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A trademark lawyer sold the domain name ClintonKaine.com in 2016. He’s sitting on HarrisWalz.com now

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1 month ago

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Jeremy Green Eche took a chance and purchased the website HarrisWalz.com for $8.99 in 2020 when then-Sen. Kamala Harris of California was seeking the Democratic nomination for president.

“I just tried to grab her name and all the heartland governors I could think of,” he recalled Monday in an interview with The Associated Press.

Four years later, if Harris selects Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Eche could be looking at a payday. He is willing to sell it — and a slate of over a dozen other Harris websites — for $15,000, he says.

This is not a new scenario for the 36-year-old trademark lawyer in New York City’s Brooklyn borough. Eche is a cyber squatter, a person who buys a domain with someone else’s name or brand for very little money, hoping to sell it to that person or brand for a large profit in the subsequent months or years. It is also called domain investing, given it can reap significant rewards.

In 2011, five years before Hillary Clinton selected Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine to be her running mate in the presidential race, Eche — then known as Jeremy Peter Green, before he got married — purchased ClintonKaine.com. After the former secretary of state made the pick, the squatter offered it to the campaign for a hefty return. They declined, so he sold it for $15,000 to a digital marketing company that turned out to be the Trump campaign. The website pushed anti-Clinton news with “Paid for by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc” emblazoned at the bottom.

Harris spent the weekend interviewing a half dozen potential running mates, including Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, according to two people with knowledge of Harris’ selection process. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private campaign deliberations.

She is said to be making her decision imminently and has a slate of planned events with her running mate this week.

Eche told the AP that he has not been contacted by anyone connected to the Harris campaign. In 2016, it took a week after Clinton selected Kaine before he connected with anyone from the Clinton campaign, and that was because he had a connection to the operation.

He is skeptical Harris’ campaign will reach out before they officially make the pick.

“Hopefully (Harris’) people are a little more savvy than Clinton’s people were,” he said.

Eche owns at least 15 websites tied to Harris and her selection of a possible running mate. In addition to Walz, he also owns HarrisPritzker.com, a nod to the Illinois governor; HarrisEvers.com, for Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers; HarrisFetterman.com, for Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman; HarrisWarnock.com, for Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock; HarrisPeters.com, for Michigan Sen. Gary Peters; and several others.

But Eche does have a favorite among her prospective veeps.

“Walz is my favorite,” he said. “Of the people she is thinking about, Walz makes the most sense.”

He also owns 10 websites featuring Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s name and other Democrats, with an eye toward a possible 2028 presidential run.

Eche’s Walz website is now simply a blank chartreuse with the governor’s name in lower-case black letters, a callback to the artist Charli XCX labeling Harris “brat” in a tweet shortly after President Joe Biden ended his campaign, allowing the vice president to take on his operation.

That was his wife’s idea, he said. But the site links to his startup’s website — Communer, a site to buy and sell domains and trademarks — where he is offering the Harris slate for $15,000.

Eche supported Clinton in 2016, and he supports Harris this cycle. Yet his experience from 2016 — where his website turned into a pro-Trump site — doesn’t give him any pause in selling the Harris sites this time around.

“The Harris campaign has hundreds of millions of dollars, so if they don’t buy their own domain, that is kind of on them,” he said. “I’ve got to sell it to somebody. I know I could just donate it, but that is not really how this works. People with billboards aren’t donating their billboards to the campaign. It is just a property basically.”

A Harris spokesperson did not immediately respond when asked whether the plan to buy the domains.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Police union calls for ‘fulsome public safety plan’ in B.C. ahead of provincial vote

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September 9, 2024

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VICTORIA – The national union for RCMP officers is seeking to make public safety and bail reform a British Columbia election issue after repeat offenders were arrested for violent crimes, including a pair of gruesome attacks in downtown Vancouver last week.

The National Police Federation says it has launched a “pre-election program” calling on the winner of the Oct. 19 election to deliver a “fulsome public safety plan.”

It describes the current bail system as “catch and release” and says there’s a lack of data-informed support and monitoring of repeat offenders, resulting in public safety being compromised.

Thirty-four-year-old Brendan McBride was arrested last week over what police are calling two stranger attacks in downtown Vancouver, resulting in the death of 70-year-old Francis Laporte, while another victim’s hand was cut off.

Court documents show that at the time of the attacks, McBride was on probation over an assault in White Rock, B.C., last September, and the man had been sentenced to 12 months of probation before that in July 2022 for a separate assault in North Vancouver.

National Police Federation vice-president Rob Farrer says the timing of the organization’s call ahead of the election was somewhat coincidental, since it was more of a response to recent cases such as the Vancouver stranger attacks.

“It’s not about the election per se,” Farrer said. “We’re trying to make sure that we keep on top of this. We’re hearing from our officers, they’re seeing it every day and British Columbians and Canadians generally are seeing this as a major issue.”

He also said that while provincial governments tend to point to bail reform being a federal issue, it doesn’t absolve the provinces, including B.C., of not doing enough.

“We’re asking that whoever makes up the new government really be prepared to deliver a fulsome public safety plan, including what the bail-reform initiatives would look like — and not simply saying it’s a federal responsibility.

“Because it is not simply a federal responsibility. It’s a joint responsibility for both governments.”

Many of the initiatives called for by the federation are echoed in a July 2023 report released by the group about Canadian bail reform.

