M. Wesley Swearingen, an FBI agent from 1951 to 1977, writes in his memoir FBI Secrets: An Agent's Expose about the long-standing rumors within the Bureau concerning the relationship between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Associate Director Clyde Tolson which include allegations that Hoover ignored the Mafia for decades because the wise guys had incriminating goods on the supposed lovers:

One year after arriving in Memphis, Hoover transferred me to Chicago, Illinois. I was thrilled – my mind was full of gangsters, Tommy guns, and the FBI's famous machine gun battles of the 1930s. It was clear to me from Chicago's newspaper headlines that gangsters ruled a Chicago underworld element in the 1950s because gangland style murders averaged close to 100 a year in the Chicago area. * * * But when I told my colleague and veteran agent Vince Coll of my big plans for Chicago, he said that Hoover did not recognize the existence of a mob in Chicago. According to Coll, Mafia leader Meyer Lansky's organization had enough on Hoover and Tolson, as closet homosexuals, that Hoover would never investigate the mob.

The allegations were fleshed out in Official and Confidential: the Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover by Anthony Summer. A review of the book ("Partners For Life") by Sidney Urquhart for Time magazine summarizes one alleged incident as follows:

Perhaps Summers' most bizarre revelation is an account provided by Susan Rosenstiel, the wife of a liquor distiller and gambling crony. Rosenstiel recalls attending what she thought would be an elegant private party at New York City's Plaza Hotel in the company of lawyer Roy Cohn, Hoover and others. Instead, Cohn introduced Rosenstiel to a woman named "Mary," dressed in a fluffy black dress, lace stockings and high heels. It was obvious Mary was no woman. "You could see where he shaved. It was Hoover," said Rosenstiel. Joined by Cohn, Hoover stripped down to a tiny garter belt and proceeded to have sex with two young boys. Cohn later joked about the evening. "That was really something, wasn't it, with Mary Hoover?"

The "two young boys" with whom Hoover allegedly had sex perhaps were provided by Ed "the Skull" Murphy who was a long-time Genovese associate involved in the crime family's gay bar and boy prostitution rackets in New York City. In Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked The Gay Revolution, David Carter writes:

John Paul Ranieri, a former prostitute interviewed for this history, provided critical testimony for corroborating and better understanding the larger implications of Murphy's criminal enterprises for gay history. Ranieri said that as a youth from Westchester County he had been forced by blackmail and Mafia-supplied drugs into a prostitution ring in which he remained active for three years before he escaped the mob's control. He claimed that a number of youths in the ring had disappeared after they got careless with talk, for while most of the customers were more or less average homosexual men with money, the regular clientele, according to Ranieri, also included famous men such as Malcolm Forbes, Cardinal Spellman, Liberace, U.S. Senators, a vice president of the United States, one of the most famous rock musicians, and J. Edgar Hoover. The mob's order, according to Ranieri, was strictly "Keep your zipper open and your mouth shut."
Ranieri said that he met J. Edgar Hoover at private parties at the Plaza Hotel and that Hoover's name was never mentioned. Hoover was always in drag, and Ranieri said he could tell that the FBI director was sure that no one recognized him. Ranieri said that he had ensured his own survival by having in his possession a photograph of himself with Hoover, given to him by the photographer.
How does the preceding information link Ed Murphy with J. Edgar Hoover? The connection is made evident in a news story written shortly after Hoover's homosexuality and transvestism became public. When [Anthony] Summer's book [Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover], was published [in 1993], a newspaper story about the 1960s national homosexual blackmail ring suddenly appeared after a quarter of a century of silence on the subject. Without mentioning Murphy's name, it quoted law enforcement sources who had worked on the case as saying that their investigation into the nationwide blackmail ring had turned up a photograph of Hoover "posing amiably" with the racket's ringleader and had uncovered information that Clyde Tolson, Hoover's lover, had himself "fallen victim to the extortion ring." After federal agents joined the investigation, both the photograph of Hoover and the documents about Tolson disappeared. * * * Very suggestive in this context is that Murphy would publicly say in 1978—before it became public information, as it did in the 1990s, that the Mafia had photographs of Hoover involved in sex acts—that he knew that J. Edgar Hoover "was one of my sisters."

Murphy's boys did have a habit of disappearing. For example, one Puerto Rican youth known as Tano with whom Murphy was sexually involved was kidnapped right off the streets never to be seen again according to one eyewitness to the incident as recounted by Carter in Stonewall.
Curiously, Murphy also was a long-standing FBI informant according to a May 8, 1978 article ("Skull Murphy: The Gay Double Agent") by Arthur Bell for The Village Voice. Indeed, this article contained the interview in which Murphy expressly speaks of J. Edgar Hoover as one of his "sisters": "He was the biggest fuckin' extortionist in this country. He had presidents by the balls. He had a record on everybody and his brother."
The allegations that Meyer Lansky had incriminating evidence against the FBI Director are particularly credible in light of the relationships among all the parties with political fixer Roy Cohn -- a fellow closet case who died of AIDS in 1986 -- at the center of it all.
Cohn was a personal friend of Hoover during the 1950s and 1960s, and the two shared extensive correspondence directed to each other on a first-name basis including a September 1957 exchange on an article published by the Director entitled "Let's Wipe Out the Schoolyard Sex Racket." Ironically, only months earlier an apparent obscenity indictment against Cohn had been dismissed according to an FBI memo dated June 28, 1957 from Assistant Director Louis B. Nichols to Clyde Tolson:

Roy Cohn called 6-27-57 to advise that Neil Gallagher of the New Jersey Turnpike Commission represented him in connection with the return of an indictment charging the sale of obscene literature. Gallagher went before the Superior Court judge in Union County, New Jersey, Thursday afternoon and moved the dismissal of the indictment. The district attorney joined him in this recommendation and issued a public apology to Cohn.

Cornelius "Neil" Gallagher later became a U.S. Congressman from Bayonne, NJ until he lost the seat in 1972 after Life magazine ran an article alleging mob ties.
The relationship between Hoover and Cohn is particularly troubling given that the FBI was fully aware that Cohn had ties to the most powerful bosses in the Mafia. For example, in 1964 federal prosecutor Robert Morgenthau was trying Cohn on corruption charges, and at the trial introduced excerpts of earlier grand jury testimony by Cohn. A March 27, 1964 article from The New York Times which the FBI contemporaneously clipped for its files on Cohn states:

The excerpts contained admissions by Mr. Cohn that he was acquainted with Geralde (Jerry) Catena, described by the Senate Rackets Committee as "No. 2 Man" in the Vito Genovese unit of the Cosa Nosta, and with Meyer Lansky, gangster. Mr. Cohn said he scarcely knew Lansky but that he had played golf two or three times with Catena.

Cohn further had represented the Stork Club which was Hoover's favorite stomping ground and Schenley Industries which was one of the country's largest liquor distillers. Louis Rosensteil was the president of Schenley Industries, and he had close ties to Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello. "In fact, on several occassions, Hoover was seen at the Stork Club fraternizing with people like Costello and Rosensteil" according to Peter J. Devico in The Mafia Made Easy. After Hoover's right-hand man Louis Nichols left the FBI in 1957, Cohn allegedly secured him a plum job making $100,000 a year at Schenley Industries although Nichols insisted in Hooveresque fashion that Rosensteil shunned the mob.
Of couse, the best evidence that Meyer Lansky had the goods on the FBI Director is that the storied agency never laid a hand on the gangster who was a bootleg kingpin during Prohibition, later founded Murder Inc., and finally ran gambling operations in Las Vegas and Havana, Cuba for the Genovese family. At the time of Lansky's death in 1983 the FBI estimated that he had a net worth of $300 million, and yet during his long criminal career the G-men never nailed him on a single charge or recovered a single penny. Indeed, the FBI did not even start a file on Lansky until the 1950s, and a review of the file's sparse contents illustrates that the agency's efforts to target him -- a purported top hoodlum -- were half-hearted at best involving little more than the occasional wiretap and a sometimes surveillance. Indeed, the newspaper articles on Lansky which the FBI clipped were more informative on the mobster's activities than the investigator reports. Ironically, Lansky only was arrested in 1972 -- the same year Hoover died -- as a result of an IRS investigation involving an alleged skimming scheme from a Vegas casino, and even that indictment conveniently was dismissed because Lansky was considered too ill to prosecute.

Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis.
Figuring out how to divide the COVID-19 content from the “regular” news has been difficult because the pandemic is influencing all aspects of life. Some of the stories below involve the virus, but I chose to include them when it fits into one of the pre-established categories (like congress or immigration). The coronavirus-central post will be made again this Thursday-Friday; the sign up form now has an option to choose to receive an email when the coronavirus-focused roundup is posted.
House-keeping:

1. How to support: If you enjoy my work, please consider becoming a patron. I do this to keep track and will never hide behind a paywall, but these projects take a lot of time and effort to create. Even a couple of dollars a month helps. Since someone asked a few weeks ago (thank you!), here's a PayPal option and Venmo.
   
2. How to get notifications: If you’d like to be added to my newsletter, use this SIGNUP FORM and you’ll get these recaps in your inbox!
   

Let’s dig in!

MAIN COURSE

Congress passes stimulus

Last week started out with a Republican-crafted stimulus bill that was twice-blocked by Senate Democrats, who objected to the lax conditions of aid to corporations, too little funding for hospitals, and a $500 billion “slush fund” for big companies to be doled out by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin with no oversight.
Conservative-Democrat Joe Manchin (WV) even criticized the GOP bill:

“It fails our first responders, nurses, private physicians and all healthcare professionals. ... It fails our workers. It fails our small businesses… Instead, it is focused on providing billions of dollars to Wall Street and misses the mark on helping the West Virginians that have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.”

Through negotiations, Democrats shifted the bill in a more-worker friendly direction. The version that passed includes the following Democrat-added provisions: expanded unemployment benefits, $100 billion for hospitals, $150 billion for state and local governments, direct payments to Americans without a phase-in (ensuring low-income workers get the full amount), a ban on Trump and his children from receiving aid, and oversight on the “slush fund” (see next section for more info). Senate Democrats also managed to remove a provision that would have excluded nonprofits that receive Medicaid funding from the small-business grants.

• Further reading: After Senate Democrats blocked the Republican-crafted bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the House Democrats in releasing their own version, a best-case scenario of their dream coronavirus stimulus bill. It is interesting to contrast what the Democrats prioritized to what the Republicans focused on: “How the House Democrats' stimulus plan compares to the Senate's”

Echoing sentiments expressed during debate on the previous coronavirus bill (the second, for those keeping track), Republican senators derided the $600 a week increase in unemployment payments as “incentivizing” workers to quit their jobs. Sens. Ben Sasse (Neb.), Rick Scott (Fla.), Tim Scott (S.C.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) delayed passage of the bill in order to force a vote on an amendment removing the extra unemployment funding. "This bill pays you more not to work than if you were working," Graham said. Fortunately for American workers, the amendment failed and the improved bill passed the Senate and the House.

• Note: In 2009 only three Republicans helped Obama pass his stimulus bill in his first month in office.

The giveaways in the bill

While Senate Democrats were able to add worker-friendly provisions, the bill still required bipartisan support to pass the chamber and some corporate giveaways remained in the final version.

• NYT: “Senate Republicans inserted an easy-to-overlook provision on page 203 of the 880-page bill that would permit wealthy investors to use losses generated by real estate to minimize their taxes on profits from things like investments in the stock market. The estimated cost of the change over 10 years is $170 billion.”
  
• NYT: “...if a company owns multiple hotels, even if the overall hotel or restaurant chain has more than 500 employees — the limit to qualify for treatment as a small business — it will still be able to take advantage of the small-business benefits offered in the rescue package. ...The provision could benefit the Trump Organization, which operates a relatively small chain, with six hotels in the United States in cities including New York, Washington and Chicago.”
  

Politico:

• “A provision for the FDA to approve ‘innovative’ sunscreens—which would benefit L’Oreal, which has operations in Kentucky—appeared in the bill, which was steered in the Senate by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.”
  
• “The $25 billion allocated in loans and loan guarantees for the airlines will also benefit eligible businesses "approved to perform inspection, repair, replace, or overhaul services, and ticket agents.” The last two words — ‘ticket agents’ — mean that travel agents who book flights will also be able to apply for a piece of the $25 billion.”
  
• “The credit reporting industry got a win by defeating a total ban on negative credit reports during the crisis. Instead, a watered down version made it into the final bill: Consumers wouldn't get a negative credit report if they have an agreement with a lender to delay payments or make partial payments.”
  

Trump’s signing statement

While signing the latest coronavirus relief bill, the president also issued a signing statement undercutting the congressional oversight provision creating an inspector general to track how the administration distributes the $500 billion “slush fund” money.
The newly-created inspector general is legally required to audit loans and investments made through the fund and report to Congress his/her findings, including any refusal by the executive office to cooperate. In his signing statement, Trump wrote that his understanding of constitutional powers allows him to gag the special IG:

"I do not understand, and my Administration will not treat, this provision as permitting the [inspector general] to issue reports to the Congress without the presidential supervision required" by Article II of the Constitution.

The signing statement further suggests that Trump does not have to comply with a provision requiring that agencies consult with Congress before it spends or reallocates certain funds: "These provisions are impermissible forms of congressional aggrandizement with respect to the execution of the laws," the statement reads.
While some have said that Congress fell short in this instance, one Democratic Senate aide told Politico that Congress built in multiple layers of oversight, including “a review of other inspectors general and a congressional review committee charged with overseeing Treasury and the Federal Reserve's efforts to implement the law.”
Legal experts have pointed out that a signing statement is “without legal effect.” But that ignores the fact that oversight is not equal to enforcement. The problem, in my opinion, isn’t that Congress won’t be notified of any abuses of power by Trump. The problem is that congressional Republicans and the judiciary have largely failed to hold him accountable and enforce our laws even after learning of his abuses.

Concerns about the IG

Another potential weakness in the oversight structure is the inspector general position itself. The special inspector general for pandemic recovery, known by the acronym S.I.G.P.R., is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. As we’ve seen from Trump’s previous nominees, particularly judicial, many unqualified individuals have been confirmed. The Democrats will not have the power to stop the president and Mitch McConnell from jamming through a loyalist to fill the SIGPR role.

Former inspector general at the Justice Department Michael Bromwich: “The signing statement threatens to undermine the authority and independence of this new IG. The Senate should extract a commitment from the nominee that Congress will be promptly notified of any Presidential/Administration interference or obstruction.”

You may recall that Trump has already proven that he’s willing to interfere with the legally-mandated work of an inspector general. When the Ukraine whistleblower filed a complaint last year, the IG of the Intelligence Community, Michael Atkinson, investigated and determined the complaint to be “urgent” and “credible.” Atkinson wrote a report and gave it to Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire to hand over to Congress. However, the White House and DOJ interfered and instructed Maguire not to transmit the report to the Senate and House Intelligence Committees. Chairman Adam Schiff had to subpoena Maguire to turn over the report and testify before his committee.
Further, there are already five IG vacancies in agencies that have a critical role in responding to the pandemic. The Treasury itself has not had a permanent, Senate-confirmed IG for over eight months now, and Trump hasn’t nominated a replacement. The Treasury Dept. has taken a lead role in the coronavirus response, with Secretary Mnuchin handling most of the negotiating with Congress on Trump’s behalf. The fact that the lead agency doesn’t have IG oversight should be troublesome in itself; replicating the situation with a special IG doesn’t seem to be a promising solution.

