jili 666
jili 666
The number of Philly teachers without full certification has more than doubled. It comes at a costBrock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injuryI REFER to the story regarding Newcastle council's "modest surplus" ( Newcastle Herald 12/11). While it presents a fairly positive view of the 2023-24 financials, I have a different view when taking into account the history leading to this point. This administration always places great stock in the Audit Office's report. It is good that the dollars have been put in the right boxes, but the AO always has a disclaimer that the " audit does not include, nor provide assurance that the council has carried out its activities effectively, efficiently and economically". Login or signup to continue reading I believe the $4.2 million surplus does not stack up against the fact that rates have gone up 72 per cent since the big rate rise introduced in 2016. This is three times the inflation rate and yielded an extra $75 million in rates in 2023-24 alone. Over the same period, fees and charges have gone up 72 per cent. It is easy to make a surplus when ratepayers are contributing so much more every year. Where is all the extra money going? Well, workforce costs alone have gone up 37 per cent over the past five years. The waste business made a surplus of $14 million last year, and this was on top of a $12 million surplus in each of the two previous years. However, domestic waste charges went up 10 per cent last year, and have gone up 50 per cent over the last five years. Despite spending $40 million on infrastructure renewal last year, this is 20 per cent behind the NSW government target. In fact, this council has not met the target in any of the last seven years and is now $100 million behind what it should have spent over that period. This is driving up the infrastructure backlog, which is now double the target and increasing. If the council had not changed the accounting method and wiped $101 million of the backlog a couple of years ago, it would now be 11 per cent versus the target of 2 per cent. In 2015 the council promised IPART that it would achieve 2 per cent, under the old measurement system, with proceeds from the rate increase. It is very difficult to determine where the money is going because there are large chunks of operating expenditure where the split-up of costs is not visible. For a number of years, ratepayers have been complaining that project budgets, costs and delivery times have been hidden from the public. It appears to me that the public is getting a raw deal, and I hope that the messages delivered by the electorate in the recent election are taken seriously by the new council. GLENDALE offers an unprecedented opportunity for Newcastle Basketball to be involved in the largest sporting complex in NSW with existing facilities. Consider that within kilometres there is already is conglomerate of venues such as a first class golf course, bowling, sailing, boating, fishing, rugby league, Aussie rules, baseball, swimming, croquet, cricket, BMX, netball, roller and ice skating, soccer, walking and cycling. Combine the above with uncomplicated access. Sorry, did I miss a sport? The area also has motels, hotels, licenced clubs, schools and TAFE. Build the stadium at Glendale. Look at the bigger picture in the future. The Hunter may become the mecca for sport and recreation. WHY is it that Woolworths and Coles are copping a hammering because they are trying to do well to keep shareholders happy? Why is it that our major airlines go over and above to look after their shareholders and nothing is said? They double their prices in peak times like Christmas and school holidays and we don't hear a whisper. Yet if our supermarkets were to price gouge in those times, they would be hauled over the coals. Can someone tell me the difference? Major supermarkets have cost of living to take into account such as warehousing, power costs and everything that goes into it like transport. It's all a balancing act to make a profit over all their stores, and to make a profit for the shareholders. Major airlines have static costs all year round yet they take advantage of the travelling public and don't give a damn. I'M so pleased that a choir has once again been created for dementia patients in Newcastle. In 2010, a singing group was formed at the Alzheimer's Centre in Percy Street, Hamilton, for dementia patients and their carers. It was a social morning with tea and biscuits followed by an hour of singing. The group was dubbed The Percy Street Singers. COVID put a stop to this, but the group was apparently never allowed back into the centre. Since Dementia Australia took over the centre, in my view all the activities virtually stopped. Like so many things in Newcastle, it seemed to become a Sydney-centric organisation. My husband died 10 years ago, and by then could not hold a conversation but could sing every word in every song. It was a great joy for him. The centre also provided a men's cooking group, movie afternoons, coffee groups, art and creative afternoons, and memory loss courses for people with dementia and their careers. The funding for so much was gradually removed, and staff