Top prospect lists put Orioles’ Adley Rutschman in position to potentially be next year’s No. 1 - Baltimore Sun
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Top prospect lists put Orioles’ Adley Rutschman in position to potentially be next year’s No. 1 - Baltimore Sun
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
2020 Super Bowl prop bets: 30 top picks to make for 49ers vs. Chiefs - CBS Sports
Wagering on the Super Bowl has come a long way since the inaugural game in 1967, as large amounts of money are placed on prop bets. When it comes to the 2020 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, you can wager on whether halftime performers Shakira and Jennifer Lopez will be caught lip-syncing and how many commercials will include a dog, among thousands of props.
SportsLine has gathered its top NFL experts and handicappers, a group that has been covering the league and the wagering industry for decades. Here's the lineup: Legendary handicapper Hank Goldberg, who is on a 31-13 run on NFL picks against-the-spread; big-game prop specialist Josh Nagel, who is 37-20 on prop picks; oddsmaker Kenny White, longtime head of Las Vegas Sports Consultants; Micah Roberts, former Station Casinos sportsbook director; renowned sportswriter Mike Tierney, SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert who is on a 63-36 run; and R.J. White, who has cashed big in the prestigious Las Vegas SuperContest twice in recent years. You can see their top 30 picks only at SportsLine.
One of the top 2020 Super Bowl prop bets that Tierney is recommending: Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes will throw more touchdown passes than San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo at -110 odds (risk $110 to win $100).
"San Francisco topped the league in rushing TDs with 23, a sign that it prefers to rely on handoffs in the red zone," Tierney told SportsLine. "Kansas City rushed for only 16 scores. The Chiefs threw for 30 TDs, two more than the 49ers. Mahomes is on fire, in no small part because of big-play receivers, whereas San Fran has exercised caution with Garoppolo as the ground game as thrived."
Another one of the top 2020 Super Bowl prop bets: Nagel says the Chiefs and 49ers will combine for more than 21 points in one of the game's four quarters for a +120 payout (risk $100 to win $120).
"Given the explosive and quick-strike ability of both offensive units, it stands to reason at least one quarter will see a flurry of scoring," Nagel told SportsLine. "The Chiefs had two quarters against Tennessee that saw 21 points scored, while 31 were produced in the second quarter versus Houston. The Niners nearly got there on their own in a 20-0 second quarter against Green Bay and produced a 35-point second period in Week 16 versus the Los Angeles Rams."
SportsLine's elite experts also pounded on several props with big plus-money payouts, including one with a huge 8-1 return. Anyone who backs that prop could hit it big. You can see which Super Bowl 54 props to jump on here.
Boys Basketball – SSN Top 10, Jan. 27 - shoresportsnetwork.com
For the first month of the season, the top of the Shore Sports Network rankings was about as ironclad as can be. Up until this week, none of the top four in the rankings – and none of the current top six, for that matter – had lost to another Shore Conference team outside the top four.
That changed this past week, when Christian Brothers Academy – which had just fallen out of the top 10 for the first time all year – upset No. 4 Marlboro on the road, stating its case to rejoin the rankings and putting a dent in the top-four armor.
The battle for position at Nos. 6 through 10 has been raging all year but CBA showed last week that maybe there is enough time for the right team or teams to close the gap between the Shore’s top handful of teams and the rest of the field.
1. Manasquan (15-1, 8-0) Last Week: 1
The only real intrigue left in Manasquan’s regular season will be to see if any of its Class A Central opponents can close the gap between themselves and the Warriors the second time through the division. That, plus the lookout for the return of Alex Galvan from a sprained ankle, which is slated for sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Middletown South senior James Anderson. (Photo by Paula Lopez)
2. Middletown South (13-1, 8-0) Last Week: 3
Even if Toms River North had not lost this week, Middletown South had already made a very compelling case to be the No. 2 team at the Shore. A North remains arguably the Shore’s toughest division, at least in its top-five teams, and the Eagles are 8-0 with two wins apiece over ranked division opponents Marlboro and Manalapan. If Middletown South indeed runs the table in A North, it’s hard to entertain anyone else for No. 2.
3. Toms River North (13-3, 8-0) Last Week: 2
With the way Toms River North has handled A South competition, the Mariners need to go through some weekend tests and they have done that so far. Included in those games are a loss to still-unbeaten Rutgers Prep, a tight win over Mainland, and a two-point loss to Lincoln on Saturday. The loss to the Lions ensured a drop from No. 2 to No. 3 but it should also provide a reality-check for a Toms River North team that remains a favorite to reach the SCT final and make a run at the program’s first NJSIAA sectional title.
4. Marlboro (11-4, 6-2) Last Week: 4
Marlboro was the first of the top-six teams in the SSN Top 10 to lose to a Shore Conference team outside the top six in the field. The Mustangs nearly rallied from a 12-point deficit but ultimately fell to CBA at home, which significantly damages their chances at a Class A North championship. It does not, however, bury their chance at a top-five spot – with wins over CBA, Wall, Neptune, Manalapan and Freehold Township, the Mustangs are still looking strong.
5. Holmdel (11-2, 7-1) Last Week: 5
The wall into the top-five became slightly less impenetrable this week thanks to Marlboro’s loss to CBA, and Holmdel remains the team with the most to gain from any slip-up among the top four teams. The Hornets won’t get a shot to play Middletown South, Toms River North or Marlboro before the tournament, but they still have a chance to make major headlines with a home date vs. Manasquan slated for Thursday. Even if Manasquan is too much to handle, Holmdel is still in good position to remain a top-five team.
6. Manalapan (7-4, 5-3) Last Week: 6
Manalapan was no match for Middletown South this week, which ended a five-game winning streak by the Braves. Their only losses to this point are twice to Middletown South, one to Marlboro and one to Carteret, so there is no result that should knock them off their perch. Manalapan still has two chances to climb into the top five with one more game against Marlboro and one against Holmdel on Feb. 15, SCT cutoff Saturday.
7. Wall (11-4, 8-0) Last Week: 9
Wall’s troubles this season have come outside of Class B North play, but just like last season, Wall continues to produce near-spotless work inside the division. With just three out-of-division wins against Jackson Memorial, Toms River South and Donovan Catholic, the Crimson Knights have a lot of work to do to climb higher but as the clear leader of a deep B North field, especially coming off a win over Matawan this week, Wall deserves a bump.
8. St. John Vianney (12-3, 6-2) Last Week: 10
The Lancers climb two spots this week on the strength of a nine-game winning streak that has them tied for second place in Class B North. SJV has had to deal with losing guard Kevin Greene to a season-ending knee injury but has managed surprisingly well. The schedule gets considerably tougher this week, with Matawan and first-place Wall on tap.
9. Christian Brothers Academy (8-8, 4-4) Last Week: Not ranked
The Colts return to the Top 10 on a four-game winning streak that includes a road win over No. 4 Marlboro. That win is better than any other win boasted by the rest of the teams ranked after No. 4 and when you figure in a quality win over St. Joseph Metuchen as well, CBA has some high points. The Colts will have to pay back Freehold Township and perhaps Manalapan to keep this momentum, or they could just land their biggest fish of the season by beating Middletown South later this week. Either way, it appears talk of the Colts missing the SCT can be put to rest for the time being.
10. Neptune (8-6, 5-3) Last Week: Not ranked
Neptune got two big results this week, first by beating Matawan and then with Lincoln beating Toms River North. Neptune lost to the Lions by four in December so watching Lincoln beating the Shore’s No. 3 team in similar fashion is validating for a Scarlet Fliers squad that again appears to be improving as the season progresses.
