The Pulitzer Prize and Overlooked Arson
Sometimes mistakes are made but sometimes those mistakes end lives
col-3
col-9
col-12
PG&E Data Breach
Coming Soon the Article that will scare the s*** out of you
Take out the right line segments will plunge the entire state into chaos
FBI investigating Prince Andrew’s ‘connection’ to Jeffrey Epstein, report says
one of the weirdest interviews I ever had was hiding in a hostel in San Francisco waking up to a well-spoken black male with a clear British accent that I knew very well from family, the Upper Crust type chatter and mannerisms.
Here's a guy with freshly starched thermal underwear, a person of means sitting in a fleabag hostel filled with bed bugs starting a conversation with Pete Bennett homeless Dead Tired and running from cops that he didn't know existed in his life
this very famous person is the pilot in the Miracle on the Hudson and during the movie he discusses with his wife about the aviation website for safety.
That was around the time at Bennett truck blew up on the freeway visible from the Danville Police Department Bennett was going to develop that website except his truck exploded and he was nearly killed and there's no police report like so many others.
FBI investigating Prince Andrew’s ‘connection’ to Jeffrey Epstein, report says
The FBI has briefed Scotland Yard on its continuing investigation into people with connections to the late multimillionaire sex offender
The FBI, not concerned that Prince Andrew is a member of the British royal family, is including him in their ongoing and expanding investigation of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking operation, according to a report over the weekend in the Sunday Times of London.
“The US investigation is focusing on several potential victims in the hope that they can provide more details about Prince Andrew and his connection to the Epstein case,” a source from the U.S. Justice Department told the Sunday Times. “They are not going to dismiss (claims relating to Andrew) because he is a royal.”
The Sunday Times said the FBI expects to question Epstein’s alleged victims in the next two months, and the agency has briefed Scotland Yard on its probe. The Times said Scotland Yard detectives stand ready to assist their American counterparts. The report did not say whether Andrew would make himself available to talk to investigators.
With news about the FBI’s reported involvement, the Duke of York will continue to be plagued by negative headlines about his controversial association with Epstein. The multimillionaire sex offender, 66, died by suicide Aug. 10 in a Manhattan jail, where he was awaiting trial on new charges of sexually abusing and trafficking underaged girls.
Andrew, 59, was friends with Epstein, starting in the late 1990s and continuing through at least late 2010 — after Epstein was first investigated for trafficking underaged girls and convicted in 2008 of crimes involving sex with a minor.
It has been documented in news reports and in court filings that Andrew traveled on Epstein’s private plane multiple times, visited his different homes and invited the financier for a weekend stay and for royal family birthday parties at Balmoral and Windsor castles.
Most problematic for Andrew is that Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein’s alleged “sex slaves,” has claimed in a lawsuit and in interviews that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times in 2001 when she was 17.
In a recent interview with NBC’s “Dateline,” the Sacramento-born Guiffre, now 35, said about Andrew: “He was an abuser. He was a participant.”
Andrew, Queen Elizabeth’s second son, also was known to be good friends with British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s alleged “madam.” Maxwell has been accused by Giuffre and other women of helping to recruit and groom girls to have sex with Epstein and his powerful friends.
Guiffre told NBC that her first sexual encounter with Andrew took place at Maxwell’s London townhouse.
“Ghislaine woke me up in the morning and told me, ‘You’re going to meet a prince today,’” Giuffre told Savannah Guthrie. “I didn’t know at that point that I was going to be trafficked to that prince.”
A now viral photo of Andrew with his arm around Giuffre was reportedly taken at Maxwell’s townhouse the night they first allegedly had sex.
“I couldn’t believe that even royalty were involved,” Giuffre added in the “Dateline” interview.
Virginia Roberts describes 'having sex with Prince Andrew aged 17 in bathroom of Ghislaine Maxwell's London townhouse https://t.co/3utcVuOrww pic.twitter.com/2wZGG21jb7— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) September 20, 2019
The Duke of York, once known by the U.K. media as “Randy Andy,” has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s accusations, saying they were “false” and “without foundation.” Andrew also has tried to distance himself from Epstein and said he regrets continuing their friendship after the convicted pedophile was released from his controversially short 13-month county jail stay in 2010.
Dai Davies, the former head of royal protection at Scotland Yard, who was in charge of Andrew’s security in the late 1990s, told the Sunday Times it was in the “public interest” for the FBI to investigate — especially after London’s Metropolitan Police dropped an investigation into Andrew when allegations by Giuffre emerged in 2015.