• The other four coronavirus-related agencies without a permanent IG: Department of Health and Human Services’ IG has been vacant for nine months, Department of Defense’s IG has been vacant for four years, Department of Education’s IG has been vacant for one year, and Office of Personnel Management’s IG has been vacant for four years. Overall, there are twelve IG vacancies in the 37) presidentially-appointed offices.

UPDATE: The nation's inspectors general have appointed Glenn Fine, the Pentagon's acting IG, to lead the committee of IGs overseeing the coronavirus relief effort.

This is one of several oversight mechanisms built into the new law. They include:
A committee of IGs (now led by Fine), a new special IG (to be nominated by Trump), a congressional review panel (to be appointed by House/Senate leaders)

Direct payments

Included in the stimulus bill is a $1200 one-time direct payment for all Americans who made less than $75,000 in 2019 (less than $150,000 if couples filed jointly). More details can be found here. I have read that the Treasury will use 2018 information for those who have not filed yet this year, but I am not 100% sure that’ll happen.
Mnuchin has said that Americans can expect to receive the money within three weeks, but many experts expect that timetable to be pushed into late April. Additionally, that only applies to Americans who included direct deposit information on their 2019 tax returns. Those who did not include their bank’s information will have to be sent a physical check in the mail… which could take anywhere from two to four months.
Other options are being discussed, including partnering the Treasury Dept. with MasterCard and Visa to deliver prepaid debit cards. Venmo and Paypal are reportedly lobbying the government to be considered as a disbursement option.
Future payments?
House Speaker Pelosi is already planning another wave of direct payments to Americans, saying that the $1,200 is not enough to mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic: “I don’t think we’ve seen the end of direct payments.” Republicans, meanwhile, are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach, using the next couple of weeks to measure the impact of the $2 trillion bill passed last week.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy: “What concerns me is when I listen to Nancy Pelosi talk about a fourth package now, it’s because she did not get out of things that she really wanted...I’m not sure you need a fourth package...Let’s let this work ... We have now given the resources to make and solve this problem. We don’t need to be crafting another bill right now.”
For the fourth legislative package, Democrats have said they would like to see increased food stamp benefits; increased coverage for coronavirus testing, visits to the doctor and treatment; more money for state and local governments, including Washington, D.C.; expanded family and medical leave; pension fixes; and stronger workplace protections.

Trump’s signature
Normally, a civil servant signs federal checks, like the direct payments Americans are set to receive. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump has told people that he wants his signature to appear on the stimulus checks.

THE SIDES

War on the poor continues

Amid the coronavirus crisis, Trump has defended his continued support of a Republican-led lawsuit to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which would result in 20 million Americans losing health insurance if successful. The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in the case this fall. Contrasting with his position that the ACA is illegal, Trump is considering reopening enrollment on HealthCare.gov, allowing millions of uninsured individuals to get coverage before potentially incurring charges and fees related to COVID-19.
Joe Biden called on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is leading the charge against the ACA, and President Trump to drop the lawsuit:

“At a time of national emergency, which is laying bare the existing vulnerabilities in our public health infrastructure, it is unconscionable that you are continuing to pursue a lawsuit designed to strip millions of Americans of their health insurance and protections under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the ban on insurers denying coverage or raising premiums due to pre-existing conditions.”

The Trump administration is also pushing forward with its plan to kick 700,000 people off federal food stamp assistance, known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The USDA announced two weeks ago that the department will appeal Judge Beryl Howell’s recent decision that the USDA’s work mandate rule is “arbitrary and capricious."
Additionally: The Social Security Administration has no plans to slow down a rule change set for June that will limit disability benefits, the Department of Health and Human Services still intends to reduce automatic enrollment in health coverage, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will continue the process to enact a rule that would make it harder for renters to sue landlords for racial discrimination.

Lawmakers’ stock transactions

The Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission are beginning to investigate stock transactions made ahead of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. CNN reports that the inquiry has already reached out to Senator Richard Burr for information. “Under insider trading laws, prosecutors would need to prove the lawmakers traded based on material non-public information they received in violation of a duty to keep it confidential,” a task that won’t be easy.
Sen. Burr is facing another consequence of his trades: Alan Jacobson, a shareholder in Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, sued Burr for allegedly using private information to instruct a mass liquidation of his assets. Among the shares he sold were an up to $150,000 stake in Wyndham, whose stock suffered a market-value cut of more than two-thirds since mid-February.

Environmental rollbacks

Using the pandemic as cover, the Trump administration has begun to more aggressively roll back regulations meant to protect the environment. These are examples of what Naomi Klein dubbed “the shock doctrine”: the phenomenon wherein polluters and their government allies push through unpopular policy changes under the smokescreen of a public emergency.
On Thursday, the EPA announced (non-paywalled) an expansive relaxation of environmental laws and fines, exempting companies from consequences for pollution. Under the new rules, there are basically no rules. Companies are asked to “act responsibly” but are not required to report when their facilities discharge pollution into the air or water. Just five days before abandoning any pollution oversight, the oil industry’s largest trade group implored the administration for assistance, stating that social distancing measures caused a steep drop in demand for gasoline.

• Monday morning update: In an interview with Fox News this morning, Trump said he was going to call Putin after the interview to discuss the Saudi-Russia oil fight. A consequence of this "battle" has been plummeting prices in the U.S. making it difficult for domestic companies (like shale extraction) to turn a profit. It's striking that the day after Dr. Fauci told Americans we can expect 100,000 to 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 (if we keep social distancing measures in place), Trump's first action is to talk to Fox News and his second action is to intervene in an international tiff on behalf of the oil and gas industry.

Gina McCarthy, who led the E.P.A. under the Obama administration, called the rollback “an open license to pollute.” Cynthia Giles, who headed the EPA enforcement division during the Obama administration, said “it is so far beyond any reasonable response I am just stunned.”
The EPA is also moving forward with a widely-opposed rule to limit the types of scientific studies used when crafting new regulations or revising current ones. Hidden behind claims of increased transparency, the rule would require disclosure of all raw data used in scientific studies. This would disqualify many fields of research that rely on personal health information from individuals that must be kept confidential. For example, studies that show air pollution causes premature deaths or a certain pesticide is linked to birth defects would be rejected under the proposed rule change.
Officials and scientists are calling upon the EPA to extend the time for comment on the regulatory changes, arguing that the public is unable to express their opinion while dealing with the pandemic.

“These rollbacks need and deserve the input of our public health community, but right now, they are rightfully focused on responding to the coronavirus,” said Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Other controversial decisions being made:

• A former EPA official who worked on controversial policies returned as Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s chief of staff. Mandy Gunasekara helped write regulations to ease pollution controls for coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions in her previous role as chief of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. In a recent interview, Gunasekara, who played a role in the decision to exit the Paris Climate Accord, pushed back on the more dire predictions of climate change, saying, “I don't think it is catastrophic.”
  
• NYT: The plastic bag industry, battered by a wave of bans nationwide, is using the coronavirus crisis to try to block laws prohibiting single-use plastic. “We simply don’t want millions of Americans bringing germ-filled reusable bags into retail establishments putting the public and workers at risk,” an industry campaign that goes by the name Bag the Ban warned on Tuesday. (Also see The Guardian)
  
• Kentucky, South Dakota, and West Virginia passed laws putting new criminal penalties on protests against fossil fuel infrastructure in just the past two weeks.
  
• The Hill: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday that it will extend the amount of time that winter gasoline can be sold this year as producers have been facing lower demand due to the coronavirus. It will allow companies to sell the winter-grade gasoline through May 20, whereas companies would have previously been required to stop selling it by May 1 to protect air quality. “In responding to an international health crisis, the last thing the EPA should do is take steps that will worsen air quality and undermine the public’s health,” biofuels expert David DeGennaro said.
  
• NYT: At the Interior Department, employees at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been under strict orders to complete the rule eliminating some protections for migratory birds within 30 days, according to two people with direct knowledge of the orders. The 45-day comment period on that rule ended on March 19.
  
• WaPo: The Interior Department has received over 230 nominations for oil and gas leases covering more than 150,000 acres across southern Utah, a push that would bring drilling as close as a half-mile from some of the nation’s most famous protected sites, including Arches and Canyonlands National Parks… if all the fossil fuels buried in those sites was extracted and burned, it would translate into between 1 billion and 5.95 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide being released into the air. That upward measure is equal to half the annual carbon output of China
  

Court updates

Press freedom case
Southern District of New York District Judge Lorna Schofield ruled that a literary advocacy group’s lawsuit against Trump for allegedly violating the First Amendment can move forward. The group, PEN America, is pursuing claims that Trump “has used government power to retaliate against media coverage and reporters he dislikes.”
Schofield determined that PEN’s allegation that Trump made threats to chill free speech was valid, providing as an example the White House’s revocation of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s press press corps credentials:

”The threats are lent credence by the fact that Defendant has acted on them before, by revoking Mr. Acosta’s credentials and barring reporters from particular press conferences. The Press Secretary indeed e-mailed the entire press corps to inform them of new rules of conduct and to warn of further consequences, citing the incident involving Mr. Acosta… These facts plausibly allege that a motivation for defendant’s actions is controlling and punishing speech he dislikes.”

Twitter case
The president suffered another First Amendment defeat last week when the full 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals declined to review a previous ruling that prevents Trump from blocking users on the Twitter account he uses to communicate with the public. Judge Barrington D. Parker, a Nixon-appointee, wrote: “Excluding people from an otherwise public forum such as this by blocking those who express views critical of a public official is, we concluded, unconstitutional.”
Trump-appointees Michael Parker and Richard Sullivan authored a dissent, arguing the free speech “does not include a right to post on other people’s personal social media accounts, even if those other people happen to be public officials.” Park warned that the ruling will allow the social media pages of public officials to be “overrun with harassment, trolling, and hate speech, which officials will be powerless to filter.”
Florida’s felon voting
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ripped into Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration for failing to come up with a process to determine which felons are genuinely unable to pay court-ordered fees and fines, which are otherwise required to be paid before having their voting rights restored.
“If the state is not going to fix it, I will,” Hinkle warned. He had given the state five months to come up with an administrative process for felons to prove they’re unable to pay financial obligations, but Florida officials did not do so. The case is set to be heard on April 28 (notwithstanding any coronavirus-related delays).

ICE, Jails, and COVID-19

ICE
One of the most overlooked populations with an increased risk of death from coronavirus are those in detention facilities, which keep people in close quarters with little sanitation or protective measures (including for staff).
Last week, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee ordered the federal government to “make continuous efforts” to release migrant children from detention centers across the country. Numerous advocacy groups asked for the release after reports that four children being held in New York had tested positive for the virus:

“The threat of irreparable injury to their health and safety is palpable,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers said in their petition… both of the agencies operating migrant children detention facilities must by April 6 provide an accounting of their efforts to release those in custody… “Her order will undoubtedly speed up releases,” said Peter Schey, co-counsel for the plaintiffs in the court case.

On Tuesday, 13 immigrants held at ICE facilities in California filed a lawsuit demanding to be released because their health conditions make them particularly vulnerable to dying if infected by the coronavirus. An ACLU statement says the detainees are “confined in crowded and unsanitary conditions where social distancing is not possible.” The 13 individuals are all over the age of 50 and/or suffering from serious underlying medical issues like high blood pressure.

“From all the evidence we have seen, ICE is failing to fulfill its constitutional obligation to protect the health and safety of individuals in its custody. ICE should exercise its existing discretion to release people with serious medical conditions from detention for humanitarian reasons,” said William Freeman, senior counsel at the ACLU of Northern California.

Meanwhile, ICE is under fire for continuing to shuttle detainees across the country, with one even being forced to take nine different flights bouncing from Louisiana to Texas to New Jersey less than two weeks ago. That man is Dr. Sirous Asgari, a materials science and engineering professor from Iran, who was acquitted last year on federal charges of stealing trade secrets. The government lost its case against him, yet ICE has had him in indefinite detention since November.

Asgari, 59, told the Guardian that his Ice holding facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, had no basic cleaning practices in place and continued to bring in new detainees from across the country with no strategy to minimize the threat of Covid-19...Detainees have no hand sanitizer, and the facility is not regularly cleaning bathrooms or sleeping areas…Detainees lack access to masks… Detainees struggle to stay clean, and the facility has an awful stench.

Jails
State jails are making a better effort to release detained individuals, as both New York and New Jersey ordered a thousand people in each state be let out of jail. The order applied only to low-level offenders sentenced to less than a year in jail and those held on technical probation violations. In Los Angeles County, officials released over 1,700 people from its jails.
A judge in Alabama took similar steps last week, ordering roughly 500 people jailed for minor offenses to be released to lessen crowding in facilities. Unlike in New York and New Jersey, however, local officials reacted in an uproar, led in part by the state executive committee for the Alabama Republican Party and Assistant District Attorney C.J. Robinson. Using angry Facebook messages as the barometer of the community’s feelings, Robinson worked “frantically” to block inmates from being released.

• Reuters: As of Saturday, at least 132 inmates and 104 staff at jails across New York City had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus… Since March 22, jails have reported 226 inmates and 131 staff with confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to a Reuters survey of cities and counties that run America’s 20 largest jails. The numbers are almost certainly an undercount given the fast spread of the virus.

Tribe opposed by Trump loses land

On Wednesday, The Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs announced the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s reservation would be "disestablished" and its land trust status removed. Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell called the move "cruel" and "unnecessary,” particularly coming in the midst of a pandemic crisis. Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.), who last year introduced legislation to protect the tribe's reservation as trust land in Massachusetts, said the order “is one of the most cruel and nonsensical acts I have seen since coming to Congress.”
The administration’s decision is especially suspicious as just last year Trump attacked the tribe’s plan to build a casino on its land, tweeting that allowing the construction would be “unfair” and treat Native Americans unequally. As a former casino owner, Trump has spent decades attacking Native American casinos as unfair competition. At a 1993 congressional hearing Trump said that tribal owners “don’t look like Indians to me” and claimed: “I might have more Indian blood than a lot of the so-called Indians that are trying to open up the reservations” to gambling.
More than his past history, however, Trump has current interests at play in the Mashpee Wampanoag’s planned casino: it would have competed for business with nearby Rhode Island casinos owned by Twin River Worldwide Holdings, whose president, George Papanier, was a finance executive at the Trump Plaza casino hotel in Atlantic City.

In the Mashpee case, Twin River, the operator of the two Rhode Island casinos, has hired Matthew Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union and a vocal Trump supporter, to lobby for it on the land issue. Schlapp’s wife, Mercedes, is director of strategic communications at the White House.

M. Wesley Swearingen, an FBI agent from 1951 to 1977, writes in his memoir FBI Secrets: An Agent's Expose about the long-standing rumors within the Bureau concerning the relationship between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Associate Director Clyde Tolson which include allegations that Hoover ignored the Mafia for decades because the wise guys had incriminating goods on the supposed lovers:

One year after arriving in Memphis, Hoover transferred me to Chicago, Illinois. I was thrilled – my mind was full of gangsters, Tommy guns, and the FBI's famous machine gun battles of the 1930s. It was clear to me from Chicago's newspaper headlines that gangsters ruled a Chicago underworld element in the 1950s because gangland style murders averaged close to 100 a year in the Chicago area. * * * But when I told my colleague and veteran agent Vince Coll of my big plans for Chicago, he said that Hoover did not recognize the existence of a mob in Chicago. According to Coll, Mafia leader Meyer Lansky's organization had enough on Hoover and Tolson, as closet homosexuals, that Hoover would never investigate the mob.

