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A MARVELOUS MILESTONE This May Is Mother’s Day — And Also Mom’s 90th Birthday! www.LeRoyPetersonLaw.com 402-718-8888 May 2021
I know a significant portion of readers have heard me talk about my mother in the past. Whether it’s at a seminar, presentation, workshop, or just while working with me and in meetings, Mom comes up a lot. The reason for that is simple: For me and my two brothers, our mother was a huge influence. In fact, I’d say there’s probably nothing in our lives you can’t trace directly or indirectly back to her. So, whether I’m helping a client with the same sort of legal planning I did for my own mother, or just reflecting on the places life has taken me, Mom is never far from my thoughts. This month, though, that’s doubly true. Mother’s Day is, of course, on May 9, and we celebrate that like everyone else. But my mother’s 90th birthday is also this month — May 22, to be exact! You might not guess that if you were just to meet her on the street. Mom’s going strong, and she’s been a trouper throughout this whole pandemic. Growing up, my mom experienced the struggles of the Great Depression.Then during my childhood, we lived on a farm outside of Kearney, and Mom was a schoolteacher in a small town (Riverdale) for many years. I know her life experiences instilled a significant amount of mental fortitude in her, which she turned around and tried to instill in us. She was an old hand by the time she was raising three boys, though — she’d been the oldest in her own family, with three little brothers to look after! More than anything, though, Mom instilled in us a love of learning. For some people, the quest for knowledge is almost a thirst, and that describes my mother without question. Like I said, everything her sons have accomplished links back to her and, in large part, to that emphasis on education. Mom was a career educator, and I think that had something to do with it. But most of all, she just wanted to learn things. As I get older, I see the value in that spirit, and I’m very grateful I was shown how much fun and how rewarding learning can be, even just for its own sake. It keeps us active, alert, and gives us an open mind, even as we age. It also allows us to pursue opportunities we might not have otherwise had. All three of Mom’s kids ended up in fields that required more education. My older brother was a computer science professor at the University of Arizona for years, then left to head up the Department of Computer Science at Princeton University. My younger brother is the senior lending officer for a major regional bank based out of Kansas City. And, of course, I
became a lawyer — the result of the college and post-graduate education my mother supported.
In addition to pushing us to always keep learning, Mom also continues to inspire me in my work. Many of my clients are elderly people, and as Mom ages, I see the issues she faces or the needs she might have. It’s easy to extrapolate that to my clients. I’m an empathetic person by nature, but it’s always good to have another connection to people or to think about things from my mother’s perspective. As you can see, my mother is a very important person in our lives. That makes this month all the more exciting for our family because of how the pandemic restricted her visitors last year. We haven’t gotten to see Mom the way we’d like to, and last Mother’s Day wasn’t what it should have been. But now, all her children and grandchildren are vaccinated and are converging on Omaha for a celebration. We’ll make up for 2020 and then some this month — and for her 90th birthday, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.
I hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones starting to enjoy visitors once more, and I wish you all the best as we rebuild and have the kind of summer we weren’t able to last year.
-LeRoy Peterson
www.LeRoyPetersonLaw.com | 1
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Bring Spring Indoors
The Most Beautiful May Flowers for Your Home or Office
The April showers came and went, so now we get to enjoy May flowers! You might not buy flowers for yourself often, but it’s totally worth treating yourself and your visitors, all while supporting your local florist! To start off, anemones are the most mythological May plant around because of two famous Greek myths surrounding these jewel-toned flowers. Anemones are said to have sprung from blood shed by the death of Aphrodite’s lover, Adonis. The ancient Greeks also believed that the god of the west wind favored anemones — hence their second name, the windflower. Attach them as pops of color to any bouquet for a classic, romantic, or modern arrangement, or mix them with roses and trailing greenery for a more boho look. Carnations are also fantastic flowers to display in May. Some people may see carnations as a cheap flower, but, when used en masse, they can have a truly breathtaking effect in a room. Try using natural- colored carnations to create a fresh, contemporary space. You can also freshen up the room with sweet peas , which have a wonderfully mild perfume. They come with an enormous range of colors — one of the biggest ranges in the flora kingdom, in fact!
