McAleenan Visits National Vetting Governance Board to
national vetting center governance board
national vetting center governance board - win
Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration
February 04, 2021
Executive Order on Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration
Policy
The long tradition of the United States as a leader in refugee resettlement provides a beacon of hope for persecuted people around the world, promotes stability in regions experiencing conflict, and facilitates international collaboration to address the global refugee crisis. Through the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), the Federal Government, cooperating with private partners and American citizens in communities across the country, demonstrates the generosity and core values of our Nation, while benefitting from the many contributions that refugees make to our country. Accordingly, it shall be the policy of my Administration that:
USRAP and other humanitarian programs shall be administered in a manner that furthers our values as a Nation and is consistent with our domestic law, international obligations, and the humanitarian purposes expressed by the Congress in enacting the Refugee Act of 1980, Public Law 96-212.
USRAP should be rebuilt and expanded, commensurate with global need and the purposes described above.
Delays in administering USRAP and other humanitarian programs are counter to our national interests, can raise grave humanitarian concerns, and should be minimized.
Security vetting for USRAP applicants and applicants for other humanitarian programs should be improved to be more efficient, meaningful, and fair, and should be complemented by sound methods of fraud detection to ensure program integrity and protect national security.
Although access to United States humanitarian programs is generally discretionary, the individuals applying for immigration benefits under these programs must be treated with dignity and respect, without improper discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or other grounds, and should be afforded procedural safeguards.
United States humanitarian programs should be administered in a manner that ensures transparency and accountability and reflects the principle that reunifying families is in the national interest.
My Administration shall seek opportunities to enhance access to the refugee program for people who are more vulnerable to persecution, including women, children, and other individuals who are at risk of persecution related to their gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
Executive departments and agencies (agencies) should explore the use of all available authorities for humanitarian protection to assist individuals for whom USRAP is unavailable.
To meet the challenges of restoring and expanding USRAP, the United States must innovate, including by effectively employing technology and capitalizing on community and private sponsorship of refugees, while continuing to partner with resettlement agencies for reception and placement.
The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) programs for Iraqi and Afghan allies provide humanitarian protection to nationals of Iraq and Afghanistan experiencing an ongoing, serious threat because they provided faithful and valuable service to the United States, including its troops serving in those countries. The Federal Government should ensure that these important programs are administered without undue delay.
Revocation, Rescission, and Reporting.
Executive Order 13815 of October 24, 2017 (Resuming the United States Refugee Admissions Program With Enhanced Vetting Capabilities), and Executive Order 13888 of September 26, 2019 (Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement), are revoked.
The Presidential Memorandum of March 6, 2017 (Implementing Immediate Heightened Screening and Vetting of Applications for Visas and Other Immigration Benefits, Ensuring Enforcement of All Laws for Entry Into the United States, and Increasing Transparency Among Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government and for the American People), is revoked.
Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), describing all agency actions, including memoranda or guidance documents, that were taken or issued in reliance on or in furtherance of the directives revoked by subsections (a) and (b) of this section. This report shall include recommendations regarding whether each action should be maintained, reversed, or modified, consistent with applicable law and as appropriate for the fair, efficient, and secure administration of the relevant humanitarian program or otherwise in the national interest.
Special Immigrant Visas for Iraqi and Afghan Allies
Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall complete a review of the Iraqi and Afghan SIV programs and submit a report to the President with recommendations to address any concerns identified. The report shall include:
an assessment of agency compliance with existing law governing the SIV programs, including program eligibility requirements and procedures for administrative review;
an assessment of whether there are undue delays in meeting statutory benchmarks for timely adjudication of applications, including due to insufficient staffing levels;
a plan to provide training, guidance, and oversight with respect to the National Visa Center’s processing of SIV applications;
a plan to track the progress of the Senior Coordinators as provided under section 1245 of the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act of 2007 (RCIA), subtitle C of title XII of Public Law 110-181, and section 602(b)(2)(D)(ii)(II) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (AAPA), title VI of division F of Public Law 111-8, as amended; and
an assessment of whether adequate guidelines exist for reconsidering or reopening applications in appropriate circumstances and consistent with applicable law.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall also direct a review of the procedures for Chief of Mission approval of applications with the aim of, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law:
ensuring existing procedures and guidance are sufficient to permit prospective applicants a fair opportunity to apply and demonstrate eligibility;
issuing guidance that would address situations where an applicant’s employer is unable or unwilling to provide verification of the applicant’s “faithful and valuable service,” and provide for alternative forms of verification;
revising requirements to facilitate the ability of applicants to demonstrate the existence of a qualifying contract with the United States Government and require that the supervisor verifying the applicant’s “faithful and valuable service” be a United States citizen or national;
ensuring that applicants are not prejudiced by delays in verifying their employment; and
implementing anti-fraud measures to ensure program integrity.
Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State shall submit to the President the results of the review described in subsection of this section.
Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall conduct a review and submit a report to the President identifying whether additional populations not currently provided for under section 1059 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, Public Law 109-163, section 1244 of the RCIA, or section 602 of the AAPA are at risk as a result of their faithful and valuable service to the United States Government. The review should also evaluate whether it would be appropriate to seek legislation that would create a SIV program for individuals, regardless of nationality, who faithfully assisted the United States Government in conflict areas for at least 1 year or made exceptional contributions in a shorter period and have experienced or are experiencing an ongoing serious threat as a result of their service.
Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that appropriate policies and procedures related to the SIV programs are publicly available on their respective agency’s websites, and that any revisions to such policies and procedures in the future are made publicly available on those websites within 30 days of issuance.
Steps to Improve the Efficacy, Integrity, Security, and Transparency of USRAP
Consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this order and to facilitate this order’s effective and expeditious implementation:
The APNSA shall designate a National Security Council Senior Director to be responsible for coordinating the agencies and vetting partners involved in USRAP.
The Secretary of State shall designate a senior-level employee to have primary responsibility for overseeing refugee application processing, consistent with applicable law.
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall designate a senior-level employee to have primary responsibility for coordinating the review and any revision of policies and procedures regarding the vetting and adjudication of USRAP refugee applicants, including follow-to-join refugee applicants and post-decisional processing, consistent with applicable law.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall assign a team of technology, process, and data experts from the United States Digital Service to assist agencies in streamlining application processing, improving the automation and effectiveness of security vetting and fraud detection, and strengthening data-driven decision-making.
Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide the President a report on the fraud detection measures in place for USRAP. The report shall also include a plan to enhance fraud detection within components at both agencies and recommendations for the development of new anti-fraud programs, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall promptly consider taking all appropriate actions, consistent with applicable law, to expand refugee vetting and adjudication capacity, including by:
developing more efficient processes to capture and share refugee applicant biometric data; and
permitting the use of video and audio teleconferencing to conduct refugee interviews and establishing the necessary infrastructure to do so.
To increase refugee adjudication capacity, the Office of Personnel Management shall, consistent with applicable law, support the use of all hiring authorities, including expanded use of direct hiring authority, for positions associated with the adjudication of refugee applications.
Within 30 days of the date of this order, the heads of all agencies involved in the Security Advisory Opinion process and other inter-agency vetting processes for refugee applicants, including follow-to-join refugee applicants, shall submit data to the National Vetting Governance Board on the number of staff performing refugee security vetting, the thresholds for checks, and the rates at which checks have returned an objection. Such data shall be disaggregated by age range, gender, and nationality of the refugee applicant. The National Vetting Governance Board shall meet to consider if and how agency processes and staffing levels should change to improve security reviews and make refugee arrivals more efficient, and shall share any conclusions and recommendations with the heads of relevant agencies, including the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in order to inform potential resourcing strategies where necessary.
Within 60 days of the date of this order, agencies responsible for the Security Advisory Opinion process shall meet to consider proposals from member agencies to adjust the list of countries and other criteria that require a Security Advisory Opinion for a refugee case.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall consider whether to promulgate regulations and any other policies, including internal oversight mechanisms, to ensure the quality, integrity, efficiency, and fairness of the adjudication process for USRAP applicants, while also taking due account of the challenges facing refugee applicants. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, should consider adopting regulations or policies, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, that:
develop mechanisms to synthesize reliable, detailed, and current country conditions that may be relied upon, where appropriate, to make specific factual and legal determinations necessary for the adjudication of refugee applications from individuals or from individuals within a designated group of applicants;
ensure that refugee applicants have timely access to their own application records;
permit refugee applicants to have a representative at their interview at no cost to the United States Government; and
ensure, when refugee applications are denied for non-security or non-fraud-based reasons, an applicant is given a short explanation describing the basis for the denial, so that the applicant has a meaningful opportunity to present additional evidence and to request a review of the decision.
The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide the President, through the APNSA, a report describing any action taken pursuant to subsection (g) of this section within 180 days of the date such action is taken.
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that adjudicators are trained in the standards governing refugee claims of women, children, and other individuals who are more vulnerable to persecution due to their age, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall consider taking actions, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to recognize as “spouses” for purposes of derivative status through USRAP individuals who are in committed life partnerships but who are unable to marry or to register their marriage due to restrictions in the law or practices of their country of origin, including for individuals in same-sex, interfaith, or camp-based marriages. The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide the President a report, through the APNSA, describing any action taken pursuant to this subsection within 180 days of the date such action is taken.
Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, deliver a plan to the President, through the APNSA, to enhance the capacity of USRAP to welcome refugees by expanding the use of community sponsorship and co-sponsorship models by refugee resettlement agencies, and by entering into new public-private partnerships.
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall consider ways to expand mechanisms under which non-governmental organizations with direct access to and knowledge of refugees abroad in camps or other settings could identify and directly refer to USRAP particularly vulnerable individuals who have a strong possibility of qualifying for admission to the United States as refugees.
Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take all appropriate steps, taking into account necessary safeguards for program integrity, to ensure that the current policies and procedures related to USRAP are publicly available on their respective websites, and that any new or revised policies and procedures are made publicly available on their websites within 30 days of their adoption.
Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, and as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, shall develop options for improving USRAP applicants’ ability to access relevant material from their case files on an expedited basis to inform timely appeals from adverse decisions.
Improving Performance
The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall develop and ensure adherence to a plan that addresses USRAP processing backlogs. In developing this plan, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Director of National Intelligence, and in collaboration with the National Vetting Governance Board and United States Digital Service, shall conduct a review of refugee security vetting processes and develop recommendations to increase their efficiency, fairness, and effectiveness, consistent with the humanitarian goals of USRAP and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.
The plan and review described in subsection (a) of this section shall also:
examine whether existing vetting processes, including the Security Advisory Opinion process, can be improved to increase efficiency and provide more effective security reviews; and
seek to bring national average processing times within the period described in 8 U.S.C. 1571(b).
Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the President the plan described in subsection (a) of this section, including the Secretary’s recommendations for process improvements.
Climate Change and Migration
Within 180 days of the date of this order, the APNSA, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, and the Director of National Intelligence, shall prepare and submit to the President a report on climate change and its impact on migration, including forced migration, internal displacement, and planned relocation.
This report shall include, at a minimum:
discussion of the international security implications of climate-related migration;
options for protection and resettlement of individuals displaced directly or indirectly from climate change;
mechanisms for identifying such individuals, including through referrals;
proposals for how these findings should affect use of United States foreign assistance to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change;
and opportunities to work collaboratively with other countries, international organizations and bodies, non-governmental organizations, and localities to respond to migration resulting directly or indirectly from climate change.
The APNSA shall work with appropriate agencies to ensure that the report, or a summary thereof, is made publicly available.
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Ethics, ethics, ethics
Joe Biden’s brother is already putting the president’s ethics commitment to the test by using his relationship to promote business interests. Frank Biden is a senior advisor for the Florida-based Berman Law Group, serving in a non-legal capacity. On Inauguration Day, the firm took out an ad in the Daily Business Review featuring quotes that highlight Joe Biden’s role and his close relationship with Frank.
“My brother is a model for how to go about doing this work,” Frank Biden says in the ad… The ad suggests that the firm hired Frank Biden due to the “Biden reputation for and motivation to engage in philanthropic, social and environmental issues that presented themselves.”
Joe reportedly warned his brother during last year’s campaign that he wouldn’t accept his family threatening the integrity of his administration. “For Christ’s sake, watch yourself,” he cautioned. A friend of the family relayed their conversations to Politico: “What Frank told me is ‘my brother loves me dearly, but if I lobbied, he would cut my legs from underneath me.” Similarly bringing up ethical questions, President Biden’s son Hunter has a memoir coming out in April. The book is about Hunter’s struggle to overcome drug addiction and was reportedly in the works before his father became a frontrunner in the Democratic primaries. Nevertheless, given the role Hunter’s business dealings played in Trump’s campaign strategy, the book’s release is likely to garner criticism. Perhaps more reasonably, though, ethics officials are disturbed by Biden speaking about the book as president. In an interview with CBS News, Biden praised his son’s venture, saying: "The honesty with which he stepped forward and talked about the problem and the hope that -- it gave me hope reading it.”
Edit: It appears that Shaub has since deleted his thread on the matter.
Many of Biden’s appointees came from the opaque world of boutique consulting, raising concerns that their former corporate clients could hold sway over their decisions in government. Secretary of State Tony Blinken founded the secretive consulting firm WestExec; DNI Avril Haines was a principal at the company and Press Secretary Jen Psaki served as a senior advisor. Other officials from the consulting world include National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan - who worked for Macro Advisory Partners representing Uber in labor negotiations - and U.N. Ambassador nominee Linda Thomas-Greenfield, from the “commercial diplomacy firm” Albright Stonebridge Group.