The allegations were fleshed out in Official and Confidential: the Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover by Anthony Summer. A review of the book ("Partners For Life") by Sidney Urquhart for Time magazine summarizes one alleged incident as follows:

Perhaps Summers' most bizarre revelation is an account provided by Susan Rosenstiel, the wife of a liquor distiller and gambling crony. Rosenstiel recalls attending what she thought would be an elegant private party at New York City's Plaza Hotel in the company of lawyer Roy Cohn, Hoover and others. Instead, Cohn introduced Rosenstiel to a woman named "Mary," dressed in a fluffy black dress, lace stockings and high heels. It was obvious Mary was no woman. "You could see where he shaved. It was Hoover," said Rosenstiel. Joined by Cohn, Hoover stripped down to a tiny garter belt and proceeded to have sex with two young boys. Cohn later joked about the evening. "That was really something, wasn't it, with Mary Hoover?"

The "two young boys" with whom Hoover allegedly had sex perhaps were provided by Ed "the Skull" Murphy who was a long-time Genovese associate involved in the crime family's gay bar and boy prostitution rackets in New York City. In Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked The Gay Revolution, David Carter writes:

John Paul Ranieri, a former prostitute interviewed for this history, provided critical testimony for corroborating and better understanding the larger implications of Murphy's criminal enterprises for gay history. Ranieri said that as a youth from Westchester County he had been forced by blackmail and Mafia-supplied drugs into a prostitution ring in which he remained active for three years before he escaped the mob's control. He claimed that a number of youths in the ring had disappeared after they got careless with talk, for while most of the customers were more or less average homosexual men with money, the regular clientele, according to Ranieri, also included famous men such as Malcolm Forbes, Cardinal Spellman, Liberace, U.S. Senators, a vice president of the United States, one of the most famous rock musicians, and J. Edgar Hoover. The mob's order, according to Ranieri, was strictly "Keep your zipper open and your mouth shut."
Ranieri said that he met J. Edgar Hoover at private parties at the Plaza Hotel and that Hoover's name was never mentioned. Hoover was always in drag, and Ranieri said he could tell that the FBI director was sure that no one recognized him. Ranieri said that he had ensured his own survival by having in his possession a photograph of himself with Hoover, given to him by the photographer.
How does the preceding information link Ed Murphy with J. Edgar Hoover? The connection is made evident in a news story written shortly after Hoover's homosexuality and transvestism became public. When [Anthony] Summer's book [Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover], was published [in 1993], a newspaper story about the 1960s national homosexual blackmail ring suddenly appeared after a quarter of a century of silence on the subject. Without mentioning Murphy's name, it quoted law enforcement sources who had worked on the case as saying that their investigation into the nationwide blackmail ring had turned up a photograph of Hoover "posing amiably" with the racket's ringleader and had uncovered information that Clyde Tolson, Hoover's lover, had himself "fallen victim to the extortion ring." After federal agents joined the investigation, both the photograph of Hoover and the documents about Tolson disappeared. * * * Very suggestive in this context is that Murphy would publicly say in 1978—before it became public information, as it did in the 1990s, that the Mafia had photographs of Hoover involved in sex acts—that he knew that J. Edgar Hoover "was one of my sisters."

Murphy's boys did have a habit of disappearing. For example, one Puerto Rican youth known as Tano with whom Murphy was sexually involved was kidnapped right off the streets never to be seen again according to one eyewitness to the incident as recounted by Carter in Stonewall.
Curiously, Murphy also was a long-standing FBI informant according to a May 8, 1978 article ("Skull Murphy: The Gay Double Agent") by Arthur Bell for The Village Voice. Indeed, this article contained the interview in which Murphy expressly speaks of J. Edgar Hoover as one of his "sisters": "He was the biggest fuckin' extortionist in this country. He had presidents by the balls. He had a record on everybody and his brother."
The allegations that Meyer Lansky had incriminating evidence against the FBI Director are particularly credible in light of the relationships among all the parties with political fixer Roy Cohn -- a fellow closet case who died of AIDS in 1986 -- at the center of it all.
Cohn was a personal friend of Hoover during the 1950s and 1960s, and the two shared extensive correspondence directed to each other on a first-name basis including a September 1957 exchange on an article published by the Director entitled "Let's Wipe Out the Schoolyard Sex Racket." Ironically, only months earlier an apparent obscenity indictment against Cohn had been dismissed according to an FBI memo dated June 28, 1957 from Assistant Director Louis B. Nichols to Clyde Tolson:

Roy Cohn called 6-27-57 to advise that Neil Gallagher of the New Jersey Turnpike Commission represented him in connection with the return of an indictment charging the sale of obscene literature. Gallagher went before the Superior Court judge in Union County, New Jersey, Thursday afternoon and moved the dismissal of the indictment. The district attorney joined him in this recommendation and issued a public apology to Cohn.

Cornelius "Neil" Gallagher later became a U.S. Congressman from Bayonne, NJ until he lost the seat in 1972 after Life magazine ran an article alleging mob ties.
The relationship between Hoover and Cohn is particularly troubling given that the FBI was fully aware that Cohn had ties to the most powerful bosses in the Mafia. For example, in 1964 federal prosecutor Robert Morgenthau was trying Cohn on corruption charges, and at the trial introduced excerpts of earlier grand jury testimony by Cohn. A March 27, 1964 article from The New York Times which the FBI contemporaneously clipped for its files on Cohn states:

The excerpts contained admissions by Mr. Cohn that he was acquainted with Geralde (Jerry) Catena, described by the Senate Rackets Committee as "No. 2 Man" in the Vito Genovese unit of the Cosa Nosta, and with Meyer Lansky, gangster. Mr. Cohn said he scarcely knew Lansky but that he had played golf two or three times with Catena.

Cohn further had represented the Stork Club which was Hoover's favorite stomping ground and Schenley Industries which was one of the country's largest liquor distillers. Louis Rosensteil was the president of Schenley Industries, and he had close ties to Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello. "In fact, on several occassions, Hoover was seen at the Stork Club fraternizing with people like Costello and Rosensteil" according to Peter J. Devico in The Mafia Made Easy. After Hoover's right-hand man Louis Nichols left the FBI in 1957, Cohn allegedly secured him a plum job making $100,000 a year at Schenley Industries although Nichols insisted in Hooveresque fashion that Rosensteil shunned the mob.
Of couse, the best evidence that Meyer Lansky had the goods on the FBI Director is that the storied agency never laid a hand on the gangster who was a bootleg kingpin during Prohibition, later founded Murder Inc., and finally ran gambling operations in Las Vegas and Havana, Cuba for the Genovese family. At the time of Lansky's death in 1983 the FBI estimated that he had a net worth of $300 million, and yet during his long criminal career the G-men never nailed him on a single charge or recovered a single penny. Indeed, the FBI did not even start a file on Lansky until the 1950s, and a review of the file's sparse contents illustrates that the agency's efforts to target him -- a purported top hoodlum -- were half-hearted at best involving little more than the occasional wiretap and a sometimes surveillance. Indeed, the newspaper articles on Lansky which the FBI clipped were more informative on the mobster's activities than the investigator reports. Ironically, Lansky only was arrested in 1972 -- the same year Hoover died -- as a result of an IRS investigation involving an alleged skimming scheme from a Vegas casino, and even that indictment conveniently was dismissed because Lansky was considered too ill to prosecute.

M. Wesley Swearingen, an FBI agent from 1951 to 1977, writes in his memoir FBI Secrets: An Agent's Expose about the long-standing rumors within the Bureau concerning the relationship between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Associate Director Clyde Tolson which include allegations that Hoover ignored the Mafia for decades because the wise guys had incriminating goods on the supposed lovers:

One year after arriving in Memphis, Hoover transferred me to Chicago, Illinois. I was thrilled – my mind was full of gangsters, Tommy guns, and the FBI's famous machine gun battles of the 1930s. It was clear to me from Chicago's newspaper headlines that gansters ruled a Chicago underworld element in the 1950s because gangland style murders averaged close to 100 a year in the Chicago area. * * * But when I told my colleague and veteran agent Vince Coll of my big plans for Chicago, he said that Hoover did not recognize the existence of a mob in Chicago. According to Coll, Mafia leader Meyer Lansky's organization had enough on Hoover and Tolson, as closet homosexuals, that Hoover would never investigate the mob.

The allegations were fleshed out in Official and Confidential: the Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover by Anthony Summer. A review of the book ("Partners For Life") by Sidney Urquhart for Time magazine summarizes one alleged incident as follows:

Perhaps Summers' most bizarre revelation is an account provided by Susan Rosenstiel, the wife of a liquor distiller and gambling crony. Rosenstiel recalls attending what she thought would be an elegant private party at New York City's Plaza Hotel in the company of lawyer Roy Cohn, Hoover and others. Instead, Cohn introduced Rosenstiel to a woman named "Mary," dressed in a fluffy black dress, lace stockings and high heels. It was obvious Mary was no woman. "You could see where he shaved. It was Hoover," said Rosenstiel. Joined by Cohn, Hoover stripped down to a tiny garter belt and proceeded to have sex with two young boys. Cohn later joked about the evening. "That was really something, wasn't it, with Mary Hoover?"

The "two young boys" with whom Hoover allegedly had sex perhaps were provided by Ed "the Skull" Murphy who was a long-time Genovese associate involved in the crime family's gay bar and boy prostitution rackets in New York City. In Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked The Gay Revolution, David Carter writes:

John Paul Ranieri, a former prostitute interviewed for this history, provided critical testimony for corroborating and better understanding the larger implications of Murphy's criminal enterprises for gay history. Ranieri said that as a youth from Westchester County he had been forced by blackmail and Mafia-supplied drugs into a prostitution ring in which he remained active for three years before he escaped the mob's control. He claimed that a number of youths in the ring had disappeared after they got careless with talk, for while most of the customers were more or less average homosexual men with money, the regular clientele, according to Ranieri, also included famous men such as Malcolm Forbes, Cardinal Spellman, Liberace, U.S. Senators, a vice president of the United States, one of the most famous rock musicians, and J. Edgar Hoover. The mob's order, according to Ranieri, was strictly "Keep your zipper open and your mouth shut."
Ranieri said that he met J. Edgar Hoover at private parties at the Plaza Hotel and that Hoover's name was never mentioned. Hoover was always in drag, and Ranieri said he could tell that the FBI director was sure that no one recognized him. Ranieri said that he had ensured his own survival by having in his possession a photograph of himself with Hoover, given to him by the photographer.
How does the preceding information link Ed Murphy with J. Edgar Hoover? The connection is made evident in a news story written shortly after Hoover's homosexuality and transvestism became public. When [Anthony] Summer's book [Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover], was published [in 1993], a newspaper story about the 1960s national homosexual blackmail ring suddenly appeared after a quarter of a century of silence on the subject. Without mentioning Murphy's name, it quoted law enforcement sources who had worked on the case as saying that their investigation into the nationwide blackmail ring had turned up a photograph of Hoover "posing amiably" with the racket's ringleader and had uncovered information that Clyde Tolson, Hoover's lover, had himself "fallen victim to the extortion ring." After federal agents joined the investigation, both the photograph of Hoover and the documents about Tolson disappeared. * * * Very suggestive in this context is that Murphy would publicly say in 1978—before it became public information, as it did in the 1990s, that the Mafia had photographs of Hoover involved in sex acts—that he knew that J. Edgar Hoover "was one of my sisters."

Murphy's boys did have a habit of disappearing. For example, one Puerto Rican youth known as Tano with whom Murphy was sexually involved was kidnapped right off the streets never to be seen again according to one eyewitness to the incident as recounted by Carter in Stonewall.
Curiously, Murphy also was a long-standing FBI informant according to a May 8, 1978 article ("Skull Murphy: The Gay Double Agent") by Arthur Bell for The Village Voice. Indeed, this article contained the interview in which Murphy expressly speaks of J. Edgar Hoover as one of his "sisters": "He was the biggest fuckin' extortionist in this country. He had presidents by the balls. He had a record on everybody and his brother."
The allegations that Meyer Lansky had incriminating evidence against the FBI Director are particularly credible in light of the relationships among all the parties with political fixer Roy Cohn -- a closet case who died of AIDS in 1986 -- at the center of it all.
Cohn was a personal friend of Hoover during the 1950s and 1960s, and the two shared extensive correspondence directed to each other on a first-name basis including a September 1957 exchange on an article published by the Director entitled "Let's Wipe Out the Schoolyard Sex Racket." Ironically, only months earlier an apparent obscenity indictment against Cohn had been dismissed according to an FBI memo dated June 28, 1957 from Assistant Director Louis B. Nichols to Clyde Tolson:

Roy Cohn called 6-27-57 to advise that Neil Gallagher of the New Jersey Turnpike Commission represented him in connection with the return of an indictment charging the sale of obscene literature. Gallagher went before the Superior Court judge in Union County, New Jersey, Thursday afternoon and moved the dismissal of the indictment. The district attorney joined him in this recommendation and issued a public apology to Cohn.

Cornelius "Neil" Gallagher later became a U.S. Congressman from Bayonne, NJ until he lost the seat in 1972 after Life magazine ran an article alleging mob ties.
The relationship between Hoover and Cohn is particularly troubling given that the FBI was fully aware that Cohn had ties to the most powerful bosses in the Mafia. For example, in 1964 federal prosecutor Robert Morgenthau was trying Cohn on corruption charges, and at the trial introduced excerpts of earlier grand jury testimony by Cohn. A March 27, 1964 article from The New York Times which the FBI contemporaneously clipped for its files on Cohn states:

The excerpts contained admissions by Mr. Cohn that he was acquainted with Geralde (Jerry) Catena, described by the Senate Rackets Committee as "No. 2 Man" in the Vito Genovese unit of the Cosa Nosta, and with Meyer Lansky, gangster. Mr. Cohn said he scarcely knew Lansky but that he had played golf two or three times with Catena.

Cohn further had represented the Stork Club which was Hoover's favorite stomping ground and Schenley Industries which was one of the country's largest liquor distillers. Louis Rosensteil was the president of Schenley Industries, and he had close ties to Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello. "In fact, on several occassions, Hoover was seen at the Stork Club fraternizing with people like Costello and Rosensteil" according to Peter J. Devico in The Mafia Made Easy. After Hoover's right-hand man Louis Nichols left the FBI in 1957, Cohn allegedly secured him a plum job making $100,000 a year at Schenley Industries although Nichols insisted in Hooveresque fashion that Rosensteil shunned the mob.
Of couse, the best evidence that Meyer Lansky had the goods on the FBI Director is that the storied agency never laid a hand on the gangster who was a bootleg kingpin during Prohibition, later founded Murder Inc., and finally ran gambling operations in Las Vegas and Havana, Cuba for the Genovese family. At the time of Lansky's death in 1983 the FBI estimated that he had a net worth of $300 million, and yet during his long criminal career the G-men never nailed him on a single charge or recovered a single penny. Indeed, the FBI did not even start a file on Lansky until the 1950s, and a review of the file's sparse contents illustrates that the agency's efforts to target him -- a purported top hoodlum -- were half-hearted at best involving little more than the occasional wiretap and a sometimes surveillance. Indeed, the newspaper articles on Lansky which the FBI clipped were more informative on the mobster's activities than the investigator reports. Ironically, Lansky only was arrested in 1972 -- the same year Hoover died -- as a result of an IRS investigation involving an alleged skimming scheme from a Vegas casino, and even that indictment conveniently was dismissed because Lansky was considered too ill to prosecute.