Dropped Out
Matawan (7-7, 6-2) Last Week: 7 – The Huskies played without two key players for most of the week, with Niles Haliburton and Elijah McKenzie on the shelf with illness and injury, respectively. There will still be a handful of chances for Matawan to play their way back in.
Red Bank Catholic (9-5, 4-4) Last Week: 8 – The Caseys responded to a loss to Holmdel with wins over Shore and Toms River East but they still have a little more work to do. The win over Wall remains important and could carry RBC higher with a strong showing over the next three weeks.
Top 10 Watchlist
Rumson-Fair Haven (9-4, 5-2) – With a win over Red Bank Catholic and a controversial loss to Neptune, Rumson is right on the Top 10 doorstep.
Ranney (7-6, 6-0) – The Panthers are still waiting on Kyle Rhoden to join the lineup but a double-digit home win over Mater Dei should boost the Panthers’ stock somewhat.
Freehold Township (8-6, 5-3) – A loss to Donovan Catholic and a one-sided loss to Allentown are ugly results for the Patriots as a top-10 contender, but this is a young team that is coming along. A more recent win over CBA suggest maybe they are ready for a trial run.
Point Pleasant Boro (11-2, 8-0) – Point Boro’s chances to climb into the Top 10 likely hinge on its ability to remain unbeaten in Class B South but the way they have been finishing games, the Panthers just might force their way in.
Mater Dei Prep (8-5, 6-1) – The win over Atlantic City in December is looking better and better but the Seraphs will have to find another big win for 2020 to match it.
Boys Basketball – SSN Top 10, Jan. 27 - shoresportsnetwork.com
For the first month of the season, the top of the Shore Sports Network rankings was about as ironclad as can be. Up until this week, none of the top four in the rankings – and none of the current top six, for that matter – had lost to another Shore Conference team outside the top four.
That changed this past week, when Christian Brothers Academy – which had just fallen out of the top 10 for the first time all year – upset No. 4 Marlboro on the road, stating its case to rejoin the rankings and putting a dent in the top-four armor.
The battle for position at Nos. 6 through 10 has been raging all year but CBA showed last week that maybe there is enough time for the right team or teams to close the gap between the Shore’s top handful of teams and the rest of the field.
1. Manasquan (15-1, 8-0) Last Week: 1
The only real intrigue left in Manasquan’s regular season will be to see if any of its Class A Central opponents can close the gap between themselves and the Warriors the second time through the division. That, plus the lookout for the return of Alex Galvan from a sprained ankle, which is slated for sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Middletown South senior James Anderson. (Photo by Paula Lopez)
2. Middletown South (13-1, 8-0) Last Week: 3
Even if Toms River North had not lost this week, Middletown South had already made a very compelling case to be the No. 2 team at the Shore. A North remains arguably the Shore’s toughest division, at least in its top-five teams, and the Eagles are 8-0 with two wins apiece over ranked division opponents Marlboro and Manalapan. If Middletown South indeed runs the table in A North, it’s hard to entertain anyone else for No. 2.
3. Toms River North (13-3, 8-0) Last Week: 2
With the way Toms River North has handled A South competition, the Mariners need to go through some weekend tests and they have done that so far. Included in those games are a loss to still-unbeaten Rutgers Prep, a tight win over Mainland, and a two-point loss to Lincoln on Saturday. The loss to the Lions ensured a drop from No. 2 to No. 3 but it should also provide a reality-check for a Toms River North team that remains a favorite to reach the SCT final and make a run at the program’s first NJSIAA sectional title.
4. Marlboro (11-4, 6-2) Last Week: 4
Marlboro was the first of the top-six teams in the SSN Top 10 to lose to a Shore Conference team outside the top six in the field. The Mustangs nearly rallied from a 12-point deficit but ultimately fell to CBA at home, which significantly damages their chances at a Class A North championship. It does not, however, bury their chance at a top-five spot – with wins over CBA, Wall, Neptune, Manalapan and Freehold Township, the Mustangs are still looking strong.
5. Holmdel (11-2, 7-1) Last Week: 5
The wall into the top-five became slightly less impenetrable this week thanks to Marlboro’s loss to CBA, and Holmdel remains the team with the most to gain from any slip-up among the top four teams. The Hornets won’t get a shot to play Middletown South, Toms River North or Marlboro before the tournament, but they still have a chance to make major headlines with a home date vs. Manasquan slated for Thursday. Even if Manasquan is too much to handle, Holmdel is still in good position to remain a top-five team.
6. Manalapan (7-4, 5-3) Last Week: 6
Manalapan was no match for Middletown South this week, which ended a five-game winning streak by the Braves. Their only losses to this point are twice to Middletown South, one to Marlboro and one to Carteret, so there is no result that should knock them off their perch. Manalapan still has two chances to climb into the top five with one more game against Marlboro and one against Holmdel on Feb. 15, SCT cutoff Saturday.
7. Wall (11-4, 8-0) Last Week: 9
Wall’s troubles this season have come outside of Class B North play, but just like last season, Wall continues to produce near-spotless work inside the division. With just three out-of-division wins against Jackson Memorial, Toms River South and Donovan Catholic, the Crimson Knights have a lot of work to do to climb higher but as the clear leader of a deep B North field, especially coming off a win over Matawan this week, Wall deserves a bump.
8. St. John Vianney (12-3, 6-2) Last Week: 10
The Lancers climb two spots this week on the strength of a nine-game winning streak that has them tied for second place in Class B North. SJV has had to deal with losing guard Kevin Greene to a season-ending knee injury but has managed surprisingly well. The schedule gets considerably tougher this week, with Matawan and first-place Wall on tap.
9. Christian Brothers Academy (8-8, 4-4) Last Week: Not ranked
The Colts return to the Top 10 on a four-game winning streak that includes a road win over No. 4 Marlboro. That win is better than any other win boasted by the rest of the teams ranked after No. 4 and when you figure in a quality win over St. Joseph Metuchen as well, CBA has some high points. The Colts will have to pay back Freehold Township and perhaps Manalapan to keep this momentum, or they could just land their biggest fish of the season by beating Middletown South later this week. Either way, it appears talk of the Colts missing the SCT can be put to rest for the time being.
10. Neptune (8-6, 5-3) Last Week: Not ranked
Neptune got two big results this week, first by beating Matawan and then with Lincoln beating Toms River North. Neptune lost to the Lions by four in December so watching Lincoln beating the Shore’s No. 3 team in similar fashion is validating for a Scarlet Fliers squad that again appears to be improving as the season progresses.
Dropped Out
Matawan (7-7, 6-2) Last Week: 7 – The Huskies played without two key players for most of the week, with Niles Haliburton and Elijah McKenzie on the shelf with illness and injury, respectively. There will still be a handful of chances for Matawan to play their way back in.
Red Bank Catholic (9-5, 4-4) Last Week: 8 – The Caseys responded to a loss to Holmdel with wins over Shore and Toms River East but they still have a little more work to do. The win over Wall remains important and could carry RBC higher with a strong showing over the next three weeks.
Top 10 Watchlist
Rumson-Fair Haven (9-4, 5-2) – With a win over Red Bank Catholic and a controversial loss to Neptune, Rumson is right on the Top 10 doorstep.
Ranney (7-6, 6-0) – The Panthers are still waiting on Kyle Rhoden to join the lineup but a double-digit home win over Mater Dei should boost the Panthers’ stock somewhat.
Freehold Township (8-6, 5-3) – A loss to Donovan Catholic and a one-sided loss to Allentown are ugly results for the Patriots as a top-10 contender, but this is a young team that is coming along. A more recent win over CBA suggest maybe they are ready for a trial run.
Point Pleasant Boro (11-2, 8-0) – Point Boro’s chances to climb into the Top 10 likely hinge on its ability to remain unbeaten in Class B South but the way they have been finishing games, the Panthers just might force their way in.
