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Warren Buffets says If you are looking to buy a home or borrow money this is the time to do it. The FED has lowered interest rates on refinancing a mortgage and getting a loan for a new home.
Credit card debt is has increased during the pandemic. Make sure to pay off those high balance credit cards first Buffet recommends. Warren Buffett sold his shares of Delta Air since no one was flying during the Covid-19 in pandemic.
Warren Buffett puts investors at ease saying while things look terrible now, the United States has an extraordinarily strong economy and it will bounce back after the crisis is over.
And as Buffett always agrees, stocks should long-term investments in order to see the biggest gains. Things will turn around- so hold on to your Investments or re balance your portfolio accordingly .
Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway profited $1.8 billion in net stock purchases in the first quarter of 2020, and bought back just $1.7 billion in stock, gaining in a cash pile growing to $137 billion.
Warren Buffet purchased $10 million Apple shares in May 2016. He holds $245 million shares, now worth more than $95 billion. 43% of Berkshire Hathaway’s entire stock portfolio is tied to Apple Stock.
Don’t do the crime if you can’t pay the time. Giannulli said at his sentencing: “I deeply regret the harm that my actions have caused my daughters, my wife and others. Mossimo Giannulli will pay a $250,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service. The charges were one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.
In 2019, the couple was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery in addition to charges of money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud.
Lori Loughlin will be sentenced later in the day on Friday. She pled guilty with a deal that prosecutors would allow for for her to serve two months in jail. Loughlin will pay a $150,000 fine. For the both of them it seems like a slap on the wrist considering they paid at least $500,00 to get their children into college. The couple insisted they made “legitimate donations” to Rick Singer and Key Worldwide Foundation for their daughters to get into the University of Southern California crew team. Neither of her children, Isabella Rose Giannulli, and Olivia Jade Giannulli, never participated in the sport.
Google Alphabet generated billions in Q2 profits and beat analyst estimates. The power of moving beyond pure Search ad revenues was highlighted in the solid Q2 results.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG): Q2 GAAP EPS of $10.13 beats by $1.94.
Revenue of $38.29B (-1.7% Y/Y) beats by $950M.
TAC of $6.69B vs. $6.67B consensus, operating margin of 17% vs. +15.7% consensus and Capex of $5.39B vs. $5.42B consensus.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG, GOOGL) today announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. “We’re working to help people, businesses and communities in these uncertain times,” said Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer of Google and Alphabet. “As people increasingly turn to online services, our platforms – from Cloud to Google Play to YouTube – are helping our partners provide important services and support their businesses.” “In the second quarter our total revenues were $38.3B, driven by gradual improvement in our ads business and strong growth in Google Cloud and Other Revenues,” said Ruth Porat, Chief Financial Officer of Alphabet and Google. “We continue to navigate through a difficult global economic environment.” Q2 2020 financial highlights The following table summarizes our consolidated financial results for the quarters ended June 30, 2019 and 2020 (in millions, except for per share information and percentages; unaudited). Quarter Ended June 30, 2019 2020 Revenues $38,944 $38,297 Increase (decrease) in revenues year over year 19 % (2) % Increase (decrease) in constant currency revenues year over year(1) 22 % 0 % Operating income $9,180 $6,383 Operating margin 24 % 17 % Other income (expense), net $2,967 $1,894 Net income $9,947 $6,959 Diluted EPS $14.21 $10.13
About Google Alphabet
Alphabet Inc. provides online advertising services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It offers performance and brand advertising services. The company operates through Google and Other Bets segments. The Google segment offers products, such as Ads, Android, Chrome, Google Cloud, Google Maps, Google Play, Hardware, Search, and YouTube, as well as technical infrastructure. It also offers digital content, cloud services, hardware devices, and other miscellaneous products and services. The Other Bets segment includes businesses, including Access, Calico, CapitalG, GV, Verily, Waymo, and X, as well as Internet and television services. Alphabet Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
CWEB Analyst see Google stock as a safe bet for long term growth and a great addition to one’s portfolio and upward of $2300 by 2021
AMC Theatres ® Opens its Theatres August 20 Celebrating 100 Years of Operations with “Movies in 2020 at 1920 Prices”
Regal, Cinemark, and Marcus movie theaters will be reopening after five months since the COVID-19 pandemic. Movie goers will be thrilled as the need to get out has been simmering since stay at home lockdown orders across the USA.
