evacuation should be completed by August 31. As the U.S. races to complete the short-term goal of evacuation of its nationals and Afghans who helped them for almost two decades, it is also looking at the future as its relations with China or Russia might not be resolved in the near future and might even escalate as the future is always unknown and unseen.

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Sha’Carri Richardson finishes last in iconic race, remains defiant

CWEB Staff

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August 23, 2021

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Sha’Carri Richardson finishes last in iconic race, remains defiant

The Nike Prefontaine Classic at the Hayward Field – University of Oregon was held on Saturday and the best track and field athletes competed to get the top spots. Sha’Carri Richardson was one among them and she placed ninth among nine participants in the 100-meter race. This was the American athlete’s first race after being banned from participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as she tested positive for a substance that is found in marijuana.

The Prefontaine Classic is named after Steve Prefontaine who was a famous runner from Oregon. It is the eight stop on the Diamond League schedule. It is the only track and field event based in the U.S. The race was won by Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica. Thompson-Herah, the Olympic gold medalist, clocked 10.54 seconds, the second best in the history of the 100-meter race. Florence Griffith-Joyner had clocked 10.49 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials in 1988.

In an explosive interview with NBC after the race Richardson used profanity as she reiterated her talent despite coming last in the 100 meters race. She said that it was one race and that she was not done, and people knew what she was capable of.

The flamboyant athlete also defiantly said that her critics could count her out if they wanted to and they could also “Talk all the s**it they wanted but she was there to stay, and she was not done. She also said that no one could take away the fact that she was the “sixth fastest woman in this game ever.”

The 21-year-old athlete also said that it was great to return to the sport and that she was not upset with herself. She noted that just being back doing what she had a passion for in her heart navigated her “day-to-day” and was a blessing.” She also mentioned that better finishes would come in the future.

She spoke of the journey she had been on the past month and said that Saturday was a day, but it was not every day, and it was not the end of the world. She once again added to her previous comment saying that if anyone counted her out, the joke was on them.

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CWEB NEWS

Bitcoin crosses $50,000, highest since 3 months after it fell below $30,000

Former Amazon employee sues for unfair termination as she took many bathroom breaks

Reminiscence (3/10) Movie Review

Jolt (4/10) Movie Review

Soon to Be Former Governor Cuomo Touts His Accomplishments in his Farewell Speech

Disney wants to move Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit in a closed arbitration, her lawyers want trial in open court

FDA Approves Pfizer for The First COVID-19 Vaccine

California Governor Recall Candidate Larry Elder under investigation for improper financial disclosure

First Iron Dome Missile Interceptor That Stops Rockets Successfully Test Fired by U.S. Military

Sha’Carri Richardson finishes last in iconic race, remains defiant

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