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Lost in the Sauce: Rules finalized to take away LQBTQ rights, cement border wall, sell oil rights
Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis. I am doing a separate post for the insurrection and related events. I think it is important to make sure the news in this post doesn't get overlooked. Housekeeping:
HOW TO SUPPORT: I know we are all facing unprecedented financial hardships right now. If you are in the position to support my work, I have a patreon, venmo, and a paypal set up. No pressure though, I will keep posting these pieces publicly no matter what - paywalls suck.
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Russia
A new report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) found that Trump political appointees politicized intelligence around foreign election interference in 2020, resulting in significant errors. ODNI analytic ombudsman Barry Zulauf delivered the report to Congress on Thursday: “Analysis on foreign election interference was delayed, distorted or obstructed out of concern over policymaker reactions or for political reasons.” The biggest misrepresentation of intel involved diminishing the threat posed by Russia and overstating the risk of interference from China.
“Russia analysts assessed that there was clear and credible evidence of Russian election influence activities. They said IC management slowing down or not wanting to take their analysis to customers, claiming that it was not well received, frustrated them. Analysts saw this as suppression of intelligence, bordering on politicization of intelligence from above.”
WaPo: Zulauf, a career official, also found an “egregious” example of attempted politicization of the Russian interference issue in March talking points on foreign election threats, prepared “presumably by ODNI staff” and “shaped by” then-Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell.
The Justice Department and the federal judiciary revealed that the Russian Solar Winds hack also compromised their computer systems. 3% of the DOJ’s Microsoft Office 365 were potentially affected; it does not appear that classified material was accessed. The impact on the judiciary seems much more significant, jeopardizing “highly sensitive confidential documents filed with the courts.”
The sealed court files, if indeed breached, could hold information about national security, trade secrets and wiretap transcripts, along with financial data from bankruptcy cases and the names of confidential informants in criminal cases...
Appointees
D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine has accused U.S. Agency for Global Media Director Michael Pack of funneling $4 million in nonprofit funds to his own for-profit company. In a civil lawsuit filed last week, Racine states that for over 12 years, Pack used a nonprofit company he owned to direct money to his private documentary company, enabling “Pack to line his company’s coffers with a stream of tax-exempt dollars without...a competitive bidding process, public scrutiny, or accounting requirements regarding its spending.” Employees at Voice of America have filed a whistleblower complaint accusing Pack of using the agency “to disseminate political propaganda in the waning days of the Trump administration. The staffers take issue with a planned speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to be broadcast from VOA headquarters. The event, to be attended by a live audience, “is a specific danger to public health and safety” in the middle of a pandemic. Finally, the whistleblowers say the event is “ a gross misuse of government resources,” costing at least $4,000 in taxpayer funds to date and using 18 employees who would otherwise be producing VOA content. Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller has announced his appointees to the panel set to rename confederate military bases and plan the removal of confederate symbols/monuments. Most controversially, Miller named White House liaison Joshua Whitehouse, who oversaw the purge of the Defense Policy Board and the Defense Business Board last month. The other three Miller-appointees are former acting Army general counsel Earl Matthews, acting assistant secretary of Defense Ann Johnston, and White House official Sean McLean. The remaining four members will be appointed by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.
The 10 Army posts named in honor of Confederate generals are Camp Beauregard and Fort Polk in Louisiana, Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Lee and Fort Pickett in Virginia, Fort Rucker in Alabama, and Fort Hood in Texas.
Trump
The Trump Inaugural Committee, a nonprofit, improperly paid a $49,000 hotel bill that should have been picked up by Trump’s for-profit business. D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine revealed the allegation in an existing lawsuit against the committee, which already accuses Trump’s hotel of illegally pocketing about $1 million of donors’ money. “The Trump Organization was liable for the invoiced charges...The [Committee’s] payment of the invoice was unfair, unreasonable and unjustified and ultimately conferred improper private benefit to the Trump Organization.” The Professional Golfer’s Association voted last night to move the 2022 PGA Championship from Trump’s Bedminster course. Jim Richerson, PGA of America president, said in a statement that “it has become clear that conducting” the championship at Trump’s property would “be detrimental to the PGA of America brand” and put the organization's ability to function "at risk." Amid speculation that Trump may spend inauguration day at his Scottish golf course, Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned him that even presidents can’t break the country’s pandemic restrictions. “We are not allowing people to come into Scotland now without an essential purpose, which would apply to him, just as it applies to everybody else. Coming to play golf is not what I would consider an essential purpose,” she said. Trump is on a Presidential Medal of Freedom spree, giving out the award to sports figures and Republican allies. Last Monday, Trump awarded the medal to Rep. Devin Nunes for his work undermining the FBI’s investigation of Russia’s election interference. “Devin Nunes’ courageous actions helped thwart a plot to take down a sitting United States president,” the White House press release states. Likewise, Trump gave the medal to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for his “effort to confront the impeachment witch hunt” and “exposing the fraudulent origins of the Russia collusion lie.”
The day after Trump supporters rampaged through the Capitol, Trump awarded the medal to retired professional golfers Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player. The president planned on giving New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick the medal on Thursday, but he declined the offer, saying that “the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award.”
Courts
Dominion Voting Systems filed suit against pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell for defamation. Powell falsely claimed that Dominion had rigged the election, that Dominion was created in Venezuela to rig elections for Hugo Chávez, and that Dominion bribed Georgia officials for a no-bid contract,” the lawsuit states. Citing millions spent on security for employees, damage control to its reputation, and future losses, Dominion requests damages of more than $1.3 billion.
Dominion's lawyer told reporters last week the lawsuit against Powell “is just the first in a series of legal steps.” Ari Cohn, a free speech and defamation lawyer, told WaPo: “If I had to guess I would say that [Poulos] wants a very public vindication with a ruling establishing that Sidney Powell defamed them and that her statements were baseless...That's not something you generally get in a settlement agreement.”
Just last week, Trump again said at a rally that Dominion machines allowed “fraudulent ballots” to be counted during the 2020 election (clip).
The Supreme Court declined to fast track eight Trump-related cases related to the 2020 election, ensuring they won’t be taken up before Biden’s inauguration. The cases include one brought by attorney Lin Wood against Georgia’s Secretary of State, the so-called “Kraken” cases, and three brought by Trump’s campaign. It is possible the lawsuits will be declared moot after Biden is sworn in. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases alleging that the Treasury Dept. incorrectly distributed Coronavirus aid meant for tribal governments. The Lower 48 Tribes argue that Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are not eligible for CARES Act funding, while the Trump administration wants to divvy up the money between tribes and ANCs.
Immigration
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s final attempt to restrict U.S. asylum laws. District Judge James Donato (Obama appointee) ruled in favor of advocacy groups who argued that acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf lacked authority to impose the new rules, which would have resulted in the denial of most asylum applications.
“The government has recycled exactly the same legal and factual claims made in the prior cases, as if they had not been soundly rejected in well-reasoned opinions by several courts,” Donato wrote. “This is a troubling litigation strategy. In effect, the government keeps crashing the same car into a gate, hoping that someday it might break through.”
On Monday, acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf submitted his resignation, citing the recent court ruling that he is not a valid appointee to the position. His resignation letter does not cite the Capitol riots or Trump’s language inciting the insurrection. FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor will be the new acting secretary.
"Unfortunately, this action is warranted by recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as Acting Secretary. These events and concerns increasingly serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power," Wolf added.
A new Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy will make it harder for immigrant minors to obtain asylum in the U.S. The change was made at the end of last month by then-acting agency leader Tony Pham, who served in the position for less than five months.
Beginning Dec. 29, ICE officers were told that they must review whether an immigrant child is still “unaccompanied” each time they encounter the minor… The memo indicates that the evaluation by ICE officers can come at any time, including when an officer is reviewing immigration court records of a child, and if it’s determined that an immigrant is no longer unaccompanied, they will move to change their status. Such a change could lead to making some children ineligible to have their asylum claims initially heard and processed… “If implemented aggressively, this policy could significantly decrease the number of children who ultimately receive asylum in the United States,” said Sarah Pierce, an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. “They are really putting the onus on ICE officers to do everything they can as frequently as they can to remove these designations.”
The Trump administration is still awarding border wall contracts, even in areas where private land has not yet been acquired. The move will make it more difficult for Biden to stop construction of the border wall.
Attempts to halt construction completely, as Biden promised, will prove difficult, particularly if contracts continue to be struck -- a challenge [acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark] Morgan acknowledged Tuesday. "They could terminate those contracts if they want to, but that's going to be a very lengthy, messy process," Morgan said. "We're going to have to go into settlement agreements with each individual contractor," Morgan added, noting, that payments will have to be made for what they've already done, as well as for materials produced. He estimated the process could cost billions.
Trump is set to visit Alamo, Texas, today to celebrate the completion of more than 400 miles of the border wall. You can watch the event on YouTube at 3:00 pm eastern.
Miscellaneous
Stories that didn’t fit in the above categories... The Trump administration auctioned off leases to drill oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge last week. Only two private companies bid, each winning large tracts of land. Knik Arm Services, from Alaska, paid $1.6 million for a 50,000-acre tract along the Arctic Ocean. A subsidiary of Australian company 88 Energy paid $800,000 to win the smallest tract. One of the Health and Human Services Department’s final acts under Trump was finalizing the removal of Obama-era regulations barring discrimination among HHS grantees. The change will allow recipients of federal grant money - like adoption and foster agencies - to discriminate against LGBTQ people and those of a different religion.
Human Rights Campaign: “Statistics suggest that an estimated two million LGBTQ adults in the U.S. are interested in adoption… Further, research consistently shows that LGBTQ youth are overrepresented in the foster care system, as many have been rejected by their families of origin because of their LGBTQ status, and are especially vulnerable to discrimination and mistreatment while in foster care. This regulation would only exacerbate these challenges faced by LGBTQ young people.
