Before the sudden death of its leader, Ra Ma Yoga Institute was accused by some former members of being a cult. What happens now?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Trump era has been defined by its obliteration of political norms, the accepted way for the country to be governed, elections to be conducted, and political rivals to treat one another.</li><li>From Democrats whipsawing from "Believe Women" to "Respect Due Process," to the end of political conventions as we knew them, to a reckoning on police unions' political power, 2020 blew up political norms.</li><li>Here's a look back on the "norms" that didn't survive the worst year of our lifetimes.</li><li>This is an <keyword id="6356002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opinion">opinion</keyword> column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.</li></ul><p>The Trump era has frequently been defined by its obliteration of political norms, the accepted way for the country to be governed, elections to be conducted, and political rivals to treat one another.</p><p>Among the disregarded norms was the expectation that the president of the United States would not <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/16/trump-russia-putin-summit-722418">throw his own government's intelligence community</a> under the bus while standing next to an authoritarian despot on foreign soil.</p><p>Also done away with was the norm that presidents don't <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/us/politics/trump-hotel-payments.html">personally profit from owning a luxury hotel</a> down the block from the White House and use it as a hub for peddling foreign influence.</p><p>There was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-surviving-autocracy-interview-masha-gessen-2020-7">boring but important stuff</a>, like the norm that Cabinet-level officials should be confirmed by the Senate, rather than allowing them to serve illegally and implement policy for years.</p><p>As the Trump era stumbles toward the exits, it's worth looking back at the old rules that got blasted into oblivion in 2020, including the jettisoned norms that had little to do with Trump.</p><h2>The president believing he's responsible for administering the federal government</h2><p>We already knew President Donald Trump was impervious to logic and reason, so it wasn't shocking when he predicted COVID-19 would miraculously disappear with warm weather. But before coming into office, he did always try to fashion himself as "<a href="https://youtu.be/HjCSUDt612c">the Boss</a>."</p><p>When it came to actually being the boss of the federal government, though, Trump wanted nothing to do with it. Far from Harry Truman's "<a href="https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/trivia/buck-stops-here-sign">The Buck Stops Here</a>" presidential motto, Trump plainly declared that he didn't take responsibility "at all" for the federal government's early failures in getting accurate COVID-19 tests out to the public. As my colleague <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-wants-all-the-power-but-no-responsibility-for-coronavirus-2020-4">Linette Lopez</a> put it, "Trump believes that with great power there comes no responsibility at all."</p><h2>Democrats rejecting due process in favor of conviction by accusation</h2><p>Ever since the vile crimes of Harvey Weinstein were exposed in 2017, the #MeToo movement led to an overdue reckoning for rich and powerful serial sexual harassers who were summarily booted from their privileged perches in media, show business, and government.</p><p>But there were times when the pendulum <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/07/23/the-view-hosts-debate-due-process-al-frankens-metoo-accusations/1806158001/">seemed to swing too far</a>, and, while not universally adopted, a number of <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/938448135034195969">prominent Democrats</a> advocated for a policy of "<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=believe%20women%20(from%3Asengillibrand)&amp;src=typed_queryuery">Believe Women</a>." Such a rigid blanket statement was bound to prove flawed, which Joe Biden learned the hard way when he was accused by a former staffer of sexually assaulting her in the hallways of Congress.</p><p>Biden was the presumptive Democratic nominee when the allegation went public, and with similar swiftness <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-democrats-metoo-believe-women-due-process-accused-2020-5">the pendulum swung back</a>. Now that the accused was the nominal leader of the party, the same Democrats - including Nancy Pelosi and Biden himself - who once believed in conviction by accusation were extolling the virtues of "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-defends-joe-biden-from-tara-reades-sexual-assault-accusation-2020-4">due process</a>."</p><p>Every sexual-assault claim should be taken seriously and investigated, but the idea that any accusation should be automatically believed based on the accuser's gender was always a preposterous notion.</p><p>"Believe Women" in its most unflinchingly literal interpretation wasn't the "norm" for Democrats for very long, and thankfully it is no more.</p><h2>Police unions' political power going unquestioned</h2><p>There have been moments in recent history when police brutality was a widely discussed national issue, only to fade after a time. But the outrage over the police killing of George Floyd in May brought racism and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/police-rioted-george-floyd-riots-justifying-protests-2020-6">police abuse</a> to the forefront of the conversation, and shows no signs of receding.</p><p>As a result, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nypds-shake-shack-hoax-stop-taking-police-word-2020-6">political power of police unions</a> and their intractable opposition to meaningful reform became a national issue. A complicating factor is the reality that police departments are administered at state and local levels, so <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/you-want-radical-police-reform-vote-in-local-elections-2020-6">reforms can be achieved only by pressuring local lawmakers</a>. That's going to make real reform an arduous process.</p><p>Still, it's an unalloyed good that police unions, and their opposition to transparency and accountability, are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/police-unions-enable-abuse-spread-destructive-propaganda-philadelphia-walter-wallace-2020-11">now a national issue</a>.</p><h2>Presidents not deploying federal agents to act as their own personal army </h2><p>There was a time when conservatives were outraged by the federal government's overreach into local matters. That's how words like "Ruby Ridge," "Waco," and "Bundy Ranch" became right-wing shorthand for tyrannies that must be resisted by "patriots" with guns.</p><p>But then <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-portland-secret-police-force-border-patrol-homeland-security-2020-7">Trump sent federal law-enforcement agents</a> - sometimes with the identities of their agencies concealed the public - into "Democratic-run" cities. These camouflage-clad agents were ostensibly there to protect federal buildings from protesters. But without the consent of local leaders, Trump's troops <a href="https://twitter.com/CBPMarkMorgan/status/1284206662434402305">arrested people in unmarked vans, far from government buildings</a>, and fired rubber bullets and tear gas into crowds. </p><p>Trump also used the <keyword id="367961" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="national-guard">National Guard</keyword> to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/us/politics/military-national-guard-trump-protests.html">knock around peaceful protesters</a> outside the White House so that he could stage a photo op. Trump's former defense secretary and retired four-star Marine Corps Gen. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/06/04/869255813/former-defense-secretary-mattis-issues-stunning-rebuke-of-trump">James Mattis said</a> of his former boss' abuse of power: "Never did I dream that troops … would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens -much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside."</p><p>Conservatives didn't make a peep. Suddenly they supported the federal government displaying, as Trump put it, the "power of strength."</p><h2>Political conventions as a quadrennial in-person event</h2><p>The Republican and Democratic national conventions went virtual this year, and surprisingly little changed.</p><p>Sure, there's a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/losing-democratic-republican-political-conventions-would-hurt-seriously-2020-5">certain comfort to the spectacle</a> of thousands of activists, delegates, and media herded into an arena for four days of over the top bluster and pageantry. But when it comes down to it, the RNC and DNC are just four daylong commercials for their respective parties.</p><p>And we, the American public, still had a few hours a night of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dnc-night-one-joe-biden-eva-longoria-democratic-national-convention-2020-8">touchy-feely Democratic attempts</a> at heartstring-pulling, as well as an equal amount of time for Republicans to praise their Dear Leader and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kimberly-guilfoyle-rnc-speech-vote-trump-or-die-republican-convention-2020-8">scare the hell out of suburbia</a> with ridiculous visions of a coming socialist apocalypse.</p><p>For the public, the conventions were pretty close to what they always were, if a bit more awkward. And like most conventions, they were quickly forgotten.</p><h2>Republicans believing <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> confirmation hearings should wait until after a presidential election</h2><p>When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died, in February 2016, the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insisted that any confirmation hearings to replace the late arch-conservative justice should wait until after the presidential election - nine months in the future. The GOP talking point at the time was that the people should determine the political leaning of the court.</p><p>Despite that period representing nearly one-fifth of President Barack Obama's term, Republicans insisted he had no right to have his nominee, Merrick Garland, be considered.</p><p>Flash forward to Justice <keyword id="315543" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ruth-Bader-Ginsburg">Ruth Bader Ginsburg</keyword>'s death in September - barely six weeks before the presidential election - and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-hypocrites-supreme-court-nominee-election-year-obama-garland-ginsburg-2020-9">Republicans' goalposts moved drastically</a>. The primacy was no longer on the will of the people in 2020; it was on the will of the people from 2016 who put a Republican in the White House and the will of the people in 2018 who kept the president's party in control of the Senate.</p><p>Democrats were powerless against such tortured logic and flagrant hypocrisy, and Trump made his third SCOTUS nomination in less than four years.</p><p>Amy Coney Barrett was swiftly confirmed less than a month after Ginsburg's death, giving the conservatives a 6-3 advantage on the court, an advantage that could last more than a generation.</p><h2>Presidents committing to the peaceful transfer of power (and members of their party insisting the president do the same)</h2><p>Among Trump's favorite epithets is "loser." And no matter the damage it does to the country he professes to love, he just won't admit he's a loser.</p><p>This is in spite of the fact that he decisively lost the election in the Electoral College, was positively thumped in the popular vote, and his lawyers baselessly alleging voter fraud have a nearly perfect record of being resoundingly defeated in the courts. Trump is 2020's biggest loser.</p><p>If he were the patriot he claims to be, he'd have committed to the most American of political norms: the peaceful transfer of power.</p><p>Instead, he insinuated before the election that he would not accept the results if he lost, hasn't offered congratulations to Joe Biden, and hasn't told his followers that they fought the good the fight but the time has come to accept the democratic will of the people and support the incoming president, if not his policies. And it's not likely he ever will.</p><p>What makes the damage so much worse than it had to be is Republican complicity in Trump's extended tantrum.</p><p>That goes for the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/majority-of-house-gop-support-lawsuit-aimed-at-overturning-election-2020-12">106 House Republicans</a> who signed on to one of the defeated president's reality-bereft legal challenges to the election.</p><p>And it goes for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who, true to character, stayed mum and coy until the Electoral College put an end to Trump's voter-fraud hoax once and for all. When faced with the choice of putting the country first and disrupting a coup attempt, or offending Trump and risking the wrath of his base, McConnell went with the option most likely to keep him in power. RIP, GOP patriotism.</p><p>As 2020 mercifully recedes into history, this is the most important and tragically destroyed norm, as it has directly led to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll/half-of-republicans-say-biden-won-because-of-a-rigged-election-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN27Y1AJ">millions of conservatives disbelieving the results</a> of a legitimate election. It's unclear whether that will ever be normal again.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-killed-new-york-city-big-apple-will-be-back-2020-12">New York City as we knew it is dead. Long live New York.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shame-fatigue-unscientific-covid-restrictions-backfiring-2020-12">Shame fatigue and unscientific COVID-19 restrictions are backfiring</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-winter-coming-talk-about-your-mental-health-depression-anxiety-2020-12">We need talk about our mental-health crisis before the worst of COVID winter hits</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-stop-the-steal-mobs-reminder-political-violence-is-wrong-2020-12">Trump-supporting 'Stop the Steal' mobs are a reminder that political violence is always inexcusable</a></li></ul>

