Hopefully this doesn't age well, but if we miss on Pribula, Chattanooga receiver, and Rice OT is it possible we stand pat? We needed to be very aggressive in the portal to even be competitive next year with that brutal schedule. On top of everyone else in the BIG10 getting better through the portal. I'm concerned.

What gives?

Always felt he was talented and an extremely reliable safety.

I'm sure he'll get an UDFA opportunity, but this one surprises me.

The U.S. government is barreling toward yet another pointless, unforced crisis: a federal shutdown just ahead of Christmas. No one planned it, exactly. Yet it seems almost inevitable.
Why? Because President-elect Donald Trump and his unelected co-president, Elon Musk, have accidentally “Art of the Deal”-ed themselves.

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Trump is widely expected to “shake things up,” which appears to be a euphemism for indiscriminate destruction. He hasn’t even been sworn in yet, but with another erratic egomaniac billionaire now assisting him in his shake-up (and occasional shakedown), he’s already ahead of schedule.

Funding to keep basic government operations running expires on Saturday. Lawmakers have spent the past few weeks negotiating a relatively banal, bipartisan spending agreement to keep the lights on until March 14 at current funding levels with a handful of other elements added in (hurricane relief funding, a potential cost-of-living adjustment for lawmakers’ pay, etc.).


Until recently, Trump had ignored these negotiations entirely. But early on Wednesday, Musk decided it was time to start breaking things, so he posted a tirade of incoherent and often outright false complaints about the deal, demanding that it be nuked.

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He then added that no legislation should pass until Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20. This would mean a federal government shutdown for about a month (at least). He might get his wish: The original bill died; a replacement bill failed in a House vote Thursday night; and Vice President-elect JD Vance and Trump seemed to cheer on the wreckage, suggesting maybe a shutdown isn’t so bad after all. “If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration,” Trump posted on TruthSocial.
It might seem difficult to understand how Musk or Trump could possibly view an extended shutdown — especially one lasting through the inauguration — as a favorable outcome. Shutdowns cost the government money, since winding down operations (and then ramping them back up) is expensive. They also weigh on the overall economy; a five-week, partial government shutdown starting in December 2018 reduced U.S. gross domestic product by $3 billion, the Congressional Budget Office estimated. This was the lasting cost even after everything was turned back on.


A shutdown would probably also present political challenges. Usually an incoming administration wants some breathing room in its first few days to focus on its own priorities, not to enter office amid chaos. It’s also unclear how a government shutdown might affect the pageantry of the inauguration, which clearly matters to Trump. (I’ve asked several budget experts this question, and no one seems to know. No administration has ever had to decide which parts of a presidential inauguration are considered “essential” government services during a shutdown.)
Nevertheless, this sequence of events makes complete sense if you’ve read Trump’s best-selling memoir, “The Art of the Deal,” or looked at any of his prior business, political or diplomatic negotiations. His favorite negotiating tactic is blowing up an (ostensibly) settled deal at the 11th hour. He thinks that’s how he gains the “leverage” he needs to force a counterparty to make some painful, valuable concession.
But there are (at least) three problems with this strategy in the context of the stopgap spending package.


The first is that the counterparty in this scenario is his own party. Trump and Musk are negotiating against their fellow Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who appears to have been blindsided by the last-minute Musk eruption. Johnson put together the deal, after all, with necessary Democratic support because the GOP house majority is so slim (and the Senate is still controlled by Democrats).
The second problem is that Trump and Musk do not seem to understand the concept of “repeated play.” If you can’t be trusted to keep your word on a handshake deal, people act accordingly the next time they negotiate with you. Or maybe they refuse to negotiate with you at all. Which might be an indicator of how congressional negotiations will go next term, when Trump returns to office and Republicans have an even thinner margin in the House.
Finally, the biggest problem is that Trump and Musk seem to have no idea what their demands are. They want leverage for a concession, but they struggle to articulate what that concession would be. How do you negotiate with someone who doesn’t know what they want?


This has been a problem before with the modern Republican Party. GOP lawmakers often know they don’t like some offer on the table, but they can’t come up with a desirable counteroffer. They just think making an ultimatum is a cool power flex, something that might impress their voters. In this case, maybe the concession is an increase in the debt limit (which some GOP lawmakers have shot down). Or maybe, as Musk tweeted, it’s just … doing nothing at all? At least until Trump moves into the White House again.
So congrats, Co-Presidents Trusk. You’ve already ultimatumed yourselves into oblivion.

tough spot to be the son of a GOAT

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I was completely shocked this was even brought to trial and am satisfied that justice was served in this case. If the races were reversed, I would have felt exactly the same. The justice system in some of these states needs to start fighting criminals instead of the victims. The fact that BLM is making this about racial injustice and trying to fire up their base is disappointing, but not surprising.