Delicate, ruffled, and feminine, sweet peas are sure to delight anyone who sees them.
Lastly, although tulips or orchids would be classic choices for your arrangement, consider surprising your visitors with lilies of the valley . These beautiful, peaceful little blooms only grow in white, which is often seen as the color of renewal and innocence, and they wear it well! Their adorable little bell-like flowers will be sure to put a smile on your face. We hope you will consider these gorgeous flowers for your space this year. A small purchase at your local small businesses can make a big difference, just like how a few flowers can make a big difference in your home!
The 3 Strangest Celebrity Lawsuits
Internet conspiracy theory results in a court case against Beyoncé. The internet is a wild place, and conspiracy theories are often born on its digital channels. One such theory was that Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, hired a surrogate to give birth to their daughter, Blue Ivy, in 2012. Internet trolls who saw her pregnant belly roll as she sat down for an interview fanned the flames of this theory, and soon, a lawsuit emerged. A woman claimed she was the true biological mother of Blue Ivy, and she asked for compensation and DNA testing to prove it. Previously, the same woman claimed to be the birth mother of North West, the daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, but the court threw out the case. Mila Kunis ruffles some feathers. Actress Mila Kunis was sued for $5,000 by her childhood friend, Kristina Karo, in 2015 because Kunis allegedly stole a chicken from Karo when they were still children in Ukraine. Karo, an aspiring singer, claimed the theft resulted in extreme emotional distress and prevented her from pursuing the American dream. According to Kunis, the theft occurred when she was 7 years old and Karo was just 1 month old. Kunis and her husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, speculated that the case was all a publicity stunt to promote Karo’s upcoming music video, and the case was eventually dropped.
Stories about celebrities can be enjoyable or awkward, but no matter what happens, they usually create great material for Buzzfeed or Reddit users. This also includes celebrity stories involving the law, which bring on a lot of head-scratching and legal action — like these three strange cases. Simon Cowell pays for a chef’s disappearing shoes. Known for his unrelenting critiques and setting the stage for some of the world’s biggest names in show business, Simon Cowell has amassed enough wealth to afford a private chef. When one such chef came by his house for a job interview, she was asked to remove
her shoes, but according to court documents, she never received her shoes back. The chef claims to have tried multiple times to retrieve the shoes — which were outfitted with $500 orthopedic insoles — but never succeeded. She sued
Cowell for the shoes and gas money, and the
“America’s Got Talent” star shelled out.
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TAKE A BREAK
Millions of families in Europe have relied heavily on government aid for survival, but that’s becoming a concern for the younger generation. European debt hasn’t been so high since World War II, and it’s even outpacing national economies. In France alone, the national debt has risen to 2.7 trillion euros ($3.2 trillion) and will soon exceed 120% of the national economy. While the International Monetary Fund expects growth to bounce back this year to 5.1% in the United States, Europe will likely lag with a rebound of 4.2%. WILL EUROPE BE ABLE TO PAY ITS $3.2T PANDEMIC DEBT?
Yet, as debts skyrocket, economists wonder if it’s possible for Europe to get a “free lunch.”
In the current zero-interest era, strange things are happening. Although the amount of debt companies have taken has grown, the amount that governments pay hasn’t. Countries can now roll over their debt at low interest rates, which is akin to refinancing a mortgage. Banks are also buying government debt, effectively lending around 1.3 trillion euros during the first six months of the pandemic. This makes the debt affordable — for now. Government debt may never have to be fully paid back if central banks keep buying it up. According to the Institut Montaigne, an independent think tank in Paris, public debt could rise to 4 trillion by the end of 2023. Some economists are worried about the risks. What if inflation and interest rates help revive growth too rapidly, forcing central banks to put a complete stop to their easy-money policies? Weaker countries may fall into a debt trap and struggle to pay. Simon Tilford, director of a strategic planning firm in London, told The New York Times, “If inflation starts to return but there’s no growth, then the situation gets a lot trickier.”