7 American political 'norms' blown to smithereens in 2020

<p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">Anthony Scaramucci</p>In the first public moments of his tenure as White House communications director on Friday, Anthony Scaramucci addressed the reported turmoil between himself and and a top Trump administration staffer.<p>In a press briefing Friday afternoon, Scaramucci noted the various reports of his conflicts with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, who was reportedly opposed to the former hedge fund manager taking a job in the administration.</p><p>"Reince and I have been personal friends for six years," Scaramucci said. "We are a little bit like brothers, where we rough each other up a little, which is totally normal for brothers. There's a lot of people here who have brothers, so you get that."</p><p>Scaramucci described Priebus as a "dear friend," and said that he worked with Priebus at the Republican National Committee and offered the former RNC chairman a job in 2012 to serve as chief operating officer for his investment firm, SkyBridge Capital, in 2012.</p><p>"We are committed as true professionals to the team and the process of getting the administration's message out," Scaramucci said. "I think there's been at times a disconnect between the way we see the president, and how much we love the president, and the way some of you see the president."</p><p>The gulf between Scaramucci and Priebus has been widely reported for months.</p><p>Outgoing White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who is one of Priebus' closest allies in the administration, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sean-spicer-resigns-press-secretary-scaramucci-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">abruptly resigned on Friday</a> following Scaramucci's appointment as communications director, a move that some interpreted as a sign of the chief of staff's waning influence.</p><p>Scaramucci has been blunt in private about Priebus' attempts to shut him out of the president's inner circle, but has occasionally acknowledged the friction between the two.</p><p>"I have a lot of friends in the administration," Scaramucci told Business Insider in late May. "I have one or two people who obviously don't favor me, but that's okay, that's politics. I'm not the first person to get hit in politics, and I won't be the last."</p>             <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-jr-met-russian-lawyer-paul-manafort-jared-kushner-adoption-kellyanne-conway-2017-7">ABC calls out Kellyanne Conway over Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer after previously denying any contact with Russians</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video

'We rough each other up a little': Scaramucci tries to most past friction with Reince Priebus

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Former MSNBC and current ESPN anchor Keith Olbermann wrote to former President Bill Clinton to apologize for his part in the "ceaseless coverage" of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, according to new documents released Friday. </p>
<p>Olbermann's mea culpa to the president was <a href="http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/assets/storage/Research%20-%20Digital%20Library/formerlywithheld/batch7/2006-0319-F.pdf" target="_blank">revealed</a> in a batch of newly released documents from the Clinton Presidential Library. </p>
<p>Olbermann wrote a letter to the president apologizing for <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"whatever part I may have played in perpetuating this ceaseless coverage </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">(of the Lewinsky story)," according to an email sent by former Clinton aide Scott Michaud. Olbermann added that he would "be heading back to my previous career in </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">sports as quickly as possible."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Michaud sent the letter to other White House staffers along with an E! Online article that described how Olbermann wanted out of his contract with MSNBC. At the time, he was hosting a show called "The Big Show with Keith Olbermann" on the network. Olbermann did end up leaving the network and returning to sports, heading to Fox Sports Network. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Michaud sent other White House staffers a generic response from the president to letters of support. He asked the other staffers' opinions on whether it was "</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">sufficient or should we be saying more (or less) to him?"</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Here's the generic message:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Dear Keith: Thanks so much for your kind message. I've been touched by the many expressions of encouragement and support I have received from friends across the country. I'm grateful you got in touch with me, and I send you my very best wishes. Sincerely, POTUS</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Lori L. Anderson, another White House aide, said she thought the White House should make the response letter "a bit warmer." The final fate of the letter is not contained in the documents, however.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Olbermann email was part of a batch of documents revealing internal White House communications amid the unfolding Lewinsky scandal.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Here are the documents related to the Olbermann apology:</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><br /></span></p>

Keith Olbermann Apologized To Bill Clinton For MSNBC's 'Ceaseless' Coverage Of Monica Lewinsky