Mater Dei Prep (8-5, 6-1) – The win over Atlantic City in December is looking better and better but the Seraphs will have to find another big win for 2020 to match it.
The top 10 highest paid athletes in the world - Business Insider
The 10 highest earning athletes in the world took home a combined $941 million each year in wages and sponsorships between June 2018 to June 2019, according to Forbes.
Lionel Messi, LeBron James, and Roger Federer are amongst them.
See below for the full list, as well as a breakdown of how each superstar earns their money.
10: Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets netted a cool $65.4 million.
Foto: sourceGetty/Mike Lawrie
Durant, 31, joined the Nets in 2019 after three seasons with the Golden State Warriors. He signed a four-year deal worth a total of $164 million, though is yet to play a game for his new side due to undergoing surgery on his achilles tendon.
He has as many as 30 sponsors including Gatorade, Beats by Dre, and Nike, the latter of whom he signed a 10-year-old, $300 million deal with in 2014, according to USA Today.
9: The Golden State Warriors‘ Stephen Curry apparently earned $79.8 million.
Foto: sourceSue Ogrocki/AP
Stephen Curry earned $42 million from his sponsorship deals between June 2018 and 2019. The most recent of those is with Rakuten, who pay him $20 million per year, according to CNBC.
The 31-year-old’s $37.8 million annual wage packet made up the rest of his earnings.
8: LeBron James is the NBA’s highest earner with an income of $89 million.
Foto: sourceMichael Conroy/AP Images
James was basketball’s biggest baller when it came to cash. In wages alone he earned $36 million between June 2018 and 2019, according to Forbes.
However, his off-court earnings far superseded that – the Los Angeles Lakers star earned $53 million from his deals with Nike, Coca-Cola, and Kia Motors.
7: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earned $89.3 million.
Foto: sourceBen Margot/AP Images
NFL players take home far more in wages than those in the NBA or MLB, and Rodgers is one of the league’s biggest earners; his salary for the Packers earned him just over $80 million.
Off the field however, the 36-year-old made a relatively modest $9 million from his endorsement deals with Adidas and Ford, amongst others.
6. Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks pocketed $89.5 million.
Foto: sourceGetty/Steven Ryan
The highest earner in the NFL was Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Like Rodgers, he made most of his money in wages, taking home a salary of $80.5 million. And again like Rodgers, he topped that up with $9 million worth of sponsorship deals with Nike, Microsoft, and Bose.
5: The only tennis player in the top ten, Roger Federer made $93.4 million.
Foto: sourceReuters/Danielle Parhizkaran
Roger Federer may not have won a major title between June 2018 and 2019, but he was still tennis‘ biggest cash cow, mostly thanks to his many profitable sponsorship deals.
Between that period, the Swiss star took home $86 million – more than any other athlete in the world – from his partnerships with Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, and more.
To top it off, he also won $7.4 million in prize money from tournament wins in Dubai, Germany, and his home country.
4: The world’s highest paid combat athlete is Saul Alvarez, who earned $94 million.
Foto: sourcePhoto by Getty Images
No other combat sport athlete came close to earning what Mexican boxer Saul „Canelo“ Alvarez did over the course of last year.
Alvarez signed a $365 million, 11-fight deal with streaming service DAZN in late 2018, and banked around $50 million from his first two with Rocky Fielding and Daniel Jacobs.
3: Neymar Jr. is the first of three soccer players heading the list, receiving $105 million.
Foto: sourceGetty/Soccrates Images
Neymar became the world’s most expensive ever soccer player in 2017 when he joined Paris Saint Germain for a $263 million fee.
The Brazilian signed a five-year contract worth $350 million, which expires in 2022.
He’s also one of most followed sportspeople on social media with more than 200 million followers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, meaning brands such as Nike, Gillette, and Red Bull are willing to pay big bucks to have his name and face associated with them.
2: Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second, having banked $109 million.
Ronaldo makes approximately $1 million per post, representing brands such as Clear Haircare, Nike Football, and Six Pad Europe.
That being said, his wages aren’t too shabby either – he earned $65 million last year.
1: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona is the world’s biggest earner, hauling in $127 million.
Foto: sourceGetty/Soccrates Images
Messi’s current contract with FC Barcelona, which expires in 2021, pays him more than $80 million annually.
He also has a long-standing deal with Adidas that earns him $12 million each year, according to Investopedia, whilst his other partnerships with Pepsi and Mastercard see him soar ahead of everyone else as the world’s highest paid athlete.
The top 10 highest paid athletes in the world - Business Insider
The 10 highest earning athletes in the world took home a combined $941 million each year in wages and sponsorships between June 2018 to June 2019, according to Forbes.
Lionel Messi, LeBron James, and Roger Federer are amongst them.
See below for the full list, as well as a breakdown of how each superstar earns their money.
10: Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets netted a cool $65.4 million.
Foto: sourceGetty/Mike Lawrie
Durant, 31, joined the Nets in 2019 after three seasons with the Golden State Warriors. He signed a four-year deal worth a total of $164 million, though is yet to play a game for his new side due to undergoing surgery on his achilles tendon.
He has as many as 30 sponsors including Gatorade, Beats by Dre, and Nike, the latter of whom he signed a 10-year-old, $300 million deal with in 2014, according to USA Today.
9: The Golden State Warriors‘ Stephen Curry apparently earned $79.8 million.
Foto: sourceSue Ogrocki/AP
Stephen Curry earned $42 million from his sponsorship deals between June 2018 and 2019. The most recent of those is with Rakuten, who pay him $20 million per year, according to CNBC.
The 31-year-old’s $37.8 million annual wage packet made up the rest of his earnings.
8: LeBron James is the NBA’s highest earner with an income of $89 million.
Foto: sourceMichael Conroy/AP Images
James was basketball’s biggest baller when it came to cash. In wages alone he earned $36 million between June 2018 and 2019, according to Forbes.
However, his off-court earnings far superseded that – the Los Angeles Lakers star earned $53 million from his deals with Nike, Coca-Cola, and Kia Motors.
7: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers earned $89.3 million.
Foto: sourceBen Margot/AP Images
NFL players take home far more in wages than those in the NBA or MLB, and Rodgers is one of the league’s biggest earners; his salary for the Packers earned him just over $80 million.
Off the field however, the 36-year-old made a relatively modest $9 million from his endorsement deals with Adidas and Ford, amongst others.
6. Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks pocketed $89.5 million.
Foto: sourceGetty/Steven Ryan
The highest earner in the NFL was Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Like Rodgers, he made most of his money in wages, taking home a salary of $80.5 million. And again like Rodgers, he topped that up with $9 million worth of sponsorship deals with Nike, Microsoft, and Bose.
5: The only tennis player in the top ten, Roger Federer made $93.4 million.
Foto: sourceReuters/Danielle Parhizkaran
Roger Federer may not have won a major title between June 2018 and 2019, but he was still tennis‘ biggest cash cow, mostly thanks to his many profitable sponsorship deals.
Between that period, the Swiss star took home $86 million – more than any other athlete in the world – from his partnerships with Credit Suisse, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, and more.
To top it off, he also won $7.4 million in prize money from tournament wins in Dubai, Germany, and his home country.
4: The world’s highest paid combat athlete is Saul Alvarez, who earned $94 million.
Foto: sourcePhoto by Getty Images
No other combat sport athlete came close to earning what Mexican boxer Saul „Canelo“ Alvarez did over the course of last year.
Alvarez signed a $365 million, 11-fight deal with streaming service DAZN in late 2018, and banked around $50 million from his first two with Rocky Fielding and Daniel Jacobs.
3: Neymar Jr. is the first of three soccer players heading the list, receiving $105 million.