dwindled. What a sad time for Newcastle. Destiny on Dyke Point has welcomed visitors to our safe, beautiful harbour for almost 25 years. It was Destiny's birthday on Sunday (November 24). She was sculpted by Julie Squires, a wonderfully talented local sculptor. When you stroll the promenade at Honeysuckle check her out. She is so beautiful and gracious: we are your destiny, you are safe and welcomed. Cheers to her. I arrived at the protest site about 9:15am on Friday. It was too early for any action but the police presence was way over the top. They also had a visible presence down as far as Honeysuckle, so it would be in the interest of balanced reporting could the Herald get official figures on police numbers? And yes, I rode there by bike - 39km return trip. ALAN Jones's high-profile supporters have deserted him, like rats deserting a sinking ship. "A friend in need is a friend indeed" seems to not apply here. AS one who occasionally uses the word 'woke', I'd like make it clear that to me it refers to those who think they are superior to the rest, never wrong, overuse - often incorrectly - words such as 'racist' and 'misogynist', and jump on every left-wing bandwagon in their never-ending search for popularity. LABOR'S latest Orwellian attempt to control public debate, its Misinformation and Disinformation (MAD) Bill, seems dead in the water in the face of growing Senate opposition. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. DON Owers ("Disruptions aren't all equal", Letters, 21/11), doesn't seem to know that no government has authority over industrial action. It's the domain of the Fair Work Commission. I don't remember anything from Mr Owers when the Liberal government closed the rail network for a day in 2022, claiming "safety issues". It blamed striking workers despite them not being on strike and at work. Quietly dropped with no apology when the FWC demanded to see their risk assessment. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. 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Winter conditions are likely to blame for members of a group of 15 hikers making a second unexpected overnight on the Kludahk Trail northeast of Jordan River. For some, a second night was spent with some well-trained rescue volunteers, while others hiked out Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue was called in before noon on Sunday (Nov. 14) for the group that included four adults and 11 kids roughly aged 11 to 15, said Victoria Clarke, coordinator for JdF SAR and a search manager. “I suspect they underestimated the winter conditions up there,” she told the Sooke News Mirror. “Those are challenging weather conditions on the Kludahk Trail, even the most prepared people once you get wet, once you get cold, your body expends a lot of energy trying to stay warm and we worry about hypothermia. “What it’s like in Jordan River is not what it’s like in the Kludahk Trail.” The group had hiked up, overnighting at Meadow Cabin Saturday then on to Wye Lake before calling for help after determining hiking out Sunday wasn’t possible as a group. An InReach – A Garmin satellite communicator – provided them quick and key access to the resources. “Thanks to West Coast helicopters we were able to insert two people to get there quickly. That enabled us to make an assessment of what was going on,” said Clarke, one of the two SAR volunteers who made the first in-person contact. With the 442 Squadron military search and rescue helicopter team on call from Comox, the initial plan was to helicopter all 15 people out of the wilderness. Low clouds and the setting sun scuttled that plan. After an assessment, two adults and six young people from the group hiked out with Juan de Fuca and Metchosin SAR members while others remained overnight. “Once we made that decision and I had more team members come in to assist, they came in by foot and we got a big fire going,” said Clarke, who hiked out that night to get warm and dry herself before taking over command at Jordan River the next day. Those left behind were warm and dry, with bellies full of hot food and drink, to shelter in place overnight. “It’s the kind of thing we don’t normally have to do, but we train for that, so it all came together,” Clarke said. “They were great, they were all able to hike out. We had lots of people to assist with their gear and equipment.” The group was prepared, doing nearly everything right including calling for help early before waiting until things were more dire, forcing the rescue team to make assessments and decisions in the dark. “They had good gear, they called for help when they realized they were in trouble. I credit them for having communication devices,” Clarke said. “I commend them for calling early, for recognizing when they needed help.” As is also often the case, the rescue was a team sport. For this rescue that included Metchosin Search and Rescue, West Coast Helicopters and 442 Squadron (the Canadian Forces transport and rescue squadron based in Comox). “Sometimes it takes various components in a rescue, everyone coming together and working hand-in-hand,” Clarke said. “We don’t do this on our own. We do it with the support and assistance of other teams.”
NoneNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed at more records after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% to reach another all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.3% to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.6% as Big Tech stocks helped lead the way. Stock markets abroad saw mostly modest losses, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. U.S. automakers and other companies that could be hurt particularly by such tariffs fell. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising toward records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could roil the global economy were they to take effect. The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% and was on track to top its all-time high set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 81 points, or 0.2%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher, with less than an hour remaining in trading. Stock markets abroad were down, but mostly only modestly, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. Stock indexes were down 0.1% in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada's main index edged down by just 0.1%. Trump has often praised the use of tariffs , but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter. Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics. They would also hurt profit margins for U.S. companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. General Motors sank 8.2%, and Ford Motor fell 2.6% because both import automobiles from Mexico. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States, dropped 3.9%. Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause U.S. households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high a couple months ago to offer support to the job market . While lower interest rates can boost the overall economy and prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation. “Many” officials at the Fed's last meeting earlier this month said they should lower rates gradually, according to minutes of the meeting released Tuesday afternoon. Unlike tariffs in Trump's first term, his proposal from Monday night would affect products across the board. Trump’s tariff talk came almost immediately after U.S. stocks rose Monday amid excitement about his pick for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. The hope was the hedge-fund manager could steer Trump away from policies that balloon the U.S. government deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. The talk about tariffs overshadowed another set of mixed profit reports from U.S. retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates instituted by the Fed to get inflation under control. Kohl’s tumbled 17.6% after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear. A day earlier, Kingsbury said he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him. Best Buy fell 4.7% after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 1.4%. A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said confidence among U.S. consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. J.M. Smucker jumped 5.4% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 after topping analysts' expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up U.S. indexes. Gains of 2.8% for Amazon and 2% for Microsoft were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. In the bond market, Treasury yields rose following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.30% from 4.28% late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41% level where it ended last week. In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after topping $99,000 for the first time late last week. It's since dipped back toward $91,600, according to CoinDesk. It’s a sharp turnaround from the bonanza that initially took over the crypto market following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.The Gunners delivered the statement Champions League victory their manager had demanded to bounce back from a narrow defeat at Inter Milan last time out. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track, lifting them to seventh place with 10 points in the new-look 36-team table. It was Arsenal’s biggest away win in the Champions League since beating Inter by the same scoreline in 2003. “For sure, especially against opposition we played at their home who have not lost a game in 18 months – they have been in top form here – so to play with the level, the determination, the purpose and the fluidity we showed today, I am very pleased,” said Arteta. “The team played with so much courage, because they are so good. When I’m watching them live they are so good! They were all exceptional today. It was a big performance, a big win and we are really happy. “The performance was there a few times when we have played big teams. That’s the level that we have to be able to cope and you have to make it happen, and that creates belief.” A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. The Gunners took the lead after only seven minutes when Martinelli tucked in Jurrien Timber’s cross, and Saka teed up Havertz for a tap-in to double the advantage. Arsenal added a third on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel charging in to head Declan Rice’s corner into the back of the net. To rub salt in the wound, the Brazilian defender mimicked Viktor Gyokeres’ hands-over-his-face goal celebration. That may have wound Sporting up as they came out after the interval meaning business, and they pulled one back after David Raya tipped Hidemasa Morita’s shot behind, with Goncalo Inacio netting at the near post from the corner. But when Martin Odegaard’s darting run into the area was halted by Ousmane Diomande’s foul, Saka tucked away the penalty. Substitute Trossard added the fifth with eight minutes remaining, heading in the rebound after Mikel Merino’s shot was saved. A miserable night for prolific Sporting striker Gyokeres was summed up when his late shot crashed back off the post.