Because its staffers aren’t lobbyists, they are not required to disclose who they work for. They also aren’t bound by the Biden transition’s restrictions on hiring people who have lobbied in the past year… "They're not necessarily making a lobbying contract or doing the direct work of what would be defined as lobbying under the [Lobbying Disclosure] Act, so they don't have to file lobbying disclosure reports," said Delaney Marsco, ethics legal counsel for the Washington-based nonprofit Campaign Legal Center. "So that's a problem. That's a loophole."
In a break with former Democratic presidents, Biden will not wait for the American Bar Association to vet judges before nomination. The tradition, which stretches back to the Eisenhower administration, has served as a way to ensure that judges are qualified for a lifetime position. Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump were previously the only administrations to submit nominees without input from the ABA. Liberal advocacy groups have praised Biden’s decision, citing a perceived bias against women and people of color in the ABA’s rating system. Christopher Kang, a former Obama aide now with Demand Justice, told the New York Times that the ABA committee is “well-intentioned” but “must not be allowed to act as an obstacle to diversifying the bench.” Despite signing three executive orders to begin rolling back Trump’s immigration policies, advocacy groups are urging the president to move faster. Asylum seekers are particularly vulnerable during the pandemic, trapped in slum-like camps south of the border. Perhaps their best chance at relief is the termination of Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols, a program that sent over 60,000 asylum seekers to Mexico to wait for their U.S. court hearings. Biden signed an executive order mandating a program review, but it is unclear how long the process will take and what the resulting policy would look like.
Cleaning house
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin fired all members on 31 of the Defense Department’s advisory boards and suspended the operation of 11 others pending review. The move is aimed at removing last-minute Trump appointees like Anthony Tata, who once called former President Obama a “terrorist leader”. It does not, however, apply to those appointed to the military boards of visitors. During the final days of his administration, Trump named Kellyanne Conway to the Air Force board and Sean Spicer and Russell Vought to the Naval Academy board, among a host of other loyalists.
“There is no question that the frenetic activity that occurred to the composition of so many boards in just the period of November to January deeply concerned the secretary and certainly helped drive him to this decision,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
Last week, Biden fired four people Trump appointed to the council of the Administrative Conference of the United States, an important independent agency that reviews federal regulations and functions. One of those ousted, Roger Severino, filed a lawsuit to challenge the president’s power to remove him from the position. Severino previously served at Trump’s DHS where he weakened protections for abortion and LGBTQ health care. Adding to his far-right pedigree, before serving in government Severino worked at the Becket Fund, a religious liberty legal group, and the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society for the Heritage Foundation.
Republicans have discovered that they can “launder conservative ideas through this government agency,” [an individual who works closely with ACUS told Slate], giving these ideas “a nonpartisan, government-approved sheen” that they don’t deserve.
Biden also forced out all ten Trump-appointed members of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP), receiving the resignations of eight and firing the remaining two. The FSIP, which is responsible for resolving disputes between executive agencies and federal unions, has been hobbled for years by Trump’s anti-labor members.
Tony Reardon, national president of the National Treasury Employees Union: “The FSIP is supposed to be comprised of members who are qualified, experienced, fair and neutral. The Trump-appointed panel was none of those things, and its record of nearly always siding with agency management, notwithstanding the record before it, proved its bias.”
Cabinet votes and delays
As of Sunday night, the Senate has confirmed just five of Biden’s 15 core cabinet members. By this time in Obama’s presidency, he had 11 confirmed members; W. Bush had all 15; Clinton had 14. The slow pace of confirmations is likely to get even worse as the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins on Tuesday.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) has voted against every Biden nominee so far - six including the five core cabinet members and one cabinet-level position (DNI). Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Mike Lee (R-UT) have each voted against five nominees.
Merrick Garland, Biden’s nominee for Attorney General, still has yet to even receive a hearing amid delays instituted by former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Five of the six previous presidents had a confirmed Attorney General by this point in their administration; according to an analysis by the Washington Post, the median wait time for confirmation has been 12.5 days. Last week, outgoing Judiciary chair Graham denied incoming chair Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) request to schedule Garland’s confirmation hearing today, Feb. 8, before the impeachment trial is slated to begin. Due to former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s threat to filibuster the power-sharing agreement with Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, Republican chairs maintained control over the committees for more than a month into the new Congress. The two sides reached and approved a deal on Wednesday, transferring control of the Senate.
“A one-day hearing as you are proposing the day before the impeachment trial of a former president is insufficient,” Graham (R-S.C.) said in a letter to Durbin. “Democrats do not get to score political points in an unprecedented act of political theater on one hand while also trying to claim the mantle of good government on the other.”
Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Ted Cruz (R-TX) delayed a voted on U.N. Ambassador nominee Linda Thomas-Greenfield last week, hoping to push the full Senate vote back until after the impeachment trial. Cruz believes that Biden’s nominees have adopted a more conciliatory tone toward China compared to the Trump administration. Specifically, he cited “concerns” about a 2019 speech Thomas-Greenfield gave at a Chinese-funded institute in which she expressed hope that both China and America could be positive forces in Africa. Senate Republicans have also been delaying a hearing for HHS nominee Xavier Becerra since Democrats first started the process in December 2020. Last month, McConnell expressed his opposition to Becerra, tying him to Obamacare’s contraception mandate and highlighting his opposition to the conservative idea of religious liberty. Congressional aides have also outlined a plan to blame Becerra for California’s handling of the pandemic.
Hello, We did a pre-FA mock draft in the Jets discord with 32 members GMing for the various teams. Some of the GMs provided explanations below on their thought process for the picks. Sheets link 1) Jacksonville (Gmoney): QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson #16 I pick Trevor because we needed a qb and Trevor is a generational talented qb
2) NY Jets (stackingdollars): QB Zach Wilson, BYU #1 Both Fields and Wilson have great qualities but I think Wilson has the edge. The biggest advantage Wilson has is his anticipation. I think he would fit very well in the LaFleur offense and can become a franchise QB with the Jets.
TRADE: Miami gives 1.03 (3), Carolina gives 1.08 (8), 3.09 (73), 2022 CAR 1st 3) Carolina (cantstopthis): QB Justin Fields, OSU #1 Justin Fields is a highly talented prospect with all the tools to become a franchise guy. In Carolina, he can sit behind Teddy B and work with elite skill position players to truly hone in the skills to allow him to reach his full potential. Moving ahead of Atlanta was important because it allowed me to secure one of the top QBs in the class. Moving a future first and a third this year felt like great value because I was able to snag a QB I believe has elite potential in the nfl, while maintaining seconds which I can use to build around Fields.
4) Atlanta (jorjor): T Penei Sewell, Oregon #58 A very good tackle who I think is bpa rn. I don’t feel good taking Lance this early so I took the best player at the pick.
5) Cincinnati (Sliz): T Rashawn Slater, Northwestern #70 This is the worst case for Cinci, and they'll be kicking themselves for a meaningless late season win over Houston. OT1 Sewell was off the board, as were the top 3 QBs that could fetch decent tradeback value. While Chase has been a common mock, I think a Higgins/Boyd duo is easily complimented without spending this much capital to address it. With no trade back partner, Slater (OT1 on some boards) is a nice consolation. Slater will slot in as an immediate starter at tackle with versatility to slot inside should CIN address the tackle spot opposite Jonah Williams in FA.
6) Philadelphia (Salty): WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU #1 The Eagles are light in the weapons department. They haven't have a reliable receiver in years, and the negatives of that have shown their face the past 2 years, with Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts struggling at times to move the ball because of the lack of Receivers. Justin Fields was off the board at 6 and I feel like Wentz or Hurts paired with such a dominant prospect at Receiver could work wonders. Chase is a unique blend of size, speed, and talent at the WR position. He has solid size at 6 foot and a bit over 200 pounds, with sure hands and really good route running. His 2019 season at LSU was incredible and he produced one of the best WR seasons of all time at the collegiate level. I have no doubt with his abilities that he will immediately be able to put up good numbers and improve the offense and passing game, giving the eagles a much needed extra dimension to their offense.
TRADE: Detroit gives 1.07 (7), 3.25 (89), San Francisco gives 1.12 (12), 2.11 (43) 7) San Francisco (Anc): QB Trey Lance, NDSU #5 Kyle Shanahan is too good of a coach to keep languishing with a mediocre Jimmy G who is only okay when he can stay healthy. Trey Lance is a boom/bust prospect with a TON of upside and a big learning curve. In this scenario, he has the opportunity to either sit and learn with a capable bridge QB, OR if Shanahan chooses kick start his career in the best system in the league at empowering QBs to be successful. Lance joins a loaded team that, despite having some deficiencies in the IOL and a few pieces potentially leaving in FA on the defense, is ready to compete for the division right now and can afford moving down in round 2 to try and secure the future face of the franchise at QB. If he works out, the Niners get to have the type of athletic and dynamic QB under center that Shanahan has never had.
8) Miami (tolgzz): WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama #8 Bringing Tua a much needed weapon and ex teammate.
9) Denver (paxton): CB Caleb Farley, Virginia #3 At this position with no QBs in consideration, I chose to address Denver's most obvious need, CB. Farley has an almost impossible blend of physical traits. Size, speed, fluidity. Farley to me projects as a shutdown corner who plays on WR1s on the outside. In a division with Tyreek Hill, Henry Ruggs and Keenan Allen, he's a perfect fit. While Surtain was in consideration, I dont think he can match the traits and athleticism and will struggle against speedy receivers in the AFC West. Farley's ceiling is too high to pass on here.
10) Dallas (spencerw): CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama #2 With a depleted DB core and 6 S/CBs entering FA, CB is the biggest need for the Dallas Cowboys. Going for Surtain, a corner whose best fit is an outside man-coverage CB is a huge upgrade and can be a day 1 starter on the outside for the Cowboys. Surtain's length and athleticism creates a lock-down potential that can be extremely helpful for a defense lacking talent across all three levels.
TRADE: NY Giants give 1.11 (11), New Orleans gives 1.28 (28), 2022 NOR 1st 11) New Orleans (Misery): LB Micah Parsons, Penn St #11
12) Detroit (Zingy): T Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech #77 Detroit sucks, OT is the second most valuable position in the NFL, Darrisaw will be a really really good tackle in the NFL and has experience playing in the scheme Goff has played in his entire career. One of the first building blocks that will actually be on this team when they get a real QB in a year or two. Okudah and Darrisaw might be the only 2 on the roster in 5 years.
13) LA Chargers (run1609): CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina #1 The Chargers have a pressing need at CB with Michael Davis entering free agency (I expect him to be retained) and CHJ/Casey Heyward on the wrong side of 30. He profiles as a lockdown man CB who new HC Brandon Staley hopes can approximate the role Jalen Ramsey played for him across town with the Rams.
TRADE: New England gives 1.15 (15), 3.33 (97), 7.15 (241), Tampa Bay gives 1.31 (31), 2.31 (63), 3.31 (95), 2022 TAM 2nd 15) Tampa Bay (rgoing): EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miami #15 Tampa is a perfect spot for GR. He can learn behind JPP and Barrett for a year or so and get more refined as a pass rusher. Rousseau is someone who I believe can play all across the DLIne and won’t have any pressure to start right away. At only 20 years old and equipped with excellent measurables and a high motor, the sky is the limit for him.
16) Minnesota (beezus): EDGE Kwity Paye, Michigan #19 With darrisaw and horn coming off the board at 12 and 13, the Vikings sought a trade back knowing there would be suitors hungry for one of waddle/pitts. The cardinals called and offered 1.16 and a 2022 2nd for the pick. We countered, adding in a pick swap of 91 and 80. Arizona obliged and it was a done deal. At 16, it came down to paye, AVT, and Christian barmore. After seeing a trade with the football team fall through, the Vikings took the toolsy edge rusher from Michigan. Kwity Paye has the athletic tools and the build to become an elite pass rusher. His ceiling combined with Minnesota’s pedigree of developing defensive talent is a recipe for success for the Vikings.
17) Las Vegas (jmah): IDL Christian Barmore, Alabama #58 I’ve only watched Christian Barmore in the national championship game, but he should really help the Raiders trash defense.
18) Miami (tolgzz): LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa #23 With this pick Dolphins bring in a LB they plan to start from day 1. Collins brings with him size and power combined with his athleticism. He can defend the run, play the pass in coverage and even be used to rush the QB. Collins fills a spot of need for Dolphins and hopefully turns into a stud LB for them for years to come
19) Washington (klondike): QB Mac Jones, Alabama #10 Good fit. Lots of talent and running plays out of the backfield. Smart player, good game manager. Ideal fit for both parties. He can sit behind Alex Smith for however long.
20) Chicago (Mayor): WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama #17 With the Bears offense being eternally awful, Allen Robinson looking like a goner more and more and rookie WRs more frequently making plays fresh out of college picking up Waddle will hopefully jump start this offense with whatever vet QB the bears roll with in 2021
21) Indianapolis (Viddstuff): T Sam Cosmi, Texas #52 While the colts are lacking all over at offense, Costanzo retiring really put them in a tough spot. I could have gone WR here, but the colts offense can get creative with their weapons, and it was too early to overdraft the QB on the board. Cosmi would fit in well on the blindside and protect whoever starts at QB for a long time.
