thedenverpost--2020-05-31--Gary Miller: Companies valuing their businesses with a new performance metric during COVID-19

Unquestionably , the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected all aspects of our lives .
In the business community , revenues , earnings and valuations have plummeted affecting governments , most businesses and individuals alike .
As both public and privately held companies search for additional debt capacity and/or potential buyers , the COVID-19 pandemic has and is affecting debt terms and availability , company valuations , and purchase prices paid for companies .
As a result of this current environment , a new financial metric for measuring financial performance has been created .
It is called EBITDAC ( Earnings Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , COVID-19 ) or Adjusted EBITDA .
Companies have always tried to flatter their financial performance and earnings by using various accounting treatments .
So , creating a new financial performance metric , EBITDAC , is no surprise .
Currently , a great deal of discussion and controversy among the largest investment banks , accounting firms and financial centers is being debated as to whether this new , non-GAAP ( Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ) metric is appropriate during this pandemic crisis .
For owners of privately held businesses seeking to sell their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is critical that they understand the accounting principle .
EBITDA is what some advisors call a pure measure of operating profits .
Investors looking to invest in or purchase a company , analyze and compare one company ’ s EBITDA to another .
The higher a company ’ s EBITDA , the higher the valuation of the company .
The EBITDA formula is simple .
Start with the net income number , found on the Income Statement , and add to it interest expenses , taxes ( federal and state income taxes only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ add-backs increase the profitability of the company ’ s operating performance .
EBITDA levels the playing field when comparing companies because various companies will have more or less in interest expense , depending on their debt levels .
The same is true for taxes , depreciation and amortization because taxes vary substantially from one state to another and depreciation and amortization schedules vary as well , depending on a company ’ s capital purchases .
Therefore , earnings can be distorted from one company to another if the EBITDA formula is not applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that interest , taxes , depreciation and amortization are true operating expenses for any company .
Most company owners who are planning to sell their businesses should engage a professional Mergers and Acquisitions firm or an M & A consultant to help them recast their past five years of Profit and Loss statements , balance sheets and three to five years of proforma statements .
This step is taken to provide potential buyers with both the synergies and potential future earnings of the company .
Adding back any one-time only expenses , extraordinary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company that are tangential to the company ’ s operations will certainly add to the profitability of the company and to its valuation .
Some examples of add backs include : • Business disruption losses beyond your control ( fire , floods , earthquakes , tornadoes and tsunamis ) ; • Cars , boats , planes expensed through the business for personal use ; • Memberships to country and yacht clubs and gyms for personal use ; • Owner ’ s compensation or compensation to family member above market rates ; • Payroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or children ; • Travel vacations for you and your family that are not related to the business ; • Payroll expenses including healthcare , life insurance and retirement for the owners .
These add backs are added to the EBITDA calculations and are labeled Adjusted EBITDA .
Certainly , the pandemic can be considered a business disruption , since most small and large businesses were near a total shutdown ordered by the government .
A strong argument can be made that significant profit losses would not have occurred had it not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to precisely identify earnings ’ losses that can be directly attributed to the pandemic that would not have occurred had the pandemic not struck .
Such examples include , among others ; • Loss of customer purchases that can be authenticated from past purchase behavior ; and , • Loss of customer traffic due to “ stay at home ” orders .
When examining the addition of the C to EBITDA , the earnings of the company could be significantly increased .
Remember , those companies that are reporting EBITDAC are adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” earnings that never happened .
And , at best , the earnings add backs are anyone ’ s estimates as to what they could have been .
For example , this month Schenk Process , a German measuring instrument manufacturer owned by Blackstone , used this new performance metric in its first quarter 2020 quarterly report .
According to Covenant Review , a financial research firm , The Azek Company , a Chicago-based manufacturer of building products , raised $ 325 million of junk bonds two weeks ago .
It used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back “ lost earnings ” as a result of COVID-19 .
That was a first for the corporate debt market .
The problem is , how does anyone know what the true earnings might have been if COVID-19 had not come about .
By contrast , using the EBITDA formula without the “ C ” , adds back expenses that really took place .
There are no estimates or guesses .
The added back expenses are taken directly from the company ’ s income statement for a specific reporting period .
While many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; therefore , they will look to justify earning losses due to the effects of COVID-19 when trying to sell their companies .
Whether they add the “ C ” to EBITDA or the “ C ” to the Adjusted EBITDA , it is critical that business owners gather data and documentation that will strongly support this controversial accounting metric to persuade buyers that their company ’ s pre-pandemic valuation is the same as it will be post-pandemic .
Gary Miller is CEO of GEM Strategy Management , Inc. , a M & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medium sized businesses throughout the U.S .
He represents business owners throughout the transaction process from preparing them to go to market , selling their companies , acquiring companies and raising capital .
He has been a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and workshops on mergers and acquisitions .
Reach Gary at 303.409.7740 or gmiller @ gemstrategymanagement.com .

Unquestionably, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected all aspects of our lives. In the business community, revenues, earnings and valuations have plummeted affecting governments, most businesses and individuals alike. As both public and privately held companies search for additional debt capacity and/or potential buyers, the COVID-19 pandemic has and is affecting debt terms and availability, company valuations, and purchase prices paid for companies.
As a result of this current environment, a new financial metric for measuring financial performance has been created. It is called EBITDAC (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization, COVID-19) or Adjusted EBITDA. Companies have always tried to flatter their financial performance and earnings by using various accounting treatments. So, creating a new financial performance metric, EBITDAC, is no surprise. Currently, a great deal of discussion and controversy among the largest investment banks, accounting firms and financial centers is being debated as to whether this new, non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) metric is appropriate during this pandemic crisis.
EBITDA discussion
For owners of privately held businesses seeking to sell their companies for the most profit, it is critical that they understand the accounting principle. EBITDA is what some advisors call a pure measure of operating profits. Investors looking to invest in or purchase a company, analyze and compare one company’s EBITDA to another. The higher a company’s EBITDA, the higher the valuation of the company.
The EBITDA formula is simple. Start with the net income number, found on the Income Statement, and add to it interest expenses, taxes (federal and state income taxes only), depreciation and amortization. These add-backs increase the profitability of the company’s operating performance. EBITDA levels the playing field when comparing companies because various companies will have more or less in interest expense, depending on their debt levels. The same is true for taxes, depreciation and amortization because taxes vary substantially from one state to another and depreciation and amortization schedules vary as well, depending on a company’s capital purchases. Therefore, earnings can be distorted from one company to another if the EBITDA formula is not applied correctly. It is important to remember that interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization are true operating expenses for any company.
Adjusted EBITDA discussion
Most company owners who are planning to sell their businesses should engage a professional Mergers and Acquisitions firm or an M&A consultant to help them recast their past five years of Profit and Loss statements, balance sheets and three to five years of proforma statements. This step is taken to provide potential buyers with both the synergies and potential future earnings of the company. Adding back any one-time only expenses, extraordinary expenses or personal expenses paid by the company that are tangential to the company’s operations will certainly add to the profitability of the company and to its valuation. Some examples of add backs include:
Business disruption losses beyond your control (fire, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis);
Extraordinary legal expenses due to a lawsuit;
Cars, boats, planes expensed through the business for personal use;
Memberships to country and yacht clubs and gyms for personal use;
Equipment replacement, repairs and renovations;
Owner’s compensation or compensation to family member above market rates;
Payroll expensed through the company for inactive employees or children;
Travel vacations for you and your family that are not related to the business;
Losses due to employee embezzlement; and,
Payroll expenses including healthcare, life insurance and retirement for the owners.
These add backs are added to the EBITDA calculations and are labeled Adjusted EBITDA.
EBITDAC discussion
Certainly, the pandemic can be considered a business disruption, since most small and large businesses were near a total shutdown ordered by the government. A strong argument can be made that significant profit losses would not have occurred had it not been for the pandemic shutdown. The key is to precisely identify earnings’ losses that can be directly attributed to the pandemic that would not have occurred had the pandemic not struck. Such examples include, among others;
Supply chain interruptions;
Employee retention;
Loss of customer purchases that can be authenticated from past purchase behavior; and,
Loss of customer traffic due to “stay at home” orders.
When examining the addition of the C to EBITDA, the earnings of the company could be significantly increased. Remember, those companies that are reporting EBITDAC are adding back “supposed” or “estimated” earnings that never happened. And, at best, the earnings add backs are anyone’s estimates as to what they could have been. For example, this month Schenk Process, a German measuring instrument manufacturer owned by Blackstone, used this new performance metric in its first quarter 2020 quarterly report. According to Covenant Review, a financial research firm, The Azek Company, a Chicago-based manufacturer of building products, raised $325 million of junk bonds two weeks ago. It used the term that would allow it to add back “lost earnings” as a result of COVID-19. That was a first for the corporate debt market.
The problem is, how does anyone know what the true earnings might have been if COVID-19 had not come about. By contrast, using the EBITDA formula without the “C”, adds back expenses that really took place. There are no estimates or guesses. The added back expenses are taken directly from the company’s income statement for a specific reporting period.
Summary
While many businesses will never recover, many will; therefore, they will look to justify earning losses due to the effects of COVID-19 when trying to sell their companies. Whether they add the “C” to EBITDA or the “C” to the Adjusted EBITDA, it is critical that business owners gather data and documentation that will strongly support this controversial accounting metric to persuade buyers that their company’s pre-pandemic valuation is the same as it will be post-pandemic.
Gary Miller is CEO of GEM Strategy Management, Inc., a M&A consulting firm that advises small and medium sized businesses throughout the U.S. He represents business owners throughout the transaction process from preparing them to go to market, selling their companies, acquiring companies and raising capital. He has been a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and workshops on mergers and acquisitions. Reach Gary at 303.409.7740 or gmiller@gemstrategymanagement.com.