My (M52) father (M84) died and we found a lot of cash hidden at his home. My brother (M58) wants to keep it secret but I'm worried what could happen. Seeking legal advice.
My father died last year unexpectedly in a car accident. His will left everything to my brother and I. My parents were middle class and as far as we thought, their only significant assets were their house, some jewelry and antiques. My brother wanted the house and I let him buy my share when the estate was settled. A few months later he was remodeling and discovered a hidden compartment under carpet in Dad's office. Inside there was $238,000 in cash. We don't know how Dad got the money. He never said anything about it. The bills range in age from the 1970s to the 2010s, and my brother thinks Dad was hoarding cash his whole life. I don't think so, because when my Mom was ill with cancer (she died 10 years ago) they got so deep in debt that they had to borrow $25,000 from me. The only thing I can think of is that he made it gambling. He wasn't a big time casino guy but did enjoy a trip to Vegas every year or two. My brother wants to split the cash and keep it a secret. He said to just spend it over years in small increments, on things like groceries or clothes. I'm not comfortable with this for several reasons. One because I don't want that much cash laying around, but mostly because I am worried about the repercussions if we get caught. I am also worried about reporting the cash to authorities because I worry the cash may be connected to something illegal. My Dad lived in North Carolina and so does my brother. I live in Virginia. I want to know the potential legal consequences of keeping the money without reporting it. Also, is there a possibility the money could be seized in an investigation, and never returned or held for years? My brother thinks that would happen.
I'm currently working on a game that uses virtual currency (100% worthless, not cryptocurrency) and has gambling like features (50/50 betting, box openings, random items, etc). Virtual currency is not purchasable directly. Users can pay for a membership which gives a small fixed amount of virtual currency daily.Is there any legality on this I need to be aware of? I know gambling real currency is illegal, cryptocurrency is a gray area, but I haven't seen much on virtual currency from looking around. Does the possibility of people under 18 playing become an issue even though its virtual currency?Servers are planned to be hosted in Canada/Quebec, operated from the US/North Carolina.
Lost in the Sauce: DHS hides intelligence that reveals Trump using Russia's playbook, again
Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis. Housekeeping:
HOW TO SUPPORT: I know we are all facing unprecedented financial hardships right now. If you are in the position to support my work, I have a patreon, venmo, and a paypal set up. No pressure though, I will keep posting these pieces publicly no matter what - paywalls suck.
NOTIFICATIONS: You can signup to receive notifications when these posts are done.
Trump’s playbook is Russia’s playbook
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in July withheld an intelligence bulletin warning of a Russian plot to spread misinformation regarding Joe Biden's mental health. The bulletin, titled “Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of U.S. Candidates to Influence 2020 Election,” was blocked by the office of acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf on July 9.
The bulletin states that analysts had “high confidence” in their conclusion. However, a DHS spokesperson tried to defend the “delay” in issuing the document by saying it did not meet the agency’s standards. This is curious because just a week later, on July 16, DHS circulated a bulletin on anarchists in Portland that officers admitted they had “low confidence” in. Why was the Russia memo held back but the Portland one released?
Trump has been pushing the same line of attack against Biden for months - yet another instance of Russia and Trump operating from the same playbook. For instance, in March Trump said there was “something going on” with Biden; in June Trump ran selectively edited ads asserting that Biden is “unfit to serve as Commander in Chief”; last month Trump ran a digital ad portraying Biden as perpetually confused and mentally unstable. Most recently, Trump said questions about his own health are only in the news because “they want to try and get me to be on Biden's physical level."
DHS is just the latest agency in the Trump administration to erode election security, following actions by the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) last month. DNI John Ratcliffe announced he was ending in-person congressional briefings on election security ahead of November and AG Bill Barr removed a leading career official at the Justice Department’s national security division, replacing him with an inexperienced political appointee. The ODNI’s decision to halt congressional election briefs may have been influenced by top White House officials. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, among others, have repeatedly discussed in meetings with staff and with Trump “how to restrict and control the flow of information on such sensitive topics to Capitol Hill.”
One White House official told The Daily Beast that Meadows has for months been wary of the type of briefings on Capitol Hill that Democratic sources can potentially use to try to make Trump look bad through surreptitious leaks to media outlets.
Meanwhile, interim Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Marco Rubio (R-FL) said last week that his committee will be granted an exception to the ODNI’s new policy and continue to receive in-person briefings from top U.S. intelligence officials about election-security issues. This essentially means that only Democrat-led committees have been cut out of the process ensuring election security. House Democrats wrote to Ratcliffe insinuating if his office does not provide the previously scheduled briefings this month they will issue subpoenas and/or defund the ODNI in the appropriations bill due by the end of the month. Read the letter here. In addition to attacks on Biden’s health, DHS has determined that Russia is seeking to “amplify” concerns over the integrity of U.S. elections by promoting allegations that mail-in voting will lead to widespread fraud. Intelligence analysts say this strategy has been underway since at least March, coinciding with Trump’s own assaults on mail-in voting.
For instance, in March Trump said if he agreed to funding vote-by-mail expansions in the first coronavirus stimulus bill, the U.S. would see “levels of voting that, if you ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again” (clip). Fact check: Neither party has historically benefited. On April 7, at the White House press briefing, Trump claimed: "Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country, because they're cheaters… They're fraudulent in many cases" (clip). Fact check: There is no evidence that mail ballots are dangerous or fraudulent.
At a White House press briefing on Friday, Trump denied there is any proof that Russia poisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Instead of backing the German government's analysis of Nalvany's illness, Trump then redirected the criticism from Russia to China (clip).
"I don't know exactly what happened. I think it's tragic. It's terrible; it shouldn't happen. We haven't had any proof yet, but I will take a look. It is interesting that everybody is always mentioning Russia - and I don't mind you mentioning Russia - but I think probably China, at this point, is a nation that you should be talking about much more so than Russia. Because the things that China's doing are far worse.”
Trump then went on to say he’s “taken stronger action against Russia than any other country in the world,” but added “I do get along with President Putin” (clip).
RELATED: Leaked notes obtained by the Telegraph say that when Theresa May asked for Trump to take a strong stand after Russia poisoned Sergei Skripal, Trump replied “I’d rather follow than lead.” He pushed May to “put together a coalition” first.
The Trump administration plans to deport a Russian national living in America, a move experts say is in response to a politically motivated request by Russia. Gregory Duralev was persecuted by the Russian state for exposing corruption. He fled to America and applied for asylum in 2015. While waiting for a decision on his application, he was arrested by ICE and jailed for nearly 18 months. His case is now in court.
“DHS has acted no better than the Russian authorities,” Duralev said. “They simply fabricated charges against me for violations I never committed — and if DHS can trump up charges against immigrants with impunity, nobody can guarantee they won’t start doing it” to regular Americans. “So that’s the main message I now hope to send.”
Michael Cohen & Peter Strzok
Former FBI agent Peter Strzok has a book coming out called “Compromised.” In it, he alleges that FBI investigators came to believe it was “conceivable, if unlikely” that Russia was secretly controlling President Trump after he took office:
“We certainly had evidence that this was the case: that Trump, while gleefully wreaking havoc on America’s political institutions and norms, was pulling his punches when it came to our historic adversary, Russia,” Strzok writes. “Given what we knew or had cause to suspect about Trump’s compromising behavior in the weeks, months, and years leading up to the election, moreover, it also seemed conceivable, if unlikely, that Moscow had indeed pulled off the most stunning intelligence achievement in human history: secretly controlling the president of the United States — a Manchurian candidate elected.”
He now says he doesn’t believe that Trump is literally a Russian spy: “I don’t think that Trump, when he meets with Putin, receives a task list for the next quarter,” Strzok said, referencing the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. “But I do think the president is compromised, that he is unable to put the interests of our nation first, that he acts from hidden motives, because there is leverage over him, held specifically by the Russians but potentially others as well.” In an interview with Politico, Strzok confirms that he and then-deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, opened a counterintelligence case on the president, but that it likely was never pursued. Two weeks ago, NYT reported that Rosenstein secretly closed it. As if there weren’t enough political books coming out this summefall, Michael Cohen is releasing his, called “Disloyal: A Memoir.” The following a couple of quick takeaways: Cohen says that he, Trump, Aras Agalarov, Emin Agalarov, and others, watched a strip show in Las Vegas where one performer simulated peeing on another performer, who pretended to drink it. Trump reportedly reacted with “delight.” Aras Agalarov, a Russian real estate mogul, is a trusted associate of Putin and reportedly served as a liaison between Trump and the Russian president during Trump’s trip to Moscow. WaPo:
On Russia, Cohen writes that the cause behind Trump’s admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin is simpler than many of his critics assume. Above all, he writes, Trump loves money — and he wrongly identified Putin as “the richest man in the world by a multiple.” Trump loved Putin, Cohen wrote, because the Russian leader had the ability “to take over an entire nation and run it like it was his personal company — like the Trump Organization, in fact.” ...According to Cohen, Trump’s sycophantic praise of the Russian leader during the 2016 campaign began as a way to suck up and ensure access to the oligarch’s money after he lost the election. But he claims Trump came to understand that Putin’s hatred of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, dating to her support for the 2011 protest movement in Russia, could also help Trump amass more power in the United States.
USPS & mail voting
According to a Washington Post report yesterday, Postmaster Louis DeJoy engaged in campaign money laundering, also called a straw-donor scheme, at his former logistics business. Five of his former employees told WaPo that they were “urged” to donate to politicians in North Carolina and would be paid back through bonuses from DeJoy. Such a plan would allow DeJoy to illegally circumvent campaign donation limits.