Foto: sourceGetty/Soccrates Images
Neymar became the world’s most expensive ever soccer player in 2017 when he joined Paris Saint Germain for a $263 million fee.
The Brazilian signed a five-year contract worth $350 million, which expires in 2022.
He’s also one of most followed sportspeople on social media with more than 200 million followers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, meaning brands such as Nike, Gillette, and Red Bull are willing to pay big bucks to have his name and face associated with them.
2: Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo comes in second, having banked $109 million.
Ronaldo makes approximately $1 million per post, representing brands such as Clear Haircare, Nike Football, and Six Pad Europe.
That being said, his wages aren’t too shabby either – he earned $65 million last year.
1: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona is the world’s biggest earner, hauling in $127 million.
Foto: sourceGetty/Soccrates Images
Messi’s current contract with FC Barcelona, which expires in 2021, pays him more than $80 million annually.
He also has a long-standing deal with Adidas that earns him $12 million each year, according to Investopedia, whilst his other partnerships with Pepsi and Mastercard see him soar ahead of everyone else as the world’s highest paid athlete.
Michaela Onyenwere helps UCLA top Washington in overtime - Los Angeles Times
After a second consecutive overtime game, Cori Close sat down as she let out a long sigh.
“I’m exhausted,” the UCLA coach said. “I need a nap.”
Seven days after losing in double overtime to USC, No. 10 UCLA had to fight to extra time against another scrappy, bottom-feeding Pac-12 Conference program Friday, surviving with an 85-80 victory over Washington at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins (17-1, 6-1 Pac-12) gave up an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter and clawed back from a five-point deficit with 2:52 left in regulation thanks to a career-high 31 points and nine rebounds from Michaela Onyenwere, who returned from a sprained ankle that kept her out of UCLA’s loss to USC.
Advertisement
“We haven’t been able to execute [our game plan] for 40 minutes and stay focused on the things we need to take away,” said Close, who said the responsibility for solving the issue falls on her. “We’re going to keep fighting, and I fully expect us to grow in that area.”
With UCLA down by 10 points at halftime after shooting 22.9% from the field, Onyenwere said Close challenged the team to play up to its potential. The junior from Aurora, Colo., responded with 25 points in the second half and overtime, including 13 in the third quarter, which UCLA finished on a 19-5 run.
Guard Natalie Chou had 18 points and all four of UCLA’s made three-pointers, including a corner three that put the Bruins ahead by one with 44 seconds left in regulation. Although the Baylor transfer was mostly known for her three-point prowess, she also flexed her muscle as a defender with three steals.
“[Assistant] coach Tony [Newman] has been spending a lot of time with Natalie on: ‘You’re so much more than a shooter. You’re so much more than a shooter,’ ” Close said. “ ‘You’re a big guard who can post up, can rebound, can get deflections.’ And I think that’s what you’ve seen is her confidence growing in those other areas.”
Advertisement
With the Bruins up one after her big shot, Chou appeared to seal the game with a steal with 13 seconds left in regulation. But one missed free throw from Onyenwere left the door cracked for Washington (10-8, 2-5).
Guard Amber Melgoza, who finished with 14 points Friday, pushed the Huskies through to overtime after drawing a foul and making the tying free throws.
The Huskies, who have just five Pac-12 regular-season wins in Jody Wynn’s three-year tenure, made nine of 23 three-point shots to challenge the Bruins. Defending the three-point line was the No. 1 priority on UCLA’s scouting report, Onyenwere said.
That box went unchecked, but UCLA survived by forcing 24 turnovers and taking 23 more shots. The sheer number of attempts helped the Bruins get past their poor shooting, especially from three-point range. Chou was four of nine on long-range shots, but the rest of the Bruins were 0 for 19.
The team that made 43.9% of its three-pointers in the first five games of Pac-12 play is shooting just only 20% from distance in the last two.
In a pitching-rich Atlanta system, Jenista entered last season as one of the club's more promising position-player prospects after he being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft.
The 23-year-old was aggressively assigned to High-A to begin his first full season and promoted to Double-A at midseason despite middling production. He finished with a .233/.318/.349 line and showed a less polished approach than expected with a 29.3 percent strikeout rate. The 2020 season will be a telling one for his long-term outlook.
The Marlins gave Mesa a $5.25 million bonus in 2018, and he immediately jumped onto a number of leaguewide top-100 prospect lists. However, even then there were question marks.
MLB.com wrote: "Mesa's speed and defense are big-league ready right now. ... Scouts are less certain about Mesa's offensive upside. He makes consistent contact, but he doesn't drive the ball much with a relatively flat right-handed swing, and he puts the bat on the ball so easily that he doesn't walk much."
The 23-year-old finished 2019 with an ugly .235/.274/.263 line, managing just 10 extra-base hits and zero home runs in 503 plate appearances. At the very least, he's not as MLB-ready as originally thought.
Newton announced himself to the prospect world with a big season in the Dominican Summer League in 2017. He backed it up by hitting .280/.408/.449 with 23 extra-base hits in 56 games in his stateside debut the following year.
The jump to Single-A proved to be a significant hurdle, and he hit just .209/.283/.330 with a 32.9 percent strikeout rate. The Mets then left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, and he was not selected. A second go-around in the South Atlantic League could be all he needs to right the ship.
Once viewed as one of the better pitching prospects in the Philadelphia system, Romero was knocked around in the upper levels of the minors last season.
Despite middling numbers at Double-A, he was bumped up to Triple-A at midseason. That proved to be a mistake as he was shelled to the tune of a 6.88 ERA and 1.92 WHIP in 13 starts. The most troubling development was the 35 walks he allowed in 53.2 innings. Those command issues have sent him tumbling down prospect lists.
Despite some off-field concerns, the Nationals rolled the dice on Romero with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2017 draft. He had the talent to be a top-10 pick, but character concerns caused him to fall to the back of the first round.
Sure enough, he was sent home from spring training in 2018 for violating team rules, and he didn't make his season debut until June as a result. He made just seven appearances upon returning before elbow issues popped up, and he wound up needing Tommy John surgery. After missing the entire 2019 season recovering, he has a lot of work to do rebuilding his stock.
In a pitching-rich Atlanta system, Jenista entered last season as one of the club's more promising position-player prospects after he being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft.
The 23-year-old was aggressively assigned to High-A to begin his first full season and promoted to Double-A at midseason despite middling production. He finished with a .233/.318/.349 line and showed a less polished approach than expected with a 29.3 percent strikeout rate. The 2020 season will be a telling one for his long-term outlook.
The Marlins gave Mesa a $5.25 million bonus in 2018, and he immediately jumped onto a number of leaguewide top-100 prospect lists. However, even then there were question marks.
MLB.com wrote: "Mesa's speed and defense are big-league ready right now. ... Scouts are less certain about Mesa's offensive upside. He makes consistent contact, but he doesn't drive the ball much with a relatively flat right-handed swing, and he puts the bat on the ball so easily that he doesn't walk much."
The 23-year-old finished 2019 with an ugly .235/.274/.263 line, managing just 10 extra-base hits and zero home runs in 503 plate appearances. At the very least, he's not as MLB-ready as originally thought.
Newton announced himself to the prospect world with a big season in the Dominican Summer League in 2017. He backed it up by hitting .280/.408/.449 with 23 extra-base hits in 56 games in his stateside debut the following year.
The jump to Single-A proved to be a significant hurdle, and he hit just .209/.283/.330 with a 32.9 percent strikeout rate. The Mets then left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, and he was not selected. A second go-around in the South Atlantic League could be all he needs to right the ship.
Once viewed as one of the better pitching prospects in the Philadelphia system, Romero was knocked around in the upper levels of the minors last season.
