OT: COVID-19 thread #2

[dougthonus]

Wow. All that is so far beyond my pay grade it's not even funny. I feel like there is a whole world going in areas like this that majority of the public know next to nothing about. Other than what we learned watching "Trading Places". My hat is off to any of you that know enough to actual participate in that.

There are lots of niche markets that only exist to basically serve corporate needs, and there's really no reason to know about them if you aren't a corporation with that specialty or a professional speculator. It's really no different from not knowing about how to fix your car engine or replace your furnace or whatever other skill that some other niche person has that you don't.

[AKfanatic]

NIH Panel Recommends Against Drug Combination Trump Has Promoted For COVID-19

A panel of experts convened by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recommends against doctors using a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for the treatment of COVID-19 patients because of potential toxicities.

"The combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin was associated with QTc prolongation in patients with COVID-19," the panel said.

QTc prolongation increases the risk of sudden cardiac death.

The recommendation against their combined use would seem to fly in the face of comments made by President Trump suggesting the combination might be helpful. On March 21, for example, the president described them in a Tweet as having a "real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine."

[Dresden]

Wow. All that is so far beyond my pay grade it's not even funny. I feel like there is a whole world going in areas like this that majority of the public know next to nothing about. Other than what we learned watching "Trading Places". My hat is off to any of you that know enough to actual participate in that.

There are lots of niche markets that only exist to basically serve corporate needs, and there's really no reason to know about them if you aren't a corporation with that specialty or a professional speculator. It's really no different from not knowing about how to fix your car engine or replace your furnace or whatever other skill that some other niche person has that you don't.

Suffice it to say though, that your average person knows more about how to fix an engine or replace a furnace than how futures markets in commodities operate. It's like that movie The Big Short- the things that were discussed in the movie were stranger than subatomic physics to me.

[Dresden]

A new study on chloroquine out:

"A malaria drug widely touted by President Donald Trump for treating the new coronavirus showed no benefit in a large analysis of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals. There were more deaths among those given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care, researchers reported.

The nationwide study was not a rigorous experiment. But with 368 patients, it’s the largest look so far of hydroxychloroquine with or without the antibiotic azithromycin for COVID-19, which has killed more than 171,000 people as of Tuesday."

Read on Twitter

Another data point to go along with studies in other countries showing that the risks of treatment is more dangerous.

This is making it seem like the drug killed them but the truth is they were badly sick and the drug just didn’t help these people. They were going to die anyway whether they took this drug or not. It has also saved a lot of people though, for some it works for others not. This tweet and article of course doesn’t say that because they obviously have an agenda.

It's hard to draw too many conclusions from such a limited test, but still, it's not a good sign when people taking the treatment died in larger numbers than those not taking it.

Sweden recently ordered all hospitals to stop using the drug, other than in the clinical trials that were going on.

The point is, it is very irresponsible for the president to be giving out medical advice based on a Fox News report with a person who falsely claimed he was part of the Stanford medical community. And he based his recommendations on a study done in France, that it was later discovered, didn't count the 4 patients in the study who took the medicine and did not recover, because they were either in the ICU and could not be tested, or were dead.

[johnnyvann840]

Wow. All that is so far beyond my pay grade it's not even funny. I feel like there is a whole world going in areas like this that majority of the public know next to nothing about. Other than what we learned watching "Trading Places". My hat is off to any of you that know enough to actual participate in that.

There are lots of niche markets that only exist to basically serve corporate needs, and there's really no reason to know about them if you aren't a corporation with that specialty or a professional speculator. It's really no different from not knowing about how to fix your car engine or replace your furnace or whatever other skill that some other niche person has that you don't.

Suffice it to say though, that your average person knows more about how to fix an engine or replace a furnace than how futures markets in commodities operate. It's like that movie The Big Short- the things that were discussed in the movie were stranger than subatomic physics to me.

What a great movie that was, imo. I loved how they had the cameo's of people trying to explain things plainly.

Sadly, just remembered Anthony Bourdain (the late) doing his "Fish Stew" from leftover fish bit. "They love it, but they're just eating 3 day old halibut". Also Selena Gomez and Margot Robbie.

[Red8911]

Read on Twitter

Another data point to go along with studies in other countries showing that the risks of treatment is more dangerous.