“Louis was a national fundraiser for the Republican Party. He asked employees for money. We gave him the money, and then he reciprocated by giving us big bonuses,” said David Young, DeJoy’s longtime director of human resources, who had access to payroll records at New Breed from the late 1990s to 2013 and is now retired. “He would ask employees to make contributions at the same time that he would say, ‘I’ll get it back to you down the road,’ ” said [another] former employee. ...A Washington Post analysis of federal and state campaign finance records found a pattern of extensive donations by New Breed employees to Republican candidates, with the same amount often given by multiple people on the same day. Between 2000 and 2014, 124 individuals who worked for the company together gave more than $1 million to federal and state GOP candidates. Many had not previously made political donations, and have not made any since leaving the company, public records show.
More than one million mail-in ballots were sent late to voters during the 2020 primary elections, an audit by the USPS IG’s office determined. Most of the ballots were late, the USPS says, because local election boards sent the ballots to voters at the last minute. Official press release.
[The audit] found the problems during primaries had been most pronounced in Kentucky and New York, where a combined 628,000 ballots were sent out late. In 17 states, the audit found, more than 589,000 ballots were sent from election boards to voters after the state’s ballot mailing deadline. In 11 states, more than 44,000 ballots were sent from election boards to voters the day of or the day before the state’s primary election. One particularly troubling situation, auditors found, unfolded in Pennsylvania, where 500 ballots were sent to voters the day after the election.
Furthermore, only 13% of the ballots were mailed with the recommended bar code tracking technology. Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) was blocked from attending two scheduled tours of USPS facilities last week. Local Postal Service officials informed her and union leaders waiting to accompany her into the building that national USPS leadership had directed them to bar the group from the building. A Postal Service spokeswoman said they simply needed more notice for a tour. Many states, including important battleground states, are not legally permitted to process mail-in/absentee ballots until Election Day, leading to concern that results will be delayed by days or weeks. For instance, in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan election officials cannot even begin processing ballots until Election Day. Processing involves opening envelopes, flattening ballots to run through the scanning machine, and prepping for the scanning.
"When voters have to wait so long for results, it erodes trust in the process and leaves room for partisan bad actors to dispute the will of the people," said Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, a nonprofit organization.
AG Bill Barr made three stunning false claims about mail voting during an interview with Wolf Blitzer last week. First, Barr wouldn’t even acknowledge that voting twice is a crime - because just hours earlier, Trump encouraged his North Carolina supporters to vote twice to “test” the state’s mail-in voting system (clip).
BLITZER: It sounds like he’s encouraging people to break the law and try to vote twice. BARR: It seems to me what he’s saying is, he’s trying to make the point that the ability to monitor this system is not good. And it was so good, if you tried to vote a second time you would be caught if you voted in person. BLITZER: That would be illegal if they did that. If somebody mailed in a ballot and then actually showed up to vote in person, that would be illegal. BARR: "I don't know what the law in the particular state says.” BLITZER: You can’t vote twice. BARR: "I don't know what the law in the particular state says.”
Then, Barr tried to assert that foreign countries could fake ballots, but when challenged he admitted he had no evidence (clip).
BLITZER: You’ve said you were worried that a foreign country could send thousands of fake ballots, thousands of fake ballots to people that it might be impossible to detect. What are you basing that on? BARR: I’m basing — as I’ve said repeatedly, I’m basing that on logic. BLITZER: Pardon? BARR: Logic.
Finally, Barr cited a supposed incident of mail-in voting fraud in Texas. Too bad it doesn’t exist.
The payroll
Charles Rettig, the Trump-appointed IRS Commissioner who has refused to release President Trump’s tax returns, has made hundreds of thousands of dollars renting out Trump properties while in office. Rettig makes $100,000 - $200,000 a year from two units at Trump International Waikiki. When first nominated, Rettig failed to disclose his financial ties to Trump Waikiki. When questioned by Congress, he did not directly answer concerns about the properties.
CREW: With Trump’s name removed from some buildings as it began to hurt property values, we can only imagine how toxic it would become if a bombshell in his tax returns were released. Which means the IRS Commissioner has a vested interest in the success of the Trump brand—and of preventing anything that could damage it.
Voice of America staffers say Trump appointee Michael Pack is threatening to wash away legal protections intended to insulate their news reports from political meddling. Since arriving, Pack has fired the network's leaders, pushed out agency executives, refused to approve allotted budgets, and refused to renew visas for foreign employees.
Further reading: “Deleted Biden video sets off a crisis at Voice of America,” Politico.
Pack suggested the staff he fired and foreign journalists he essentially kicked out may have been foreign spies, without offering any evidence to support his claim. A group of 14 senior VOA journalists are openly disputing his explanation:
“Mr. Pack has made a thin excuse that his actions are meant to protect national security, but just as was the case with the McCarthy ‘Red Scare,’ which targeted VOA and other government organizations in the mid-1950s, there has not been a single demonstrable case of any individual working for VOA — as the USAGM CEO puts it — ‘posing as a spy,’ ” they wrote.
The White House is searching for a replacement for Federal Trade Commission Chair Joe Simons, a Republican who has publicly resisted President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on social media companies. Simons, a veteran antitrust lawyer, cannot legally be removed by the president except in cases of gross negligence. But the White House has already interviewed at least one candidate for the post.
RELATED: The Justice Department plans to bring an antitrust case against Google as soon as this month, after Attorney General William P. Barr overruled career lawyers who said they needed more time to build a strong case.
Richard Grenell, formerly the highest-ranking out gay official in the Trump administration, has joined a law firm founded by Pat Robertson that has a history of opposing LGBTQ+ rights. Grenell also recently joined the Republican National Committee to do outreach to LGBTQ+ voters. The Trump administration has quietly named a new acting State Department inspector general. Matthew Klimow, the U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan since mid-2019, is the third acting IG since Trump and Pompeo ousted Senate-confirmed IG Steve Linick in May. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s current special envoy to Northern Ireland, former Chief of Staff, and former acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is starting a hedge fund focused on financial services regulation. Ethics experts say Mulvaney explicitly using his knowledge of CFPB to place bets for and against companies gives him an unfair and perhaps illegal advantage.
Court and DOJ matters
Court cases The Trump administration must, for now, stop winding down in-person counting efforts for the 2020 census, a federal judge in California ordered. The three-judge panel hearing a challenge to Trump’s new anti-immigrant census policy seemed hostile to the government’s arguments in a hearing last week. A federal judge has stopped the Trump administration from enforcing a rule change that would let health care providers deny medical services to LGBTQ patients on the grounds of religion. Justice Department Federal prosecutors are preparing to charge longtime GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy in connection with efforts to influence the U.S. government on behalf of foreign interests. Broidy helped raise millions for Donald Trump’s election and the Republican Party. Barr ordered another round of changes to FISA rules, tightening the use of government surveillance on political candidates or their staffers — a move conservatives will likely cheer, as they have long criticized how the FBI investigated the Trump campaign in 2016.
Before conducting physical searches or wiretaps of a federal election official, members of the official's staff, candidates for federal office, or their staff or advisers, the FBI must now consider giving them a "defensive briefing," to tell them that they could be the target of foreign influence.
I just gambled every cent I had, and I'm deeply ashamed of myself. I have a problem. Seriously. My game of choice was the (possibly illegal) sweepstakes gaming places, usually found around North Carolina and other places. There are these fish tables, where you shoot fish and win cash rewards. There was a time where I would win hundreds of dollars in one sitting. Sometimes I lost, but I always had a steady job, etc. The saving grace was that I lived far away from these places in my home state (GA), and when I left from visiting my family in NC, I could abstain, Unfortunately I found out the online version of these games, and became enthralled over the course of the summer. I began winning hundreds again, and then inevitably lost it over the course of a 2 month period. Now, I sit here broke, and I have no one to blame but myself. I'll have money once again once payday comes, and my bills are all paid at least. I didn't do anything illegal to obtain money, but I have used part of a loan fund my habit. I think I'm down $5K in the past few months. I have to take responsibility. I'm hoping to gain support here, and hopefully I won't be judged too much. But, this is a real addiction. P.S. I know that I'm going to have to quit, but I will miss it. I really enjoyed the thrill, but I know it wasn't healthy for me. That sounds horrible, but I'm being so honest.