22) Tennessee (botlane): EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia #13 Azeez Ojulari is an attempt to fix one of the biggest voids in the Tennessee Titans defense, the pass rush. Ojulari has a great get-off, a mixture of speed, bend and power which makes his kit very powerful to take even the most agile lineman off of their game. A great athlete with tremendous upside, Ojulari's explosion off the line is marvelous, paired with a great jab/stab, he is able to create space with his length. If you don't jam him at the line and initiate contact, he's got a solid enough technique that pairs with his athleticism. Ojulari has the intangibles to be a great pass-rusher in this league and if he keeps developing, that's right where he's headed.
23) NY Jets (stackingdollars): WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota #0 Entering this off-season the Jets are in need of a WR. Bateman has tremendous route running ability and great hands. Pairing this pick with QB Zach Wilson will help give the Jets offense the spark they are looking for.
24) Pittsburgh (Fireblast): QB Kyle Trask, Florida #11 Although this might be a bit of a reach, Steelers desperately need a qb and neither big benor dwayne haskins is it. The plan here would be to sign a FA guy, let trask sit behind him for a year, and then he takes the reigns. Trask with the right devolopment can probably be at least a decent enough starter I'd guess, not near where ben was in his prime, but very qbs are that good.
25) Jacksonville (Gmoney): T Alex Leatherwood, Alabama #70
TRADE: Cleveland gives 1.26 (26), Green Bay gives 1.29 (29), 3.29 (93) 26) Green Bay (herb): CB Asante Samuel Jr, FSU #13 So my reasoning for picking Samuel is the packers need someone to pair up with Jaire Alexander, Samuel was the best choice available and he can really bring a much needed CB2 to Green Bay.
27) Baltimore (oman): EDGE Jayson Oweh, Penn St #28 Ravens have Judon and McPhee hitting the open market, thus opening some obvious holes. I was looking WR initially but given how the draft played out so far I liked the edge options more. I like his athletic ability in Winks scheme and he should be a good fit.
28) NY Giants (rubbersoul): WR Rondale Moore, Purdue #4
29) Cleveland (Huntington): EDGE Joe Tryon, Washington #9 Tryon is a tall, big, athletic edge who can play standing up or can be a traditional 4-3 DE. He can both drop back in coverage or rush the passer. He’s a 3-down player who can grow and complement Garrett. A very productive 2019 overshadowed by his opting out in 2020. Tryon is a high energy player with the size to defend the run though its an area he needs to improve. With Vernon both injured a free agent, Tryon will have a chance to start immediately.
30) Buffalo (AntRob): RB Najee Harris, Alabama #22 The Bills completely abandoned the run for large portions of last year and basically told Josh Allen to go win games by himself. The Bills need some juice in the backfield, I don't have confidence in Singletary or Moss being that guy for them, as evidenced by Daboll's playcalling. Harris is the most well rounded back in this class and checks every box for me. What makes him valuable in addition to his frame and run + catch ability is his elusivity (wiggle...light, nimble feet) and his power. The blending of all these things together gives you a really upper class RB prospect that will finally be able to bring the Bills offense some multiplicity and balance in scheme.
31 New England (rgoing): LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame #6 The patriots fielded calls at the 15th spot, although there are questions surrounding the Quarterback position, New England ultimately felt a trade back with the Buccaneers was to the 31st pick was the best move. New England does not draft for need in the first round, they draft for best available player. The Patriots drafted Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out of the University of Notre Dame with the 31st pick. Although JOK is listed as a linebacker, New England isn't going to just utilize his talents there. JOK is the new breed of defender, his ability and versatility allows him to play different roles on defense the perfect type of player for the patriots.
TRADE: Kansas City gives 1.32 (32), Cincinnati gives 2.06 (38), 4.06 (110), 7.05 (231) 32) Cincinnati (Sliz): IOL Alijah Vera-Tucker No matter what they do in FA, the value was too good to pass up here. With OL needy teams (MIA, NYJ) sitting ahead of the Bengals this trade up felt necessary to lock up a top guy. A 4th and a 7th (Bengals got a 7th back in the Dunlap trade) was a cheap price to pay to get there, while also picking up the 5th year option. AVT projects as a solid OG that should be a consistent starter on an IOL that desperately needs a long-term piece. I feel AVT's an insanely safe pick to be productive, putting him a tier above the next group of guys each with their own question marks (medical or otherwise). Paired with Slater in rd 1 and a healthy Jonah Williams, CIN now has several young cornerstone pieces to protect and grow with Joe Burrow and open lanes for Mixon. AVT has positional versatility, allowing the Bengals the chance to let guys compete for multiple spots and see what lineup works the best. This is a make or break year for Taylor. This is a franchise that needs to protect the future in Joe Burrow. Double dipping at OL helps both those facets.
33) Jacksonville (Gmoney): S Trevon Moehrig, TCU #7
34) NY Jets (stackingdollars): IOL Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma #56 NYJ’s OL was a huge improvement from 2019 but it still needs work especially in the middle. Creed offers versatility and a long term option at center. Connor McGovern would be able to play OG as he has experience there, or Creed can play OG as he has taken some snaps there during the senior bowl. Creed has quick hands and good size and can bring stability on the OL for years to come.
35) Atlanta (jorjor): CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia #3
36) Miami (tolgzz): S Andre Cisco, Syracuse #7
TRADES: Philadelphia gives 2.05 (37), Denver gives 2.08 (40), 4.09 (115), 2022 DEN 6th 37) Denver (Paxton): WR Kadarius Toney, Florida #1 I was shocked Toney fell this low, and after having tried to trade up multiple times before, I was finally able to make it work. I felt I needed to jump the chiefs so some might say I overpaid, but hey. Toney was IMO BPA, his evasiveness is unmatched in this class and he is a willing contested catcher. Toney is a perfect fit alongside Jeudy, Sutton and Hamler and will provide the Broncos with a true "weapon". While WR isnt close to the broncos most pressing need, this pick makes the broncos offence a lethal force.
38) Kansas City (teutonic): G Jalen Mayfield, Michigan #73 I tried trading up for the falling JOK but had no takers on my trade offers and when it got to my pick I felt comfortable with enough options that I elected to trade back for an extra 4th and 7th. Mayfield is a big man who I think will slot into a guard position at the next level, he's extremely strong and fits a need on the OL. TRADES: Carolina gives 2.07 (39), 2022 CAR 5th, Chicago gives 2.20 (52), 3.20 (84), 2022 CHI 4th 39) Chicago (Mayor): IOL Wyatt Davis, Ohio St #52
40) Philadelphia (Salty): EDGE Joseph Ossai, Texas #46 I originally had pick 37, and was looking at Ossai as well as other players like Nick Bolton as a possible selection. However, the Broncos came to me with a nice offer that netted me a current 4th and a 2022 6th while only moving back 3 spots. I acquired the 40th pick and used that on Ossai. Ossai is a great pass rusher who is also talented in the run game. He was moved around a good amount in college before settling as an EDGE for the Texas Longhorns. He is big and fast, and can be moved around the D line. The Eagles run a 4-3 defense which Ossai can excel in, and he also works very well in other defensive packages. Putting Ossai on this already promising D Line with names like Derek Barnett, Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, and most importantly Fletcher Cox could put this line back at the peaks they experienced in 2017, when their defense could take over and destroy the opposing offense.
41) Detroit (Zingy): EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami #15
42) NY Giants (rubbersoul): LB Nick Bolton, Missouri #32
43) Detroit (Zingy): WR Terrace Marshall, LSU #6
44) Dallas (spencerw): IDL Daviyon Nixon, Iowa #54 I'm once again addressing the putrid Dallas defense that gave up almost 30 points a game last season. Nixon can line up at the 3-tech as a 4-3 DT under Dan Quinn and can make an immediate impact on the inside as a power gap rusher and can help with one of the worst rush defenses in the league (almost 160 rush yards/game). I was hoping to grab Bolton here, but Nixon is a solid IDL that can shore up a huge hole in the Dallas defense on day 1. The Cowboys now have 2 young defensives pieces to begin rebuilding/rejuvenating a declining side of the ball.
45) Jacksonville (Gmoney): TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn St #87
46) New England (rgoing): T Jackson Carman, Clemson #79 The Patriots picked Clemson standout Jackson Carman. The Patriots are unsure if he will stay at Tackle or move to guard, what they do know is that they received a powerful and athletic player standing at 6’5 330. Carman is best known for his superb run, although he was able to neutralize DROY Chase Young in the 2019 CFP Playoffs last season. Carman fits perfectly for the Patriots offense as they are known for their smash mouth football, and play-action passing.
47) LA Chargers (run1609): IOL Trey Smith, Tennessee #73 This pick is contingent upon his medicals checking out (blood clots in lungs, 2018). Frankly, I'm not positive as to what a Joe Lombardi offense will look like, but I do know that Smith has what it takes to succeed at the next level. Very powerful, consistenly wins in a phone booth but has the requisite athleticism for his size to win in space too.
48) Las Vegas (jmah): EDGE Carlos Basham Jr, Wake Forest #9 Carlos Basham Jr.: I've seen PFF tweet about this guy before so I think he might be good. Raiders D line is already looking much improved with Barmore at 17 and now "Boogie" Basham at 48.
49) Arizona (Brodie): IDL Marvin Wilson, FSU #21
50) Miami (tolgzz): RB Travis Etienne, Clemson #9
51) Washington (klondike): T Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame #74 WFT desperately needs tackle. He has shown great strides in advancing his game. Not the most physically gifted player, but he plays smart football.
TRADE: Carolina gives 2.20 (52), LA Rams gives 2.25 (57), 6.25 (210), 2022 LAR 5th 52) LA Rams (prime): LB Dylan Moses, Alabama #32 The Rams are projected to be bottom-5 in cap space in both 2021 and 2022 once the Stafford trade goes through according to OTC, and they don’t have a first-round choice until 2024. Even worse, they have six starters projected to be UFAs this year (Reynolds, Blythe, Floyd, Ebukam, Johnson, Hill), and four next year (Corbett, Kiser, Young, Fuller). As a result, landing a future starter with this pick was crucial. I was willing to move up a little because of how important it was to land a future starter here. Moses had a dominant 2018 season before missing 2019 with a knee injury and rebounding in 2020, and I think he fits well as a 3-4 ILB replacement to either Micah Kiser or Kenny Young in 2022.
54) Indianapolis (Viddstuff): EDGE Patrick Jones II, Pitt #91
55) Pittsburgh (Fireblast): RB Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis #19 Although the steelers have some other needs, RB I felt was a major one. James connor isn't the answer, and I think gainwell although only really playing 1 season fully can provide versatility in the backfield, as not only did he have almost 1500 yards on the ground, with an average of over 6 yds per carry, he also had just over 600 yds receiving. Overall, I think he can be a solid RB for the steelers, assuming their offensive line holds.
57) Carolina (cantstopthis): CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern #2 After the Chiefs took Jalen Mayfield, I was left in an awkward spot. I didn't feel too strongly about any of the guys on the board at 2.39. Luckily, the Chicago Bears came calling and I was able to regain some of the assets that were lost in the trade up for Justin Fields. At 2.52, I had a few guys on my board I was comfortable with and decided to trade back 5 spots, taking a chance that at least one of my guys would be there. Luckily, Newsome was still on the board. Greg Newsome II has been rising on boards everywhere, and rightfully so. He has good ball skills to combine with solid athleticism as well as a nice frame that will help him to succeed at the next level. He also has good awareness as well as good instincts to help him out. Newsome will fit right in with the Carolina Panthers, who were among the leaders with their usage of cover 3 and zone.
58) Baltimore (oman): IOL Ben Cleveland, Georgia #74
59) Cleveland (Huntington): S Richie Grant, UCF #27 Grant is tall, athletic, versatile player who can play both FS or SS and even nickel if necessary, though likely slots as aFS. A productive ball hawk, high motor player, and energetic tackler, the Senior Bowl star Grant has the makings to be a fan favorite in Cleveland for years to come.
60) New Orleans (Misery): WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss #8
61) Buffalo (Antrob): IDL Levi Onwuzurike, Washington #95 One of the more glossed over storylines of the Bills 2020 season was their defensive regression. They lost a lot of talent in their front 7 to FA. This pick attempts to replenish the young talent in that area. Levi is quickly becoming a big riser in the draft as more people familiarize themselves w/ his 2019 film. He's a really talented defensive lineman who has the ability to develop into a potential every down force. He has a matured frame and plays with an explosiveness that jumps off on tape. In addition to his physical tools, he is also pretty advanced from a technical perspective as well, as he knows how to use his hands and understands the importance of filling space and occupying gaps. To me, in a relatively weak IDL class, he's one of the few prospects who could become something worth noting at the next level, mainly due to how well rounded he is. His natural athleticism, burst, quickness and get-off coupled with his technical refinements (hands, leverage, body control) give me confidence that he can effect the QB consistently in the passing game. Whereas his strength, quickness, instincts, length and leverage make me optimistic he can be good against the run in time as well.