Despite middling numbers at Double-A, he was bumped up to Triple-A at midseason. That proved to be a mistake as he was shelled to the tune of a 6.88 ERA and 1.92 WHIP in 13 starts. The most troubling development was the 35 walks he allowed in 53.2 innings. Those command issues have sent him tumbling down prospect lists.
Despite some off-field concerns, the Nationals rolled the dice on Romero with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2017 draft. He had the talent to be a top-10 pick, but character concerns caused him to fall to the back of the first round.
Sure enough, he was sent home from spring training in 2018 for violating team rules, and he didn't make his season debut until June as a result. He made just seven appearances upon returning before elbow issues popped up, and he wound up needing Tommy John surgery. After missing the entire 2019 season recovering, he has a lot of work to do rebuilding his stock.
Washingtonian's 100 Very Best Restaurants List Is Out: Here Are the Top 20 Spots - Washingtonian
Clams and rockfish in coconut milk at Bad Saint. Photograph by Scott Suchman
In the restaurant world, 2019 was the year that gave and the year that took away. We lost many favorites—RIP Ray’s the Steaks, Sally’s Middle Name, Proof, and Himitsu. But oh, how we gained. This past year brought newcomers like Queen’s English, Rooster and Owl, Thompson Italian, and, most importantly, the restaurant who won the top spot in our ranked list: the modern Korean Anju in Dupont Circle.
The list, which hits newsstands today, is the result of nearly a year’s worth of research. Anna Spiegel, Jessica Sidman, Cynthia Hacinli and I visited over 300 restaurants in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. As we have in the last many years, we ranked every one (and whittled endlessly—we felt passionately about around 130 places total).
Our top 20 is an exciting and eclectic mix. There are special-occasion dining rooms like Komi, Minibar, and Métier (all former #1 winners). Mediterranean lunch spot Green Almond Pantry, Trinidadian destination Cane, and Ivy City fine-dining room Gravitas are among the first-timers on our list. Other places, like Bresca and Rose’s Luxury, have been around for a while, but are operating at the top of their game. There’s plenty to dig into—at every price point.
Got questions/comments/beefs/rants? Of course you do! Join me for my weekly food chat this Friday at 11.
By day, the Mount Pleasant cafe serves fantastic breakfasts and lunches; at night, the dining room turns out plates that are both surprising and satisfying.
Ryan Ratino channels a range of influences—midwestern meat and potatoes, a destination-worthy osteria—at his bright, brass-lined 14th Street dining room.
At this sophisticated tasting room and upstairs à la carte restaurant, Eric Ziebold mingles an elegant French sensibility with hearty American flavors.
Last year, Kwame Onwuachi wrote a memoir and snagged a James Beard award. What’s most impressive, though, is that his Afro-Caribbean restaurant at the Wharf keeps getting better and better.
Washingtonian's 100 Very Best Restaurants List Is Out: Here Are the Top 20 Spots - Washingtonian
Clams and rockfish in coconut milk at Bad Saint. Photograph by Scott Suchman
In the restaurant world, 2019 was the year that gave and the year that took away. We lost many favorites—RIP Ray’s the Steaks, Sally’s Middle Name, Proof, and Himitsu. But oh, how we gained. This past year brought newcomers like Queen’s English, Rooster and Owl, Thompson Italian, and, most importantly, the restaurant who won the top spot in our ranked list: the modern Korean Anju in Dupont Circle.
The list, which hits newsstands today, is the result of nearly a year’s worth of research. Anna Spiegel, Jessica Sidman, Cynthia Hacinli and I visited over 300 restaurants in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. As we have in the last many years, we ranked every one (and whittled endlessly—we felt passionately about around 130 places total).
Our top 20 is an exciting and eclectic mix. There are special-occasion dining rooms like Komi, Minibar, and Métier (all former #1 winners). Mediterranean lunch spot Green Almond Pantry, Trinidadian destination Cane, and Ivy City fine-dining room Gravitas are among the first-timers on our list. Other places, like Bresca and Rose’s Luxury, have been around for a while, but are operating at the top of their game. There’s plenty to dig into—at every price point.
Got questions/comments/beefs/rants? Of course you do! Join me for my weekly food chat this Friday at 11.
By day, the Mount Pleasant cafe serves fantastic breakfasts and lunches; at night, the dining room turns out plates that are both surprising and satisfying.
Ryan Ratino channels a range of influences—midwestern meat and potatoes, a destination-worthy osteria—at his bright, brass-lined 14th Street dining room.
At this sophisticated tasting room and upstairs à la carte restaurant, Eric Ziebold mingles an elegant French sensibility with hearty American flavors.
Last year, Kwame Onwuachi wrote a memoir and snagged a James Beard award. What’s most impressive, though, is that his Afro-Caribbean restaurant at the Wharf keeps getting better and better.
Myanmar ordered to prevent genocide against Rohingya by top UN court - CNN
The case was brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands by the tiny West African nation of Gambia, which in November alleged that Myanmar committed "genocidal acts" that "were intended to destroy the Rohingya as a group" through mass murder, rape, and destruction of communities.
It asked the 15-judge court to enact provisional measures to compel the Myanmar government and military to end all acts that amount to or contribute to genocide, and to ensure Myanmar preserves evidence that could play a part in the case.
The emergency measures act like an injunction while the main genocide case gets underway. That central case has not yet been heard and it could take years to reach a verdict.
In its ruling on Thursday, which was unanimous, the court determined that it has jurisdiction to hear allegations of genocide made by Gambia against Myanmar.
The court found that Myanmar did not present concrete measures "recognizing and ensuring (the) right of Rohingya to exist as a protected group" under the genocide convention. And it said there was still a "real and imminent risk of irreparable prejudice" against the rights of the Rohingya.
The court ruled that Myanmar must take all steps within its power to prevent acts against the Rohingya such as "killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about destruction of the group, and imposing measures intended to prevent births."
The Myanmar military must also ensure it does not "commit any acts of genocide, or acts of conspiracy to commit genocide, incitement to commit genocide, or conspiracy to commit genocide."
While Thursday's decision by the court is final and binding, it doesn't have the power to enforce its ruling.
The genocide case attracted worldwide attention when former democracy icon and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi personally defended Myanmar at the ICJ in December.
Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, called the allegations that the army acted with genocidal intent "incomplete and misleading."
Addressing the court, Suu Kyi said that "genocidal intent cannot be the only hypothesis," regarding the Myanmar military's operations in Rakhine State in the summer of 2017.
More than 740,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh in 2016 and 2017 as the Myanmar military conducted a campaign of violence in Rakhine state. Survivors have recounted harrowing atrocities including gang rape, mass killings, torture and widespread destruction of property at the hands of the army.
The violence has been described as genocide by a United Nations fact-finding commission. Those Rohingya still in Rakhine aresegregated and forced to live in conditions akin to prison camps, with restrictions on movement, education, and access to healthcare.
Ahead of the ruling, a group of Rohingya women issued a statement saying: "The scenes coming out of The Hague made us feel stronger and even more united."
"We know that this fight for justice will be long and is far from being won," the statement continued. "Many of our brothers and sisters are still at risk and we demand that they are protected."
Akila Radhakrishnan, President of the Global Justice Center, said the ruling was a legal statement and a powerful recognition of what the Rohingya went through.
"It's like a surface affirmation from the court, that kind of the basics of the case have been met," she said. "There's power in acknowledgment, there's power in another country standing up for your rights, taking someone to court, putting a lot behind exposing in a very serious manner what happened. I think that that can't be lost in this."
Myanmar's main argument rested on the premise that the country was dealing with an armed conflict in Rakhine that was challenging the "sovereignty and security of Myanmar."
