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58 people dead. Over 500 injured. And now, victims are getting sued. The tragic story of the worst mass shooting in American history has been void of information, wrapped in conspiracy, and now the latest development is an absolute jaw dropper: MGM, parent company of Mandalay Bay, will sue the 1000+ victims named in suits against them. I’m certainly no legal expert, and you can read an analysis on the New York Times here, but the long and short of the maneuver is to utilize a federal law known as the “Support Antiterrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies, or Safety, Act,” to absolve itself of liability and get any lawsuit thrown out. Arguably, MGM is facing an existential crisis, and focusing on one particular law as a way out.
The law was written to protect certified manufacturers of security equipment, or those who provide security services, if they’re unable to prevent a terrorist attack.
Currently there isn’t a case that establishes precedent for a situation whereby a security firm is certified by the DHS when an act of terrorism is committed – so this would have quite an impact on cases going forward. MGM asserts that it met two conditions and therefore qualifies for protection under the 2002 law:
- The security company, Contemporary Services Corporation, holds a certificate from the DHS
- The company’s perspective on the shooting is that it qualifies as an “act of terrorism.”
I was surprised to discover that the 2nd condition, declaration of an “act of terrorism,” is something that hasn’t been publicly declared by the DHS. But, apparently, that is the case.
One of the victims’ lawyers, Craig Eiland thinks the move by MGM is not only outrageous, but represents a dangerous trajectory for the courts to establish. He says,
“Their theory is that this security company goes to D.H.S. and gets some type of certificate, and so now MGM is immune, and everybody in the future who hires the company is immune…It’s outrageous, and that’s not what the law is, and we would all be less safe.”
Sadly, closure for victims and their families won’t be anytime soon.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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