62) Green Bay (herb): WR Amon-Ra St Brown, USC #8
TRADE: New England gives 2.31 (63), Philadelphia gives 3.06 (70), 4.09 (113), 2022 PHI 5th 63) Philadelphia (Salty): CB Eric Stokes, Georgia #27 I originally had the 70th overall pick in the draft, but I had not addressed one of the Eagles biggest needs yet in the draft; Cornerback. The Eagles have struggled with that position, and it has been a weak point of their defense the past few years. Greg Newsome II went a few picks before and I was getting worried that there wouldn't be a quality Corner available at my pick. Because of this fear, I traded up to pick 63. Admittedly, I overpaid. I gave up pick 70, the 4th round pick I got from the Broncos trade back, as well as a 2022 5th for pick 63, to the Patriots. This was an overpay, yet one with a reason, as it was used to secure a good Corner for the team. Eric Stokes is a good Corner prospect who can be a day 1 starter who develops into a impact player for the Eagles. He is on the taller side at 6'1", and can play both man and zone well. He has some ball skill issues and you might see him not making some easy interceptions at the next level and can clean his technique up some, but hes a good prospect that is a bit of a steal at the end of the second round. With Stokes on the team the secondary will improve and might finally have some promise.
64) Kansas City (teutonic): LB Chazz Surratt, UNC #21 A converted QB, Surratt is another very toolsy player for the chiefs. I like the speed he plays with and he fits the mold of the 'modern' LB. He has a lot of work to do still but I think with the right coaching he can realize his potential. 65) Jacksonville (Gmoney): CB Shaun Wade, Ohio St #24
66) NY Jets (stackingdollars): CB Elijah Moldin, Washington #3 Jets lack CB depth and arguably their best CB, Brian Poole, is a FA this year. Molden has great instincts, but is a little undersized, and can play ideally as a nickel CB. He thrives in zone coverage and is solid in run support. Molden can be a starter from day 1 and grow into the Saleh defensive system.
67) Houston (Kdelgado): T Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma St #73
68) Atlanta (jorjor): EDGE Quincy Roche, Miami #2 The falcons suck at edge and Quincy Roche is my favorite edge rusher available.
69) Cincinnati (Sliz): IDL Jay Tufele, USC #78 With Geno Atkins aging out a bit, and a potential cap casualty either this year or next, it was hard to pass on the top rated player on my board by a large margin (second time a USC player has slipped to my range). Tufele is a dominant player at the 3T with versatility to take snaps along the interior as needed. He offers value on all 3 downs, and gives a stud to slot in beside DJ Reader longterm. With the run on CBs and Edge players prior to our pick, Bengals take another pick to build the trenches.
70) New England (rgoing): IOL Quinn Meinerz, UW-Whitewater #77 Senior Bowl standout Quinn Meinerz gets selected, not many know about Wisconsin Whitewater since it is a D3 school. Meinerz impressed and dominated at the Senior Bowl, some scouts had him rising into the top 100 even the top 50 for best available players. Questions always rise when drafting a player at a lower level, I think the Senior Bowl eliminated any of those speculations for Mr. Meinerz. The Patriots love the value they have received with their pick!
71) Denver (paxton): LB Charles Snowden, Virginia #11 I was scared the patriots would pick him. Really good fit for their...ahem….organizational philosophy. Anyways, Maybe this is a bit of a reach, but it’s impossible for me to pass on Snowden. You can't teach his physical tools. A 6’7 defender who can play all over the front 7, paired with Vic Fangio? This is a bit of a risk, but its at a position of need for the Broncos and I believe his tools, ceiling and football IQ make it a risk worth taking.
72) Detroit (Zingy): S Jevon Holland, Oregon #8
73) Miami (tolgzz): WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma St #2 Miami selects WR Tylan Wallace to add yet another weapon for their QB they decided to stick with Tua. Tylan they feel slipped to their laps in this draft and believe he cant be a very solid weapon with good upside that has been overshadowed by an elite WR class.
74) Washington (klondike): CB Aaron Robinson, UCF #31
75) Dallas (spencerw): CB Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse #23 I go defense for the third time in as many picks, I was hoping for an OT (not big on Radnunz) but none really fell the way I wanted, this is the second CB drafted but I see Ifeatu excelling way more as a S in the next level, this fills another hole Day 1 IMO and cleans up the secondary.
TRADE: NY Giants give 3.12 (76), New England gives 3.31 (95), 4.15 (120) 76) New England (rgoing): WR D'Wayne Eskridge, W Michigan #1 Patriots selected speedy receiver D’Wayne Eskridge out Western Michigan University. There were many questions why the Patriots waited to take a receiver until the 76th pick in the draft, Eskridge was the reason why! The former track star runs a (4.3 – 4.4) 40yd, putting him up as one of the fastest WR in the draft. There were a bunch of questions about the low level competition in the MAC, but D’Wayne showed he can go up against some of the best at the Senior Bowl this year. The idea is that D’Wayne can come in and be a starter day 1 on special teams returning kicks as well as a slot receiver.
77) voided
78) LA Chargers (run1609): T Dillon Radunz, NDSU #73 Was ecstatic to see Radunz at this pick. Has been training with the recently-retired Joe Staley all year and it showed at the Senior Bowl last week, where he was named OL of the week by his peers. The Chargers have no long-term pieces at OT and a ROTY that needs protecting. Radunz fits the bill perfectly.
79) Minnesota (beezus): S Hamsah Nasirildeen, FSU #23
80) Minnesota (beezus): IOL Josh Myers, Ohio St #71 At the top of the third round, the Vikings had 4 players they were targeting: jay tufele, Jevon Holland, Dillon radunz, and hamsah nasirildeen. Three of the four were gone by the time our picks came around, three out of the four were gone (whoever took Dillon radunz is a stupid dumb idiot head). After taking nasirildeen at 79, it came down to Myers and walker little. The Vikings ultimately went with Myers at 80, shying away from Little’s injury history. Myers offers a strong run blocking profile coming out of the gate, but is admittedly a work in progress in the pass game. Regardless, an upgrade over Dakota “turnstyle” dozier was needed, and Myers should be a day one improvement.
81) Las Vegas (jmah): S Paris Ford, Pitt #12 I searched Paris Ford on YouTube and he has a highlight vid with almost a million views. That’s a steal in the 3rd round.
82) Miami (tolgzz): IDL Tyler Shelvin, LSU #72 The Pick is In. Dolphins select IDL Tyler Shelvin, LSU. Miami adds a true nose tackle in Shelvin adding to their DL to help stop against the run. With Miami's plan to rotate DL Shelvin will be in during running downs where the Dolphins lack run stoppers on the DL.
83) Washington (klondike): RB Demetric Felton, UCLA #10
84) Carolina (cantstopthis): T Walker Little, Stanford #72 Little is a high upside prospect who has the potential to be one of the better tackles in this draft. With great size and length, Little is able to eliminate defenders from the play. He also has solid athleticism and can play in multiple schemes. With the Panthers oline being up in the air right now, it was important to take a guy who could protect Fields blindside.
TRADE: Indianapolis gives 3.21 (85), Cleveland gives 3.28 (92), 6.27 (212) 85) Cleveland (Huntington): S Keith Taylor, Washington #27 Taylor is a tall cornerback who isn’t afraid to tackle ball carriers or receivers. A senior, he’s athletic and has experience playing both man and zone coverage. Can stay with most receivers but will get burnt by speedsters one on one. Lack of any collegiate interceptions is concerning, but his size and coverage skills will earn him a role in any NFL secondary.
87) NY Jets (stackingdollars): LB Cameron McGrone, Michigan #44 The Jets LB group has a few question marks. CJ Mosley has pretty much had 2 years off from football, Neville Hewitt is a free agent, and Blake Cashman can’t stay healthy. McGrone can be a three down LB adding some depth and becoming a starter.
88) Pittsburgh (Fireblast): IOL Deonte Brown, Alabama #65 An absolutely huge frame at 6'4 350lbs, I believe Brown can be a solid Guard in the nfl, his size means that he can be a force both in pass and run blocking, and I think overall he can be a big peice of that aging O-line, perhaps replacing one of their current guards within the next year or 2.
89) San Francisco (Anc): EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt #10 Niners get good value here as Odeyingbo falls to them at 89. With a number of players departing in FA or victims of potential cuts across the DL, SF targets a versatile player who lined up both as a 3T and on the EDGE productively. Odeyingbo has great length which he knows how to use to his advantage to control his opponents, and has a high ceiling as a pass rusher. He has a strong club move and uses his athleticism to quickly close out on QBs once he gets free. Needs work to refine his pass rush attack, as the most common reps involve him relying on his length and burst. Against the run he has a lot of work to do, especially on the interior where his subpar pad level can get him blown up too often. Does do a good job at setting the edge. Overall, Odeyingbo is something of a project which isn't the best fit for the Niner's timeline but we didn't want to pass on good value at a position group of need.
90) Cleveland (Huntington): WR Dyami Brown, UNC #2 Tall, vertical receiver who had a highly productive collegiate career. Athletic with a great burst, he can get down the field and go after deep balls. An energetic blocker and able ball carrier, he’s a potential 3 down WR if he works on his release and route tree. Can contribute immediately and has starting WR potential.
91) Arizona (Brodie): CB Shakur Brown, Michigan St #29
92) Indianapolis (Viddstuff): WR Marlon Williams, UCF #6 With questions surrounding TY Hilton’s return, I decided to take a WR who could fill in in case TY leaves. While not a traditional slot Wr, Williams provides skill over the middle as a big slot wr, and will be a good target for any QB. He should get snaps early as a rookie.
93) Cleveland (Huntington): LB Jabril Cox, LSU #19 Tall, agile LB with superb coverage skills. A natural 4-3 OLB who fits the Browns scheme very well. Has the ability to cover TE or RB and has tremendous range and motor. Needs to learn how to take on and disengage blocks, but has the makings of a 3 down OLB who can do it all. 94) Buffalo (Antrob): T Spencer Brown, N Iowa #76 After having a really good season Daryl Williams is set to hit FA. I think the Bills should prioritize re-signing him, but even at his best I wouldn't view him as a long term solution at RT. Spencer Brown is an interesting prospect who's recently gotten more attention after having a really nice week at the Senior Bowl. Standing at 6'8" he offers unique length and size at the Tackle position. He also has good mobility and a light, nimble lower half in which he still has the opportunity to fill out to really solidify his anchor which is already pretty decent. He plays with the 'mean streak' that you always want to see out of your OL. And as a small school guy, dominated his competition which you always want to see, which he parlayed into solidifying himself as a guy in the Senior Bowl against legitimate rushers. The hope would be that he and Dion Dawkins can be the anchors on the Bills edges in regards to protecting Josh Allen and opening up running lanes for Najee Harris for the next decade.
95) NY Giants (rubbersoul): EDGE Hamilcar Rashed, Oregon St #9
96) Kansas City (teutonic): EDGE Payton Turner, Houston #98 Turner is another player with an ideal frame that is raw. He is a big edge player with some positional versatility that should be able to take over for Kpassgnon. 97) Tampa Bay (EFS): IOL Aaron Banks, Notre Dame #69 At 6'6", 330 lbs, Aaron Banks is a dependable, well-rounded, G who also has some experience playing at T. He's a smart player who frequently reaches the second level and neutralizes oncoming defenders. In Tampa Bay, he'll serve as a backup to Ali Marpet and serve as a welcome depth piece.
98) LA Chargers (run1609): LB Baron Browning, Ohio St #5
99) New Orleans (Misery): CB Israel Mukuamu, South Carolina #24
100) Dallas (spencerw): TE Brevin Jordan, Miami #9 I went with a piece I think can be utilized anywhere on the field besides wideout, he lined up all over the place at miami and was used a lot in pass/run blocking and route running, I wanted to go OT at some point but the board never really fell the way I wanted to so I decided to go with a high utility weapon for them to use
101) Tennessee: WR Seth Williams, Auburn #18
102) LA Rams (prime): EDGE Joshua Kaindoh, FSU #13 Floyd and Ebukam are free agents in 2021, and given the Rams’ relatively poor standing with the salary cap, it may make sense to try to get edge rushers early in the draft. Kaindoh fits the athletic mold of Floyd, and he has the length to give tackles fits whilst he develops his pass-rush arsenal over the next couple seasons.
103) San Francisco (Anc): CB Paulson Adebo, Stanford #11
TRADE: LA Rams gives 3.39 (103), Minnesota gives 4.14 (119), 6.15 (201) 104) Minnesota (beezus): IDL Tommy Togiai, Ohio St #72 tommy togaia profiles as a player who can offer year one upside as a run defender at the three tech with potential to develop as a pass rusher. This past year he logged 24 pressures and three sacks for the Buckeyes, and could continue to grow as a pass rusher under the tutelage of MN’s exceptional defensive coaching
Hey Jets fans! Before the festivities started, I thought it’d be fun to run through a mock offseason of my own to really get a sense of what’s possible with our resources over the next few months. I tried to keep everything realistic, but this is fundamentally what I would do, and not just a raw prediction. Either way, I hope you enjoy!
Coach Firings
HC Adam Gase
OC Dowell Loggains
DC Frank Bush
Explanation: This one kinda goes without saying — the Jets are currently 2-13 and on track to finish with the 32nd-ranked total offense for the second time in as many years with Adam Gase. Frank Bush took over as interim DC after the Jets fired Gregg Williams, but the team will almost certainly look in a new direction on both offense and defense.