M. Wesley Swearingen, an FBI agent from 1951 to 1977, writes in his memoir FBI Secrets: An Agent's Expose about the long-standing rumors within the Bureau concerning the relationship between FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and Associate Director Clyde Tolson which include allegations that Hoover ignored the Mafia for decades because the wise guys had incriminating goods on the supposed lovers:

One year after arriving in Memphis, Hoover transferred me to Chicago, Illinois. I was thrilled – my mind was full of gangsters, Tommy guns, and the FBI's famous machine gun battles of the 1930s. It was clear to me from Chicago's newspaper headlines that gansters ruled a Chicago underworld element in the 1950s because gangland style murders averaged close to 100 a year in the Chicago area. * * * But when I told my colleague and veteran agent Vince Coll of my big plans for Chicago, he said that Hoover did not recognize the existence of a mob in Chicago. According to Coll, Mafia leader Meyer Lansky's organization had enough on Hoover and Tolson, as closet homosexuals, that Hoover would never investigate the mob.

The allegations were fleshed out in Official and Confidential: the Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover by Anthony Summer. A review of the book ("Partners For Life") by Sidney Urquhart for Time magazine summarizes one alleged incident as follows:

Perhaps Summers' most bizarre revelation is an account provided by Susan Rosenstiel, the wife of a liquor distiller and gambling crony. Rosenstiel recalls attending what she thought would be an elegant private party at New York City's Plaza Hotel in the company of lawyer Roy Cohn, Hoover and others. Instead, Cohn introduced Rosenstiel to a woman named "Mary," dressed in a fluffy black dress, lace stockings and high heels. It was obvious Mary was no woman. "You could see where he shaved. It was Hoover," said Rosenstiel. Joined by Cohn, Hoover stripped down to a tiny garter belt and proceeded to have sex with two young boys. Cohn later joked about the evening. "That was really something, wasn't it, with Mary Hoover?"

The "two young boys" with whom Hoover allegedly had sex perhaps were provided by Ed "the Skull" Murphy who was a long-time Genovese associate involved in the crime family's gay bar and boy prostitution rackets in New York City. In Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked The Gay Revolution, David Carter writes:

John Paul Ranieri, a former prostitute interviewed for this history, provided critical testimony for corroborating and better understanding the larger implications of Murphy's criminal enterprises for gay history. Ranieri said that as a youth from Westchester County he had been forced by blackmail and Mafia-supplied drugs into a prostitution ring in which he remained active for three years before he escaped the mob's control. He claimed that a number of youths in the ring had disappeared after they got careless with talk, for while most of the customers were more or less average homosexual men with money, the regular clientele, according to Ranieri, also included famous men such as Malcolm Forbes, Cardinal Spellman, Liberace, U.S. Senators, a vice president of the United States, one of the most famous rock musicians, and J. Edgar Hoover. The mob's order, according to Ranieri, was strictly "Keep your zipper open and your mouth shut."
Ranieri said that he met J. Edgar Hoover at private parties at the Plaza Hotel and that Hoover's name was never mentioned. Hoover was always in drag, and Ranieri said he could tell that the FBI director was sure that no one recognized him. Ranieri said that he had ensured his own survival by having in his possession a photograph of himself with Hoover, given to him by the photographer.
How does the preceding information link Ed Murphy with J. Edgar Hoover? The connection is made evident in a news story written shortly after Hoover's homosexuality and transvestism became public. When [Anthony] Summer's book [Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover], was published [in 1993], a newspaper story about the 1960s national homosexual blackmail ring suddenly appeared after a quarter of a century of silence on the subject. Without mentioning Murphy's name, it quoted law enforcement sources who had worked on the case as saying that their investigation into the nationwide blackmail ring had turned up a photograph of Hoover "posing amiably" with the racket's ringleader and had uncovered information that Clyde Tolson, Hoover's lover, had himself "fallen victim to the extortion ring." After federal agents joined the investigation, both the photograph of Hoover and the documents about Tolson disappeared. * * * Very suggestive in this context is that Murphy would publicly say in 1978—before it became public information, as it did in the 1990s, that the Mafia had photographs of Hoover involved in sex acts—that he knew that J. Edgar Hoover "was one of my sisters."

Murphy's boys did have a habit of disappearing. For example, one Puerto Rican youth known as Tano with whom Murphy was sexually involved was kidnapped right off the streets never to be seen again according to one eyewitness to the incident as recounted by Carter in Stonewall.
Curiously, Murphy also was a long-standing FBI informant according to a May 8, 1978 article ("Skull Murphy: The Gay Double Agent") by Arthur Bell for The Village Voice. Indeed, this article contained the interview in which Murphy expressly speaks of J. Edgar Hoover as one of his "sisters": "He was the biggest fuckin' extortionist in this country. He had presidents by the balls. He had a record on everybody and his brother."
The allegations that Meyer Lansky had incriminating evidence against the FBI Director are particularly credible in light of the relationships among all the parties with political fixer Roy Cohn -- a fellow closet case who died of AIDS in 1986 -- at the center of it all.
Cohn was a personal friend of Hoover during the 1950s and 1960s, and the two shared extensive correspondence directed to each other on a first-name basis including a September 1957 exchange on an article published by the Director entitled "Let's Wipe Out the Schoolyard Sex Racket." Ironically, only months earlier an apparent obscenity indictment against Cohn had been dismissed according to an FBI memo dated June 28, 1957 from Assistant Director Louis B. Nichols to Clyde Tolson:

Roy Cohn called 6-27-57 to advise that Neil Gallagher of the New Jersey Turnpike Commission represented him in connection with the return of an indictment charging the sale of obscene literature. Gallagher went before the Superior Court judge in Union County, New Jersey, Thursday afternoon and moved the dismissal of the indictment. The district attorney joined him in this recommendation and issued a public apology to Cohn.

Cornelius "Neil" Gallagher later became a U.S. Congressman from Bayonne, NJ until he lost the seat in 1972 after Life magazine ran an article alleging mob ties.
The relationship between Hoover and Cohn is particularly troubling given that the FBI was fully aware that Cohn had ties to the most powerful bosses in the Mafia. For example, in 1964 federal prosecutor Robert Morgenthau was trying Cohn on corruption charges, and at the trial introduced excerpts of earlier grand jury testimony by Cohn. A March 27, 1964 article from The New York Times which the FBI contemporaneously clipped for its files on Cohn states:

The excerpts contained admissions by Mr. Cohn that he was acquainted with Geralde (Jerry) Catena, described by the Senate Rackets Committee as "No. 2 Man" in the Vito Genovese unit of the Cosa Nosta, and with Meyer Lansky, gangster. Mr. Cohn said he scarcely knew Lansky but that he had played golf two or three times with Catena.

Cohn further had represented the Stork Club which was Hoover's favorite stomping ground and Schenley Industries which was one of the country's largest liquor distillers. Louis Rosensteil was the president of Schenley Industries, and he had close ties to Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello. "In fact, on several occassions, Hoover was seen at the Stork Club fraternizing with people like Costello and Rosensteil" according to Peter J. Devico in The Mafia Made Easy. After Hoover's right-hand man Louis Nichols left the FBI in 1957, Cohn allegedly secured him a plum job making $100,000 a year at Schenley Industries although Nichols insisted in Hooveresque fashion that Rosensteil shunned the mob.
Of couse, the best evidence that Meyer Lansky had the goods on the FBI Director is that the storied agency never laid a hand on the gangster who was a bootleg kingpin during Prohibition, later founded Murder Inc., and finally ran gambling operations in Las Vegas and Havana, Cuba for the Genovese family. At the time of Lansky's death in 1983 the FBI estimated that he had a net worth of $300 million, and yet during his long criminal career the G-men never nailed him on a single charge or recovered a single penny. Indeed, the FBI did not even start a file on Lansky until the 1950s, and a review of the file's sparse contents illustrates that the agency's efforts to target him -- a purported top hoodlum -- were half-hearted at best involving little more than the occasional wiretap and a sometimes surveillance. Indeed, the newspaper articles on Lansky which the FBI clipped were more informative on the mobster's activities than the investigator reports. Ironically, Lansky only was arrested in 1972 -- the same year Hoover died -- as a result of an IRS investigation involving an alleged skimming scheme from a Vegas casino, and even that indictment conveniently was dismissed because Lansky was considered too ill to prosecute.

MPX Bioceutical Corp. (MPX/MPXEF) - Geographic Footprint and Addressable Markets
https://mpxbioceutical.com/investors/
I wanted to get a better understanding of MPX Bioceutical's U.S. footprint and addressable markets
MPX hasn't updated their investor presentation since November 06, 2017 (Slide 8 for MPX Operations) so I used press releases, old interviews/investor calls, and cursory Google searches.
I suck at formatting so apologies in advance.
Arizona
*MPX Dispensary Distribution: https://imgur.com/Xs3otSd *MPX-Owned Dispensaries: https://imgur.com/bPQutTc *Health for Life Locations *The Holistic Center *Melting Point Extracts - Arizona Locations
Current Market Share in Arizona (March 28, 2018) - 24:12 ~7-8%
MPX Concentrates Dispensary Distribution

1. Health for Life (Crismon) - Mesa, AZ (MPX-Owned) 9949 E Apache Trail, Mesa, AZ 85207 (Opened April 6, 2018)
   
2. Health for Life (East) - Mesa, AZ (MPX-Owned) 7343 S 89th Pl, Mesa, AZ 85212
   
3. Health for Life (North) - Mesa, AZ (MPX-Owned) 5550 E McDowell Rd, Mesa, AZ 85215
   
4. The Holistic Center AZ - Phoeniz, AZ (MPX-Owned) 21035 N Cave Creek Rd C-5, Phoenix, AZ 85024
   
5. Catalina Hills Care - Tucson, AZ 12152 N Rancho Vistoso Blvd, Oro Valley, AZ 85755
   
6. Green Hills Patient Center - Show Low, AZ 3191 S White Mountain Rd, Show Low, AZ 85901
   
7. High Desert Healing - Lake Havasu, AZ 1691 Industrial Blvd, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
   
8. Kompo - Taylor, AZ 600 Centennial Blvd, Snowflake, AZ 85937
   
9. Leaf Life - Casa Grande, AZ 1860 N Salk Dr B1, Casa Grande, AZ 85122
   
10. Metro Meds - Phoenix, AZ 10040 N Metro Pkwy W, Phoenix, AZ 85051
    
11. OASIS - Chandler, AZ 26427 S Arizona Ave #8223, Chandler, AZ 85248
    
12. The Good Dispensary - Mesa, AZ 1842 W Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ 85202
    
13. The Mint Dispensary - Tempe, AZ 5210 S Priest Dr, Tempe, AZ 85283
    
14. The Prime Leaf - Tucson, AZ 4220 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85712
    
15. Uncle Herbs Dispensary - Payson, AZ 200 N Tonto St, Payson, AZ 85541
    
16. Urban Greenhouse - Phoenix, AZ 2630 W Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85017
    
17. Yavapai Herbal Services - Cottonwood, AZ 675 E State Route 89A Cottonwood, AZ 86326
    
18. Botanica - Tucson, AZ 6205 N Travel Center Drive Tucson, AZ 85741
    

Relocated Production Facility: North Mesa, AZ
Annual Capacity
*Phase One - 150,000 grams of MPX-branded products (Currently in Operation) *Phase Two - 400,000+ grams (Scheduled for completion in calendar Q3 2018) *Phase Three - 800,000+ grams (Schedule for completion in calendar Q4 2018)
New production facility will increase production capacity 2-4x: 11:31 , 25:11

• March 28, 2018 - MPX Bioceutical Q3 Investor Call: March 28, 2018(title says March 8 but at 1:44 he says March 28, 2018)
  
• January 31, 2018 - Beth Stavola MPX Bioceuticals Interview with New Cannabis Ventures - 4:12 - "the largest production facility, production laboratory in the state of Arizona"
  

March 05, 2018 - MPX Signs Definitive Agreement to Expand Its Footprint in Arizona -

• “This acquisition represents a solid addition to our industry and presence in Arizona, a State that offers MPX one of the best-regulated, yet industry-supportive markets in the country,” said W. Scott Boyes, MPX’s Chairman, President and CEO. “The entities being acquired have recorded trailing 12-month revenues of US$15 million and EBITDA of approximately US$3.5 million and its results will be immediately accretive to MPX earnings. Furthermore, the acquired companies are well-managed and will allow both parties to share best practises and benefit from the ability to share purchase economies. With the pending opening of our Apache Junction dispensary, the addition of the Holistic Center, will bring the number of dispensaries managed by MPX in the greater Phoenix market to four, will more than double our cultivation capacity and will materially complement our management team in the State. Adding to our critical mass of operations, this acquisition will add to MPX’s ability to benefit from purchasing economies, spread the administrative overhead costs over a larger revenue base and provide cash flows to support additional growth.”

April 03, 2018 - Mpx Enjoys Record Monthly Revenue of Cdn$5.2 Million in Arizona

• Beth Stavola, COO and President of MPX’s U.S. operations, adds “With our fourth dispensary opening soon in the Apache Junction suburb and our expanded concentrate production facilities coming on-stream this month, we expect to see our Arizona revenues continue to expand over the next several fiscal quarters. The Arizona program is well-regulated by AZDHS, the patient count continues to grow, the supply and cost of flower and trim for re-sale and concentrate production is excellent and, while the Phoenix area market is increasingly competitive, retail prices and margins remain attractive. This is a great state for MPX to conduct business in.”

April 09, 2018 - MPX Adds a Fourth Dispensary in Phoenix and Triples Capacity for MPX Concentrate Production in Arizona

TORONTO, April 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MPX Bioceutical Corporation (“MPX” or the “Company”) (CSE:MPX) (OTC:MPXEF) is pleased to announce that the official opening of the its newest “Health for Life” medical marijuana dispensary in the Metropolitan Phoenix area, located at the junction of E. Main and Crimson in the suburb of Apache Junction. This brings the number of dispensaries under MPX management in Arizona’s Sun Valley to four. The Crimson dispensary will meet the needs of patients in this comparatively underserviced southeast quadrant of the region by making available the full spectrum of MPX concentrates, an extensive variety of cannabis flower, and a broad selection of 3rd party, processed cannabis-infused edibles.
The Company also announces that it has relocated the processing and production of MPX concentrates to a new location in North Mesa. Phase one of the build-out at this facility, now in operation, will immediately double the current production capacity of MPX-branded products in Arizona to approximately 150,000 grams annually. The second phase scheduled for completion early in calendar Q3 will increase potential production to over 400,000 grams per year and the final phase expected in calendar Q4 will result in annualized capacity increasing to a total in excess of 800,000 grams annually with a wholesale value (at current prices) of approximately US$18 million.