TORONTO, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rivalry Corp. (the “ ” or “ “) (TSXV: RVLY) (OTCQX: RVLCF) (FSE: 9VK), the leading sportsbook and iGaming operator for digital-first players, is pleased to announce that it has closed the initial tranche of a non-brokered private placement of 12,930,707 units of the Company (the “ “), at a price of $0.15 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $1.94 million (the “ “). The Company may complete one or more additional closings, for aggregate gross proceeds (together with the proceeds raised under the initial closing) of up to approximately USD$3 million. Unless otherwise noted, all dollar figures are quoted in Canadian dollars. “This initial tranche of our non-brokered private placement was primarily subscribed to by insiders, family and friends, and long-term shareholders,” said Steven Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry. “This commitment and demonstration of support is deeply gratifying as we press ahead into a new chapter for the Company.” Each Unit is comprised of one (1) subordinate voting share in the capital of the Company (each, a “ “) and one-half of one (1/2) Subordinate Voting Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “ “). Each Warrant is exercisable into one Subordinate Voting Share in the capital of the Company (each, a “ “) at a price of $0.25 per Warrant Share for a period of 12 months from the date hereof, subject to the Company’s right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants upon 30 days’ notice in the event that the closing price of the Subordinate Voting Shares is equal to or exceeds $0.50 on the TSX Venture Exchange (or such other recognized Canadian stock exchange as the Subordinate Voting Shares are primarily traded on) for a period of 10 consecutive trading days. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering for corporate development and general working capital purposes. The Subordinate Voting Shares and Warrants, and any securities issuable upon exercise thereof, are subject to a four-month statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities legislation. The Company has paid an aggregate of $14,953.74 in finder’s fees in connection with the closing of the first tranche of the Offering. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ “), or any applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. 1,333,300 Units were issued to Steven Isenberg, a director of the Company and a “related party” (within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – (“ “)) and such issuance is considered a “related party transaction” for the purposes of MI 61-101. Such related party transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the securities being issued to the related parties nor the consideration being paid by the related parties exceeded 25% of the Company’s market capitalization. The purchasers of the Units and the extent of such participation were not finalized until shortly prior to the completion of the Offering. Accordingly, it was not possible to publicly disclose details of the nature and extent of related party participation in the transactions contemplated hereby pursuant to a material change report filed at least 21 days prior to the completion of such transactions. Rivalry Corp. wholly owns and operates , a leading sport betting and media company offering fully regulated online wagering on esports, traditional sports, and casino for the digital generation. Based in Toronto, Rivalry operates a global team in more than 20 countries and growing. Rivalry Limited has held an Isle of Man license since 2018, considered one of the premier online gambling jurisdictions, as well as an internet gaming registration in Ontario, and is currently in the process of obtaining additional country licenses. With world class creative execution and brand positioning in online culture, a native crypto token, and demonstrated market leadership among digital-first users Rivalry is shaping the future of online gambling for a generation born on the internet. Steven Salz, Co-founder & CEO ss@rivalry.com 416-565-4713 investors@rivalry.com Cody Luongo, Head of Communications cody@rivalry.com 203-947-1936 This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “achieve”, “could”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “objective”, “continuous”, “ongoing”, “estimate”, “outlook”, “expect”, “project” and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management of the Company at the date the statements are made based on information then available to the Company. Various factors and assumptions are applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to and involve a number of known and unknown, variables, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the Company’s actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations; the ability to obtain and maintain required licenses; the esports and sports betting industry being a heavily regulated industry; the complex and evolving regulatory environment for the online gaming and online gambling industry; the success of esports and other betting products are not guaranteed; changes in public perception of the esports and online gambling industry; failure to retain or add customers; the Company having a limited operating history; negative cash flow from operations; operational risks; cybersecurity risks; reliance on management; reliance on third parties and third-party networks; exchange rate risks; risks related to cryptocurrency transactions; risk of intellectual property infringement or invalid claims; the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability; competition, including from more established or better financed competitors; and general economic, market and business conditions. For additional risks, please see the Company’s MD&A dated April 30, 2024 and other disclosure documents available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. No assurance can be given that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Source: Rivalry Corp.