thedenverpost--2020-05-31--Lessons from 1994 baseball strike: How the past looms over MLB as it tries to salvage 2020 season

Walt Weiss remembers the baseball strike of 1994-95 well .
He hopes lessons were learned .
“ As difficult as it is when you are in the moment , you have to think about the welfare of the game , ” said Weiss , the former Rockies manager who played 14 years in the majors .
“ Anybody who ’ s in the game right now has to look at it like we are leasing the game and passing it on to the next generation .
Whether you are an owner or a player or a GM or an agent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you are a caretaker.
” In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 104,000 Americans , MLB and its players are struggling to find a road to salvage the 2020 season .
Blocking that path are gigantic issues about money and power — the same ones that brought baseball to its knees 25 years ago .
Bob Gebhard was the Rockies ’ general manager in 1994-95 when the players went on strike and the 1994 World Series was canceled .
He sees ominous labor clouds on the horizon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement due following the 2021 season .
“ The timing of all of is terrible because of this virus and on the eve of the CBA , ” said Gebhard , who now works as a special assistant for St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak .
“ There are going to be millions and millions of dollars , maybe billions lost , by the two parties .
“ The worst part about it is , even if we play , there are going to be hard feelings .
So now they have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a four- or five- or 10-year collective bargaining agreement ?
I just don ’ t like where this is all headed.
” Meanwhile , the NHL is making plans for a 24-team playoff format this summer .
And the NBA is finalizing plans to play out the 2019-20 season at the Disney World Resort in Florida starting in late July .
Baseball ?
With the deadline of a proposed July 4 re-start looming and a mid-June “ spring training ” still unscheduled , the owners and players continue to bicker .
Just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to that strike , they battled over financial concerns , including the idea of a salary cap .
Many players said they were being exploited ; many owners cried poverty .
Unable to reach a compromise , the players went on strike in August and didn ’ t return to work for 232 days .
In one of the bleakest chapters in MLB history , replacement players were brought in during spring training .
Baseball lost so much in 1994 — not just Tony Gwynn ’ s quest for a .400 batting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge toward 61 home runs , or the Montreal Expos ’ best chance for a title — but any semblance of trust between the players and owners evaporated .
To some extent , that distrust still lingers .
The strike alienated fans , with the game permanently losing its place as America ’ s national pastime in many people ’ s minds .
When baseball finally returned in the spring of 1995 with a shortened 144-game season , fans let the players have it .
At New York ’ s Shea Stadium , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word “ Greed ” snuck on the field and tossed $ 160 worth of $ 1 bills at the players ’ feet .
In 1994 , MLB ’ s average attendance was a then-record 31,256 .
It was not until 2004 — the first year in which players could be suspended for testing positive for steroids , after almost a decade of drug-fueled home runs — that the average attendance again topped 30,000 .
But attendance has steadily declined in recent years .
Last year , it was about 68.5 million , approximately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 % lower than a high of 79.5 million tickets sold in 2007 .
The good news ?
Thanks mostly to lucrative television contracts , the average value of a franchise has quadrupled since 2010 from $ 491 million to $ 1.85 billion , according to Forbes .
Even the worst-run organization in the majors , the Miami Marlins , sold for $ 1.2 billion in 2017 .
Because of the pandemic , there likely won ’ t be fans allowed in the stands if a 2020 season is played , making television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But if no season is played at all , the owners will take a major hit , at least according to Commissioner Rob Manfred .
“ The economic effects are devastating , frankly , for the clubs , ” Manfred said on CNN .
“ We ’ re a big business but we ’ re a seasonal business and unfortunately this ( coronavirus ) crisis began at kind of the low point in terms of revenue .
We hadn ’ t quite started our season yet .
And if we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the owners could approach $ 4 billion.
” But , as was the case 25 years ago , the players aren ’ t buying into the owners ’ plight , believing that over the long haul the owners will be just fine , while the players will lose .
“ After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players there ’ s no reason to engage with MLB in any further compensation reductions , ” Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer , a key member of the players union ’ s eight-player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have previously negotiated a pay cut in the version of prorated salaries , and there ’ s no justification to accept a 2nd pay cut based upon the current information the union has received.
” Scott Boras , the most powerful agent in baseball , also fired a salvo at the owners .
In an email obtained by The Associated Press , Boras wrote to his clients : “ Remember , games can not be played without you .
Players should not agree to further pay cuts to bail out the owners .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenues and profits from the past several years and pay you the prorated salaries you agreed to accept or let them borrow against the asset values they created from the use of those profits players generated.
” Boris noted that major league salaries have been flat for several years , with the opening day average at about $ 4.4 million since 2016 .
The situation has become increasingly hostile , and the war of words and the jockeying for public support is front and center .
“ What makes this so different from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more information out there in the public , but it doesn ’ t mean it ’ s good information , ” said Jeff Huson , now a Rockies color analyst for AT & T SportsNet who played for Baltimore when baseball resumed in 1995 .
“ I do wish that there was not as much talk and I wish a lot of this was being handled behind closed doors.
” In 1995 , baseball ’ s strike effectively ended when Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor , then a federal district court judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the owners and the use of replacement players on March 31 , 1995 , two days before the Mets and Marlins were to play the Sunday night regular-season opener .
The timing , she wrote , was “ important to ensure that the symbolic value of that day is not tainted by an unfair labor practice.
” Things are more complicated this time around .
There are gobs more money on the table and a worldwide pandemic eating away at many fans ’ own paychecks .
Still , one prominent agent believes baseball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think they have to , there ’ s too much at stake , ” he said .
“ There is also give and take — even tough words — during negotiations .
It ’ s almost like the day a player faces salary arbitration .
You wouldn ’ t believe some of the stuff that gets said .
But when push comes to shove , things get settled.
” Weiss , now the bench coach for the Atlanta Braves , remains hopeful that a solution can be found .
But as someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he has an ominous warning .
“ I just know that if we don ’ t play this year , I feel like it ’ s going to be crippling for our game , ” he said .
“ There is another CBA around the corner and if we don ’ t play this year , the little trust that there is between the two sides is going to diminish even more before a CBA comes up .
There is no good outcome , in my eyes , if we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @

Walt Weiss remembers the baseball strike of 1994-95 well. He hopes lessons were learned.
“As difficult as it is when you are in the moment, you have to think about the welfare of the game,” said Weiss, the former Rockies manager who played 14 years in the majors. “Anybody who’s in the game right now has to look at it like we are leasing the game and passing it on to the next generation. Whether you are an owner or a player or a GM or an agent or whatever, you have to realize that you are a caretaker.”
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 104,000 Americans, MLB and its players are struggling to find a road to salvage the 2020 season. Blocking that path are gigantic issues about money and power — the same ones that brought baseball to its knees 25 years ago.
Bob Gebhard was the Rockies’ general manager in 1994-95 when the players went on strike and the 1994 World Series was canceled. He sees ominous labor clouds on the horizon, especially with a new collective bargaining agreement due following the 2021 season.
“The timing of all of is terrible because of this virus and on the eve of the CBA,” said Gebhard, who now works as a special assistant for St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak. “There are going to be millions and millions of dollars, maybe billions lost, by the two parties.
“The worst part about it is, even if we play, there are going to be hard feelings. So now they have to sit down and try to put together a four- or five- or 10-year collective bargaining agreement? I just don’t like where this is all headed.”
Meanwhile, the NHL is making plans for a 24-team playoff format this summer. And the NBA is finalizing plans to play out the 2019-20 season at the Disney World Resort in Florida starting in late July.
Baseball? With the deadline of a proposed July 4 re-start looming and a mid-June “spring training” still unscheduled, the owners and players continue to bicker. Just as they did 25 years ago.
Leading up to that strike, they battled over financial concerns, including the idea of a salary cap. Many players said they were being exploited; many owners cried poverty. Unable to reach a compromise, the players went on strike in August and didn’t return to work for 232 days. In one of the bleakest chapters in MLB history, replacement players were brought in during spring training.
Baseball lost so much in 1994 — not just Tony Gwynn’s quest for a .400 batting average, Ken Griffey Jr.’s charge toward 61 home runs, or the Montreal Expos’ best chance for a title — but any semblance of trust between the players and owners evaporated. To some extent, that distrust still lingers.
The strike alienated fans, with the game permanently losing its place as America’s national pastime in many people’s minds.
When baseball finally returned in the spring of 1995 with a shortened 144-game season, fans let the players have it. At New York’s Shea Stadium, three men wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the word “Greed” snuck on the field and tossed $160 worth of $1 bills at the players’ feet.
In 1994, MLB’s average attendance was a then-record 31,256. It was not until 2004 — the first year in which players could be suspended for testing positive for steroids, after almost a decade of drug-fueled home runs — that the average attendance again topped 30,000.
But attendance has steadily declined in recent years. Last year, it was about 68.5 million, approximately 1 million fewer than in 2018 and 14% lower than a high of 79.5 million tickets sold in 2007.
The good news? Thanks mostly to lucrative television contracts, the average value of a franchise has quadrupled since 2010 from $491 million to $1.85 billion, according to Forbes. Even the worst-run organization in the majors, the Miami Marlins, sold for $1.2 billion in 2017.
Because of the pandemic, there likely won’t be fans allowed in the stands if a 2020 season is played, making television MLB’s chief source of income. But if no season is played at all, the owners will take a major hit, at least according to Commissioner Rob Manfred.
“The economic effects are devastating, frankly, for the clubs,” Manfred said on CNN. “We’re a big business but we’re a seasonal business and unfortunately this (coronavirus) crisis began at kind of the low point in terms of revenue. We hadn’t quite started our season yet. And if we don’t play a season the losses for the owners could approach $4 billion.”
But, as was the case 25 years ago, the players aren’t buying into the owners’ plight, believing that over the long haul the owners will be just fine, while the players will lose.
“After discussing the latest developments with the rest of the players there’s no reason to engage with MLB in any further compensation reductions,” Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer, a key member of the players union’s eight-player subcommittee, tweeted Wednesday. “We have previously negotiated a pay cut in the version of prorated salaries, and there’s no justification to accept a 2nd pay cut based upon the current information the union has received.”
Scott Boras, the most powerful agent in baseball, also fired a salvo at the owners. In an email obtained by The Associated Press, Boras wrote to his clients: “Remember, games cannot be played without you. Players should not agree to further pay cuts to bail out the owners. Let owners take some of their record revenues and profits from the past several years and pay you the prorated salaries you agreed to accept or let them borrow against the asset values they created from the use of those profits players generated.”
Boris noted that major league salaries have been flat for several years, with the opening day average at about $4.4 million since 2016.
The situation has become increasingly hostile, and the war of words and the jockeying for public support is front and center.
“What makes this so different from 1994-95 is that you do have so much more information out there in the public, but it doesn’t mean it’s good information,” said Jeff Huson, now a Rockies color analyst for AT&T SportsNet who played for Baltimore when baseball resumed in 1995. “I do wish that there was not as much talk and I wish a lot of this was being handled behind closed doors.”
In 1995, baseball’s strike effectively ended when Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, then a federal district court judge in Manhattan, issued an injunction against the owners and the use of replacement players on March 31, 1995, two days before the Mets and Marlins were to play the Sunday night regular-season opener. The timing, she wrote, was “important to ensure that the symbolic value of that day is not tainted by an unfair labor practice.”
Things are more complicated this time around. There are gobs more money on the table and a worldwide pandemic eating away at many fans’ own paychecks. Still, one prominent agent believes baseball will find a solution.
“I think they have to, there’s too much at stake,” he said. “There is also give and take — even tough words — during negotiations. It’s almost like the day a player faces salary arbitration. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff that gets said. But when push comes to shove, things get settled.”
Weiss, now the bench coach for the Atlanta Braves, remains hopeful that a solution can be found. But as someone who lived through the strike 25 years ago, he has an ominous warning.
“I just know that if we don’t play this year, I feel like it’s going to be crippling for our game,” he said. “There is another CBA around the corner and if we don’t play this year, the little trust that there is between the two sides is going to diminish even more before a CBA comes up. There is no good outcome, in my eyes, if we don’t play this year.”


thedenverpost--2020-05-31--Brauchler: Hickenlooper needs to face Ethics Commission, even if it is remotely

John Hickenlooper intends to skip a remote hearing this week to determine whether he violated Colorado ’ s constitutionally-enshrined ethics rules and gift ban when he repeatedly accepted and failed to disclose luxury benefits from for-profit companies while he was governor .
That would cheat Coloradans out of the truth we deserve about important ethical and legal issues .
Hick ’ s aversion to the Independent Ethics Commission ( IEC ) process is more than a result of the political risk to a U.S. Senate candidate who has Biden-lite moments when unscripted , let alone vigorously cross-examined by an experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hick has historically treated the IEC and its rules as something to be ignored .
Predictably , the IEC ’ s public website clearly mandates officials to seek permission through Advisory Opinions “ before the event or conduct in question occurs.
” During Hick ’ s eight-year administration , the IEC issued 78 such opinions ( all online ) as requested by officials from every branch of government , including legislators , judicial officers , department directors , attorney general employees , secretary of state , and state treasurer .
Officials are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and honoraria exceeding $ 59 .
As DA , I have twice sought IEC advisory opinions before accepting commercial travel .
It was an easy and transparent process .
I provided requested information , appeared in person at the hearing held a baseball ’ s throw from the gold dome , answered all questions ( without Hick ’ s $ 525 per hour taxpayer-funded attorney ) , and received unanimous approval for each request .
Hick has never sought an advisory opinion before accepting a gift or benefit .
He has sought the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Twice the IEC denied him .
His response is recalcitrance .
In 2011 , Hick used “ discretionary funds ” to pay for travel to a panel discussion hosted by NBC .
He later sought permission to have Colorado taxpayers reimbursed by NBC , a for-profit company .
The IEC declared that it would be a constitutional violation to do so .
Five years later , again using taxpayer funds , Hick attended the General Electric Oil & Gas Annual meeting in Florence—not Colorado—Italy .
He later sought permission to have GE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the travel .
The IEC , finding that the invitation to speak was in Hick ’ s individual capacity—not as governor—again said it would be unconstitutional to do so .
It does not appear that Hick ever reimbursed Colorado for this taxpayer-funded personal travel .
There are numerous other events like these that fell outside of the IEC ’ s tiny one-year jurisdiction .
A look at only three of the six current allegations for which Hick intends to avoid cross examination next week reveal a similar pattern of contempt for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaring his candidacy for president , Hick traveled to Turin , Italy , in his individual capacity—not as governor—for the Bilderberg global conference of elites .
Identified to attendees as “ Governor of Colorado , ” he was the only elected official from the U.S. to attend .
The entire conference , including the many lavish cocktail parties , meals , private tours , a gift bag and a Maserati limo ride ( what is the Italian word for Uber ? )
were paid for by Fiat Chrysler , a multinational corporation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a private jet flight from a large Colorado corporation to attend the commissioning of the USS Colorado and a number of exclusive VIP events .
A Colorado congressional delegation and state legislators attended too .
Only Hick chose a corporate jet over commercial airline to get there .
The following month , Hick accepted yet another corporate jet flight , this one belonging to a company owned by Kimbal Musk , brother to Elon .
At first , Hick claimed that he was entitled to accept the gifted flight from his “ personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special occasion ” of Musk ’ s wedding , which Hick officiated .
In the alternative , Hick claimed that—if the flight was not a gift—it was an honorarium payment in exchange for his services as wedding officiant .
Finally , Hick claimed that he attempted to pay for the flight with an uncashed check written—not to the jet owner—but to Musk ’ s non-profit organization .
To this day , Hick has never declared any of these more-than- $ 59 gifts or honoraria on the forms required of all elected officials .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any of them .
This is not a situation of seeking forgiveness , not permission .
Hick seeks neither .
Absent hearing from Hick on these concerning decisions at the IEC hearing , Coloradans can conclude that the John Hickenlooper we once hired to be governor , who wants us to hire him as U.S. senator , is a rich man flying above the law on rich corporation ’ s planes , defended from violations of our ethics laws by a rich man ’ s attorney at a rich man ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And he won ’ t respect our laws enough to even show up for the hearing .
Coloradans deserve better .
We deserve the truth .
George H. Brauchler is the district attorney for the 18th Judicial District .