Days before the ICJ ruling on Thursday, a Myanmar government-appointed commission called the Independent Commission of Enquiry (ICOE) issued a report saying that while the military may have committed "war crimes and serious human rights abuses," there was "no evidence" that the military's actions were committed with "genocidal intent."
Rights groups slammed the report, which has not been released to the public in full.
"Contrary to the UN's findings, the report refuses to acknowledge the scale of atrocities against the Rohingya, shockingly denies the military's widespread use of sexual violence, and fails to hold senior military officials responsible. The report isn't a credible basis for justice and accountability for mass crimes," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
Gambia's arguments are based on the UN Fact-Finding Mission's 2018 and 2019 reports that extensively detail atrocities carried out by the Myanmar military against Rohingya Muslims, and call for the country's generals to face an international tribunal on charges of genocide.
The mission concluded that coordinated attacks and sexual violence against the Rohingya in Rakhine were pre-planned by senior military leaders "to weaken the social cohesion of the Rohingya community and contribute to the destruction of the Rohingya as a group and the breakdown of the Rohingya way of life."
It details horrific accounts from survivors who spoke of gang-rape, mutilation, torture, mass killings, families being burnt alive in houses, and large-scale destruction of property.
Myanmar must submit a report to the ICJ to show it is enacting the emergency measures within four months, and every six months after that.
The ICJ, however, doesn't have the power to enforce its decisions. Its orders are sent to the UN Security Council, which could decide to enact a resolution or take other concrete measures if Myanmar refuses to comply with the court's ruling.
The court will now proceed into the merits of the central genocide case, with both Gambia and Myanmar filing arguments and objections.
"Get ready for a long haul as you're talking two to three years," said Radhakrishnan. "This is not a slam dunk case."
Myanmar ordered to prevent genocide against Rohingya by top UN court - CNN
The case was brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands by the tiny West African nation of Gambia, which in November alleged that Myanmar committed "genocidal acts" that "were intended to destroy the Rohingya as a group" through mass murder, rape, and destruction of communities.
It asked the 15-judge court to enact provisional measures to compel the Myanmar government and military to end all acts that amount to or contribute to genocide, and to ensure Myanmar preserves evidence that could play a part in the case.
The emergency measures act like an injunction while the main genocide case gets underway. That central case has not yet been heard and it could take years to reach a verdict.
In its ruling on Thursday, which was unanimous, the court determined that it has jurisdiction to hear allegations of genocide made by Gambia against Myanmar.
The court found that Myanmar did not present concrete measures "recognizing and ensuring (the) right of Rohingya to exist as a protected group" under the genocide convention. And it said there was still a "real and imminent risk of irreparable prejudice" against the rights of the Rohingya.
The court ruled that Myanmar must take all steps within its power to prevent acts against the Rohingya such as "killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about destruction of the group, and imposing measures intended to prevent births."
The Myanmar military must also ensure it does not "commit any acts of genocide, or acts of conspiracy to commit genocide, incitement to commit genocide, or conspiracy to commit genocide."
While Thursday's decision by the court is final and binding, it doesn't have the power to enforce its ruling.
The genocide case attracted worldwide attention when former democracy icon and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi personally defended Myanmar at the ICJ in December.
Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, called the allegations that the army acted with genocidal intent "incomplete and misleading."
Addressing the court, Suu Kyi said that "genocidal intent cannot be the only hypothesis," regarding the Myanmar military's operations in Rakhine State in the summer of 2017.
More than 740,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh in 2016 and 2017 as the Myanmar military conducted a campaign of violence in Rakhine state. Survivors have recounted harrowing atrocities including gang rape, mass killings, torture and widespread destruction of property at the hands of the army.
The violence has been described as genocide by a United Nations fact-finding commission. Those Rohingya still in Rakhine aresegregated and forced to live in conditions akin to prison camps, with restrictions on movement, education, and access to healthcare.
Ahead of the ruling, a group of Rohingya women issued a statement saying: "The scenes coming out of The Hague made us feel stronger and even more united."
"We know that this fight for justice will be long and is far from being won," the statement continued. "Many of our brothers and sisters are still at risk and we demand that they are protected."
Akila Radhakrishnan, President of the Global Justice Center, said the ruling was a legal statement and a powerful recognition of what the Rohingya went through.
"It's like a surface affirmation from the court, that kind of the basics of the case have been met," she said. "There's power in acknowledgment, there's power in another country standing up for your rights, taking someone to court, putting a lot behind exposing in a very serious manner what happened. I think that that can't be lost in this."
Myanmar's main argument rested on the premise that the country was dealing with an armed conflict in Rakhine that was challenging the "sovereignty and security of Myanmar."
Days before the ICJ ruling on Thursday, a Myanmar government-appointed commission called the Independent Commission of Enquiry (ICOE) issued a report saying that while the military may have committed "war crimes and serious human rights abuses," there was "no evidence" that the military's actions were committed with "genocidal intent."
Rights groups slammed the report, which has not been released to the public in full.
"Contrary to the UN's findings, the report refuses to acknowledge the scale of atrocities against the Rohingya, shockingly denies the military's widespread use of sexual violence, and fails to hold senior military officials responsible. The report isn't a credible basis for justice and accountability for mass crimes," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
Gambia's arguments are based on the UN Fact-Finding Mission's 2018 and 2019 reports that extensively detail atrocities carried out by the Myanmar military against Rohingya Muslims, and call for the country's generals to face an international tribunal on charges of genocide.
The mission concluded that coordinated attacks and sexual violence against the Rohingya in Rakhine were pre-planned by senior military leaders "to weaken the social cohesion of the Rohingya community and contribute to the destruction of the Rohingya as a group and the breakdown of the Rohingya way of life."
It details horrific accounts from survivors who spoke of gang-rape, mutilation, torture, mass killings, families being burnt alive in houses, and large-scale destruction of property.
Myanmar must submit a report to the ICJ to show it is enacting the emergency measures within four months, and every six months after that.
The ICJ, however, doesn't have the power to enforce its decisions. Its orders are sent to the UN Security Council, which could decide to enact a resolution or take other concrete measures if Myanmar refuses to comply with the court's ruling.
The court will now proceed into the merits of the central genocide case, with both Gambia and Myanmar filing arguments and objections.
"Get ready for a long haul as you're talking two to three years," said Radhakrishnan. "This is not a slam dunk case."
POLITICO Playbook: How one top Democrat's impeachment fears came true - POLITICO
Presented by
DRIVING THE DAY
WE ARE NOW ON DAY THREE of the impeachment trial of President DONALD J. TRUMP. The House managers have presented the same detailed case that they laid out in their report and in their marathon hearings. Little of it is new, of course, because these events have been laid out for months and months, in hearings, in the press and in a nearly 300-page committee report.
YET THE MAIN OBSERVATION REPUBLICANS seem to have is that none of this is new. “Two-and-a-half hours and nothing new,” said Sen. JOHN BARRASSO (R-Wyo.), after Rep. ADAMSCHIFF’S (D-Calif.) stem-winder of an opening. Sen. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas) said: “So far we haven’t learned anything new.” Our to-be-sure clause: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said he’s learned a lot, per NYT’s Nick Fandos … John Bresnahan on the “nothing new” thing
CORNYN -- who spoke to us just outside the chamber in the mid-afternoon -- was asked by CNN’S TED BARRETT, a Hill vet, if he was troubled by the president’s behavior. CORNYN responded: “That’s really not the question, Ted. I mean, the question is whether this is treason, bribery, or another high crime and misdemeanor. I mean, this is the nuclear option under our Constitution: to remove a duly elected president by the vote of the House and the Senate. This is something we should not do unless that constitutional standard is met, and I’m struggling to see how that is even close.”