This is making it seem like the drug killed them but the truth is they were badly sick and the drug just didn’t help these people. They were going to die anyway whether they took this drug or not. It has also saved a lot of people though, for some it works for others not. This tweet and article of course doesn’t say that because they obviously have an agenda.

It's hard to draw too many conclusions from such a limited test, but still, it's not a good sign when people taking the treatment died in larger numbers than those not taking it.

Sweden recently ordered all hospitals to stop using the drug, other than in the clinical trials that were going on.

The point is, it is very irresponsible for the president to be giving out medical advice based on a Fox News report with a person who falsely claimed he was part of the Stanford medical community. And he based his recommendations on a study done in France, that it was later discovered, didn't count the 4 patients in the study who took the medicine and did not recover, because they were either in the ICU and could not be tested, or were dead.

The larger death numbers are because the people who do take it are the ones who are really sick and are already about to die anyway. They take it as a last resort and don’t have anything to lose. From what I read this does not kill you, it either makes the sick people better or it just doesn’t do anything. Maybe it hasn’t worked for many unfortunately but it has saved lives. Again the ones who are in a really bad condition have nothing to lose but to try it. All I know is the scientists all over the world are taking way too long to find a vaccine, this is what’s needed to end this nightmare.

[johnnyvann840]

This is making it seem like the drug killed them but the truth is they were badly sick and the drug just didn’t help these people. They were going to die anyway whether they took this drug or not. It has also saved a lot of people though, for some it works for others not. This tweet and article of course doesn’t say that because they obviously have an agenda.

It's hard to draw too many conclusions from such a limited test, but still, it's not a good sign when people taking the treatment died in larger numbers than those not taking it.

Sweden recently ordered all hospitals to stop using the drug, other than in the clinical trials that were going on.

The point is, it is very irresponsible for the president to be giving out medical advice based on a Fox News report with a person who falsely claimed he was part of the Stanford medical community. And he based his recommendations on a study done in France, that it was later discovered, didn't count the 4 patients in the study who took the medicine and did not recover, because they were either in the ICU and could not be tested, or were dead.

The larger death numbers are because the people who do take it are the ones who are really sick and are already about to die anyway. They take it as a last resort and don’t have anything to lose. From what I read this does not kill you, it either makes the sick people better or it just doesn’t do anything. Maybe it hasn’t worked for many unfortunately but it has saved lives. Again the ones who are in a really bad condition have nothing to lose but to try it. All I know is the scientists all over the world are taking way too long to find a vaccine, this is what’s needed to end this nightmare.

1.) There is no proof that it has saved a single life. There is also no proof that it has killed anyone, although, there is actually more evidence of that.

2.) We are a long way away, if ever, finding a vaccine. Minimum a year before a vaccine could be found and then, the hard part, mass produced at the volume we need. The leading scientist working on a vaccine in the UK has said that ever finding a vaccine is a long shot.

Also, you say they are taking too long but they have apparently done what normally takes five years, in just four months, according to one of the scientists, just getting to this point of starting clinical trials.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/coronavirus-vaccine-long-shot-patrick-vallance-chief-scientific-advisor-a4418421.html

[johnnyvann840]

Optimistic projections say death toll in the US may be around 60K. that would put it in the same ballpark as the seasonal flu in a bad year. yes, the difference is that social distancing and lockdowns are needed to keep the COVID death toll at 60K, whereas we don't do any of that with the flu. So there is a difference there. But if we are able to keep the death toll to around 60K, when all this is over, we can say that at least in terms of the mortality rate, this outbreak will be in line with what we've had with a really bad flu season.

The economic toll the virus is taking is another story. I don't know what the final number is going to be, but the bailout package is already twice what was spent in 2008, so it could be a couple of trillion just for the bailout, not including all the other economic costs.

But on the other hand, if some of these early anti-body tests prove to be accurate, the mortality rate of the virus might also not be much worse than the seasonal flu. We're a long way of saying that right now, but it's possible, if further testing reveals that number of infections that we've seen in the tests in Chelsea and Santa Clara.

It's great if we can keep mortality down.

Doing so at the cost of six trillion dollars and setting aside normal life for 2 months isn't something that we'd find easily sustainable without radically shifting the way our society works. Granted, if this became a recurring event, we could probably change habits and preparedness to remove much of those downsides.