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Once considered a 2020 frontrunner at the beginning of this year, Sen. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-kamala-harris-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Kamala Harris</a>' sudden exit from the 2020 Democratic presidential field shocked many of her fellow Democrats.</li><li>Harris announced her departure from the race on Tuesday amid discouraging polling numbers and reports of financial struggle, infighting, and turmoil within her campaign team.</li><li>Many of her fellow 2020 contenders and other Democrats expressed sadness and surprise at her departure, which also sparked a wider conversation about gender and race in politics.</li><li>Some Democratic operatives argued Harris' exit demonstrated political savvy, while others said it illuminated what they call sexist and racist treatment she's received from pundits and the media. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>. </li></ul><p>Once considered a 2020 frontrunner, Sen. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-kamala-harris-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Kamala Harris</a>' sudden exit from the 2020 presidential field on Tuesday surprised her fellow Democrats.</p><p>Despite qualifying for the Dec. 19 Democratic debate, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-dropping-out-2020-democratic-presidential-race-2019-12">Harris announced her departure</a> from the primary amid discouraging polling numbers and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harriss-campaign-is-facing-an-internal-revolt-2019-11">reports</a> of financial struggle, infighting, and turmoil within her campaign team.</p><p>"I was very surprised by it," Christine Pelosi, a Democratic strategist and the daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told Insider. "It was rather shocking when I got a text from someone - I thought, 'that can't be.'" </p><p>Pelosi said she thought Harris had enough grassroots support to hit 15% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses in February - the threshold necessary for candidates to earn delegates. She thinks Harris' financial struggles were the nail in the coffin. </p><p>Harris was also facing a looming deadline in her home state, where the ballot will be finalized later this month. A poor primary performance there could've had broad implications for her future in both the 2020 race and the Senate. Ian Russell, a Democratic congressional strategist, said the timing of Harris' exit demonstrated "savvy."</p><p>"This way she doesn't risk a drubbing in California that could lead to some ambitious Democrat primarying her for the Senate seat," Russell told Insider. </p><p>Harris, formerly California's attorney general and San Francisco's district attorney, was immediately recognized as a rising Democratic star upon her election to the US Senate in 2016 and quickly positioned herself as one of the Senate's most outspoken and progressive members. </p><p>Some Democratic operatives lamented Harris' departure. </p><p>"Kamala Harris is so much better and more qualified than many of the candidates still in the race," Rebecca Katz, a progressive New York-based strategist, told Insider. </p><p>But Democratic strategists say Harris won't be leaving the national spotlight anytime soon. </p><p>Adrienne Elrod, a Democratic strategist and former spokesperson for Hillary Clinton, told Insider that she was "saddened" by Harris' departure but thinks the senator will have "a prominent place" in the party for "decades to come." </p><p>"While her campaign clearly had some struggles, Kamala Harris is a trailblazer and brought so much passion, energy, and plenty of smart, creative ideas about how to make our country a better place to the primary debate," Elrod said. </p><p>Jesse Ferguson, a former spokesman for Hillary Clinton, told Insider that Harris is "a young, rising-star senator with an influential role in the Senate."</p><p>He added, "This is far from her last act in politics."</p><p>Some are already speculating that Harris will be an attractive vice presidential running mate. </p><p>"I'm sure there's a lot of healing and mourning that needs to go on, but I think she'd be on anybody's shortlist to be vice president," Pelosi said. </p><h2>Harris' historic candidacy also sparked commentary on the role of gender and racial bias in American politics</h2><p>With Harris' exit from the race, the six candidates who have qualified to participate in the December Democratic primary debate are all white, a striking contrast to the diverse Democratic electorate. </p><p>Pelosi, who went to law school with Harris and has long been a supporter of the senator, argued that Harris received more criticism from pundits and the media over her "message and management stumbles" than did many of the white and male candidates. </p><p>"You really can't tell the story about Kamala Harris 2020 without speaking of the sexism, the 'misogynoir,' and the big money in politics," she said. "I credit her with the integrity to see she could overcome one or two, but not all three, of those factors." </p><p>She argued that the party and the media's handling of Harris' exit from the race will impact how black women perceive the party and politics generally. </p><p>"The only black woman in the race has left the stage, so how your treat her demise will be a sign to other black women about how you value them," Pelosi said. </p><h2>Harris received public displays of support from her family and some campaign staffers:</h2><h2>Other 2020 Democrats and Democratic activists were sad to see her go:</h2><h2>The Trump campaign reacted with glee, posting a tweet referencing Harris' feud with Rep. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-tulsi-gabbard-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-4">Tulsi Gabbard</a>:</h2><p>Gabbard herself, however, tweeted out a gracious and laudatory response to Harris' departure from the race: </p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-dropping-out-2020-democratic-presidential-race-2019-12">Kamala Harris is dropping out of the 2020 Democratic presidential race</a></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harriss-campaign-is-facing-an-internal-revolt-2019-11">Kamala Harris' campaign is facing an internal revolt over disastrous management that's taken her out of the top tier of contenders</a></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-kamala-harris-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Kamala Harris ran for president in 2020. Here's everything we know about the candidate and how she stacked up against the competition.</a></p>

Kamala Harris just ended her campaign in a stunning early exit and Democrats are reeling

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>The "Today" show hosts have vowed to cover the allegations against their former colleague Matt Lauer "as journalists" and be transparent with viewers.</strong></li><li><strong>Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Kathie Lee Gifford have said on the show that they are saddened by the allegations and grappling with how to process the <keyword id="6355005" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="News">news</keyword>.</strong></li><li><strong>The "Today" show has since reported on subsequent allegations made by other Lauer accusers in investigations by Variety and The New York Times.</strong></li></ul><p><br>NBC's "Today" show hosts have been open with their emotions in their coverage of the multiple sexual misconduct allegations against their former colleague, Matt Lauer, who was fired from the network on Wednesday.</br></p><p>Co-host Savannah Guthrie first announced Lauer's firing on the Wednesday morning show, saying she and her colleagues were "devastated" by the news, but vowed to cover the story "as reporters, as journalists" and be transparent with viewers.</p><p>"I'm heartbroken for Matt, he is my dear friend and partner, and he is beloved by many, many people here. And I'm heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story, and any other women who have their own stories to tell," Guthrie said.</p><p>"And we are grappling with a dilemma that so many people have faced these past few weeks: How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly? And I don't know the answer to that."</p><p>Kathie Lee Gifford also expressed sorrow for both Lauer and his accuser in the show's fourth hour that day. She revealed that she texted Lauer after the allegations were made public, saying, "I adore you."</p><p>"What we need now is forgiveness and we need mercy for one another, and we don't need taunts and we don't need ugliness. We have enough of that in the world," Gifford said. "I send out my love right now to the person, whoever it is, that came forward - may God heal that person."</p><p>Since the initial announcement, the show has followed up on reports from The New York Times and Variety that have documented multiple women's allegations against Lauer, some of which date back decades.</p><h2>New allegations are piling up against Lauer</h2><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk appeared on "Today" on Thursday to report on the subsequent developments, noting that Lauer was "among the most high-profile men in the country brought down by allegations of sexual misconduct," and calling him "a skilled interviewer of ordinary people, celebrities, and politicians alike."<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYorT6jRNDc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In the same segment</a>, Guthrie also read in full a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/matt-lauer-responds-sexual-misconduct-allegations-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from Lauer that he had provided to the network.</p><p>"There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions," he said. "Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed."</p><p>Variety's report included <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/matt-lauer-allegedly-gave-a-colleague-a-sex-toy-exposed-himself-to-a-female-staffer-and-made-inappropriate-comments-at-the-today-show-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">multiple allegations from current and former NBC employees</a> saying Lauer had engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behavior during his time at the network. It contained an accusation that Lauer once gifted a sex toy to a female colleague, accompanied by a note about how he wanted to use it on her.</p><p>It also says he allegedly exposed himself to another female employee after summoning her to his office, then reprimanding her for not participating in a sexual act. Variety reported that several staffers said they complained to network executives about Lauer's behavior but were ignored.</p><p>The Times reported on Wednesday that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/matt-lauer-accused-sexual-assaulting-nbc-employee-office-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC received two new complaints</a> that day about Lauer, including one from a woman who alleged that Lauer invited her to his office in 2001, locked the door from the inside, then sexually assaulted her.</p><p>The "Today" hosts <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/936569896950956032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued reporting</a> on the developments on Friday, broadcasting photographs taken of Lauer near his Long Island home, and noting that there are now "between three and six" women who have accused Lauer of sexual harassment or assault.</p><p>"Questions have been raised about whether NBC News executives knew of the complaints prior to Monday evening," Guthrie said. "Several former executives said they didn't know of any complaints. And the network responded saying, unequivocally, no current management knew about any accusations."</p><div></div><div></div><div> </div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photographer-pete-souza-obama-visiting-injured-veteran-cory-remsburg-walter-reed-2017-11">White House photographer Pete Souza tells the story behind one of Obama's most iconic photographs visiting injured veterans</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div></hr>

Here's how the 'Today' show has covered the sexual misconduct allegations against Matt Lauer