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball: Three Decades of Failure (aka the Curse of Chris Webber)
Hi guys, long time no see. I'm back again with yet another Legacy of Failure. And this new LoF is heavily inspired by Tree's new LoF for the Maple Leafs. May not be as dramatic by I'll do my best. And I'm also doing this LoF post because of the dire situation College Sports is in right now. But I'll explain more of that at the end of this rant. Now, let us begin, with the One Billionth roasting of my favorite College team, the Michigan Wolverines, but in basketball edition. April 3, 1989 - "Michigan is only 3 seconds away from claiming it's first ever national championship and becoming the first team to win both the Rose Bowl and the NCAA in one year. P.J. Carlesimo can not change, he is out of timeouts...they're gonna have to get the ball over Mills who will try to Harris, the big man on the throw-in...starts when touched, long pass, Walker, Green battle, fires up, it's over! Michigan has won the National Championship! Well done, Michigan, after your first two attempts failed you have finally climbed to the top of the College Basketball world! Feels good, eh? The basketball National Championship is finally in your hands. With some of your top stars like Glen Rice moving away to the NBA draft, great challenges are sure to rise, but you've still got plenty of time to cement yourself among the Blue Bloods of College Basketball. The Future looks bright for you... 1989 offseason - After leading your team to a National Championship as an interim coach after we told that underachieving fuck Bill Frieder to fuck off, Steve Fisher is now officially your new head coach. Things are looking promising indeed... 1990 - Yes they are as Coach Fisher leads the Wolverines to another strong season at 23-8 and the #3 seed in the West Regional bracket! Unfortunately they are they pounded in the second round by 11th seeded....LOYOLA MARYMOUNT?! AND THEY DROPPED 149 POINTS ON YOU?!! Jesus Christ what a complete slaughter...this has got to be the worst title defense effort I have ever seen in my life!! Please don't let this be a sign of bad things to come... 1991 - Turns out that Loyola Marymount whooped Michigan's ass so hard that they completely fell to shit and missed the Big Dance. Guess 1989 was a fluke after all...things need to change and fast... 1991 offseason - The Wolverines end up making the offseason splash to end all splashes. They end up recruiting what is arguably the most promising Freshman squad in College Basketball history. With their totally gangsta "Boys 'n the Hood" persona, baggy shorts and Ice-T like personalities, All-American High School basketball star Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, along with Texas-sized high school basketball stars in Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, they form a new College Basketball superteam simply known as - the "Fab Five." The rest of the College Basketball world better get ready to protect their balls from being kicked in, because the Wolverine basketball Empire is about to begin...MWAHAHAHAHAHAH!! 1992 - Though not perfect, the Fab Five do not disappoint and finish with a solid 25-9 record and the #6 seed in the Southeast Region. 1992 NCAA Tournament - The Fab Five manage to win Tournament games against Temple and East Tennessee State in the first and second rounds respectively. After narrowly defeating Oklahoma State in the Sweet 16, they make it to an Elite Eight showdown with their biggest rival - those Buckeye fucks from Ohio State. Bring down the hammer. 1992 NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! How do you like dem apples, Suckeyes?!! The Wolverines pull off the upset in OT and make it to their 5th Final Four! Go take your sorry asses back to Columbus, Suckeyes, it's time for the Wolverines to form...the Empire... 1992 Final Four - The Cinderella run for the Fab Five continues as Michigan edges past 4th seeded Cincinnati in the National Semifinal, and on their way to the National Championship game against those fuckers from Duke. Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Coach K won't know what kind of freight train is gonna hit them! Move over, Blue Devils, here come the Wolverines!! 1992 National Championship Game - Here come the Wolverines as they blow their halftime lead and do absolutely nothing in the 2nd half as Duke goes on to repeat as National Champions and form their own Empire instead. Like seriously, you couldn't even try to make it close? Fuck off with your choking. Oh well, still a successful season though. Next year you'll get over the hump! 1993 - What did I tell you? The Fab Five make the rest of the Big Ten into their bitch and finish the season with Michigan's best record yet at 26-4 and the #1 seed in the West regional! Onto your glorious future! 1993 NCAA Tournament, Second Round - Ugh, you're already blowing it in the second round against UCLA?! Just get it over with already so I can hit the Molson bottles...wait...Michigan...didn't choke?! 1993 NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight - After defeating Temple you finally make it back to the Final Four, and you have a tough challenge coming up against those Wildcats from Kentucky in New Orleans. I'm not too sure about this... 1993 Final Four - Did you just pull off a shocker against Kentucky in OT without making a single 3-point shot?! Well, I may have faith in you once more! You once again make it back to the National Championship...and you're facing that OTHER ACC powerhouse in North Carolina. You're even ranked higher than they are and have a good shot at winning! Don't blow this again... 1993 National Championship Game - Okay, you're down by 2 with only 19 seconds remaining. Try and at least send this into OT for now... "Michigan...will have to bring it in-OH HE WALKED!! HE WALKED IT AND A REFEREE MISSED IT!! Webber brings it into the front court, they have no timeouts remaining-OH HE CALLED TOO MANY TIMEOUTS, it's a technical foul! He called a timeout, Michigan didn't have any! He got by with a walk, he calls a timeout, he doesn't realize that's Michigan's 'too many', and so it will be a technical foul, North Carolina shooting, and the ball." Are you fucking kidding me? Instead of going into a corner you could have attempted a 3 point shot or passed to another open player. For fucks sake, the refs and the Tar Heels were literally HANDING you the game on a silver platter and you blew it yet again. You are utterly pathetic. Complete and utter garbage. I hope you don't make it this far in the tournament again for another 20 years. May 1993 haunt you for eternity!! What a truly...pathetic display.YOU BLEW IT!!! 1994 - After that impressive chokejob, the Fab Five devolve into the Fab Four as Chris Webber fucked off to the NBA Draft. Nonetheless, the remaining 4 Fab Five players lead Michigan to yet another strong regular season finish at 21-6 and the #3 seed in the West Region. They make it back to the Elite Eight only to have their hopes and dreams smashed by Arkansas. President Bill Clinton laughs at your pathetic excuse for a basketball team as his Razorbacks go on to win the National Title. The window is beginning to slam shut... 1995 - The Fab Four has now become the Fab Two as Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose have left for the NBA. The Wolverines barely squeak into the NCAA Tournament as the #9 seed in the Midwest region...only to lose to...fucking Western Kentucky?! In OT?! The hell??! 1996 - The Fab Five era has officially ended at Michigan, but the Wolverines still make it back to the NCAA Tournament with an improved 21-10 record and the #7 seed in the Midwest Region. Only to receive a Lone Star State-sized ass whooping at the hands of Texas in the first round. 1997 - Despite another winning record you miss out on the NCAA tournament for the first time in 6 years. You at least make the NIT, and you win THAT tournament's championship game against Florida State?! I...guess that's impressive. Michigan fans, I hate to say it but this is your team's best moment since 1989. Cherish it. Because you're not gonna like what's coming next. 1997 offseason - Michigan then rewards Steve Fisher's efforts for winning the NIT tournament...by firing him before the start of next season during a scandal...which we will explain next. Let's rewind the tape a bit... 1996 - Michigan has plans to rebuild back into a powerhouse. They decide to recruit an upcoming high school star from Flint named Mateen Cleaves. As he and Maurice Taylor are driving to Ann Arbor, they lose control of their Ford Explorer on M-14 and flip over. Turns out they were going to visit a prominent...University of Michigan booster named Ed Martin. Who apparently supplied players with money...and ran an illegal gambling operation...and a money laundering operation...which are in violation of NCAA rules. Oops. Let's hope the NCAA sweeps this whole thing under the rug...if not then you are totally fucked... 1998 - With Steve Fisher gone your new head coach is Brian Ellerbe. Thanks to stars like "Tractor" Traylor and Louis Bullock the Wolverines finish with a strong 24-8 record. They manage to win another tournament game and move on to the next round...where they are then upset by UCLA. Now is where the real suffering begins... 1999 - Turns out that Ellerbe's first season was a fluke and your window has now slammed shut on your hands. You're terrible again! You turn into a laughing stock by finishing dead last in the Big Ten. 2000 - You are so trash that you lose in the first round...of the NIT tournament...to the Fighting Irish...trash. 2000 National Championship Game - Remember that Mateen Cleaves guy you tried to recruit? Well, turns out he became a contributor to your rival Michigan State's run to a second National Title. May your suffering continue... 2001 - You finish near the bottom of the Big Ten yet again with a 10-18 record. The team is choking so hard that they tell Brian Ellerbe and his choking ways to fuck off. But wait, there's more! 2002 - Good news is that the NCAA decides not to put sanctions on you. The bad news is...your University's administration decides to do the NCAA's job for them. As a result of the Ed Martin scandal, University of Michigan administrators decide to vacate your entire 1993 season, as well as each game from the 1995 to the 1999 season. Also, your appearance in the 1992 Final Four has been vacated. Not the entire tournament, just the Final Four. Jesus Christ, even after 1993, the College Basketball world is still sodomizing this team with a chainsaw... 2002, continued - With Brian Ellerbe gone, Michigan decides to recruit the glorious....TOMMY AMAKER...oh Christ, you are so fucked...my condolences... 2004 - You finished with a 18-11 record? At least you made the NIT...and you won the NIT again against Rutgers? Well, I'll be damned, at least it's not all torture. 2006 - You made the NIT tournament again but you lose to South Carolina in the championship game. Please tell me there's a light at the end of the tunnel...soon... 2007 - The Tommy Amaker era is finally over, now get the fuck out of here with your losing. 2007 offseason - It's time for us to hire a real head coach again. This John Beilein guy will do. 2009 - John Beilein's effects on the team are very positive, as thanks to new recruits such as Zack Novak, Stu Douglass and DeShaun Sims, the Wolverines FINALLY make it back to the NCAA tournament after 11 years. They make it in as the #10 seed in the South regional and pull off an upset against Clemson in the first round...but in the second round they are then defeated by Blake Griffin and Oklahoma. You've got promise though. Keep it going. 2011 - After a disappointing 2010 season the Wolverines finally make it back to the NCAA tournament, this time as an #8 seed in the West Region. After pulverizing Tennessee in the first round, they clash with their old foe from years past in Duke in the second round...only to be narrowly defeated in the final seconds. Man, fuck those assholes from Duke... 2012 - Thanks to new recruits Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jordan Morgan, the Wolverines experience their best season in ages and finish the regular season ranked for the first time in 15 years. They're the #4 seed in the Midwest region...and the lose in the first round...to Ohio. Yes...Ohio. HOW THE FUCK DO YOU LOSE TO A FUCKING MAC TEAM IN THE FIRST ROUND ARE YOU FUCKING SHITTING ME...GET ME THE GODDAMN BLEACH. 2013 - Anyway, let's just look at the fact that the Wolverines just recruited the top class in the country for 2013. New recruits Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III join Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. in forming...the new Fab Five. At least this reincarnation won't be scandal ridden. 2013, continued - Michigan experiences their best season since the Fab Five era as they pull off numerous feats, starting of the season 19-1, being ranked #1 in the AP Poll for the first time in two decades and finishing with a 26-7 regular season record. They are the #4 seed in the South region, and they steamroll past South Dakota State and VCU to reach their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1994. 2013 NCAA Tournament, Sweet 16 - Ugh, you're down by 3 against Kansas in the final seconds...just get it over with-you're not choking? You pulled off the upset in OT? Say it isn't so! 2013 NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight - And then you embarrass Florida and finally make it back to the promised land - your first Final Four appearance in 20 years. And you're facing another tough opponent looking to end their own championship drought in Syracuse. Eh, they made it far enough, it's your time now! 2013 Final Four - You manage to take out Syracuse and you make it back to the National Championship! And you're facing yet another team with a lengthy championship drought in Louisville. Hell, some have listed you as an upset favorite to win the title! Bring it home! 2013 National Championship Game - You're up by 12 in the first half...now finish them!!! Second Half - What?! WHAT?!! You seriously blew a 12 point lead to a Louisville team that was all but handing you the game?! I...I can't even...just fuck off already. Time to hit the bleach again...YOU BLEW IT!!! 2014 - New year, strong start. You're the #2 seed in the Midwest Region and are heavy favorites to win the title. Duke and Wichita State all choked early so you have a chance to make the Final Four again. Don't disappoint... 