Nebraska Casinos & Gambling in Nebraska

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/technology/robinhood-risky-trading.html

Richard Dobatse, a Navy medic in San Diego, dabbled infrequently in stock trading. But his behavior changed in 2017 when he signed up for Robinhood, a trading app that made buying and selling stocks simple and seemingly free.
Mr. Dobatse, now 32, said he had been charmed by Robinhood’s one-click trading, easy access to complex investment products, and features like falling confetti and emoji-filled phone notifications that made it feel like a game. After funding his account with $15,000 in credit card advances, he began spending more time on the app.
As he repeatedly lost money, Mr. Dobatse took out two $30,000 home equity loans so he could buy and sell more speculative stocks and options, hoping to pay off his debts. His account value shot above $1 million this year — but almost all of that recently disappeared. This week, his balance was $6,956.
“When he is doing his trading, he won’t want to eat,” said his wife, Tashika Dobatse, with whom he has three children. “He would have nightmares.”
Millions of young Americans have begun investing in recent years through Robinhood, which was founded in 2013 with a sales pitch of no trading fees or account minimums. The ease of trading has turned it into a cultural phenomenon and a Silicon Valley darling, with the start-up climbing to an $8.3 billion valuation. It has been one of the tech industry’s biggest growth stories in the recent market turmoil.
But at least part of Robinhood’s success appears to have been built on a Silicon Valley playbook of behavioral nudges and push notifications, which has drawn inexperienced investors into the riskiest trading, according to an analysis of industry data and legal filings, as well as interviews with nine current and former Robinhood employees and more than a dozen customers. And the more that customers engaged in such behavior, the better it was for the company, the data shows.
Thanks for reading The Times. Subscribe to The Times More than at any other retail brokerage firm, Robinhood’s users trade the riskiest products and at the fastest pace, according to an analysis of new filings from nine brokerage firms by the research firm Alphacution for The New York Times.
In the first three months of 2020, Robinhood users traded nine times as many shares as E-Trade customers, and 40 times as many shares as Charles Schwab customers, per dollar in the average customer account in the most recent quarter. They also bought and sold 88 times as many risky options contracts as Schwab customers, relative to the average account size, according to the analysis.
The more often small investors trade stocks, the worse their returns are likely to be, studies have shown. The returns are even worse when they get involved with options, research has found.
This kind of trading, where a few minutes can mean the difference between winning and losing, was particularly hazardous on Robinhood because the firm has experienced an unusual number of technology issues, public records show. Some Robinhood employees, who declined to be identified for fear of retaliation, said the company failed to provide adequate guardrails and technology to support its customers.
Those dangers came into focus last month when Alex Kearns, 20, a college student in Nebraska, killed himself after he logged into the app and saw that his balance had dropped to negative $730,000. The figure was high partly because of some incomplete trades.
“There was no intention to be assigned this much and take this much risk,” Mr. Kearns wrote in his suicide note, which a family member posted on Twitter.
Like Mr. Kearns, Robinhood’s average customer is young and lacks investing know-how. The average age is 31, the company said, and half of its customers had never invested before.
Some have visited Robinhood’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., in recent years to confront the staff about their losses, said four employees who witnessed the incidents. This year, they said, the start-up installed bulletproof glass at the front entrance.
“They encourage people to go from training wheels to driving motorcycles,” Scott Smith, who tracks brokerage firms at the financial consulting firm Cerulli, said of Robinhood. “Over the long term, it’s like trying to beat the casino.”
At the core of Robinhood’s business is an incentive to encourage more trading. It does not charge fees for trading, but it is still paid more if its customers trade more.
That’s because it makes money through a complex practice known as “payment for order flow.” Each time a Robinhood customer trades, Wall Street firms actually buy or sell the shares and determine what price the customer gets. These firms pay Robinhood for the right to do this, because they then engage in a form of arbitrage by trying to buy or sell the stock for a profit over what they give the Robinhood customer.
This practice is not new, and retail brokers such as E-Trade and Schwab also do it. But Robinhood makes significantly more than they do for each stock share and options contract sent to the professional trading firms, the filings show.
For each share of stock traded, Robinhood made four to 15 times more than Schwab in the most recent quarter, according to the filings. In total, Robinhood got $18,955 from the trading firms for every dollar in the average customer account, while Schwab made $195, the Alphacution analysis shows. Industry experts said this was most likely because the trading firms believed they could score the easiest profits from Robinhood customers.
Vlad Tenev, a founder and co-chief executive of Robinhood, said in an interview that even with some of its customers losing money, young Americans risked greater losses by not investing in stocks at all. Not participating in the markets “ultimately contributed to the sort of the massive inequalities that we’re seeing in society,” he said.
Mr. Tenev said only 12 percent of the traders active on Robinhood each month used options, which allow people to bet on where the price of a specific stock will be on a specific day and multiply that by 100. He said the company had added educational content on how to invest safely.
He declined to comment on why Robinhood makes more than its competitors from the Wall Street firms. The company also declined to comment on Mr. Dobatse or provide data on its customers’ performance.
Robinhood does not force people to trade, of course. But its success at getting them do so has been highlighted internally. In June, the actor Ashton Kutcher, who has invested in Robinhood, attended one of the company’s weekly staff meetings on Zoom and celebrated its success by comparing it to gambling websites, said three people who were on the call.
Mr. Kutcher said in a statement that his comment “was not intended to be a comparison of business models nor the experience Robinhood provides its customers” and that it referred “to the current growth metrics.” He added that he was “absolutely not insinuating that Robinhood was a gambling platform.”
ImageRobinhood’s co-founders and co-chief executives, Baiju Bhatt, left, and Vlad Tenev, created the company to make investing accessible to everyone. Robinhood’s co-founders and co-chief executives, Baiju Bhatt, left, and Vlad Tenev, created the company to make investing accessible to everyone.Credit...via Reuters Robinhood was founded by Mr. Tenev and Baiju Bhatt, two children of immigrants who met at Stanford University in 2005. After teaming up on several ventures, including a high-speed trading firm, they were inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement to create a company that would make finance more accessible, they said. They named the start-up Robinhood after the English outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor.
Robinhood eliminated trading fees while most brokerage firms charged $10 or more for a trade. It also added features to make investing more like a game. New members were given a free share of stock, but only after they scratched off images that looked like a lottery ticket.
The app is simple to use. The home screen has a list of trendy stocks. If a customer touches one of them, a green button pops up with the word “trade,” skipping many of the steps that other firms require.
Robinhood initially offered only stock trading. Over time, it added options trading and margin loans, which make it possible to turbocharge investment gains — and to supersize losses.
The app advertises options with the tagline “quick, straightforward & free.” Customers who want to trade options answer just a few multiple-choice questions. Beginners are legally barred from trading options, but those who click that they have no investing experience are coached by the app on how to change the answer to “not much” experience. Then people can immediately begin trading.
Before Robinhood added options trading in 2017, Mr. Bhatt scoffed at the idea that the company was letting investors take uninformed risks.
“The best thing we can say to those people is ‘Just do it,’” he told Business Insider at the time.
In May, Robinhood said it had 13 million accounts, up from 10 million at the end of 2019. Schwab said it had 12.7 million brokerage accounts in its latest filings; E-Trade reported 5.5 million.
That growth has kept the money flowing in from venture capitalists. Sequoia Capital and New Enterprise Associates are among those that have poured $1.3 billion into Robinhood. In May, the company received a fresh $280 million.
“Robinhood has made the financial markets accessible to the masses and, in turn, revolutionized the decades-old brokerage industry,” Andrew Reed, a partner at Sequoia, said after last month’s fund-raising.
Image Robinhood shows users that its options trading is free of commissions. Robinhood shows users that its options trading is free of commissions. Mr. Tenev has said Robinhood has invested in the best technology in the industry. But the risks of trading through the app have been compounded by its tech glitches.
In 2018, Robinhood released software that accidentally reversed the direction of options trades, giving customers the opposite outcome from what they expected. Last year, it mistakenly allowed people to borrow infinite money to multiply their bets, leading to some enormous gains and losses.
Robinhood’s website has also gone down more often than those of its rivals — 47 times since March for Robinhood and 10 times for Schwab — according to a Times analysis of data from Downdetector.com, which tracks website reliability. In March, the site was down for almost two days, just as stock prices were gyrating because of the coronavirus pandemic. Robinhood’s customers were unable to make trades to blunt the damage to their accounts.
Four Robinhood employees, who declined to be identified, said the outage was rooted in issues with the company’s phone app and servers. They said the start-up had underinvested in technology and moved too quickly rather than carefully.
Mr. Tenev said he could not talk about the outage beyond a company blog post that said it was “not acceptable.” Robinhood had recently made new technology investments, he said.
Plaintiffs who have sued over the outage said Robinhood had done little to respond to their losses. Unlike other brokers, the company has no phone number for customers to call.
Mr. Dobatse suffered his biggest losses in the March outage — $860,000, his records show. Robinhood did not respond to his emails, he said, adding that he planned to take his case to financial regulators for arbitration.
“They make it so easy for people that don’t know anything about stocks,” he said. “Then you go there and you start to lose money.”

I don't think John DeCamp gets everything right, especially his claims about satanic groups, but in 1988 we learn about the Franklin Coverup, which Wikipedia describes as:

"The Franklin child prostitution ring allegations began in June 1988 in Omaha, Nebraska and attracted significant public and political interest until late 1990, when separate state and federal grand juries concluded that the allegations were unfounded and the ring was a "carefully crafted hoax."[1][2].

From the NYT:
(12/18/88) A Lurid, Mysterious Scandal Begins Taking Shape in Omaha

In the Executive Board's public session Monday, Mr. Chambers said the activities of Lawrence E. King Jr., the credit union's manager for the last 18 years and the central figure in its collapse, were ''just the tip of an iceberg, and he's not in it by himself.'' But Mr. Chambers added nothing that would shed light on his cryptic assertion....Mr. King is a 44-year-old Omaha resident who wholly or partly owns several small businesses here and lives with his wife and school-age son in a large house in one of the city's better neighborhoods. He is a tall, expansive figure well known for his costly style of dressing, lavish celebrations and extensive travel, sometimes in chartered jets and often with an entourage of young men.In 1972 he headed a national political organization, Black Democrats for George McGovern. But he gained greater prominence after he had switched parties a while later, serving for a time as vice chairman of the National Black Republican Council, an official affiliate of the Republican Party, and becoming a familiar figure on the Republican social scene.Mr. King has maintained a $5,000-a-month residence off Embassy Row in Washington and has also entertained generously at Republican National Conventions. At the 1984 gathering, in Dallas, where he sang the national anthem on the convention floor, he rented the ranch where the television series ''Dallas'' is filmed and organized a party there for black Republicans....Mr. King's trouble with the authorities came to the surface early last month when officials of the Government's National Credit Union Administration, acting on information from the F.B.I. and the Internal Revenue Service, arrived at the offices of the Franklin Community Federal Credit Union and shut it down. Then, on Nov. 14, the agency, which oversees the nation's federally chartered credit unions and insures their deposits, filed the Government suit against Mr. King, whose salary as Franklin Community's manager had been less than $17,000 a year.

