Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/08/what-did-sp-actually-downgrade-2/
Aug 04
The California Legislature recently decided with the full support of Governor Brown to forgo having a split primary as it has had in recent presidential election cycles. Instead next year California will have just one primary election in June, likely well after the presidential candidates have been chosen. Envious of the attention given to small …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/08/california-quits-the-early-primary-game/
Aug 03
Massachusetts has taken steps to close a loophole in one of its lottery games called “Cash WinFall”, which had been successfully exploited by a few statistically savvy individuals and groups. The lottery game was first launched in 2004, with the odds of picking all six numbers reported as over 1 in 9 million. However, the rules …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/08/statistical-skills-rewarded-in-massachusetts-lottery/
Jul 29
The heirs of Jack Kirby, creator/co-creator of the Hulk and many other iconic comic book characters who permeate the movie business such as Iron Man, Spider Man, the Avengers, the X-Men and Thor, have been battling Marvel over the basis for Marvel’s copyright to these characters. The main dispute is as to whether the creation …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/07/who-owns-the-hulk-the-legal-battle-continues/
Jul 28
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) issued a study of what has occurred with financial (usually damages) experts since the 1999 Supreme Court decision in Kumho Tire Co. vs. Carmichael clarified that the Daubert criteria for challenges to expert witnesses extended to non-scientific experts. The reliability of underlying data is the most frequent reason why testimony is excluded. This …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/07/daubert-kumho-expert-challenges-increase-moving-away-from-their-original-purposes/
Jul 28
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) issued a study of what has occurred with financial (usually damages) experts since the 1999 Supreme Court decision in Kumho Tire Co. vs. Carmichael clarified that the Daubert criteria for challenges to expert witnesses extended to non-scientific experts. The reliability of underlying data is the most frequent reason why testimony is excluded. This …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/07/daubert-kumho-expert-challenges-increase-moving-away-from-their-original-purposes-2/
Jul 25
Although the case at issue involves insider trading, the limitations involving disgorgement as a monetary remedy could be applied to many other circumstances. The Delaware Supreme Court took little time in reversing a lower court decision that could have had widespread effects. Thus, Delaware law on this point returns to a classic election of remedies …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/07/disgorgement-returned-as-a-monetary-remedy-in-delaware-cases/
Jul 20
Yesterday, we initiated a new poll regarding the topic that is dominating current financial news. However, while the poll does address the question of tax increases vs. spending cuts, any poll limited to a single question on this difficult subject cannot address the full issue. The real issue is the deficit. Borrowing is only required …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/07/most-debt-limit-debate-ignores-the-real-issues/
Jul 19
Nortel’s patent portfolio was recently auctioned. The final cash price is a surprisingly high $4.5 billion for around 6000 patents and patent applications. The auction process and participants are described in this article. Nortel described the package as: … more than 6,000 patents and patent applications [covering] wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, Internet, …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/07/nortel-bankruptcy-patent-auction-is-biggest-technology-patent-sale-ever/
Jul 15
America is well known for providing its workers with less vacation time than other industrialized nations. According to a 2009 study by Mercer, more than two dozen industrialized nations require employers to offer at least four weeks of paid vacation to workers. Approximately a quarter of working Americans receive no paid time off. Despite frequent …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2011/07/americans-missed-out-on-67-billion-vacation-in-2010/
Aug 06
What Did S&P Actually Downgrade?
August 6, 2011
Late on Friday, August 5th, Standard and Poor’s changed their rating on long term US government debt from AAA to AA+. The move puts S&P in disagreement with Moody’s, which had reaffirmed their highest rating for the US shortly after the debt ceiling deal. It also occurred despite the administration’s position that there was a trillion dollar error …
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