Lol

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4 losses, 3 to unranked teams. Probably playing the wrong girls and don’t gave good enough centers….😛

Seriously though, it’s South Carolina and then about 8ish teams…. But there are still plenty of dangerous teams in the top 25 and just outside of it that can beat you any given day.

It’s fun to see…

As for the Gamecocks….they are beatable, but they are salty !!!

Lots of movement around the staff for Iowa State.

Don't know much about any of these guys, but one of my high school buddies -- Trever Ryen, for those of you that remember that name -- played football at ISU when Mouser was a GA, I believe. Spoke highly of him. That's quite literally all I know.
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Brewers are signing Hoskins 2 yrs 34 million. Opt out after one year is possible. Really good fit. Heard rumors of possible talks with Freddy P and Adames about extension this spring. Will be interesting to see of the prospects who breaks camp. Gasser, Black, and of course Chourino all strong candidates. Possibly one more decent move to build roster. Wiermer and Mitchell seem redundant. @Joes Place and @wausauhawk

Are Republicans easy marks or willing participants in Russian anti-Biden operations? That’s a troubling question raised by the Feb. 14 grand jury indictment of a former FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, on charges of concocting a tale about President Biden’s supposed involvement in his family members’ business dealings.
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Allegations by Smirnov — who appears to have ties to Russian intelligence, according to the federal indictment — have formed the backbone of the House Republicans’ laughable attempt to build an impeachment case against the president. They championed him as their star witness. Now the Republicans’ fact-deficient storyline has been shredded.

The Post reported that Smirnov, who has not entered a plea yet, is accused of “making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record” by trying to implicate Biden in corruption related to his son Hunter Biden’s involvement with the Ukraine energy company Burisma. “The charges,” the article said, “amount to a stark rebuke of conservatives, particularly Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, who touted Smirnov’s claims as he and other Republican lawmakers tried to build a corruption case against the president and his family.”

Even more damning, The Post subsequently reported that “Smirnov’s indictment and detention memo suggest the allegations were not only false, but possibly a Russian-inspired smear.”



In the aftermath of the indictment, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) declared, “Smirnov was the foundation of the whole thing. He was the one who came forward to say that Burisma had given Joe Biden $5 million, and that was just concocted in thin air. It was that foundation that the whole house of cards has been built on, and the entire thing has collapsed.”

Raskin added that “we don’t even have to rely on Smirnov’s own words because there have been somewhere near a dozen witnesses who have completely repudiated and refuted these essential allegations.”

Now Republicans are pretending that Smirnov wasn’t so important after all. They’re vowing to plow ahead on this cock-and-bull mission that never got off the ground. Not only did multiple witnesses testify that Biden had no involvement with his son’s business dealings, but previous allegations that Biden acted on his son’s behalf had also already been thoroughly repudiated.

The current House debacle overlaps with a Russian disinformation project described by the national security specialists Ryan Goodman and Asha Rangappa on the website Just Security in 2020. That scheme enticed Republican Sens. Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (Iowa) to buy into the now-discredited scenario that as vice president Biden sought on behalf of his son to stop an investigation of Burisma. (It also added in another phony Ukraine election interference claim.)

And let’s not forget that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III found “sweeping and systematic” Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election on Donald Trump’s behalf.

The current revelations concerning Smirnov should not merely spell the end of the comically inept impeachment proceedings; they should provoke questions about Republicans’ recklessness in peddling claims they apparently knew were unreliable.

At the very least, it is clear that House Republicans had reason to be skeptical of Smirnov’s allegations instead of embracing them. FBI briefers “warned lawmakers that the document, known as a 1023, containing Smirnov’s allegations against the Bidens also included raw, uncorroborated intelligence that should not be made public,” CNN reported on Wednesday. Even if the Republicans did not know Smirnov might have ties to Russian intelligence, they certainly knew the basis for making wild allegations about Biden was extremely shaky.

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), appearing on CNN, revealed, “We were warned at the time that we received the document outlining this witness’s testimony. We were warned that the credibility of this statement was not known.”

Asked directly if Republicans Comer and Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio) knowingly proceeded with possibly baseless allegations, Buck replied, “That’s what it appears. I certainly didn’t have any evidence outside the statement itself that it was credible.” He added that as “a prosecutor for 25 years ... I never went to the public until I could prove the reliability of a statement.”