Embrace irrelevance and mediocrity and blame it on lack of adapting. Blockbuster video failed to adapt once upon a time and you know what happened to them. We’re teetering on becoming the Blockbuster Video of college football.

I bought my parents 2 of these inverted umbrellas. I bought one myself a month ago. It's pretty cool. When you close it, the umbrella doesn't drip water everywhere which is super clutch when you're getting into your car.

It also has a reflective strip on it that lights up at night when car lights hit it.

How about you?

Wasn’t able to make it to Fran’s availability today, but here’s an interesting nugget from it.

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Car just drove through Christmas market. Guess elmo will get his nazi government after all.

Iowa will retire Clark's #22 at the 2.2.25 game against #7 USC.

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Release from Iowa:

UI Athletics Announces Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 Retirement Celebration

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- In a celebration of legacy, achievement and undeniable impact, the University of Iowa Athletics Department has announced plans to retire the iconic No. 22 of Hawkeye women's basketball legend, Caitlin Clark, during a ceremony scheduled for Feb. 2, 2025, inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

"I'm forever proud to be a Hawkeye and Iowa holds a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball,” Clark said. "It means the world to me to receive this honor and to celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni. It will be a great feeling to look up in the rafters and see my jersey alongside those that I've admired for so long."

Clark will be in attendance for the game against USC on Feb. 2, 2025. Tipoff is set for 12:30 p.m. (CT) and the contest will air on FOX and the Hawkeye Radio Network.

“Caitlin Clark has not only redefined excellence on the court but has also inspired countless young athletes to pursue their dreams with passion and determination,” said Beth Goetz, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair. “Her remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on the University of Iowa and the world of women’s basketball. Retiring her number is a testament to her extraordinary contributions and a celebration of her legacy that will continue to inspire future generations. Hawkeye fans are eager to say thank you for so many incredible moments.”

I just got back to IC and have today and tomorrow until xmas commitments begin. I figured a little downtown bar hop would be a great way to pass the time. Make individuals suggestions or plan a route.

Tentative plan:

- Deadwood for a warm up, and cross the street to
- Dublin Underground as it's been at least a few years, round the corner to
- Joe's Place, usually make at least one stop here every time I'm back in IC, a little popcorn before hoofing it over to
- Club Car to see who I still recognize and cap it off


Any relatively new places that are worth a stop? Looking at Google Maps, never heard of Wild Culture, looks ok. I like Arcade Bars and Double Tap is alright.

A double double dribble is impressive.
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I think Iowa beats this Indiana team 17 to 10.

Reports coming that trump is pulling out of the WHO, and will completely walk away from the organization on day 1 of his 2nd term. One less disaster for the US tax payer to finance.

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1) start a charity
2) get public money to build apartments
3) charge low rates for 5 years
4) after five years refuse to pay back the public
5) begin charging market rates
6) profit

Who makes out?

Developer, lender, local politician, “charity worker” with fat salary and benefits.

Who goes back to being homeless in 5 years? The intended beneficiary.

That’s the grift ladies and gentlemen. All of a sudden, this headline makes sense.

Vice President Kamala Harris' deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty recently noted that Democrats are increasingly losing their relevancy as Americans shift their attention to podcasts over traditional media sources. Flaherty acknowledged the impact of prominent sports figures like Steph Curry and LeBron James supporting Democratic causes. However, he noted that sports culture's alignment with conservative values has complicated outreach efforts.

President-elect Donald Trump successfully leveraged podcasts to rally support, especially among young men who have increasingly leaned to the right. UFC CEO Dana White thanked various podcasters, including Joe Rogan and the Nelk Boys, for their support on election night.

Trump's podcast appearances particularly allowed him the chance to share about his personal life. He discussed his golf game, favorite songs, and criticisms over the Biden administration's COVID response.

The "Send the Vote" initiative, backed by the Nelk Boys, aimed to mobilize young voters. They ultimately reached over 140 million people through various platforms.

Flaherty stated that Democrats are currently "losing hold of culture," adding, "Campaigns, in many ways, are last-mile marketers that exist on terrain that is set by culture, and the institutions by which Democrats have historically had the ability to influence culture are losing relevance."

Harris and President-elect Donald Trump both sought to connect with audiences through podcasts and nontraditional media ahead of the 2024 election. Flaherty noted the difficulty of booking Harris on sports podcasts, as athletes were hesitant to engage in politics.

Flaherty said, "Sports and culture have sort of merged together, and as sports and culture became more publicly and sort of natively associated with this Trump-conservative set of values, it got more complicated for athletes to come out in favor of us."