2014 NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight - You're up by 10 against an 8th seeded Kentucky team. Finish them off-wait, you blew that lead too? What the fuck is wrong with you and blowing leads to inferior competition?! Well, this bleach ain't gonna drink itself... 2016 - After collapsing in the 2015 season, the team is back in rebuilding mode again, but makes it back to the NCAA Tournament. Though you manage to defeat Tulsa in the First Four you are then pulverized by Notre Dame in the first round. The window is shutting again...wonderful... 2017 - Or not! After a sluggish start, new recruits Jordan Poole, Isaiah Livers, German phenom Moe Wagner, and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rakman, the Wolverines manage to win the Big Ten tournament and gain an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as a #7 seed in the Midwest Region. After squeaking by Oklahoma State in the first round, they then get revenge on Louisville for 2013 and return to the Sweet 16. Unfortunately, they are edged out by Oregon, a team that hadn't made the Final Four in almost 80 years. Woof. 2017 offseason - Great news! Turns out that due to a sex scandal involving head coach Rick Pitino, Louisville has been forced to vacate their 2013 title! So I guess you can call yourselves the unofficial champions? At least you don't have to hang your heads in shame anymore...yay? 2018 - You win the Big Ten Tournament yet again and finish the regular season with a 28-7 record. You are the #3 seed in the West Region. Please let this be the year... 2018 NCAA Tournament, Second Round - Ugh, you're down by 2 against Houston? Just get it over wi- "At mid court, extra pass...'buzzer sounds'...IN IT GOES FOR THE WIN!!! THE THREE POINTER...BY JORDAN POOLE!!!" You're not choking... 2018 NCAA Tournament, Sweet 16 - You're gonna lose to Texas A&M?! They haven't made it out of the Sweet 16 in their EXISTENCE for god's sake. Don't tell me you're gonna shit the be-you're not choking? 2018 NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight - Are you seriously trying to hand Florida State the game here? Quit playing down to your competition! Do something for once! Beat their asse-you're...not...choking? You made the Final Four? And you're facing the Cinderella team of the decade in Loyola-Chicago? I'll be damned. 2018 Final Four - After being down by 11 to Loyola-Chicago you come back to beat Loyola-Chicago by 12 and ruin Sister Jean's hopes for a second national title for the state of Illinois. You're back in the Championship game, and you're facing a tough opponent in Villanova. Will this be the year you finally break through?! 2018 National Championship Game - And you then proceed to blow yet another lead and get Death Starred by the Wildcats. Your best season since 1989, and you get turned into a laughing stock once again. Like seriously, you couldn't even make a close game out of this? God, you're pathetic. And as a result of all this choking you now have the WORST ever record in the National Championship game of the teams that have won a National Title at 1-6. You are tied with Duke and Kansas for most losses in the National Title game. To quote Asuka from End of Evangelion, "Pathetic." I'm going to combine this bleach with fabric softener now. It's been ages since 1993 now and College Basketball is still sodomizing this team with a Chainsaw. 2019 - Okay, you may be the #3 seed in the West region again but your window is beginning to slam shut now. Please, do SOMETHING!! You don't. You get embarrassed by Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 - a team that hadn't made it past the Sweet 16 in their existence. And now John Beilein has decided to fuck off to the NBA. Fuck...here come the dark ages again. 2020 - Former Fab Five alum Juwan Howard is your new head coach, and it turns out that he's not that bad. He leads you to a 19-12 start going into the Big Ten tournament...and then COVID-19 hits and the NCAA tells everyone to fuck off. No tournament this year... And I'm all out of bleach now. Maybe this team can let me down at my funeral like they have for the past decade... As a Michigan fan I feel completely broken. Years upon years of failure after that one magical season in 1989. Was this team really worth saving? All of the wasted talent, all of the chances they had to finally end the misery...and for what? A hollow claim to a paper championship in 2013 which Louisville vacated. A 1-6 record in the National Championship game. FOUR straight losses in the National Championship game since the 1989 title. Never ending misery thanks to the Curse of Chris Webber. But to be frank with you guys, I honestly think 2018 and 2019 were indeed Michigan's final chances to win a second national title. And it's beginning to look that way with the recent COVID pandemic, as the Big Ten has just decided to cancel football for the 2020 season. And if more conferences cancel, it will likely mean no college sports PERIOD this year. So the NCAA Tournament could be cancelled yet again. March Madness is at least 90% of the NCAA's budget revenue, and if the NCAA Tournament is cancelled for 2021, we could see not just the NCAA lose tons of money, but many college athletic departments go under. Welcome to what could be the College Sports apocalypse. And if you think that the Government is going to bail out any of these athletic departments while this country is still overcoming a loss of a third of it's GDP, I have a bridge in Northern Michigan that I'd like to sell you. There's no way these athletic departments are getting bailouts right after claiming non-profit status, but had the balls to ask the senate for anti-trust exemptions. Total lack of self awareness. We could witness the college sports version of the Smoot-Hawley act. If College Sports does return late in 2020 or in 2021, it's going to look very different, dramatically different, and it may be for the worse. And as a Michigan fan it makes me sad to think that the Wolverines may never win a title in college basketball or football ever again, especially since this pandemic is gonna have major financial ramifications, and potentially on the well known programs. We could see the end of College Sports in it's current form, or for good. And this will be a miserable time for fans of teams that are suffering from a major title drought like Michigan and others. Fuck this year. I'm beginning to think our world really did end on December 21, 2012, and we're all just living in a simulation now.
Trump sinking in polls – voters tired of his failures and angry tweets
(I'm always surprised to find anti-Trump content on Fox News) Trump sinking in polls – voters tired of his failures and angry tweets Millions of Americans are fed up with divider-in-chief Donald Trump and the awful job he’s done dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that has killed over 113,000 Americans and protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police – among his many failures. As a result, President Trump’s poll ratings are sinking and the prospects are increasing that former Vice President Joe Biden will send Trump into political retirement in the November election. Trump has appealed only to his base and sought to fan the flames of division and conflict between Americans. This is one more sign of the incompetent leadership of our reality TV president and it is also an unwise political move. Hillary Clinton received about 3 million more votes than Trump in the 2016 presidential election, but lost in the Electoral College. Trump is taking a huge gamble if he thinks he can be reelected while trailing by millions of popular votes again, because Biden and his team have no doubt learned from Clinton’s mistakes and are focused on doing better in the Electoral College. Trump has in effect changed the name of our country from the United States to the Divided States of America. He has increased our divisions along lines of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status and political views. In the 1976 Academy Award-winning film “Network,” the main character – a TV news anchor – persuades his viewers around the country to open their windows and shout: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.” Americans aren’t yelling that out their windows today, but with their marches, protests and expressions of opposition to Trump in opinion polls they are effectively conveying that sentiment regarding the Trump presidency. Biden, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is leading Trump in nearly every poll. After following stay-at-home orders in effect earlier in his home state of Delaware to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, he ventured out on Memorial Day to honor our fallen military service members. And unlike Trump – who ignores guidance from his own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and acts as if he is above the law and all rules that apply to others – Biden has worn a mask to protect those around him and himself from the coronavirus. Biden is getting out more now and appearing frequently in the media to offer the American people a sensible alternative to the chaotic, impulsive, uninformed and disastrous leadership of Trump. The latest opinion polls show Biden with a significant lead over Trump on a national level of around 10 percentage points. And a CNN poll this week gave Biden a staggering 14 percentage point lead over the president. And unlike Trump – who ignores guidance from his own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and acts as if he is above the law and all rules that apply to others – Biden has worn a mask to protect those around him and himself from the coronavirus. Biden is getting out more now and appearing frequently in the media to offer the American people a sensible alternative to the chaotic, impulsive, uninformed and disastrous leadership of Trump. The latest opinion polls show Biden with a significant lead over Trump on a national level of around 10 percentage points. And a CNN poll this week gave Biden a staggering 14 percentage point lead over the president. Trump has in effect changed the name of our country from the United States to the Divided States of America. The CNN poll has been criticized by some as an outlier. But several major national polls (CNN, ABC-Washington Post, Monmouth, Quinnipiac and Fox News) show Biden rising by between 3 and 8 percent from the middle of March until now. While the NBC-Wall Street Journal poll did not show Biden gaining ground since March, it gave him a 7-point lead over Trump. In crucial swing states – including Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – the Democratic Super PAC Priorities USA shows Biden’s support has increased by as much as 3 percent since March. The horrific murder of George Floyd – an unarmed black man on the ground in handcuffs and not resisting police – has galvanized our nation to the mistreatment of African-Americans at the hands of police and to the larger issue of racism and unequal treatment and opportunity for our black population. A cellphone video recorded Floyd’s death as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, ignoring Floyd’s desperate cries that he could not breathe. Three other officers stood by as the life was squeezed out of Floyd’s body. Thankfully, all four officers have now been charged with second-degree murder or aiding and abetting second-degree murder. To his credit, Trump has ordered the FBI to investigate Floyd’s murder to see if a federal crime was committed, and has condemned Floyd’s killing. But the president has devoted most of his attention to attacking the minority of protesters who engaged in looting and other illegal activities. And Trump bears responsibility for law enforcement officers forcibly ejecting peaceful protesters from a park in front of the White House so he could walk to a nearby church for a photo-op, posing with a Bible. Biden has expressed far more sympathy for Floyd’s death and for continued discrimination that African-Americans face. He even traveled to personally meet with Floyd’s family members to express his sympathy for their loss. “For all of you who are hurting so badly, I’m so sorry for your loss,” Biden said in a video message. “This nation grieves with you. Take some solace from the fact we all grieve with you.” And speaking directly to Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Biden said on video: “Little Gianna, as I said to you when I saw you yesterday, you’re so brave. Daddy’s looking down and he’s so proud of you. I know you have a lot of questions. No child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations – why? Why is daddy gone? Looking through your eyes we should ask why are the answers so often too cruel and painful.” “Now is the time for racial justice,” Biden continued. “That is the answer we must give to our children when they ask why. Because when there is justice for George Floyd we will truly be on our way to racial justice in America and then, as you said Gianna, your daddy will have changed the world.” Biden talks about knowing how those who have lost loved ones are feeling, having lost his first wife, daughter and son. He is a real, relatable, kind and loving man who clearly cares about the pain and problems suffered by others. That’s a stark contrast to Trump, who tweets and tweets and tweets with complaints about being unfairly attacked, viciously attacks and insults his critics, and labels any news report that doesn’t shower him with praise as “fake news.” I think Americans are tired of the tweeter-in-chief’s constant whining. They want a president focused on our nation, not a narcissist focused on airing his personal grievances.