(1989) Washington Call Boy Scandal

Craig J. Spence (1941 – November 10, 1989) was a Republican) lobbyist who was found dead in a Ritz-Carlton hotel room in 1989.[1][2] ...Spence was implicated in a gay call-boy ring scandal, that arranged after-hours visits to the White House, the Washington Times and other papers reported in June 1989. Afterward, Spence committed suicide in a Boston hotel....Spence's name came to national prominence in the aftermath of a June 28, 1989 article in the Washington Timesidentifying Spence as a customer of a homosexual escort service being investigated by the Secret Service, the District of Columbia Police and the United States Attorney's Office for suspected credit card fraud. The newspaper said he spent as much as $20,000 a month on the service. He had also been linked to a White House guard who has said he accepted an expensive watch from Mr. Spence and allowed him and friends to take late-night White House tours.[4]Spence entered a downward spiral in the wake of the Washington Times exposé, increasingly involving himself with call boys and crack,[5] and culminating in his July 31, 1989 arrest at the Barbizon Hotel on East 63rd St in Manhattan for criminal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of cocaine.[6]Months after the scandal had died down, and a few weeks before Spence was found in a room of the Boston Ritz-Carlton Hotel, he was asked who had given him the "key" to the White House. Michael Hedges and Jerry Seper of The Washington Times reported that "Mr. Spence hinted the tours were arranged by 'top level' persons", including Donald Gregg, national security adviser to Vice President George H. W. Bush at the time the tours were given.[5]When pressed to identify who it was who got him inside the White House, Spence asked "Who was it who got [long-term CIA operative] Félix Rodríguez) in to see Bush?", agreeing that he was alluding to Mr. Gregg.[5]Gregg himself dismissed the allegation as "absolute bull", according to Hedges and Seper. "It disturbs me that he can reach a slimy hand out of the sewer to grab me by the ankle like this," he told the reporters. "The allegations are totally false."[5]

I'll let you decide how credible you find any of this so far. It should be noted that many of the people implicated in these affairs -- Wilson, Singlaub, Moon, Casey, Rodriguez, Bush, Stone, and Gregg -- were also involved to varying degrees in the Iran Contra Affair, which illegally raised money for anti-communist terrorists in Central America through the use of death squads, rape, and drug sales. One does not necessarily equal the other, but sexual blackmail and human trafficking don't seem like much of a stretch.
An article by The Guardian notes:
Czechoslovakia ramped up spying on Trump in late 1980s, seeking US intel:

In summer 1987, Donald and Ivana Trump visited Moscow and Leningrad, following a personal invitation from the Soviet ambassador in Washington, Yuri Dubinin. The trip was arranged by Intourist, a travel agency that was also an undercover KGB outfit. Soon after returning from Moscow, Trump announced he was thinking of running for president. That presidential bid failed to materialise.In October 1988, on the eve of the US election, Ivana Trump visited her parents in Zlín, known at the time as Gottwaldov. According to the files she “confidently” predicted Bush’s victory to her father, who in turn passed the tip to local StB officers.“The outcome of the election confirmed the veracity of this information,” StB field agent Lt Peter Surý wrote, in a document dated 23 January 1989 and marked “secret”.The prediction came “from the highest echelons of power in the US”. Ivana was “not only a well-heeled US citizen” but moved in “very top political circles”, Surý stated....It is unclear when the KGB began a file on the future president. In Prague about 60,000 StB documents were declassified in the mid-1990s, after the collapse of communism. The StB destroyed most records.However, secret memos written by the KGB chief, Vladimir Kryuchkov, in the mid-1980s reveal that he berated his officers for their failure to cultivate top-level Americans. Kryuchkov circulated a confidential personality questionnaire to KGB heads of station abroad, setting out the qualities wanted from a potential asset.According to instructions leaked to British intelligence by the KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky, they included corruption, vanity, narcissism, marital infidelity and poor analytical skills. The KGB should focus on personalities who were upwardly mobile in business and politics, especially Americans, the document said.

Another article in the Chicago Tribune notes:
Czechoslovakia secret police file: Trump sure of presidential win — in 1996:

A year before the 1989 collapse of communism in many parts of Europe, details about Ivana Trump's 1988 visit back to her homeland were recorded in a classified police report. The Oct. 22, 1988 report claimed that Trump refused to run for president in 1988 — despite alleged pressure to do so — because he felt, at 42, he was too young. But the secret report said he intended to run in the 1996 U.S. presidential race as an independent, when he would be 50."Even though it looks like a utopia, D. TRUMP is confident he will succeed," the police report said, based on information from an unspecified source who talked to Ivana Trump's father, Milos Zelnicek, about her visit.It was unclear where the alleged "pressure" was coming from. [Note: In "Get Me Roger Stone", Stone claims he was the one who convinced Trump to run.]...Trump's first wife was born Ivana Zelnickova in 1949 in the Czechoslovak city of Gottwaldov, the former city of Zlin that just had been renamed by the Communists, who took over the country in 1948. She married Trump, her second husband, in 1977. As she kept traveling home across the Iron Curtain on a regular basis, Ivana became a tempting target for the powerful, deeply feared Czechoslovak secret police agency known as the StB.

And by at least 1989, Trump himself was in the social circle of both Iran Contra figures and the father of Epstein's alleged "madame", Ghislaine Maxwell:
(This is from a previous post I made, seen here. Some of the links are subscription only, but are provided for accuracy)
NY Daily News - May 5, 1989:

“Everybody, but everybody at the party aboard British media mogul Robert Maxwell’s yacht Wednesday night had to doff their shoes before boarding the plush-carpeted “Lady Ghislaine.” Maxwell insisted, and his guests cooperated, including Donald Trump (minus Ivana), who has a much bigger yacht and was happy to compare notes with Maxwell. [Note: This is in reference to the Kingdom 5KR, originally owned by Adnan Khashoggi, international arms dealer and uncle of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi.] There were John Tower [Republican Senator in charge of the Tower Commission, which investigated Iran Contra]; ex-Navy secretary John Lehman [Reagan appointee 1981-1987], now with Paine Webber; lawyer Tom Bolan [law partner of Roy Cohn]; literary agent Mort Janklow [clients include both Nancy and Ronald Reagan for their memoirs]; UN envoy Thomas Pickering [currently a board member at the world’s biggest pipe company, OAO TMK, in Moscow and Chairman of the Rostropovich-Vishnevskaya Foundation, “a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC that supports programs to improve the health of children worldwide”]; and Peter Kalikow, owner of the New York Post [awarded the Israel Peace Medal in 1982; created a super PAC for Herman Cain that was later revealed to be entirely financed by his donations]; Maxwell’s daughter, Ghislaine, and his niece, Helene Atkin of Macmillan, the publishing house Maxwell recently took over."[Note: This sentence wasn't in the Daily News article but shows up in a St Louis Dispatch piece a week later]: “Maxwell, who weighs about 300 pounds, went over the guest list personally.""No one could tell who didn’t make the final list, but we do know that Martha Smilgis of Time was disinvited by David Adler, public relations chief at Macmillan. She wrote the profile of Maxwell which he apparently did not like.”

Who was Ghislaine’s father?

Ian Robert Maxwell "MC (10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991), born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch, was a British media proprietor and Member of Parliament (MP). Originally from Czechoslovakia, Maxwell rose from poverty to build an extensive publishing empire….Maxwell had a flamboyant lifestyle, living in Headington Hill Hall in Oxford, from which he often flew in his helicopter, and sailing in his luxury yacht, the Lady Ghislaine. He was notably litigious and often embroiled in controversy, including about his support for Israel at the time of the 1948 Palestine war. In 1989, he had to sell successful businesses, including Pergamon Press, to cover some of his debts. In 1991, his body was discovered floating in the Atlantic Ocean, having fallen overboard from his yacht. He was buried in Jerusalem. Maxwell's death triggered the collapse of his publishing empire as banks called in loans. His sons briefly attempted to keep the business together, but failed as the news emerged that the elder Maxwell had stolen hundreds of millions of pounds from his own companies' pension funds. The Maxwell companies applied for bankruptcy protection in 1992....Shortly before Maxwell's death, a former employee of Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate, Ari Ben-Menashe, approached a number of news organisations in Britain and the U.S. with the allegation that Maxwell and the Daily Mirror's foreign editor, Nicholas Davies, were both long-time agents for Mossad. Ben-Menashe also claimed that in 1986, Maxwell had told the Israeli Embassy in London that Mordechai Vanunu had given information about Israel's nuclear capability to The Sunday Times, then to the Daily Mirror. Vanunu was subsequently kidnapped by Mossad and smuggled to Israel, convicted of treason and imprisoned for eighteen years.Ben-Menashe's story was ignored at first, but eventually The New Yorker journalist Seymour Hersh repeated some of the allegations during a press conference in London held to publicise The Samson Option, Hersh's book about Israel's nuclear weapons. On 21 October 1991, two MPs, Labour's George Galloway and the Conservative's Rupert Allason (also known as espionage author Nigel West), agreed to raise the issue in the House of Commons under Parliamentary Privilege protection, which in turn allowed British newspapers to report events without fear of libel suits. Maxwell called the claims "ludicrous, a total invention" and sacked Davies.[44] A year later, in Galloway's libel settlement against Mirror Group Newspapers (in which he received "substantial" damages), Galloway's counsel announced that the MP accepted that the group's staff had not been involved in Vanunu's abduction. Galloway himself, however, referred to Maxwell as "one of the worst criminals of the century....The Maxwell companies filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992. Kevin Maxwell was declared bankrupt with debts of £400 million. In 1995, Kevin and Ian and two other former directors went on trial for conspiracy to defraud, but were unanimously acquitted by a twelve-man jury in 1996.”

Epstein's own weird history has been spoken of to some degree, and I'm not sure I have much to add at this point, but perhaps it's important in context.
Financier in sex abuse case went from math whiz to titan

He taught calculus and physics at the prestigious Dalton School, a prep school in Manhattan, from 1973 to 1975, despite not having a college degree. Attorney General William Barr's father, Donald Barr, was headmaster at the time...Epstein left Dalton in the mid-1970s for a job at Bear Stearns at the urging of a student's father who arranged a meeting with the chairman of the investment bank, according to published reports. He later began his own money-management business, J. Epstein & Co....Epstein has long obscured the source of his wealth. Even after his arrest, he refused to provide authorities with even basic information about his income and assets. His attorney said Epstein's lawyers intend to provide the information but want to make sure it is correct first.This much is clear: "He is a man of nearly infinite means," federal prosecutor Alex Rossmiller said in court....Epstein also forged a relationship with Leslie Wexner, the retail titan behind Victoria's Secret, The Limited and other store chains. He started managing Wexner's money in the late 1980s and helped straighten out the finances for a real estate development Wexner was backing in a wealthy Columbus, Ohio, suburb.It was through Wexner that [in1996] Epstein acquired his Manhattan mansion, a seven-story, 21,000-square-foot former prep school less than a block from Central Park. It has been valued at about $77 million.