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty / Drew Angerer</span></p><p class="caption">SurveyMonkey CEO Zander Lurie.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>SurveyMonkey is the cloud survey company that weathered the death of its former chief executive Dave Goldberg and went public in late 2018.</strong></li><li><strong>The IPO is a victory for a company that was hugely vulnerable after Goldberg's death, and came under additional scrutiny thanks to the fact that Goldberg been the much-loved husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.</strong></li><li><strong>Its current chief executive, Zander Lurie, was a friend of Goldberg's and had to cope with both his own grief and that of employees when he temporarily and then permanently took over as CEO.</strong></li><li><strong>In speaking publicly, both Lurie and Goldberg's widow Sheryl Sandberg have changed conversations around grief in Silicon Valley. Lurie spoke to Business Insider about what that was like.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p>"We were clearly in a vulnerable moment," recalls Zander Lurie. "Recruiters trying to poach our engineers and sales folk the week after, I remember that."</p><p>Lurie is the chief executive of SurveyMonkey, which provides online survey software to individuals and enterprises. Lurie has been CEO since 2016, and took the company public in 2018. The firm now has a market cap of $2.1 billion, and has just opened its first ever European data centre, a milestone in its growth.</p><p>So far, so Silicon Valley.</p><p>Except that four years ago, SurveyMonkey was thrown into massive turmoil after the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dave-goldberg-cause-of-death-2015-5?r=US&amp;IR=T">sudden and tragic death of its then-CEO Dave Goldberg</a>, at the age of 47, while on holiday with friends and family.</p><p>Goldberg's death attracted international attention not just because of his relative youth and position, but also because he was the husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="caption">Dave Goldberg, who died in 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Lurie was working at GoPro at the time, a board member at SurveyMonkey, and a close friend of the couple. The company was still private, and Lurie was asked to step in as a kind of interim CEO while it worked out its future.</p><p>That meant coping with both his own grief and that of employees, as well as unpleasant external realities like recruiters trying to lure away staff at a vulnerable period for the firm.</p><p>"The board asked me to spend time over that summer to help approve budgets and be available to the team, be somewhat of a grief counsellor since he and I were dear friends," Lurie said. "There were lots of questions about our viability...the business was at risk at that time."</p><p>Lurie had in fact been among the friends who were with Goldberg the day he died and, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/technology/how-surveymonkey-is-coping-after-death-of-dave-goldberg.html">according to The New York Times</a>, was a pallbearer at his funeral.</p><p>After <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/a-bittersweet-day-for-surveymonkeys-ceo-2015-7">a newly appointed CEO, <span>Bill Veghte</span>, didn't work out</a>, Lurie <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/surveymonkey-announces-leadership-changes/">took the job full-time</a> at the beginning of 2016. While conflicted, he accepted because "I just felt these really strong ties to the board of SurveyMonkey and its team, and in part to carry on the legacy that Dave had created."</p><p>Even as recruiters circled, staffers found their own ways of keeping Goldberg in their thoughts.</p><p>Lurie hosted a company all-hands meeting 48 hours after Goldberg's death, and offered employees a day off to spend time with their loved ones.</p><p>"A bunch of engineers were shipping an important product, and one ended the code with #makedaveproud," Lurie said. "We made that into T-shirts and threw them on. Those moments are a pure demonstration of people's emotions."</p><h2>SurveyMonkey and Sheryl Sandberg changed the way grief is discussed publicly - and it was risky</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Allison Shelley/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Two years after the death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg co-authored "Option B" with Wharton professor Adam Grant, a book about remaining resilient and advice on recovering after a sudden loss.</p><p>Sandberg is credited with altering the public conversation around grief, memorably describing publicly the way Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg <a href="https://qz.com/969365/mark-zuckerberg-is-way-nicer-than-you-think/">took care of her in the days and weeks</a> after Goldberg's death.</p><p>But SurveyMonkey too demonstrated surprising frankness about how it was coping as a company with the death of its CEO. The firm put up several senior executives, including a grieving Lurie, for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/technology/how-surveymonkey-is-coping-after-death-of-dave-goldberg.html">interviews with The New York Times</a> only a month after Goldberg's death.</p><p>That piece gave a detailed insight into what it's like for a fast-growing startup deprived of its leader, describing how the firm kept SurveyMonkey employees motivated, and how the conference room used most by Goldberg had its shades half-drawn and a jar of white flowers placed on its table. And the company was open about those recruiter calls.</p><p>Such honesty might have deepened the firm's vulnerability, but Lurie says the long-term impact on SurveyMonkey is a more open culture.</p><p>"I've had incredible access to people sharing their personal stories with me... for people to bring their whole selves to work, and give you their all, you need to have trust and a bond.</p><p>"We as a company had it play out very publicly, so if I can be a vessel for people feeling they can be more open... we try and live that culture. Our shareholders and customers benefit from it."</p><p>Another anomaly: <a href="https://investor.surveymonkey.com/corporate-governance/board-of-directors">Five of SurveyMonkey's 10 board members are women</a>, making it one of the few diverse governance teams in Silicon Valley. The also company counts Sandberg and tennis star Serena Williams among its board members.</p><h2>The IPO was a 'highly clarifying' moment for a still-unprofitable SurveyMonkey</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>SurveyMonkey</span></p><p class="caption">SurveyMonkey's enterprise software</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>SurveyMonkey went public in late 2018, a positive moment for both Lurie as a first-time chief executive and the wider team.</p><p>SurveyMonkey is still maybe best known to consumers as the company which does online surveys, but the firm has built out its enterprise offering for businesses who pay to drill down into attitudes of customers and employees.</p><p>Asked whether an IPO was the right outcome, versus a sale, Lurie said: "Going public is a highly clarifying event for your strategy.</p><p>"For SurveyMonkey, we had this diverse business because our customer base is so diverse, and then we have all these important integrations with firms like Slack, Facebook, Salesforce, where people can consume their survey data in the systems they work in every day.</p><p>"For those customers, they can consume that data in their application, and we think that's a great outcome. For us to be an independent company lets us provide software products that integrate well with everybody else, and we're having a ton of fun."</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-lakestar-800-million-venture-capital-startup-fundraise-2019-6?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An early Spotify and Airbnb investor is raising Europe's biggest startup fund of $800 million, but 6 sources say his VC firm has run into problems</a></em></p><p>He added: "Clearly going public demonstrated we had built the team, board, and systems that could withstand the public market scrutiny."</p><p>The firm is still unprofitable, in keeping with other red-hot Silicon Valley IPOs, and has ambitious growth plans. Revenue for its first quarter of 2019 was up 17% year on year to $68.6 million. It reported a net loss of $17.8 million, up from a loss of $14.7 million in the equivalent period of 2018.</p><p>It has just hired a new CFO, Debbie Clifford, after the retirement of Tim Maly last year.</p><p>SurveyMonkey is focused on its cash reserves while it finances its international expansion but, Lurie argues, the firm has "super attractive unit economics" and strong cash flow generation.</p><p>It doesn't cost much to get someone to take a survey, and most internet users are probably pretty familiar with SurveyMonkey.  The firm has 671,000 paying users, and is focused on boosting that enterprise base.</p><p>"Over the long term, of course we aspire to be a company that has positive EPS [earnings per share]," Lurie added. "I think a company's ability to control its own destiny is contingent on its ability to finance its growth."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/review-1099-iphone-xs-max-google-479-pixel-3a-xl-2019-5">I switched from the $1,099 iPhone XS Max to the $479 Pixel 3a XL - and I didn't miss much</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

How SurveyMonkey recovered from the death of its CEO and became a $2.1 billion public company

