While waiting for US v. Avenatti charging conference, here is UN press briefing from from which Inner City Press is banned, today from briefing by incoming UN Security Council president. Aim to live tweet below the Q&A of those the UN *does* let in 1/x
Even as of 1:12 pm Feb 1, the most recent UNSC "Program of Work" on the UN's website is from January, that of @NorwayUN's @Mona_Juul, a month of failure and coups and censorship. And February? First question goes to UN Censorship Alliance, UNCA 2/x
New: Corporate wire, essentially high-frequency trading platform with news now behind a platform, asks if Lavrov will deign to come to NY this month. No. (But look who's going to the #GenocideGames in Beijing) 4/x
Now: France 24 correspondent is allowed to Zoom (or WebEx) in from home with ponderous question. So Inner City Press could easily have been given access to this presser, as it has at IMF - it's a choice, the UN is a place of censorship for dictators (like Guterres)
Next is another WebExed in question, on Afghanistan. Nebenzia says he didn't understand most of the question, but "I have answers... We urge Taliban to fight terrorism and drug trafficking." Could by 1980 all over again. #OlympicBoycotts
February's UNSC "Program of Work" is still not up on the UN's website - fail - but Inner City Press is tweeting this screen shot of it - ironically, while all Presidencies including US includes "Letters of Ukraine and Russia" as footnote, Russia doesn't.
Now the Program of Work press conference Inner City Press was banned from is over. There were no questions about the countries in Africa off which the UN of Guterres makes most of the money that it wastes - total failure and censorship. Story coming.
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[Note - Inner City Press went to the courtroom at 8:30 am to speak on unsealing - it didn't happen until 9:10 am, but the unsealing order has been expanded (to demonstrative exhibits as well) and sped up to 24 hours) - now the first witness
All rise!
Groetzinger
AUSA: Where do you work?
Groetzinger: SeatGeek. Founded it in 2010, we saw a broken market. Going to a game is great, but buying the ticket, terrible. So we undertook to improve it.
AUSA: How do you get clients?
Groetzinger: We - and I - speak a year or more
Before the jury is brought in
Courtroom deputy: On sealing, you now longer have to say out loud when we are not showing exhibits [! we'll see what this means, how request to unseal is ruled on]
All rise!
Judge Subramanian: Tell me about PX 198
AUSA Seana Buzbee: The text involves our 2d witness today, Oliver Chi of the City of Irvine
Judge: Is that a new witness?
AUSA Dalhquist: We have travel issues. Mr. Chi will go between Mr. Geiger and Mr. Hurwitz [so no SeatGeek today?]
All rise!
Judge Subramanian: Call your first witness.
AUSA Arianna Markel: We call John Abbamondi.
[Witness is sworn]
Markel: Where have you worked?
Abbamondi: St. Louis Cardinals and Padres; I worked on dynamic pricing. Then with the NBA
AUSA Markel: How many NBA teams use Ticketmaster?
Abbamondi: I'd say 25 out of 30. Then I went to MSG, corporate hospitality and suites. I led our sales team for our non sponsorship assets. Anything you could sit in, I sold it. I used Ticketmaster
9:29 am
Opening arguments still haven't begun.
Counsel: We intend to play a clip of Michael Rapino in our opening.
Judge Subramanian: Why? Both of these opening statement decks are more like argumentative closing argument decks. It's hard to address objections
10:02 am - while the parties re-jigger their demonstratives for opening statements,
Courtroom deputy Hernandez: In the gallery here in 23B do I have a Bolano? Bolano?
[Seems so]
Deputy: I will come right over
OK - now US v. Live Nation jury selection.
10:12 am
All rise!
Judge Subramanian: Glad you see you, prospective jurors. This is US et al versus Live Nation, there are parties on the US side.
Inner City Press will live tweet this, and the trial. Thread below.
Judge Subramanian: I know this jury service will be a hardship. During the trial you will have a half hour lunch, we will give you bagels and coffees from the courthouse cafeteria. This still could take six weeks...
Judge Subramanian: We have to avoid bias. So I will be asking you about your personal history and views, for an unbiased jury. I am not trying to pry. From you answers, I will be able to determine if you should be excused for cause. There will be peremptories
Judge Subramanian: I rule that each side will have 65 hours. If I raise that, each side will get the same time. We have identified 79 jurors to come back. If we can't qualify 20 of them, we may reduce from 12 jurors, or I'll take back strikes.
Judge Subramanian: There's been a question raised about the potential jurors' experience with Live Nation or TicketMaster - they may feel they are awarding damages based on this experience. Plaintiffs' says there is no showing of bias.