Around the same time, Trump started dating Marla Maples, who was working at his Atlantic City Taj Mahal Casino:
(1988) The Untold Story of Trump Model Management (Part 1):

Donald Trump, for his part, was becoming increasingly restless, and reckless. Despite fathering 3 children and having a devoted wife, by all accounts he didn’t spend much time with any of them, preferring work and play to the routines of domestic life. In the 80’s he made at least two life changing decisions-to step out on his wife publicly, and to expand his negligible empire into Atlantic City casinos. He built Harrah’s at Trump Plaza in 1984, and a partially completed building that became Trump Castle in 1985-a property that would be managed by his first wife, Ivana. He also scooped up the Taj Mahal in 1988, which at a cost of $1.1 billion made it the most expensive casino ever built at the time.

Some weirdness starts to pop up here, at least allegedly. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
(10/27/83) GROUND BROKEN FOR RESORTS' 2D N.J. CASINO-HOTEL

Resorts International, which opened the city's first gambling hall 5 1/2 years ago, broke ground yesterday for a second casino-hotel that will cost $250 million to build and will contain 1,000 hotel rooms and the world's second-largest casino.

According to Wikipedia:

Resorts International was a hotel and casino company. From its origins as a paint company, it moved into the resort business in the 1960s with the development of Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and then expanded to Atlantic City, New Jersey with the opening of Resorts Casino Hotel in 1978.

So how did a paint company morph into a multimillion dollar casino company? We're going to have to go to conspiracy theorists again. Make of it what you will:
Goodfellas: The Hidden History of Resorts International:

Resorts International was largely a family affair that grew out of a company called the Mary Carter Paint Company."Mary Carter (she never existed) was pretty much a family affair controlled by Jim Crosby, two of his brothers, and his in-laws. Based in Tampa, Florida, the firm included in its directorate James Crosby, John Crosby (a plastic surgeon in Mobile, Alabama), William Crosby (a Tampa realtor), and the Murphy brothers, Henry and Tom, who'd married the Crosby daughters. Henry owned a funeral home in Trenton, New Jersey, while Tom was board chairman of Capital Cities Communications, a successful broadcasting business founded by explorer Lowell Thomas. The explorer too was an early shareholder in Mary Carter Paint, as was Republican Thomas Dewey." (Spooks, Jim Hougan, pg. 381)Acclaimed researchers Sally Denton and Roger Morris note: "... the Mary Carter Paint Company, which was widely considered to be a CIA front that laundered payments to the Cuban exile army in the early sixties..." (The Money and the Power, pg. 284).This is certainly quite plausible considering Mary Carter was then based out of Tampa, a hub for joint CIA-Syndicate efforts to assassinate Castro. As was noted before here, Tampa don Santo Trafficante, Jr. was one of the gangsters initially tapped by the CIA's notorious Office of Security to arrange for Castro's untimely demise. Trafficante, a close associate of Meyer Lansky (whom we shall return to again), had been deeply involved in Cuba's gambling operations prior to the revolution and would later become even more deeply immersed in the world heroin trade. As was noted before here, he was very close to the emerging Cuban Mafia, which provided ample recruits to the CIA during the early 1960s despite much suspicion that Trafficante was a double agent for Castro.Certainly the Mary Carter Paint Company would have been well positioned to assist Trafficante in these endeavors in Tampa. And such a connection would also explain why the corporation, in the mid-1960s (as CIA Cuban operations were winding down), abruptly sold off its paint business and boldly delved into gambling. By the end of the decade it was managing one of the most profitable casinos in the world on the Bahama's Paradise Island.What it amounts to is that by the late period James Crosby emerged as not only the CEO of Mary CarteResorts International, but as an extremely well connected figure within the GOP and beyond."... Crosby was himself uniquely situated in Republican circles: a sometime guest at the White House, he'd donated $100,000 to Nixon's 1968 campaign. He was also a friend of, and frequent host two, Bebe Rebozo (with whom he banked). Moreover, Crosby's private intelligence agency, Intertel, was even then working with White House aides and ITT executives to discredit Jack Anderson's revelations anent ITT and Chile. At the same time, Intertel was the de factocustodian of the demented billionaire Howard Hughes (his own $100,000 donation would later result in two volumes of Senate testimony in the Watergate affair). Indeed, the ties between Paradise Island and Richard Nixon's administration were of the sort that bind: Allan Butler, owner of the failing bank that was his namesake, claims the Nixon was a silent partner of Crosby's in his Bahamian ventures, sharing a healthy chunk of Paradise Island bridge revenues with yet another secret partner, Bebe Rebozo. And by by no means finally, James O. Golden, Resorts' vice-president and one of Intertel's founding spooks, had formerly served as Nixon's Secret Service shield, later taking charge of security for the Nixon forces at the GOP's 1968 convention in Miami Beach. That Paradise Island is a special place, and had a special place in the heart (or what passed for a heart) of the Nixon regime, is abundantly clear... (Spooks, Jim Hougan, pg. 180) ...And that brings us to possibly the most curious aspects of Resorts, namely its ownership of its own vast private intelligence network.It was known as Intertel, short for International Intelligence, Inc. Intertel was incorporated in 1970 as an almost wholly-owned subsidiary of Resorts International and hit the ground running. During its heyday, Intertel had an impressive roster and an international reach. It would turn up in host of intrigues throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Curiously, it had its origins with Robert Kennedy's "Get Hoffa" squad."... Intertel, known especially and remarkably for its composition of former organized crime strike force attorneys from Robert Kennedy's Justice Department... The IRS considered Intertel... 'an organized crime enterprise of some type aimed at the Bahamas,' as one account summed up the agency's view. Roberts Peloquin and William Hundley, Kennedy's top crime fighters, had joined the firm and recruited operatives from the CIA, FBI, IRS, Secret Service, and other intelligence agencies. Staffed exclusively by what one author called 'Get Hoffa agents,' it was likened into a corporate CIA.' (The Money and the Power, Sally Denton & Roger Morris, pg. 284)...Intertel's other ventures include spying of muckraker Jack Anderson) for ITT, investigating the Chicago Tylenol murders and the Bhopal disaster. Even more ominous, however, were its dealings with a shady Belgium-based private detective agency known as Agence de Recherche et d'Information (ARI). As was noted before here, ARI was linked to members of the neo-fascist terror organization known as the Westland New Post, a few of whom had also been implicated in drug trafficking and pedophile rings. Intertel reportedly hired ARI to do some work for them during the 1980s....What is of great interest to us here is Trump's third Atlantic City casino: the Taj Mahal. While now widely associated with Trump, thanks in no small part to it leading to his first bankruptcy, it was not in fact Trump who started the casino. That dubious distinction lies with Resorts International.The company had begun construction on the Taj Mahal in 1983, but had run into persistent difficulties in finishing construction in the following years. Then, in April 1986, James Crosby died suddenly. This left Resorts in turmoil (allegedly) and Trump stepped in. Trump bought a controlling stake in the company in 1987 and was promptly named its chairman of the board.Let that sink in for a moment: Donald J. Trump, the current President of the United States, was briefly the chairman of a corporation long suspected of being a CIA front, that had decades-spanning involvement with the Syndicate, numerous "rogue" financiers, various drug and arms traffickers and which owned a vast private intelligence network...."

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
(07/22/87) TRUMP COMPLETES THE DEAL FOR RESORTS INTERNATIONAL

Developer Donald Trump took control of Resorts International Inc. yesterday in a $79 million deal that gives him his third Atlantic City casino, including what will be the largest gaming hall in the city.Trump sealed the deal in New York with those connected to the estate of the late founder of Resorts International, James M. Crosby.Trump paid a cash price of $135 a share for 585,068 shares of Class B stock, which has 100 times the voting power of Class A stock.He is expected to make a formal tender offer for the remaining 167,230 shares of Class B stock within the next several weeks at the same $135-a-share price. Owning all the Class B stock would give him 93 percent of the company's voting power.At a board meeting immediately after the transaction with the Crosby estate, Trump was elected chairman of the board of Resorts International, replacing Henry B. Murphy, Crosby's brother-in-law, who resigned.

And his relationship with Ivana was falling apart:
(1989) Ex-Wife: Donald Trump Made Me Feel ‘Violated’ During Sex

After a painful scalp reduction surgery to remove a bald spot, Donald Trump confronted his then-wife, who had previously used the same plastic surgeon.“Your fucking doctor has ruined me!” Trump cried.What followed was a “violent assault,” according to Lost Tycoon. Donald held back Ivana’s arms and began to pull out fistfuls of hair from her scalp, as if to mirror the pain he felt from his own operation. He tore off her clothes and unzipped his pants.“Then he jams his penis inside her for the first time in more than sixteen months. Ivana is terrified… It is a violent assault,” Hurt writes. “According to versions she repeats to some of her closest confidantes, ‘he raped me.’”Following the incident, Ivana ran upstairs, hid behind a locked door, and remained there “crying for the rest of night.” When she returned to the master bedroom in the morning, he was there.“As she looks in horror at the ripped-out hair scattered all over the bed, he glares at her and asks with menacing casualness: ‘Does it hurt?’” Hurt writes.

In 1992, Trump would divorce Ivana. It's this same year that we find him arranging a party of 30 for himself, Jeffrey Epstein, and 28 young aspiring calendar girls:
(1992) Trump Was Alone at a 1992 Party with 28 Girls and Accused Sex Trafficker Jeffrey Epstein

Part of a “calendar girl” competition organized at Trump’s request, the party was put together by a businessman named George Houraney, who spoke with the New York Times for a story published Tuesday.Houraney was also one of many to accuse Trump of sexual harassment, this time toward his former girlfriend and business partner, Jill Harth, who described an incident in 1997 as an attempted rape by Trump.“I arranged to have some contestants fly in,” Houraney told the Times. “At the very first party, I said, ‘Who’s coming tonight? I have 28 girls coming.’ It was him and Epstein.”...Before the “calendar girl” event, Houraney warned Trump about Epstein once again.“Look, Donald, I know Jeff really well, I can’t have him going after younger girls,” Houraney recalled telling Trump in the Times interview. “He said: ‘Look I’m putting my name on this. I wouldn’t put my name on it and have a scandal.’”

[EDIT: MSNBC reports on 07/17/2019 on newly discovered footage of Trump and Epstein discussing women at a party in November of 1992.]
The Boston Globe reported:
(1992) The pageant of Donald Trump’s dreams

It was a snowy night in Manhattan, December 1992, and the festive group was embarking on a circuit of exclusive clubs after a sumptuous dinner at the Plaza Hotel’s Oak Room.As the limo wove through the city, Trump discussed his views on dating, according to one of the women riding along. The billionaire casino mogul declared that “all women are bimbos” and said most were “gold diggers” who would be smart to go after men with money. Like him.Rhonda Noggle, the model who relayed the story to the Globe in an interview, said that, at that point, she had had enough. Speaking sharply to Trump, she said, she asked him to stop the limo. The car grew silent.