John Hickenlooper intends to skip a remote hearing this week to determine whether he violated Colorado’s constitutionally-enshrined ethics rules and gift ban when he repeatedly accepted and failed to disclose luxury benefits from for-profit companies while he was governor. That would cheat Coloradans out of the truth we deserve about important ethical and legal issues.
Hick’s aversion to the Independent Ethics Commission (IEC) process is more than a result of the political risk to a U.S. Senate candidate who has Biden-lite moments when unscripted, let alone vigorously cross-examined by an experienced attorney on unedited and publicly accessible video. Hick has historically treated the IEC and its rules as something to be ignored.
Predictably, the IEC’s public website clearly mandates officials to seek permission through Advisory Opinions “before the event or conduct in question occurs.” During Hick’s eight-year administration, the IEC issued 78 such opinions (all online) as requested by officials from every branch of government, including legislators, judicial officers, department directors, attorney general employees, secretary of state, and state treasurer. Officials are also required to quarterly disclose all gifts and honoraria exceeding $59.
As DA, I have twice sought IEC advisory opinions before accepting commercial travel. It was an easy and transparent process. I provided requested information, appeared in person at the hearing held a baseball’s throw from the gold dome, answered all questions (without Hick’s $525 per hour taxpayer-funded attorney), and received unanimous approval for each request.
Hick has never sought an advisory opinion before accepting a gift or benefit. He has sought the IEC’s after-the-fact approval only twice. Twice the IEC denied him. His response is recalcitrance. In 2011, Hick used “discretionary funds” to pay for travel to a panel discussion hosted by NBC. He later sought permission to have Colorado taxpayers reimbursed by NBC, a for-profit company. The IEC declared that it would be a constitutional violation to do so.
Five years later, again using taxpayer funds, Hick attended the General Electric Oil & Gas Annual meeting
in Florence—not Colorado—Italy. He later sought permission to have GE, another for-profit company, reimburse taxpayers for the travel. The IEC, finding that the invitation to speak was in Hick’s individual capacity—not as governor—again said it would be unconstitutional to do so. It does not appear that Hick ever reimbursed Colorado for this taxpayer-funded personal travel.
There are numerous other events like these that fell outside of the IEC’s tiny one-year jurisdiction. A look at only three of the six current allegations for which Hick intends to avoid cross examination next week reveal a similar pattern of contempt for the IEC.
Less than nine months before declaring his candidacy for president, Hick traveled to Turin, Italy, in his individual capacity—not as governor—for the Bilderberg global conference of elites. Identified to attendees as “Governor of Colorado,” he was the only elected official from the U.S. to attend. The entire conference, including the many lavish cocktail parties, meals, private tours, a gift bag and a Maserati limo ride (what is the Italian word for Uber?) were paid for by Fiat Chrysler, a multinational corporation.
A few months prior, Hick accepted a private jet flight from a large Colorado corporation to attend the commissioning of the USS Colorado and a number of exclusive VIP events. A Colorado congressional delegation and state legislators attended too. Only Hick chose a corporate jet over commercial airline to get there. The following month, Hick accepted yet another corporate jet flight, this one belonging to a company owned by Kimbal Musk, brother to Elon. At first, Hick claimed that he was entitled to accept the gifted flight from his “personal friend of years” on the “special occasion” of Musk’s wedding, which Hick officiated. In the alternative, Hick claimed that—if the flight was not a gift—it was an honorarium payment in exchange for his services as wedding officiant. Finally, Hick claimed that he attempted to pay for the flight with an uncashed check written—not to the jet owner—but to Musk’s non-profit organization.
To this day, Hick has never declared any of these more-than-$59 gifts or honoraria on the forms required of all elected officials. Hick never sought an IEC advisory opinion for any of them. This is not a situation of seeking forgiveness, not permission. Hick seeks neither.
Absent hearing from Hick on these concerning decisions at the IEC hearing, Coloradans can conclude that the John Hickenlooper we once hired to be governor, who wants us to hire him as U.S. senator, is a rich man flying above the law on rich corporation’s planes, defended from violations of our ethics laws by a rich man’s attorney at a rich man’s rate…and working-class taxpayers pick up the tab. And he won’t respect our laws enough to even show up for the hearing. Coloradans deserve better. We deserve the truth.
George H. Brauchler is the district attorney for the 18th Judicial District.


thedenverpost--2020-06-01--Jon Jones tweets he’s giving up UFC title in pay dispute

Jon “ Bones ” Jones tweeted Sunday that he ’ s giving up his UFC title in a pay dispute .
“ To the light-heavyweight title — veni , vidi , vici , ” tweeted Jones , using the Latin phrase of “ I came , I saw , I conquered , ” attributed to Julius Caesar .
Asked if was giving up his title , he tweeted “ Yes.
” When one of Jones ’ 2.3 million Twitter followers suggested he was hurting himself more than the UFC , Jones replied : “ I hurt myself every time I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the head and not feel my pay is worth it anymore.
” The 32-year-old Jones had been eyeing a fight with heavyweight Francis Ngannou , but said the UFC did not want to pay him enough .
UFC President Dana White said the fighter wanted “ crazy ” money , citing demands of $ 15 million , $ 20 million and $ 30 million .
“ He can do whatever he wants to do .
He can sit out , he can fight , he can whatever , ” White said Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Jon Jones can say whatever he wants publicly .
It ’ s his God-given right here in America .
He can say whatever he wants .
And when he ’ s ready to come back and fight , he can .
”

Jon “Bones” Jones tweeted Sunday that he’s giving up his UFC title in a pay dispute.
“To the light-heavyweight title — veni, vidi, vici,” tweeted Jones, using the Latin phrase of “I came, I saw, I conquered,” attributed to Julius Caesar. Asked if was giving up his title, he tweeted “Yes.”
When one of Jones’ 2.3 million Twitter followers suggested he was hurting himself more than the UFC, Jones replied: “I hurt myself every time I walk out there and take a punch to the head and not feel my pay is worth it anymore.”
The 32-year-old Jones had been eyeing a fight with heavyweight Francis Ngannou, but said the UFC did not want to pay him enough. UFC President Dana White said the fighter wanted “crazy” money, citing demands of $15 million, $20 million and $30 million.
“He can do whatever he wants to do. He can sit out, he can fight, he can whatever,” White said Saturday night after an event in Las Vegas. “Jon Jones can say whatever he wants publicly. It’s his God-given right here in America. He can say whatever he wants. And when he’s ready to come back and fight, he can.”


thedenverpost--2020-06-01--World alarmed by violence in U.S.; thousands march in London