Not to sound overly pessimistic, Dresden, but there is not a chance in hell we are staying below 60k deaths. Already at over 45k and today will be the largest death toll in the USA to date (except for one day when they added over 3500 from NY to the number that was not disclosed before). The new cases have not really slowed at all, so the wave of new deaths projected just from the most recent new cases is going to blow past 60k very soon here. Unless some miracle cure is found in the next 30 days we will be over 60k in another week and a half and over 100k by the end of May. Just look at the numbers. Today deaths will be over 2500 and we are averaging around 2000 a day for the last couple of weeks now.

[Dresden]

This is making it seem like the drug killed them but the truth is they were badly sick and the drug just didn’t help these people. They were going to die anyway whether they took this drug or not. It has also saved a lot of people though, for some it works for others not. This tweet and article of course doesn’t say that because they obviously have an agenda.

It's hard to draw too many conclusions from such a limited test, but still, it's not a good sign when people taking the treatment died in larger numbers than those not taking it.

Sweden recently ordered all hospitals to stop using the drug, other than in the clinical trials that were going on.

The point is, it is very irresponsible for the president to be giving out medical advice based on a Fox News report with a person who falsely claimed he was part of the Stanford medical community. And he based his recommendations on a study done in France, that it was later discovered, didn't count the 4 patients in the study who took the medicine and did not recover, because they were either in the ICU and could not be tested, or were dead.

The larger death numbers are because the people who do take it are the ones who are really sick and are already about to die anyway. They take it as a last resort and don’t have anything to lose. From what I read this does not kill you, it either makes the sick people better or it just doesn’t do anything. Maybe it hasn’t worked for many unfortunately but it has saved lives. Again the ones who are in a really bad condition have nothing to lose but to try it. All I know is the scientists all over the world are taking way too long to find a vaccine, this is what’s needed to end this nightmare.

The study does not say that those who were given the drug were in worse condition than those who weren't. It was not a controlled, randomized test, just a compilation of outcomes across the VA system. But I believe this drug is being used as a first line treatment now in some places, so the severity of illness affecting these patients was likely to be the same as those who did not receive the treatment.

One result that wasn't highlighted was that when the drug is use along with azithromycin, the two groups had similar death rates, i.e., the chloroquinine did not produce worse outcomes when combined.

And yes, patients have died from this treatment. It can produce irregular heartbeats and I am pretty positive I've read of at least one case of death resulting directly from the treatment.

I have yet to see any valid studies claiming it produces better outcomes. Please reference if you know of any....

[Dresden]

Optimistic projections say death toll in the US may be around 60K. that would put it in the same ballpark as the seasonal flu in a bad year. yes, the difference is that social distancing and lockdowns are needed to keep the COVID death toll at 60K, whereas we don't do any of that with the flu. So there is a difference there. But if we are able to keep the death toll to around 60K, when all this is over, we can say that at least in terms of the mortality rate, this outbreak will be in line with what we've had with a really bad flu season.

The economic toll the virus is taking is another story. I don't know what the final number is going to be, but the bailout package is already twice what was spent in 2008, so it could be a couple of trillion just for the bailout, not including all the other economic costs.

But on the other hand, if some of these early anti-body tests prove to be accurate, the mortality rate of the virus might also not be much worse than the seasonal flu. We're a long way of saying that right now, but it's possible, if further testing reveals that number of infections that we've seen in the tests in Chelsea and Santa Clara.

It's great if we can keep mortality down.

Doing so at the cost of six trillion dollars and setting aside normal life for 2 months isn't something that we'd find easily sustainable without radically shifting the way our society works. Granted, if this became a recurring event, we could probably change habits and preparedness to remove much of those downsides.

Not to sound overly pessimistic, Dresden, but there is not a chance in hell we are staying below 60k deaths. Already at over 45k and today will be the largest death toll in the USA to date (except for one day when they added over 3500 from NY to the number that was not disclosed before). The new cases have not really slowed at all, so the wave of new deaths projected just from the most recent new cases is going to blow past 60k very soon here. Unless some miracle cure is found in the next 30 days we will be over 60k in another week and a half and over 100k by the end of May. Just look at the numbers. Today deaths will be over 2500 and we are averaging around 2000 a day for the last couple of weeks now.

That could well be. But as recently as last week, some models were saying that deaths could top out at around 60K, instead of the 100-240K they initially predicted.