It’s bad enough if Republicans were simply reckless in attempting to smear the president; it would be quite stunning if they knew this was another Russian influence scheme. “DOJ must investigate whether and when Grassley, Comer or Jordan knew that Smirnov was spreading Russian disinformation,” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) warned. At a Thursday news conference, Goldman said of the impeachment effort, “There’s no question this is dead. To the extent that they continue to push forward with it, they are now doing it with a knowing asset of Russian intelligence.” He underscored, “It is one thing to lead an investigation where you fail to find evidence to support unfounded conclusions. It is altogether something else when you are acting as an agent of Vladimir Putin.”

Republicans have built their entire oversight operation on rooting out the “weaponization of government” as a tool for accusing Democrats of misdeeds. Talk about projection. As former FBI agent Rangappa told me, “It seems like Comer’s impeachment inquiry is the real ‘weaponization committee’ — weaponized by Russia, that is.”

Republicans’ affinity over multiple elections for Russian-backed plots should warrant wall-to-wall coverage. (Let us not forget Russian efforts detailed in the Mueller report to enlist the Trump campaign and sabotage Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016.) Responsible news outlets should press House Republicans to justify their refusal to vote for aid for Ukraine and habit of spreading Russian conspiracy theories.

In short, Trump (enabled by House Republicans) wants Ukraine aid blocked and invites Vladimir Putin to invade NATO countries with military budgets Trump deems insufficient. He already has served as an indispensable helpmate in Putin’s assault on democracy and the international order. No wonder Russia appears yet again ready to pull out all the stops to boost Trump.

I posted this on Intermat's forum, but thought it was fun and wanted to share.


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So, being a parent can sometimes be lame because my "children" want to "spend quality time with me" and whatever. So I taped this dual, and am blatantly stealing an old Bill Simmons gag and will give you my thoughts on this dual as it happens...for me. For you guys this happened hours ago. This could be great or a trainwreck. Lets go!



Drake Ayala vs. Troy Spratley

Obviously this is a match Iowa needs, but that Spratley is a very live underdog in. Let dive in.



1st Period: Looks like a lively crowd! Fortunately nothing bad has ever happened to an Iowa 125 in a packed GIA. One minute in and we have half shot from both guys and a warning to both wrestlers for hands to the face. Stall call against Ayala for backing out, I don't really like those if the "attacking" wrestler isn't actually taking a committed attack, but they did go pretty quickly to the edge once Spratley dug the underhook.

They're a bit chippy back and forth, popping each other in the head. Nobody has truly threatened anybody with an attack yet. It should be noted that Spratley has a stupid face....ok that was an uncalled for shot. It's not his fault he has a stupid face. #RivalryWeek

Spratley probably came the closest to grabbing a leg there, but got stuffed by Ayala with about 40 seconds to go.



2nd period: Spratley and his aforementioned face take bottom and they're out quickly. Ayala tried to work a Russian tie, but never did anything with it. A big picture of the clock just covered up the wrestlers, thanks a lot Flo! Wait, who's broadcasting this one? Not a whole lot happens here, they exchange shots that are better but nobody comes close to a TD. It felt like Ayala was winning the handfighting in that period, but no points, no matter.



3rd period: We start off the third right where you would expect to in a hotly contested, razor thin match, with a lingering shot of Tom Brands (probably) gazing wistfully at the mat. Spratley got a little funky on top for a second, but Ayala switches out of it, and they're forehead to forehead again. Someone finally gets to a leg after the ref starts verbally calling for action, and it's Spratley, but it's quickly stuffed and we're back neutral. Ayala nearly circles to a leg, but Spratley stays moving and Ayala never gets to an advantage position. Nobody gets anything going, and we're off to OT. How mad am I going to be at Spratley's face (that many people are saying is stupid.)


OT: NOT MAD AT ALL STUPID FACE, THAT'S HOW MAD! Spratley sure looked stuck there, but the ref took his sweet ass time getting into position, and Drake eventually was awarded the win after looking like he should have been awarded the TD at least once earlier in the sequence. Feels like it should have been 6 for Iowa, will that loom large....

Ayala and Spratley appear to ask after each other's families and just a little friendly check in.



Brody Teske vs. Daton Fix

A little surprising to see Teske here. I do not see any of Derek Fix's special boom boom juice in the corner. This is probably not going to be as fun for me as 125.



1st Period: Fix nearly passed Teske by so hard he got taken down, but he skips out of it. Somebody tell Teske just to stand there and stare at Fix and make him shoot. Fix semicuts him (which is a bit surprising) but he may be chasing the major, which is nice to see. I spoke to soon, Fix barely moved the rest of the period. He's fortunate he's wrestling Brody Teske, who seems to forget he's in wrestling matches about 83% of the time.



