Thursday Clutter: Travel Mask Mandate, Bernie Sanders, Ginni Thomas, Netflix, iPhone, Boston Celtics, Deebo Samuel, Stone Sour, and more
04/21/2022
Hi folks,
How are we doing? I woke up a little out of sorts this morning. Don't know why that should be the case. I slept fine, but things are just bit off right out of the gate. BDH and Little Buddha told me to take a deep breath, and they promised to help me try to focus on having a productive day. Still not feeling it at the moment, but with these two in my corner, I'm sure things will come together eventually. Plus, you're here, and that means it's time to get to work. The guys made coffee, so grab yourself a nice medium DD, because it's time to clear out some Thursday Clutter.
The Department of Justice said it will appeal the ruling that struck down the Biden administration's travel mask mandate, after the CDC said the requirement is still necessary to protect public health. However, the administration won't be enforcing the rule while the case plays out in the courts. This appeal seems more like a legal maneuver to protect the CDC's authority to implement these kinds of decisions in the future. The rule was blocked by a Trump appointee who was deemed "not qualified" by the American Bar Association. Even though he's out of office, Donald Trump is still negatively impacting lives, which is a reminder that all federal elections really come down to who has the ability to appoint judges. Our condolences to the immunocompromised and children under 5, as officials make it clear they don't really care about these vulnerable groups.
Senator Bernie Sanders has not ruled out running again for president in 2024 if Joe Biden doesn't seek a second term, according to a memo from Sanders' former campaign manager. We have all the respect in the world for the liberal giant, and he's done an impressive job of moving the Democratic Party to the left. If President Biden does decide not to run for re-election, the Democratic field will need a progressive champion fighting for ordinary Americans. However, Senator Sanders will be 80 years old in 2024, and the country needs younger voices to take on the challenges of the future. Sanders' generation seems determined to hold onto power until they die, and that has to end.
It's time to pass the torch. (pic via abcnews.go.com)
It's unsurprising, yet still insane, that people seem to have just moved on from the fact that Ginni Thomas was promoting insurrection and pushing conspiracy theories to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows while her husband sits on the U.S. Supreme Court. The woman is actively working to undermine U.S. democracy, and the best that Democrats came up with was, "Yeah, Justice Thomas probably shouldn't weigh in on January 6-related cases." The cowardice in this party knows no limits.
We're pleased to see that Cook County prosecutors have expunged over 15,000 marijuana-related convictions from their records over the past two years. This should be happening nationwide. The war on pot is racist and has ruined many lives. Cleaning up the records can at least help those who were unjustly convicted with things like finding jobs and housing.
Netflix stock is down an astounding 62.14% for the year, after the company announced its first quarterly subscriber loss in more than 10 years. The stock is at $226.19 as we write this, which is the lowest it's been since January 2018. Before we go any further, let's be clear that the Clutter investment team isn't giving you a recommendation about this stock. The team doesn't love individual stocks as a general rule, and you should always do your own research before making any investment decisions. However, this is the sort of dynamic that catches their attention. Is this the beginning of the end for Netflix? Maybe, but if it's not, investors should be interested in a stock where it looks like others are panicking about short-term bad news. Multi-year lows are worth looking into further when you have a long-term perspective.
There is speculation that the first "full-screen iPhone" could arrive in 2024. That's not really a big deal for us at the moment, since we won't be upgrading anytime soon. However, if the rumors are true, we'll look into it further when it's time to consider an iPhone 16 or higher, which will probably be somewhere around 2028. Of course, you can drop us a review earlier than that if you like.
Instagram is tweaking its algorithm to prioritize original content over things like re-shared TikTok videos. How do you feel about that?
Congratulations to Meghan Ottolini, who will become the third host on the Merloni and Fauria afternoon program on WEEI. Ottolini wears a number of hats as both a Boston Herald reporter and co-host of Quick Slants on NBC Sports Boston. We've heard her on multiple occasions on WEEI's weekend programming, and the woman knows her sports. Unfortunately, there's no chance we're going to listen to this show, because her co-hosts are unbearable, but we wish Ottolini the best of luck with the new gig.
The Boston Red Sox lost 6-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays last night. Boston's starter Nick Pivetta continues to struggle early in the season. He gave up five runs in the second inning, and Boston's bats went quiet for the night. Pivetta is best suited to be the #4 or #5 pitcher in a starting rotation, not #2. We expect him to improve in the upcoming weeks, but if he's still Boston's #2 pitcher in the second half of the season, that's a major tell that Red Sox management sees 2022 as a bridge year. Next up, Tanner Houck takes the mound against the Blue Jays this afternoon.
The Red Sox paid tribute to late announcer Jerry Remy before last night's game. He was remembered by former teammates and colleagues, but the absence of longtime TV partner Don Orsillo was glaring. According to Boston Globe writer Chad Finn, the Red Sox asked Orsillo to send in a video a week ago, denied his request to be at the ceremony, and then told him his video wasn't needed. We have no idea why the team is so disrespectful to Orsillo. He and Remy were an amazing team who provided the soundtrack to years of great memories. Shame on the organization.
We didn't know which closer was the first one to use entrance music, but the answer doesn't surprise us. As a bonus, that linked article just informed us that MLB has a page listing all of the walk-up songs the players use.
The Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 114-107 last night to take a 2-0 lead in their playoff series. The Celtics are showing it's no fluke they've been the hottest team in the NBA since January. Boston was down at the half, but this team has learned to trust each other, and they suffocated Brooklyn with their defense for the rest of the game. We're not basketball experts here, but Brooklyn's plan seems to be to just let Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving do whatever they want and then hope that's enough to win the game. Boston once again kept Durant in check with 27 points, and Kyrie could only muster 10 points. We can't wait to see if the Celtics can push the Nets to the brink of elimination when the series moves to Brooklyn on Saturday.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has apparently told the San Francisco 49ers he'd like to be traded. There seem to be conflicting reports about whether Samuel's desire to move is based on money, how he's used by the team, or both. In any case, while we can't imagine they'd be willing to pay the steep price to get him, we'd love to see Samuel with the New England Patriots. With his speed and ability to make things happen after the catch, Samuel would be a game-changer for quarterback Mac Jones' development.
Marvel certainly hasn't been stingy with the promos for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Let's take a look at the latest clip:
Okay kids, that's going to do it for now. Here's Stone Sour to close things out with "Tired" for today's, "Song of the Day."
Thanks for stopping by, everyone. It's always great to see you. Enjoy the rest of your day, be good, and we'll catch up with you again soon. Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.
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