“I would have thought it’s in Prince Andrew’s interests to clear this matter up,” Davies told the Sunday Times. “Any residue of doubt or innuendo should be cleared up by a clear, unequivocal, structured investigation.”
The Sunday Times said the FBI plans to interview about 100 victims, the majority of whom were 14 or 15 years old when they allegedly were trafficked by Epstein and his possible accomplices. The Times added that Guiffre’s allegations against Andrew are not the only claims the FBI is reviewing in relation to the prince.
Elliott Management Corporation
Elliott Management Corporation
Below is a list of investments managed by Elliot but several of their investments are linked to domestic terrorism events. My story is about pgewitness.com and AT&T who is covering up the Cyber Terrorism event called NIMDA
Investments[edit]
Early activities[edit]
Early in its history, Elliott focused on convertible arbitrage, refocusing primarily on distressed debt investing following the 1987 stock market crash and early 1990s recession. Elliott is known for restructuring such U.S. firms as TWA, MCI, WorldCom, and Enron[25] as well as overseas companies including Telecom Italia SpA and Elektrim.
The ENRON story is about Bennett v. Southern Pacific filed in 1987 lost in early 1990 when the witnesses vanished. One key witness was murdered, Bennett learned about the murder over a decade later but unknown until 2014 was the connection to Philip Anschutz
Wella AG[edit]
In 2003, Elliott believed P&G was not offering a fair price to all preferred shareholders for the German hair products company Wella AG. Elliott joined other funds in opposing the deal, including Germany's second-largest fund manager, Deka Investments. After several years of legal and shareholder battles, P&G raised its offer for Wella AG for all preferred shareholders.[13] According to the Börsen-Zeitung, Elliott said its goal was to "protect the rights of minority shareholders."[26]
Shopko[edit]
In April 2005, the Wisconsin-based retail chain Shopko announced that it had agreed to be acquired for approximately $1 billion by a private equity firm at a price of $24 per share.[27] This and a subsequent offer at $25 were rejected, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal, "after several dissident shareholders threatened to vote down the transaction, claiming the bid was too low." Elliott joined other hedge funds in opposing the sale because it felt the price was too low and because it had concerns about conflicts of interests on the board.[28][29] Elliott eventually participated in purchasing ShopKo at $29 per share.[30]
Adecco[edit]
The human resource consulting company Adecco announced in January 2006 it had secured a 35 percent stake in DIS AG, at a price of €54.5 per share, making an offer at that price for all shares.[31] The company also announced that the DIS CEO and CFO had signed lucrative management agreements that eventually would make them CEO and CFO, respectively, of Adecco.[32] Adecco attempted to de-list DIS but was blocked in court by a number of hedge funds, including Elliott. The funds also raised concerns about conflict of interest by the CEO and CFO. Eventually Adecco offered €113 per share, which was accepted.[31]
Consistently turned Bennett down for gigs that likely fake openings serving to discredit Bennett's reputation. They have my resume.
Novell[edit]
In March 2010, Elliott bid $5.75 per share for software company Novell. Although Novell rejected the offer, Elliott "welcomed" the decision to sell the company.[33]
Vinashin[edit]
In December 2011, it was reported that Elliott was suing the Vietnamese shipbuilding firm Vinashin in a British court. The company had defaulted a year earlier on a $600 million loan backed by the Vietnamese government, then offered to pay bondholders 35 cents on the dollar. Elliott sued for the full amount.[34] In April 2012 Elliott dropped the case.[35]
Compuware
It was reported in December 2012 that Elliott, which already had an 8% stake in Compuware, had offered to buy the company for $11 a share in cash.[36]
Hess[edit]
In late 2012, Elliott criticized the oil company Hess for its use of capital and for being "distracted" from oil exploration and production by other activities. In January 2013, Elliott called on Hess to sell certain assets and asked Hess investors to vote for five new directors as part of an effort to reconfigure the oil firm and thus boost its share price.[37] "Buried within Hess Corp. is one of the premier U.S. resource play-focused companies," Elliott wrote.[38]
In March, Hess announced that it was acting on some of Elliott's suggestions, but Elliott said that Hess's changes fell far short of what was needed.[39] In April, it was reported that Hess would close its London office on Elliott's advice.[40] Hess has been a "top pick" for Elliott since 2013.[41] As of the fourth quarter of 2014, Elliott owned 17.8 million shares of Hess, worth $1.3 billion, making it Elliott's largest holding.[4]