Arizona Medical Marijuana Patient Numbers:
*- 152,979 (Current through 12/31/17)
*- 162,528 (March 2018) , Reports
Arizona is the 14th most populous state - 7,016,270 (Population estimate, July 1, 2017)
Phoenix is the fifth most populated city
Population: 1,615,017 (2016 estimate) , U.S. Census Bureau , World Population Review
Nevada
*MPX Dispensary Distribution (Nevada): https://imgur.com/l3SoaWl *MPX Dispensary Distribution (Las Vegas, Nevada): https://imgur.com/J9rM7JU *(Greenmart of Nevada - Where To Find Us) *[(Acquired October 13, 2017](https://www.newcannabisventures.com/bcc-finalizes-17-8mm-greenmart-nevada-cannabis-producer-purchase/

• January 31, 2018 - 4:27 - 30,000 sq. ft. cultivation and laboratory for MPX concentrates
  
• March 28, 2018 - 11:46
  

In Nevada, our production capacity has been limited by the availability of raw material, of biomass. And most of our product produced there has been sold 2-3 weeks in advance.

MPX Dispensary Distribution *Melting Point Extracts - Nevada Locations *(Greenmart of Nevada - Where To Find Us)

1. Acres Cannabis - Las Vegas, NV 2320 Western Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102
   
2. Black Jack Collective Delivery - Las Vegas, NV 1860 Western Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102
   
3. Blum - Reno, NV 1085 S. Virginia St. Suite A Reno, NV 89502
   
4. Blum Western - Las Vegas, NV 1921 Western Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102
   
5. Blum Decatur - Las Vegas, NV 3650 S Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89103
   
6. Blum Desert Inn - Las Vegas, NV 1130 E Desert Inn Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
   
7. Canopi (Southwest) - Las Vegas, NV 6540 Blue Diamond Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89139
   
8. Cannacopia - Las Vegas, NV 6332 S Rainbow Blvd #105, Las Vegas, NV 89118
   
9. Deep Roots Harvest - Mesquite, NV 195 Willis Carrier Canyon, Mesquite, NV 89034
   
10. Essence (Henderson) - Henderson, NV 4300 E. Sunset Road Suite A3 Henderson, NV 89014
    
11. Essence (Las Vegas Strip) - Las Vegas, NV 2307 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104
    
12. Essence (West) - Las Vegas, NV 5765 W Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103
    
13. Euphoria Wellness, Las Vegas, NV 7780 S Jones Blvd, Ste 105 Las Vegas, NV 89139-6489
    
14. Inyo Fine Cannabis - Las Vegas, NV 2520 S Maryland Pkwy #2, Las Vegas, NV 89109
    
15. Jardin - Las Vegas, NV 2900 E Desert Inn Rd #102, Las Vegas, NV 89121
    
16. Jenny's Dispensary (North Las Vegas) - North Las Vegas, NV 5530 N Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89130
    
17. Jenny's Dispensary (Henderson) - Henderson, NV 10420 S Eastern Ave, Henderson, NV 89052
    
18. Las Vegas Releaf - Las Vegas, NV 2244 Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89104
    
19. Nevada Wellness Center - Las Vegas, NV 3200 S Valley View Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102
    
20. NuLeaf (Lake Tahoe) - Lake Tahoe, NV 877 Tahoe Blvd, Incline Village, NV 89451
    
21. NuLeaf (Las Vegas) - Las Vegas, NV 430 E Twain Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89169
    
22. Oasis Cannabis - Las Vegas, NV 1800 Industrial Rd #180, Las Vegas, NV 89102
    
23. Reef Western - Las Vegas, NV 3400 Western Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89109
    
24. Rise Dispensary - Carson City, NV 135 E Clearview Dr #119, Carson City, NV 89701
    
25. Sierra Wellness Connection (Reno) - Reno, NV 1605 E 2nd St #103, Reno, NV 89502
    
26. Sierra Wellness Connection (Carson City) - Carson City, NV 2765 US Highway 50E Carson City, NV 89701
    
27. Silver Sage Wellness - Las Vegas, NV 4626 W Charleston Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102
    
28. The Apothecarium - Las Vegas, NV 7885 W. Sahara Ave #112 Las Vegas, NV 89117
    
29. The Apothecary Shoppe - Las Vegas, NV 4240 W. Flamingo Rd. No. 100 Las Vegas, NV 89103
    
30. The Dispensary (Decatur) - Las Vegas, NV 5347 S. Decatur Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89118
    
31. The Dispensary (Henderson) - Henderson, NV 50 N Gibson Rd #170, Henderson, NV 89014
    
32. The Dispensary (Reno) - Reno, NV 100 W. Plumb Lane Reno, NV 89509
    
33. The Grove - Las Vegas, NV 4647 Swenson Street Las Vegas, NV 89119
    
34. The Source (Henderson) - Henderson, NV 9480 S Eastern Ave #185, Las Vegas, NV 89123
    
35. The Source (Las Vegas) - Las Vegas, NV 2550 S Rainbow Blvd #8, Las Vegas, NV 89146
    
36. Thrive (Downtown) - Las Vegas, NV 1112 S Commerce St, Las Vegas, NV 89102
    
37. Thrive (North Las Vegas) - Las Vegas, NV 2755 W Cheyenne Ave #103, North Las Vegas, NV 89032
    
38. Top Notch THC - Las Vegas, NV 5630 Stephanie St, Las Vegas, NV 89122
    
39. Zen Leaf - Las Vegas, NV 9120 W Post Rd #103, Las Vegas, NV 89148
    

Population: 2,998,039 (Population estimate, July 1, 2017
U.S. Census Bureau
Nevada Medical Marijuana Patient Numbers:
*- 23,489 (Current through 12/31/17)
*- 21,759 (February 2018) , Reports
Nevada is the 34th most populous state - 2,998,039 (Population estimate, July 1, 2017)
Las Vegas is the 28th-most populated city
Population: 632.912 (2016 estimate) , U.S. Census Bureau , World Population Review
Las Vegas Tourism
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority - Las Vegas Visitor Statistics *- Year End Summary for 2017: 42,214,200 *- Year-to-Date Summary 2018 (As of Apr 20, 2018) - 10,274,100
Massachusetts
*MPX Dispensary Distribution (Massachusetts): https://imgur.com/pIN0pAA
*MPX Dispensary Distribution (New England): https://imgur.com/wk3e4Hs

• Dispensaries 2 of 3 dispensaries disclosed: Fall River, Attleborough
  
• Production Facility: Fall River, MA (40,000 - 50,000 sq. ft. cultivation and production facility)
  
• Dispensaries: 3 (Approved for building, 1 in Fall River, 1 in Attleborough, 1 still being targeted)
  
• 3rd dispensary targets:
  

• October 14, 2017 - 34:08 - Near Wynn Casino, 34:50 - Third dispensary target: "Near Revere, not right in the city itself"
  
• January 31, 2018 - 6:13 - "Right now we are searching for third location. We've got a number of really good prospects there."
  
• March 28, 2018 - 16:29 - "I think we're pretty close on number three. It is a great location and I'm gonna refrain from mentioning the town but it's a great population."
  

• 1 Production Facility on Innovation Way in Fall River, "next door to Amazon and Mass Biologics."
  
• Using Mass Biologics's address as a marker: 1240 Innovation Way, Fall River, MA 02720
  

MPX-owned Dispensaries

1. Cannatech Medicinals, Inc.,- Fall River 160 Hartwell St, Fall River, MA 02721 (Under construction) April 11, 2018 - Patch.com
   
2. Cannatech Medicinals, Inc.,- Attoboro 220 Oneil Blvd, Attleboro, MA 02703 (Under construction)
   

• January 19, 2018
  
• January 31, 2018 - 6:00
  

• April 6, 2017 - Local medical marijuana company sells part of operation to Canadian firm

The company, which is building a facility to grow and process marijuana for medicine, sold 51 percent of its real estate and management companies to The Canadian Bioceutical Corp., for $5.1 million. The agreement was announced Tuesday.
The company is in the process of building a 50,000-square-foot facility on Innovation Way, next door to Amazon and Mass Biologics, the medical research and testing facility run by the University of Massachusetts.

• June 15, 2017 - BCC Completes Massachusetts Transaction

• TORONTO, Ontario, June 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation (the “Company” or “BCC”) (CSE:BCC) (OTC:CBICF) today announced that further to its press release of April 4, 2017, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary CGX Life Sciences, Inc. (CGX), has completed the acquisition of a 51% interest in IMT, LLC and Fall River Developments, LLC (“FRD”), Massachusetts registered companies active in the cannabis space.

• January 31, 2018 - Beth Stavola MPX Bioceuticals Interview with New Cannabis Ventures - 5:22
  
• February 27, 2018 - Midas Letter - MPX Bioceutical Updates their Aggressive USA Expansion Activities
  
• March 07, 2018 - MPX Bioceutical Corp announces scheduled opening of Fall River Innovation Way facility
  

The marijuana industry has become a popular spot for Fall River.
According to MPX Bioceutical Corp, construction of a 40,000 square foot marijuana cultivation/processing facility on Innovation Way in Fall River, Massachusetts is targeted to be complete in the summer of this year with cultivation beginning in the third quarter of 2018. Cannatech Medicinals, who is owned by MPX Bioceutical Corp, has been working on the facility next to Amazon.
They have also commenced construction on the first of three dispensaries in Massachusetts, including one at 160 Hartwell Street in Fall River near the Applebee’s restaurant. The Hartwell Street location will get their supply from the Innovation Way facility.

• March 28, 2018 - MPX Bioceutical Q3 Investor Call: March 28, 2018 - 16:17 - Fall River and Attleborough still under construction
  
• April 17, 2018 - Mass. Selects First 20 Recreational Dispensaries for Expedited Review
  
• April 25, 2018 - 3 Fall River medical marijuana firms eye recreational sales too
  

CannaTech Medicinals; Hope, Heal, Health; and Northeast Alternatives will all be in the running for licenses to grow and sell marijuana for the recreational market. Recreational sales are scheduled to start July 1.
CannaTech Medicinals is building a 50,000-square-foot growing facility and processing laboratory in the biopark on Innovation Way. It is also building a dispensary off Hartwell Street.

Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Patient Numbers:
*- 45,505 (Current through 12/31/17)
*- 48,265 - (March 31 2018) - Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana Program snapshot
Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana Program snapshot

• Under "RMD information", the current status of all registered marijuana dispensaries and applicants through April 27 2018 - Entries #35-37 - Cannatech Medicinals, Inc.:

*- Only two of three have "Proposed Dispensary Locations" (Fall River, Attleboro)
*- No siting profile has been submitted for the third dispensary yet, invited to submit on December 12, 2017 (same date as Attleboro)

• Mass.gov - Medical Use of Marijuana Program
  
• Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana Program: External DashBoard - March 2018'
  

Massachusetts is the 15th most populous state

• 6,859,819 [(Population estimate, July 1, 2017)]Ihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population] , U.S. Census Bureau ,
  
• 6,895,917 World Population Review
  

Boston is the 22nd most populated city in the U.S. and most populated in New England
Population: 673,184 (2016 estimate) , U.S. Census Bureau ,
Not to mention the populations from surrounding states and tourism.

• October 14, 2017 - 33:41 - 26 million population in surrounding states
  
• May 2018 - 13.2 million people reside within 150 miles of Boston. (iAnthus Capital - May Presentation - Slide 22)
  
• 2010 Census Results - U.S. & Puerto - Population Density
  

Maryland
*- Managing dispensaries under Health for Life brand
*- MPX-Owned Dispensary Distribution (Maryland): https://imgur.com/KrcT0g4
*- Melting Point Extracts - Maryland Locations (None available yet)

• Dispensaries: 3 (2 in Baltimore County, 1 in Bethesda)
  
• Production Facility: Gaithersburg, MD - "to feature our MPX concentrates brand" - Production Capacity: 825,000 grams
  
• January 31, 2018 - Beth Stavola MPX Bioceuticals Interview with New Cannabis Ventures - 4:45
  

From the press releases below, I gather:

• 1 production facility in Gaithersburg/Montgomery Country (through Rosebud Organics/Budding Rose, Inc.) (January 8, 2018) - No square footage provided. However,

• January 08, 2018 - The facility is completely built-out and when fully operational will be capable of producing 825,000 grams of MPX-branded cannabis concentrates per annum.

• 1 dispensary in the White Marsh suburb in Baltimore, Maryland (through LMS Wellness, Benefit LLC) (December 12, 2017) - No specific address found
  
• 1 dispensary in close proximity to the Walter Reed Military Medical Center and National Institutes of Health - Bethesda, Maryland (through Rosebud Organics/Budding Rose) (January 8, 2018)
  

*- Possibly at: 4909 Fairmont Ave Bethesda, MD 20814

• 1 dispensary off North Point Road in Colgate, Baltimore, Maryland (through GreenMart of Maryland) (January 31, 2018) (No specific address found)
  
• Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission: Dispensary Information - Licensed Dispensaries (As of April 10, 2018) - Nothing yet licensed for any of their Maryland subsidiaries
  
• Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission: Cannabis Industry Information)
  

*- Under "Pre-Approved Dispensaries": GreenMart of Maryland (District 6: Baltimore County)
*- Under "Pre-Approved Dispensaries": LMS Wellness BLLC (District 8: Baltimore County)
*- Under "Pre-Approved Dispensaries": Budding Rose, LLC (District 16: Montgomery County)
*- Under "Licensed Processors (as of April 10, 2018): Rosebud Organics LLC (Montgomery County)
*- Under "Pre-Approved Processors": Rosebud Organics, LLC (Montgomery County)

• Maryland MDMDA Member Dispensaries -

I'm guessing that they will be selling MPX concentrates through these dispensaries as they have done in Arizona and Nevada once their production facility is operational. I'll wait for the press release and theMelting Point Extracts site to update before factoring that into their footprint.

• December 12, 2017 - MPX Enters Into Management & Purchase Option Agreements With LMS Wellness, Benefit LLC in Baltimore Maryland

• MPX Bioceutical Corporation (the “Company” or “MPX”) (CSE:MPX) (OTC:MPXEF) today announced that the Company, through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, S8 Management, LLC (“S8 Management”), is entering into a management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with LMS Wellness, Benefit LLC (“LMS”) which will result in MPX building and managing a full service medical cannabis dispensary in the White Marsh suburb of Baltimore, Maryland.

• December 15, 2017 - Medical Marijuana Dispensary To Open in Downtown Bethesda

Photo caption: A medical marijuana company has signed a lease for the space at 4909 Fairmont Ave., next to the mural.
A medical marijuana dispensary is coming to a long-dormant space on Fairmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda.
Rich Greenberg, of Greenhill Capital, which owns the building, said Budding Rose LLC signed the lease for the roughly 1,900-square-foot space about six months ago. He said work is ongoing to fit out the interior to meet the dispensary’s needs, and he wasn’t sure when the shop would be ready to open.

• January 8, 2018 - MPX Expands Cannabis Operations in Maryland

The management agreements with Budding Rose and Rosebud will result in MPX subsidiaries now operating three medical cannabis enterprises in the State of Maryland. The first management agreement with LMS Wellness, Benefit LLC was announced on December 12, 2017. Rosebud is one of only 14 licenses issued to process cannabis derivatives in the State of Maryland. The facility is completely built-out and when fully operational will be capable of producing 825,000 grams of MPX-branded cannabis concentrates per annum.
Budding Rose will operate a dispensary in a high-traffic area of downtown Bethesda, Maryland, in close proximity to the Walter Reed Military Medical Center and National Institutes of Health. Bethesda, Maryland is located within the Capital Beltway and is one of the wealthiest communities in the Capital Region. The dispensary is currently under construction and is expected to be operational in late February of this year.