Harris avoiding interviews
Harris campaign aides criticized media coverage of their campaign, claiming it was unfairly scrutinized compared to Trump’s coverage. Jen O'Malley Dillon said that misconceptions about Harris avoiding interviews hindered outreach efforts.

I think that was a problem
Dillon said, "Real people heard, in some way, that we were not going to have interviews, which was both not true and also so counter to any kind of standard that was put on Trump, that I think that was a problem."

President Joe Biden is promising to flex his clemency powers again before he leaves office next month, buoying the hopes of capital punishment opponents that he’ll take a big step toward making good on his campaign promise to end the federal death penalty.

Biden could use his authority to grant commutations to convert existing federal death sentences into life in prison. That would deal a serious blow to Trump’s plan to bring back — and even broaden — the use of the death penalty when he returns to power.
The Justice Department has quietly recommended that Biden grant commutations to most of the 40 people on death row, according to a person familiar with the discussions not authorized to discuss them publicly. The recommendation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is also on the verge of publishing the findings of a long-running internal review of the lethal injection protocol that the Trump administration adopted in 2019. That protocol uses a fatal dose of a single sedative drug, pentobarbital, to put prisoners to death.

Many experts and critics of the death penalty have said the method, adopted due to shortages of other drugs used in executions, can cause extreme pain during a prisoner’s final minutes. And anti-death penalty activists say the DOJ’s forthcoming report may bolster the case for clemency.
“We hope the review will find that the problems with lethal injection are one additional reason as to why President Biden should grant clemency to death row prisoners,” said Ruth Friedman, who oversees death penalty work for the federal defenders nationwide.

The White House has been mum on the president’s plans for clemency around the death penalty, but anti-death penalty activists say their talks with the administration have been ramping up in recent weeks.

In non-capital cases, Biden has already begun to deploy his clemency power aggressively — commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people earlier this month, not to mention his controversial pardon of his own son. And the White House has vowed that more clemency actions are coming before Biden leaves office.

“I think the problems related to the [execution] protocol, along with all the other problems systemic to the federal death penalty, are reasons President Biden could use to commute all the federal death sentences,” said Robin Maher of the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit group that studies capital punishment.
If Biden went that far, he would stymie Trump’s ability to immediately resume federal executions, which have been on hold under Biden. During the first Trump administration, officials ordered a flurry of executions, and the president-elect has signaled he wants to not only pick up where he left off, but even expand the use of the death penalty during his second term.

The fate of 40 prisoners​

The vast majority of the nearly 2,200 prisoners currently under sentence of death in the U.S. were convicted in state courts. Biden has no power to stop executions of those inmates, but governors in California and Pennsylvania have imposed moratoriums that have put executions on hold for about one-third of the nation’s death row population.

Biden’s power is limited to the 40 men on the federal death row in Terre Haute, Indiana. If he grants sweeping clemency to those prisoners, one big question is whether he will commute all 40 sentences to life in prison, or whether he’ll leave death sentences in place for a handful of notorious criminals.


So many murderers, so many terrorists would be granted clemency under Bidens plan. Sad truly sad he would do this and let those killers escape justice.

Les Claypool 2028

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MSNBC ratings collapse postelection, Fox News surges as cable faces an uncertain future​

When a sports team loses, its fans don't hang around for the postgame show.

The same goes for the tribal habits of cable news audiences.

Viewers have fled left-leaning MSNBC since Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential race to former President Trump on Nov. 5. The audience for the Comcast-owned channel is down 46% compared to the first 10 months of 2024, according to Nielsen data.

CNN, which has long battled ratings swings dictated by news coverage, is down 33% after the election.

Fox News, which last week presented Trump with its “Patriot of the Year” honor, has seen its audience surge. In November, the Murdoch family's network captured a 70% share of the cable news audience in the weeks since the president-elect won another term in the White House; that's the largest in its history.

The ratings tumult comes at a time when the cable business is facing an existential crisis, as more consumers are forgoing the pay-TV subscriptions that provide most of its revenue.

The corporate parents of the major news outlets are facing business challenges as well.

CNN is expected to make significant workforce cuts early next year as its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, tries to reduce debt.

Comcast is spinning off MSNBC and its other cable networks into a new company so that the declining business does not drag down its stock price. Some of MSNBC's biggest stars, including Rachel Maddow, Joy Reid and Stephanie Ruhle, have been asked to take pay cuts, as revenues and profits come under pressure.

While Fox News is more dominant than ever in the ratings, its corporate parent, Fox Corp., also faces uncertainty.

Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to give control of his media empire to his son Lachlan was rejected by a Nevada probate commissioner this week. The proposed change in the family trust, which aimed to cut out the more liberal-leaning Murdoch siblings, has led to speculation that there could be a conflict over the network’s conservative direction after the 93-year-old mogul dies.

While those factors loom, the networks also have to fight the ongoing trend of consumers cutting the cable cord. Fox News, CNN and MSNBC are all currently available in around 66 million pay TV households, according to Nielsen data, a 28% decline from 2016, the year Trump’s unpredictable presidential candidacy turbocharged their ratings.

Despite the steady erosion of pay-TV coverage, Fox News and MSNBC have maintained their popularity among viewers still using cable.

Fox News will finish the year with an average of 1.5 million viewers over the full day, an increase of 5% from 2016. MSNBC has 820,000 viewers, up 35% from that year.

CNN, which has faced management changes and a shift away from opinionated hosts, has not fared as well, dropping 34% over the period to 493,000 viewers.

All of the cable news channels saw growth over 2023 thanks to major political events as the party nominations and debates brought in larger audiences. Through Dec. 10, Fox News is up 21%, MSNBC gained 5% and CNN increased 3%.

Trump remains a ratings driver for Fox News, and the network was again the main destination for viewers following his campaign.

From June 27, the date of President Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump, through July 12, Fox News saw its audience increase 51% compared to the period a year earlier, far higher than its competitors.

The levels spiked after the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump through July 21, when Biden dropped out of the race — a turning point many Fox News commentators had speculated about for months. The network saw a 147% year-to-year increase over that span.

Just as Trump performed better this time with voters in liberal states such as New York and California, Fox News is seeing ratings lifts in Democratic cities as well. The gains began in October 2023 after Hamas launched its attack on Israel.

While the evidence is anecdotal, Fox News executives believe pro-Israel viewers in Democratic-leaning markets came to the network for its Middle East coverage. Some of them have stuck around.

Fox News also has pointed to Nielsen data that shows that a growing number of Democrats and self-described independent voters are watching.

“There is no doubt we are getting new viewers,” Fox Corp. Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic said at a recent UBS investors conference. “People think Fox News is just the conservatives of the United States. It’s not.”

But the biggest fan of Fox News will be found in the Oval Office starting in January. While Trump occasionally grumbles about the network's news coverage of him, he has dipped deep into its roster of hosts and contributors for cabinet posts, including his embattled defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth.

While Fox News is polarizing in the public discourse, its fans are loyal. A recent study of election night viewers by media research firm Magid showed Fox News viewers had the highest satisfaction level among those surveyed, followed by audiences for MSNBC, YouTube and local TV stations.

The Fox News audience grew the most after a tough year in which the network paid a $787-million settlement to Dominion Voting Systems over false fraud claims made during coverage of the 2020 election. Just a week after the decision, top-rated host Tucker Carlson was dumped by Murdoch, which led to an overall ratings decline.

But the network has long been successful at bouncing back from disruptions to its program lineup. Jesse Watters, a veteran personality on the network, replaced Carlson in his high-profile time period and is exceeding his ratings performance in total viewers and the 25-to-54 age demographic sought by advertisers.

Before the exodus of viewers post-election day, MSNBC's was on track for a second consecutive year of audience growth, a rarity in the cable business these days.

Nielsen data shows that most of those viewers — likely fatigued or depressed about the election's outcome — are tuning out news altogether. Many of them have headed for outlets that provide escapist entertainment, such as the Hallmark Channel.

The postelection dropoff has happened before. When Hillary Clinton lost to Trump in 2016, MSNBC saw its prime-time ratings decline by 41% in the following weeks.

Fox News saw an audience decline in 2020 after Trump lost to Biden, with viewers particularly irked that the network had called Arizona for the Democrat days ahead of its competition.

MSNBC executives, who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, are counting on the network's devoted viewers to return as well, especially as disappointment over the Democratic loss fades and Trump makes news with his campaign promises such as mass deportations of migrants. The hope is the viewing will bounce back in January and return to its pre-election levels by spring.

While liberal fans are said to be angry that MSNBC "Morning Joe" hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski made peace with Trump in a Mar-a-Lago visit last month, the ratings drop on their influential Beltway-focused program is no larger than the declines occurring across the rest of the network.

MSNBC has a viewer panel it uses for research purposes. According to people familiar with the data who were not authorized to discuss it publicly, there have been only a handful of complaints about the network's election coverage. The network's programming has remained popular on YouTube, where it reaches younger viewers who likely don't have a cable subscription.

CNN improved on the lows it hit in 2023 but fell behind MSNBC for third place for the second consecutive year. As the pay-TV market deteriorates, CNN has stressed that it's focused on digital distribution of its journalism, adding a paywall to its web site, which Comscore says is visited by 147 million people a month. More subscription-based offerings are expected to be launched next year.

Friday, December 20, 2024


Saturday, December 21, 2024