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>With less than a year&#xa0;to go until the general election, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton isn't wasting any time courting a small but influential group of voters: Latinas.&#xa0;<p>At Clinton's headquarters&#xa0;on the eleventh&#xa0;floor of a high-rise in downtown Brooklyn on Monday, a small group of Latina supporters worked the phones.&#xa0;</p><p>Their mission: invite&#xa0;Latinas in Colorado, a key swing state with a rising Hispanic population, to the former secretary of state's&#xa0;speech at a Colorado High School on Tuesday.</p><p>What's essentially a small effort with the temporary goal of filling a high school with supportive Latina voters is part of a larger strategy by the campaign. It hopes to woo a growing demographic that the Clinton campaign feels it can not only decisively win over in the primary and general elections, but will also help&#xa0;Clinton clinch key swing states in the general.</p><p>Last weekend, the campaign held a multi-day strategy session aimed laying the groundwork&#xa0;for projects&#xa0;to&#xa0;increase turnout among Latina voters, which the campaign believes will identify with Clinton's platform.</p><p>With more than&#xa0;50 Latina supporters from across the US, the campaign set out teaching women how&#xa0;to tap into their communities and networks&#xa0;to reach and encourage other Latinas to show up for primaries and caucuses as well as the general election.</p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-sanders-latino-nevada-20151110-story.html">According to The Los Angeles&#xa0;Times</a>, Clinton already has 22 paid staffers on the ground in Nevada. Many of the staffers have been working since April to pledge to support Clinton at the state's primary caucus next year.</p><p>The campaign is already working with an impressive - and growing - roster of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/26/3-named-to-top-posts-of-latino-groups-super-pac/">high-profile local campaign surrogates</a>. The list includes&#xa0;former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio&#xa0;Villaraigosa, brothers Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, and New York City Council&#xa0;Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who briefly hit the phones herself at Monday's phone bank in Brooklyn.</p><p>"I've been very&#xa0;amazed, particularly yesterday at the retreat, at the level of engagement that this campaign is doing bilingually, bi-culturally, really speaking to the issues that matter to us," Mark-Viverito said.&#xa0;</p><p>Part of Clinton's&#xa0;early planning likely has to do with the enormous&#xa0;sway that Latinos are projected to carry&#xa0;over the outcome of the 2016 election.</p><p><a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2015/09/17/121325/top-6-facts-on-the-latino-vote/">According to the Center for American Progress</a>, Latinos will account for 13% of all eligible voters, with higher percentages in swing states like Nevada, Florida, and Colorado.&#xa0;</p><p>Latino voters overwhelmingly supported President Barack Obama's 2012 bid, voting for him over Republican nominee Mitt Romney by a 71-27 margin. The voting bloc helped carry him to victory in several key states.</p><p>Republicans - who have increasingly found themselves <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-deportation-force-illegal-immigration-2015-11" target="_blank">in a heated debate over immigration reform</a> - face an even steeper challenge in 2016. The Center for American Progress says that the eventual candidate needs to win 47%&#xa0;of Latinos' support to win the general election, higher than even former President George W. Bush's 44% level in 2004.</p><p>And though&#xa0;immigration remains the most important issue to Latino voters,&#xa0;the Clinton campaign hopes that her&#xa0;positions on a wide range of national issues&#xa0;will resonate with Latinas, as well.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Lorella Praeli, the campaign's director of Hispanic media, said that at the retreat over the weekend, many Latina supporters talked about Clinton's gun control and substance-abuse plans.</p><p>"Immigration is close and dear to so many people, but ... a lot of people were talking about her gun plan," Praeli told Business Insider.&#xa0;"It's something that people don't generally expect."</p><p>Neither of Clinton's Democratic opponents have scaled their operations to match Clinton's voter outreach.</p><p>As Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) has gained popularity with voters&#xa0;in early&#xa0;states dominated by white voters, he's attempted to expand outreach to Latino voters.</p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/can-bernie-sanders-win-over-latino-voters/2015/11/09/b3947a36-86fd-11e5-9a07-453018f9a0ec_story.html">As The&#xa0;Washington Post has reported notes</a>, he's begun airing ads on&#xa0;Spanish-language radio stations in key early states. He has&#xa0;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-sanders-latino-nevada-20151110-story.html">come out against privately-run immigrant detention centers</a>. And he&#xa0;has hired&#xa0;key staffers dedicated to tailoring his message of economic populism for Latino voters.</p><p>Meanwhile, though&#xa0;he's struggled to gain traction in polls, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) has made a serious play for&#xa0;Latino voters. He hasn't been afraid to knock Clinton and Sanders on the issue, while touting the immigration measures he took while serving as governor.&#xa0;</p><p>The O'Malley campaign says he&#xa0;has had&#xa0;more appearances on national Spanish-language channels&#xa0;than both Sanders and Clinton combined. And he sat for several interviews with <a href="http://www.laprensaiowa.com/">Iowa's sole Spanish-language newspaper</a>.</p><p>His immigration reform plan also got a hat tip from influential Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, who tweeted that O'Malley's plan is&#xa0;the "most inclusive" released by any candidate thus far.</p><p>"When you have someone like Jorge Ramos, who is obviously a very big leader in the community, saying that the governor has the most progressive, inclusive immigration plan out there, that matters" Gabriela Domenzain, O'Malley's director of public engagement, told Business Insider.</p><p>Latinos "are recognizing, because of the hard work we've made to reach out to them both on the ground and in the press, that this is someone who is actions and not words, and has been there for the community," she said.</p><p>Though Clinton's campaign still towers over both Sanders and O'Malley among Latinos in early polls, the former secretary of state&#xa0;has not gone&#xa0;without missteps.</p><p>Clinton caught&#xa0;heat for suggesting that deporting some refugees fleeing violence in Central America would "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-child-migrants_55d4a5c5e4b055a6dab24c2f?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000052">send a message</a>" to other families. Weeks later, Clinton&#xa0;raised eyebrows over her use of the phrase "illegal immigrant," a term that many Latinos&#xa0;find offensive. She said Tuesday that was a "poor choice of words."</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>Regardless of the eventual outcome of the primary, many Democrats think Trump's controversial rhetoric about immigration will motivate Latinos to pay more attention than in past elections. &#xa0;</p><p>Praeli, Clinton's director of Hispanic media, told Business Insider that many voters and activists with whom the campaign has spoken in&#xa0;Colorado and Nevada&#xa0;flagged Trump's provocative statements.</p><p>"That comes up a lot,"&#xa0;Praeli said. "People are saying it is our responsibility to make sure that we secure the nomination and that we elect her."</p><p>"You can tell that [Latinas] are&#xa0;following the news, and you can tell that they're angry, and they don't stand by the comments that others candidates are making."</p><p><span>Mark-Viverito agreed.</span></p><p>"There's a coalescing and coming together,"&#xa0;<span>Mark-Viverito told Business Insider after making calls to Latinas in Colorado.</span>&#xa0;"And that's why I want to be vocal and visible out there, because it's a prime opportunity&#xa0;to understand&#xa0;how powerful we are, because we are going to be the deciding vote in the next election."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/woman-at-trump-rally-reads-book-about-racism-2015-11">This woman got a prime seat at a Trump rally, and spent the whole time reading a book about racism</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="d0NjlzeDozqnFmnzLKO5jnoBn4lhJESs" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Hillary Clinton's campaign made a move that shows how far ahead she is of her rivals