2nd Period: We get a good hot of Derek Fix trying to helpfully point out to Daton some alternative injection sites. Teske somewhat effectively riding him...for about 15 seconds, then Fix performs some magic and casts those hips over. Honestly, based on how it looked, a minor miracle for Teske to only give up 1, I thought he might end up on his back.

FIx gets into a nice high crotch, but Teske somewhat surprisingly takes him thru and is defending with an effective chest lock. Looks like it's only a matter of time, though, Fix appears to be navigating to the finish. Teske is actually doing ok for himself, and then Fix just decides to try to push him over. Teske is flirting with the neutral danger call, and the ref calls it. Can't really tell from my angle whether Teske ever came out of it, but then the ref weirdly blows stalemate when it seemed like Fix could have gone for back points? WTF? 7-1 after the second. The announcers keep trying to say "money roll" about Fix's escape.





Third period: Fix cuts Teske again, and is going to look for a major. He kind of stumbles into a leg off a burst of forward motion from Teske, but Teske kicks out and we're handfighting in the middle again. Teske goes for an ankle pick, and nearly gets there, so credit for not shutting it down, but Fix is too good, skips out again. I don't know if Teske is sensing some flagging energy from Fix, or if he's trying to make his case for being the postseason guy, but he's coming at Fix with some heavy hands. Teske now taking some legit shots on FIx's legs. Kinda hoping he throttles back a little and doesn't get countered to give up the major,, but it DOES look like Fix is a bit tired. Nice effort from Teske, and he doesn't give up the major either. It's hard to believe Fix is going to make 57 kg, yeesh.





Real Woods vs. Tagen Jamison

Another match, like 125, where it feels like Iowa really needs it, but that based on how Real Woods has looked, Jamison is a very live dog.

1st Period: Woods looking a little like theo ld Real and in right away. Jamison fighting hard with a whizzer, and I thought Woods had both ankles and was behind, but the ref doesn't award a TD and calls out of bounds a couple of seconds later. POLL THE JURY! There is a lady in the stands who gets overly excited anytime a Cowboy moves. Woods is dancing and feinting, has take a couple of shots, but only briefly touched an ankle. Jamison has taken one half shot, and otherwise has just waved his hands at Woods leg from his staggered stance, hoping I guess to summon Woods leg to him, Harry Potter style.





Second Period: Someone got cautioned, I think Woods, but the stunning camerawork hid it from me, because who doesn't love a good mystery. Jamison got about 25 seconds of riding time, so he may have an interesting choice if we go 1-0 to the third...never mind, Woods gets in on theswing single again, and he adjusts to avoid the whizzer, nicei n-match adjustment. Now we'll see how Jamison handles Woods top work. The answer was: Not well! Woods rides out the period, breaking Jamison flat a couple of times. Jamison was on his feet as time expired, lets see what he does to start the third.



Third Period: Jamison chooses bottom! Woods has flagged at the end of matches, so lets see...Jamison does well! He gets out with only 44 seconds on the board, a TD ties this match! Lets see if the whole waving thing works...Woods is still controlling the pace of this match, he has Jamison sprawling at feints instead of looking for angles for his own shot (which I assume he is capable of doing?) He was not. Woods controlled throughout, and was in on a single (to burn time) at the end.

Hungary’s parliament on Monday voted in favor of Sweden’s long-delayed bid to join NATO, clearing the final obstacle to a historic expansion of the military alliance and putting an end to an uncomfortable standoff between its members.

With Budapest at last on board, Sweden is set to become NATO’s 32nd member, possibly within the week, completing a process that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and saw Finland join last year. The addition of the two Nordic countries will bolster the alliance’s capabilities, strengthening its position in the high north and the Black Sea — all while sending an important message to Moscow.

Four maps explain how Sweden and Finland could alter NATO’s security
“Today is a historic day,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The parliaments of all NATO member states have now voted in favour of Swedish accession to NATO. Sweden stands ready to shoulder its responsibility for Euro-Atlantic security.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Hungary’s vote, saying, “Sweden’s membership will make us all stronger and safer.”

NATO map. (The Washington Post)
While the alliance is indeed bigger than ever and stronger than it’s been in years, many months of obstruction from Turkey, followed by continued delays by Hungary, spotlighted the challenge of keeping allies together, even in the face of an aggressive, revanchist Russia.