[johnnyvann840]

It's great if we can keep mortality down.

Doing so at the cost of six trillion dollars and setting aside normal life for 2 months isn't something that we'd find easily sustainable without radically shifting the way our society works. Granted, if this became a recurring event, we could probably change habits and preparedness to remove much of those downsides.

Not to sound overly pessimistic, Dresden, but there is not a chance in hell we are staying below 60k deaths. Already at over 45k and today will be the largest death toll in the USA to date (except for one day when they added over 3500 from NY to the number that was not disclosed before). The new cases have not really slowed at all, so the wave of new deaths projected just from the most recent new cases is going to blow past 60k very soon here. Unless some miracle cure is found in the next 30 days we will be over 60k in another week and a half and over 100k by the end of May. Just look at the numbers. Today deaths will be over 2500 and we are averaging around 2000 a day for the last couple of weeks now.

That could well be. But as recently as last week, some models were saying that deaths could top out at around 60K, instead of the 100-240K they initially predicted.

I know, I've seen some that feel good news, which is great to stay positive. However, the reality is that staying under 60k is almost a statistical impossibility at this point and even staying under 100k is highly improbable unless something huge (like a vaccine, or a cure, or some miracle treatment that greatly diminishes the damage) happens in the next month.

[Ccwatercraft]

Wow. All that is so far beyond my pay grade it's not even funny. I feel like there is a whole world going in areas like this that majority of the public know next to nothing about. Other than what we learned watching "Trading Places". My hat is off to any of you that know enough to actual participate in that.

There are lots of niche markets that only exist to basically serve corporate needs, and there's really no reason to know about them if you aren't a corporation with that specialty or a professional speculator. It's really no different from not knowing about how to fix your car engine or replace your furnace or whatever other skill that some other niche person has that you don't.

Suffice it to say though, that your average person knows more about how to fix an engine or replace a furnace than how futures markets in commodities operate. It's like that movie The Big Short- the things that were discussed in the movie were stranger than subatomic physics to me.

Amen... although Margot Robbie in the tub didnt help my comprehension one bit. Also, I've seen trading places multiple times, still not sure how the ending worked lol.

[dice]

some idiot in my apartment building just had a 48 pack of toilet paper delivered. meanwhile, i'm still on my first roll since well before quarantine started

[dice]

If protests were a week ago, that's enough time for symptoms to start showing up.

The protests are also an fraudulent joke. I know we aren’t supposed to be political in regards to a virus that is being responded to by US leadership in purely political ways..... because someone might be offended by pointing out the failures of a current president that would rather spend daily briefings airing grievances and riling his base than talk facts..


But these protesters are purely partisan Trump supporters. Tons of MAGA hats and a Trump trailer that has made its was to multiple cities for “protests”.... and yet Trumps own guidelines are currently calling for the shutdowns that are being protested.... while the protesters are somehow not protesting against the shutdowns so much as they are protesting against local governments that have been seen as “not friendly” to the president.

They are putting others in jeopardy through their AstroTurf “protests” that have been put in place by gun rights groups on Facebook and people directly in the White House (Stephen Miller)

I took you off ignore just for a quick reply.
You are saying that there were ZERO democrats protesting?
Not even any independents?

Ya, gotta call BS on that, you are tossing out partisan opinions and pretending they are facts.

I don't have a problem with people protesting actions that are causing the destruction of their livelihoods, both my spouse and I are considered "essential" and I would be out there with them if I was forced to shut down, because I actually like eating and having a roof over my head.

Ok, back on ignore

if there are a handful of democrats/independents at these protests, it doesn't really change his point, does it?

the leader of the free world is encouraging protests of HIS OWN GUIDELINES on twitter just so he can get a little taste of that cult rally feeling back. and for some reason squeezing gun rights into the discussion. it's all so profoundly weird and un-presidential

the calculation that states are making (including most red states) is that the damage of NOT quarantining outweighs the damage of doing what we are doing. and it's kind of hard to argue against having bodies piled up, which is what happens when hospitals are over capacity

[dice]

This is great news:

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that lawmakers had reached a deal with the White House on a nearly $500 billion interim coronavirus bill that includes additional funds for the small business loan program as well as more money for hospitals and testing.

“There is still a few more I's to dot and T’s to cross, but we have a deal, and I believe we’ll pass it today,” Schumer said on CNN.

