• The Lion's Edge

  • By: BetMGM
  • Podcast

The Lion's Edge

By: BetMGM
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  • Summary

  • BetMGM handicapping expert Chase Kiddy dives into sports betting every week with knowledgeable guests. We're talking college football, NFL, hoops, baseball, tennis and more, with lines provided by the BetMGM online sportsbook. Listen for betting strategies, weekly picks and thoughtful analysis.
    © 2024 The Lion's Edge
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Episodes
  • US TikTok Ban: What the Supreme Court Case Means for Social Media

    US TikTok Ban: What the Supreme Court Case Means for Social Media
    Jan 12 2025
    The Supreme Court appears likely to uphold a law that would effectively ban TikTok in the United States unless its parent company, ByteDance, divests the platform by January 19, 2025. The core arguments revolve around national security concerns regarding China's potential access to user data and its capacity to spread disinformation via the platform, pitted against First Amendment protections of free speech and the rights of users and content creators. The Justices seemed more persuaded by the government's argument related to data security than by the disinformation claim. The possibility of a delay to the ban, requested by President-elect Trump, is being considered, but is unlikely. Key Themes and Arguments -- National Security Concerns: Data Collection: The U.S. government argues that ByteDance, as a company effectively controlled by the Chinese government, poses a significant national security risk because it can collect vast amounts of sensitive data on American users. This data could be used for espionage, blackmail, or turning people into spies over time.Quote: "Congress and the president were concerned that China was accessing information about millions of Americans, tens of millions of Americans, including teenagers, people in their 20s." - Justice Brett M. KavanaughQuote: "The PRC could command that ByteDance comply with any request it gives to obtain that data that’s in the hands of the U.S. subsidiary.” - U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth PrelogarDisinformation and Propaganda: The government also contends that China could use TikTok to spread covert disinformation and propaganda to harm U.S. interests."Voracious Appetite": The US government states China has a "voracious appetite to get its hands on as much information about Americans as possible" - U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.Espionage: The government argues China could use TikTok data for "espionage, surveillance operations, against the U.S." (WSJ "TikTok Ban Heads...") First Amendment Rights: Free Speech: TikTok and its users argue that the law violates their First Amendment rights to free speech, both in terms of disseminating and receiving content.Quote: “It’s not enough to tell a writer, well, you can’t publish an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal because you can publish it in The New York Times instead,” - Jeffrey L. Fisher, a lawyer for TikTok usersPlatform Choice: Users argue they have the right to use the platform of their choice and should not be forced to migrate to other social media sites.Quote: "TikTok has a distinct editorial and publication perspective." - Jeffrey L. FisherContent Creation and Community: The ban is seen as damaging to the communities that users have built on the app.Quote: “TikTok is where I created my community... I have made friendships. I have business partners. That’s how we connect.” - Andrea Celeste Olde, a TikTok creator.Ownership vs. Speech: Several justices appear to differentiate between regulating the ownership of the platform (ByteDance) and restricting the content itself, suggesting the ban is aimed at the former, not the latter.Quote: Justice Elena Kagan asked, “How are those First Amendment rights really being implicated here?” Court's Skepticism and Division: Data Security Focus: The justices appeared more concerned about China’s ability to harvest data than about the disinformation claims. They seemed to view data collection as a more direct threat.Foreign Control: The Court seemed persuaded by the government's argument that the ultimate parent company of TikTok is subject to the control of the Chinese government and its intelligence apparatus.Quote: “Are we supposed to ignore the fact that the ultimate parent is, in fact, subject to doing intelligence work for the Chinese government?” - Chief Justice John RobertsDisinformation Doubts: Several justices, notably Kagan, questioned whether China manipulating content on TikTok was a significant threat, as it was already common knowledge that the platform was connected to China.Quote: “Like, people don’t know that China’s behind it? Everybody now knows that China is behind it.” - Justice Elena KaganSingling Out TikTok: Some justices questioned why TikTok was singled out by the law, while other data-heavy Chinese apps are not facing similar restrictions. Possible Outcomes and Timeline: Divestiture or Shutdown: The law mandates that ByteDance must sell TikTok by January 19, or the app will effectively be shut down in the U.S."Go Dark": TikTok's lawyer stated that if the court rules against the company the app will immediately "go dark."Fast-Tracked Decision: The Supreme Court is on a fast track to rule by the end of the following week (after the January 10 oral arguments).Limited Workarounds: While limited access through the website or VPNs is possible, functionality would be significantly reduced for users.Divestiture After Shutdown: Even if the app is shut down, the possibility of a divestiture and ...
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    12 mins
  • Home Depot Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Data Privacy Violations