<p> </p><p>Dear Readers,</p><p><span>I hope everyone<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-backlash-zion-williamson-shoe-explodes-2019-2"> checks their Nikes before their weekend workouts</a>...the sneaker explosion heard round the world was definitely the craziest story of the week (not to mention that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-shares-slide-after-zion-williamsons-sneaker-malfunction-2019-2">sportswear giant's market cap shed $1 billion in market value</a> the next day).  </span></p><p><span><strong>If you're new to the Wall Street Insider newsletter, <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/wall-st-insider&amp;hash=f4e91136c13f3c40c496d77bc7347502">you can sign up here</a>.</strong></span></p><p><strong>And if you're an existing Prime subscriber,<a href="https://bievents.typeform.com/to/thLadq"> please take our reader survey here. </a></strong></p><p>While not as dramatic as #shoegate, I was shocked by takeaways from some recent housing data analyzed by BI's Tanza Loudenback. Much has been written that millennials don't want the "American dream" of their parents - a white picket fence and 2.5 kids in the suburbs. They're putting off things like marriage and home ownership because they're too burdened by student debt (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-prefer-travel-over-brunch-2018-6">not to mention they've spent all their money on avocado toast</a>). </p><p>But in fact, the data doesn't support this. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-taking-over-mortgage-market-homeownership-2019-2">Tanza reports:</a></p><p><em>According to <a href="https://www.realtor.com/research/generational-propensity-report-2018-review">a new report from Realtor.com</a>, millennials are taking over the mortgage market in the US. Home-loan data analyzed by Realtor.com show millennials - defined here as the generation aged 19 to 37 - have taken out a larger share of mortgages than Gen Xers or baby boomers in the US since early 2017.</em></p><p><em>Now, new data reveal millennials are responsible for the largest share (42%) of new mortgage loans by dollar volume, narrowly surpassing Generation X for the first time, and there are two clear reasons why. Millennials as a group are buying more homes than ever, and, individually, they're making lower down payments despite rising home prices, which require larger mortgages. </em></p><p>Basically, millennials want to own homes. They've just taken longer than their parents' generation to get there (individual Gen X buyers, to be sure, are still taking on the highest loan amounts). </p><p><span>To sum it up: Millennials aren't that different than previous generations. They haven't been shunning the idea of homeownership - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-wealth-generation-experts-data-2019-1">they've just been broke and young </a>until now, just like other generations were before they started buying homes. Now they are older and have more money. So they're essentially doing the same thing generations did when they got more money and grew older.</span></p><p><span>Some other interesting takeaways: </span></p><ul><li><span>The stereotype that millennials primarily choose to buy homes and live in large metro areas isn't the reality. In fact, millennials make up more than 50% of mortgage holders in Pittsburgh; Cincinnati; Milwaukee; St. Louis; Columbus, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York where it's cheaper to buy a home. </span></li><li><span>All things considered, millennials aren't approaching homeownership </span><em>exactly</em><span> as their parents did. There's been a rise in unmarried millennial couples buying homes together and it's due to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-millennials-gen-x-and-baby-boomers-approach-marriage-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">economic conditions</a> and a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-millennials-gen-x-and-baby-boomers-approach-marriage-2017-11" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">shift in attitudes toward marriage.</a> </span><span></span></li></ul><p><span>There are also striking parallels between how millennials approach homebuying and their behavior with credit cards. </span></p><p><span>For years, banks assumed that young people didn't want credit cards, and so they didn't bother wasting marketing dollars on them. That is,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-jpmorgan-chase-sapphire-reserve-figured-out-millennial-2018-1"> until the hugely popular Chase Sapphire Reserve card came around </a>with flexible dining and travel rewards. The truth wasn't that millennials loathed credit cards...it was that they<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-jpmorgan-chase-sapphire-reserve-figured-out-millennial-2018-1"> just didn't have much interest in having products that were made and marketed</a> for their parents shoved down their throat. It's the same with homebuying. Millennials do want the American Dream...they just want it on their terms.</span></p><p><span>I'd love to hear from my readers. Please let me know if you have thoughts on any of our stories, tips to pass on, or general feedback. </span></p><p><span>To read most of the stories below,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/prime"> you can subscribe to Prime </a>(or email me at ooran@businessinsider.com for a free trial).  </span></p><p>Have a good weekend! </p><p>- Olivia</p><p> </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Heidi Gutman/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><strong><span>Bloomberg is diving into into the booming alternative data field with a new product that'll help the market become mainstream</span></strong></p><p>Alternative data is about to be normalized.</p><p>Bloomberg LP <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bloomberg-launching-alternative-data-platform-2019-2">is the latest mainstream financial company </a>to wade into the once-obscure alternative data field with a new product that will give clients access to data from more than 20 niche firms, report BI's Bradley Saacks and Dan DeFrancesco. </p><p>The datasets will include stats on drug approvals, retail foot traffic tracked through cell phones, construction permits, and more.</p><p>As hedge-fund managers seek out ways to beat the market,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alternative-data-provider-1010data-launches-new-database-2019-1"> they're increasingly turning to alternative-data providers to identify trends</a> before their competitors.</p><p>And as the data industry has grown, so have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hedge-fund-managers-are-eyeing-regulatory-scrutiny-in-alternative-data-2019-2">fears about a potential crackdown</a> from regulators about hedge funds and other asset managers information that may have been obtained in an illegal way. Bloomberg's portal, data companies say, allows them to get their information in front of some of the largest financial institutions in the world without the extended due diligence program typically required to onboard them. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bloomberg-launching-alternative-data-platform-2019-2">READ MORE HERE&gt;&gt;</a></p><p><strong>Digital Reasoning, a buzzy fintech valued at $270 million and backed by Goldman Sachs and Nasdaq, has lost its CEO and a handful of senior executives</strong></p><p>The chief executive of Digital Reasoning, a fintech valued at hundreds of millions of dollars and backed some of the world's largest banks, resigned earlier this month.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-reasoning-executives-leaving-2019-2">Brett Jackson stepped down as CEO of the AI software firm</a> on February 7, less than two years after joining the company, Business Insider has learned. Jackson departure from the Franklin, Tenn.-based company that is<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-valuable-startup-in-each-state-us-2018-11">reportedly valued at $270 million</a><span> </span>is the latest in a long-line of senior departures from the company, whose investors include Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Barclays and Nasdaq, among others.</p><p>The company has also lost its<span> head of North American sales, head of product, and its chief product officer in th last six months. Digital Reasoning's director of global sales operations is also on her way out.</span></p><p><span>The recent departures were in part, the result of a culture clash between Jackson and Estes, who serves as president of the firm, sources told BI's Dan DeFrancesco. </span></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-reasoning-executives-leaving-2019-2">READ MORE HERE&gt;&gt;</a></p><p><strong>JPMorgan is building a cloud engineering hub in Seattle minutes away from Amazon and Microsoft, and it's planning to hire 50 staffers this year</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4272009397">Flickr/Horia Varlan</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The cloud simply became too important for JPMorgan to ignore.</p><p>As the bank began to embrace cloud computing and the idea of housing information at dozens of disparate data centers rather than a few it tightly controlled, execs at the largest US bank knew it would<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indeed-says-amazon-web-services-microsoft-azure-and-google-cloud-skills-are-rising-in-demand-2018-12">face a growing demand for engineers</a><span> </span>who knew how to keep its data safe. The challenge? How to attract that talent.