First time the Democrats did the right thing for the people instead of the usual attack trump over anything and not agreeing on deals. Good for them.

you obviously weren't paying attention to what was going on with the initial stimulus bill (which was held up by democrats because trump wanted to give half a trillion dollars to whoever he wanted without oversight and didn't do ENOUGH for the people). or hell, the entire health care debate we've been having for generations now, as tens of millions have not been able to get adequate health care or have gone broke paying for it. with the rest of us having our salaries reduced because of the absolutely ridiculous concept of employers purchasing health insurance for their employees. these are all far right wing ideas. if this nation was interested in "doing the right thing for the people", everybody would have access to decent health care...at much lower cost to society in the process

top 3 nations in per capita health care spending as of 2018 (public + private):

$10,586 USA
$7,317 switzerland
$6,187 norway

but we get great health care, right? well, despite our spending, as of 2017 there are FIFTY-FIVE nations with better infant mortality rates than we have, for example. including places most of us have never even heard of. including socialist cuba. we are 38th in life expectancy and for the first time in american history our life expectancy is FALLING. which is a great indicator of something being fundamentally wrong with a society

"the bill should include much more money for hospitals and community health centers, nursing homes, enough money to address the coming shortages in masks, ICU beds, ventilators, testing and personal equipment" - chuck schumer, march 21

what are we having major issues with a month later? PPE and testing capabilities. because the republicans want private industry to sort that out...which is most certainly NOT "the right thing for the people"

the suggestion that donald trump has any interest at all in doing what is right for the people as opposed to his self-interest is laughable. because it's contradicted by...well, pretty much everything he's done in his entire life. and that's a loooooong time. cheating on wives, including one at home w/ a newborn child, fraudulent charities, a fraudulent "university", refusing to pay contractors, building a political base by being the leading proponent of a racist conspiracy theory, giving people false hope and telling them to take untested medications in a pandemic, telling people that it's OK to go to work if they feel at risk DURING a pandemic, attempting to extort a US ally at war with russia in exchange for "dirt" on a political rival, acting in russia's best interest in countless ways as president, refusing to divest from his financial interests when taking office, countless attempts to profit off his presidency WHILE in office, etc. ad nauseum

[johnnyvann840]

There are lots of niche markets that only exist to basically serve corporate needs, and there's really no reason to know about them if you aren't a corporation with that specialty or a professional speculator. It's really no different from not knowing about how to fix your car engine or replace your furnace or whatever other skill that some other niche person has that you don't.

Suffice it to say though, that your average person knows more about how to fix an engine or replace a furnace than how futures markets in commodities operate. It's like that movie The Big Short- the things that were discussed in the movie were stranger than subatomic physics to me.

Amen... although Margot Robbie in the tub didnt help my comprehension one bit. Also, I've seen trading places multiple times, still not sure how the ending worked lol.

In Trading Places what happened was the Duke's got a bogus crop report saying the the early frost damaged the orange crop and to buy as much frozen OJ futures as they could betting the price would skyrocket because of the weak crop. Our gang, however, (Akroyd, Murphy and Jamie Lee and the Butler, Coleman) had the REAL crop report, so they knew and shorted the market at the peak (before the official report was announced saying the early frost did NOT damage the crop at all. So, it was a squeeze. The Dukes tried to corner the market but were on the wrong side and got wiped out and got a huge margin call. They were shut down and our heroes made a killing shorting the market.

[johnnyvann840]

"Pork Bellies, I knew it".

[dice]

There are lots of niche markets that only exist to basically serve corporate needs, and there's really no reason to know about them if you aren't a corporation with that specialty or a professional speculator. It's really no different from not knowing about how to fix your car engine or replace your furnace or whatever other skill that some other niche person has that you don't.

Suffice it to say though, that your average person knows more about how to fix an engine or replace a furnace than how futures markets in commodities operate. It's like that movie The Big Short- the things that were discussed in the movie were stranger than subatomic physics to me.

Amen... although Margot Robbie in the tub didnt help my comprehension one bit. Also, I've seen trading places multiple times, still not sure how the ending worked lol.

OT, but i find margot robbie just a tad overrated because of her seemingly lab-produced flawlessness

[johnnyvann840]

Suffice it to say though, that your average person knows more about how to fix an engine or replace a furnace than how futures markets in commodities operate. It's like that movie The Big Short- the things that were discussed in the movie were stranger than subatomic physics to me.