LONDON — Nations around the world have watched in horror at the civil unrest in the United States following the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck until he stopped breathing .
Racism-tinged events no longer startle even America ’ s closest allies , though many have watched coverage of the often-violent protests with growing unease .
Burning cars and riot police in the U.S. featured on newspaper front pages around the globe Sunday — bumping news of the COVID-19 pandemic to second-tier status in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 25 in Minneapolis was the latest in a series of deaths of black men and women at the hands of police in the U.S. Thousands gathered in central London on Sunday to offer support for American demonstrators .
Chanting “ No justice !
No peace !
” and waving placards with the words “ How many more ?
” at Trafalgar Square , the protesters ignored U.K. government rules banning crowds because of the pandemic .
Police didn ’ t stop them .
Demonstrators then marched to the U.S. Embassy , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building .
Several hundred milled around in the street and waved placards .
Protesters in Denmark also converged on the U.S. Embassy on Sunday .
Participants carried placards with messages such as “ Stop Killing Black People.
” The U.S. Embassy in Berlin was the scene of protests on Saturday under the motto : “ Justice for George Floyd.
” Several hundred more people took to the streets Sunday in the capital ’ s Kreuzberg area , carrying signs with slogans like “ Silence is Violence , ” “ Hold Cops Accountable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When Police Murder ?
” No incidents were reported .
Germany ’ s top-selling Bild newspaper on Sunday carried the sensational headline “ This killer-cop set America ablaze ” with an arrow pointing to a photo of now-fired police officer Derek Chauvin , who has been charged with third-degree murder in Floyd ’ s death , with his knee on Floyd ’ s neck .
The newspaper ’ s story reported “ scenes like out of a civil war.
” In Italy , the Corriere della Sera newspaper ’ s senior U.S. correspondent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s killing was “ different ” than previous cases of black Americans killed by police and the ensuring violence .
“ There are exasperated black movements that no longer preach nonviolent resistance , ” Gaggi wrote , noting the Minnesota governor ’ s warning that “ anarchist and white supremacy groups are trying to fuel the chaos.
” In countries with authoritarian governments , state-controlled media have been highlighting the chaos and violence of the U.S. demonstrations , in part to undermine American officials ’ criticism of their own nations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewed through the prism of U.S. government criticism of China ’ s crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong .
Hu Xijin , the editor of the state-owned Global Times newspaper , tweeted that U.S. officials can now see protests out their own windows : “ I want to ask Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Pompeo : Should Beijing support protests in the U.S. , like you glorified rioters in Hong Kong ?
” Hua Chunying , a Chinese Foreign ministry spokeswoman , pointed out America ’ s racial unrest by tweeting “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd said before his death .
In Iran , which has violently put down nationwide demonstrations by killing hundreds , arresting thousands and disrupting internet access to the outside world , state television has repeatedly aired images of the U.S. unrest .
One TV anchor discussed “ a horrible scene from New York , where police attacked protesters.
” Another state TV message accused U.S. police agencies in Washington of “ setting fire to cars and attacking protesters , ” without offering any evidence .
Russia accused the United States of “ systemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It denounced Floyd ’ s death as the latest in a series of police violence cases against African Americans .
“ This incident is far from the first in a series of lawless conduct and unjustified violence from U.S. law enforcement , ’ the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement .
“ American police commit such high-profile crimes all too often.
’ There also have been expressions of solidarity with the demonstrators .
In Brazil , hundreds of people gathered in front of the Rio de Janeiro state government palace to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in Rio ’ s working-class neighborhoods , known as favelas .
The protest , called “ Black lives matter , ” was interrupted when police used tear gas to disperse people .
“ I can ’ t breathe ” , said some of the demonstrators , alluding to the George Floyd´s death .
Protesters called for an end to police operations inside favelas .
They shouted the names of some victims followed by the word “ present !
” Rio has one of the most deadly police in Brazil .
In 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number since 1998 , and much of that was during police operations in favelas .
Over the weekend , Lebanese anti-government protesters flooded social media with tweets sympathetic to U.S. protesters , using the hashtag # Americarevolts .
That ’ s a play on the slogan for Lebanon ’ s protest movement — Lebanon revolts — which erupted on Oct. 17 last year .
Within 24 hours , the hashtag # Americanrevolts became the No .
1 trending tag in Lebanon .
In another expression of solidarity with American protesters , about 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protest the shooting death by Israeli police of an unarmed , autistic Palestinian man earlier in the day .
Israeli police mistakenly suspected that the man , Iyad Halak , was carrying a weapon .
When he failed to obey orders to stop , officers opened fire .

LONDON — Nations around the world have watched in horror at the civil unrest in the United States following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck until he stopped breathing.
Racism-tinged events no longer startle even America’s closest allies, though many have watched coverage of the often-violent protests with growing unease. Burning cars and riot police in the U.S. featured on newspaper front pages around the globe Sunday — bumping news of the COVID-19 pandemic to second-tier status in some places.
Floyd’s death on May 25 in Minneapolis was the latest in a series of deaths of black men and women at the hands of police in the U.S.
Thousands gathered in central London on Sunday to offer support for American demonstrators. Chanting “No justice! No peace!” and waving placards with the words “How many more?” at Trafalgar Square, the protesters ignored U.K. government rules banning crowds because of the pandemic. Police didn’t stop them.
Demonstrators then marched to the U.S. Embassy, where a long line of officers surrounded the building. Several hundred milled around in the street and waved placards.
Protesters in Denmark also converged on the U.S. Embassy on Sunday. Participants carried placards with messages such as “Stop Killing Black People.”
The U.S. Embassy in Berlin was the scene of protests on Saturday under the motto: “Justice for George Floyd.” Several hundred more people took to the streets Sunday in the capital’s Kreuzberg area, carrying signs with slogans like “Silence is Violence,” “Hold Cops Accountable,” and “Who Do You Call When Police Murder?” No incidents were reported.
Germany’s top-selling Bild newspaper on Sunday carried the sensational headline “This killer-cop set America ablaze” with an arrow pointing to a photo of now-fired police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with third-degree murder in Floyd’s death, with his knee on Floyd’s neck. The newspaper’s story reported “scenes like out of a civil war.”
In Italy, the Corriere della Sera newspaper’s senior U.S. correspondent Massimo Gaggi wrote that the reaction to Floyd’s killing was “different” than previous cases of black Americans killed by police and the ensuring violence.
“There are exasperated black movements that no longer preach nonviolent resistance,” Gaggi wrote, noting the Minnesota governor’s warning that “anarchist and white supremacy groups are trying to fuel the chaos.”
In countries with authoritarian governments, state-controlled media have been highlighting the chaos and violence of the U.S. demonstrations, in part to undermine American officials’ criticism of their own nations.
In China, the protests are being viewed through the prism of U.S. government criticism of China’s crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-owned Global Times newspaper, tweeted that U.S. officials can now see protests out their own windows: “I want to ask Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Pompeo: Should Beijing support protests in the U.S., like you glorified rioters in Hong Kong?”
Hua Chunying, a Chinese Foreign ministry spokeswoman, pointed out America’s racial unrest by tweeting “I can’t breathe,” which Floyd said before his death.
In Iran, which has violently put down nationwide demonstrations by killing hundreds, arresting thousands and disrupting internet access to the outside world, state television has repeatedly aired images of the U.S. unrest. One TV anchor discussed “a horrible scene from New York, where police attacked protesters.” Another state TV message accused U.S. police agencies in Washington of “setting fire to cars and attacking protesters,” without offering any evidence.
Russia accused the United States of “systemic problems in the human rights sphere.” It denounced Floyd’s death as the latest in a series of police violence cases against African Americans.
“This incident is far from the first in a series of lawless conduct and unjustified violence from U.S. law enforcement,’ the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “American police commit such high-profile crimes all too often.’
There also have been expressions of solidarity with the demonstrators.
In Brazil, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Rio de Janeiro state government palace to protest crimes committed by the police against black people in Rio’s working-class neighborhoods, known as favelas.
The protest, called “Black lives matter,” was interrupted when police used tear gas to disperse people. “I can’t breathe”, said some of the demonstrators, alluding to the George Floyd´s death.
Protesters called for an end to police operations inside favelas. They shouted the names of some victims followed by the word “present!” Rio has one of the most deadly police in Brazil. In 2019 they killed 1,546 people, the highest number since 1998, and much of that was during police operations in favelas.
Over the weekend, Lebanese anti-government protesters flooded social media with tweets sympathetic to U.S. protesters, using the hashtag #Americarevolts. That’s a play on the slogan for Lebanon’s protest movement — Lebanon revolts — which erupted on Oct. 17 last year. Within 24 hours, the hashtag #Americanrevolts became the No. 1 trending tag in Lebanon.
In another expression of solidarity with American protesters, about 150 people marched through central Jerusalem on Saturday to protest the shooting death by Israeli police of an unarmed, autistic Palestinian man earlier in the day. Israeli police mistakenly suspected that the man, Iyad Halak, was carrying a weapon. When he failed to obey orders to stop, officers opened fire.


thedenverpost--2020-06-01--Truck drives through crowd on I-35W in Minneapolis, apparently hitting none. Driver mobbed, arrested

Truck drives through crowd on I-35W in Minneapolis, apparently hitting none. Driver mobbed, arrested, taken to hospital.