Sanko Steamship[edit]
In late 2013 Elliot took control of the bankrupt Japanese shipowner Sanko and proceeded to close the majority of the overseas offices of that Company. Elliot eventually asset stripped the Company's overseas properties and any equity left in the Companies vessels.[42] On April 1st 2012 Sanko had either managed or owned a fleet of 185 ships, which included 46 tankers and 27 dry bulk carriers.[43] By early 2019 this had been reduced to just 5 bulk carriers.[44]
Interpublic Group[edit]
In summer 2014, Elliott disclosed a 6.7% stake in Interpublic Group of Companies, an ad agency holding company, and "a person briefed on the matter said Elliott planned to call on the company to sell itself to one of its competitors".[45]
Sigfox[edit]
Elliott is one of several firms that, according to a February 2015 report, have invested in the Sigfox cellular network, which serves France, Spain, the UK, and the Netherlands.[46]
Solar projects in UK[edit]
In February 2015, the Telegraph reported that Elliot Management's UK arm, Elliott Advisors (UK) Limited, had put money into half a dozen unnamed solar-power projects in that country, and that it had "hedged its bets by taking out short positions in five other renewable energy funds listed on the London stock market."[47]
Comcast[edit]
In September 2015, Elliott purchased a 1,940,642-share stake in Comcast, a Philadelphia-based mass media company, for an average price of $58.68 a share. This transaction had a 1.65% impact on Elliott's portfolio.[48][49]
CDK Global LLC[edit]
Elliott acquired a 4% stake in CDK Global in May 2015.[50] As of September 2016, it was holding a 5.4% stake in the company and is the third-largest shareholder.[51]
On May 4, 2016, Elliott sent a letter to CDK Board of Directors outlining steps they felt were required in order to meet projected ROI and margins. Quoting "a plan for CDK to optimize its business operations and drive a meaningful improvement in shareholder value."[52]
On June 8, 2016, Elliott sent a letter to CDK Board of Directors advising that "CDK adopt the steps in the Value-Maximizing Plan without delay" due to share-holder support of the plan in the May 4th letter.[53]
Telecom Italia[edit]
In May 2018, Elliott Management won a battle for control of Telecom Italia, controlling two-thirds of Telecom Italia's board seats.[54]
Samsung[edit]
In the summer of 2015, Elliott, then a major investor in Samsung's construction division, opposed efforts by acting Samsung head Jay Lee who sought to have one part of the firm purchase the construction unit for $8 billion. Despite Elliott's opposition, the merger went through and Elliott sold its shares. Two years later, Lee was convicted of bribery and imprisoned after it was shown he had bribed a friend of South Korea's president to secure the merger.[55]
Cabela's[edit]
In October 2015, Elliott disclosed an 11.1 percent stake in Cabela’s, an outdoor recreation and clothing retailer, reporting that it is seeking to engage the company's board to discuss strategies and a potential sale of the company.[56][57]
PulteGroup[edit]
In July 2016, Elliott persuaded the PulteGroup, a home builder in which it owns 4.7%, to add three new board members, cut investments in new land, and buy back shares.[58]
Alcoa[edit]
After buying a stake in Alcoa (now Arconic) that earned it three board seats, Elliott forced a restructuring, after which Elliott was able to sell its stake at a 104% profit.[59]
athenahealth[edit]
In 2017-2018, under pressure from Elliott, athenahealth undertook substantial cost-cutting measures, and co-founder Jonathan S. Bush resigned.[60]
AT&T[edit]
In September 2019, Elliott Management published their activist letter addressed to the AT&T Board of Directors, asserting what Elliott called "a compelling value-creation opportunity" at AT&T. Elliott stated it had accumulated $3.2 billion of AT&T stock (1.2% equity interest).[61]
JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa[edit]
In September 2019. a joint venture among funds managed by Trinity Real Estate Investments LLC and funds managed by Elliott Management Corporation today announced the acquisition of the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, the largest resort in Phoenix.[62][63]
Energy Future Holdings[edit]
As of August 2017, Elliott owned enough of Energy Future Holdings's debt to block a Berkshire Hathaway takeover bid, which had made an offer the previous month to salvage the heavily indebted firm.[64]
Mentor Graphics Corp.[edit]
Elliott bought 9% of Mentor Graphics Corp. in 2017, then pushed for a takeover by Siemens. Elliott earned a 68% profit.[59]
NXP Semiconductors NV[edit]
In November 2017, Elliott and UBS Group AG collaborated in an effort to bring up the purchase price of NXP Semiconductors NV, which Qualcomm was seeking to buy.[65]