Coach Hirings
HC Brian Daboll
OC Chad O’Shea
DC Aubrey Pleasant
Explanation: Being Josh Allen’s offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2020 almost speaks for itself — Daboll’s most impressive coaching achievement to date is transforming the raw Wyoming product into an MVP-tier quarterback in under three years. Daboll has been part of five Super Bowl victories and College Football National Championship, and he’s coached players like Brett Favre and Rob Gronkowski, in addition to developing young quarterbacks such as Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, and Josh Allen. Daboll is a coach with a winning record who could help develop the next Jets quarterback. Daboll would likely look to Bills QB coach Ken Dorsey to be his offensive coordinator, but Buffalo may choose to keep Dorsey as offensive coordinator instead. Therefore, Daboll could look towards Browns passing game coordinator Chad O’Shea, who spent 10 seasons coaching in New England, partially overlapping with Daboll, and who spent last season coordinating the overachieving Dolphins offense. At defensive coordinator, there are a large number of options, but one of them is Rams CB coach Aubrey Pleasant. Pleasant has been called a future head coach by DeAngelo Hall, and he’s worked with Jalen Ramsey and Marcus Peters in Los Angeles. In Washington, Pleasant worked with DeAngelo Hall, and he also worked to develop Quinton Dunbar and Bashaud Breeland into good starters. The Rams currently have the top-ranked total defense in football, and at only 32 years old, Pleasant would be an exciting choice to lead the defense.
Cuts
Estimated Initial Cap Space (OTC): $73 MM
LG Alex Lewis ($5.4 MM savings)
EDGE Henry Anderson ($8.2 MM savings)
Explanation: Lewis is a tough cut, but considering he was injured this season and he had always been seen as somewhat of a stopgap solution, this could be the offseason to upgrade at left guard. Henry Anderson didn’t really find his niche with the Jets in 2020 despite being moved into a variety of different roles, so he’s not worth the $8 MM to remain on a talented defensive line.
Estimated Post Cuts Cap Space: $87 MM
Re-Signings
EDGE Tarell Basham (1 year, $2 MM, $1 MM guaranteed)
ILB Neville Hewitt (2 years, $5 MM, $1 MM guaranteed)
FS Marcus Maye (3 years, $30 MM, $12 MM guaranteed)
Explanation: The Jets have a lot of defensive free agents in 2020, so retaining a few spot starters in Basham and Hewitt makes sense to free up holes that would otherwise have to be addressed in free agency. Marcus Maye was a bright spot for the Jets in a variety of roles in 2020, and his injury problems haven’t really flared up since 2018, so he might be brought back for something resembling the Jimmie Ward contract from last offseason.
Estimated Post Re-Signings Cap Space: $76 MM
Free-Agent Signings
QB Matt Barkley (2 years, $5 MM, $2 MM guaranteed)
WR Demarcus Robinson (1 year, $4 MM, $1 MM guaranteed)
TE Jacob Hollister (2 years, $10 MM, $2 MM guaranteed)
LG Matt Feiler (3 years, $33 MM, $10 MM guaranteed)
C Matt Skura (2 years, $14 MM, $5 MM guaranteed)
EDGE Leonard Floyd (3 years, $42 MM, $19 MM guaranteed)
EDGE Kerry Hyder Jr (1 year, $8 MM, $6 MM guaranteed)
CB Bashaud Breeland (2 year, $10 MM, $4 MM guaranteed)
Estimated Post Free Agency Cap Space: $30 MM
Explanation: Barkley was Daboll’s backup quarterback in Buffalo, so bringing him in to help install the offense makes sense. If Perriman walks, adding a vet on a one-year, “prove-it” deal at receiver makes some sense as a starter across from Denzel Mims. Jacob Hollister would likely be an upgrade over Herndon and Griffin after consecutive strong seasons as a receiver for Seattle, and making TE an asset instead of a liability could help with the offense as a whole, as well as the development of a young quarterback. Alex Lewis and Connor McGovern struggled mightily in 2020, and neither really is a great fit for type of drive blocking that shows up a lot in Daboll’s offense, so LG and C might be areas that the Jets splurge in free agency. Matt Feiler has played both guard and tackle in Pittsburgh, and at 6’6”/330 lbs, he definitely has the bulk and strength to fit into Daboll’s offense. Matt Skura looked well on his way to being a highly-paid center in the NFL before a season-ending knee injury in 2019 and a somewhat-underwhelming year in 2020, but the Jets could gamble on him coming back to form for the 2021 season, as he is still a young player with flashes of very good play. The Jets have a huge hole at edge rusher, and perhaps Aubrey Pleasant could help by bringing Leonard Floyd, who has looked like a different player over the past two seasons with the Rams, with him from Los Angeles. Kerry Hyder Jr is a versatile player who can line up outside and inside and who excelled in Nick Bosa’s absence, so the Jets could take a one-year look at him as well to help with their EDGE issues. Aubrey Pleasant and Bashaud Breeland worked together in Washington, and seeing as the Jets need to perhaps add a veteran corner to a shaky room also containing Bryce Hall, Bless Austin, and Lamar Jackson, Breeland is a fine candidate.
Draft
1.02 (2) — Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
1.30 (30) — Terrace Marshall Jr, WR, LSU
2.02 (34) — Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn St
3.02 (66) — Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
3.29 (93) — Joshua Kaindoh, EDGE, Florida St
4.02 (103) — Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
4.10 (111) — Alaric Jackson, LT, Iowa
Explanation: At 2nd overall, the Jets have an opportunity to address the quarterback position with Justin Fields on the board. Fields is a big, strong-armed passer with mobility who could stand to work on his pocket presence somewhat. Later in the first and early in the second, the Jets could add weapons around Fields by drafting Terrace Marshall and Pat Freiermuth. Marshall is a height-weight-speed freak who has excelled as the number-one guy in LSU following Justin Jefferson’s departure. Freiermuth is an athletic tight end who can stretch the seams but also can block from an in-line presnap look. Humphrey and Kaindoh are two former highly-recruited linemen who could grow into roles projected to be left by veterans such as Greg Van Roten, Connor McGovern, John Franklin-Myers, and Kerry Hyder Jr. Adebo is a long, athletic corner who Aubrey Pleasant could possibly develop into a future starter. Alaric Jackson is a nimble lineman who could improve the tackle depth off the bat.
Projected Starters
QB: Justin Fields RB: La’Mical Perine WR: Denzel Mims WR: Terrace Marshall Jr SWR: Jamison Crowder TE: Pat Freiermuth LT: Mekhi Becton LG: Matt Feiler C: Matt Skura RG: Greg Van Roten RT: George Fant EDGE: Leonard Floyd EDGE: Kerry Hyder Jr DT: Quinnen Williams DT: John Franklin-Myers ILB: CJ Mosley ILB: Neville Hewitt CB: Bashaud Breeland CB: Bryce Hall NCB: Javelin Guidry SS: Ashtyn Davis FS: Marcus Maye
Lost in the Sauce: Trump's smear campaign fizzles out
Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis. Housekeeping:
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Trump’s hit job fizzles
Emails and photos purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden were circulating in Ukraine last year at the same time that Rudy Giuliani was in the country searching for dirt on Joe Biden. Two people said they were approached with Hunter’s alleged emails, first in May 2019 and second in September 2019. Giuliani’s former business partner, Lev Parnas, separately told Politico that Giuliani was offered the photos and emails in May 2019 by an associate of Burisma founder Mykola Zlochevsky, who wanted to curry favor with the Trump administration.
Parnas said Giuliani was eager to get the information from Zlochevsky...Ultimately, Giuliani was not satisfied with the answers he got back on July 7, 2019. Asked, for example, whether Joe Biden, while vice president, had ever assisted Zlochevsky or Burisma “in any way with business deals or meetings with world leaders or any other assistance,” Zlochevsky replied curtly: “No.”
Giuliani and Parnas were told former Burisma CFO Alexander Gorbunenko - among numerous others - also had access to the material Giuliani was seeking. However, the day Giuliani was scheduled to meet with Gorbunenko and get “a package of information” from him on Hunter Biden, Parnas was arrested.
Reminder: Russian military hackers infiltrated Burisma’s servers in Winter 2019, when talk of Ukraine, the Bidens, and impeachment were making headlines in the U.S.
Trump’s hit job to be published in the Wall Street Journal resulted in the opposite of his desired findings: Joe Biden had “no role” in Hunter Biden’s business dealings. White House lawyer Eric Herschmann and former deputy White House counsel Stefan Passantino gave WSJ documents from a former business partner of Hunter Biden’s named Tony Bobulinski. Trump even invited Bobulinski to the debate last week, in the hopes of generating buzz. More on the Biden narratives:
John Paul Mac Isaac, a computer repairman from Delaware, actively tried to push the story of the Hunter Biden laptops into the press after contacting the FBI. Eventually, Mac Isaac connected with Ken LaCorte, a former Fox News executive who effectively killed a story about the hush money deal between Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump in 2016.
Associates of Steve Bannon are pushing child abuse rumors in their attempt to “Pizzagate” Joe Biden.
Intelligence Experts Suspicious of DNI Ratcliffe On Laptop Story. The chief of the U.S. intelligence community appeared to pre-judge the conclusions of an active FBI investigation.
More interference
DNI John Ratcliffe gave a last-minute announcement alongside FBI Director Christopher Wray that both Russia and Iran have tried to interfere in the election. “We have confirmed that some voter registration information has been obtained by Iran, and separately, by Russia,” Ratcliffe said. However, Ratcliffe chose to emphasize the role of Iran, accusing the nation of trying to harm President Trump’s chances at re-election with spoofed emails purported to be from the Proud Boys.
Russia poses a bigger election threat than Iran, many U.S. officials say.
Ratcliffe was joined by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who did not speak about any specific actions or nations. Instead, Wray sought to reassure the public that the FBI and intelligence communities were working to ensure the legitimacy of the election. Wray’s continued refusal to assist in Trump’s re-election gambits has put him in Trump’s crosshairs - should he win re-election, Trump plans on “immediately” firing Wray. Also on the chopping block are CIA Director Gina Haspel and Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who received a classified briefing on Wednesday afternoon on election security, said he disagreed with Ratcliffe that Iran was specifically trying to hurt Trump. “It was clear to me that the intent of Iran in this case and Russia in many more cases is to basically undermine confidence in our elections. This action I do not believe was aimed ... at discrediting President Trump,” Schumer said. The Trump administration has known for weeks that Iran and Russia had hacked local governments and obtained voter registration and other personal data. In a technical alert issued Thursday, the FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said that hackers working for the Russian government had broken into several local government networks and that as of the beginning of October had stolen data from at least two of them.
Courts and DOJ
A three-judge District Court panel in California barred the Census Bureau from giving the White House a count of the nation’s unauthorized immigrants. Trump ordered the bureau in July to give him a state-by-state count of people living in the United States without authorization, saying he planned to subtract them from the 2020 census totals that will be used to divvy up House seats among the states next year.
Last month a different three-judge panel in federal district court in Manhattan also unanimously rejected Trump’s plan. The case has already been appealed to the Supreme Court, which will have a 6-3 conservative majority. The Supreme Court also recently ruled in Trump’s favor on a different Census issue, allowing the administration to cut the count short by roughly 15 days.
Ken Kurson, a friend Jared Kushner and an associate of Rudy Giuliani, was arrested Friday by the FBI and charged with a "pattern of stalking and harassment against three victims.” Two years ago, the Trump administration offered Kurson a seat on the board of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Major Republican Party and Trump fundraiser Elliott Broidy pleaded guilty Tuesday to acting as an unregistered foreign agent,admitting to accepting millions of dollars to secretly lobby the Trump administration for Malaysian and Chinese interests. NYC, Seattle, and Portland sued the Trump administration for declaring the cities “anarchist jurisdictions” and pulling federal funds. The “anarchist jurisdiction” designation came after Trump ordered the DOJ to identify cities that, in his view, were not responding aggressively enough to protests and crime. The Mississippi attorney general petitioned the Supreme Court again on Thursday to review the state's 15-week abortion ban, a case that directly challenges Roe v. Wade. Mississippi's petition comes as the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court is all but guaranteed. Finding that state officials have acted with “deliberate indifference” to the health of prisoners at San Quentin — where 75% of them have tested positive for the coronavirus and 28 have died — a state appeals court took the unprecedented step Tuesday of ordering at least half of the prison’s 2,900 inmates transferred or released.
Funny business
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's former company landed a $5 million highway-shipping contract last month with the United States Postal Service. The contract was negotiated in August and disclosed in mid-October. Around the time it was disclosed, DeJoy belatedly agreed to divest his interest in the company, XPO Logistics. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows reported spending almost $75,000 through his campaign and leadership PAC on what appear to be personal expenses, after announcing he would not run for re-election in his North Carolina congressional seat. The expenses include gourmet cupcakes, a cell phone bill, grocery purchases, lavish meals, thousands of dollars at a Washington jeweler, and lodging at the Trump International Hotel. Sen. Ron Johnson began the process of selling a company he partly owned in February 2018, just months after he insisted the Trump administration change a portion of the tax law in a way that ultimately benefited the sale. At the end of 2017, Johnson refused to vote for Trump’s tax bill unless it provided better treatment for “pass-through” entities. The bill was changed in such a way that increased the value of pass-through entities in order to gain Johnson’s vote. Four months later, Johnson sold his stock in his own pass-through company, generating profits of as much as $25m on the sale. Watchdog group CREW is concerned that Mitch McConnell is slow-walking the confirmation of the inspector general in charge of investigating his wife. It’s been more than eight months since the Dept. of Transportation, led by Elaine Chao, has had a permanent IG. A Trump political appointee previously vetted by McConnell is currently leading the office, after Trump removed the previous acting IG Mitch Behm.