• January 31, 2018 - MPX Enters Into Management and Option Agreement with Dispensary in Baltimore, Maryland

GreenMart will operate a dispensary, under the “Health for Life” brand, in a high-traffic area of Baltimore, Maryland, situated off of North Point Road in the community of Colgate. The location is conveniently located near Interstate Routes 695, 95 and US Route 40 and a 15-minute drive from Baltimore’s Inner Harbour, Canton Waterfront, Federal Hill, and Fells Point. Within 2 miles of the location sits Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, a teaching hospital within the world renowned John Hopkins Health System. GreenMart has been welcomed and supported by the community leaders of Colgate. The dispensary is currently under construction and is expected to be operational in April 2018 of this year.

Maryland Medical Marijuana Patient Numbers:
*- 18,000+ (Current through 12/15/17)
*- 17,000+ (March 20, 2018)

• More than 17,000 consumers in Maryland have registered for medical marijuana.

• Reports - Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission - I couldn't find any patient statistics reports on this site.

Maryland is the 19th most populated state - 6,052,177 (Population estimate, July 1, 2017) , U.S. Census Bureau
Baltimore is the 30th most populated city
Population: 614,664 (2016 estimate) , U.S. Census Bureau , World Population Review
Training/staffing/spreading themselves too thin:
*- March 28, 2018 - 25:56
Future Targets *- January 31, 2018 - 10:03 *- November 2017 Presentation: Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio
California *- March 28, 2018 - March MPX Bioceutical Q3 Investor Call: March 8, 2018 California 15:53, 33:45
Ohio *- March 28, 2018 - 14:32 - Five applications in Ohio.
New Jersey
*- January 25, 2018 - Beth Stavola, MPX COO is invited by NJ Governor Murphy as a Marijuana Industry Leader during the signing of an executive order which would ease access to medical marijuana in the State.
*- 1:14 - "Beth, this one is for you. You represent not just you but the whole industry"
*- January 31, 2018 - [Beth Stavola MPX Bioceuticals Interview with New Cannabis Ventures - 10:14](https://youtu.be/Mffwj_sP7T0?t=10m14s]
*- March 28, 2018 - 14:54
Keep in mind they're in only four states right now and currently operating in two. There are other U.S operators with multi-state footprints (IAN, CRZ, LHS, MRMD, etc.).
A few private players:
*1) Acreage Holdings - 11 States,
*2) Columbia Care - 9 States + D.C and Puerto Rico,
*3) Green Thumb Industries (GTI) - 5 States,
*4) Cresco Labs - 4 States.
Also, there are the other companies with agreements/operations in both the U.S. and Canada (CRZ, SNN).
Once their RTO (April 30, 2018) is completed, MedMen will have the highest addressable market of the publicly traded U.S. operators (CA - 39.5 million, NY - 19.8 million, NV - 2.9 million, Canada - 35 million through their JV with Cronos). Not too mention the number of visitors each of those markets get annually.
That being said, of the current public companies, I think they give good multi-state exposure in the U.S. in markets with high population density](https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/thematic/us_popdensity_2010map.pdf). This doesn't even factoring their Canadian exposure once they get operating. We'll see where they stand in the U.S. market if they're able to execute on the Massachusetts, Maryland, and Canadian operations. Also, remember they're pushing the MPX concentrates brand and are set to get exposure on both coasts.
I can't speak on their capital structure or financials. Some other users can discuss that.
TLDR
Arizona - Operating
*- MPX Dispensary Distribution: https://imgur.com/Xs3otSd
*- MPX-Owned Dispensaries: https://imgur.com/bPQutTc
Nevada - Operating
*- MPX Dispensary Distribution (Nevada): https://imgur.com/l3SoaWl
*- MPX Dispensary Distribution (Las Vegas, Nevada): https://imgur.com/J9rM7JU
Massachusetts - Building/Not currently operating
*- MPX Dispensary Distribution (Massachusetts): https://imgur.com/pIN0pAA
*- MPX Dispensary Distribution (New England): https://imgur.com/wk3e4Hs
Maryland - Building/Not currently operating
*- MPX-Owned Dispensary Distribution (Maryland): https://imgur.com/KrcT0g4

Good morning traders and investors of the stocks sub! Welcome to a new trading week and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market news this AM-

Today's Top Headlines for Monday, April 8th, 2019

• U.S. stock futures were lower this morning, meaning that the S&P 500's longest win streak in 18 months could come to an end today. The S&P 500 has been up for the past seven sessions, with the Dow and Nasdaq higher in six of the past seven trading days. (CNBC)
• Image sharing website Pinterest said this morning it would offer 75 million of its Class A shares as part of its initial public offer and priced them in the range of $15 to $17 per share. The company plans to list under the symbol "PINS" on the NYSE. (Reuters)
• Boeing (BA) shares were 4 percent lower in premarket trading after saying it would cut production of its 737 Max aircraft to 42 per month from 52, as it continues to work to return the aircraft to service following two fatal crashes.
• American Airlines extends flight cancellations (CNBC)
• General Electric's (GE) stock took a dive this morning after it was downgraded to "underweight" from "neutral" by J.P. Morgan Securities analyst Stephen Tusa, who also cut his price target on the stock to $5 per share from $6. (CNBC)
• On the data front, the government releases February factory orders this morning at 10 a.m. ET, with consensus forecasts calling for a 0.5% decline. Factory orders had increased by 0.1% in January. Separately, there are no earnings reports of note out today. (CNBC)
• Kirstjen Nielsen is leaving her role as Homeland Security secretaryas President Donald Trump intensifies his focus on the nation's border with Mexico. A White House aide told CNBC that Nielsen's departure was unexpected.
• As the annual IRS filing deadline of April 15 approaches, just 17% believe their own taxes will go down, according to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll. Republicans are the only group in which 30% or more believe they're getting a tax cut.
• The U.K.'s political future looks as uncertain as ever with cross-party talks over Brexit still bearing no compromise ahead of crucial decisions. EU leaders will meet Wednesday and decide whether to grant the U.K. more time to leave. (CNBC)
• Wells Fargo (WFC) was urged by Warren Buffett, its largest shareholder, to look outside of Wall Street for its next chief executive following the resignation of Tim Sloan. Buffett made his comments in an interview with the Financial Times.
• Michael Avenatti, facing extortion charges, upped the ante in his feud with Nike (NKE) over the weekend, dumping 41-pages of documents which he claims are evidence showing the retailer "bribed players to attend 'Nike' colleges."
• Amazon's (AMZN) satellite internet plan is increasingly looking like the one Elon Musk has at SpaceX. Among the reasons for the similarities, people tell CNBC, is that Jeff Bezos hired some of Musk's previous senior management.
• Lyft threatened litigation against Morgan Stanley, accusing the firm of supporting short-selling for investors who are subject to lock-up agreements. CNBC reviewed a copy of this letter, which was signed by Lyft's counsel Peter Stris of the law firm Stris & Maher.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

(CLICK HERE FOR STOCK FUTURES CHARTS!)

LAST WEEK'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK'S MARKET MAP!)

TODAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S MARKET MAP!)

LAST WEEK'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S!)

THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($DAL $JPM $RAD $WFC $BBBY $FAST $NC $MSM $SJR $INFY $FRC $WDFC $APOG $LNN $PSMT $SOL $SLP $CAAP $LEGH $SEAC $TRNX)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

()

([CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!]())

NONE.

THIS AFTERNOON'S POST-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

()

([CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!]())

NONE.

EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

([CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS RELEASES!]())

NONE.

EARNINGS RELEASES AFTER THE CLOSE TODAY:

([CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS RELEASES!]())

NONE.

FRIDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES LINK #1!)

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES LINK #2!)

FRIDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS!)

TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS:

• GE 5.50%
• CVM 4.54%
• SNAP 4.64%
• WMT 0.15%
• ZYNE 1.03%
• VSM 2.05%
• ROKU 4.10%
• UTHR 1.96%
• ALNY 1.50%
• EOLS 1.04%

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

Boeing — Boeing said it would cut production of its 737 Max aircraft to 42 per month from 52, as it continues to work to return the aircraft to service following two fatal crashes. In a related story, American Airlines said it would extend cancellations of 90 daily flights involving that aircraft by more than a month to June 5. In light of that production cut, and the possibility of more delays in restoring service, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch has cut its rating on the stock to "neutral" from "buy."

STOCK SYMBOL: BA

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Morgan Stanley — Morgan Stanley issued a statement saying it has not been involved in the marketing or execution of any short-selling trades involving Lyft. The firm said any activity involving the ride-hailing firm's shares has occurred in the normal course of market-making, and that any suggestion that has applied "short pressure" to Lyft is false.

STOCK SYMBOL: MS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Carlyle Group — The private-equity firm will buy between 30 percent and 40 percent of Spanish energy company Cepsa from majority shareholder Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi state-owned investment arm. The stake is valued at up to $4.8 billion.

STOCK SYMBOL: CG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wells Fargo — The bank was urged by Warren Buffett, its largest shareholder, to look outside of Wall Street for its next chief executive following the resignation of CEO Tim Sloan. Buffett made his comments in an interview with the Financial Times.

STOCK SYMBOL: WFC

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Fiat Chrysler — The automaker will pay Tesla hundreds of millions of euros to allow Tesla's electric cars to be counted in its fleet. That move will allow it to avoid fines for violating new, tougher European Union emissions rules.

STOCK SYMBOL: FCAU

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wynn Resorts — The casino operator was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Jefferies, which notes an improved outlook in China and Macau as well as saying that risk related to a Massachusetts license review is more positively skewed.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

General Electric — GE was downgraded to "underweight" from "neutral" by J.P. Morgan Securities analyst Stephen Tusa, who also cut his price target on the stock to $5 per share from $6. Tusa said investors are underestimating the severity of the challenges and underlying risks at GE.

STOCK SYMBOL: GE

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Procter & Gamble — P&G was upgraded to "outperform" from "market perform" at Wells Fargo, which said CEO David Taylor has infused a sense of urgency and responsibility into the consumer products giant that will result in better performance.

STOCK SYMBOL: PG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Harley-Davidson — Harley was downgraded to "market perform" from "outperform" at Wells Fargo, given weakness in the heavyweight motorcycle market, as well as uncertainty surrounding tariffs.

STOCK SYMBOL: HOG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Southwest Airlines — Southwest was downgraded to "market perform" from "outperform" at Raymond James, which cited risks related to the continuing grounding of Boeing's 737 Max jets.

STOCK SYMBOL: LUV

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Snap — Snap was upgraded to "outperform" from "sector perform" at RBC Capital due to several positive factors including evidence that Android platform improvements for the social media service are gaining traction.

STOCK SYMBOL: SNAP

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

DISCUSS!

What is on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at stocks?

I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Monday, April 8th, 2019! :)

Good morning traders and investors of the wallstreetbets sub! Welcome to a new trading week and a fresh start! Here are your pre-market news this AM-

Today's Top Headlines for Monday, April 8th, 2019

• U.S. stock futures were lower this morning, meaning that the S&P 500's longest win streak in 18 months could come to an end today. The S&P 500 has been up for the past seven sessions, with the Dow and Nasdaq higher in six of the past seven trading days. (CNBC)
• Image sharing website Pinterest said this morning it would offer 75 million of its Class A shares as part of its initial public offer and priced them in the range of $15 to $17 per share. The company plans to list under the symbol "PINS" on the NYSE. (Reuters)
• Boeing (BA) shares were 4 percent lower in premarket trading after saying it would cut production of its 737 Max aircraft to 42 per month from 52, as it continues to work to return the aircraft to service following two fatal crashes.
• American Airlines extends flight cancellations (CNBC)
• General Electric's (GE) stock took a dive this morning after it was downgraded to "underweight" from "neutral" by J.P. Morgan Securities analyst Stephen Tusa, who also cut his price target on the stock to $5 per share from $6. (CNBC)
• On the data front, the government releases February factory orders this morning at 10 a.m. ET, with consensus forecasts calling for a 0.5% decline. Factory orders had increased by 0.1% in January. Separately, there are no earnings reports of note out today. (CNBC)
• Kirstjen Nielsen is leaving her role as Homeland Security secretaryas President Donald Trump intensifies his focus on the nation's border with Mexico. A White House aide told CNBC that Nielsen's departure was unexpected.
• As the annual IRS filing deadline of April 15 approaches, just 17% believe their own taxes will go down, according to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll. Republicans are the only group in which 30% or more believe they're getting a tax cut.
• The U.K.'s political future looks as uncertain as ever with cross-party talks over Brexit still bearing no compromise ahead of crucial decisions. EU leaders will meet Wednesday and decide whether to grant the U.K. more time to leave. (CNBC)
• Wells Fargo (WFC) was urged by Warren Buffett, its largest shareholder, to look outside of Wall Street for its next chief executive following the resignation of Tim Sloan. Buffett made his comments in an interview with the Financial Times.
• Michael Avenatti, facing extortion charges, upped the ante in his feud with Nike (NKE) over the weekend, dumping 41-pages of documents which he claims are evidence showing the retailer "bribed players to attend 'Nike' colleges."
• Amazon's (AMZN) satellite internet plan is increasingly looking like the one Elon Musk has at SpaceX. Among the reasons for the similarities, people tell CNBC, is that Jeff Bezos hired some of Musk's previous senior management.
• Lyft threatened litigation against Morgan Stanley, accusing the firm of supporting short-selling for investors who are subject to lock-up agreements. CNBC reviewed a copy of this letter, which was signed by Lyft's counsel Peter Stris of the law firm Stris & Maher.

STOCK FUTURES CURRENTLY:

(CLICK HERE FOR STOCK FUTURES CHARTS!)

LAST WEEK'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK'S MARKET MAP!)

TODAY'S MARKET MAP:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S MARKET MAP!)

LAST WEEK'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR LAST WEEK'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S S&P SECTORS:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S S&P SECTORS CHART!)

TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S ECONOMIC CALENDAR!)

THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S:

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S UPCOMING IPO'S!)

THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR:

($DAL $JPM $RAD $WFC $BBBY $FAST $NC $MSM $SJR $INFY $FRC $WDFC $APOG $LNN $PSMT $SOL $SLP $CAAP $LEGH $SEAC $TRNX)

(CLICK HERE FOR THIS WEEK'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S PRE-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

()

([CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!]())

NONE.

THIS AFTERNOON'S POST-MARKET EARNINGS CALENDAR:

()

([CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS CALENDAR!]())

NONE.

EARNINGS RELEASES BEFORE THE OPEN TODAY:

([CLICK HERE FOR THIS MORNING'S EARNINGS RELEASES!]())

NONE.

EARNINGS RELEASES AFTER THE CLOSE TODAY:

([CLICK HERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S EARNINGS RELEASES!]())

NONE.

FRIDAY'S ANALYST UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES LINK #1!)

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S UPGRADES/DOWNGRADES LINK #2!)

FRIDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS:

(CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY'S INSIDER TRADING FILINGS!)

TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR:

(CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S DIVIDEND CALENDAR!)