A tanker truck drove through — or nearly through — a crowd of demonstrators marching on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis Sunday , but apparently hit none of them , according to authorities .
“ It doesn ’ t appear any protesters were hit by the truck , ” the Department of Public Safety said .
The driver was arrested and taken to a hospital with non life-threatening injuries .
TV aerial video and state traffic cameras showed a disturbing and chaotic series of events before 6 p.m. after a large crowd of marchers had taken to the interstate , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unclear how or why the truck got onto the roadway or what was the intent of the driver .
Here ’ s the full statement by the Department of Public Safety : “ Very disturbing actions by a truck driver on I-35W , inciting a crowd of peaceful demonstrators .
The truck driver was injured & taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries .
He is under arrest .
It doesn ’ t appear any protesters were hit by the truck.
” The 18-wheeler tanker truck drove toward and into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to be swift speed before coming to a halt .
The crowd largely appeared to scatter in advance of the truck .
The truck did not appear to swerve or veer toward the crowd as it came to a stop .
The cab was soon mobbed .
Video shows the truck then begin to drive forward again with people on its hood and clinging to both sides of the cab .
One of them appeared to break the driver ’ s front window , and the truck stopped rolling .
That person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the driver ’ s front window .
Immediately following , the crowds fled from the stretch of interstate , which is elevated as it approaches a span over the Mississippi River .
Some people could be seen vaulting over guardrails .
Police soon swarmed the area .
Around 6:20 p.m. , a convoy of National Guard trucks , including some with a medical insignia , arrived on the scene .
Before the incident , a large crowd of perhaps thousands had been marching and sitting on the bridge in what appeared to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there as one of several bands of crowds that had recently left a peaceful protest at U.S. Bank Stadium .
NOTE : This is a developing story .
There are potential details of this incident being reported on social media that can not be verified at this point .

An afternoon of peaceful demonstrations across the Twin Cities Sunday was shattered when a tanker truck drove into a crowd of demonstrators marching on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis.
But apparently, it hit none of them, according to authorities, who were unclear of the driver’s motives as of 8 p.m.
“Not to have a tragedy and many deaths is just an amazing thing,” Gov. Tim Walz said at 7 p.m., a little over an hour after the incident happened.
The driver was mobbed by the crowd, detained for police, who arrested him. After being treated at a hospital for non life-threatening injuries, he was released into police custody.
The horrifying and chaotic incident was still being investigated as nightfall approached, heralding the third straight night of curfew and highway closures as the metro area and thousands of law enforcement and National Guard personnel braced for whatever the night might bring.
As the sun set and crowds dispersed from a peaceful protest in front of the State Capitol in St. Paul, several hundred previously peaceful protesters in Minneapolis ignored the curfew and marched on a different stretch of I-35W, apparently destined for a police confrontation. After sunset, police began to make mass arrests of curfew breakers in Minneapolis — about 150 as of 10 p.m.
The area is reeling following a week that witnessed widespread and unchecked violence, looting and fires until Saturday night, when the state’s largest-ever assemblage of law enforcement — a militarized force, really — was aided by widespread curfew compliance and seized control of the streets.
In a pattern that has played out in cities across the nation, the demonstrations followed by escalating violence began after Monday’s death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on him.
ARSONISTS’ CACHES
There were signs that those intent on doing harm — and it’s unclear exactly who they are — would try again Sunday.
Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said authorities continued to discover caches of incendiary materials in vehicles and other places. Some appeared to be days old and were found in areas where fires previously had been set, while others appeared to have been placed within the previous 24 hours. They were associated with a fleet of vehicles, many if not all stolen, that have been stripped of license plates.
Harrington said the pattern speaks to sophisticated planning and coordination.
TRUCK VS. CROWD
TV aerial video and state traffic cameras showed a disturbing and chaotic series of events before 6 p.m. after a large crowd of marchers had taken to I-35W, which was officially closed at 5 p.m.
Absolutely frightening scene on I-35W as a tanker truck drivers through thousands of protesters. @WCCO has live coverage right now! https://t.co/onZsO4D5l5 — Jeff Wagner (@Jeff_Wagner4) May 31, 2020
Harrington said that preliminary reviews of state traffic cameras suggested the driver was already on the highway when crews began closing it. There were no signs the driver ever drove around any barriers, he said.
Authorities initially planned to close the highways later in the evening. However, when throngs of peaceful demonstrators marched from a mostly peaceful event at U.S. Bank Stadium, several thousand headed toward the interstate.
Harrington said that action — by what he estimated were 4,000 to 7,000 people — prompted officials to decide to close the highway earlier than planned to protect the safety of the demonstrators, who were not authorized to march on the interstate.
The 18-wheeler tanker truck drove toward and into the edge of the crowd at what appeared to be swift speed before coming to a halt. The crowd largely appeared to scatter in advance of the truck.
“It was sheer panic,” said Rachel Quinn,a nurse from Minneapolis who was in the crowd when the truck rolled in.
The truck did not appear to swerve or veer toward the crowd as it came to a stop.
The cab was soon mobbed. Video shows the truck then begin to drive forward again with people on its hood and clinging to both sides of the cab. One of them appeared to break the driver’s front window, and the truck stopped came to a stop a second time. That person can be seen breaching the cab through the driver’s front window.
While protestors were taking a knee on I-35 a semi truck driver ran into protestors. The police have arrived macing protestors instead of going after the truck driver. pic.twitter.com/BmqFseSmUJ — Shade Pratt (@ShadePratt22) May 31, 2020
Immediately following, the crowds fled — or attempted to flee — from the stretch of interstate, which is elevated as it approaches a span over the Mississippi River. Some people could be seen vaulting over guardrails, while others stayed put.
Harrington said authorities didn’t know if the tanker and its content might be hazardous or explosive — or if they were secure. As such, police aggressively cleared the crowd, using chemical irritants and other tactics that have become commonplace lately. The tactic drew criticism from many in the crowd, who noted their demonstration, while civilly disobedient, had been non-violent.
Harrington said it was necessary for their safety and so authorities could reach and secure the tanker truck, which some witnesses told a TV reporter was leaking fuel.
Hennepin County jail records indicate the name of the trucker as Bogdan Vechirko, 35, of Otsego, booked under suspicion of assault.
The trucking company described the driver as an independent contractor.
Kenan Advantage Group, a major petroleum transportation company, released the following statement Sunday evening:
“Our hearts go out to all those who are grieving the events of this past week. We have been informed of an incident involving one of our independent contractors in Minneapolis, MN during recent protests. Our first and foremost concern is for the safety and security of the public, our employees and our customers. We will be cooperating fully with the investigating authorities in the days ahead. It would be inappropriate to comment at this time until we have additional facts as the investigation is in its early stages. We will comment further once we have more information.”
ST. PAUL PROTEST
Some 1,500 people rallied at the Capitol in St. Paul and also took to the interstate afterward, but that event featured none of the horror of the otherwise-similar scene in Minneapolis.
The afternoon protest led to road closures around the Capitol complex and featured some tense moments near the front of the crowd, where police and soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard stood behind a fence they had erected. Around 4 p.m., a contingent of the crowd marched onto the Interstate 94, headed west, and exited at Lexington Avenue.
By 8 p.m., only a few remained at the Capitol. St. Paul officers were assisting with the arrest of a small group of people at the Capitol for curfew violations about 9:30 p.m.
Satara Strong, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, says organized March officially dispersed when they got to the State Capitol, and they’re not in charge of this particular action at the fence. That’s organic and they need to be aware. 19 min to curfew. Some organizers nervous. pic.twitter.com/wmeMl6tNJA — Frederick Melo, Reporter (@FrederickMelo) June 1, 2020
Nick Ferraro and Frederick Melo contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-05-31--Colorado announces no new deaths tied directly to COVID-19 for second straight day