Reopening Timeline and Approach
Cinemark’s reopening strategy is based on a range of strategic health, regulatory and consumer considerations, as well as active collaboration with our studio partners on the timing of their new film releases. Sixty theatres open as of this past weekend. The remainder of our U.S. theatre re openings will take place across three phases beginning August 21 and continuing through August 28 ahead of Tenet release on September 3rd, 2020. Source CinemarkCNBC reports– Cinemark will reopen a third of its more than 500 theaters on Friday. Another third will resume operations on Tuesday, with the final third opening on Aug. 28
Regal owned by Cineworld operates 550 locations in the U.S. has not committed to how many theaters will reopen this coming Friday.
Marcus Theatres ®, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE:MCS), today announced the timing for the next two phases of reopening theatres. On Friday, August 21, 2020, 35 theatres will reopen and on August 28, 2020, another 30+ theatres will welcome guests back. In total, more than two-thirds of the 91 Marcus Theatres or Movie Tavern locations will be reopened in time for the much-anticipated, domestic release of the film “Tenet” on September 3, 2020. The remaining theatres will open at a later date. All theatres will feature updated health and safety measures — for details on the protocols or the specific list of theatres visit www.MarcusTheatres.com/reopening.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and associates will always be our top priorities,” said Rolando Rodriguez, chairman, President and CEO of Marcus Theatres. Source Investor Relations News- The Arcus Corporation
Over the past few months, we’ve made significant changes to help businesses reach more consumers and help people find the best products, prices and places to buy online. We made it free for retailers to list products on Google Shopping in the U.S., and we brought these free listings to Search as well.
Today, we’re taking another important step to make it easier for retailers to sell on Google. Soon, sellers who participate in our Buy on Google checkout experience will no longer have to pay us a commission fee. And, we’re giving retailers more choice by opening our platform to third-party providers–starting with PayPal and Shopify.
These changes are about providing all businesses–from small stores to national chains and online marketplaces–the best place to connect with customers, regardless of where a purchase eventually occurs. With more products and stores available for discovery and the option to buy directly on Google or on a retailer’s site, shoppers will have more choice across the board.
Here’s more on what’s new for retailers:
Zero commission fees when customers buy your products on Google
While retailers have several options for driving traffic to their website with free listings or with Shopping ads, many also use Buy on Google to give shoppers a convenient way to purchase something right when they discover it. By removing our commission fees, we’re lowering the cost of doing business and making it even easier for retailers of all sizes to sell directly on Google, starting with a pilot that we’ll expand to all eligible sellers in the U.S. over the coming months. Learn more about the requirements for the pilot and sign up to join the waitlist.
Bring your own third-party providers, starting with PayPal and Shopify
We’ve heard from retailers that they want the ability to choose their preferred services for things like payment processing, inventory, and order management. That’s why we’re opening our platform to more digital commerce providers, beginning with Shopify for inventory and order management and PayPal and Shopify for payment processing. So, if a retailer wants to sell directly on Google, they can get started even faster and continue using the tools and services that already work for their business. Or, if they’re new to selling online, they’ll be able to choose from multiple options when they sign up in our Merchant Center.
Import your inventory with just a few clicks
To simplify our tools and make them more compatible with merchants’ existing processes, we’re enabling commonly-used product feed formats. This means retailers can connect their inventory to sell directly on Google without having to reformat their data. We’re also adding a new option to let retailers add product information (like images or technical specs) by pulling from our existing database rather than having to upload it themselves.
More products, more sellers, more choice
As we’ve made it easier for a broader set of retailers to sell on Google this year, we’re also seeing a significant increase in demand to buy from and support small businesses. To help people discover these smaller merchants, we also plan to add a new small business filter on the Google Shopping tab and will continue adding features to help small businesses participate in online commerce.
Everything we’re announcing today will roll out first in the U.S., and we’re looking toward international launches later this year and in 2021. While we still have much work ahead of us, our goal is to make digital commerce more accessible for retailers of all sizes all around the world, giving consumers more choice and more ways to find the best products, stores, and prices.
Former MLB legend and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. says he was able to beat prostate cancer in a matter of weeks!
The 59-year-old told reporters Thursday he was diagnosed with the disease way back in February, but thankfully, he says he’s been cancer-free since March surgery.
“The cancer was all contained in the prostate, they did a pathology report afterward and confirmed that that was the case,” Ripken Jr. said.
“I’ve since had a three-month test to see if my PSA was undetectable and it was, so we can make a case that all the cancer was contained and it’s all out now.”
Ripken Jr. says he was initially going to keep everything private … but after realizing going public with his experiences could help others have similar success with the illness, he let it “slip out.””I wouldn’t say the Iron Man contributes to it, but I was the kind of person who was thinking, ‘OK, I’ll just keep this a secret,'” Ripken Jr. said.