</p><p>Many of the best engineers in cloud security work for the largest cloud providers -<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aws-market-share-dominates-70-billion-cloud-market-2019-2">Amazon Web Services,</a><span> </span>Microsoft's Azure and Google Cloud - in Seattle, where there's a thriving tech scene and a more laid back vibe than in New York. Recruiting those engineers and asking them to move to other locations on the buttoned-up East Coast might have been a tough sell.</p><p><span>So the bank decided to do the next best thing and go to them. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-is-building-a-cloud-engineering-hub-in-seattle-2019-2">Last year, the company began hiring engineers for a new cloud cybersecurity office in Seattle</a>, housed with other JPMorgan employees at an office just blocks from such landmarks as Pike Place Market.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-is-building-a-cloud-engineering-hub-in-seattle-2019-2">READ MORE HERE&gt;&gt;</a></p><p><strong>Pimco and DoubleLine Capital are players in a tug-boat investment gone bad - and their struggles highlight the dark side of credit markets</strong></p><p>Two of the world's most savvy bond investors <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harley-marine-esoteric-abs-deal-2019-1">have seen an investment in the sometimes murky world of a niche fixed income market run aground.</a></p><p>Pimco and DoubleLine Capital are among the largest investors in a deal sold last May by a Seattle-based tug boat and barge company known as Harley Marine, reports BI's Dakin Campbell. The investment has taken a hit after expenses rose faster than expected, according to people with knowledge of the deal. A legal spat over $2.6 million in alleged embezzled or misappropriated funds has<span> </span><a href="https://www.krollbondratings.com/announcements/8686">contributed to the deal's</a> underperformance.</p><p><span>The deal has, for some, become a symbol of the "late cycle" froth that's developed in parts of the bond market as investors grasp for yield in riskier securities. It's a type of deal known as a whole business securitization, transactions that take entire companies and package them into bonds for sale to investors. It's one subsector in a broader category </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-the-60-billion-esoteric-abs-market-2019-1">known as the esoteric ABS market that has nearly doubled in the last four years</a><span>.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harley-marine-esoteric-abs-deal-2019-1"><span>READ MORE HERE&gt;&gt;</span></a></p><p><strong>Pre-IPO companies like Uber and Airbnb could 'test the waters' with investors sooner under a new SEC proposal</strong></p><p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/license/872127450">Michael Cohen/Getty Images</a></span></p><p class="caption">Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.</p></div><p></p></div></div></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sec-proposes-new-test-the-waters-rules-for-pre-ipo-unicorns-2019-2">New rules proposed by federal regulators will let mega-startups</a> like Uber and Airbnb seek early feedback about investor appetite for an<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ipo">initial public offering.</a></p><p>On Tuesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission<span> </span><a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2019-14">proposed a new "test the water" reform</a><span> </span>which would allow all pre-IPO companies to consult with qualified institutional buyers before filing paperwork to go public, reports BI's Becky Peterson.</p><p>These meetings give startups the chance to see if investors are actually interested in buying their stock before going through the work of filing with the SEC. And it helps institutional investors like Fidelity and T. Rowe Price the chance to see what's coming up in the IPO pipeline while setting the tone on valuation and price.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sec-proposes-new-test-the-waters-rules-for-pre-ipo-unicorns-2019-2">READ MORE HERE&gt;&gt;</a></p><p><strong>Quote of the week:</strong></p><div data-bi-ad="" id="gpt-post-transportation-desktop_in_post_ad-desktop-5c6e0776a936e3.22024861" data-force="" data-type="ad" data-adunit="business-insider/desktop/tech/transportation/post" data-secvert="thelife,travel" data-pagetype="post" data-tag="bitranspo,biselect,hurricane-irma,richard-branson,virgin-group" data-authors="benjamin-zhang" data-views="" data-region="Desktop In Post Ad" data-responsive="[{" browserLimit:00slotSize:300250fluidbrowserLimit:6000slotSize:300250fluidbrowserLimit:12600slotSize:72890300250fluidlocation:inline="" data-tile-order="tile-1" data-url="richard-branson-hurricane-irma-wine-cellar-experience-2019-2" data-amazontamsizes="[[300,250],[728,90]]" data-google-query-id="COul08_ey-ACFUHbwAodvOMANg"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/4442842/business-insider/desktop/tech/transportation/post_3__container__"><p>"It was 14 hours of a screaming train going by," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/richard-branson-hurricane-irma-wine-cellar-experience-2019-2"><span>Virgin Group Richard Branson said in an interview with Business Insider </span></a>of riding out Hurricane Irma in his bunker in the British Virgin Islands. "We were very lucky to be in a wine cellar, a good concrete wine cellar."</p></div></div><p><strong>Wall Street move of the week:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bank-of-americas-head-of-equities-quits-2019-2">A star trader and US head of equity derivatives just quit Bank of America Merrill Lynch after less than 2 years at the bank</a></p><p><strong>In tech news:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/divvy-series-a-investor-deck-2019-2">Here's the investor deck that helped the real-estate startup Divvy raise a $30 million series A led by Andreessen Horowitz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peloton-equinox-investor-reveals-next-fitness-trend-2019-2">A leading investor in Peloton and Equinox reveals how his firm predicts the big trends in home fitness - and what he thinks will be next</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-describe-peak-2019-2" data-analytics-position="16" data-analytics-module="big_picture">Amazon warehouse employees speak out about the 'brutal' reality of working during the holidays, when 60-hour weeks are mandatory and ambulance calls are common</a></li></ul><div data-sticky="subnav" data-ad-subnav=""><div data-bi-ad="" id="gpt-post-science-subnav-5c3e8bb3471e72.28787359" data-force="" data-type="ad" data-adunit="business-insider/desktop/tech/science/post" data-pagetype="post" data-tag="health,comcast,comcast-ventures,venture-capital,omers,omers-ventures,pension,pension-funds,canada,bi-prime" data-pos="atf" data-authors="zachary-tracer" data-views="4041" data-region="Subnav" data-responsive="[{" browserLimit:00slotSize:300250browserLimit:7280slotSize:72890browserLimit:9700slotSize:9702509709072890location:window="" data-url="omers-ventures-hires-michael-yang-comcast-ventures-silicon-valley-2019-1" data-amazontamsizes="[[300,250],[728,90],[970,250],[970,90]]" data-google-query-id="CJWNsfyV8d8CFZbQmgodtgIBQg"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/4442842/business-insider/desktop/tech/science/post_0__container__"><strong style="color: #222222;">In markets: </strong></div></div></div><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/money-management-advice-why-investors-should-avoid-stocks-2019-2">A wealth manager for the ultrarich explains why he's advising clients to avoid stocks - and reveals where they should put their money instead</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/next-recession-why-it-will-be-unlike-any-in-history-goldman-sachs-2019-2">Here's why the next recession could be unlike any the US has ever seen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-fidelity-picks-the-stocks-that-go-into-its-founders-fund-dan-kelley-interview-2019-2">Investing behemoth Fidelity just launched the first-ever fund for founder-led companies. Here's the 3-part 'secret sauce' its manager looks for when picking entrepreneurs.</a></li></ul><p><strong>Other good stories from around the newsroom:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pharmaceutical-companies-novartis-sanofi-starting-think-beyond-drugs-digital-apps-2019-2">Pharma giants like Novartis and Sanofi are betting that the future of healthcare looks more like an app or sensor than a prescription</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regulators-fda-warn-young-blood-transfusions-ambrosia-startup-2019-2" data-analytics-position="1">A controversial startup that was charging $8,000 to fill your veins with young blood says it's halted operations after a warning from regulators</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pharmaceutical-companies-novartis-sanofi-starting-think-beyond-drugs-digital-apps-2019-2"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-rail-operations-supply-chain-2019-2">Walmart is quietly taking charge of its rail operations - and it could cut serious transportation costs as the country's largest retailer seeks to boost e-commerce profits</a></li></ul>