In the report, the federation called for the provinces to improve data collection and sharing on criminal cases across Canada, which would give judges a more complete picture of a person’s criminal history when they make bail decisions.

Farrer said more investment in and deployment of bail-enforcement monitoring technology should also be a part of a comprehensive answer to repeat offenders in society, as well as standardized training qualifications for justices presiding over bail hearings.

“It’s not just us that’s saying it,” Farrer said of the federation’s call for reform, noting an poll taken in August in B.C. commissioned by the group showed 82 per cent of those surveyed were concern about crime by repeat offenders.

“I think that’s a very, very strong majority of people across the province … who think that the current systems are not meeting their needs. And as a result, we’re seeing these incidents like the one in Vancouver.”

The National Police Federation is Canada’s largest police union that represents about 20,000 RCMP members both inside and outside the country.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Air Canada prepares to shut down as talks with pilots union near deadlock – CTV News

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54 mins ago

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September 9, 2024

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Air Canada prepares to shut down as talks with pilots union near deadlock  CTV News

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You Can Minimize the Odds of Being Ghosted

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2 hours ago

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September 9, 2024

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When job seekers complain about being ghosted—a form of silent rejection where candidates hear nothing after submitting an application or having been interviewed—I wonder if they’re unaware of the changes in social norms and mannerisms. Do they not know that social norms and the workplace are intertwined? Since the advent of social media, manners, courtesy, and empathy have significantly diminished.

If there’s one thing job seekers can be certain about, they’ll be ghosted multiple times throughout their job search. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say ghosting candidates has become a norm. It’s worth pointing out that companies don’t ghost candidates; the company’s employees ghost candidates. When the recruiter or hiring manager is of a generation that finds ghosting an acceptable way to terminate a relationship, romantic or otherwise, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when they ghost candidates.

 

Bad News: You can’t change or control other people’s behaviour.

 

Good News: You can take proactive steps to minimize—as with all human interactions, there are no guarantees—the chances of being ghosted.

 

Build a strong relationship. Focus on being likeable.

Understandably, hiring managers—recruiters less so since they won’t be working with the candidate—look to hire candidates they can envision getting along with; hence, most job seekers would significantly boost their chance of job search success by focusing more on being likable.

By likable, I mean being pleasant, respectful, and expressing genuine interest in the company and the role. I’ve yet to meet a hiring manager who hires candidates they don’t like. As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, likeability supersedes your skills and experience. Most job seekers don’t focus enough on being likeable.

The stronger the relationship (read: bond) you establish with the recruiter or hiring manager, the more likely they won’t ghost you. From your first interaction, focus on creating a rapport beyond just transactional communication.

Personalizing your correspondence can make a significant difference. Use the hiring manager’s name instead of a generic ‘To Whom It May Concern.’ Find commonalities such as place of birth, hobbies, schools attended, associations you belong to, favourite restaurants, and people you know.

 

Avoid appearing confrontational.

Anyone reading this can relate to the number one reason why people ghost: to avoid confrontation. Today, many people feel entitled, resulting in job seekers being frustrated and angry. You only need to scroll through LinkedIn posts and comments to see that bashing employers has become an unproductive trend. Hence, it’s likely that a candidate will become confrontational if told they don’t get the job.

Smile throughout your interview! Avoid appearing desperate! My best interviews have been those in which I was nonchalant; I was indifferent to whether or not I got the job. In addition to being a turn-off, showing signs of desperation will raise questions about how you’ll react if told you don’t get hired.

Lastly, tell your interviewer how much you enjoyed talking with them and that you look forward to hearing back.

 

  • “I really enjoyed our conversation, Khloe. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I look forward to hearing your hiring decision.”
  • “Either way, please call or email me to let me know about my application status.”

 

You’re more likely to receive a response by asking explicitly for communication.

 

Earn your interviewer’s respect.

People tend not to ghost someone they respect.

Respect must be earned, starting with one of life’s golden rules: Treat others how you want to be treated. In other words, give respect to get respect.

Throughout your job search, be professional and courteous. Respond promptly to emails and calls and thank people for their time. Approaching recruiters and hiring managers politely and professionally improves your chances of being treated similarly.

 

Ask for advice, not feedback.

Asking for advice encourages communication. As your interviewer is wrapping up the interview, mention that you’d welcome their advice. “Given your extensive background in project management, any advice you may have for me wanting to advance my career would be greatly appreciated.”

Why ask for advice and not feedback? The first problem with asking for feedback is it puts the other person on the spot. The second problem is feedback can lead to disagreement, hurt feelings, or defensiveness, a common reaction resulting in confrontation. On the other hand, asking for advice is asking for guidance and suggestions to achieve a better result. Essentially, you’re acknowledging the other person’s experience and massaging their ego. Do you know anyone who doesn’t like being asked for advice?

 

Send a thank you note.

Sending a thank you note expressing appreciation for the interview and the insights you gained reinforces your interest and keeps the lines of communication open. Conclude with a forward-looking statement, encouraging the recipient to respond.

 

  • “I look forward to hearing from you regarding the next steps.”
  • “I look forward to staying in touch.”

 

Job searching aside, direct, open, and honest communication—say what you mean, mean what you say—which I highly value, has become rare, which explains the prevalence of ghosting. When you’re ghosted, assume the company isn’t enthusiastic about hiring you. Silence may be golden in some things, but ghosting is not one of them.

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Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

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