Oncor Electric Delivery[edit]
In August 2017, Elliott, which held $1.8 billion in debt related to Oncor Electric Delivery, a Texas transmission and distribution electric utility, sought to block Berkshire Hathaway's bid to acquire Oncor.[66]
Akzo Nobel[edit]
In August 2017, Akzo Nobel, a Dutch paint and chemicals company, said it had ended a dispute with Elliott. PPG Industries, an American rival, had sought to take over Akzo Nobel, Elliott had urged talks between the two and eventually took legal action as part of an effort to replace Akzo Nobel’s chairman, Antony Burgmans. During the conflict, Elliott became Akzo Nobel’s top shareholder, with a stake of about 9%.[67]
Waterstones[edit]
In April 2018, Elliott bought a majority stake in Waterstones, leaving Alexander Mamut's Lynwood Investments with a minority holding.[68] The sale completed in May 2018. James Daunt will remain as chief executive.[69]
A.C. Milan[edit]
In July 2018, Elliott Management was confirmed as the official proprietor of Italian football club AC Milan with 99.93% of the stakes of the club, after erstwhile owner Li Yonghong defaulted on his €415M debt to Elliott. Elliott immediately started dismissing board members at Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux, which is the company that controls AC Milan. On 10 July 2018, Paul Singer declared in an official statement to implant €50M of equity capital to stabilize the finances within the club.[70]
Barnes & Noble[edit]
On June 7, 2019, Elliott Management announced it would acquire Barnes & Noble for around $683 million.[71] On August 7, 2019, Elliott Management completed the acquisition of the company.[72]
Time Equities[edit]
Since 2010, Elliott Management has expanded into investing in distressed real estate. It has been active in Japanese and German real estate and in 2015 viewed Spain and Italy as offering attractive investment opportunities.[18] Now, according to the New York Times, it has "teams of analysts and portfolio managers in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo and investments worth more $2 billion." In the U.S., it "has focused on filling in the gap where banks have had to rein in their lending by participating in direct financing with developers."[73]
In 2013, Elliott Management teamed up with Time Equities on a 63-story commercial and real estate project in New York, and took an ownership stake in Silverpeak Real Estate Finance, a commercial real estate lender.[73]
The New York Times reported in May 2014 that Elliott Management was financing the development of 5 Beekman Street, a 130 year-old building at the site of one of Manhattan’s first skyscrapers, into a 287 room hotel and 46-story condominium called the Beekman. The project would be carried out by GFI Capital Resources, a New York real estate company.[73]
Sovereign debt[edit]
After Argentina defaulted on its sovereign debt in 2002, Elliott, which owned Argentinian bonds with a nominal face value of $630 million now worth $2.3 billion, refused to accept Argentina's offer of less than 30 cents on the dollar. Elliott won judgments against Argentina in U.S. and U.K. courts but did not collect payment. In October 2012, an Elliott subsidiary, NML Capital, arranged for the seizure in Ghana of the ARA Libertad, an Argentinian naval vessel, which it intended to confiscate in accordance with court judgments awarding it over $1.6 billion in Argentinian assets.[75] A November 2012 New York trial, which ended in a ruling for NML and against Argentina; legal experts called it the "sovereign debt trial of the century." In a letter published in the Financial Times, legal experts Andreas F. Lowenfeld and Peter S. Smedresman defended NML's position.[76]
Elliott exposed corruption in the Republic of the Congo in its efforts to enforce judgments totaling more than $100 million in defaulted bank debt.[77][78] In 2008, Elliott bought $32.6 million in loan debt incurred by Congo. In 2002 and 2003, a British court awarded Elliott more than $100 million for these debts. During the case, US President George W Bush used a constitutional clause preventing seizure of Congolese assets in the United States by the hedge fund.[79] Brice Mackosso, a campaigner for greater transparency and against corruption in the Congo Republic's government, stated that if it were not for funds like Elliott, "we would not know any facts about the way our country’s wealth is being taken away."[74] After Elliott's investigations produced evidence of corruption, the government settled for an estimated $90 million on debt for which Elliott paid less than $20 million.[11]
In 1995, Elliott bought $20 million face value of defaulted Peruvian bank debt. After extensive litigation and numerous attempts by Elliott to settle, the court awarded the hedge fund $58 million, including past due interest.[80]
