Canadian Scalper’s Multimullion-Dollar StubHub Scheme Exposed: Here’s What We’re Reading

The Daily 5 is Sharp’s essential reading list for what’s happening in the world today. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the Sharp Insider newsletter to stay up to date.

Here’s what we’re reading today.

1. Canadian scalper’s multimillion-dollar StubHub scheme exposed in Paradise Papers

“When Adele fans went online to buy tickets to the pop superstar’s world tour last year, they had no idea what exactly they were up against.

“An army of tech-savvy resellers that included a little-known Canadian superscalper named Julien Lavallée managed to vacuum up thousands of tickets in a matter of minutes in one of the quickest tour sellouts in history.”

CBC News

2. Federal government expanding paid parental leave to 18 months

“New parents planning to begin parental leave on or after Dec. 3 will be able to spread their federal benefits over more months, but many will have to wait on provinces and their employers before they can actually get the extra time off.

“When the federal government’s long-promised changes to parental leave rules go into effect, eligible new parents will be able to spread 12 months of employment insurance benefits over 18 months after the birth of a child.”

Toronto Star

3. GOP donors to GOP lawmakers: Yeah. We will cut you off absent tax reform

“Congressional Republicans have warned in recent days that if the party fails to pass a massive package of tax cuts in the next year, their donors will desert them.

“Such bluntness is rare in Washington D.C. — an instance of lawmakers saying the quiet part out loud. In this case, it has the added benefit of being true.

“Several GOP donors contacted by The Daily Beast said that they would either stop writing checks to the party of divert their money elsewhere should tax cuts end up being stalled.”

The Daily Beast

4. Men at work wonder if they overstepped with women, too

“It has been a confusing season for America’s working men, as the conversation around workplace harassment reveals it to be a nationwide epidemic — and many men wonder if they were involved or ignored the signs.”

New York Times

+1: Louis C.K.: “Theres stories are true” – CBC News

5. Roy Moore’s many defenders

“Calls for Judge Roy Moore to withdraw from the Alabama Senate race came almost immediately after The Washington Post reported that he had a sexual encounter with an underage girl nearly 40 years ago. But just as quick to surface were statements made in his defense: Some of his political supporters called the allegations totally false, and others claimed the women accusing him were in cahoots with the Democrats. But a few went further, excusing the alleged behavior.

“‘Take Mary and Joseph. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus,’ Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler told theWashington Examiner. ‘There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.'”

The Atlantic