The following is a biased, yet researched set of bullet points describing my opinions on why Lebron James is the GOAT. Get comfortable before reading, this will take a lot of your time to digest. For my Lebron fans, this will give you all the firepower you need to win any GOAT debate. For my MJ fans, no hard feelings. Maybe this may change your mind. Without further ado... The Ultimate GOAT Argument - Lebron James Jordan’s legacy
I don’t understand why millenials think MJ is GOAT when they haven’t had the emotional effect of Jordan to brush over his weaknesses
Jordan is deemed the goat b/c people wanted him to be the GOAT
He was most beloved player in NBA history so everyone wants to protect his legacy by forgetting his failures and flaws
Mentality
Mentality is not a real quality
Does Tim Duncan have mentality?
Kobe Bryant is a top 2 player of all time?
If anything, mentality is coming back 3-1
Elimination games are a measure of mentality
Lebron dropped 51-11-8 on Dwight Howard after Howard mocked him
Lebron came back down 3-1 after Klay said Lebron’s feelings got hurt
Lebron has fulfilled promises of bringing championship to Heat and Cavs
Teammates at North Carolina called MJ “shithouse Michael” b/c he hid in bathrooms before big games
Jordan’s failures (84-90)
1985: Lost 3-1 in 1st round to Bucks, shot 6-16 in final game
1986: Lost 3-0 in 1st round to Celtics, 8-18 for 19 pts in final game
1987: Lost 3-0 in 1st round to Celtics, went 9-30 in final game, shot 36%
1988: Lost 4-1 in 2nd round to Pistons, shot over 50% once in the series
1989: Lost 4-2 in ECF to Pistons, shot over 50% twice in the series, notable games of shooting 10/29, 5/15, 4/8
1990: Lost 4-3 in ECF to Pistons, 1 game away from Finals, shot over 50% twice in the series, notable games of shooting 5/16 and 7/19
Jordan’s Competition
Jordan rarely beat prime opponents
Jordan has losing record in playoffs against Celtics and Pistons
Couldn’t beat prime Bird, Magic, Isiah
Never beat Larry Bird, 0-6 vs Bird
Jordan finally beat Pistons when Isiah’s numbers dropped and he had a broken wrist and Pistons were 47 win team
1991 Finals: Magic was not in prime in 91 (after winning Game 1, he shot 39% in the final 4 games), Byron Scott and Worthy missed games with injuries during the series (Worthy had high ankle sprain), no Kareem
Scrapped up wins against these bad teams with a 77-11 record
72-10 record not that impressive when considering expansion teams
Jordan’s Help
Phil Jackson - greatest coach of all time, 11 rings, Jordan never got to the Finals until Jackson came and implemented Triangle offense
Scottie Pippen - top 3 MVP voting in multiple years, considered a top 3 player in the league, Pippen was best defender in the league if not Rodman, Pippen led all Bulls stat categories in playoffs other than scoring, Jordan was 1-9 in playoffs without Pippen, Pippen has 3 series wins without Jordan, Pippen would’ve made Finals in ‘94 and ‘00 if not for bad reffing and rigging, Pippen has better career record than MJ, Jordan never had a winning season without Pippen
Dennis Rodman - saved Jordan in ‘96 Finals, best rebounder in league, 2x DPOY
Toni Kukoc - won 6MOY, is a HOF
Horace Grant - All-star, 4x All-Defensive
Bill Cartwright - starting C, All-star
BJ Armstrong - made All-star team when Jordan left in ‘94
Craig Hodges - knockdown shooter, holds 3pt contest record with 19 straight makes
Steve Kerr - highest 3PT% in NBA history, made bail out shot to save MJ in Finals
John Paxson - saved MJ on multiple occasions
Jordan played with 9 All-Def teammates (7 1st team teammates)
Jordan played with 6 All-NBA teammates (2 1st Team teammates
Lebron’s Help
Led team to 2007 Finals at 22 years old with lineup of Mo Williams, Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Zydraunas Ilgauskas, had to carry that team all those years
Lost Kevin Love and Kyrie for 2015 Finals, Matthew Dellavedova was 2nd best player
Kyrie and Love weren’t all-stars in 2016 run
2018 roster was old and depleted, Kevin Love was 2nd best player in playoff run averaging 14 ppg
Kevin Love and Chris Bosh never had any playoff success before Lebron
No All-NBA or All-Defensive help in 2016
3rd team All-NBA Wade and no All-Defensive help in 2012 and 2013
Lebron played with 1 All-Def teammate (no 1st team teammates)
Lebron played with 4 All-NBA teammates (no 1st Team teammates)
Carried David Blatt and Tyronn Lue to Finals, acted as coach during times
Adversity
Jordan never defeated adversity and expectations like Lebron
Lebron is most scrutinized star, Jordan is most protected star
League covered up Jordan’s gambling problems
Impact on teams
After Lebron left Cavs in 2010, they went from Finals contenders to worst team in league, 19-63 record and 26 game losing streak
After Lebron left Heat, they went from NBA Finals to 37-45 and missed playoffs
After Lebron left Cavs again, they went from NBA Finals to 19-63
Bulls finish 55-27 without Jordan, lost in 2nd round, many believe Bulls got robbed on the Hue Hollins call (worst call in NBA history)
Jordan’s team had 2 less wins, Lebron’s had 42 less wins
1996 Finals when Jordan almost chokes a 3-0 lead
Jordan had 2 All-Defensive 1st team players
Pippen was All-NBA 1st team
Gary Payton was playing through injury
Rodman deserved Finals MVP, was kept from winning b/c NBA loved Jordan as poster boy, Rodman was a locker room cancer w/ absurd hairstyles and went against all NBA marketing
Jordan was most inefficient Finals MVP of all time
Jordan shot 6/19 and 5/19 in games 4 and 6
Was up 3-0, almost choked series if Dennis Rodman did not propel them in game 6
Rodman averaged 7 offensive rebounds a game
He put up 11 offensive rebounds in 2 of the games they won, which both were NBA records
Jordan shot 3/11 in 2nd half of game 2
Rodman drew an absurd number of offensive fouls, techs, flagrants for frustrating opponents
Kukoc scored 12 in 4th quarter and won game 1 for Bulls
Rodman got their starting center ejected
Rodman got Kemp fouled out in the deciding game 6
Game 6 - Bulls were up 2 going into 4th, Bulls outscored Sonics by 15, Jordan didn’t score until there were 2 min left and Bulls were already up 13
Earlier that season, Bulls lost to Sonics without Rodman and blew out Sonics with Rodman
Jordan’s failed comeback
Came back in the 1994-95 season
Lost to 22 year old Shaq and young Penny Hardaway in 6 games
Wasn’t rusty, was proclaimed to be back after dropping 55 in MSG
Team was 55-27 the previous year before his comeback
Why rings are overrated
Why isn’t Bill Russell the GOAT then? Jordan played with 6 expansion teams in the league and didn’t play guys as good as Baylor, West, Chamberlain in his Finals. (Bill Russell also was a coach-player)
If accomplishments are the argument, Kareem is the GOAT
Free throw is only knock and Lebron closed out 2013 and 2016 Finals with FT and has better FT% in 4th quarters of NBA Finals
Arguably best finisher, best passer, smartest, most athletic all-time
Making the Finals is an accomplishment
How is a 3-0 record better than 3-6?
Would you have preferred Lebron lost in the ECF 6 times?