(1989-1995) The Untold Story of Trump Model Management (Part 1):

1989-1995 just so happens to be the same time period in which Donald Trumps world and empire was falling apart at the seams. In the beginning of the decade he was facing the end of his first marriage and a looming court battle. Despite his purportedly active dating life, by many accounts Trump was being rejected by many, if not most, of the women he pursued-including Carla Bruni and Jill Hearth. Marla Maples, after years of being the secret mistress and repeated rounds of being dumped and publicly humiliated by Trump, was starting to lose her patience. And the big gamble he took in Atlantic City was, by all accounts, failing miserably-a direct result of his jaw droppingly awful business practices and general incompetence. In 1991, his Taj Mahal Casino filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. In 1992, he again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy again, this time on his Trump Plaza Hotel (also in Atlantic City), at the time owing $550 million dollars. Recall that he would report an almost 1 billion dollar loss on his 1995 tax returns, according to the copies obtained by the New York Times. Indeed, the early 90’s were not a very good era for Donald Trump. In light of this fact, it’s worth noting that the sexual assault allegations against him are all clustered within this very time frame. [Note: This article was written in 2016, prior to more allegations]...By the time “New York Magazine” did a front page profile of him in 1988, Casablancas reputation for bedding young models was established and begrudgingly accepted (a price to pay in exchange for his “genius”) within the New York social scene, but the expose came as a shock to many outside the bubble. John Casablancas would soon find out that he was not as untouchable as he thought he was. In the article-which ran under the title “Girl Crazy”-Casablancas was portrayed as a champagne guzzling pervert, singularly dedicated to the “new look” department of Elite where he spent his days ogling the scantily clad, sometimes naked bodies of teenage girls. In light of Donald Trump’s more alarming comments and decisions around his daughter Ivanka, this quote stands out:"Casablancas talked about his seventeen year old daughter, Cecile. He said Cecile had been solicited by a photographer last summer on a beach in Ibiza. The photographer asked her to pose in a bikini, and Casablancas raced over to try to get a $2,000 fee for the shot. “She’s got a great little body” he told his models."Another quote that brings a chuckle and a nod of recognition in this story is Casablancas’s bizarre pride over never having changed a diaper. Donald Trump would make similar boasts in a Howard Stern interview a few years later. Compelling proof this is not, but I do believe it’s a hint at the kind of Don Juan persona that Don, far from a Juan, actually a dejected, balding husband with a crumbling empire....But the scandal did not end there, nor did it begin. Less than a month earlier 60 minutes aired a prime-time special on the abuses of underage girls in the modeling industry. Investigative reporter Craig Pyes portrayed the modeling industry as infested with agents who were notorious hustlers and playboys. His report revealed that both Claude Haddad- the head of European scouting for Ford- and Ford’s Paris-based agent Jean-Luc Brunel had been accused of horrific sexual misconduct by many models. [Note: Brunel's name appears multiple times on Epstein's flight manifests.] The special aired the interviews of dozens of women who accused both Brunel and Haddad of a litany of crimes, ranging from racist invective towards black models to violent rape. And in fact the hidden camera footage captured in filming the special caught it all- from Xavier lamenting about n**er models, to Haddad chuckling about drugging and raping 13 year old girls. According to Model At a retreat soon after the one-two punch delivered by the coverage, Haddad, Jean Luc Brunel and Casablancas were once again overheard (albeit not taped this time around) laughing about their crimes. Alternatively they were angry when confronted by interim scouting manager Trudi Tapscott - ”I’m a man and I have needs, I will not apologize for that!” Casablancas is said to have declared....Over time Donald Trump would emerge from the ruins of his empire with a new approach to business, and a new source of income-in 1996 he bought the rights to the Miss Universe franchise, and became the central figure in the running of these pageants. And in 1999 he started a modeling agency - T models, later changed to Trump Model Management. The correlation of interests is quite clear-for a man awkward around women but dependent on his public image saying otherwise, a stable of women under his employ was a way to boost his image-and even better, he was able to lock all of these women into non disclosure agreements, ensuring that his behavior with them had little chance of becoming public knowledge. It also appeared to have served as a useful tool regarding his business transactions-which, in the aftermath of his bankruptcy, were increasingly dependent on some less than savory characters. How he did this, and the breadth of this activity, will be explored in the next installment. But for the time being, there is one final aspect of this story that is breathtaking, and speaks more to the character of Donald Trump than anything else.

More in Part 3.

This post will definitively set to rest any notion that Trump is on "your side" or even a decent human being.

• Brief background of Trump's family
• The real story of Trump's business acumen: welfare queen, cocaine and human trafficker, thief, conman
• Trump's history as a CIA asset

Donald Trump's ancestry
Friedrich Trump, Donald's grandfather

• Dodged military service in Germany by running off to America (Donald did the same decades later by getting a medical disqualification despite no medical problems)
• Moved back to Germany but was exiled for draft dodging and returned to America
• [Lied](In 1892, Friedrich became a citizen, lying about his age in the process by saying he’d landed in New York two years before he actually had. Two friends accompanied him to the proceedings to attest to his good character. One was a laborer, the other a man whose occupations included providing accommodations for what Blair politely called “female boarding.”) about the length of his residency in the US to fraudulently gain citizenship, his character witnesses being a laborer and a whorehouse operator
• Ran whorehouses and made a habit of building property on land he didn't even own (without permission, foreshadowing Donald's future behavior)

Fred Trump, Donald Trump's father:

• Fred Trump was arrested participating in a KKK march (in support of, not protest of)
• Fred Trump overcharged the government in systemic fraud exploiting funds intended to benefit housing of WW2 vets
• Fred Trump (and Donald) discriminated against black tenants and settled lawsuits with the government over it

Donald Trump: business acumen or conman?

• Trump's first solo project was renovation of The Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt. Trump received $360M in government subsidy for this project with construction costs of only $120M. That's $3 for every $1 invested, the kind of sweetheart government cheese that could turn even the most pitiful man rich.
• Trump has received no less than $885M in further government subsidy since then, amounting to over $1B in handouts on the public record
• Trump has an extensive history of not paying for completed work, generally targeting small businesses that can't afford lawyers to contest his nonpayment
• Trump misrepresents to the point of criminality: it is illegal to use the term "university" without a license from the state, but runs "Trump University" nevertheless.
• Trump has a long history of misrepresenting his financial condition. For example, he pursues highly unusual tactics like demanding Chase not register loans with the public court as is usual practice in order to give the impression that his purchases are made with cash. These types of practices allowed Trump to get leveraged beyond what his actual capital would justify.
• When spending public money on construction projects, Donald is usually over budget and behind schedule, for example Trump's Ferry Point golf course construction.
• Trump businesses were ranked among the worst in America back in 1999: "on financial soundness, use of corporate assets, keeping talent, and community and environmental responsibility."
• Trump has a history of hiring illegal workers, setting below market wages, and then refusing to even pay those wages which has resulted in courts describing his behavior as such: "having first manufactured a falsehood, a person is forced to invent more to maintain it; yet, as here, in the end, time generally reveals what a falsehood hopes to hide."

We could go on, but you get the point. And the true story of Trump has much nastier implications we should get on with.
Donald Trump, lifelong asset of the CIA
When Fred and Donald were caught acting like a bunch of KKK losers discriminating against people because of the color of their skin, Trump's lawyer was Roy Cohn. Roy Cohn was a CIA agent operating sex blackmail rings.
Senator John DeCamp, author of The Franklin Cover-up: Child Abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska. had this to say about Roy Cohn:

"Said to be Harold Anderson's "closest friend in Washington," Gray is also reportedly a specialist in homosexual blackmail operations for the CIA... Gray's associate Wilson was apparently continuing the work of a reported collaborator of Gray from the 1950's—McCarthy committee counsel Roy Cohn, now dead of AIDS. According to the former head of the vice squad for one of America’s biggest cities, 'Cohn's job was to run the little boys. Say you had an admiral, a general, a congressman, who did not want to go along with the program. Cohn’s job was to set them up, then they would go along. Cohn told me that himself.'"

Roy Cohn is also tied to the JFK assassination as a board member of Permindex and other major pedophilia scandals like the Detroux Affair besides Franklin involvement. This is the man that Donald Trump described as a "second father" (Johnston, The Making of Donald Trump). So, Donald Trump's handler in the CIA is identified and of the worst sort.
If you didn't know about the Trump family history of pimping, joining the KKK, discriminating against minorities, cheating small business owners, living large off the government teat, and so on you might think "maybe Trump just didn't know who was getting involved with when it comes to Cohn" but, alas, even that wouldn't hold up.
Enter Joseph Weichselbaum. When Trump hired Weichselbaum's company to provide helicopter service between New York and Donald's casinos in New Jersey, Weichselbaum was already a twice convicted felon for grand theft auto and embezzlement. This is a very curious decision on the part of Trump because part of maintaining a gambling license (on which his fortune apparently depended when he was heavily invested in Atlantic City) is scrupulous disassociation from anyone with even hints of criminal activity. Trump was putting his gambling license on the line to hire a felon. Eventually, Weichselbaum is caught redhanded by the DEA with kilos of cocaine as part of the bust of a large distribution ring. Shockingly, Trump further "endangers" his gambling license (not really, of course, as it was protected by virtue of his being a CIA asset) by writing to the court in defense of Weichselbaum,

"conscientious, forthright, and diligent" and "a credit to the community."

Weichselbaum's case was transferred to the New Jersey court system, a rather peculiar thing given that he was busted in Ohio, resided in Florida, and his business incorporated in New York - New Jersey therefore not being on the list of places any ordinary case would be tried. Why did this happen? Well, it turns out Donald's sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, was a judge in New Jersey and conveniently received Weichselbaum's case. (At this point alarm bells might be going off bigly: Bush Sr ran cocaine procurement overseas, Clinton importation in Mena Arkansas and Trump a distributor - so the cushy relationship starts to make sense beyond campaign donations and wedding party attendance)
Donald Trump also became close associates with Saudi billionaire Adnan Khashoggi, who was implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal (source of funds being the Bush-Clinton-Trump cocaine racket). Trump and Khashoggi had much in common as socialites, both reveling in flaunting wealth and showmanship. Trump said he read every word ever written about Khashoggi, bought Khashoggi's yacht, and socialized with Khashoggi's lieutenants like Ramy El-Batwari.
It should become clear that Trump associates with criminals as a rule rather than a mistake by now, but here's one more: Felix Sater. Sater was convicted of both fraud and assault before getting into business with Trump, but hired to work on various projects like Trump International Hotel in Phoenix and Trump SoHo development, then later acts as a one of several shadow contacts between Trump & Russia.
Trump, the child trafficker and serial abuser

• Trump has been implicated in the Epstein pedophile ring with 14 phone numbers for Trump found in Epstein's black book. Trump's nominee for Labor Secretary, Alex Acosta, is the prosecutor who gave Epstein the sweetheart plea deal. Many of the girls that were abused in the Epstein case were recruited from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
• Trump has had victims come forward as young as 13 at the time of the crime who accused him of rape at Epstein's parties.
• Trump's modeling agencies behaved like classic child trafficking fronts by bringing in illegal immigrants, sourcing models without authorization to work (travel visas) including his future wife Melania.
• But Trump's child trafficking fronts don't end there. He also invested in beauty pageants like Miss America / Miss Universe, organizations where he became notorious for invading girl's dressing rooms and otherwise abusing his authority as a perverted creep.