Chao is accused of favoring McConnell’s home state of Kentucky in awarding lucrative grants and assisting McConnell’s allies in advancing their careers.
Miscellaneous
Trump: A New York Times report revealed that Trump paid almost $200,000 in taxes to China, where he still maintains a bank account and spent years pursuing business deals – a potentially major conflict of interest for a president who has fought both of his election campaigns on a promise to stand up to Beijing. During that time frame, Trump paid no personal income tax to the IRS. Trump: The Trump Organization re-registered the domain name TrumpTowerMoscow.com this June, as it has done every year of his presidency, suggesting that the company has not necessarily abandoned its hopes for a real estate deal in Russia. Immigration: ICE officers allegedly tortured Cameroonian asylum seekers to force them to sign their own deportation orders, in what lawyers and activists describe as a brutal scramble to fly African migrants out of the country in the run-up to the elections. According to multiple accounts, detainees were threatened, choked, beaten, pepper-sprayed and threatened with more violence to make them sign. Immigration: Since 2017, at least 265 calls made to police through 911 and nonemergency lines have reported violence and abuse inside California’s four privately run federal detention centers overseen by ICE. California law enforcement turned a blind eye: In only three cases in which detainees said they were victimized did records show a suspect was charged; in two of those, the suspects were deported before they could be arrested. Immigration: In Thursday's debate, Trump said his administration is "working very hard" to reunite migrant parents and kids they forcibly separated (clip). But pro bono advocacy groups say the Trump administration is only now offering assistance because of the "backlash" over reports about the number of kids still awaiting reunification with their parents.
Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Immigrants' Rights Project, said Thursday's offer to help was "a PR move in response to the public's backlash." "There have never been serious specific offers to help in concrete ways in the past," Gelernt told NBC News.
Trump also tried to claim at the debate that the separated children are “so well taken care of” in “facilities that were so clean” (clip). However, DHS inspectors that visited border facilities last year found adults and minors with no access to showers; little access to hot showers or hot food for families and children in some facilities; overcrowding; some kids held in closed cells.
Immigration: Newly-obtained documents reveal that after Congress mandated that ICE decrease its detention population in February 2019, the agency spent more than $20 million on new contracts to fund multiple prisons in Louisiana. Much of the money appears to be going to LaSalle Corrections, a private prison company quickly gaining notoriety for horrific human rights abuses. Environment: The Trump administration has relaunched long-delayed plans to conduct a seismic survey in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as a prelude to drilling for oil there. The Bureau of Land Management on Friday released a proposal to begin a seismic survey in December, a move that environmental groups say would permanently harm the delicate Arctic tundra and affect polar bears and other wildlife.
Here is a Market recap for today Tues, Oct 6, 2020. I know I say this a lot but today really was a crazy day!
PsychoMarket Recap - Tuesday, October 6, 2020 Stocks traded mixed today as market participants digested a host of new developments around Pres. Trump’s health after his COVID diagnosis, Chairman Powell’s remarks, the prospect for additional fiscal stimulus, and the resurgence of the Virus in some hotspots. The Nasdaq (QQQ) finished the day 1.78% down, the S&P 500 (SPY) finished the day 1.42%, and the Dow (DIA) finished the day 1.37% down. Today, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave a virtual address at the National Association of Business Economics’ annual address to discuss the Fed’s outlook for the economy during this pandemic. In his address, Powell once again (for the hundredth time it seems) reiterated the need of further fiscal stimulus to support the pandemic-stricken economy and promote faster recovery. He said, “The recovery will be stronger and move faster if monetary policy and fiscal policy continue to work side by side to provide support to the economy until it is clearly out of the woods.” Elsewhere, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed Powell’s comments. She said. “Chairman Powell’s warning could not be more clear: robust action is immediately needed to avert economic catastrophe from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic. It is long overdue for Republicans to join us in passing a bill that meets the needs of the American people.” At the moment of writing this recap, Pres. Trump tweeted “Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their request, and looking to the future of our Country. I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business.” Immediately after this tweet, the markets turned sharply downwards and the VIX turned sharply upwards (VIX is an indicator of market participant’s risk sentiment). Pelosi responded by saying, “Trump is not willing to crush the virus” and that “he puts himself before the nation” Trump departed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center yesterday and returned to the White House, just days after entering the hospital on Friday to be treated for Covid-19. White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said Trump had “met or exceeded all standard hospital discharge criteria,” while conceding that he “may not be entirely out of the woods yet” in his recovery process. Just four states in the US are reporting a decline in coronavirus cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In Wisconsin, new cases are averaging at about 2,400 daily -- the third highest in the country behind Texas and California. That's up 15% from what the state was averaging in the previous week. At least 22 states are reporting more new cases than the previous week, with many across the Midwest and now increasingly in the Northeast. Highlights
Crude oil rose above $40 per barrel.
Shares of Boeing (BA) fell after the company announced cuts to its 10-year outlook for aircraft demand amid falling demand due to the pandemic.
White House agrees to FDA’s guidelines for vetting COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
N.Y. COVID Patients hospitalized are 700 today, highest single day total since July.
The 'recall-unemployment' rate fell to 2.9%, while the share of Americans who weren't expecting to be called back to work once conditions improved grew, according to a study by Stanford Economics Dept.
Apple announced an event on Oct. 13, which analysts believe will be used to announce the new model of iPhones and their 5G compatibility.
Tesla’s (TSLA) new factory in Berlin is being constructed at record pace. The factory is expected to produce Tesla's Model Y, Model 3 and eventually a more affordable $25,000 Tesla. Now a new post from Tesla fan site Tesmanian has quoted anonymous sources claiming up to 4,000 employees will be working in the new factory by March 2021. Vehicle production is scheduled to start June 2021.
PPG Industries had target raised by UBS group from $132 to $142 at BUY
Purple Innovation (PRPL) had target raised by Oppenheimer $25 to $37 OUTPERFORM
Nvidia (NVDA) upgrade by
Raymond James reiterated BUY
BMO Capital Markets raised target from $565 to $650 to OUTPERFORM
Generally across the board Analysts are upgrading banks:
Barclays upgraded Credit Suisse
Bank of Nova Scotia and Bank of Montreal upgraded by Bank of America (BAC)
BAC upgraded by JPMorgan
Costco (COST) upgraded by
Barclays Upgraded $400 NEUTRAL to OVERWEIGHT
Credit Suisse raised target $328 to $370 NEUTRAL
Beyond Meat (BYND)
Piper Sandler raised the target from $130 to $178 at NEUTRAL
Advance Auto Parts (AAP) upgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Cofrom $183 to $190 NEUTRAL to POSITIVE
US trade deficit up to $67.1 billion in August, a 14-year high, according to the Department of Commerce.
General Electric Company (GE) shares were down over 4% in recent trading on Tuesday after it received a "Wells notice" from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a company filing. According to the notice, the SEC's staff is considering recommending a civil injunctive action against the company for possible violations of securities laws.
Quanterix (QTRX) said on Tuesday the National Institutes of Health has picked the company to progress to the second-stage contract worth $18.2 million to speed up the development of a COVID-19 test kit based on its ultra-sensitive Simoa technology.
The Australian government on Tuesday announced plans to cut income taxes, create jobs for young people and stimulate business investment with a raft of pandemic measures that would create a record 214 billion Australian dollar ($153 billion) deficit in the current fiscal year.
Most kids wanna be President when they grow up. I grew up, but I'd rather be a Dictator. They usually get a bad rap but I'd use my powers for Good. Id steal the only good thing to come from President trump's mouth- Make America Great- as my slogan. Not "again", because earlier it was built on slavery and plastic. First Dictation: Make voting a requirement. It will be done every year with taxes. This means it will be every citizens duty to be informed. Therefore, community centers will then be allocated/created for every city, to reflect the state of its city, county, state and country. But first, we illegalize gerrymandering. And speaking of taxes, i may do away with income tax. Since the rich are obviously good at loopholing out of that one, ill create a universal sales tax. No one goes through life without buying something, the rich and poor alike. Not sure on this one yet, ill need to confer with my Knights of the Roundtable 2nd- Create my Knights of the Roundtable discussion group. Just like in the movies when some armageddon is coming, the president calls in the greatest minds of the their fields. This will be my thinktank; top economists, scientists, psychologists etc. We will come up with a few working models for the best possible society and implement them either wholly or in individual cities, counties or states as test runs. For example, washington allowing all drugs to be legal. Sure, lets see how this goes and use the results to implement it nationwide. 3rd- Speaking of drugs- All marijuana crimes dropped, It is now federally legal, as well as the growth of hemp , which we will use to make TONS of products. Most hallucinatory drugs will also be federally legal, but to be used in allocated/directed manners. Like getting a license to drive, one must obtain licensure for hallucinatory exploration. People are taught HOW to use it responsibly. Which brings us to education 4th- Free education! and child care and 5th- Free Healthcare Lets face it, its not free, it comes from taxes, do a quick study and youll find the countries with the highest taxes have government programs that actually work. In regards to education, teachers will be paid more, it will be among the top of our priorities as a country to foster the minds of a smarter civilization. The entire country will go through education reform. We'll probably have every state do a few years of "testing" the best possible education reform. This is where thinktank can turn to sub thinktank- educators - to come up with a few models. Obviously more focused on teaching people critical thinking, not just facts and dates. History books will all be redone to show the whole picture, not slanted. Educational weight and opportunity will NOT be thrown out if viewed unconventional. Kids are going to be learning how to meditate, hospitals and doctors will implement a holistic approach to health.. There is simply no reason for one of the richest countries to not have complete healthcare. This then brings us to big Pharma, i'm not sure on the details here, but generally speaking they will be dealt with in a similar manner as big tobacco. Most likely banned, and completely reformed. As a dictator, Id like to just illegalize cigarettes, and only allow the sale of ORGANIC natural tobacco. 6th- Housing There is also no reason for anybody to be homeless. We revamp our wages/housing ratio. Also not sure of the details (I didn't say i had ALL the answers- that's what the Roundtable is for), but we will go back to there being a close ratio as there was prior to 1972. When having any decent job paid for housing. And while we're at it, we are only working 4 days a week. And having this daily work as OPTIONAL will be something we will be testing in a few states as well. 7th- Required Military Ok I know im starting to step of your "freedom toes" but hear me out. Many countries implement this. It is usually only 2 years. And it doesn't mean you will be in combat. It means every citizen will know how to deal with emergency situations like an attack, know how to group and work together and what to do when something does happen. Every citizen keeps their rifle to take home. Every citizen has a rifle in the home, knows how to use it properly, and how to be responsible with it because THEY WERE TAUGHT. They will learn basic medical, basic training, basic navigation etc. Also, as of right now, every vet has free healthcare for life. So universal healthcare CAN happen 8th- Police and Prison Reform Our prisons are rape cages. They do not fix the problem, in fact, they only exacerbate the problem further while costing us tons of money. If we're spending money on it, then shit better be improving!! We're using tons of psych professionals and actually focusing on rehabilitation. Dont worry, this problem will mostly be gone by the time the newer generation of happier, stress-free, well-educated citizens whose parents were around because they only had to work 4 days a week if they wanted to. Not too many details for prison reform so we will see what the test run results show us from different states. All public servants such as police, firefighters, teachers are all getting paid more. 9th-Food Why the F**K are we still allowing the consumption of GMO's? All of europe banned it, and India but its totally fine for us?!! Even China banned GMO's. China!! They have an entire aisle in the grocery store dedicated to MSG, and even they were like, nah we aint messing with our foods. Yea thats not happening anymore, in fact, any tampering or poisoning of our food and FOOD SOURCE (seeds) will be seen as treason. No you cannot own the intellectual property of seeds anymore. The FDA gets reformed as well, which ties us in with big pharma reform. Amounts of preservatives will be marginalized. Grow the plant based foods culture, because that is obviously more sustainable. More plant based fast food restaurants. I may bring back the Freedom Garden. look it up. So most people will be growing something anyway. More public trees in every park will be fruit bearing. 10th- Clean up our politicians I immediately fire ALL corrupt politicians. Any bills to be made, if unnecessarily long, containing unrelated clauses, etc., will be seen as obstructing the furtherment of law. Campaigns are financially capped. Super PAC's are no longer a thing, and any HINT of money between corporations and politicians will no longer exist. Politics is now 100% transparent. I myself will be televised throughout the day, and only when national security is at risk will doors be closed to the public. You turn on a free channel, say channel 2, and can watch all day long the Pres...Ahem...Dictator. Kinda like a boring reality tv show. But at the end of the day ill take some phone calls from the people to address some concerns. And it will be addressed in the next round table meeting Disinformation will be illegalized, so a few newspapers might go out of business. We might have a government newspaper so citizens know exactly whats going on. 11th- Corporate Honor- This one is a bit tough in a Capitalistic democracy Using our existing law as to the definition of a corporation as a single entity (legally a person), all corporations not on board with the betterment of our citizens are tried as persons; insane or with manslaughter, etc. and are then forfeited to the country. Any corporation attempting to move outside the country, all involved will be charged with treason, and even if they successfully do leave the country, their product/service is banned in our and our allied countries. No more planned obsolescence in products, or the general practice of creating customers' continuity by a similar tactic (Ie, big pharma making money on people still being sick- cancer for example) McDonalds isn't allowed to sell unhealthy crap. Otherwise it will be charged with the attempted murder of citizens by way of heart disease. And I may just allow coke to go back to the original recipe, but they and all soda manufacturers need to recreate themselves Any corporation based here not adhering to these laws in other countries, for example environmental stewardship, will also be accountable 12th- The environment Plastic is banned. Everywhere. I also get our allies to do the same. WE no longer go to war for politcal gain but we will for some other country messin with our mother.... mother earth. Plastics will henceforth only be allowed to made if biodegradable. We already have the tech, so im not shutting down any plastic companies, but they change their entire model to fit with our environment or they fail. Intellectual property Not sure how to proceed on this one, but I think all intellectual property should be free. Ok, maybe give the creator a chance to make some money from it, but all should be easily accessible. After all we will be fostering a mentality of - "for the betterment of mankind" My dictatorship will end once this has all been accomplished, and the citizens allowed to vote for the next candidate. About 30 countries have universal healthcare. About 25 counties have banned GMO About 7 Countries have free education Mexicos president used to answer calls from the people on tv Several countries have banned plastic bags In almost all of eastern europe, most people own their houses outright New Zealand now has a 4 day work week Most of what is described above is already being implemented by the cold countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland, which incidentally all score the highest Democracy Index, along with New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Canada, utopia is a fiction, but compared to how we live now, the above would be described as utopian, and it actually exists.