Warriors became first team since 1956 to make 5 straight NBA Finals, Lebron went to 8 straight
Lebron played with bad teams, Jordan never made the Finals with his bad teams
Lebron’s Weak East
Lebron played in “weak” East, because free agents don’t want to go to the East b/c of Lebron
Weak East, but Lebron has faced #1 defense 8 times in career, 7 of those teams are in the East, Lebron averages 31-9-7 in those games
Beat 2011 Bulls - 62 wins which was 1st in NBA, #1 defense, Tom Thibodeau the COY, MVP D-Rose, Joakim Noah (All-Def), Deng and Boozer (both 17 PPG)
2011 Celtics - Pierce, KG, Rondo, Allen (all 4 were all-stars)
The Knicks with Ewing were consistently among worst defenses in the league
East has won 8/16 championships since Lebron has entered league
Longevity
Longevity matters. Simple
More All-Star and All-NBA for Lebron
More finals appearances for Lebron
Lebron dominates in every stat
Lebron has had a longer prime
Lebron has been the best player in the world for twice as long as Jordan
Lebron’s accomplishments
Should’ve been unanimous in 2013, 1 person voted for Melo
Should’ve been DPOY in 2013, Marc Gasol made 2nd team All-Defense and 2 centers tied for 1st team over him)
27 game win streak in 2013
Only player to have 55% FG and 40% 3PT in season
Came out of high school, averaged 20 ppg at 18 years old
2008-2009 season: MVP, 1st team All-NBA, 1st team All-Def, 66 wins without All-NBA teammate, 2nd in DPOY voting, led Cavs in all 5 major stat categories, led NBA in PER, led NBA in win shares, led NBA in value over replacement player, led NBA in box plus-minus, set playoff record for PER, set playoff record for win shares, set playoff record for box plus-minus, averaged 39-8-8 in ECF
Only player top 10 in points and assists all time
Youngest player to reach every point milestone from 1,000 to 34,000
Has led NBA in FGs made 5 times, led NBA in FGs attempted 0 times
Statistics
Lebron is going to break the record for points all-time
Currently 3rd in points
Currently 8th in assists
Through Jordan’s seasons, the NBA’s pace was 3 PPG higher than Lebron’s
Lebron’s prime
Best player in the league in his 3rd year
He’s been best player for 15 years
Defense
Defense is not as important as offense
An offensive player can account for up to around 75% of an offense, but a defensive player can only account for up to 30% of a defense
Versatility is more important than on-ball defense
Best player Jordan ever had to guard was Clyde Drexler
Lebron took on Tony Parker in Game 7 of 2013 and shut him down to 0 points on 0/6 shooting
Lebron held DRose to 6% shooting in 2011 ECF
Jordan was an amazing on-ball defender but with the rules of the game and the weak SG position, Jordan had little impact on defense
Jordan’s DPOY year: Drexler dropped 42-9-8 on him, Dale Ellis dropped 34 on 58%, Fat Lever dropped 31-16-12
Rules of MJ’s era
Zone defense was illegal, zone allows teams to minimize superstars and take away their best spots, like Mavericks did to Lebron in 2011
Double-teaming was illegal
Help-defense was only legal to an extent
Played with a shortened 3 point line (to drive up scoring in the league) for 2 seasons
His career 3p% would be in the 20s if the 3pt line did not get shortened
MJ says “If teams were able to play zone defenses, I never would have had the career I had. Allowing a zone enables teams to gang up on the star.”
Players get better over time
Each decade, players get smarter and more athletic and advanced in the game of basketball, one can see the evolution from 60s basketball to today
Lebron in playoffs
1st in playoff win shares with 51, 2nd is MJ with 39
36-8-6 in 1st playoff series with 2 game winners (2006)
25 straight points against a Pistons team that many considered best defense in the league, finished with 48-9-7
2012 ECF vs Celtics - came back down 3-2 to win series, 45-15-5 73% in Game 6 (best playoff performance of all time) and 31-12-12 in Game 7
2013 Finals vs Spurs - came back down 3-2 to win title, came back down 10 in 4th by scoring 16 straight in 4th, 37 pts and game-winner in Game 7, Bosh and Allen combined for 0 points
2016 Finals - came back down 3-1 against 73-9 team and unanimous MVP to bring chip to Cleveland
2017 Round 1 vs Pacers - came back down 26 in 2nd half, largest playoff comeback of all time, 41-13-12 with Kyrie and Love benched
2018 Round 1 vs Pacers - no teammate averaged over 12 PPG, no teammate scored 20+ in any game, averaged 34-10-8 on 55% FG, game winner and game saving block in same game
2018 Round 2 vs Raptors - Raptors were the 1 seed and got swept, averaged 34-8-8, hit buzzer beater game winner, 55% FG
2018 ECF vs Celtics - came back down 3-2, 46-11-9 in G6 and 35-15-9 in G7 with Kevin Love and George Hill as his best players, Kevin Love was 2nd leading scorer behind James with 10 PPG, Celtics were 37-0 when up 2-0 in series
2016 Finals
Came back down 3-1 against greatest regular season team in NBA history
Warriors were 73-9 with 3 All-NBA players (Curry as unanimous MVP) and Iguodala had won FMVP the year before
Lebron put up 41 points in Games 5 and 6, then 27-10-10 in Game 7
Game 7 was very low scoring, making Lebron all more impressive
The Block - greatest defensive play in Finals history other than Bird’s steal
Made game-clinching FT
After they said Lebron only dominated because Draymond was out, Lebron dropped 41 on Draymond in game 6
Scored 18 straight in game 6
Elimination games
Jordan’s FT percentage dropped 6% in elimination games
Jordan’s FG% dropped
Jordan 6-7 and Lebron 14-9
Lebron has won 6 straight Game 7’s
All Lebron’s numbers go up
Lebron in elimination games: 34-11-8 on 48% FG
Jordan in elimination games: 31-8-7 on 44% FG
Jordan was outscored by Danny Ainge in an elimination game
Lebron’s Finals Losses
Lebron has been a favorite in 2 of 9 Finals
2007 - Led Mo Williams and a poor Cavs team to the Finals, had no business being there
2011 - Mavs were an all time great team, swept the defending champ Lakers and beat Thunder in 5 games
2014 - Lebron averaged 28 and shot 57% FG and 51% 3PT, Wade and Bosh didn’t show up, Wade averaged 15, Bosh averaged 14
2015 - many considered Lebron the MVP, lost MVP by 1 vote, Matthew Dellavedova was his best teammate, became 1st player to lead both teams in PTS REB AST, scored or assisted on 67% of team’s FGs (10% higher than any other player in Finals history), JR Smith + Delly + James Jones + Shumpert were 0/21 without Lebron on the court, starting 5 was Dellavedova + Shumpert + James + Thompson + Mozgov, Iguodala won MVP for “shutting him down” to 35-13-8
2017 - Played against super team Warriors, Lebron averaged 34-12-10
2018 - Played against Warriors again without Kyrie, JR Smith messed up Lebron’s 51-8-8 Game 1 and Lebron played with broken hand in series, Lebron averaged 34-9-10
Clutchness
On go-ahead shots with 5 sec left in 4th/OT of playoff games, Lebron has more buzzer beaters, more made shots, a better %
Jordan pushed off against the Jazz in ‘98
Jordan 4th quarter shooting splits in Finals: 43% FG, 15% 3PT, 79% FT
Lebron 4th quarter shooting splits in Finals: 46% FG, 30% 3PT, 82% FT
Lebron has 2 more playoff buzzer beaters than Jordan (5 to 3)
In this decade, Lebron is 6-0 in Game 7s averaging 35-11-6
Lebron’s “Meltdown”
Lebron doesn’t keep shooting through a cold streak
Lebron still shot 48% and 7 reb and 7 ast
Lebron has had the greatest stretch of basketball after 2011
Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Peja Stojakovic, Shawn Marion (2x All-NBA), Tyson Chandler (All-NBA 1st team, DPOY), Jason Terry (6MOY)
Mavericks swept defending champ Kobe and Lakers, beat OKC in 5
Terry was averaging 18 ppg during that postseason run, averaged 18 against Miami
Because Heat had been Wade’s team, Lebron deferred to Wade, Wade took 18 more FGs and 29 more FTs despite Lebron shooting higher FG% and 3PT%
Lost games 2 and 5 by a total of 5 pts due to poor defense from Bosh and Wade in final minutes
“Settled for threes,” only took 0.7 more threes than he had throughout postseason
Whole team missed FTs, Bosh’s FT dropped by 5%, Wade’s FT dropped by 8%
Rick Carlisle was one of best coaches in league, COY, Lebron didn’t choke, his FG% was 30% and 3PT% was 25% vs Mavericks in regular season
Players saving them
Ray Allen “saved” Lebron, but Lebron scored 16 straight leading up to the shot and held Duncan to 0 points in 4th quarter
Lebron saved Wade and Bosh who combined for 2 points in 4th quarter
Ray Allen scored 0 points in Game 7
Paxson hit 2 game winners in playoffs for Jordan (1 in Finals), Kerr hit 1 game winner for Jordan in Finals
1992 Finals: Game 6 - Jordan goes to bench down 15, Bulls go on 14-2 run, Bulls end up winning title in that game
Rodman saved Jordan in ‘96 Finals, as did Kukoc in game 1 of 1996 Finals by scoring 10 of the last 12 points
Jordan on the Wizards
Jordan led Wizards to being one of the worst teams in the league
Sad ending to career
If you got this far, thanks for reading. I completely understand if you agree or disagree. I would like your feedback. Thanks.
Is it legal for I (as a UK resident) to split UK-based gambling winnings with a friend (in the US) if he helps me decide which bets to take?
We would build a model together and then split profits/losses - I would do the gambling, though, and it would all be through UK gambling sites (which I believe are illegal in my friend's state of residence of North Carolina). Is it legal for him to report income earned in UK gambling?
The 2018 Fulmer Cup Awards for Criminal Achievements in D1 Football
The 2018 Fulmer Cup™
Welcome to the Final Standings for the World's Most Prestigious College Football Award Based on Criminal Record, run by /CFB and based out of /TheFulmerCup. There are over 20,000 Division 1 college football players. As a whole, they have crime rates much lower than the general population. However when they do get in trouble (as 66 did this offseason), they get a lot of attention. For that reason we have The Fulmer Cup™. The Fulmer Cup is a parody award that tracks the criminal achievements of various college football programs during the offseason and declares a "winner". It is open to all Division 1 football programs (FBS & FCS), and points are awarded based on the level of crime (more details below). The Fulmer Cup season started the minute the national title game is finished and ended the minute of the the first game of FBS Week 0, this year on August 25. Without further ado, here are your 2018 winners:
The 13th Annual Fulmer Cup Rankings (FINAL)
NOTE: Team rankings require a minimum of 2 playecoaches; if a team only has one their score is marked as “NR” for Not Ranked, however if anyone else on the team gets cited for so much as jaywalking they'll qualify for the team competition and be ranked.