THIS MORNING'S MOST ACTIVE TRENDING TICKERS:

• GE 5.50%
• CVM 4.54%
• SNAP 4.64%
• WMT 0.15%
• ZYNE 1.03%
• VSM 2.05%
• ROKU 4.10%
• UTHR 1.96%
• ALNY 1.50%
• EOLS 1.04%

THIS MORNING'S STOCK NEWS MOVERS:

(source: cnbc.com)

Boeing — Boeing said it would cut production of its 737 Max aircraft to 42 per month from 52, as it continues to work to return the aircraft to service following two fatal crashes. In a related story, American Airlines said it would extend cancellations of 90 daily flights involving that aircraft by more than a month to June 5. In light of that production cut, and the possibility of more delays in restoring service, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch has cut its rating on the stock to "neutral" from "buy."

STOCK SYMBOL: BA

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Morgan Stanley — Morgan Stanley issued a statement saying it has not been involved in the marketing or execution of any short-selling trades involving Lyft. The firm said any activity involving the ride-hailing firm's shares has occurred in the normal course of market-making, and that any suggestion that has applied "short pressure" to Lyft is false.

STOCK SYMBOL: MS

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Carlyle Group — The private-equity firm will buy between 30 percent and 40 percent of Spanish energy company Cepsa from majority shareholder Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi state-owned investment arm. The stake is valued at up to $4.8 billion.

STOCK SYMBOL: CG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wells Fargo — The bank was urged by Warren Buffett, its largest shareholder, to look outside of Wall Street for its next chief executive following the resignation of CEO Tim Sloan. Buffett made his comments in an interview with the Financial Times.

STOCK SYMBOL: WFC

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Fiat Chrysler — The automaker will pay Tesla hundreds of millions of euros to allow Tesla's electric cars to be counted in its fleet. That move will allow it to avoid fines for violating new, tougher European Union emissions rules.

STOCK SYMBOL: FCAU

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Wynn Resorts — The casino operator was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Jefferies, which notes an improved outlook in China and Macau as well as saying that risk related to a Massachusetts license review is more positively skewed.

STOCK SYMBOL: WYNN

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

General Electric — GE was downgraded to "underweight" from "neutral" by J.P. Morgan Securities analyst Stephen Tusa, who also cut his price target on the stock to $5 per share from $6. Tusa said investors are underestimating the severity of the challenges and underlying risks at GE.

STOCK SYMBOL: GE

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Procter & Gamble — P&G was upgraded to "outperform" from "market perform" at Wells Fargo, which said CEO David Taylor has infused a sense of urgency and responsibility into the consumer products giant that will result in better performance.

STOCK SYMBOL: PG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Harley-Davidson — Harley was downgraded to "market perform" from "outperform" at Wells Fargo, given weakness in the heavyweight motorcycle market, as well as uncertainty surrounding tariffs.

STOCK SYMBOL: HOG

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Southwest Airlines — Southwest was downgraded to "market perform" from "outperform" at Raymond James, which cited risks related to the continuing grounding of Boeing's 737 Max jets.

STOCK SYMBOL: LUV

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

Snap — Snap was upgraded to "outperform" from "sector perform" at RBC Capital due to several positive factors including evidence that Android platform improvements for the social media service are gaining traction.

STOCK SYMBOL: SNAP

• CLICK HERE FOR CHART!

(CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STOCK QUOTE!)

DISCUSS!

What is on everyone's radar for today's trading day ahead here at wallstreetbets?

I hope you all have an excellent trading day ahead today on this Monday, April 8th, 2019! :)