Bloomberg gets into alt data; Millennials are taking over the mortgage market; JPMorgan is hot on the cloud

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>On February 8, 1984, a few of the most prominent businessmen in New York - members of the New York State Urban Development Corporation - were holding a news conference.</p><p>Among them was a press darling - a man whose brash reputation and penchant for public tirades had made him one of the city's most recognizable figures.</p><p>His rise to prominence a decade earlier sprung from his purchase of a major New York institution. He was tall, an imposing figure with his hair just long enough to be swept flat behind his ears. He often bellowed, "You're fired!," a connotation embraced by households across the country.</p><p>Standing nearby at that news conference was Donald Trump.</p><p>The man he was watching was George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees. Known simply as "The Boss," Steinbrenner is the man Trump has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/magazine/the-uncomfortable-love-affair-between-donald-trump-and-the-new-england-patriots.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fmark-leibovich&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=undefined&amp;region=stream&amp;module=stream_unit&amp;version=latest&amp;contentPlacement=1&amp;pgtype=collection&amp;_r=0" target="_blank">called his best friend</a>.</p><p>Trump doesn't toss around such a label frequently, at least in the press. But in Steinbrenner, the famed, bombastic owner, Trump saw a role model.</p><p>Steinbrenner's flair was something Trump came to emulate - and, in many, ways surpass. It was evident in his business career, on television, his political rise, and eventually, in the beginnings of his once-unthinkable presidency.</p><p>Ray Negron, a Yankees employee for more than 40 years who serves as a columnist for Newsmax, told Business Insider that Steinbrenner was a "very strong mentor" to Trump.</p><p>"Especially going back into the 70s, when George won the championships and Trump was buying the football team," Negron said, referring to Trump's purchase of the USFL's New York Generals. "He spent a lot of time in talking to George about the appropriate ways and et cetera and he took everything to heart."</p><p>"And he looked at Steinbrenner as a big brother, as a hero, and you know he don't look at anybody that way," Negron continued. "They were both the same."</p><p>As the Yankees prepare to open their 2017 season Sunday and Trump navigates through the early throes of his presidency, signs of Steinbrenner's influence on Trump - and his family - linger. On Thursday, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSR7hCXj2XZ/?taken-by=donaldjtrumpjr" target="_blank">Donald Trump Jr. posted a photo</a> on Instagram of himself with his father and Steinbrenner.</p><p>"I certainly didn't get the magnitude of this NY moment at the time but I definitely do now. Really amazing history there," he wrote.</p><p>The White House did not respond to requests for comment for this story.</p><h2>'They had a lot of things in common'</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>For Negron, the comparisons began with both men's fathers.</p><p>Trump's father, Fred, wasn't too keen on the young developer's decision to enter the Manhattan market, instead insisting that the younger Trump should continue with the family's outerborough real estate business, in which it had found its initial success.</p><p>Steinbrenner's father, Henry, wasn't terribly enthused with his son's decision to buy the Cleveland Pipers, a professional basketball team. The younger Steinbrenner's venture was nothing short of an abject failure, but his next venture in sports ownership proved infinitely more successful.</p><p>Like Trump, Steinbrenner had gotten his start in the family's successful business. In his case, it was the family's shipping company.</p><p>"All these different variables, they had a lot of things in common," Negron said. "Throughout the years he always called Mr. Steinbrenner ... in any type of scenario. He would always checked in on him, and 'The Boss' always gave him what he thought was the right advice."</p><p>Negron said it was quite common to hear Steinbrenner's secretary alerting the owner "Mr. Steinbrenner, Trump on [line] two."</p><p>He made note that Trump borrowed his trademark phrase for his NBC show, "The Apprentice," from Steinbrenner, who first popularized "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0agZEMEpiVI" target="_blank">you're fired</a>" in his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMQH_vDovs" target="_blank">years-long, love-hate relationship</a> with manager Billy Martin, whom Steinbrenner hired and fired a total of five times.</p><p>Trump "borrowed that from the great George Steinbrenner, and people forget that," Negron said. "<span>I even used to ask 'The Boss' if he got upset with that and he said, 'Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.'"</span></p><p>A controversial figure in his own right, Steinbrenner found himself in trouble at various points of his career. There were the illegal campaign contributions to President Richard Nixon. Years later, he paid to have dirt dug up on a star Yankees player, Dave Winfield. At both points, he served suspensions from Major League Baseball. In the first, he pleaded guilty to criminal charges for which he was later pardoned by President Ronald Reagan.</p><p>And Steinbrenner, as evidenced by his tumultuous relationship with Martin, was known to be an extremely tough person to work for.</p><p><span></span><span>"I can only say, I remember one time, one of [Trump's] employees who's a dear friend said to me when I called him up - and I could see he was in a real, really bad mood," Negron said. "And I said, I asked him 'What's wrong, bro, what's wrong?' And he says to me, 'Listen, you work for somebody like him, you know what's wrong.'"</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/06/opinion/sunday/the-end-is-nigh.html" target="_blank"></a></div><p></p></div></div>As New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote just days before the November election, Steinbrenner was one of the "towering characters" Trump began to hang around as his profile began to grow. She wrote that "from Steinbrenner, he learned about indiscriminately grabbing the limelight":</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"As Trump once said to his Yankee pals, 'good publicity, bad publicity, as long as it's publicity.' They would sit in Steinbrenner's suite at a big conference table watching Reggie Jackson slug home runs on TV. They got together all over town, especially at Elaine's and Le Club, a hub in Midtown for wealthy guys, models and actresses.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"'Donald was not a big night life person, except for Le Club,' said one former Steinbrenner staffer. 'He was always very likable in those days. He had a big personality, but he was the youngest of the group. He was never arrogant or full of himself. He always was respectful and pleasant to everybody.'</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Steinbrenner taught his protégé too well. When Trump asked his pal for the contract to build the new Yankee Stadium, the Boss said no. 'If I do that,' he said, 'it's gonna be Trump Stadium, not Yankee Stadium.'"</p><p>Michael O'Keeffe, a former New York Daily News columnist who now works at Newsday, seconded Dowd's sentiment. He told Business Insider that from Steinbrenner and the "Le Club" crowd, Trump learned how to be "larger than life." Both Steinbrenner and Trump also sometimes said inflammatory things off the top of their heads without fully considering the ramifications, he added.</p><p>But to O'Keeffe, there was a "big difference" between the two bombastic men.</p><p><span>"George was very competent at what he does," O'Keeffe said. "And I think what we're seeing from this White House is they're kind of all over the place. Trump makes statements, whether it's about the size of his inaugural crowd or Obama wiretapped him or what have you, that just don't get backed up. There's just no evidence to back them up."</span></p><p><span>"And I think that, you know with George, he really cared about competence," he added. "He cared about putting the right people in the right jobs. ... I think he would, from my own observation of him, he would probably feel less confident about Trump, especially given some of the cabinet picks." </span></p><p><span>O'Keeffe wrote just prior to the November election that, if Steinbrenner, who died in 2010, were still alive, he would've voted for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The columnist said Steinbrenner had expressed admiration for Clinton to him in the past.</span></p><p><span>His readers did not seem to agree with that assessment.</span></p><p>"I got a lot of feedback from that column," he said. "I got a ton of emails, some really ugly: People just saying 'you're a f------ idiot, you're a f------ moron. George would be for Trump!'"</p><p>O'Keeffe said a Yankees employee even doubted him, telling the Daily News columnist "'you're just wrong about that. He liked Trump, he hung around with Trump.'"</p><p><span>"It was like 95% negative," O'Keeffe said of the reaction to his column. "And I think the 5% was my mother and my editor."</span></p><p>Whether or not he would've voted for his old pal, Negron is confident that, even though Trump is president, the mentor-protégé relationship between the two would still be evident.</p><p><span>"I've seen the biggest stars in the world stop and kiss 'The Boss's' ring," Negron said. "And you're talking about the [Frank] Sinatra's, you're talking about the Cary Grant's, the biggest of the big, and if the boss was alive today, and Trump was the president, I guarantee you he would kiss his ring too."</span></p><h2><span>He 'understood winning better than anybody'</span></h2><p>After Steinbrenner's death, Trump wrote how his "great friend" was a "true legend" who "understood winning better than anybody."</p><p>"There will never be anyone like him in New York," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/posts/140932595932917" target="_blank">Trump wrote on Facebook.</a> "The country has lost a truly great man."</p><p>The level of admiration seeped <a href="http://www.evancarmichael.com/Entrepreneur-Advice/576/George-Steinbrenner.html" target="_blank">through in a more extensive Trump statement</a> at the time of the famed baseball owner's death:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"George Steinbrenner was not only an icon, he was a friend and a very great man. He also knew what winning is and what winning meant. It meant everything - and everything is what it took to achieve it. If you know anything about George, you'll know he was focused and incredibly tenacious. He knew what he wanted, what his vision for the Yankees was, and he went at it 100% on every level.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Every detail mattered to him and the bottom line is that his tenacity worked. He refused to give in under any circumstances and he made the Yankees a great team. There will never be another George and he gave us some of the greatest moments in the history of baseball. He also gave us an example to remember: go for it, no matter what, and give it all you've got and more. His generosity of spirit was without equal. He'll be greatly missed."</p><p>In the years that followed, Trump posted a number of tweets in which he mentioned Steinbrenner, many of which also dealt with a longstanding annoyance he had with then-Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Trump wrote that Steinbrenner "would have done a major number" on the Yankees star and "would have gotten out of" his contract long ago. He also wrote that the team was "sure lucky" Steinbrenner was no longer around - the team is currently run by his two sons, Hal and Hank - because "a lot of people would be losing their jobs." After a postseason departure, Trump wrote again that the team was "lucky" they didn't "have to deal with George Steinbrenner."</p><p>"The Yankees really have to be embarrassed losing all four games to the Mets - my great friend George Steinbrenner would be going nuts!" he wrote after the Yankees' crosstown rivals swept them in 2013.</p><p>While Trump heaped praise through the decades on Steinbrenner for being a "winner," perhaps the most important skill he learned was the ability to "work the political system," something he boasted of for months along the campaign trail.</p><p><span>"I think his relationship with Steinbrenner showed him how wealthy guys work the political system," longtime Trump political adviser and confidant Roger Stone told Business Insider. "Steinbrenner was a guy who gave millions and millions of dollars to politicians and political parties. And he worked 'the system.'" </span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Stone said Steinbrenner was "a patriot" and "a man's man in a John Wayne type sense."</span></p><p><span>"He's a very commanding guy, and he was friendly with every politician," he continued. "Every president, every mayor, every governor or New York knew George Steinbrenner. He's one of the most famous New Yorkers there were, and he was a cheerleader for the Yankees. And who doesn't love the Yankees in New York?"</span></p><p><span>Included among those who loved Steinbrenner's Yankees was Nixon himself. And Nixon, whom Trump emulated to an extent along the campaign trail, met the future president while attending a Yankees game in Steinbrenner's box.</span></p><p><span>It was back in 1987. As Stone retells the story, Nixon expressed to him afterward that he felt Trump had the ability to make a successful run at the White House, or as Stone said the ex-president said, "'he could go all the way.'"</span></p><p><span>He was one of the first to do so.</span></p><p><span>As Stone put it: "He saw it before anybody, with the possible exception of Donald Trump."</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/former-state-department-collusion-trump-russia-constitutional-crisis-2017-3">Former State Department official: Evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia would create a 'constitutional crisis'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="loYnZqYTE6EQIP_PYW5cHcxXJcfuDXku" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "dear white staffers" and got 10 results

Before the sudden death of its leader, Ra Ma Yoga Institute was accused by some former members of being a cult. What happens now?

Haven Orecchio-Egresitz

7 American political 'norms' blown to smithereens in 2020

Anthony L. Fisher

'We rough each other up a little': Scaramucci tries to most past friction with Reince Priebus

Maxwell Tani

Keith Olbermann Apologized To Bill Clinton For MSNBC's 'Ceaseless' Coverage Of Monica Lewinsky

Brett LoGiurato

Kamala Harris just ended her campaign in a stunning early exit and Democrats are reeling

Eliza Relman,Grace Panetta

Here's how the 'Today' show has covered the sexual misconduct allegations against Matt Lauer

Michelle Mark

How SurveyMonkey recovered from the death of its CEO and became a $2.1 billion public company

Shona Ghosh

Hillary Clinton's campaign made a move that shows how far ahead she is of her rivals

Maxwell Tani

Bloomberg gets into alt data; Millennials are taking over the mortgage market; JPMorgan is hot on the cloud

Olivia Oran

If you want to understand Trump, look at his early relationship with the man he has called his best friend

Allan Smith