The ratification in Budapest comes at a moment when NATO allies are struggling to stay united on aid for Ukraine and the alliance is trying to project confidence despite concern about remarks from the former — and potential future — president Donald Trump.
So, when allies finally gather at NATO headquarters in Brussels to raise the Swedish flag, there will be celebration, certainly, but also exhausted sighs of relief.
After the signing of the Hungarian ratification document, just a few formalities will remain. NATO officials and diplomats said the alliance will try to move fast, ideally formalizing membership by the end of the week, though it could take longer.

The expansion of the NATO alliance is a tangible sign of the changes wrought by Russia’s war in Ukraine. In the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Finland and Sweden abandoned years of military nonalignment to seek security in within NATO. Their joining required unanimous support from all the other member countries.
Finland joins NATO, doubling alliance’s land border with Russia
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Putin’s closest ally in the European Union, had said he would not be the last holdout. But on Sweden’s bid, he was.


His main stated objection was to comments from Swedish officials about the erosion of democracy in Hungary.

His demand list wasn’t nearly as long or detailed as that of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who sought F-16 fighter jets from the United States and the lifting of arms embargoes by multiple countries, while also insisting that Sweden crack down on groups Turkey considers to be terrorists and prohibit the burning of the Quran at protests.

Even after the Turkish parliament ratified Sweden’s membership in January, concluding 20 months of back-and-forth, Orban maintained that Sweden joining NATO was a matter to be negotiated.
Turkey votes in favor of Sweden’s NATO membership after months of delay
He pressured the Swedish prime minister to visit him in Budapest — and wasn’t content to meet on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels.
Eventually Kristersson agreed, and on Friday, in the Hungarian capital, the two signed a deal to expand Budapest’s fleet of Swedish-built fighter jets.


Orban cast the deal as part of a process to repair damaged trust.
“To be a member of NATO together with another country means that we are ready to die for each other,” he said. “So if you would like to make that kind of strong relationship, you need the proper basis for that, especially trust and mutual respect.”

He reflected that Hungary’s slowness in agreeing to Sweden’s NATO membership was “cautious and proper preparation,” conducted at the right pace.
Addressing parliament before the vote on Monday, Orban spoke in favor of Sweden joining NATO. He also talked about Hungary having had a long and controversial relationship with the countries of Scandinavia — and how outsiders trying to intervene in those disputes have hindered their resolution.
Orban was on the defensive throughout his remarks. Although his party dominates the country’s politics, it has been shaken by scandal this month. President Katalin Novák resigned under pressure for pardoning a man convicted of helping to cover up sexual abuse in a children’s home. Lawmakers were also voting Monday on the election of a new president, Tamás Sulyok.

Beating Maryland today will clinch a share of the Big Ten title. Did not realize they have 8 seniors. Guess this is the year they were pointing toward to go a long way. Still hate them though.

It looks like the trailer was released a couple weeks ago. It opens this summer on July 14 and Dead Reckoning Part Two opens in June 2024. These films were shot at the same time and I believe they are going to be Cruise's final appearance in the franchise. Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are back and Rebecca Ferguson is also back. Henry Czerny also returns as Eugene Kittridge for the first time since the first installment of the series 27 years ago.

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Hats off to Fran and the team!

Thank you President Biden!

Former Hawkeye Spencer Lee picks up some international glory in the form of a gold medal at the Pan-American Championships:

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Lee was able to tech fall his way through the bracket.

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I couldn't find any reference, but assume the names on the back today are the player nicknames. I think CC was 'keough'. Any idea what that is about?

Where was I in 2018 when all this went down?



A buddy of mine just posted this on the socials, "Lucas had his Blue and Gold ceremony tonight. He is officially done with cub scouts and has moved on to the organization formerly known as as the Boy Scouts! We are so proud of him."

And the comments exploded. "What!? It's not called Boy Scouts any more?"

--------------------------------

Girl Scouts sue Boy Scouts over name change
By Tara John, CNN

A long-running dispute between scouts has now ended up in a Manhattan court.

The Girl Scouts of the USA has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America after it announced that it would drop “boy” from the name of a program in 2019. The boys’ group has already begun to welcome older girls.

The Girl Scouts said in the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court Tuesday that the Boy Scouts do not have the right to use “scouts” or “scouting.”

It also alleged that the Girl Scouts brand and activities will be marginalized by the Boy Scouts rebranded program, Scouts BSA.

The Girl Scouts said the change has caused confusion among the public, causing them to think the Girl Scouts did not exist or had merged with the Boy Scouts, Reuters reported.

“Only GSUSA has the right to use the Girl Scouts and Scouts trademarks with leadership development services for girls,” according to the complaint.