Reports of deaths related to the new coronavirus continue to slow in Colorado , with state health officials for the second straight day announcing no new fatalities tied directly to COVID-19 and only two additional deaths of people who had contracted the virus .
Deaths announced by Colorado ’ s Department of Public Health and Environment each day have not necessarily occurred in the last 24 hours , as there can be a lag of days or even weeks in reporting them to the state — particularly when it comes to those whose death certificates show they died from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in Colorado have been declining since their mid-April peak , state data shows .
State health officials recently began reporting the number of people who died who had been infected by the virus , and not necessarily killed by it , as well as those whose deaths have been directly attributed to COVID-19 .
As of Sunday , 1,445 people with the coronavirus had died in Colorado and 1,181 deaths were directly caused by COVID-19 .
Hospitalizations of coronavirus patients continue their decline , with 297 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has fallen below 300 since March 27 .
All told , 4,347 people have been hospitalized for COVID-19 since the virus was first confirmed in the state in early March .
Private facilities and the state-run lab tested 7,517 people on Saturday , according to state data .
Colorado ’ s daily testing rate — 132 tests per 100,000 people per day — is close to the 152 tests per 100,000 people level that health officials say is needed to understand where the virus is spreading .
To date , 26,378 people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have COVID-19 , though health officials say they believe the true number is much higher .
Officials also have confirmed outbreaks at 281 contained facilities across the state , including nursing homes , jails and factories — one more than the previous day .
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

Reports of deaths related to the new coronavirus continue to slow in Colorado, with state health officials for the second straight day announcing no new fatalities tied directly to COVID-19 and only two additional deaths of people who had contracted the virus.
Deaths announced by Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment each day have not necessarily occurred in the last 24 hours, as there can be a lag of days or even weeks in reporting them to the state — particularly when it comes to those whose death certificates show they died from the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
Overall, coronavirus deaths in Colorado have been declining since their mid-April peak, state data shows.
State health officials recently began reporting the number of people who died who had been infected by the virus, and not necessarily killed by it, as well as those whose deaths have been directly attributed to COVID-19. As of Sunday, 1,445 people with the coronavirus had died in Colorado and 1,181 deaths were directly caused by COVID-19.
Hospitalizations of coronavirus patients continue their decline, with 297 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19 in Colorado — the first time that number has fallen below 300 since March 27. All told, 4,347 people have been hospitalized for COVID-19 since the virus was first confirmed in the state in early March.
Private facilities and the state-run lab tested 7,517 people on Saturday, according to state data. Colorado’s daily testing rate — 132 tests per 100,000 people per day — is close to the 152 tests per 100,000 people level that health officials say is needed to understand where the virus is spreading.
To date, 26,378 people have tested positive for or are believed to have COVID-19, though health officials say they believe the true number is much higher.
Officials also have confirmed outbreaks at 281 contained facilities across the state, including nursing homes, jails and factories — one more than the previous day.
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-05-31--Christo, artist known for massive, fleeting displays, dies

NEW YORK — Christo , known for massive , ephemeral public arts projects died Sunday at his home in New York .
He was 84 .
His death was announced on Twitter and the artist ’ s web page .
No cause of death was given .
Along with late wife Jeanne-Claude , the artists ’ careers were defined by their ambitious art projects that quickly disappeared soon after they were erected .
In 2005 , he installed more than 7,500 vinyl gates in New York ’ s Central Park and and wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin in fabric with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 26 million Umbrellas project erected 1,340 blue umbrellas installed in Japan and 1,760 blue umbrellas in Southern California in 1991 .
FROM THE ARCHIVES : Christo pulls plug on controversial “ Over The River ” public art installation , citing new “ landlord ” Trump The statement said the artist ’ s next project , L ’ Arc de Triomphe , Wrapped , is slated to appear in September in Paris as planned .
An exhibition about Christo and Jeanne-Claude ’ s work is also scheduled to run from July through October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christo lived his life to the fullest , not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it , ” his office said in a statement .
“ Christo and Jeanne-Claude ’ s artwork brought people together in shared experiences across the globe , and their work lives on in our hearts and memories.
” Born in Bulgaria in 1935 , Christo Vladimirov Javacheff studied at the Fine Arts Academy in Sofia before moving to Prague in 1957 , then Vienna , then Geneva .
It was in Paris in 1958 where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were born on the same day ( June 13 ) in the same year ( 1935 ) , and , according to him , “ In the same moment ” and would become partners in life and art .
Christo was already wrapping smaller found objects , like cars and furniture .
After he met Jeanne-Claude , their scale broadened .
Within three years they were working together on an installation of oil drums and tarp on the docks in Cologne .
Although their large scale outdoor and indoor projects were collaborative , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until 1994 , when they revealed Jeanne-Claude ’ s contributions .
The decision , they said , was theirs and deliberate since it was difficult enough for even one artist to make a name for himself .
The pair moved to New York in 1964 , where they liked to say that they were illegal aliens in an illegal building in SoHo for a few years .
They eventually bought that building and would call the city home for the rest of their lives .
Jeanne-Claude died in 2009 at age 74 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her death , Christo said she was argumentative and very critical and always asking questions and he missed all of that very much .
In a 2018 interview with The Art Newspaper , Christo spoke about his signature wrapping aesthetic .
In the instance of the Reichstag , he said , covering it with fabric made the Victorian sculptures , ornament and decoration disappear and “ highlight the principal proportion of architecture.
” “ But , like classical sculpture , all our wrapped projects are not solid buildings ; they are moving with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ The fabric is very sensual and inviting ; it ’ s like a skin.
” The two made a point of paying for all of their works on their own and did not accept scholarship or donations .
“ I like to be absolutely free , to be totally irrational with no justification for what I like to do , ” he said .
“ I will not give up one centimeter of my freedom for anything .
”

NEW YORK — Christo, known for massive, ephemeral public arts projects died Sunday at his home in New York. He was 84.
His death was announced on Twitter and the artist’s web page. No cause of death was given.
Along with late wife Jeanne-Claude, the artists’ careers were defined by their ambitious art projects that quickly disappeared soon after they were erected. In 2005, he installed more than 7,500 vinyl gates in New York’s Central Park and and wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin in fabric with an aluminum sheen in 1995. Their $26 million Umbrellas project erected 1,340 blue umbrellas installed in Japan and 1,760 blue umbrellas in Southern California in 1991.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Christo pulls plug on controversial “Over The River” public art installation, citing new “landlord” Trump
The statement said the artist’s next project, L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, is slated to appear in September in Paris as planned. An exhibition about Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work is also scheduled to run from July through October at the Centre Georges Pompidou.
“Christo lived his life to the fullest, not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it,” his office said in a statement. “Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork brought people together in shared experiences across the globe, and their work lives on in our hearts and memories.”
Born in Bulgaria in 1935, Christo Vladimirov Javacheff studied at the Fine Arts Academy in Sofia before moving to Prague in 1957, then Vienna, then Geneva. It was in Paris in 1958 where he met Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon. They were born on the same day (June 13) in the same year (1935), and, according to him, “In the same moment” and would become partners in life and art.
Christo was already wrapping smaller found objects, like cars and furniture. After he met Jeanne-Claude, their scale broadened. Within three years they were working together on an installation of oil drums and tarp on the docks in Cologne.
Although their large scale outdoor and indoor projects were collaborative, they were all credited solely to Christo until 1994, when they revealed Jeanne-Claude’s contributions. The decision, they said, was theirs and deliberate since it was difficult enough for even one artist to make a name for himself.
The pair moved to New York in 1964, where they liked to say that they were illegal aliens in an illegal building in SoHo for a few years. They eventually bought that building and would call the city home for the rest of their lives.
Jeanne-Claude died in 2009 at age 74 from complications of a brain aneurysm. After her death, Christo said she was argumentative and very critical and always asking questions and he missed all of that very much.
In a 2018 interview with The Art Newspaper, Christo spoke about his signature wrapping aesthetic. In the instance of the Reichstag, he said, covering it with fabric made the Victorian sculptures, ornament and decoration disappear and “highlight the principal proportion of architecture.”
“But, like classical sculpture, all our wrapped projects are not solid buildings; they are moving with the wind, they are breathing,” he said. “The fabric is very sensual and inviting; it’s like a skin.”
The two made a point of paying for all of their works on their own and did not accept scholarship or donations.
“I like to be absolutely free, to be totally irrational with no justification for what I like to do,” he said. “I will not give up one centimeter of my freedom for anything.”


thedenverpost--2020-05-31--Sudden, mass civil unrest in the U.S. raising fears of new coronavirus outbreaks