What A Day: Good night And Get F*c%ed by Sarah Lazarus & Crooked Media (01/19/21)
"He watches every show." - Ainsley Earhardt, on Trump's indefatigable work ethic
All's Hell That Ends Hell
The White House fumigators are standing by, the going-away party invitations have been turned down, and the National Mall looks cool as hell: We’ve made it to Donald Trump’s last full day in office.
True to form, Trump spent his final day of executive immunity moping about Joe Biden’s mysterious ability to enlist better celebrities than the My Pillow guy, refusing to participate in standard transfer of power rituals, uploading the traditional 20-Minute YouTube Farewell address, and firing up the White House pardon printer. (Behold, the stretch pickup waiting to retrieve a pardoned Joe Exotic.) Lawyers reportedly talked Trump out of issuing pardons for himself, his shitty kids, and several GOP lawmakers who (outrageously) asked for clemency after helping him incite a deadly insurrection, though he could still change his mind about that anytime before noon on Wednesday.
Tuesday also marked Mitch McConnell’s last ride as Senate majority leader—a very happy Got Mitch Day to you and yours. Reopening the Senate for its first day back in session since the attack on the Capitol, McConnell linked the attack directly to Trump: “The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people,” said a powerful person who lied about the election results until mid-December. McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met to hammer out the terms of Trump’s impeachment trial, and the Senate scrambled to hold long-delayed confirmation hearings for Biden’s cabinet nominees, only to be further obstructed by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mobs).
Thanks to “the president and other powerful people,” Biden’s inauguration will take place amid unprecedented security precautions. By Wednesday, around 25,000 National Guard members will have taken up positions around the Capitol and throughout Washington, DC. After the FBI heightened vetting procedures out of concern for potential internal threats, 12 guard members were removed from inauguration duty—two of them for links to far-right extremist groups. The FBI also warned law-enforcement agencies that QAnon adherents have discussed posing as National Guard members and shared maps of vulnerable spots in DC, which means we’re about three days out from learning that Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Guns) led a group on a reconnaissance tour of a military-surplus shop.
While many of us prepare to celebrate having survived the Trump era, Tuesday brought a stark reminder that too many Americans did not.
The official U.S. coronavirus death toll surpassed 400,000 on Trump’s final day in office, one year after the country confirmed its first coronavirus case. That number is almost certainly an undercount, and mortality is still accelerating: It took just five weeks for U.S. deaths to climb from 300,000 to 400,000. (Insurrection isn't helping: At least 19 Capitol Police officers either tested positive or were found to have been exposed after the January 6 attack.) The Trump administration failed so catastrophically on so many levels of the pandemic response that it’s easy to lose sight of its failure to facilitate a moment of national mourning. The night before taking office, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris sought to rectify that with a memorial ceremony for coronavirus victims at the Lincoln Memorial.
All of Biden’s first executive actions will center around making a clean break from the depravity of the Trump administration. After a peaceful, uneventful, cathartically boring inauguration ceremony (typing this into existence), Biden will propose a sweeping immigration overhaul that includes an eight-year path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrations. He’ll also embark on a 10-day executive order spree aimed at rolling back the most harmful Trump policies, from reversing the Muslim travel ban and rejoining the Paris climate accord to ordering agencies to figure out how to reunite families who were separated at the border.
Between corrupt pardon requests, threats of extremist violence, and a numbingly horrific coronavirus milestone, Trump’s last day in office underlined the scale of the damage he inflicted and the work still ahead. Because so many people stayed in the fight to deny him a second term, that work can and will begin tomorrow. Thank you for sticking it out with us, and we’ll see you in the Biden era.
Look No Further Than The Crooked Media
On Wednesday, January 20th, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will take their oaths of office and be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States. We figured we'd take a look. Come watch the Inauguration with your Crooked Media pals at 10am-12pm ET / 7am-9am PT! We'll have a livestream of the ceremony, along with our real-time reactions, hot takes, and unprofessional emotional outbursts, all in a very special Transfer of Power Hour group thread →
Under The Radar
Federal prosecutors have filed the first conspiracy charges in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, alleging that three members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, coordinated in advance. Authorities alleged that Oath Keeper leader Thomas Edward Caldwell (a Navy veteran) helped organize a group that swelled to 30 or 40 people, recruiting Oath Keeper members and scouting for lodging at least five days before the insurrection. The participants both anticipated violence and continued to coordinate their actions after breaching the building. Members of several other militias and extremist groups have also been arrested, as has Capitol rioter Riley Williams, whose former partner told authorities that she had stolen a laptop or hard drive from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office with the intention of selling it to Russian intelligence.
Coronavirus-data scientist Rebekah Jones, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has tried to silence for months, has surrendered to Florida police in response to a not-at-all-suspicious warrant for her arrest. Before turning herself in, Jones tweeted, “Censored by the state of Florida until further notice.” The DeSantis administration fired Jones in May after she accused state health officials of manipulating coronavirus data, after which she set up a competing coronavirus dashboard using publicly available data. Federal authorities raided her home in December, and last week, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement obtained a warrant for her arrest for illegal use of the state’s computer system. Jones tested positive for coronavirus after turning herself in. Trump may not have managed to jail his political opponents (there’s always Wednesday), but Ron DeSantis sure seems to have employed intimidation and prosecution against a scientist who tried to save lives with substantive criticism.
What A Sponsor
Add Your Name to Demand Voting Rights Protections in Biden’s First 100 Days It is imperative that President-elect Biden’s administration take ambitious action to protect the right to vote and to champion new federal protections for voting rights. Here are the ACLU’s key recommendations: The Biden administration must take executive action to enforce federal voting rights laws. This includes designating special assistant U.S. attorneys for voting rights to investigate and enforce potential violations of federal voting rights laws and provide the critical federal oversight of local redistricting efforts to ensure such actions are not racially discriminatory. They must also upgrade federal voter registration services, focusing on improving ballot access for voters with disabilities and protecting the rights of eligible or soon-to-be eligible incarcerated individuals. Sign our petition if you agree that action on voting rights can’t wait. The incoming administration must also help advance legislation to protect voting rights. This includes the support of the Voting Rights Advancement Act which will help to restore many of the protections that were lost when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Additionally, baseline federal rules to reduce or eliminate needless barriers to voting are long overdue. The ACLU is demanding the Biden administration take action on these issues and much more in the first 100 days. Are you with us? Add your name to make sure our voting rights are protected. Click here to make your voice heard.
Is That Hope I Feel?
Senate Democrats announced that their first order of business as the majority will be to introduce the For The People Act. In other good Day One stuff: Joe Biden plans to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline permit on his first day in office. Biden will nominate Dr. Rachel Levine as his assistant secretary of health, setting her up to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate. New York City will now recognize LGBTQ-owned companies as minority-owned businesses, making them eligible for billions in city contracts.
What A Day: Ben Shapiro Free Since 2017 by Sarah Lazarus & Crooked Media (01/14/21)
"Why don’t we impeach George Washington?" - Lindsey Graham, on the slippery slope that leads to impeaching ghosts
The Lies That Blind
Both before and after far-right extremists launched an assault on the Capitol, there was One Simple Trick that Republicans and the now twice-impeached president (still funny) who inspired them could have deployed to reduce the risk of continued violence. More than a week later, they’ve largely remained unwilling.
A leaked federal intelligence memo warned that the false narrative that the 2020 election was fraudulent and illegitimate is very likely to inspire further right-wing violence. That narrative is of course the flop-sweat-soaked handiwork of Trump and his allies in Congress and the conservative media, who, even after their lie led to a deadly insurrection, have mostly refused to walk it back by declaring Joe Biden the legitimate winner of the election. It’s what makes Republican appeals for “unity” so offensive: As former DHS official Juliette Kayyem put it, “The myth of unity without accountability as the best way to move forward threatens to breed more violence.”
It’s also why Trump’s new Violence Is Bad speech is essentially worthless. In the video, released hours after Trump shattered the impeachment record on Wednesday (and under pressure from advisors reminding him about jail), Trump says stuff like, “I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week.” For legal purposes, a solid step up from “we love you.” For insurrection-defusing purposes, hot garbage: Trump once again failed to concede the election, retract his lies about voter fraud, or declare Biden the legitimate next president. On Air Force One on Tuesday, he reportedly continued insisting “I won” to the people around him.
His most fervent co-conspirators have continued to say it in public. White House trade advisor Peter Navarro went on Fox Business on Thursday to rile up some pube-bearded extremists thusly: “The Democratic Party did violence to this country by attacking a president who I believe was legally elected on November 3.” (Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo helpfully replied, “We know that there were irregularities in this election.”) Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who should be packing up his unread Orwell shelf and slinking back to his fake Missouri home, has instead written an op-ed repeating lies about the election and heralding his own bravery in voting to overturn the results after the attack on the Capitol: “I will not bow to a lawless mob.” One must never bow to a lawless mob; one must instead do exactly what the lawless mob wants. This is different from bowing, in that one’s fist is raised.
The handful of Republicans who actually didn’t bow to the lawless mob, meanwhile, are afraid for their lives.
Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI), who was one of the 10 House Republicans to vote in favor of impeachment, said that he and his colleagues were buying body armor, traveling with armed escorts, and altering their daily routines: “It’s sad that we have to get to that point but our expectation is that someone may try to kill us.” Pro-Trump loyalists like Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) have deftly pivoted from demanding unity from Democrats to attacking the pro-impeachment members of their own party, in calls for Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) to be ousted from House leadership. (House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he wouldn’t support that effort.)
It’s notable that many of the Republicans who did vote for impeachment made a point of clearly stating that the election was legitimate, and that Trump incited violence by promoting lies to the contrary. Even McCarthy, who voted to overturn Biden’s victory last week and against Trump’s impeachment on Wednesday, did finally acknowledge the election results for the first time in his floor speech, though he mysteriously failed to acknowledge or explain why he previously lied about it, let alone apologize for lying. It’s still unclear how many Senate Republicans will vote to convict in Trump’s eventual trial—Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) seems to be on board, so just 16 more to go! But any election-deniers who vote to acquit on the basis of bringing the country together should be booed into exile.
Rather than make a genuine effort to deter additional violence by taking the simple step of publicly acknowledging reality, the Trump-loyal faction of the GOP has weakly muttered “no violence please,” while working furiously to pin the blame for the eventual fallout on Democrats. There’s no “both sides” about it: Last week’s bloodshed, the continued barrage of threats, and their colleagues’ mortal terror are on Republican hands alone.
Look No Further Than The Crooked Media
On this week's Keep It, Ira, Louis, and Aida discuss Trump’s failed coup and subsequent Twitter ban, Armie Hammer’s alleged bloodlust, Kamala Harris’ Vogue cover, reactions to Lori Harvey and Olivia Wilde’s new relationships, Fran Lebowitz’s Pretend It’s A City, and the Samantha-less Sex and the City reboot. Plus, Riz Ahmed joins to discuss his new film Sound of Metal and grappling with identity during a pandemic. Check it out wherever you get your pods →
Under The Radar
Intelligence agencies didn’t write a threat assessment about the January 6 pro-Trump rally out of fear that MAGA folks at DHS would get mad. A joint intelligence bulletin is a standard assessment done before any major event, and former government officials were stunned that one hadn’t been issued before the protest-turned-insurrection. Part of the reason was the Trump administration’s aggressive downplaying of far-right domestic terorrism, which made intelligence officers scared they would lose their jobs if they wrote a formal report stating that a huge crowd of white supremacists might not be the chillest. That top-down deprioritization also meant that the office responsible for analyzing and disseminating information about domestic terror threats had been seriously depleted, and the necessary warnings about January 6 were never relayed.