Trump victory forces once vocal corner of Wall Street to regroup
How Trump's bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes
The old adage that “speed kills” is ringing true among the world’s fastest roller coasters that have been closing at an alarming rate — but fortunately for thrill seekers a new coaster king will soon arise in 2025. Kingda Ka at New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure — the reigning champ for speed (128 mph) and height (456 feet) — became the latest of the world’s fastest coasters to fall. ALSO SEE: Six Flags to spend $1 billion on 11 coasters over next 2 years Six Flags announced last week that Kingda Ka would be removed and replaced by a new record-breaking launch coaster in 2026. “Kingda Ka has delivered more than 12 million rides since 2005,” Six Flags said in a statement. “What was cutting edge roller coaster technology 20 years ago has been surpassed by more modern advancements.” Four other coasters on Roller Coaster Database’s world’s fastest list are currently “standing but not operating.” That leaves Red Force (112 mph) at Spain’s Ferrari Land as the reigning world’s fastest coaster. Fury 325 (95 mph) at North Carolina’s Carowinds currently holds the title as America’s fastest coaster . The Superman reverse freefall launch coaster will reclaim the U.S. title it hasn’t held in more than two decades when the Magic Mountain ride eventually returns to operation. The Superman: Escape from Krypton coaster closed for repairs in September, according to Magic Mountain officials. A reopening date has not yet been announced. ALSO SEE: Six Flags Magic Mountain plans 21st roller coaster for 2026 The world title changed hands several times after the new millennium as new speed demons arrived on the scene. Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster grabbed the title of world’s fastest coaster in 2003 with a top speed of 120 mph. Kingda Ka became the king of the world when the top hat-style Intamin Accelerator coaster debuted in 2005. Formula Rossa snatched the world’s fastest crown in 2010, but the coaster has been closed since January to repair the launch system — a process that can take a year or more, according to Screamscape . Ring Racer remains an expensive but worthless white elephant — operating for only a few days when it opened in 2013, but still “standing but not operating” to this day. ALSO SEE: Coaster war brewing between Six Flags Magic Mountain and relatively unknown European rival Ferrari World’s Formula Rossa, Cedar Point’s Top Thrill 2 and Magic Mountain’s Superman are all eventually expected to reopen. Cedar Point closed Top Thrill Dragster for the entire 2022 and 2023 seasons after a metal piece flew off the ride and seriously injured a woman waiting in the attraction queue in August 2021. The rechristened Top Thrill 2 replaced the Intamin hydraulic launch system with a Zamperla electro-magnetic propulsion launch system in May — but the ride only operated for about a week before the park closed the coaster again due to mechanical issues. The world’s fastest coaster list will be reshuffled again in 2025 when Falcon’s Flight debuts at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia. Falcon’s Flight will become the world’s fastest coaster at a blistering 155 mph — 6 mph faster than Formula Rossa’s top speed of 149 mph. Related ArticlesThis story was published as part of Billboard’s music technology newsletter ‘Machine Learnings.’ Sign up for ‘Machine Learnings,’ and Billboard’s other newsletters, here . Let’s get the news out of the way: on Monday (Nov. 24) Drake initiated legal action against Universal Music Group — the parent company of his record label — and Spotify over allegations that the two companies conspired to artificially inflate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.” This, he says, was done through a variety of allegedly illegal promotional methods, like UMG — which also is the parent company to Kendrick’s label — accepting a royalty reduction in exchange for boosting streams; payola via independent radio promotions; and paid but undisclosed influencer campaigns. (For their part, Universal called these claims “ offensive and untrue .”) Longtime readers of Machine Learnings know that most of the topics presented in Drake’s case are ones we’ve covered extensively in this newsletter. I don’t take the issues of streaming fraud and shady digital marketing tactics lightly, and if these allegations are true, it would be a bombshell that one of the world’s biggest artists called out the world’s largest music company for partaking in it. (And trust me, I’d be all over reporting that!) But while Drake’s allegations could still hold some merit, this particular court document seems to be backed up with questionable evidence and — it seems — some level of misunderstanding about the way music promotion works today. So let’s break it down. Here are a few key quotes from Monday’s court document, with commentary. “In his memo to staff reflecting on the highlights of 2021, the CEO of UMG, Lucian Grainge, remarked on it being ‘harder than ever for artists to break through the noise: sixty thousand songs are added to