I'd encourage you to take note that all of this was in the public domain prior to the election. From now on, you know that every alternative media outlet that was pro-Trump (rather than simply anti-Clinton) is confirmed COINTELPRO. You can no longer trust them because they told you a child abusing, cocaine trafficking, KKK loving, thief and government welfare queen was a good guy - and they knew it was a lie all along.

Roger Goodell is always talking about growing revenues and sometimes expanding the league. It seems likely that Los Angeles will eventually get a team again, but what about cities that have never had an NFL team? What city will be the next to host their first home team?
City: San Antonio, TX Population: 1,382,951 Other Pro/Major College Teams: San Antonio Spurs (NBA) Pros: Located in football-crazy Texas, San Antonio is by far the biggest city outside of Los Angeles to not have an NFL team. San Antonio is growing rapidly. And while a San Antonio team would be the third Texas NFL team, the geography works- they're more than 2.5 hours from Houston and 4 hours from Dallas. But what's most attractive is that it would be easy to plug in an NFL team without much investment, due to the construction of the 65,000 seat (up to 72,000) Alamodome in the early 90's. It hosts the annual Alamo Bowl and other events such as CFL and college games. At 65,000, it would be the 6th smallest stadium, tied with Ford Field and just a little more than the University of Phoenix Stadium. Expanded to 72,000, it lands between Atlanta's Georgia Dome and Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium. It would be newer than 9 currently in-use NFL stadiums. As the NFL seeks to internationalize itself, having a team this close to the Mexican border may also prove to be an attractive prospect to draw in Mexican audiences. Cons: The Cowboys and Texans may not want to share their Texas pie with another major franchise, even one far away from most of them. And while large, San Antonio is not a high-profile city. While the Spurs are popular, there isn't much in the way of major sports to know if a team would succeed in the town, and if they could pull enough dollars from Texans, Cowboys, and Longhorn fans. Likelihood: This seems to be the most likely place. An untapped population, international reach, and a ready-made stadium could make this a highly attractive spot for an owner looking to make a move with minimal investment (i.e. not having to build a new stadium, or get a local government to build one).
City: San Jose, CA Population: 982,765 Other Pro/Major College Teams: Sharks (NHL) Pros: San Jose is hip place in the heart of Silicon Valley, with beautiful weather and a lot of money. Cons: The 49ers just moved their stadium to Santa Clara, just bordering San Jose. If anything, they are more San Jose than San Francisco. With the Raiders in nearby Oakland, it would concentrate a lot of NFL firepower in one small footprint. Likelihood: Very low. The league would likelu not allow a team there with the 49ers on their doorstep. While a market can support two teams if large enough (Jets/Giants, 49ers/Raiders) adding a third would be too deletrious to those in place.
City: Columbus, OH Population: 809,798 Other Pro/Major College Teams: Blue Jackets (NHL), Ohio State Buckeyes (NCAA) Pros: Ohio is up there with Texas with states that take their football seriously. Columbus is the largest city and capital in Ohio, and is already the home of very avid football fans for the Buckeyes. I'm not sure of the politics would make this possible, but if OSU allowed the Columbus NFL team to use Ohio Stadium, it would be the second largest (only behind Cowboys Stadium) with a max attendance of 102,329. Cons: It would be the third NFL team in Ohio, next to the Bengals and Browns. Both of those teams have been historically not great, and along with the continued poor showing of the Blue Jackets and difficulty of succeeding in the NFL may make Ohio sports teams weary. Likelihood: Unlikely. The Buckeyes own Columbus, and the other two owners in Ohio (and nearby Pittsburgh) would probably not want to share their turf with a new team. Unlike Texas, this is an area that has been under some economic hardship and may be difficult to justify another team in the state.
City: Austin, TX Population: 842,592 Other Pro/Major College Teams: University of Texas Longhorns (NCAA) Pros: Like with San Antonio, Texas is enthusiastic about football. Still located a good distance from the current NFL teams in Texas, Austin is a city in the midst of large economic expansion. The University of Texas contributes to a fun, weird atmosphere that would make Austin an attractive destination for visiting fans to come into town. If like Columbus the NFL team was able to lease Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, it would again be the #2 stadium in the NFL wth 100,119. Cons: Like Columbus and their Buckeyes, Austin bleeds burnt orange. UT football is a big deal there, and an NFL team would probably be in competition for these dollars. While there is large support from Texas faithful and the very large student body at UT, it's not clear that there would be the same level of support for an NFL team right there. Asking for 200,000 football tickets to be sold most weekends in the Fall is a daunting prospect for a town of less than a million people. Likelihood: Unlikely. Austin doesn't seem like a city that has much drive to need an NFL team, as their sporting fixes are more than made up by a typically-competitive UT team plus the nearby Cowboys and Texans.
City: Portland, OR Population: 603,106 Other Pro/Major College Teams: Timbers (MLS), Trail Blazers (NBA) Pros: Portland is a growing city that doesn't have a competitive football team nearby. Seattle is 2.5 hours, and the two recently-competitive football teams, Oregon State Beavers and the Oregon Ducks, are 1 to 2 hours away. Portland is larger than many NFL cities and is very underserved by pro sports in general, and Oregon fans have shown a lot of support for their NCAA teams. A sporting culture, including a ready-made partnership with Oregon-based Nike, might make Portland a place to put on the radar if the NFL seeks to expand. Portland and Seattle can continue their rivalry on the gridiron, instead of arguing whose Pride Parade is gayer. Cons: There would have to be a new stadium built, and locals are probably going to put up a fight against any public financing or use of eminent domain to secure a desirable city location. This would mean a stadium probably built out in the suburbs, which can have mixed results. I asked some relatives of mine what they thought about local support, and they were decidedly mixed, thinking that Portland thinks itself too much of itself to allow something as base as professional football to succeed. Likelihood: Not the least but not the most. While there's no real muscle pushing a team to Portland, and Portlandia has biased me to think that locals will protest something as base as football, it might actually be a good place for the NFL to consider expansion to.
City: Toronto, ON Population: 2,615,060 Other Pro/Major College Teams: Blue Jays (MLB), Argonauts (CFL), Raptors (NBA), Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto FC (MLS) Pros: The Bills already play one game a year in Rogers Centre (though it will always be SkyDome to me) and there are a lot of Canadian fans of NFL football. While the Toronto series has been a debacle for the Bills (usually meaning the opposition has as many fans there as the Bills, giving them effectively one less home game a year), a dedicated NFL team may fare better. With local support, Toronto has the sports culture, population, stadium, and most importantly money (check out Maple Leafs ticket prices!) to support an NFL team. Whether the local support would actually catch is another story. Toronto would also become the third-largest city with an NFL team, coming in just under Chicago's 2.7 million. Cons: For American football, Rogers Centre only seats 54,000. That makes it the third smallest stadium in the NFL, above just Chicago and Minnesota. Crowd noise at the Bills games has been lackluster to say the least, but then again, so have the Bills. They would also be in direct competition with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. While the NFL definitely has larger marketing and name power, the Argos do enjoy healthy local support and are one of the oldest sports franchises in the world. Ex-con players might create headaches for visiting teams at the border. Free agents might also be hesitant to make Toronto home, given that it's (really) cold and Canadian taxes are much higher. Likelihood: Very. Goodell wants to make the game international, and Toronto is the prime target. Buffalo seems the most likely team to move there, but it's far from guaranteed. Don't be surprised if Jacksonville sneaks in on this one.
City: Las Vegas, NV Population: 596,424 Other Pro/Major College Teams: None Pros: A completely underserved sports market along with a fairly high population. It probably wouldn't be hard to find a casino magnate with money to burn that could finance an expansion team in the desert. Cons: It's hot. The gambling and party culture might make it a hotbed of player misbehavior, as there's quite a difference between a rookie signing their first million-dollar contract in northern Wisconsin versus a 5-minute drive from The Strip. A new stadium would need to be built, and without any major sports teams nearby, it's difficult to know if an NFL team would be viable. The NFL might also balk at the image of a Vegas team, as inevitably there would be accusations of fixing and bribery for gambling reasons. Likelihood: Unlikely. The NFL is just too risk-averse to invest that kind of money into a place like Vegas.
City: Virginia Beach, VA Population: 449,628 Other Pro/Major College Teams: None Pros: Virginia Beach is one of those invisible large metro areas. Taking in the bordering cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Hampton, the greater area has a metro population of 616,805 just in those towns. Expanding to the larger area and it gets pretty big. It's a wealthy area with a major port and some great tourist areas nearby. It fills a void between the Baltimore/Washington tail of Megalopolis before the Carolina fans pick up. While there is no stadium, there is plenty of room for one, and lots of waterfront that could potentially be converted to a beautiful stadium location. And while the Sacramento Kings deal didn't work out, it showed that local government and ownership groups may be willing to bring a team to this area. Cons: Not a high-profile place. An NBA team, especially one like the Kings, is significantly cheaper than an NFL franchise. The team would have to build a stadium. Likelihood: Could be a dark horse. Virginia has a surprising lack of sports teams, and is even underserved by major college sports. UVa is rarely much more than middling, and sometimes-competitive Virginia Tech is all the way at the western end of the state in Blacksburg. While they probably won't be much of a target for a team looking to move, if the NFL chooses to expand, expect VA Beach to be under consideration.
City: Birmingham, AL Population: 212,038 Other Pro/Major College Teams: None Pros: The southeastern United States is strangely lacking in professional football teams. While the dominant SEC dominates the local sports fans attention, it seems like fertile ground in which to plant an NFL franchise. Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, and doesn't have a local team in the city. Cons: It is on the smaller side of NFL cities, and it's not a sure thing that the dyed-in-the-wool Alabama football fans will change their spending from the Tigers and the Crimson Tide enough to really allow the team to take root. Likelihood: Very low.
City: London, England Population: 8,308,369 Other Pro/Major College Teams: Like, half the Premier league and a bunch of rugby, cricket, and at least one NFL game a year. Pros: The NFL has been playing games in London for a few years, and fan support has been steady. Wembley Stadium seats over 86,000 for American football. While many Brits seem to find our American game incomprehensible (but somehow find a way to figure out Cricket), there is some fan support for the game. Goodell has publicly expressed an interest in getting a team to London sooner than later, so there is definite management support. Cons: Imagine the 49ers travelling to the London teams, and you're talking about a 20-some-odd hour flight. American free agents will probably often be very hesitant to go to England. The London team's travel times to ANY games, even those "close" games on the US east coast would be a huge disadvantage. Their body clocks would also be completely thrown off, and jet-lag would become a factor. Likelihood: Very, but I believe it will be short-lived. The logistics and other factors of having a European-based team in an American league is just awful, and I think over time that would bear itself out.
City: Omaha, NE Population: 421,570 Other Pro/Major College Teams: None Pros: Omaha is a growing city, and Nebraska's economy is one of the strongest in the nation. While the state of Nebraska lives and dies by their Huskers (located at the University of Nebraska an hour away in Lincoln) Omaha's distinct lack of any major college or pro sports seems to be odd. The Huskers manage to scrape up enough people to fill their 90,000 capacity stadium in a city half the size of Omaha every week, so I think Omaha could very well support a team. The midwest is underserved with pro ball, forcing most Nebraskans to split between the Rams, Chiefs, or Broncos. I work with a few people from Omaha, and they tell me there's too much residual hate of the University of Texas for Cowboys fandom to take root. Omaha has a burgeoning music and art scene, and probably wouldn't be a detriment to free agents. Cons: No ready made stadium, and a lack of too much of a metro area. Knowing how absolutely religiously dedicated Nebraskans can be to their Cornhuskers, I'm not convinced an NFL team can really gain traction. This might be pure college ball territory. Likelihood: Not bad. I think Omaha would be a good location, and could be a great place for an expansion team.