THIS WAS, INDEED, the fear of many Democrats who slow-walked toward impeachment.
ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, a top Democrat who was resisting the growing calls to impeach TRUMP laid out his thinking. As special counsel ROBERT MUELLER’S findings reverberated in Washington, he said he was “wrestling” with two competing arguments.
“THE MOST ATTRACTIVE THING to me about impeaching this president is it’s the strongest form of censure we have,” this Democrat said. “Even if he’s acquitted, it puts a stain on his name in history. But as I mentioned, the flipside is terribly, tragically true, which is: An acquittal will be trumpeted as a vindication, and that sends its own message to history.”
HALF A YEAR LATER, that top Democrat, SCHIFF -- a man who now has left his mark on a Capitol he once wandered without discernible impact -- now confronts the exact scenario he once feared: The Senate is likely to put its stamp of approval on Trump’s solicitation of dirt on a campaign rival from a foreign government.
AS FAR AS WE KNOW, there are no plans to allow those Republicans who are troubled by Trump’s actions in Ukraine to express their disapproval in some formal way -- be it a resolution or another official action. All they can do is go on the record with their concerns.
WHAT THIS MEANS is that unless the dynamics in the Senate change in the coming days, or something jolts the proceedings -- JOHN BOLTON coming forward with shocking new information, for example -- the U.S. Congress will soon say it’s OK to use the power of the presidency to conduct opposition research on an opponent.
PRECEDENT MATTERS in Washington. Just look at how BILL CLINTON’S Senate trial became the blueprint for TRUMP’S. The next president will now be able to argue that it’s no problem to lean on a foreign government for political help. After all, Congress said so.
BURGESS EVERETT and JOHN BRESNAHAN: “Trump disrupts Republican trial strategy: But GOP senators rebuffed the president’s suggestion to bring in new witnesses”: “Senate Republicans have been publicly and privately maneuvering to give Trump as quick an acquittal as possible while still keeping 51 GOP senators on board. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has largely thrown cold water on the idea of hearing from new witnesses and many of his members are eager to end the trial, not extend it.”
NYT’S CHARLIE SAVAGE on the contrasting legal strategies: “In its opening days, the House managers have focused on the facts. They are trying to build a clear and coherent story around their theme that the president abused his power — delving into the details, putting up slides to summarize major points, and playing a well-organized selection of video clips of statements by Mr. Trump and by House witnesses.
“Eschewing props, the defense team has focused instead on the process. They have used their time to reinforce the House Republican theme that impeachment is a sham and unfair to Mr. Trump — urging the Senate to swiftly dispose of the case without subpoenaing any additional documents or testimony.” NYT
WHAT GORDON SONDLAND’S UP TO, via WaPo’s Michael Birnbaum, John Hudson, Josh Dawsey and Aaron Davis: “Trump’s ambassador to the European Union held meetings with the E.U. official in charge of emergency management. He hosted the Korean ambassador at the U.S. mission. And, he sat with the E.U.’s Brexit negotiator. Sondland had hoped that by staying quiet and going about his business that he could stay ‘out of the spotlight’ of the impeachment drama unfolding at the U.S. Capitol, according to a close associate. …
“Trump has not spoken with Sondland in the two months since the explosive testimony, according to two senior U.S. officials. The two last saw each other at the White House on Oct. 2 for the Finnish president’s visit.” WaPo
OUCH! -- “‘Where Is Kevin?’ McCarthy Finds His Voice as Trump’s Mouthpiece,” by NYT’s Elizabeth Williamson: “‘Congress no longer operates as an independent branch of government, but as an appendage of the executive branch,’ said Tom Davis, a former Republican House member from Virginia. ‘He is made for that role.’”
… AND GAETZ GETS FROZEN OUT … MELANIE ZANONA and MARIANNE LEVINE: “Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of President Donald Trump’s staunchest allies on Capitol Hill, suspects a senior White House aide pushed to keep him off the president’s impeachment defense team — weeks after the Florida Republican voted to rein in Trump’s war powers.
“Gaetz (R-Fla.) was in the mix to become one of Trump’s impeachment advisers, a group of House Republicans who are expected to assist the White House with messaging and strategy throughout the Senate impeachment trial. But Gaetz — a conservative firebrand who caught Trump’s eye through his feisty appearances and memorable soundbites on cable news — did not make the final list, which ultimately included eight other House Republicans.
“Gaetz said he wasn’t sure why he didn’t make the cut. But Gaetz said he heard from someone in the White House that legislative affairs director Eric Ueland was ‘responsible for the brush back.’ ‘I don’t know why it would serve someone in the White House to manufacture a divide between the president and one of his best communicators during impeachment,’ Gaetz said in an interview. …
“‘While the Trump administration was disappointed in Mr. Gaetz’s vote, the president’s successful policy to reduce Iranian terror and misbehavior proves the path laid out by the president is working,’ Ueland said in a statement. ‘We look forward to working with Mr. Gaetz in the future.’” POLITICO
PERFECT TIMING! … CNBC’S KAYLA TAUSCHE: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit Ukraine next week, sources say”: “Ukrainian officials are preparing for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit next week, according to two sources informed by Kyiv about the trip, which is now scheduled for Jan. 30-31.”
WSJ’S JOHN MCCORMICK in Cresco, Iowa: “What the Biggest Swing County in Iowa Says About 2020: Both Trump and Obama won big in Howard County. While the president is likely to win such small, rural places again, the size of his margins could be crucial”: “The rural county, located in northeast Iowa near the Minnesota border, is the only one of America’s more than 3,000 counties that voted by more than 20 percentage points for Mr. Obama in 2012 and by more than 20 percentage points for Mr. Trump in 2016. It swung 41 points, the second-biggest flip in the nation.
“Recent interviews with dozens of voters here suggest that most of Mr. Trump’s 2016 supporters … plan to stick with him, even though some said they have grown weary of his personal behavior and trade fights. Among those who previously voted for Mr. Obama and Mr. Trump, many said they are reserving judgment until they see who wins the Democratic nomination.” WSJ
ALEX ISENSTADT: “Club for Growth works to defeat House GOP incumbent”: “The prominent conservative group Club for Growth is throwing its weight behind a primary challenge to veteran Rep. Kay Granger of Texas — a move that is likely to anger Republican leaders who’ve rushed to her aid.
“The anti-tax organization is expected this week to launch a seven-figure advertising offensive targeting Granger, a 12-term congresswoman who serves as the ranking Republican member of the influential Appropriations committee. The Club for Growth, which has long warred with senior Republicans, is preparing a TV, digital and mail assault going after the congresswoman’s record on spending issues ahead of the March 3 contest.
“‘We anticipate some people not liking what we’re doing but we think it’s the right thing to do,’ said former GOP Rep. David McIntosh, the Club's president.” POLITICO
LINE OF THE DAY, via NYT’s Simon Romero in Santa Fe, N.M.: “When Valerie Plame declared her run for Congress by boasting of her past as a C.I.A. agent, money poured into her campaign from donors around the country charmed by her vow to take on President Trump. But now, the view that Ms. Plame is a shoo-in to win the coveted seat in northern New Mexico seems based on faulty intelligence.” NYT
LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ in Greenville, S.C.: “Why Biden’s rivals can’t break his lock on black voters”: “Julius Stephens is 74, black, and calls himself a liberal. Standing outside Big Rod’s Barber Shop in North Augusta after watching Joe Biden surrogates rally on behalf of the vice president last week, Stephens gushed about a different candidate: Elizabeth Warren. The Army veteran cited her health care plan and said he ‘like(s) a lot of the things Warren is saying.’ He also praised Bernie Sanders’ policies.
“But then Stephens added that the country ‘would never vote for a woman and a liberal that’s been branded a socialist.’ So he’s planning to vote for Biden.