“But the longer you deal with it and you understand the outcome has been favorable and positive, the reason I’m letting it slip out now is I want to use the opportunity to help other people who struggle with that decision and encourage other people to go get their regular exams, get their tests.”
Ripken Jr. — who says he didn’t need any chemotherapy or radiation treatments — says he’s feeling great now … adding everything was “caught early and contained.”
Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr.(born August 24, 1960), nicknamed “The Iron Man, for his durability, was a Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career playing 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles(1981—2001). Ripken compiled 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 RBI’s, and he won two Gold Glove Awards for his defense. He was a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American League Most Valuable Player.
Ripken holds the record for most consecutive games played, 2,632, surpassing Lou Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 in 1995, that had stood for 56 years and that many claimed unbreakable. In 2007, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 98.53% of votes, the sixth-highest election percentage ever.
Ripken who wore #8 also won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1982 and a World Series Championship the following year in 1983. He was not only admired by baseball fans all over the world, but his teammates & peers looked up to for his consistency, leadership, and tireless work ethic.
Ripken is a best-selling author and the President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc., whose goal is to grow the love of baseball from a grassroots level. Since his retirement, he has purchased 3 Minor League Baseball teams. He has been active in charity work throughout his career and is still considered an ambassador of the game, while residing in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Laura.
Apple tv+ subscribers get CBS all access and showtime bundle at a great value- and SHOWTIME for only $9.99 per month after a seven-day free trial.
Apple Announces Apple Music Radio. Apple Music 1 and two new stations, Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country, feature exclusive original shows from the world’s top music hosts and artists. Source Apple News
27-inch iMac gets a major update with faster performance, SSDs across the line, an even more stunning Retina 5K display, and higher quality camera, speakers, and mics.
Oprah Winfrey names “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” her most important Book Club selection and now the narration is available on Apple Books.Apple’s hit series “Ted Lasso,” scored a 10-episode second season set to debut next year.
Apple posted quarterly revenue of $59.7 billion- Revenue increased 11 percent along with EPS up 18 percent reported in June quarter records for 2020.
Apple’s Valuation Hits $2 Trillion.
Tesla stock rises to $2,000. The company is now worth $400 billion dollars. Tesla stock will go into a 5 -1 split and included in the S&P 500 Index. Despite the covid-19 pandemic, tesla posted surprise second-quarter profit. They were able to deliver more Vehicles than planned. Tesla’s market share is nearly 85 all electric vehicle sold in the United States in the beginning of this year.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has approved a five-for-one split to make stock ownership more accessible to employees and investors. Each stakeholder of record on August 20 will receive a dividend of four additional shares that will begin trading on a stock split August 31.
In other news- Tesla is crushing its EV competition in key metrics such as range, acceleration, and semi-autonomous driving technology. Among the many new electric vehicles arriving in the coming years is the Lucid Air, an electric sedan that threatens to topple the Tesla Model S’ range domination. Source : Moto Trend news
The Lucid Air Range estimates for the standard battery version, will travel 400 miles. This figure has not been established yet by the EPA. Tesla’s Cybertruck will drive more than 500 miles along with the Roadster to go as far as 620 miles.
The deadline is this evening for Uber and Lyft to require classifying their drivers as employees as opposed to independent. Both stocks are sinking to new lows for the month awaiting tonight’s deadline. Uber and Lyft will most likely spend their services in California if they have to comply with state regulations. If that ends up being the case, they will appeal the ruling.
Lyft will suspend service in California tonight. Uber had not make a formal announcement as of 10:23 AM- PT .
At 11:59PM PT today our rideshare operations in California will be suspended. This is not something we wanted to do, as we know millions of Californians depend on Lyft for daily, essential trips. We’re personally reaching out to riders and drivers to share more about why this is happening, what you can do about it, and to provide some transportation alternatives. Source Uber
In this new model that politicians are pushing:
Passengers would experience reduced service, especially in suburban and rural areas.
80% of drivers would lose work and the rest would have scheduled shifts, and capped hourly earnings.
Lower-income riders trying to make it to essential jobs and medical appointments would be faced with unaffordable prices (38% of Lyft rides in California begin or end in low-income areas that have few transit options already). Source Uber
Uber stock has been down 3.5% since the beginning of the year. Lyft shares that have been down almost 40%.
What you can do
Your voice can help. A ballot measure this November, Prop 22, proposes the necessary changes to give drivers benefits and flexibility, while maintaining the ride share model that helps you get where you need to go. We believe voters should decide. Please sign up to help today. Source Uber
Underground markets that sell illegal commodities like drugs, counterfeit currency and fake documentation tend to flourish in times of crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. The online underground economy has responded to the current crisis by exploiting demand for COVID-19-related commodities.