Last year I listened to and wrote small reviews on Pitchfork's top 50 of 2017, which can be read here. It was a lot of fun and I found a ton of new music I wouldn't have discovered otherwise.
I will still do the Pitchfork one for 2018, although I'm sure they'll have some of the same albums as this list on Uncut.
I listen to the albums from 75-1, and to stay surprised, I try not to look to see what the next album is. I'll post Spotify links to each album in case you're interested. Will update the list as I finish each album.
75. Fatoumata Diawara - Fenfo (Something To Say): This album was actually pretty cool. If I'm remembering correctly, it reminded me a lot of Ibeyi's Ash from last year, which I enjoyed. This had a cool island vibe to it and was pretty upbeat (for the most part). She doesn't sing in English (except for a few parts) but it didn't matter. It was still a pretty refreshing listen. I kinda got annoyed listening to this and at most times I just really wanted it to end. Felt pretty repetitive and wasn't really into it. Personally don't think I'd come back to it but I thought the same thing about Ibeyi's album but I go back to that from time to time. Albums like this is why I enjoy doing these lists. I would have never thought to put this album on otherwise. 5/10.
74. Beach House - 7: Honestly pretty surprised this album is so low on this list. This hasn't been getting the proper treatment it rightfully deserves. I heard it when it first came out and I liked it. Beach House, in my opinion is the quintessential bedroom pop/dream pop band. For a long time they've put out pretty great albums. That could just be me reminiscing on my younger festival days. Beach House was one of the first bands I had ever seen play a festival. I think Pitchfork in 2010. Anyway, I don't think it's as good as Teen Dream or Bloom but it's a refreshing album nonetheless. Especially if you're into the bedroom pop stuff that's become pretty popular as of late (Jay Som, Soccer Mommy, etc). Pay No Mind is probably my favorite song off this album and is one of my favorite songs of the year. Lose Your Smile is great, too. 7/10.
73. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour: I've been a fan of hers since I first heard Same Trailer Different Park a while ago. Simply put, she writes good pop country songs. Little fun fact, Musgraves wrote Mother while she was tripping on acid and got a text from her mom which sent her into an emotional breakdown. Her lyrics are genuine and honest (although sometimes can be a little cheesy), but they're all very well written. I'm actually surprised this isn't higher on the list. It's a great, smooth, beautifully written album. Velvet Elvis, Love Is A Wild Thing, and Butterflies are my jams. 7/10.
72. Olivia Chaney - Shelter: I was really excited for this album. Last year, Chaney teamed up with the Decemberists to form Offa Rex. Which is a pretty great album as well. Chaney has a beautiful voice. It's like a lullaby. She whispers softly throughout the album and it's incredibly soothing and so easy to listen to. The musical arrangements in each songs are masterfully put together that you often forget to pay attention to anything she's singing. The whole album is pure folk music. It's poetry. The only downside is I almost felt bored and found it a little difficult to keep my attention throughout. Impossible and true/I wait/With feeling/Hold me down/Or let me go/Darling won't you/Let me throw a tender rope/For you, Chaney sings on Arches. And on Dragonfly, she sings As actors/On the wrong stage/With imperfect lines/My dragonfly beats it's wings/In vain, so high/I hope I don't lose my lines. Should mention that IOU gets an early vote for one of my favorite songs of the year. Paste said it best when they called this album a "Sunday morning record." While it was putting to me asleep at times, overall, it's pretty great stuff. 7/10.
71. Jon Hopkins - Singularity: I'm not gonna lie, when I read that this was a "microhouse" album, I kinda rolled my eyes. What kind of pretentious sub-genre is this? Boy was I wrong. This is the kind of album you put on, turn up the volume and listen to front to back no problem. And now I get it. Microhouse is just a toned down version of regular house music. This whole album is a trip. It was just so easy to listen to and made my ears feel good. I don't think you can listen to random tracks off of this album. It feels like a whole experience, the whole album needs to be played in it's entirety to truly enjoy it. So many good sounds/beats, Hopkins literally takes you to a different world throughout this album. Ranking this at 71 seems pretty low. I'm really struggling to find something I didn't like about this album. 10/10.
70. Harmony Rockets - Lachesis / Clotho / Atropos: I wasn't really into this album to be honest. I felt bored after a little while. It's like improvised psychedelic jams and while some parts were cool and fun to listen to, I lost interest rather quickly. Don't really see how this is higher on the list than the previous album, but hey, here we are. 4/10.
69. Natalie Prass - The Future And The Past: Imagine for a second that Jessie Ware and Robyn had a daughter that made music. That's exactly how I felt listening to Natalie Prass. Those that know me know I'm a serious sucker for female pop vocalists. I guess she originally scrapped an entire albums worth of music after the 2016 election and began to write this one based on her frustration/heartbreak with the result. [Per her interview with Exclaim! via Genius: but Prass pushed the album’s release to scrap half the songs and replace them with songs that tackle culture divides and gender and income inequality, all of which have been exacerbated during Trump’s presidency.] The lyrics get across her message almost immediately with the albums opener, Oh My. Not once does this album seem like it's over the top or that she's trying too hard. Imo, the only negative thing I can say about this album, is that it kind of relies too much on funk/soul/jazz, etc. This is the first album I've heard by here, so that just may be her thing. Another song that gets a vote for my end of year list is definitely Lost. Album is a must listen. 9/10.
68. Richard Swift - The Hex: Honestly, I couldn't get into this album. It was interesting and weird with lots of different experimental sounds. His voice was difficult for me to get used to. At times, the whole thing almost felt overwhelming. With lots going on, it was difficult to concentrate or focus on it. I will say though, there are some beautiful arrangements on this album, particularly HZLWD, which happens to be an instrumental. My favorite song off the album though is probably Dirty Jim. 4/10.
67. Phosphorescent - C'est La Vie: This album rules. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Reminds me of last years War On Drugs album (which was also good). It's got a great Americana/heartland sound to it that is sometimes missing in newer rock albums. There's really not much to say about this album. If you're into bands like War On Drugs, Kurt Vile, Wilco, Father John Misty, Okkervil River, etc. then this is a can't miss record. New Birth In New England was my favorite song off this album and will surely make my final list of best songs. 10/10.
66. Arve Henriksen - The Height of the Reeds: I wasn't crazy about this album. It was all instrumentals (usually not a big deal). He's a trumpet player but he does a great job of not really making it sound like a trumpet. Definitely filled with some interesting sounds, but I honestly found myself getting bored rather quickly. I didn't really find it to be relaxing/soothing, either. Usually with albums like this I can turn it on and just zone out. This one was different. Favorite part of this album were the song titles. For example, The Swans Bend Their Necks Backward To See God, and "Is There A Limit For The Internal*. 4/10.
65. Blood Orange - Negro Swan: Heard the name, never listened, not what I was expecting. This was nothing short of great. Dev Hynes has such a cool, soothing voice. The music is awesome...all the beats/sounds fit perfectly within each track. The spoken lyrics that appear throughout the album are a nice touch that break up the pace of the album (not an issue). Few great features as well, with Diddy, A$AP, and Project Pat. If you're a fan of artists like Frank Ocean, Solange, Jorja Smith, etc. and haven't heard this, I suggest you get on it as quickly as possible. Such an easy listen. Saint, Hope, and Chewing Gum were my favorites, but honestly, not a single bad track. This album is a must listen. 10/10.
64. Suede - The Blue Hour: This album was FUCKING SWEET. Never heard of these guys before but they've been a band for a very long time. This whole album was outstanding. They have a cool heavy/gothic 80s sound (that I'm not usually into), but it sounds so new and fresh. There's a clear Smiths influence throughout this whole project. The whole thing is just...good. I have little issues with this album, but one complaint I have is that his voice got to be a tad much by the time it was over. Wastelands, Beyond The Outskirts, and Don't Be Afraid If Nobody Loves You are my favorite tracks, but it was honestly difficult to narrow it down. This album is a must listen. 9/10.
63. Israel Nash - Lifted: Cool folky/country rock/dreampop/Americana album. I really got a vibe of multiple different genres throughout the whole thing, which was pretty cool/refreshing. Nash reminds me a little of guys like Jason Isbell, Hiss The Golden Messenger, Son Volt, etc. This was just such an easy early morning album to listen to. I really liked the retro Americana sound that's throughout the whole thing, but tbh this album didn't really do it for me. My main issues with this album is that a lot of the songs, imo, sound pretty much the same and he just doesn't really do anything different or better on this album that I can't get elsewhere within this alt-country/Americana genre. I don't think this is one I'd revisit, kind of a "listen and forget" album. That being said, if alt-country is your jam, this should be worth your time. Rolling On and Golden Fleeces were my two favorite from this project. 6/10.
62. Angelique Kidjo - Remain In Light: This caught me completely off guard. She's a Beninese singer with an incredible voice. The whole album (which I didn't realize) is a cover of Talking Heads' 1980 classic Remain In Light. She does a fantastic job throughout the entire thing. Full of awesome jazz (which I'm usually not crazy about) and TONS of African influences, this thing is seriously such a great time. Once In A Lifetime is one of the best covers I've ever heard. I don't think I had a single issue with this album. Must listen. 10/10.
61. Laurie Anderson & Kronos Quartet - Landfall: This album was pretty weird. Ambient/instrumental/spoken word...I don't know, I felt pretty lost throughout the whole thing and felt like I couldn't concentrate on anything. Clocking in at thirty songs and over an hour long, I got bored almost immediately. There were a few good songs, but overall, this was one that I would have been fine with skipping. I'm just not sure. 4/10.
60. U.S. Girls - In A Poem Unlimited: I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I've been a big fan of dreampop for the better part of a year or so (Jay Som, Soccer Mommy, Beach House, etc) so it was no surprise that I was a fan of this album. Listening to M.A.H, I got serious Gwen Stefani No Doubt vibes with was pretty awesome. And honestly, she reminds me a lot of Stefani/Blondie throughout the whole album (not really a bad thing). This whole thing was just a solid pop album. The previous mentioned M.A.H (mad as hell) is my favorite song off the album. That particular song takes a critical look at Obama's presidency, which is a super different take than the ever-so-popular FDT takes. 8/10.
59. Stick In The Wheel - Follow Them True: One of the most unique albums on this list. English folk band that doesn't go too crazy. It opens up with Over Again (which is a great song) but I was left waiting for this to turn into like an album full of Irish drinking songs. The whole album ends up being pretty minimalistic and uses their voices heavily to carry the album. Parts of it reminded me a little of Delta Rae. Great rhythms, cool sound. Definitely not something for everyone, and while I was left impressed and curious, I wasn't really into it. 6/10.
58. Mary Gauthier - Rifles And Rosary Beads: This was a good folky/country album. I liked this album and I especially liked the idea behind it. Per NPR, she worked in collaboration with the nonprofit SongwritingWith:Soldiers to co-write the album's 11 tracks with veterans and their families. That's a pretty incredible thing to do and it leads to some heavy lyrics. Honestly too many good lyrics to share, the songwriting is top-notch and the melodies are great. I think you'll just need to hear it for yourself. This album was made in a special way, I'm not sure I've heard anything quite like it before. Knowing she wrote this with Veterans really changes your perspective on it. 8/10.
57. Elephant Micah - Genericana: Low energy, rock/experimental album that I thought sounded pretty cool for a little bit. Some parts were clean and easy to listen to, other times I found it to be a little messy with the distortion. This was a good break from the folk/indie that's been pretty heavy for the past few albums but this wasn't something I particularly enjoyed. 5/10.
56. Dawn Landes - Meet Me At The River: This will probably end up in my top 5 for AOTY. I really enjoyed this. I have a soft spot for female vocalists, particularly in the indie/folk/country categories. But make no mistake, this is a country album. She reminded me a bit of Kacey Musgraves/Miranda Lambert/Joan Baez/Brandi Carlisle/Amanda Shires/etc. I had most of this album pretty much on repeat. It's fun to listen to, easy to sing along with and the songs are genuinely well written. The lyrics in Why They Name Whiskey After Men are pretty catchy: "It comes on strong and keeps you warm before it starts to do you in/And in spite of the pain you go back again/Must be why they name whiskey after men." It was honestly pretty difficult to pick a favorite song off this album. The previously mentioned Whiskey After Men and Southern Girl were up there. 10/10.
55. Jess Williamson - Cosmic Wink: Best way to describe Jess Williamson is probably a more folk-y Angel Olsen. Pretty cool. "Your hair in my bed is regarded as a relic/My past and my future envy me." Great lyrics she sings on Awakening Baby, my favorite track off this album. The whole thing is full of great melodies and lyrics that make you want to restart each song and listen again. However, I think just one listen was enough. It wasn't something I kept thinking about after I finished it. 7/10.
54. Tune-Yards - I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life: I enjoyed this album quite a bit. I thought it was a fun, quick listen, almost every song had me nodding my head to the music. Electro indie pop is usually pretty awesome so I gotta give props to this record. It can be a bit much at times, and does sound like it's a little cluttered and definitely obscure, but the actual music is pretty damn catchy and damn fun. Look At Your Hands is my jam. 7/10.
53. David Byrne - American Utopia: I wasn't really too sure what to expect with this album and I wasn't sure if I was going to be into it. But I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a nicely paced electronic/pop record with some pretty obscure/outrageous lyrics and sounds (which is probably pretty typical for Byrne). Now the chicken imagines a heaven/Full of roosters and plenty of corn/And God is a very old roosteAnd eggs are like Jesus, his son. Pretty goofy stuff, but it's a ton of fun. Every Day Is A Miracle is easily my favorite song off this album. 7/10.
52. Willie Nelson - Last Man Standing: Another album where I wasn't really sure what to expect. Although I'm a fan of country music, I had never really listened to Willie Nelson before this album. But I gotta say, I dig it and I get the appeal. Perfect balance of country/blues/rock. His lyrics are pretty top notch and the whole album was a great listen. First verse from Something You Get Through: "When you lose the one you love/You think your world has ended/You think your world will be a waste of life/Without them in it/You feel there's no way to go on/Life is just a sad, sad song/But love is bigger than us all/The end is not the end at all." It's just so easy to tap your foot to the rhythm of this album. He's 85! That's incredible! The previously mentioned Something you Get Through is my favorite song off the album, but there really isn't a bad one. 9/10.
51. Gwenifer Raymond - You Never Were Much Of A Dancer: She's a fantastic guitabanjo player. It's pretty incredible what she does throughout this whole album. It's all instrumentals and I'll admit, I got pretty bored of it rather quickly. I just felt empty afterwards and felt like I needed more. Which is dumb to say because the whole album is extremely complex and in-depth. There just felt like something was missing. 6/10.
50. The Necks - Body: Gotta say, I wasn't crazy about this one. First and foremost, I was never really into jazz music. If it's on at a party or background music while I work, cool. But I've never gone out of my way to listen to the genre. Body is an experimental jazz/post-rock album by Australian trio The Necks. The album is one song long, close to an hour. It started kinda slow and I was pretty bored, but it does pick up and get kind of cool around the 25 minute mark. I'm impressed that they were able to improvise this whole thing for an hour long but I would have personally preferred 8-10 individual tracks. Probably wouldn't listen to this again. 5/10.
49. Mary Lattimore - Hundreds Of Days: This album kinda caught me off guard. Knew nothing about her or her music, but she's an American classically trained harpist. This album was absolutely gorgeous. Each track told a different story that I'm not smart enough to understand, but their titles are masterfully written with names like Never Saw Him Again, Their Faces Streaked With Light And Filled With Pity, and On The Day You Saw The Dead Whale. You can feel different emotions in every track and they all leave you open to your own interpretation as to what they're about. Of course, there's no lyrics, but this album doesn't even need them. If you want something easy to listen to, while studying, cooking, trying to relax, sitting in a coffee shop on a rainy fall day, this album would be pretty perfect. My favorite tracks are Baltic Birch and the aforementioned On The Day You Saw The Dead Whale. I'm gonna go cry now and think about my life. 7/10.
48. Laura Veirs - The Lookout: I really thought this album was going to be great, but I was left thinking it was "just good." I have never heard of Veirs prior to this list, but she reminds me of artists like Lucy Dacus, Jenny Lewis, maybe Laura Marling too. Found it interesting that it was her first solo album since 2013, and her first project since she collaborated with Neko Case and k.d. lang on 2016's case/lang/veirs (which I have not heard). I'm a pretty big fan of indie/indie folk/alternative country but honestly, for no particular reason, I found this album to be quite forgettable and don't think I'd come back to listen to it. That being said, her soft vocals make this a pretty easy listening experience and again, the whole album works damn well as background music. My favorite tracks were Heavy Petals and Everybody Needs You. 6/10.
47. Julia Holter - Aviary: I was unsure about this album. At times I wasn't very into it and at other times I though it was a beautifully made album. Definitely a neat progressive/experimental/indie pop project though which is nice, it's something that I've never really heard/listened to. I don't think this is one I'd revisit, I don't really think this album is important to this list. 5/10.
46. Kathryn Joseph - From When I Wake The Want Is: Odd little folk/indie album...Kathryn Joseph has a little whiny voice, similar to Joanna Newsome/Bjork. Her voice is definitely an acquired taste but if you give it a chance, not terribly difficult to deal with it. I just personally couldn't get into it, her voice kind of annoyed me and made it a little dificult to enjoy the rest of the album. The album has a pretty serious Radiohead vibe to it (never a bad thing). It sounds super unique and worth a listen if want to hear a little mix of Bjork and Radiohead. 6/10.
45. Anna Calvi - Hunter: This album seriously feels like such an 80s pop-rock/goth classic. I really enjoyed it and couldn't get enough of it. Lots of cool chord progressions, awesome goth sounds, this album pretty much had it all. Don't Beat The Girl Out Of My Boy and Chain were my favorite songs off this album. 8/10.
44. Ryley Walker - Deafman Glance: Pretty good jazzy/indie folk/psychedelic album. Pretty much just a dude with a nice soft voice and his guitar making nice music. He'd be your middle-of-the-day jam band festival act and he'd fit the bill perfectly. Super chill album to have on at work or just relaxing at home. Telluride Speed is definitely my favorite track from this album. 7/10.
43. Tracey Thorn - Record: Alright I enjoyed this quite a bit. Such a cool and fun pop/dance record. I spent the whole time just tapping my foot and bopping my head. I was pretty surprised to learn she's been making music since 1980, but it makes total sense. This sounds a lot like a classic 80's pop album. This album seems to do a good job of cheering you up and just wanting to make you move around. So fun. Guitar and Dancefloor are my favorite songs off this album. But honestly, I couldn't really find a song I didn't like. Really not much more you could ask for from a pop record. 10/10.
42. Melody's Echo Chamber - Bon Voyage: I feel like this album is pretty underrated. There's just something so magical and different about it that makes me keep coming back. Great mix of psychedelic/indie rock/pop all at once. On top of all that she sings a few songs in French or Swedish which just help add to albums mystique. There are a few parts on this album that seem a little over the top, like on the song Desert Horse, there are so many different sounds at once, but somehow it works. Overall, I really enjoyed the sound of this album and I think it should easily be considered a must listen. 9/10.
41. Cat Power - Wanderer: I was pretty excited for this album. Cat Power has always been someone I enjoyed listening to and honestly, I totally forgot all about her...granted, it's been six years since her last album. Wanderer is about what you'd expect from her in terms of melodies, guitar playing (lots of finger picking), piano, lyrics, wonderful voice, etc. She completely reimagined Rihanna's Stay, which is one of my favorite songs of the year. I came back to a few songs on this album at least twice, especially Horizon. This is a light album, easy to turn on and simply listen to. Truthfully, it's been quite some time since I heard any of her previous albums, but there's a good chance I enjoyed this one the most. 7/10.
40. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino: Don't crucify me but I've never really been too into Arctic Monkeys. I just don't think I ever got it or was crazy about his voice. But, I was surprised by this album. I found it to be pretty enjoyable. It was a lot different than other rock albums I heard this year and I think a lot of that has to do with Alex Turner's voice (which I came away enjoying more than I did previously). Clocking in at 40 minutes, I sort of felt like the album dragged on and was too long. When I finished it, I walked away with a real "once you've heard it once, you've heard it a dozen times" feeling. 6/10.
39. Eleanor Friedberger - Rebound: I wasn't expecting to run into any Fiery Furnaces on this list. Eleanor Friedberger is/was the lead singer of that band (Illinois suburb represent!). Anyway, this was a clean/polished indie pop/rock/bedroom pop/dreampop/whatever album that made me feel alright. I did get a little bored toward the end of the album but overall I enjoyed it. Some parts (her voice, specifically) can even be a little dream-popy which remind me of Beach House (pretty good thing) and at times, she reminds me of Tracey Thorn. Straight up decent indie pop/rock album that will likely leave no lasting impression on me. Everything was my favorite song on this album. 6/10.
38. Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us: The whole time I listened to this I kept hearing Ryan Adams. My goodness the singer is basically doing his best Adams impression on most of this album. Just listen to Eyes Wide Awake and tell me I'm wrong. Anyway, this was a looooong indie rock album that was pretty enjoyable. I just couldn't get past his voice and there's nothing really wrong with that but it just didn't sound different or do anything more unique than any other indie rock album I've heard this year. 6/10.
37. Stephan Malkmus and the Jicks - Sparkle Head: What more could you ask for from Stephen Malkmus than a solid 90's alternative/indie rock record? Nothing. This is exactly what this album is. I was never crazy about Pavement or other Malkmus works but I overall enjoyed this record. I really liked Middle America which I've heard a lot (may have been the single? Or in a TV show?). Anyway, I'd say this is pretty much a must listen if you're craving some old school 90's indie rock. 7/10.
36. The Lemon Twigs - Go To School: A musical! This album is about a monkey that goes to school with humans and it's as silly as it sounds. A fun, goofy, silly pop album that was so fun to listen to. Clearly inspired by classic 70s and southern heartland music, this sounds like an awesome theatrical production by two brothers that are just having fun. I honestly haven't heard an album like this since Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell. This Is My Tree sounds like it's 40 years old but it's so fresh. Gotta listen to this one. So fun. 9/10.
35. Go-Kart Mozart - Mozart's Mini Mart: This was a goooooooooofy British electronic indie pop album. This was sooo weird and obscure. I will say though, easily my favorite album name of the year. The album is short so they did a pretty good job of keeping my interest throughout the whole thing even though I ended up not being too crazy about it. It's pretty obvious they don't really take themselves too serious which adds to their goofiness. Less than 3,000 monthly listeners on Spotify so it's pretty impressive these guys found themselves so high on this list. The music itself was pretty neat and fun but the whole thing was just way too out there for me. 6/10.
34. Hookworms - Microshift: I can confidently say this is one of my favorite albums of the year. It's a cool psychedelic/electronic/indie rock album that hits all the right spots. Cool vocals, cool effects, cool fucking music. The singers voice reminds me of something so familiar but I can't quite figure it out. It's pretty difficult to find anything about this album I didn't like. I really, really liked this. There was something different about it. The mix of electronic and indie rock is apparently a recipe for success. Static Resistance, Ullswater and Opener were my favorites off the album. Listen to this and enjoy. 10/10.
33. Connan Mockasin - Jassbusters: There pretty much isn't a more boring way to follow the Hookworms' album than with this one. I'm not claiming this one is bad. It was just boooooring. Thankfully it was a super short album. Every song just felt the same to me. No doubt this man is talented but I simply couldn't get into it. Glass of wine dinner making music imo. 6/10.
32. Gwenno - Le Kov: Cute lil indie pop record. Whole album is in Cornish so beats the fuck out of me what she's saying or singing about, but it's pretty nonetheless. The music accompanying her nice voice is worthwhile though, even though it's in another language. Compared to other albums with similar style, it's nothing special. But it's an easy listen, makes for pretty good background/working music. 6/10.
31. Gazelle Twin - Pastoral: Oh boy I was not a fan of this. Super strange industrial music that distracted the fuck out of me. I was annoyed, bored and simply could not get into this. Thankfully, this was less than 40 minutes long. It was weird. If you're into intense shit you'd probably like this. I however, am not and did not. 2/10.
30. Mélissa Laveaux - Radyo Siwél: Lots of fingerpicking, super soulful voice...pretty much everything I enjoy. Not sure what language she sings in but for the most part, it isn't in english. I was into it when I first started listening, but towards the end, I ended up not being particularly crazy about this. It didn't really move me or make me think about it in any way. I think I'd say half the songs were pretty good and the other half was just straight boring. 6/10.
29. Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears: Don't let the strange name throw you off. There's honestly not a single bad thing I could say about this album. I enjoyed every second of it and have had it on repeat all week. These girls are something else. Super talented electronic/pop/synth band that does everything right. A lot of synth to create deep/dark sounds, beautiful vocals and songs that keep your attention throughout the entire album. It's Not Just Me, Falling Into You, Cool & Collected, Donnie Darko, etc. take your pick. Every song is great. I'd consider this a must listen. 10/10.
28. Dirty Projectors - Lamp Lit Prose: This just felt like a mess, I thought everything was kind of thrown all over the place. At times I found it to be too distracting, goofy, too weird, obscure. I don't get it. It was simply exhausting. Though I'll say I did enjoy That's A Lifestyle. 5/10.
27. IDLES - Joy As An Act Of Resistance: Holy smokes! This was incredible. It was intense, politically charged (albeit never feels like a political album), straight punk music. I can't remember the last time I've heard anything like this, if ever. Whatever IDLES did to produce this record should be imitated/replicated by every band today. I'm Scum leading into Danny Nedelko is my favorite one/two punch of tracks so far this year. Was difficult getting myself to move on with this list because this was so good. Very good chance this ends up as my AOTY. Instant classic. Listen to this now. 10/10.
26. John Prine - The Tree Of Forgiveness: This album will grow on you. Wonderful, warm, easy listening. If you're into Country/Americana, this is a pretty good record for you to dive into. There's some nice songs on here and there's certainly some forgettable ones. Definitely feel some Willie Nelson, Neil Young, etc. This is perfect background working music. Turn this on and just get shit done. I thought that Willie Nelson from earlier was better. Boundless Love is my favorite tune from this album. 7/10.
25. Courtney Marie Andrews - May Your Kindness Remain: Likely the best country album I've ever heard. As soon as the chorus hits on the albums opening track, you can tell how good it's going to be. I haven't felt that much during this list. It's so smooth, vocals are unimaginably good, lyrics are deep and incredibly thought out. There truly isn't a single bad song on this album. Great lyrics throughout. On the albums title track: "Broke on a barstool, throwin' your paycheck away/On overpriced booze, slots, and valet/Fortune might buy diamonds, all shiny and new/But it can't buy you happiness or love, that is true." Or from Took You Up: "Lonely even when you're standin' there/In so deep with few words to share/Sometimes love gets you so damn depressed/All you can do is hide from it/But I wouldn't have it any other way/Wouldn't take the mansions or the getaways/Wouldn't trade love for a million bucks/If I have you then that's enough." Country album of the year. Must listen for any country fan or simply anyone that appreciates great singing/songwriting. 10/10.
24. Paul Weller - True Meanings:
23. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In:
22. Father John Misty - God's Favorite Customer: