October 2012

Donald Trump's big announcement

It didn’t live up to the ‘October Surprise’ billing.

From the Desk of Donald Trump: Major Announcement

Donald Trump’s big announced seemed to be nothing more than trying to get some of the limelight to himself. What better way to eat up the media attention than circulate reports about a possible bombshell being dropped about President Obama?

I suppose reading Obama’s college transcripts and his passport application would be interesting and solve some of the problems for a substantial minority of Americans. But, if we go by what the non-partisan website Factcheck.org has to say, presidents usually don’t release these types of records.

Even the transcripts that were obtained from George W. Bush and John Kerry were actually leaked by the press rather than being released by Bush and Kerry.

Beyonce to perform at the Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show

Things are going to heat up come February.

Beyonce will perform her hits at the Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show. Fans are excited and Beyonce has stated many times that this would be her dream. I wonder if there will be any wardrobe malfunctions this time!

There isn’t much out there with regards to what to expect. Will Destiny’s Child make an appearance? And what about Jay-Z? Solange Knowles could possibly do a cameo. I've always been a big fan of Beyonce's sister. Anyway, the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show will be buzzing with the Queen Bey performing.

Powerful supporters try to sway inside trader Rajat Gupta sentencing

Bill Gates and Kofi Annan among them.

Rajat Gupta had a great career at McKinsey & Company and he did a lot of philanthropy. It is this support of good causes that has helped him secure letters from powerful people to the U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff who tends to be rather lenient. Still, Rakoff will have to hand down an appropriate sentencing to discourage others.

There will be plenty of top-level executives watching the proceedings as Gupta was a major corporate figure. Mr. Gupta is in this position as he passed on some tips to Raj Rajaratnam who was sentenced last year to 11 years in prison for insider trading at his hedge fund the Galleon Group. A prison term isn't the only way that Gupta could pay as illustrated in the Rajaratnam case where the latter was fined $92.8 million because of his immense fortune.