The van pulls up to Stage Studio 19, and everyone pours out of the van in a hurry.
Enzo: Alright, welcome to Studio 19!
Guy That was Once a Somebody, but Became a Nobody: Cool, so.. I'm kinda new to all of this so what are we supposed to do?
Enzo: Well, our casting director, who's a two-time runner-up and 12th place on our All-Star season, will interview you.
Gal That's Shy: B-but. what are we supposed to s-say?
Enzo: Just things like your hometown, strategy, the things that make you interesting.
Guy That's the Dr. Will Wannabe: How intriguing... The audience will get a foretaste of our distinct selves and then we will attempt to outsmart the individuals that stand in our way of the cast prize!
Gal Who Wears Glasses and is a Part-Time Bitch: Yo verbose translate! Shut your mouth. I don't wanna hear your big words. You're probably gonna be the lovable idiot rather than the lovable mastermind.
Guy That's the Dr. Will Wannabe: Nonsense, I could care less if the audience were to love me or not.
Gal Who's All-Around Positive: But, then it'll make you look bad, don'tcha think?
Guy Who Sits Around All Day: Tch, he just doesn't know the true element to win the game; it's social game by the way.
Gal Who Wears Glasses and is a Part-Time Bitch: You don't seem to know the true element of weight loss.
Guy Who Obviously Doesn't Fit In: Ooh, you just got told!
Gal Who's a Part-Time Bitch: Hey, you shut up, too!
Gal That's Really a Filler: The game hasn't begun, and we already hate each other... Y'all gonna lose the game.
Gal Who Wears Glasses and is a Part-Time Bitch: I'll take that as a challenge.
Guy That's Possibly Gay: Alright already, let's get this thing going!
Enzo: Right! Everyone, get on my golf cart; we'll move faster than if we were just walking. We're gonna head to the dressing rooms.
Guy That's the Dr. Will Wannabe: You're going to encourage me into being transported via a silly cart used for a wholesome game?
Enzo: Hey, the bitch with the glasses. Translate this guy who's speaking in Google translate.
Gal Who Wears Glasses and is a Part-Time Bitch: Rude, but I'm pretty sure he's just saying that the golf cart isn't gonna transport us around all at once.
Jesus: No worries!
Jesus snaps his fingers, and the gang is backstage, whereall the dressing rooms are.
Enzo: Everyone, head to your dressing rooms and get ready! We'll be interviewing you, also! So get your stuff ready!
Enzo dashes away from them to get changed, while everyone scrambles to find the door with their name.
Jesus: So, Jeffery.. You get payed lots?
Jeffery: Sure. It depends on the cast. The less climatic, the less I get payed. And then vise versa.
Jesus: Season 15 was a nice season. Nice returnee potential, and the good choices for who returned.
Jeffery: Anyway, I gotta start the interviews. You can tag along and hold the camera while I do all the talking.
Jesus: Sounds good to me.
Okay, with that all out of the way, hello! Enzo here, back with the official season of Drama House! We got a great cast this season, and among them is a relative of a past houseguest. But we'll get to that later.
As always, if you're interested in getting straight into the season, click here.
And if you want to refresh your memory and have nostalgia hit you, click here to view my past seasons. I'm slowly getting close to the show's one year anniversary, which is really in November, so I'll probably gonna do something big when the anniversary comes around.
But if you want to stick around and read the bios, then please do so. Hope you enjoy this season!
My Review: I didn't want this season to be a big bang with twists and such since I just came back to the subreddit. I've still been around and such, but I decided that I should just take it easy this season. And I gotta say, this season was better than I initially thought. For the first time, a gay character actually made it farther than being the first evicted, not counting Lars or Henry. But I was mostly a little disappointed at my personal favorites (Ajak, Nicole, Lazarus) didn't end up winning, or getting far. But overall, it was mostly everyone for their selves rather than it being alliance vs. alliance, at least from what I saw. Expect Lazarus and Todd to be definite returnees, and maybe some more.

• Ajak Konstantios, a 35 year old restaurant manager from Akron, Ohio

"Opa! What, never saw a Greek man before? Ajak flexes his muscles These bad boys are my two precious jewels, one is named Adonis, and this one on the right is Akilina, and together we will win this game! Muscle is everything, and as long as you start to bond with people before they get evicted, that's a vote for you at the finale when it comes around. It's not like I need the money, since I already have been making a lot from my fantastic Greek meals, but it would be nice to win an extra 500 thousand. So, these houseguests better be ready for Ajak the Great!"
Jeffery: Wow! You're a magician?
Ajak: sigh People always say that..

• Chester "Ester" Nielson, a 42 year old scientist from Fredericksburg, Texas

"Salutations, my people. I'm professor Chester Nielson. However, I prefer to be referred to as just Ester, without the professor title. Often times people would indulge in calling me absurd names because I use my extended vocabulary rather than just use the so-called 'street talk.' My loyal friends suggested this entertaining reality television show to me and that I should apply, and the next minute I was transported to a room with twelve other people and around a computer. But with that aside, I hope that I'm not seen as a nuisance or a 'verbose translator,' or 'speaking in Google translate,' as some of the dunces called me."

• Ciara Roderick, a 28 year old waiter from Jaconita, New Mexico

Ciara turns to the camera, but then falls to the floor.
Jeffery: Jesus, you sure your father wasn't drunk when he made this chic in his "divine image."
Jesus: Ask him, not me.
Ciara gets up and fixes her hair as she sits back down, as she tries to brush off what happened.
"H-hello! My name is Ciara! A lot of people sometimes can't pronounce my name right, so to get it out of the way it's pronounced kee-air-ah. But enough of my name; some of you may be asking how I'm a waiter if I'm so clumsy. Well, I don't know. I've always been clumsy. People always tease me for being 'born my mistake' or that I fell onto the floor when I was born, thus making clumsy. Somehow, I was able to only drop one dish during my time at the restaurant that accepts me. I almost got fired until I was able to pay for the dishes. But as far this game goes, due to my clumsy nature I'll most likely end up in crutches during my time in the house and will be used as a pawn and it would just be really sad for me. But I'm still gonna give it my all! I will-"
Ciara falls backwards, on her chair. Jesus cuts the camera as he and Jeffery move to the next dressing room.

• Hannah Vespia, a 34 year old weather reporter from Elyria, Ohio

"Today's forecast calls for Drama House 11 and 14 relative of Emmy Vespia to win the game for herself and to pay off the remaining of student loans. Sunny weather, subject to change over the weeks. Under the radar gameplay is the best way to stay safe under the possible changing weather. And now we're getting some update that I'm apparently being obnoxious with my bio right now and- Wait a minute, what?"
Jeffery: It's true. Just speak normally and don't be a-
Hannah: Don't you dare finish that sentence.
Jesus: Um, let's move along..

• Hiro Zebreski, a 51 year old TV critic from Scottsbluff, Nebraska

"What's up, fellow viewers. I watch terrible shows so you don't have to. So I might be a bit of a lazy ass; so what? I think I could use that to my advantage and be a pawn every week and then I'll eventually win. Lazy people don't go to far, but Earlen from season eight was able to win the game without winning a single thing and won against the person who won the most competitions that season, so I'm not saying I'll end up like Earlen but maybe something similar if that's even possible. But I'm gonna be hella bored in that house, no television, computers, notta. Not like I'm one of those pricks that has mental breakdowns when they don't have those necessities. Heh heh."

• Jenna Clossa-Cler, a 43 year old mother from Bethesda, Maryland

"My name is Jenna, and I'm a happy mother of five children. We all live the lovely city of Bethesda, and we've been their all our life. I'm not a big fan of moving; I just don't want to carry a bunch of boxes into a truck and then drive for miles and then unpack those boxes.... you probably get it. Anyway, back to the game. I'm probably not gonna go for all the competitions. I'm just gonna win stuff when needed, and that's pretty much it. The next best thing to o would be to just go with the flow and see how that does for me. If it goes well, it goes well. And vice versa. Well, I suppose that's all."
Jeffery: Really? Nothing else to say?
Jenna: Well damn, never knew I had to be interesting. Or at least to your standards.

• Jerome Aarkanshan, a 37 year old soccer player from Belle Meade, Tennessee

"Diamond isn't the only soccer player on the show! Get ready for Jerome Aarkanshan, the next biggest competition! I'll break the record for Veto wins and win seven vetoes and not just six. But I guess I shouldn't just try to go for the vetoes or HOHs or whatever. I need to do other things, like social game, strategic game, all that jazz. But I still want to break the record if I can, but I'm sure I'll do so. I just gotta think like Diamond, play like her, and hopefully not get stuck evicted. Well, I wouldn't be shocked if that were to happen regardless, so let's just let this go on and whatever hits me, hits me."

• Lazarus Masiejczyk, a 22 year old "controversial internet figure" from Raytown, Missouri

"Well, looks like I'll finally be able to clear my name from the air. My name's Lazarus, ironically I'm not religious in anyway. My last name literally looks like a native language so I'll leave it up to your imagination to crack it. So, let's just say I got into some almost-legal trouble on the Web when I said something to really sensitive people. Also, these people were also feminists so that's quadruple the trouble for me. But some police officers came around and proved me innocent, and now I reside in good ol' Raytown, trolling kids, ranting about online games, and being a better version of Keemstar. You know, it's a little ironic that I'm a controversial figure, but somehow I'm still a good people person. Like, I just get along with anyone, except over-the-top people. They scare the living shit out of me. Kudos to you if you figured out the reference to that sentence. But my social skills as a whole should make me the winner if I do it all right and don't fuck up. But, only time will tell."