    Home Depot Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Data Privacy Violations
    Jan 9 2025
    A developing class action lawsuit in Canada alleges that Home Depot shared customer information with Meta (Facebook's parent company) without explicit consent, violating customer privacy. Key Themes and Findings -- Class Action Certification: A class action lawsuit against Home Depot has been certified in Canadian courts. This allows a large group of individuals with similar grievances to pursue legal action together, which is generally more efficient than individual lawsuits.The certification of the class action was approved by Justice Peter Edelmann.It's important to note that certification does not indicate wrongdoing; it merely allows the lawsuit to proceed. Allegations Against Home Depot: The lawsuit centers around Home Depot allegedly sharing customer email addresses and purchasing information with Meta.This information sharing was done without the explicit consent of customers who provided their email addresses for electronic receipts.Meta reportedly used this data to help Home Depot understand how social media advertising campaigns influenced in-store sales.Quote: "Customers were allegedly offered the option to receive their receipts by email, but they also did not consent to Home Depot using their information for other reasons. Their email addresses and other purchasing information were shared with Meta." Home Depot's Defense and the Court's Response: Home Depot argued that customers had no "reasonable expectation of privacy" because the information shared with Meta was supposedly less sensitive.Justice Edelmann rejected this argument, stating that privacy expectations cannot be assessed on a “piecemeal basis."The judge was critical of Home Depot’s position, pointing out the company’s ability to compile and analyze large quantities of data for marketing, while simultaneously claiming it was impossible to analyze the impact for individuals concerned.Quote: "I frankly find Home Depot's position somewhat perplexing...When assessing its marketing strategies and managing its business interests, Home Depot was clearly able to compile data related to several million individual email addresses and arrange to have Meta undertake sophisticated data analysis on its behalf. However, when it comes to assessing the impact for the individuals concerned, it is presumably impossible to do so using even the most rudimentary tools of data analysis." Data Scope and Retention: The case involves over six million emails shared with Meta across several years.It remains unclear what data has been retained by Meta or Home Depot. However, the judge noted that Home Depot likely still has access to data related to the customer transactions and emails in question. Class Eligibility: The class includes individuals who shopped at Home Depot locations in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or Newfoundland and Labrador between October 1, 2018, and October 31, 2022.Eligible customers must have provided their email addresses to receive an electronic receipt. Exclusion of US Customers: US customers are not eligible for this class action due to differences in legal requirements between Canadian and US class actions. US vs. Canadian Privacy Statements: Both US and Canadian privacy statements acknowledge the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information "while operating our business and interacting with you."Both statements list reasons for data collection, such as processing orders, improving services, creating consistent experiences, and protecting rights.However, the Canadian privacy statement is more detailed, specifying the collection of more granular information, including:Name, email address, phone number, username, physical address, device identifier, government-issued identification number, date of birth/age, license plate number, and social media handles.Demographics, account information (usernames and passwords), government photo IDs, and property information like square footage and lot size.Both US and Canada share information with manufacturers, marketing partners, law enforcement and affiliates, but the Canadian statement appears to include more social media platforms. Next Steps: The case will proceed to trial, where the court will determine whether Home Depot violated privacy laws and what compensation customers are entitled to.Customers eligible for the class action can register on the class action website without incurring financial obligations.Similar class action proceedings are underway in other Canadian provinces, such as Quebec and Saskatchewan. The Home Depot class action lawsuit in Canada highlights the growing concern surrounding the collection and sharing of customer data, even when it is for seemingly innocuous purposes like digital receipts. The case emphasizes that customers expect that when providing their email address for specific reasons such as receipts, the data will not be shared with third-party marketers without their consent. The differences highlighted between the US ...
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    11 mins
  • Why Does Trump Want Greenland?

    Why Does Trump Want Greenland?
    Jan 9 2025

    Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with a strong sense of national identity and self-determination. But the icy island also holds a growing strategic importance due to its location within the GIUK gap, a critical naval chokepoint.

    Enter US President-Elect Donald Trump, who sees an opening to acquire the Danish territory.

    Here are the major points to know --

    Greenland's Political Status and Strategic Significance:

    • Autonomy within Denmark: Greenland is a self-ruling territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. As stated by Greenland's Prime Minister Múte Egede, "Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland... Our future and fight for independence is our business."
    • Political Leadership: Greenland has shifted from being governed by a Governor (1728–1730, 1925–1979) and an Inspector (1782–1924) to being led by a Prime Minister (1979-current). This illustrates Greenland's growing autonomy.
    • Economic Structure: Greenland's economy is diverse, including "fishing industry," "mining," and "tourism." It uses the "Krone" as currency.
    • Strategic Importance: Greenland's geographical position within the GIUK gap is crucial. It's "a crucial naval chokepoint between Greenland, Iceland and the U.K. that was closely watched during the Cold War." Russian submarine activity in the area has also increased in recent years, making the region relevant to contemporary security concerns.

    Recent Commentary on Potential U.S. Interest:

    • Rejection of Sale: Both Greenland and Denmark have made it clear that Greenland is not for sale. Múte Egede's statement above clearly rejects the idea of the island being negotiated.
    • Tariff Threats: Donald Trump is threatening "tariffs on Denmark at a very high level" if Denmark refuses to cede Greenland to the United States. This indicates the level of pressure and controversy around such an issue.
    • Potential Economic Ramifications: According to one of the sources, this type of action could hurt access to specific items including popular medicines.

    Historical Context: U.S. Territorial Expansion:

    • Dispute-Driven Expansion: The history of the United States is marked by numerous territorial disputes, often with Native American nations and neighboring European powers, including Spain, France and the U.K.
    • Purchases: The Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Gadsden Purchase (1853).
    • Cessions: Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1821.
    • Annexations: The occupation and annexation of West Florida from Spain in 1810-1813.
    • Treaties: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) concluded the Mexican–American War and ceded a significant amount of land to the United States.
    • Military Conflict: The U.S. expanded through conflicts such as the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.
    • Territorial Evolution: The US saw a complex evolution of its territories through numerous acts of congress. Areas went through different stages including "Unorganized" and "Territory" before becoming states.
    • Border Adjustments: Numerous border disputes led to boundary changes between states and territories including the boundary of Missouri and Iowa which led to the Honey War which was ultimately resolved by the Supreme Court.
    • Guano Islands Act: The US claimed a large number of islands in the Caribbean and Pacific under the Guano Islands Act which allowed for the US to claim uninhabited islands to harvest the fertilizer.

    Greenland's future is primarily determined by the will of the Greenlandic people. While historical U.S. expansion provides a backdrop for understanding potential interests, the current political climate makes such an acquisition unlikely in the face of Greenland's desire for self-determination.
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    17 mins

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