Boy Scouts of America told CNN that it was reviewing the lawsuit.

“We applaud every organization that builds character and leadership in children, including the Girl Scouts of the USA, and believe that there is an opportunity for both organizations to serve girls and boys in our communities,” it said in a statement

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and a permanent injunction against trademark infringement.

It comes months after the Boy Scouts announced in May the name change of its namesake program for teens ages 11-17, called the Boy Scouts, to Scouts BSA.

In 2017, the 108-year-old organization decided to open its highest rank, Eagle Scout, to girls and allowed younger girls to join Cub Scouts. The move was seen as both a reflection of growing progressive attitudes as well as a business decision.

The Boy Scouts told CNN they widened their program offerings for girls after “years of request from families.”

“We believe that we owe it to our current and future members to offer families the options they want,” the organization said.

It appears Lugo is transitioning into coaching
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Baby Olivia isn't a real baby. It's an animated fetus that develops over the course of a three-minute video that has become a new front in state-level abortion politics.



Bills in the Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia legislatures would require public school students to watch a video like Baby Olivia, which was created by an organization that opposes abortion. The legislation mirrors a North Dakota law passed last year.


The organization, Live Action, and supporters of the legislation say it would teach kids where they came from and encourage an appreciation for human life. But some educators and physicians say the video is deceptive and problematic for a young audience.




The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a professional organization with over 60,000 members, said in an email that the video is anti-abortion misinformation “designed to manipulate the emotions of viewers.”


Here’s a primer on the video and the debate it has sparked:

Who is Baby Olivia?​

Baby Olivia is the starring character in an animated video that's meant to visualize development in the womb. A voice-over introduces viewers to Olivia as an illustration of a fully developed baby in utero appears on screen. Olivia's mouth and eyes open and close, and her hands move.


“Though she has yet to greet the outside world, she has already completed an amazing journey,” the narrator says.

What is Live Action?​

Live Action says on its website it “exists today to shift public opinion” on abortion and is dedicated to supporting a “culture of life.”


Founder Lila Rose said the video was designed to be informative, lifelike and appropriate for anyone, and made in consultation with doctors. Of the six, two are trained OB-GYNs; the others are trained in anatomy, biochemistry, pediatric medicine and neuroscience.


The organization spent nearly $5 million in 2022 to create and distribute content widely, according to filing reports. Those reports also show Live Action more than quadrupled its cash from contributions and grants in four years, totaling $14 million in 2022.


Live Action also is known for efforts to expose Planned Parenthood, publishing videos and reports obtained by posing as patients.


Similar efforts by another organization, the Center for Medical Progress, led a federal jury to award Planned Parenthood $2 million in damages in 2019. David Daleiden, a co-defendant who founded the Center for Medical Progress, previously worked for Live Action, but Live Action was not a defendant and not involved in the case.

What's in the video?​

The video shows an egg being fertilized and implanted, then walks through embryonic and fetal developments over the course of a pregnancy.


It calls out general markers in what Rose said is an “average developmental process" using “weeks after fertilization.” That's different from “weeks after the last menstrual cycle,” which is what a pregnant person would typically hear from a doctor.


Iowa physicians and educators said in a letter to state lawmakers that by using weeks after fertilization, the video misleads viewers because the framing indicates milestones happen about two weeks earlier than is accurate.


Rose argued that “weeks after fertilization” is more typical of an academic context, like biology class, and Live Action said critics calling out inaccuracies are not taking that difference into account.

What else do critics point to?​

The Iowa physicians and educators said references to fetal “heartbeat” are widely disputed. At six weeks, the embryo isn’t yet a fetus and doesn’t have a heart.


The video also describes the animated figure's motion and actions with words like “playing,” “exploring," “sighing” and making “speaking movements.” Those words assign human traits and properties to a fetus that are more sophisticated than medicine can prove, said Emily Boevers, an OB-GYN in Iowa and co-founder of Iowans for Health Liberty, which advocates for reproductive health care.


There are signals that the brain is developing and functioning, Boevers said, but the video's language implies “a level of intention that we just can’t say is present."

What do supporters of the bills say?​

Rep. Luana Stoltenberg, a Republican from Davenport, said she was impressed by the video's portrayal of science, and she believes showing fetal development could help curious kids understand where they came from.


“What’s the worst that can happen?” Stoltenberg asked. “Maybe a young child learns how they are developed and grow and so if they become pregnant, they decide maybe I don’t want an abortion? Is that a horrible thing?”