Amen... although Margot Robbie in the tub didnt help my comprehension one bit. Also, I've seen trading places multiple times, still not sure how the ending worked lol.

OT, but i find margot robbie just a tad overrated because of her seemingly lab-produced flawlessness

I can't overrate her, she's just too sexy. So, it's not just the looks. She was great in Wolf of Wall Street, though. Actually, great actress in just about everything she's done.

[johnnyvann840]

Suffice it to say though, that your average person knows more about how to fix an engine or replace a furnace than how futures markets in commodities operate. It's like that movie The Big Short- the things that were discussed in the movie were stranger than subatomic physics to me.

Amen... although Margot Robbie in the tub didnt help my comprehension one bit. Also, I've seen trading places multiple times, still not sure how the ending worked lol.

In Trading Places what happened was the Duke's got a bogus crop report saying the the early frost damaged the orange crop and to buy as much frozen OJ futures as they could betting the price would skyrocket because of the weak crop. Our gang, however, (Akroyd, Murphy and Jamie Lee and the Butler, Coleman) had the REAL crop report, so they knew and shorted the market at the peak (before the official report was announced saying the early frost did NOT damage the crop at all. So, it was a squeeze. The Dukes tried to corner the market but were on the wrong side and got wiped out and got a huge margin call. They were shut down and our heroes made a killing shorting the market.

Here you go. Found this on an NPR website... good explanation..

1. Give The Duke Brothers Bad Information

The Duke brothers — two old, rich guys — have bribed someone to get an advance copy of a government report on the orange crop. This will give them inside information on what's going to happen in the market for frozen concentrated orange juice. But Winthorpe and Valentine find out what the Dukes are up to, and they manage to steal the crop report before the Duke brothers get it.

The report says the orange crop is strong. When the rest of the world learns this, the price of OJ will fall. So Winthorpe and Valentine create a fake crop report that they put into the hands of the Duke brothers. The fake crop report says the crop was bad. The Duke brothers see this, and believe the price of OJ will rise.

2. Drive Up The Price Of Orange Juice Futures

The setting, the floor of the commodities exchange. The Duke brothers have told their trader to buy orange juice futures, and to keep buying no matter how high the price goes.

The market opens, and the Duke brothers' trader starts buying. Everybody else sees this and thinks the Dukes know something. Suddenly, everybody's buying. The price goes up and up and up, and the Dukes keep buying.

3. Sell To The Suckers

Then comes the key line for the entire movie — a line that's almost unintelligible. Standing on the floor of the exchange, Winthorpe (Dan Aykroyd) yells out:

Sell 30 April at 142!

Here's what that means: He wants to promise to sell orange juice in April for $1.42 per pound. The "30" in his line means he wants to start by selling 30 contracts. (One contract = many, many pounds of OJ.) (Also, that "30" might be some other number. It's hard to understand what he's saying. But it doesn't really matter — they sell a lot of contracts.)

All the other traders think the price in April will be higher than $1.42. The traders mob Winthorpe and Valentine, agreeing to buy lots and lots of OJ from them at $1.42 a pound.

4. Wait For The Other Shoe To Drop

A minute later, everything on the trading floor goes quiet. Everybody looks at the TV. On the TV, the secretary of agriculture walks up to a podium and reads the orange crop report. The guy tells the world that the orange crop is fine.

5. Buy Low, Get Rich And Bankrupt Your Enemies

To the traders, this means that the price of OJ is not going to go through the roof. All those traders who, a minute ago, were buying all they could, now suddenly need to sell. So the price starts falling. When the price hits 29 cents a pound, Winthorpe and Valentine start agreeing to buy orange juice in April.

In other words, Winthorpe and Valentine have contracts allowing them to buy millions of pounds of orange juice in April for 29 cents a pound, and to sell it for $1.42 a pound. They sold high and bought low. They're rich. The Dukes made the opposite bet and went broke.

Bonus: The Eddie Murphy Rule

One interesting kicker to the story: Trading commodities on inside information obtained from the government wasn't actually illegal when the movie came out, but it's illegal now. It was banned in the 2010 finance-overhaul law, under a special provision often referred to as the Eddie Murphy Rule.