THAI MINCED PORK SALAD
Inspired by EatingThaiFood.com
Ingredients
• 5 tbsp uncooked Thai sticky rice • 1 lb ground pork • 1/2 tbsp chili flakes • 1/8 tsp sugar • 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• Juice of 1–2 limes, to taste • 4 small shallots, thinly sliced • 4 green onions, thinly sliced • Cilantro leaves, to taste • Mint leaves, to taste
Directions
1. First, make toasted rice powder: In a frying pan over low heat, dry- roast the rice, stirring continuously until it turns golden brown and smells fragrant, about 15 minutes. 2. Let toasted rice cool, then grind into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle, blender, or food processor. Set aside. 3. In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, fry pork, breaking it into small pieces as you go, until fully cooked. 4. Remove from heat and add 1 heaping tbsp of toasted rice powder along with all other ingredients. Stir to combine. 5. Taste and adjust, adding more lime juice and herbs to suit your palate. Serve with rice.
When the next recession rolls around, it may be tough to stimulate their economy with this amount of debt on their hands. This worries the younger generation of Europeans, but at least for now, those troubles seem far away in the eyes of those steering European economies through the pandemic.
www.LeRoyPetersonLaw.com | 3
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402-718-8888 www.LeRoyPetersonLaw.com 10730 Pacific St., Ste. 107 Omaha, NE 68114
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
This May Is Mother’s Day — and Also Mom’s 90th Birthday!
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Brighten Up Your Space With These May Flowers! Mila Kunis Got Sued for That!? (And 2 Other Weird Celebrity Legal Cases)
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Thai Minced Pork Salad Will Europe Be Able to Pay Its $3.2T Pandemic Debt?
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Influencer in Florida Accused of Voter Fraud
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Influencer in Florida Accused of Voter Fraud
A February 2016 analysis by MIT Media Lab revealed that Twitter account “Ricky Vaughn” was the 107th most important influencer in the then-upcoming election. That’s a higher ranking than many other groups and individuals like NBC News (114), Stephen Colbert (119), and Newt Gingrich (141). Everyone had one question: Who in the world is Ricky Vaughn? As it turns out, the Florida man was really stepping up his game. Douglass Mackey, aka Ricky Vaughn, is based in West Palm Beach and gained an audience on Twitter with over 58,000 followers by 2016. Many would describe him as an internet troll, or someone who posts hurtful comments for his own amusement. While he’s posted anti-Semitic memes in the past, though, those offenses were hardly illegal. That changed when Mackey allegedly went too far.
Using hashtags like #go[candidate], Mackey posted false, edited campaign images to convince people to “vote” by text instead of going to the polls or using the mail-in ballot. In one instance, he posted an image depicting an African American woman holding a sign, reading “African Americans for [candidate].” The images would then include instructions on how to vote by texting a specific number. Mackey and his associates also created images with Spanish instructions, obviously targeting minorities as well. Of course, voting by text is not a legitimate way to cast a ballot, yet the deceptive campaign duped over 4,900 unique phone numbers. William F. Sweeney Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, reported in their press release, “Protecting every American citizen’s right to cast a legitimate vote is a key to the success of our republic. What Mackey allegedly did to interfere with this process — by soliciting voters to cast their ballots via text — amounted to nothing short of vote theft.” It’s certainly fascinating and terrifying to see just how influential social media can be on an election and even go as far as to lure people into wasting their vote. We’re glad, however, to see these types of cases being brought to court — Mackey was recently arrested on federal charges of election interference for this 2016 voter disinformation campaign. Some influencers are taking their title much too seriously!
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