Rose said she believes backlash is being driven by abortion rights advocates who don’t want imagery of life in the womb shown because it “directly threatens their worldview, which is that this is not a life that is worthy of protection.”


Sen. Patricia Rucker, a Republican in West Virginia, said Baby Olivia isn’t preaching or partisan. It shows human growth as “a beautiful, miraculous thing" — not unlike learning how a chick develops — and that teachers can “springboard from that to further explanation.”

What do schools already teach about sex and pregnancy?​

Many states have started to more strictly regulate what is taught about sex education and when. State and federal agencies’ goal in educating students is typically to prevent teen pregnancies and reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.


Teaching kids about pregnancy and conception should be part of an all-encompassing and medically accurate curriculum, said Katie Christensen, North Dakota’s Planned Parenthood director who has a graduate degree in human development and family science.


“When we’re looking at promoting healthy well-being, especially in our adolescents, never once have I seen it said … ‘These kids really need to see an ultrasound video,’” Christensen said.


North Dakota's law requires health and human sexuality courses to include a three-minute ultrasound video and a computer-generated rendering of development in the womb. While the law doesn't mandate showing Baby Olivia, the state's department of public instruction specifically references it as an option.


The Associated Press asked 12 of North Dakota's largest school districts about the video. Of the 10 that replied, five use Baby Olivia. One is Fargo Public Schools, which accounts for about 10 percent of the state’s students, and also shows a second video to ninth-graders.


Bismarck, the largest district, does not use Baby Olivia. West Fargo Public Schools shows a “significantly longer” video that already was part of the curriculum, the district told the AP in an email, adding that it “covers other information about pregnancy that helps teach additional health standards.”


Iowa’s latest proposal, which passed in committee, would require a video — Baby Olivia or something “comparable” — shown starting in the seventh grade.


West Virginia’s proposal would require showing, specifically, Baby Olivia to eighth and 10th-graders. Sen. Rucker said she expects it to be merged with other bills before it moves to the next step.


Missouri would require the Baby Olivia video by the third grade, while Kentucky's proposal allows any video that meets the standards as early as sixth grade. Both of these bills were introduced in January but have not received hearings.

These are for the most part, pretty tame comedians. You’d think a comedy club would know both the neighborhood it’s in OR the kind of comedians it hires. Cancelling 4 separate shows is pretty crazy. The email from the club is so awfulfunnysad.

@funnyfletcher you ever work there?


From Jim Florentine
I guess I need to clean up my act. My comedy shows in Seattle are cancelled along with @luisjgomez
@ComicDaveSmith
and @kurtmetzger
.
Message from the Comedy Club:

After careful consideration and discussions with our team, investors, local comedians, and neighborhood advocacy groups, we've encountered a challenging situation that requires us to revisit the planned shows. Capitol Hill is known for its progressive values, and we've received significant feedback expressing concerns about the alignment of these upcoming shows with the neighborhood's ethos. This feedback includes concerns from local advocacy groups that are deeply embedded in our community and work towards upholding its values.

Given the feedback and to avoid any potential negative impact on both our club and the artists involved, as well as to maintain the harmony within our community, we believe the most responsible course of action is to not move forward with the shows for Dave Smith on April 11th, Luis J Gomez for May 31st-June 1st, Jim Florentine for September 20th-21st and sadly Kurt Metzger on October 11th-12th as well. This decision was not made lightly, and we want to ensure it does not reflect on your talent and the quality of your work but is instead a reflection of our commitment to our community's values.

We will also ensure that any tickets sold are refunded promptly to our patrons, and we will communicate this decision to them with the sensitivity and respect it deserves.

We truly value the art of comedy and the diverse perspectives it brings to our lives. It's our hope that we can find a way to work together in the future under different circumstances. In the meantime, we are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible and are here to discuss any concerns or questions you may have.

Thank you for your understanding and your incredible contributions to the world of comedy. We wish you all the best in your upcoming projects and hope to have the opportunity to collaborate in the future.

That's the final nail in the coffin.

Might not make it to Super Tuesday.

Which leaves Plenty of cash for misinformation and disinformation campaigns. Do you get how it works now?

Why do fossil fuel companies need trillions in subsidies again?

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Basically the Michigan GOP elected a new state chair . . . the old chair (Stop me if you've heard this story before) is not accepting the results of the election. So both chairs are holding different state conventions.

Staying in downtown Dallas for work training the next week. Any good restaurants or breweries I should check out close/in downtown while I’m here? TIA