Spotify every day. ’” Maybe I’m splitting hairs by pointing this out, but I find this to be a strange way to begin laying out these allegations. Why are they citing highlights from 2021 when we get updates every year about how many songs are added to Spotify on a daily basis? It would have been far more effective to start by including the 2023 stat: 120,000 songs are uploaded to Spotify each day, according to Luminate. Or, if they want to keep the quote from Grainge in, why not tack that current number on to the end? Throughout this document, it seems like Drake’s team is missing key, up-to-date information on the ways songs are released and marketed today. This is surprising, given Drake is one of the most successful artists in the world and one who often makes savvy marketing and business decisions. One of those marketing tactics that immediately comes to mind is when Drake graced the cover of a ton of Spotify playlists during the release of his album Scorpion in 2018 to raise awareness, and streams, for the project. It was so over the top that Billboard reported at the time that some fans were calling for Spotify to provide refunds because they were seeing too much Drake. “On information and belief, UMG charged Spotify licensing rates 30 percent lower than its usual licensing rates for “Not Like Us” in exchange for Spotify affirmatively recommending the Song to users who are searching for other unrelated songs and artists. Neither UMG nor Spotify disclosed that Spotify had received compensation of any kind in exchange for recommending the Song.” Rather than some nefarious back room deal, this sounds like Drake’s lawyers are referring to Spotify’s Discovery Mode feature , which is used by a wide array of labels and artists and is practically never disclosed. According to an article from Spotify’s support team, artists who want a song to receive an additional algorithmic boost on the platform can opt in to Discovery Mode which “doesn’t require an upfront budget” and instead takes a “30% commission... to recording royalties generated from all streams of selected songs in Discovery Mode contexts.” When Spotify debuted this feature in November 2020, it immediately drew controversy. In June 2021 , Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Hank Johnson Jr. (D-GA) sent a letter to Spotify’s CEO/founder Daniel Ek voicing worries that the feature “may set in motion a ‘race to the bottom’ in which artists and labels feel compelled to accept lower royalties as a necessary way to break through an extremely crowded and competitive music environment.” Again, in March 2022 , Reps. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Judy Chu (D-CA) and Tony Cardenas (D-CA) — co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Multicultural Media — expressed concerns that Discovery Mode “lack[ed] transparency” for both artists and consumers. The representatives then asked the company to publish “on a monthly basis the name of every track enrolled in the program” and the agreed-upon discounted royalty rate for each, calling Discovery Mode “a serious risk for musicians.” That said, it’s not clear if “Not Like Us” was part of Spotify’s Discovery Mode program, and historically, Universal Music Group has not been known to use the feature for any of its frontline releases — including any Kendrick Lamar or Drake songs. “UMG, directly or through Interscope, also conspired with and paid currently unknown parties to use ‘bots’ to artificially inflate the spread of ‘Not Like Us’ and deceive consumers into believing the Song was more popular than it was in reality... One individual unknown to Petitioner revealed publicly on a popular podcast that Mr. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth’s ‘label’ (i.e., Interscope) paid him via third parties to use ‘bots’ to achieve 30,000,000 streams on Spotify in the first days of the release of ‘Not Like Us’” If this is true, this is streaming fraud and would be a serious offense. Just a few months ago, a man named Michael Anthony Smith was indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for allegedly using bots to boost the streams of his catalog and to help him siphon $10 million out of the royalty pool. But the evidence here is sketchy. Drake’s lawyers admit that the “individual” who was allegedly solicited to artificially drive up Kendrick’s streams is “unknown to [Drake]” but that this anonymous person went on DJ Akademiks ’ podcast to talk about this alleged scheme. DJ Akademiks is a podcaster who is known to be close with Drake, and he has played a significant role in backing up Drake during the beef earlier this year . Even if this ended up being true, which seems like a stretch, it feels quite biased. “While historically payola has been thought of in terms of paying radio stations to play songs, in February 2020, the Federal Trade Commission released guidance stating that ‘by paying an influencer to pretend that their endorsement or review is untainted by a financial relationship, this is illegal payola.’ On information and belief, UMG employed a similar scheme by paying social media influencers to promote and endorse the Song and Video. For example, Petitioner understands that UMG paid the popular NFR Podcast — which has nearly 300,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 330,000 followers on X — to promote ‘Not Like Us’” Drake’s team is citing a quote from February 2020 by the FTC that has been removed from the agency’s website. I do not know if that means it is no longer their current rule, or if there was another reason. What I do know is that just a few months ago, I wrote a story on the topic of influencers receiving undisclosed payments to play songs in the background of TikTok videos. I went into the reporting believing, as Drake’s team seems to, that this was definitely against FTC guidelines, but the FTC told me that wasn’t necessarily the case. “While we can’t comment on any particular example, that practice seems somewhat analogous to a product placement,” the FTC told me. “When there are songs playing in the backgrounds of videos, there are no objective claims made about the songs. The video creator may be communicating implicitly that they like the song, but viewers can judge the song themselves when they listen to it playing in the video. For these reasons, it may not be necessary for a video to disclose that the content creator was compensated for using a particular song in the background in the video.” Some of the examples from NFR that Drake cites here are not exactly the same type of pay-to-play content I researched for my story, but I could see these examples being acceptable by the FTC based on what they told me. One example of UMG’s alleged influencer payola cited by Drake’s lawyers was a tweet by NFR that says that Kendrick Lamar’s new music video was released. Another was NFR saying “Kids rapping Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ word for word at a birthday party.” Another: “Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ becomes the FASTEST rap song to reach 300M Spotify streams.” All three of these examples are objective statements about one of the biggest artists in the world. Referring back to the statement I got from the FTC, “There are no objective claims made about the songs...viewers can judge the songs themselves.” (I say all this while also acknowledging that some of the other examples listed might be in more of a gray area with the FTC). The practice of paying influencers to post about new songs is nothing new, and one major label marketer told me he estimated “75% of popular songs on TikTok started with a creator marketing campaign.” According to digital marketing experts, influencer campaigns have been the go-to marketing strategy at every major label since TikTok took off in 2020. With that in mind, it is hard for me to imagine that Drake’s team has never run a similar campaign for any of his own viral hits, which would undermine his entire argument. “Streaming and licensing is a zero-sum game. Every time a song ‘breaks through,’ it means another artist does not. UMG’s choice to saturate the music market with ‘Not Like Us’ comes at the expense of its other artists, like Drake. As Drake is Petitioner’s sole owner, and Petitioner owns the copyright to Drake’s entire catalogue, Petitioner suffered economic harm as a result of UMG’s scheme.” I find this to be a strange claim — that if Kendrick’s song streams well it directly takes away from Drake or other artists. It feels like a stretch to blame Kendrick for other artists not succeeding with their songs at the same time. I imagine Drake faced more “economic harm” from the reputational damage this song did to him (by calling him a “pedophile”) than it did by being a “zero-sum” streaming game. Plus, with UMG the parent company distributing both artists — and thus making money from their success — it makes no business sense for them to be deliberately harming his career and prospects. This zero-sum claim seems to be what he’s getting at in his second legal filing , released Tuesday (Nov. 26). In it, he claims UMG should have stopped Kendrick from releasing a song with “false” claims that defamed his character. “UMG ... could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed,” Drake’s lawyers write in the court document. “But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues. That plan succeeded, likely beyond UMG’s wildest expectations.” By saying this, Drake is essentially advocating for labels to censor their artists, which is a very slippery slope — I’d wager most people would find it troublesome if a billion-dollar corporation started preemptively censoring art. Not to mention, Drake has levied plenty of his own unsubstantiated claims against Kendrick this year, most notably on also-UMG-released diss track “Family Matters.” The hip-hop industry has fought for years to remind the judicial system in the U.S. that not everything a rapper says in a song is a cold hard fact, and it should not be used as evidence against a rapper in a criminal sense. As top music attorney Dina Lapolt once put it to Variety , “[these] attempts to put all rap lyrics into the categories of historical fact and fiction [are] failing to understand that hip-hop, like most art, is more complex than that... lyrics are not to be taken literally.”