• Lexi Golini, a 19 year old "Online Reality Gamer" from Kalispell, Montana

"Hey, everyone! I'm Lexi! Some of you may know me from the internet for my amazing performances on Online Reality Games, reaching the merge in Survivor games every time and always making it to the final seven in Big Brother games. But now, this is the real deal, and I'm pretty scared, considering that I'm just not in front of a computer screen, submitting scores for challenges and all that great stuff. But I can also be a bit of a bitch. Most of the time, it just blurts out on its own, but people can be pretty unforgiving. There was once this girl named Courtney Grace and she exposed me of living with my parents, which really isn't terrible, considering that it's only one year after I finished high school, but I'm gonna move out once I win the money, and the best way to do that is bulldoze the houseguests with my attitude, and when they get angry, I only start going faster."

• Marina Jungen, a 35 year old cashier from Gabbs, Nevada

"Well, I live in a pretty shitty part of the world. You would think Nevada would hit me with casinos, fast music, and expensive-but-terrible drinks. But I wound up here. And I work as a cashier. Can't complain anymore, now that I'm gonna be on a show that will make me rich. Am I ready for it? I guess; I never watched the show. But I think if I just sit back and watch everyone else do whatever, then I should be okay. Hopefully I'll win, since I really wanna get out of my dead end life. Wish me luck, or at least pray for me."

• Nicole Arisumi, a 20 year old cover artist from Enola, Pennsylvania

Nicole mutters a bit, making her hard to hear.
Jeffery: Hey, you got to speak up. We have a one hour time slot.
"GAH! Oh... sorry. Um, my n-name's Nicole. I like to sing... a lot. I tried out for my school choir; they didn't like me. Then a musical theater director helped me in high school and I was able to improve my voice.. and now I'm pretty popular with my YouTube channel, ArisumiSings. Only 2K subscribers, but I gotta start somewhere. Shit, I'm going off topic. Er.. it's not that I don't have a strategy, it's just that I just don't know how to interpret it to work in a game like this. I'm emotionally fragile... okay, not really. I just tend to overreact at certain times. Um, am I done now?"
Jesus: Sure, there's nothing else to say.
Nicole: That's not a problem.. r-right?
Jesus: N-n-no! It's just.... the time slot.

• Thomas Solboleski, a 33 year old (ever failing) entrepreneur from Hoboken, New Jersey

"Hey, y'all! My name is Thomas, and I'm 33 years young, and I'm an entrepreneur. Can;t say I haven't been the most successful in my businesses, though. Believe it or not, I've had three failed businesses over the years. It's mostly due to the employees who don't want to commit to the simple job. Most of my businesses involve fashion, too; ironically, it's mostly men that decide to sign up and then they say 'it ain't my thing' and throw in the towel. Going into the house, I'll literally not take no for an answer. Unlike my failed businesses, I'll keep myself controlled, focused, and finish hard for the money at the end. Will I succeed? Well, I'm not sure; people can sometimes be total asses inside that house and then I won't be able to do jackshit by then. But what the heck, I gotta think positive!"

• Todrick Hall (roughly based off the real Todrick Hall) a 32 year old entertainer from Los Angeles, California

"I am livid that I was cast on a show done by some little kid! this is not my type of show! I deserve to be on a show hosted by Julie Chen, but no; the gods just had to cast me on this. Can't go back now, so I guess I should start talking. First off, I'm not gay. Think of Henry from seasons six and nine; he was only 'gay' for the camera, but later revealed that he was actually straight. But I'm nothing like that rat Lars Zirashit. However, I still want to make it farther than being the first evicted, like most gays in the show. My over-the-top personality might bite me in the ass and eventually send me packing, but as long as I make it farther than Week 1, I'll be working my ass off regardless if people like it or not. I will win the season. Mark. My. Words."

