Today I have some new/additional information on a few of my recent posts that I thought I would share with you.
Some People Never Learn …
Remember my June 29 post about Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical magnate who increased the prices of certain drugs by as much as 5,000%, showed no remorse, and made outrageous statements while wearing a perpetual smirk. Well, in August he was convicted on three counts of securities fraud, and is currently out on bail while awaiting sentencing. Or rather, he was out on bail until yesterday, when U.S District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto revoked his bail.
Seems that Shkreli just has to be in the limelight and isn’t too bright about how he gets there. On his Facebook page, he offered his Facebook followers $5,000 to grab a strand of Hillary Clinton’s hair during her book tour. Now why … ??? His attorneys produced an apology, and pleaded with the judge, but to no avail. “The fact that he continues to remain unaware of the inappropriateness of his actions or words demonstrates to me that he may be creating ongoing risk to the community,” said Judge Matsumoto. “This is a solicitation of assault. That is not protected by the First Amendment.”
Shkreli was immediately taken into custody and will be sent to a maximum-security prison until his sentencing hearing in January. He could face up to 20 years in prison.
Something Rotten at Equifax …
Last Friday I wrote about the major security breach at Equifax that affected 143 million in the U.S. alone, some 98% of the adult population. I mentioned that I had concerns because, while Equifax discovered the breach on July 29th, the public was not informed until September 7th, fully 41 days later. What were they doing? Damage control? Meanwhile, at least three senior Equifax executives had divested themselves of shares after learning of the breach … shares worth $1.8 million. My thoughts then were that there was more to this than meets the eye.
Well, apparently I am not alone in my suspicions, but they are shared by the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee. The leaders of the committee, Orrin Hatch of Utah and Ron Wyden of Oregon have sent a letter to Equifax seeking additional information into the hacking, and also information about the three officers who sold stock. Those three officers are Chief Financial Officer John W. Gamble Jr., Rodolfo O. Ploder and Joseph M. Loughran III. The letter asked that Equifax respond by Sept. 28th.
Additionally, a group of thirty-six senators signed a letter asking the U.S. Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to look into the executive stock sales. And Equifax’ chief executive, Richard Smith, is expected to testify on Oct. 3 before a House of Representatives panel. Expect more updates.
The Hate is Spreading …
The case of the little 8-year-old boy who was nearly lynched by a group of teens in Claremont, New Hampshire is finally being taken seriously, it seems. On Tuesday, Governor Christopher Sununu instructed the state attorney general to assist Claremont police in the investigation. “It is my expectation that local and state authorities will investigate appropriately and I’ve asked for regular updates on how things are proceeding, Hatred and bigotry will not be tolerated in New Hampshire.”
Although it is still not being widely reported, the New York Times, Newsweek and International Business (IB) Times have reported on it. And some members of the community came together on Tuesday in a peaceful gathering to protest against racism. Meanwhile, Jasper Hill Farm in rural Vermont reported a swastika and other racist graffiti on a barn.
The hate is spreading, folks, and I don’t foresee an end anytime soon.