Las Vegas Sands sells the Venetian, Sands Expo for $6.25B

Source: Associated Press

Las Vegas Sands is selling the Venetian casino resort and Sands Expo and Convention Center for $6.25 billion.

In the two-part deal, VICI Properties will buy the property and all assets associated with the Venetian Resort Las Vegas and the Sands Expo for $4 billion. Apollo Global Management will acquire the operations of the Venetian for $2.25 billion.

Recent Stories from ABC News

The global pandemic broadsided Las Vegas, shuttering the Strip where Las Vegas Sands is the biggest operator. Sales growth vanished last March as infections spread across the U.S. The company posted a quarterly loss of almost $300 million in January.

The sale comes just two months after the death of CEO and Chairman Sheldon Adelson, who transformed the landmark Las Vegas casino that was once a hangout of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack into a towering Italian-inspired complex.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/las-vegas-sands-sells-venetian-sands-expo-625b-76223522#:~:text=Read%20More-,Las%20Vegas%20Sands%20is%20selling%20the%20Venetian%20casino%20resort%20and,Sands%20Expo%20for%20%244%20billion.

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Supreme Court could put new limits on voting rights lawsuits

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight years after carving the heart out of a landmark voting rights law, the Supreme Court is looking at putting new limits on efforts to combat racial discrimination in voting.

The justices are taking up a case about Arizona restrictions on ballot collection and another policy that penalizes voters who cast ballots in the wrong precinct.

The high court's consideration comes as Republican officials in the state and around the country have proposed more than 150 measures, following last year’s elections, to restrict voting access that civil rights groups say would disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic voters.

A broad Supreme Court ruling would make it harder to fight those efforts in court. Arguments are set for Tuesday via telephone, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-could-put-limits-123836473.html

U.S. Is 'Gravely Concerned' By Reports Of Abuses In Ethiopia

Source: Associated Press

The U.S. is "Gravely concerned by reported atrocities and the overall deteriorating situation" in Ethiopia's Tigray region, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the toughest statement yet from the U.S. on Ethiopia's ongoing conflict.

Accounts of atrocities by Ethiopian forces against residents of the country's northwestern region of Tigray were detailed in reports by The Associated Press and by Amnesty International.

"We strongly condemn the killings, forced removals and displacements, sexual assaults, and other extremely serious human rights violations and abuses by several parties that multiple organizations have reported in Tigray. We are also deeply concerned by the worsening humanitarian crisis," said Blinken in a statement issued Saturday.

Those responsible for abuses in Tigray must be held accountable, Blinken added, calling for an independent, international investigation into the reports of human rights violations.

Read more: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/U-S-is-gravely-concerned-by-reports-of-abuses-15986077.php

Wisconsin has lot of drunk drivers

While mindless surfing through Google News headlines, this story caught my attention

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Conservative Talk About Deficits, But Do Not Want Mr. Taxman To Be Fix To Solve The Deficits

So I was reading the Foundation of Economic Education commentary on deficits and there was one glaring problem. No discussion at all about giant tax increases on wealthy to recover lost revenue

They talk about slashing entitlements and spending with ignoring the giant gorilla in the room: increase taxes. Democratic float using taxes to fund all kinds social programs. But if you are fiscal conservative, the big area to recover from deficits is taxes starting from the people who benefitted the most

I am not talking about giant growth of government or increase stimulus, but the principle that you should go after revenue before going after entitlements or decreasing spending. And the rich were "loaned" money from the government due so that they would invest it in their companies or being the "job creators" that GOP claims that they are.

Now, it time to pay that loan back to US federal government in the form of increased taxes. Of course, the conservatives do not like hearing this because it (a) they have strong cognitive bias against using taxation to reduce the deficit and (b) their own election apparatus that relies on heavily on a large donors to fund their elections and media. And those large donors do not like increased taxes.

Wealth has a huge role in this society, but the concept of sticking the poor and middle class to foot the bill of a loan that you received from the Federal government so you can gamble on the stock market and buy investments is not equitable. I got a good history lesson where that approach did not work: It is called Greece. And our own financial crises.

I have long memory of history. Most people don't. And these guys don't have it either.