“Voters like Stephens will determine the Feb. 29 contest in South Carolina, the first primary with a large population of black voters. He also represents the dilemma of the three Democrats trailing Biden nationally: After rolling out endorsements from black activists and elected officials, and releasing policies that explicitly address systemic inequality among African Americans, Sanders, Warren and Pete Buttigieg have little to show for it in South Carolina.” POLITICO
TRUMP’S THURSDAY -- THE PRESIDENT will leave the White House at 2:45 p.m. for Andrews, where he will fly to Miami to speak at the RNC Winter Meeting at the Trump National Doral. At 7:15 p.m., he’ll leave for the airport, where he’ll fly back to D.C. He’s expected at Andrews at 9:40 p.m., and at the White House by 10 p.m.
PLAYBOOK READS
HMM … “Kushner’s FBI interviews to be held for review, Justice Department says,” by CNN’s Katelyn Polantz: “The Justice Department did not hand over the FBI’s summary of Jared Kushner's interviews with special counsel Robert Mueller last week -- despite a judge’s order to do so -- because ‘a member of the intelligence community’ needs to ensure the material has been properly redacted, a department attorney said Wednesday.
“DOJ lawyer Courtney Enlow informed CNN as part of an ongoing lawsuit that Kushner's memo, also known as a 302, ‘will be released with the appropriate redactions’ after the intelligence agency has finished its review. Enlow did not say which intelligence agency is working on the document's release or how long that review would take.” CNN
POSTCARD FROM DAVOS -- BLOOMBERG’S @SalehaMohsin: “Mnuchin in response to a question on the economics of climate change that @GretaThunberg has spoken about: ‘After she goes and studies growth and economics in college she can come back and explain that to us.’”
VALLEY TALK … WITH A ROBBY MOOK CAMEO! -- “Tech Companies Volunteer to Beef Up Presidential Campaigns’ Cybersecurity,” by WSJ’s Alexa Corse: “Nearly a dozen technology companies said they will provide free or reduced-cost cybersecurity services to presidential campaigns, which experts and intelligence officials have warned are ripe targets for intrusion and disinformation.
“They join a growing number of firms offering protection on a nonpartisan basis, a trend that has gained steam in the past 18 months or so, since federal regulators eased rules to make such offers permissible under campaign-finance laws. The Federal Election Commission made policy changes after urging from nonprofits and technology companies, including Microsoft Corp. ...
“The partnerships between campaigns and cybersecurity companies, which include Microsoft and Cloudflare Inc., are being encouraged by a months-old nonprofit called Defending Digital Campaigns, which is helping the firms comply with campaign-finance regulations. The nonprofit is led in part by [former Mitt Romney campaign manager Matt] Rhoades and Robby Mook, campaign manager for Hillary Clinton in 2016.” WSJ … Defending Digital Campaigns
NOTABLE … NATIONAL REVIEW EDITORIAL: “Impeachment Doesn’t Require a Crime”: “Senate Republicans, by and large, have reached an unspoken consensus about President Trump and Ukraine. He should not have put a temporary freeze on congressionally authorized aid to Ukraine, should not have dabbled with using the aid to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden or a nutty theory about Ukrainian hacking during the 2016 election, and should not have kept defending his ‘perfect call’ as such. At the same time, his conduct does not merit his removal from office — especially since voters will get to pass judgment on that conduct in a few months.
“It’s a reasonable position, and it’s the case that Republicans ought to make in public. They are inhibited from doing so by the president’s obstinacy. Instead of sticking to the most defensible case for a Senate acquittal of Trump, Republicans from the president on down are making arguments that range from the implausible to the embarrassing.” National Review
QUOTE DU JOUR, from WHO official Gauden Galea on the Beijing government’s draconian efforts to shut down a virus outbreak in Wuhan, China: “To my knowledge, trying to contain a city of 11 million people is new to science.” AP … The latest on the coronavirus outbreak
BOOK CLUB -- NYT Middle East correspondent Ben Hubbard has a well-timed hardback coming out March 10 entitled “MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman.” … @NYTBen: “Among its revelations: It wasn’t just @JeffBezos. One month after his reported hack, operators linked to Saudi Arabia tried to hack my phone too.” Pre-order for $28 on Amazon
MEDIAWATCH -- THE TIMES BUYING SERIAL? … WSJ’S BENJAMIN MULLIN: “The company behind the hit true-crime podcast ‘Serial’ is exploring a sale, according to a person familiar with the matter, putting one of digital audio’s biggest brands on the market as the medium becomes increasingly popular. Serial Productions is best known for producing ‘Serial,’ a podcast that tells a new multipart series every season. Its first season garnered more than 300 million downloads.
“Among the potential buyers for Serial Productions is New York Times Co., the person said.” WSJ
-- The AP announced a series of changes in its Washington bureau this week. Ken Guggenheim is now national security editor. Ben Fox is now a senior writer covering DHS. Colleen Long is now acting news editor for the Supreme Court and federal law enforcement.
SPOTTED: Kellyanne Conway on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte to DCA on Wednesday evening. Pic
TRANSITIONS -- Reggie McCrimmon and Trenton Kennedy are joining Twitter’s D.C. office. McCrimmon is now a senior public policy associate and previously was a managing director and senior adviser at Impact Strategies. Kennedy is on the policy communications team and previously was deputy press secretary for Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). … Kenneth Mendelson is now a senior managing director at Guidepost Solutions. He previously operated his own consulting firm.
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) is 73. A fun fact about him: “I have a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country minivan that I bought the year I stepped down as governor. We just hit over 522,000 miles this week. My wife thinks I need a new minivan, but I tell her this one is almost paid for, so why would I do that!” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: POLITICO is 13 … Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) is 56 … Norah O’Donnell … Christina LoNigro (h/ts Ben Chang)… John Heilemann is 54 … POLITICO’s Scott Mahaskey, Annie Snider and Joe Anuta … Mercury co-chairman Antonio Villaraigosa is 67 … Rolling Stone’s Patrick Reis … Annie Shuppy … Brian Cooke, a DOD program officer at the Institute of International Education … OMB’s Bryn Woollacott … Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri is 37 … HUD’s Barbara Gruson … Isabella Ulloa of Urban Alliance … former Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) is 88 … former Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) is 73 … Eric Koch, managing principal at Precision Strategies … Mike Gallagher, CEO of Intrepidity … Adweek’s Kelsey Sutton … Vox’s Alex Ward is 3-0 … Heidi Zhou-Castro … Jordyn Pair … Mark Boal … Erika Gudmundson, deputy communications director for Mike Bloomberg’s campaign … Matt Simeon, principal at Locust Street Group … Sarah West …
… Scott Pace, executive secretary of the National Space Council (h/t Will Boyington) … Bruce Ratner is 75 … Missy Foxman, senior director of federal government affairs at the Entertainment Software Association ... Aaron Pellish, CNN political futures editor (h/t Kevin Bohn) … Gavin Barwell is 48 ... Aretae Wyler ... Erik Olson ... Laura Keiter, communications director for Media Matters for America ... Matthew Hoppler is 3-0 ... Mark Tullis ... Harvard Institute of Politics’ Amy Howell … Jessica Vandenberg … Lily Johnson (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Alexander Castellanos … Aliyah Frumin … Seth Wickersham, senior writer at ESPN … Lesa Dietrick of Ice Miller … Michelle Cangelosi … Aida Cipriani … Katherine Grainger … Marygrace Galston ... Suzanne Kennedy ... Adam Parker ... Peter Rosenstein ... Edelman’s Daniel Workman … Common Cause’s Jay Riestenberg … Jessica Binzoni … Hayden Pruett Wilson … Marty Russo is 76