Subreddit	Title	Brand
Futurology	After 60 wins and 0 losses over 7 days, Google unmasks misterious player of Go "Master" as being an improved version of the AlphaGo AI	Google
AskReddit	What would happen to the world if everyone deactivated their Facebook tomorrow ?	Facebook
dataisbeautiful	I've enjoyed seeing other people's maps. Here's where I've been in the United States OC	United
worldnews	Guy Philippe, Haiti's former rebel leader, arrested after radio show - BBC News	BBC
worldnews	Talk is growing in the United States of the possibility of using military strikes to take out North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities after the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, threatened he's close to testing a long-range missile apparently capable of hitting the U.S.	United
news	Family of Victim in Facebook Live Torture Video Speaks Out: 'Everyone Has Seen the Video'	Facebook
videos	Devildriver - Cry For Me Sky Metal	Sky
pics	The Greatest Lego Hero ever! Toy banana for scale.	Lego
gaming	What's a game I can play on Xbox one with my non-gamer girl?	Xbox
aww	I found him on the Twitter Cute Emergency account!	Twitter
news	Give peanut to babies early - advice - BBC News	BBC
todayilearned	TIL that there is a National Forest in Nebraska. A large portion of the National Forest was conceived by Charles E. Bessey, who believed the Great Plains once hosted a huge forest. This resulted in a 20000 acre hand-planted forest experiment, the largest man-made forest in the United States.	United
worldnews	Give peanut to babies early - advice - BBC News	BBC
AskReddit	What famous Youtube star do you hate the most?	Youtube
space	Mark your calendars for a Total Solar Eclipse on August 21st. This will be its path across the U.S.	Total
funny	Presidents of the United States Updated Version	United
gaming	After previously having sunk hundreds on hundreds of hours into the original release of vanilla skyrim, returning to SSE with mods has honestly been the most incredible experience.	SSE
Showerthoughts	Google's Self-Driving cars should also be used to update Google Street view.	Google
AskReddit	Peole who have Playstation VR, how real is it and do you recommend it?	Playstation
photoshopbattles	PsBattle: Fat Orange Cat	Orange
Music	Logan - Sky High Video	Sky
videos	Drone Demolition of Charlotte's Pepsi Building	Pepsi
WritingPrompts	WP You see another stupid Facebook "What will happen to you in 2017" post and decide to click the link, little did you know how accurate it would be...	Facebook
Futurology	Imagine Ebay meets Youtube . . . Intpotion.com The Next Big Thing is here.	Youtube
videos	Scientists Discover a New Organ in the Human Body	Discover
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: How does the United States Treasury Department know how much money to produce, printing notes and stamping coins, each year?	United
AskReddit	If future historians only had Twitter to provide a record of events, what would they think about events from the last 7 years?	Twitter
mildlyinteresting	My odometer hit 177,777 on my 1996 Jeep Wrangled today but looks like all 7's	Jeep
worldnews	A Haitian politician and former coup leader wanted for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering in the United States was arrested on Thursday, authorities said, days before he was to take up a Senate seat	United
AskReddit	At what point did the gaming scene turn from Nintendo to Xbox and PlayStation?	Xbox
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: Why is Apple pouring millions of dollars of revenue into HIV/AIDS research, and not the cancer that killed Steve Jobs?	Apple
Showerthoughts	It must be pretty disappointing to be the first to ask Google your question.	Google
AskReddit	If you can buy only 3 items at Walmart to try and freak out the cashier, what would your items be?	Walmart
IAmA	AMA Request Amy Brown runs Wendy's Twitter account	Twitter
mildlyinteresting	I found this unopened '64 - '72 style Budweiser can at a yard sale.	Budweiser
gaming	Project Scorpio vs Xbox One S	Xbox
todayilearned	TIL that being 6'0 as a man being almost one standard deviation up is taller than ~82% of men in the United States, despite a lot of women thinking it's only average and to be expected in a boyfriend.	United
worldnews	Avisering från Google – bygg	Google
AskReddit	So Domino's rewards top employees with Rolex watches with an initiative called the "Rolex Challenge", what cool bonuses/rewards does your company give?	Rolex
AskReddit	If Red Bull gives you wings what do other drinks give you?	Red Bull
television	Can a Satire of ISIS Possibly Be Funny? BBC Viewers Are Split	BBC
AskReddit	Serious What should be done to help resolve racial tension in the United States?	United
Music	Moby - The Sky Is Broken Ambient	Sky
funny	Make a gay friend on Facebook and immediately start getting ads for this kind of stuff. No thanks wish! It's not that kind of friendship!	Facebook
AskReddit	What's the funniest/most unorthodox thing you've seen on Yahoo Answers?	Yahoo
videos	Adam Saleh Delta Follow Up & Why I Hate Prank Videos	Delta
Showerthoughts	Google drive offers me 15 GB of store for every free e-mail address I make, but Verizon can't store more than 5 minutes of potato quality voicemails	Verizon
Showerthoughts	Google drive offers me 15 GB of free storage, but Verizon can't store more than 5 minutes of potato quality voicemails	Verizon
AskReddit	What is the theme of your favorite Spotify or Apple Music playlist?	Apple
Music	Pim Philips - Science Fiction Electronic, Minimal Techno	Philips
news	The Best Grocery Store That Isn't Walmart in Every State	Walmart
funny	Domino's appears first when you Google "Pizza Hut."	Google
AskReddit	Would you give up sex if you could be President of the United States? Why or why not?	United
food	Homemade Apple Pie.	Apple
AskReddit	How can Burger King afford to sell 10 chicken nuggets for only $1.49?	Burger King
personalfinance	If I have no job history but want a credit card would opening an online Capital One 360 Checking account help me get approved for a CC in future?	Capital One
AskReddit	How can Burger King afford to sell 10 chicken nuggets for only $1.49?	Burger King
gaming	Review of Farpoint on Playstation VR at CES 2017	Playstation
worldnews	Donald Trump threatens Toyota over 'plan to build new plant' in Mexico - Toyota has had a manufacturing plant in Tijuana since 2002, and announced the new plant in April 2015	Toyota
AskReddit	If you could add a new reaction button on Facebook posts, what would it be?	Facebook
AskReddit	Serious What are some things that you feel the United States are too uptight/close-minded about?	United
worldnews	Russian hacking claims: Biden tells Trump to 'grow up' - BBC News	BBC
personalfinance	Fidelity IRA Target Date Fund	Target
AskReddit	For those who bought the Google Pixel phone, what do you like about the phone, and what do you hate about it?	Google
news	Video recorder found in UPS women's restroom, employee fired	UPS
Jokes	So I was walking up to the Walmart check out with $200 in groceries and the cashier asks me if I need any bags...	Walmart
funny	Let's Say Yahoo Finance Made a Uh...Really Bad Typo.	Yahoo
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: Why are counties on the western side of the United States so massive compared to the east?	United
funny	Someone at Yahoo is getting fired.	Yahoo
AskReddit	Pretend you sit on a board of professionals attempting to accomplish a goal and this question is relevant to it. How would you respond to a peer that asserts the following view: education in the United States is run by the liberal/progressive elite?	United
funny	Never knew Yahoo is racist.	Yahoo
worldnews	The United States said on Thursday North Korea had demonstrated a "qualitative" improvement in its nuclear and missile capabilities after an unprecedented level of tests last year, showing the needed to sustain pressure on Pyongyang to bring it back to disarmament negotiations.	United
videos	2 Google Homes Chatting With Each Other	Google
funny	At what point does Apple say, "Okay, it's just...it's going to be a while"?	Apple
funny	Randy Marsh is apparently the Yahoo social media manager.	Yahoo
funny	The Yahoo Finance Twitter account had a small typo.	Yahoo
funny	The Yahoo Finance Twitter account had a small typo.	Twitter
gaming	Discussion My New Xbox gaming community.	Xbox
funny	Anyone agree Telstra is the worst?	Telstra
explainlikeimfive	ELI5- Why is Facebook pushing Facebook Live so much? Constant advertising on the site and now TV commercials What is to gain?	Facebook
news	Indian actor Om Puri dies aged 66 - BBC News	BBC
Showerthoughts	At some point, Neil deGrasse Tyson is probably going to say that his Tweets were satire and we were all too dumb to get the humor	Tyson
videos	Neil deGrasse Tyson on the afterlife. Very moving and insightful.	Tyson
news	Bangladesh cafe attack suspect killed in gunfight, say police - BBC News	BBC
WritingPrompts	TT In 1991, after the final peak of the Cold War, the United States of America collapses and the USSR becomes the biggest super power.	United
worldnews	Japan economy minister declines comment on Trump's Toyota tweet	Toyota
funny	The official Yahoo Finance account mixed up the B and N key. Bigger, Yahoo, Bigger.	Yahoo
pics	Ever wonder what the Monster Trucks look like without their skin? This is 2 of 8 trucks that be competing in Monster Jam this Saturday and Sunday at the Bridgestone Arena.	Bridgestone
food	homemade Apple Tart	Apple
Showerthoughts	When I'm old Ill get to tell my grandkids about how when I was their age, Google was only a search engine, soda was dispensed with levers, we had home phones, and we used wires to connect to the internet.	Google
videos	Play Playstation Games On The Dreamcast?! - The Story Of Bleem!	Playstation
science	Huge Antarctic iceberg poised to break away - BBC News	BBC
gaming	Microsoft Teases "Exciting Enhancements" for Xbox Live and "Terrific" Games in 2017	Xbox
Jokes	What do you call Mike Tyson with no arms and no legs?	Tyson
food	Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Homemade	Orange
personalfinance	Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 Trust Select is always off	Target
AskReddit	With the rise of domestic terrorist groups in the United States, like homegrown Isis members, Black Lives Matter and tense and often violent politics protest result in more of a military presence in cities, why?	United
AskReddit	sir Winston Churchill failed in enter test at Harrow later became British president how?	Winston
space	Saw an Orange light move across in the sky. Could anybody help me?	Orange
mildlyinteresting	Every box of Domino's Pizza has instructions for photographing your pizza and posting it to Instagram	Domino's Pizza
funny	Found this amazing article on BBC on how to fight procrastination, am now planning to read it tomorrow.	BBC
worldnews	Russia 'starts to withdraw Syria forces' - BBC News	BBC
television	Watch Controversial BBC Sketch 'Real Housewives of ISIS'	BBC
news	Russia 'starts to withdraw Syria forces' - BBC News	BBC
worldnews	Toyota the Latest Target of Trump Twitter Tirade	Target
worldnews	Toyota the Latest Target of Trump Twitter Tirade	Twitter
news	Accused Walmart stalker 'squirted women with syringe full of semen'	Walmart
pics	Its 1:30am , and I just woke up to light shining through my window. Google says its because of Uranus. I feel like 2017 is playing games with me already.	Google
dataisbeautiful	I've also enjoyed seeing other people's maps. Here's where I've been in the United States OC	United
sports	Manchester United star Paul Pogba has a go at darts - and immediately learns why he should just stick to football	United
news	US Labor Department sues Google for compensation data	Google
worldnews	Joe Biden tells Donald Trump to 'grow up and be an adult' over Twitter attacks	Twitter
Futurology	Car companies are 'not even close' to full autonomy, says Toyota research chief	Toyota
worldnews	Former minister hits out at 'emotionally needy' departure of EU ambassador - A former Cabinet minister and leading Brexiteer has taken aim at Sir Ivan Rogers by calling the former EU ambassador's resignation email "emotionally needy."	Rogers
worldnews	Joe Biden tells Trump to 'grow up' - BBC News	BBC
food	I always want to eat KFC I don't know why every hour of every day I want to stuff my face with KFC I think I have a problem	KFC
Showerthoughts	Mike Tyson and Van Gogh probably would have gotten along really well	Tyson
nottheonion	Police: Man at Ohio Walmart used syringe to squirt semen on women	Walmart
pics	In honor of the currently trending, Yahoo inspired hastag, here's Samuel Lee Gravely Jr., the first African American Naval Officer.	Yahoo
gifs	Maggie Rogers Squad	Rogers
Showerthoughts	Good thing that Google is free. Can you imagine if it wasn't?	Google
worldnews	US 'identifies agents behind Russian DNC attack' - BBC News	BBC
funny	Someone at Yahoo is getting the brick.	Yahoo
worldnews	Texas Republicans fuels new row with transgender toilet bill - BBC News	BBC
gaming	CES 2017: Razer gaming laptop has not one but three screens - BBC News	BBC
funny	Unfortunate Yahoo Finance twitter typo potential NSFW	Yahoo
mildlyinteresting	This McDonald's in Switzerland	McDonald's
pics	With the currently trending, Yahoo inspired hastag, we should take a moment to honor Samuel Lee Gravely Jr., the first African American Naval Officer.	Yahoo
videos	How to Get Free Facebook Likes - Working 100% Free & Safe	Facebook
videos	Last night I literally almost died of laughter at this Heavy Rain Chase scene.	Chase
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: Why is Uber losing so much money and how can they still afford to be up and running?	Uber
AskReddit	What You search on Google when you feel sad?	Google
AskReddit	What was Facebook like?	Facebook
videos	How to Get Free Facebook Likes - Working 100% Free & Safe	Facebook
worldnews	Donald Trump threatens Toyota over 'plan to build new plant' in Mexico	Toyota
photoshopbattles	PsBattle: Happy Gucci Mane on a Bicycle	Gucci
mildlyinteresting	My spicy chicken sandwich from Burger King had two top buns.	Burger King
OldSchoolCool	The future 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, with his cousin, 1910.	United
mildlyinteresting	Crystal Pepsi is in stock at my grocery store	Pepsi
funny	Nice try Microsoft Bing	Microsoft
mildlyinteresting	Crystal Pepsi is in stock in my grocery store	Pepsi
food	this whole "pulled" trend is getting out of hand. Seen at IKEA Misc	IKEA
news	How the Victim Allegedly Tortured in Facebook Video Escaped	Facebook
videos	Perfect time-lapse portrait drawing of Rick Astley in Microsoft Paint	Microsoft
mildlyinteresting	The About the Author page in my book has the authors Twitter handle in it.	Twitter
nottheonion	Make that a large? Moose stop in at Tim Hortons drive-thru	Tim Hortons
videos	I laughed so hard at this Heavy Rain Chase scene.	Chase
Documentaries	The Year the World Changed 2016 - BBC documentary that examines the forces behind the momentous events of the last year and explores the new political landscape we enter in 2017.	BBC
funny	Cherokee Co. Schools Twitter account has no chill	Twitter
worldnews	Trump election: US 'identifies agents behind Russian hack' - BBC News	BBC
nottheonion	St. Louis Woman Gets Busted at IKEA With an Ass-Load of Pan	IKEA
pics	My Great great grandfather in a bus at a Shell gas station in Madras, India, 1910. He's the guy in the last row.	Shell
OldSchoolCool	Turret lathe operator at United States home front during World War II 1942	United
videos	Fifty Nifty United States	United
worldnews	Hospitals warn over pressure of patient numbers - BBC News	BBC
AskReddit	Why do the "MK" Michael Kors bags seem to be worn by women everywhere?	Michael Kors
videos	Ben Heck's Xbox One S Laptop	Xbox
worldnews	Ed Sheeran lyric 'driving at 90' prompts Suffolk Police plea - BBC News	BBC
funny	Too Funny: Apple Engineer Talks About New 2016 Macbook Pro! - YouTube	Apple
pics	USA-17, winner of the 33rd America’s Cup, at home at Oracle headquarters	Oracle
dataisbeautiful	Beautiful map of Transportation Infrastructure in the United States	United
Showerthoughts	If you're assembling an IKEA furniture and it seems like they've forgotten to include a couple screws, you're doing it wrong	IKEA
funny	The Philadelphia Police Department Facebook warns against saving parking spots in the snow.	Facebook
gaming	These are the ratings for Infinite Warfare on the Microsoft store.	Microsoft
AskReddit	All Lego are now sentient and respond to your command. What is the quickest way to intergalactic domination?	Lego
Futurology	At the 2017 CES today in Las Vegas, Toyota unveiled the Concept-i, a sleek, futuristic-looking vehicle the company hopes “demonstrates Toyota’s view that vehicles of the future should start with the people who use them” The car features an AI agent that learns about the driver.	Toyota
todayilearned	TIL Robert Downey Jr thanks Burger King for getting him clean after he ate "such a disgusting burger... he thought something really bad was going to happen"	Burger King
videos	The Lego Robbery - My kid's new hobby	Lego
mildlyinteresting	I didn't know they had Walgreens on Neptune.	Walgreens
Art	Stockholm's Subway Station Just So Happens to Also Be the World's Longest Art Exhibit	Subway
videos	Great pro wrestling match from Japan - Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada	Omega
news	Tilikum, the SeaWorld orca that killed a trainer, dies - BBC News	BBC
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: How does the Casino game "Craps" work?	Casino
funny	Bizarre Google Ad suggestions - I shopped recently for deposit slips. So the suggestions make sense, except for choice #5....	Google
WritingPrompts	WP Somewhere at Microsoft there is a whiteboard with 'Valve' crossed out and 'Microsoft' written instead.	Microsoft
AskReddit	Should those who watched/supported the Facebook Live stream of the Kidnapped/Tortured, Disabled man be also charged?	Facebook
funny	Two Google Home's are talking to each other on Twitch. They don't like each other very much... Hi SkyNet	Google
AskReddit	Who do you think is the best President of the United States and why do you believe that individual is the best?	United
AskReddit	What items on the menu are available in U.K. McDonald's but not in the McDonald's in America?	McDonald's
gaming	Will Sony ever allow you to change your psn username	Sony
todayilearned	TIL Apple created the first browser with porn mode aka incognito	Apple
OldSchoolCool	Kurt Cobain ready to go in a Sky Glider ride in Rio 1993	Sky
news	Canada's competition watchdog closes two-year Apple probe	Apple
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: How to transfer pictures from Sony A58 to Mobile phone without any Laptop or PC?	Sony
worldnews	Russia hacking claims: US intelligence chiefs to brief Trump - BBC News	BBC
worldnews	Syria conflict: Russia 'withdrawing aircraft carrier group' - BBC News	BBC
Showerthoughts	For Southwest flights, have passengers board from the rear and exit out the front of the aircraft to speed up the boarding process	Southwest