This was generally a quiet offseason compared to the last few. The total number of players receiving charges we've seen in each of the 5 years we've administered the Fulmer Cup are:
Year
Players Charged
2014
111
2015
123
2016
116
2017
136
2018
67
There are a few possibilities for such a dramatic reduction. It's possible that it was just an abnormally quiet offseason, it did feel that way for much of it at least. While half the normal case load seems quite low, it may be just to random chance. It's also possible that the growing notoriety of The Fulmer Cup has motivated D1 compliance departments and players to follow the rules and stay out of trouble. It's probably self-congratulatory to say we've helped here, but it is a possibility. It's also possible that we just weren't as thorough in finding charges this year. With a growing userbase this seems a bit unlikely, but it's also possible. A few major storylines to follow this year. Rutgers has become the first team in Fulmer Cup history to win the team award for a second time, and they did so with teamwork and following a storyline from last year. While Alcorn State was awarded last year's Fulmer Cup, Florida had 9 players receive 54 total felony charges that were earned during the offseason but not charged until after the season had started. These Florida players were charged with misusing university provided debit cards for credit card fraud, and while the charges came too late to win the cup, they were given a Special Achievement Award after the fact. A crew of 8 Rutgers players learned from Florida, and were charged with a very similar crime. These charges came in under the 2018 deadline. Brendan DeVera, K.J. Gray, Malik Dixon, Edwin Lopez, Kobe Marfo, Syhiem Simmons, C.J. Onyechi, Naijee Jones collectively netted 23 charges that included promoting organized street crime, money laundering, conspiracy to commit theft by deception, and fraudulent use of credit cards. This case also uncovered that Lopez had been separately charged with possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of a gun, and unlawfully concealing a handgun earlier in the offseason. They say that great artists steal, and stealing Florida's novel mechanism of stealing led Rutgers to a championship this year. It's a much more white collar crime to win the cup for than their 2015 spree of charges centering around conspiracy to commit a riot, but a win is a win for the world's oldest college football team. The leader for most of the offseason was Kennesaw State, a team entering only its 4th year in program history. A pair of their DBs, Jai'len Edwards and Akebren Ralls were charged with armed robbery, and Ralls additionally ran an illegal gambling house. North Alabama deserves special merit as they promoted to D1 halfway through the offseason, and only had one qualifying player, but the 3rd most points overall this offseason. Probably not the look they wanted their first year in D1. 3rd place Bowling Green deserves special recognition for consistency: they had 4 players receive charges over 5 separate months through the course of the offseason. No other team had charges in more than 3 months. We also had a pair of charges bookend the offseason. LSU LB Tyler Taylor was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime serving as a getaway driver for an armed robbery, just hours before the CFP Final. Kansas OL Malik Clark was charged with a DUI just hours after the first games of week 0. Neither of these offenses are eligible, but are worth special notice. Notable, but did not qualify for team category (only one player arrested):
North Alabama: 23 points
USC: 18 points
Utah State: 15 points
Florida: 15 points
Wisconsin: 14 points
LSU: 12 points
A total of 14 teams qualified for the cup with multiple players, and a total of 42 teams had at least one player receiving points.
The Ellis T. Jones III Award for Individual Achievement
Given to the individual player who contributes the most points to his team during the season, OR has the most incredible incident that resulted in Fulmer Cup points. Named after Ellis T. Jones III, a near-mythical student-athlete-criminal who caused an almost immediate rule change to the Cup (that a team requires at least two to qualify).
We had to run a bit of an unorthodox offensive scheme this year. Offensive Linemen for the 3rd consecutive year have been one of the best behaved groups in college football, and we only had 4 qualifying OL this year. Our First team offense consists of 4 OL, 1 QB, 2 RB, 1 TE, and 3 WR. No kickers or punters qualified this year.
The Coach Mike Haywood "Leading by Example" Award
Given to the coach or administrator who earns the most points and/or gets fired in the most embarrassing fashion. This award does not have to be awarded annually and is completely up to the Committee (also, after leaving the profession in 2010, Mike Haywood is back in coaching at FCS Texas Southern and does qualify for his own award).
This year's award goes to Zach Smith, whose case upended the end of the offseason and is still ongoing with large implications for Ohio State including the suspension of Head Coach Urban Meyer for 3 games. Zach Smith was formally charged with criminal trespass on May 12, 2018 at his ex-wife's apartment, but the investigation that resulted from that uncovered years of alleged abuse dating back to 2009, and other sordid details including sexual relations with Ohio State staffers in Ohio State offices, having thousands of dollars of sex toys delivered to his office, and photographic transmissions of his member from inside the White House. It's an unfortunate story that hasn't fully resolved yet. 6 other coaches were charged with crimes this offseason, including brand new D3 Football program Finlandia's HC Robert Boss, South Dakota State HC John StiegelMeier, Michigan Director of Performance Fergus Connolly, D2 Tuskegee Assistant Ramone Nickerson, Georgia Associate Equipment Manager Kevin Purvis, and Louisville TE Coach Chris Klenakis.
The Paul Dee Memorial Award for High Profile Compliance
"Because high-profile athletes demand high-profile compliance." Awarded to the conference that, through the fortuitousness of group effort, has the highest point total.
In Review: Big Ten beat out the SEC! FBS continued to generally outperform FCS, and every FBS conference was on the board. The Sun Belt was last in FBS, and the ACC was last among the P5.
The Switzer Sweep
This award goes to that rare team that manages to winning a National Championship, pull in a top recruiting class, and win The Fulmer Cup all in one calendar year. Like the national title according to some, this year was a complete split.
Team
National Champions
Alabama / UCF
#1 Recruiting Class
Georgia (247 Composite)
2018 Fulmer Cup
Rutgers
More about the Fulmer Cup:
The Fulmer Cup was created in 2006 by Spencer Hall of Every Day Should Be Saturday, and run by his website for six years. In 2014, he permitted /CFB to take over the award and this is the fourth year of its time under control of /CFB and its dedicated sub-section, /TheFulmerCup. Points are awarded by members of The Fulmer Cup Committee, made up of members of /CFB. The Fulmer Cup is a parody award, like the Razzies and Ig Nobel Prize, meant to track the criminal achievements of various college football programs during the offseason and declare a "winner". It is open to all Division 1 football programs (FBS & FCS), and points are awarded based on the level of crime. The Fulmer Cup season starts the minute the national title game is finished and ends before the first kickoff, this year on Saturday, Aug 25. Winners are crowned in team, conference, and individual award categories. Players qualify from the moment they enroll at the school (no commits or other recruits) until the depart or are dismissed from the team. For a crime to count, the player has to be on the team, i.e. not dismissed for unrelated things before the crime was committed (but if they were dismissed for a crime that they were later charged for, it counts). On very special occasions, a coach or athletic director arrested, cited or charged would count (as they go up the chain of command): Those are special occasions, and are left entirely up to the discretion of the Committee. Points must be documented. What is "documentation"? A court record, arrest record, or news article describing the citation, charges, and/or arrest. No arrest, citation, or charges: no points.
/CFB ("R-C-F-B") is the college football section of reddit.com, hosting its own community of over 450,000 subscribers and section traffic of over 1M unique hits and 15m total hits per month during the season while also maintaining a Twitter account, @RedditCFB (currently downrecently resurrected) with a following of over 130k. It hosts popular game threads, over 100 AMA (interviews) with notable CFB personalities, and does a number of charitable projects. It is run by an independent team of volunteer moderators. /TheFulmerCup is out of a separate subreddit to permit an easier tally of qualifying incidents; it has its own Twitter account, @TheFulmerCup. The current members of the Fulmer Cup Committee:
This year's Golden Snitch Award goes to the user who submitted the most incident reports that wasn't on the Committee, so congratulations to armadaos_! They submitted 6 reports this year.
North Carolina has no laws that deal with online gambling. The state’s gambling laws do state that it is illegal for players to wager on chance-based games unless they are regulated by the state and offered at state-licensed premises. For a state that’s concerned with illegal gambling, North Carolina has an odd history of tolerating video gambling at businesses. In the late 1990s, numerous video poker machines could be found at bars and other business. State lawmakers tried to curb the problem in 2000 by imposing a limit of three machines per property, while requiring that North Carolina Gambling Laws – Legal Status Of Different Gambling Games. Casino Games: Yes, there is one tribal casino, which is run on native land by the Eastern Tribe of Cherokee Indians. Online Casinos: No, there is nothing in the laws which explicitly outlaw internet games, however, as in other States, existing gambling laws are assumed to cover this area. North Carolina takes its gambling law seriously. If one is caught allowing underage players to engage in casino gaming, the responsible party is subject to legal punishment and will be considered a Class H felon. Currently, the legal age for casino gambling in the territory is twenty-one years of age. Gambling laws in North Carolina actually go all the way back to the 1700s when all forms of gambling were eventually outlawed after legislative bills prior to 1791 limited wagering in the state. Since 1791, it has been seen as one of the stricter states against gambling, which makes their first steps into legalizing sports betting a big one. North Carolina's gambling laws are relatively strict and prohibit most forms of gambling with the exception of casinos on Indian reservations. Additionally, the state allows bingo and raffles if they are sponsored by nonprofit organizations. Learn more about North Carolina's gambling laws in the following chart. North Carolina Betting Sports betting is legal in North Carolina but is not yet available. Legislation passed in 2019 will permit North Carolina’s tribal casinos to operate sportsbooks after their gaming compacts with the state are amended and regulators publish the rules that will govern sports betting. One of the most important laws to follow when it comes to legal gambling in the United States, is the legal gambling age law. You need to be twenty-one years old so you can legally gamble in North Carolina. No law makes it so gambling on the Internet is illegal in the state, so it is pretty safe to assume that online gambling is legal in North Carolina. There are also no federal laws to worry about, as the remaining statutes all target sportsbook and gambling house operators rather than individual players. Even in North Carolina, it’s possible for someone to wager on their favorite team, join a weekly sit-in poker tournament, and have a ton of chances on a colorful 5-reel slot machine. There are 100% legal gambling options in North Carolina and the state residents trust them. We are talking about legal online gambling for North Carolina residents.
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