Today, some of the most vibrant underground economies exist in darknet markets. These are internet websites that look like ordinary e-commerce websites but are accessible only using special browsers or authorization codes. Vendors of illegal commodities have also formed dedicated group-chats and channels on encrypted instant messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram and ICQ.
The Darknet Analysis project at the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group here at Georgia State University collects data weekly from 60 underground darknet markets and forums. My colleagues Yubao Wu, Robert Harisson and I have analyzed this data and found that three major types of COVID-19 offerings have emerged on darknet markets since late February: protective gear, medications and services that help people commit fraud.
If it’s an in-demand COVID-19 commodity, chances are it’s available on darknet markets. Screenshot by David Maimon, CC BY-ND
Using these darknet markets is risky business. First, there’s the built-in risk of becoming the victim of a scam or buying counterfeit products when purchasing products from underground vendors. There are also health and legal risks. Inadvertently buying ineffective COVID-19 protective gear and dangerous remedies from unregulated sellers could physically harm buyers. And purchasing information and services with the aim to defraud people and the government is a criminal offense that carries legal penalties.
Personal protective equipment
Several vendors have added protective gear such as face masks, protective gowns, COVID-19 test kits, thermometers and hand sanitizer to their list of products for sale. The effectiveness of this protective gear is questionable. Underground vendors typically do not disclose their products’ sources, leaving consumers with no way to judge the products.
COVID-19 protective gear is a common product type on darknet e-commerce sites. Screenshot by David Maimon, CC BY-ND
One example of the uncertainties that surround protective gear effectiveness comes from one of the encrypted channel platforms we monitored during the first few days of the pandemic. Vendors on the channel offered facemasks for sale. Demand for facemasks was very high at that time, and people around the world were scrambling to find facemasks for personal use.
While governments and suppliers faced difficulties in meeting demand for facemasks, several vendors on these platforms posted ads offering large quantities of facemasks. One vendor even uploaded a video showing many boxes of facemasks in storage.
Given the global shortage of facemasks at the time, our research team found it difficult to understand how this vendor in Thailand could offer so many for sale. One disturbing possibility is that they sold used facemasks. Indeed, authorities in Thailand broke up an operation that washed, ironed and boxed used facemasks and supplied them to underground markets.
Treatments
Darknet vendors are also selling medications and cures, including effective treatments, like Remdesivir, and ineffective treatments, like Hydroxychloroquine. They’re are also selling various purported COVID-19 antidotes and serums. Some vendors even offer to sell and ship oxygen ventilators.
Darknet markets offer ineffective and potentially dangerous COVID-19 therapies, including hydroxychloroquine, which studies have shown is not an effective treatment. Screenshot by David Maimon, CC BY-ND
Using COVID-19 medications purchased on darknet platforms could be dangerous. Uncertainties about the true identity of medication manufacturers and the ingredients of other cures leaves patients vulnerable to a wide array of potentially detrimental side effects.
DIY fraud
Government efforts to relieve the financial stress on individuals and businesses from the economic impact of the pandemic has led to a third category of products on these markets. We have observed many vendors offering to sell online fraud services that promise to improve customers’ financial circumstances during this crisis.
These vendors offer to either support customers in putting together fake websites that allow them to lure victims into disclosing their personal information, or simply provide stolen personal information. The stolen information can be used to file for unemployment benefits or obtain loans. Some vendors go a step further and offer support in the fraudulent benefits application process.
COVID-19-related fraud could have grave consequences for individuals whose identities have been stolen and used to apply for government benefits or loans, including the loss of future government assistance and damage to credit scores. Fraudulent requests for COVID-19 relief funds filed using stolen personal information also puts additional strain on federal, state and local governments.
Digging up the data
The size of the online illicit market of COVID-19 essentials is unknown. We aim to collect enough data to provide an empirical assessment of this underground economy.
There are several challenges to understanding the scope of the COVID-19 underground market, including measuring the magnitude of the demand, the extent supply meets that demand and the impact of this underground economy on the legitimate market. The unknown validity of darknet customers’ and vendors’ reports about the products they purchased and sold also makes it difficult to assess the underground market.
Our systematic research approach should allow us to overcome these issues and collect this data, which could reveal how online underground markets adjust to a worldwide health crisis. This information, in turn, could help authorities develop strategies for disrupting their activities.
David Maimon, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Google Alphabet generated billions in 
