Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Economic Impact of LeBron James on Miami

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Michael Froomkin

Abstract:

We study the local economic spillovers generated by LeBron James’ presence on a team in the National Basketball Association. Mr. James, the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft, spent the first seven seasons of his career at the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then moved to the Miami Heat in 2010, only to return to Cleveland in 2014. Long considered one of the NBA’s superstars, he has received the league’s MVP award four times, won three NBA championships, and been a part of two victorious US teams at the Olympics. We trace the impact a star of Mr. James’ caliber can have on economic activity by analyzing the impact his departures and arrivals had on business activity close to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat stadiums. We find that Mr. James has a statistically and economically significant positive effect on both the number of restaurants and other eating and drinking establishments near the stadium where he is based, and on aggregate employment at those establishments. Specifically, his presence increases the number of such establishments within one mile of the stadium by about 13%, and employment by about 23.5%. These effects are very local, in that they decay rapidly as one moves farther from the stadium.

— Taking My Talents to South Beach (And Back) by Daniel Shoag, Harvard Kennedy School & Stan Veuger, American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Posted in Basketball, Econ & Money, Miami | Comments Off on Economic Impact of LeBron James on Miami

In France the Center Didn’t Just Hold — It Crushed

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Michael Froomkin

Meanwhile, in France, President Macron’s new party, the LREM, crushed its rivals on both the right and left.

This picture is amazing:

Per the BBC:

Ahead in 400 constituencies out of the 577 that make up France’s National Assembly, the party is heading for a convincing majority far higher than the 289 seats needed to control parliament. That does not even take into account the 100-odd seats where Mr Macron’s centrist MoDem allies are in the lead.

His centrist alliance could control 415 to 455 seats after the second round on 18 June, experts predict.

And many of them are political novices, so this could get interesting.

Posted in Politics: International | Comments Off on In France the Center Didn’t Just Hold — It Crushed

Trump’s Lawyer is not a Member of the DC Bar?

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Michael Froomkin

NYT reports on Trump’s personal lawyer Marc E. Kasowitz giving what looks like awfully convenient (for him and for Trump) legal advice to White House staffers that they don’t need to lawyer up. As the NYT explains:

He told aides gathered in one meeting who had asked whether it was time to hire private lawyers that it was not yet necessary, according to another person with direct knowledge.

Such conversations between a private lawyer for the president and the government employees who work for his client are highly unusual, according to veterans of previous administrations.

…

Previous administrations tried to coordinate the activities of private lawyers before letting them interact with aides. Jane Sherburne, a White House special counsel who managed ethics issues during Mr. Clinton’s first term, said Mr. Kendall was not allowed to meet with White House staff members until “we had gone through a whole exercise of having conversations with employees ourselves, talking to them about whether they wanted to retain their own counsel and telling them they didn’t have to talk to Kendall.”

Under ethics rules, Mr. Kasowitz cannot interview any official who has hired a lawyer without that lawyer’s permission, meaning it would be in his interest if administration aides did not hire their own lawyers, experts said. “It is probably easier for him to represent Trump if he doesn’t have to deal with a bunch of other lawyers,” Ms. Sherburne said, adding that she believed it was inappropriate for Mr. Kasowitz to discourage aides from hiring their own counsel.

Richard Painter, the White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush who now teaches at the University of Minnesota’s law school, said that in a worst-case scenario, a staff member might listen to Mr. Kasowitz’s advice and “end up thrown under the bus.”

What the NYT don’t mention, however, is that Kasowitz does not appear to be a member of the DC Bar. At least according to Kasowitz’s homepage at his law firm, Kasowitz is only admitted in New York. I don’t think that is any obstacle to advising the President on matters of federal law, but it might be an issue on advising the staff as to whether they need representation?

Posted in Law: Ethics, Trump | Comments Off on Trump’s Lawyer is not a Member of the DC Bar?

Straight to the Heart of the Matter

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Michael Froomkin

This is a great ad:

It’s produced by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and speaks well for Chairman Chris van Holland.

Spotted via Crooks and Liars, This Ad Will Kill Trumpcare, And Rightly So. A slightly optimistic title given recent machinations in the Senate, but we can only hope…

Posted in Health Care | Comments Off on Straight to the Heart of the Matter

Comey and the Chain of Command

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Michael Froomkin

Former FBI Director James Comey’s written testimony for tomorrow’s hearing is out. No new revelations as such, but the overall tone is is very striking.

One other interesting aspect is Comey’s relationships with his bosses. On Feb. 14 Comey did not share his concerns with his bosses, although he did share them with senior FBI officials:

The FBI leadership team agreed with me that it was important not to infect the investigative team with the President’s request, which we did not intend to abide. We also concluded that, given that it was a one-on-one conversation, there was nothing available to corroborate my account. We concluded it made little sense to report it to Attorney General Sessions, who we expected would likely recuse himself from involvement in Russia – related investigations. (He did so two weeks later.) The Deputy Attorney General’s role was then filled in an acting capacity by a United States Attorney, who would also not be long in the role.

Nevertheless, a few days later Comey asked AG Sessions to run interference for him against the President, but Sessions didn’t:

I took the opportunity to implore the Attorney General to prevent any future direct communication between the President and me. I told the AG that what had just happened – him being asked to leave while the FBI Director, who reports to the AG, remained behind – was inappropriate and should never happen. He did not reply.

On March 30, Comey called the acting AG to pass the buck–it didn’t work:

I called Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente (AG Sessions had by then recused himself on all Russia – related matters), to report the substance of the call from the President, and said I would await his guidance. I did not hear back from him before the President called me again two weeks later.

What do we learn from this?

First that Comey briefed his bosses when it suited him, and kept them in the dark when he made a political judgement that there was no percentage in having them in the loop.

Second, that at least regarding the Valentine’s Day meeting with Trump, Comey was talking to the wrong higher-ups. If Comey was really afraid of being left alone in a room with Trump, he should have talked to Vice President Pence, the one man in the administration who understands the dangers of one-on-one meetings.

Posted in Trump | 1 Comment

Everyone Else is Linking to This

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Michael Froomkin

So I guess I will join the stampede.

Posted in Trump | Comments Off on Everyone Else is Linking to This