I don't think an appeal to authority adds much to the conversation here. Mainstream media (and social media, and niche media) should be open to fact-checking by the public now more than ever.
No, it means with the public data available it is impossible to say as a matter of fact what you are claiming.
We don't know the split between preferred and ordinary and we don't know the liquidation terms.
Grandparent was probably joking but I also don't think an appeal to authority adds much to the conversation here because mainstream media doesn't have much authority left.