By Kelli Kennedy , Danica Kirka and Pablo Gorondi , The Associated Press MIAMI — In hindsight , Rosa Jimenez Cano realizes that attending a protest against police brutality was risky — and not just for the usual reasons .
“ This can be kind of a tinderbox for COVID , ” the 39-year-old venture capitalist said after attending a demonstration in Florida , one of many around the country sparked by the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after he was pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer .
As more beaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses reopened worldwide , the sudden and mass civil unrest in the United States is raising fears of new virus outbreaks in a country that has more confirmed infections and deaths than any other .
And it ’ s not just in the U.S. — London hosted a large anti-racism protest Sunday where demonstrators violated social distancing rules .
Rosa Jimenez Cano said she planned to self-quarantine for 14 days , worrying she was perhaps “ irresponsible ” when she attended Saturday night ’ s protest in Miami , where she exposed herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s death — the latest in a series of killings of black men and women at the hands of police in America — have shaken the country from Minneapolis to New York , from Atlanta to Los Angeles .
Some turned into riots and clashes with police , leaving stores in flames and torched cars in the streets .
Health experts fear that silent carriers of the virus could unwittingly infect others at protests where people are packed cheek to jowl , many without masks , many chanting , singing or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ microscopic droplets in the air when people cough , sneeze , sing or talk .
“ There ’ s no question that , when you put hundreds or thousands of people together in close proximity , when we have got this virus all over the streets … it ’ s not healthy , ” Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan said Sunday on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union.
” “ Two weeks from now across America , we ’ re going to find out whether or not this gives us a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again or not.
” The U.S. has seen over 1.7 million infections and nearly 104,000 deaths in the pandemic , which has disproportionately affected racial minorities in a nation that does not have universal health care .
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Sunday she was very concerned that the protests in the nation ’ s capital and elsewhere could provide fertile ground for a new series of outbreaks .
Many of the protesters were wearing masks , but there were no attempts at social distancing .
“ We ’ ve been working very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks to not have any mass gatherings , ” she said .
“ As a nation , we have to be concerned about a rebound.
” Even the many protesters wearing masks are not guaranteed protection .
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cloth masks keep infected people from spreading the virus but are not designed to protect wearers from getting it .
Mass protests in connection with Floyd ’ s death were also being held in Europe .
In London , thousands of people marched Sunday chanting “ No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying signs reading “ Justice for George Floyd ” and “ Racism is a global issue.
” Many demonstrators were not wearing masks and most in the crowd at Trafalgar Square were packed closely together .
Britain has seen nearly 38,500 virus deaths , the second-highest in the world after the United States .
In Berlin , hundreds of protesters picketed outside the U.S. Embassy on Saturday night under the motto : “ Justice for George Floyd.
” Others marched near the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen , Denmark .
Many Americans returned Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in weeks and tens of thousands of mosques reopened across the Middle East , but countries from India to Colombia still saw rising numbers of new infections .
Nearly 6.1 million infections have been reported worldwide , with nearly 370,000 people dying , according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University .
The true death toll is believed to be significantly higher , since many victims died of the virus without ever being tested .
The situation worsened Sunday in India , where new daily cases topped 8,000 for the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite that , India still is easing restrictions on shops and public transport in more states beginning Monday , although subways and schools will remain closed .
In Saudi Arabia , mosques reopened Sunday for the first time in more than two months , but Islam ’ s holiest site in Mecca remained closed .
In Jerusalem , throngs of worshippers waited outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque before it reopened .
Many wore surgical masks and waited for temperature checks as they entered .
In Bogota , the capital of Colombia , authorities were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people as cases continued to rise .
Mayor Claudia Lopez said no one in the working-class Kennedy area — inaugurated by the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 — will be allowed out , except to seek food or medical care or in case of an emergency .
Factories must also close .
In Spain , Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday that he would ask Parliament for a final two-week extension of the nation ’ s state of emergency that is set to expire on June 7 .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures to control its coronavirus outbreak , which has claimed at least 27,000 lives , many of them in overwhelmed nursing homes .
“ We have almost reached safe harbor , ” Sánchez said .
At the Vatican , Pope Francis cautioned people against being pessimistic as they emerge from coronavirus lockdowns .
During Mass in St. Peter ’ s Basilica to mark Pentecost Sunday , Francis noted a tendency to say that “ nothing will return as before.
” That kind of thinking , Francis said , guarantees that “ the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope.
” Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox .

By Kelli Kennedy, Danica Kirka and Pablo Gorondi, The Associated Press
MIAMI — In hindsight, Rosa Jimenez Cano realizes that attending a protest against police brutality was risky — and not just for the usual reasons.
“This can be kind of a tinderbox for COVID,” the 39-year-old venture capitalist said after attending a demonstration in Florida, one of many around the country sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after he was pinned at the neck by a white Minneapolis police officer.
As more beaches, churches, mosques, schools and businesses reopened worldwide, the sudden and mass civil unrest in the United States is raising fears of new virus outbreaks in a country that has more confirmed infections and deaths than any other. And it’s not just in the U.S. — London hosted a large anti-racism protest Sunday where demonstrators violated social distancing rules.
Rosa Jimenez Cano said she planned to self-quarantine for 14 days, worrying she was perhaps “irresponsible” when she attended Saturday night’s protest in Miami, where she exposed herself to crowds of people.
Protests over Floyd’s death — the latest in a series of killings of black men and women at the hands of police in America — have shaken the country from Minneapolis to New York, from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Some turned into riots and clashes with police, leaving stores in flames and torched cars in the streets.
Health experts fear that silent carriers of the virus could unwittingly infect others at protests where people are packed cheek to jowl, many without masks, many chanting, singing or shouting. The virus is dispersed by microscopic droplets in the air when people cough, sneeze, sing or talk.
“There’s no question that, when you put hundreds or thousands of people together in close proximity, when we have got this virus all over the streets … it’s not healthy,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“Two weeks from now across America, we’re going to find out whether or not this gives us a spike and drives the numbers back up again or not.”
The U.S. has seen over 1.7 million infections and nearly 104,000 deaths in the pandemic, which has disproportionately affected racial minorities in a nation that does not have universal health care.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Sunday she was very concerned that the protests in the nation’s capital and elsewhere could provide fertile ground for a new series of outbreaks. Many of the protesters were wearing masks, but there were no attempts at social distancing.
“We’ve been working very hard in these last eight to 10 weeks to not have any mass gatherings,” she said. “As a nation, we have to be concerned about a rebound.”
Even the many protesters wearing masks are not guaranteed protection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cloth masks keep infected people from spreading the virus but are not designed to protect wearers from getting it.
Mass protests in connection with Floyd’s death were also being held in Europe.
In London, thousands of people marched Sunday chanting “No justice! No peace!” while carrying signs reading “Justice for George Floyd” and “Racism is a global issue.” Many demonstrators were not wearing masks and most in the crowd at Trafalgar Square were packed closely together. Britain has seen nearly 38,500 virus deaths, the second-highest in the world after the United States.
In Berlin, hundreds of protesters picketed outside the U.S. Embassy on Saturday night under the motto: “Justice for George Floyd.” Others marched near the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Many Americans returned Sunday to in-person church services for the first time in weeks and tens of thousands of mosques reopened across the Middle East, but countries from India to Colombia still saw rising numbers of new infections.
Nearly 6.1 million infections have been reported worldwide, with nearly 370,000 people dying, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The true death toll is believed to be significantly higher, since many victims died of the virus without ever being tested.
The situation worsened Sunday in India, where new daily cases topped 8,000 for the first time and 193 more deaths were reported. Despite that, India still is easing restrictions on shops and public transport in more states beginning Monday, although subways and schools will remain closed.
In Saudi Arabia, mosques reopened Sunday for the first time in more than two months, but Islam’s holiest site in Mecca remained closed. In Jerusalem, throngs of worshippers waited outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque before it reopened. Many wore surgical masks and waited for temperature checks as they entered.
In Bogota, the capital of Colombia, authorities were locking down an area of nearly 1.5 million people as cases continued to rise. Mayor Claudia Lopez said no one in the working-class Kennedy area — inaugurated by the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 — will be allowed out, except to seek food or medical care or in case of an emergency. Factories must also close.
In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday that he would ask Parliament for a final two-week extension of the nation’s state of emergency that is set to expire on June 7. That allows the government to keep ordering lockdown measures to control its coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed at least 27,000 lives, many of them in overwhelmed nursing homes.
“We have almost reached safe harbor,” Sánchez said.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis cautioned people against being pessimistic as they emerge from coronavirus lockdowns.
During Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark Pentecost Sunday, Francis noted a tendency to say that “nothing will return as before.” That kind of thinking, Francis said, guarantees that “the one thing that certainly does not return is hope.”
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.