President Trump, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Sessions’ then-deputy Rod Rosenstein pushed hard for the family separation policy, according to a new report from the Justice Department inspector general. Gene Hamilton, a top official, said that Sessions “perceived a need to take quick action” on illegal immigration from Trump, and subsequently “directed that I draft a memo that would put in effect a zero-tolerance approach to immigration enforcement at the border.” After the report was published, Rosenstein expressed regret: “It was a failed policy that never should have been proposed or implemented. I wish we all had done better.” Lawyers say they still haven’t been able to contact the parents of 611 children separated by the Trump administration, and that the parents of 392 of those children have been deported. Joe Biden has pledged to convene a task force to reunite separated families, and to have a Justice Department-led investigation into the policy.
What A Sponsor
Over the past four years, the Trump administration has gone out of its way to launch attacks on women. It’s imperative that the Biden administration make women’s rights a top priority to ensure everyone has the freedom to live, work, and learn free from discrimination based on sex. Speak up with the ACLU - sign our petition if you agree that women’s rights can’t wait. Here are just a few critical issues that the ACLU is asking the Biden administration to address: Assure safe and stable housing for women and families: The COVID-19 pandemic has put as many as 40 million people in this country at risk of eviction. This is both a racial justice and gender justice issue: Black women face eviction at twice the rate of white renters. And, once a family has been evicted, the devastating harms can follow them for years, exacerbating economic inequality and preventing families from securing stable housing anywhere else. Remove barriers to workplace equality for women: The COVID-19 pandemic has put women at the center of the most unequal recession in modern American history; more than 2 million women have left the workforce since January 2020, with Black women and other women of color hit the hardest. As we plan a path toward recovery, it’s more critical than ever to ensure women have equal access to opportunities on the job. Eliminate sexual harassment and assault in our nation’s schools: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos dramatically reduced schools’ obligations to respond to sexual harassment and assault. The Education Department must not only rescind the DeVos double standard, but replace it with strong protections against sexual harassment and fair processes for all students. Add your name to the ACLU’s petition demanding that the Biden administration make these issues a priority.
Is That Hope I Feel?
A group of 200 veterans and other volunteers cleaned up Capitol Hill after insurrectionists trashed the area. A total of 72 Native American candidates were elected to office in 2020 and many were sworn in this week, including Kansas state Rep. Christina Haswood, Kansas’s youngest sitting lawmaker, and Kansas state Rep. Stephanie Byers, the state’s first transgender lawmaker. A bipartisan group of lawmakers will introduce a bill to award Eugene Goodman, the Black Capitol Police officer who led the mob away from the Senate, the Congressional Gold Medal. Instacart will pay workers a $25 stipend for the time they take off to get a coronavirus vaccine.
What happened to our elections when in 2015- Blue and Red met with R . Scott Pastrick who; "...serves as a Director of Civitas Group, LLC. AND serves on the Board of Directors of the International Foundation for Election Systems...."
EDIT - post stuck at zero but my karma total is going up 🤔 kinda weird or nah? With all the partisan politics going on, I feel compelled to share some of my research from 2016/Wikileaks This is regarding a lunch meeting from 2015 which is BEFORE the fucked Dem primaries and 2016 election. Please pay attention to the part where head blue guy is casually meeting with a red team member and both are entertaining some narrative spinning/information/vote guiding mutha fuckas 🤨 Of note, are Mike Morell and R. Scott Pastrick; their past employment and current positions (as of the 2015 date). Specifically, Pastrick; who “...serves as a Director of Civitas Group, LLC. Mr. Pastrick serves on the Board of Directors of the International Foundation for Election Systems...." I know some will balk at the Flynn stuff but more importantly why would he being meeting with Podesta; the head of blue team in 2015?! TL/DR per 2016 research with included sources “It’s one big club and YOU AIN’T IN IT.” Red and blue? Nah, 99 v 1. So a Puppet Master walks into a bar.... So a Puppet Master; an ex-CIA agent; a pro-Russian retired General; a retired General stripped of his security clearance and spared of a DOJ investigation by the President; retired Admiral employed by the climate killing BP conglomerate and a guy with Clinton ties, with an IT cyber security/cloud consulting firm and who can bring thousands of technical experts in order to "improve the electoral process" walk into a bar....what and who do they talk about??!!! So Podesta the puppet master had a meeting with an Admiral, two Generals, Mike Morell, and R. Scott Pastrick??https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/9772 Mike Morell was twice (2011 and 2012 to 2013) the acting CIA Director who "is a proponent of the CIA's use of enhanced interrogation techniques which many consider to be torture, and is also a proponent of the CIA's targeted killings by drones." and "Since November 2013, he has been a Senior Counselor to Beacon Global Strategies LLC...." [*** "...a strategic advisory firm specializing in International Policy, Defense, Cyber, Intelligence, and Homeland Security." http://bgsdc.com/about-bgs/ ***] and who "...managed the staff that produced the Presidential Daily Briefings for President George W. Bush. Morell was Bush’s briefer during the September 11, 2001, attacks, and has been quoted as saying, "I would bet every dollar I have that it’s al Qaeda." and "In an August 2016 op-ed for The New York Times, Morell endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Stating that he was registered with neither the Democratic nor Republican parties, and had always been silent about his political preferences...." and "...responded to allegations that his current employer, Beacon Global Strategies, "was co-founded by former associates of Mrs. Clinton", by saying it was a non-partisan firm and that he had spoken out "entirely on [my] own, with no other consideration given any thought."[24] and "In a subsequent interview with Charlie Rose, taped in August 2016, Morell called for making Russia and Iran "pay a price" for their involvement in Syria by killing their military personnel.[25][26] He added that he wanted to bomb Syrian government offices.[25] Regarding President Bashar al-Assad, Morell argued "I want to go after those things that Assad sees as his personal power base. I want to scare Assad."[26]"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Morell AND R. Scott Pastrick who "...serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer at Prime Policy Group (formerly, BKSH & Associates Worldwide)." and "...serves as a Director of Civitas Group, LLC. Mr. Pastrick serves on the Board of Directors of the International Foundation for Election Systems...." http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=38703148&privcapId=8160247 International Foundation for Electoral Systems - "Over the past three decades, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has brought together thousands of experts to provide technical assistance to election officials, empower the underrepresented to participate in the political process, and apply field-based research to improve the electoral cycle." http://www.ifes.org/experts and Prime Policy Group "....our team of political, legislative and regulatory experts are trusted counselors to corporations, associations, domestic and foreign governments, and political candidates. Working together, we overcome the most challenging obstacles to influence outcomes, create opportunities and achieve policy objectives on behalf of our clients...." http://prime-policy.com/ and Civitas Group, LLC, "...an advisory services and consulting company, provides a range of strategic consulting services...." "...offers strategy and management consulting, mergers and acquisitions, support and due diligence, cybersecurity assessment..." "...The company serves defense, aerospace, intelligence, homeland security, cyber security and specialized IT (data analytics and cloud), government services and civilian agencies, critical infrastructure protection, and commercial security markets; large systems integrators and government services providers; consulting firms serving U.S. federal government market; Fortune 1000 corporations; mid-market firms in the national security, homeland security, and government services sectors; lower-middle market and early stage companies; technology and cyber security companies; and financial institutions, including investment banks, private equity sponsors, and venture capital funds associations." "It serves clients in the United States and internationally..." http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=7472279 Pastrick - Senior Adviser- Hillary Clinton for President 2007 – 2008 (1 year) At- Large Member - Democratic National Committee 2004 – 2008 At-Large Member - Democratic National Committee 2000 – 2004 Treasurer Democratic National Committee, Democratic National Committee 1995 – 1997 Served as the Democratic National Committee Treasurer for the re-election of President Bill Clinton, Officer & Executive Committee Leadership, Democratic National Committee 1995 – 1997 Chairman Presidential Gala; President Bill Clinton, Democratic National Committee 1993 – 1993 Senior Advisor Clinton for President - Congressional Affairs William J. Clinton for President Committee 1991 – 1992 I've got a few questions...like.... What in the holy H*LL are these guys talking about in June/July 2015?? Was Pastrick via his Civitas role giving Podesta a "cybersecurity assessment" and advising him about "cyber security and specialized IT (data analytics and cloud), government services and civilian agencies, critical infrastructure protection..." for her and her emails??!! Was Pastrick also advising Podesta via his IFES role to bring "...together thousands of experts to provide technical assistance to election officials, empower the underrepresented to participate in the political process, and apply field-based research to improve the electoral cycle..." for her??!! (His inclination for all things Clinton is pretty obvious by his resume) Is General Flynn this guy?? "...described by the Washington Post as "not hostile to Russia,"[21] while Michael Crowley of Vox described Flynn as having "an odd affection for Russia and its authoritarian government."[22]" and "...appearing semi-regularly as an analyst on RT, a Kremlin-aligned English-language news outlet.[21][22][23] In 2015, Flynn attended a gala dinner in Moscow in honor of RT, where he was seated next to the Russian president Vladimir Putin.[23]" and "....consulted regarding national security by candidates Carly Fiorina, Scott Walker, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump,[25] Flynn was asked in February 2016 to serve as an adviser to the Trump campaign.[26] In July 2016, it was reported he was being considered as Trump's running mate; Flynn later confirmed that he had submitted vetting documents to the campaign and was willing to accept the Republican Vice-Presidential nomination if chosen.[27][28]..." Soooo doesn't that mean that Podesta met in June/July/August of 2015 with a PRO-Russia retired US General who had just had dinner with Putin in Moscow in that same year??!! (Holy Russian connections, Batman!!) and Why is Podesta meeting with a Pro-Repub, Pro-Russian guy who was advising Repub candidates on Security Issues and being vetted for Donnie's VP spot?? (Talk about working both sides of the aisle) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_T._Flynn General Cartwright - Who now seems to be employed with Center for Strategic and International Studies https://www.csis.org/people/james-e-cartwright and who was a "former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, lost his clearance earlier this year. It was an indicator that that government officials might, in some way, consider his ongoing access to secrets a national security risk while he was under investigation by the Department of Justice for possibly leaking sensitive information about the Stuxnet computer virus..." http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/09/24/obamas-favorite-general-stripped-of-his-security-clearance/ and who "...Analysts are questioning whether the White House is protecting one of its inner-circle members in a leak investigation, especially given the Obama administration’s demonstrated willingness to prosecute and imprison lower-level government employees for providing classified information to the press. Retired Marine Corps Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright was vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and somewhat of a White House fixture as a close military adviser to President Obama. For over a year, he reportedly has been the target of a Justice Department criminal investigation. He is suspected of leaking to The New York Times highly classified details of a U.S. cyberwarfare program against Iran and its quest for nuclear weapons. Gen. Cartwright played a critical role in the covert action, whose weapon was a cyberworm called Stuxnet and whose code name was “Olympic Games.” The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the probe has come to a halt because the White House fears prosecution would force the administration to disclose secret sources and methods. Despite the slowdown, Mr. Obama has been the most aggressive president in history in hunting down and prosecuting government personnel who leak. In six years, the Justice Department has prosecuted nine leakers: One Army soldier; two National Security Agency personnel; two FBI employees; one State Department contractor; two former CIA officers; and, just recently, one...." http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/ma12/obama-protects-generals-in-leak-probes-while-low-l/ Interesting that Podesta is meeting with someone that in March of 2015 Obama somehow spared from DOJ criminal prosecution for "leaking" classified information or is it just me?? and Admiral Bowman who is currently an Independent Non-Executive Director at BP http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/about-bp/board-and-executive-management/the-board/admiral-frank-bowman.html and the Center for Climate and Security Advisory Board https://climateandsecurity.org/2013/08/23/admiral-frank-skip-bowman-joins-the-center-for-climate-and-security-advisory-board/ So a Puppet Master; an ex-CIA agent; a pro-Russian retired General; a retired General stripped of his security clearance and spared of a DOJ investigation by the President; retired Admiral employed by the climate killing BP conglomerate and a guy with Clinton ties, with an IT cyber security/cloud consulting firm and who can bring thousands of technical experts in order to "improve the electoral process" walk into a bar....what and who do they talk about??!!! https://np.reddit.com/DNCleaks/comments/57nk2u/so_a_puppet_master_walks_into_a_ba?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
On February 6, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum to establish a National Vetting Center (NVC), which will be led by the Department of Homeland Security. The NVC will coordinate the efforts of Federal officials to vet people seeking to enter or remain within our country. It will help fulfill President Donald J. Trump’s The National Vetting Governance Board will have the following composition: The Board shall consist of six senior executives, one designated by each of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Established pursuant to National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM)-9, Optimizing the Use of Federal Government Information in the Support of the National Vetting Enterprise, the National Vetting Center (NVC) is the next step in the U. S. Government’s maturation of protecting the homeland post 9/11. The NVC is a collaborative, interagency effort to provide a clearer WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan visited the National Vetting Governance Board on Friday to congratulate and thank representatives from multiple agencies for their work on standing up the new National Vetting Center (NVC).. In attendance were members from the Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office I am, therefore, directing the establishment of a National Vetting Center (Center), subject to the oversight and guidance of a National Vetting Governance Board (Board), to coordinate the management and governance of the national vetting enterprise. Section 1. Policy. McAleenan Visits National Vetting Governance Board to Commend Interagency Cooperation May 10, 2019 Homeland Security Today Today, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan visited the National Vetting Governance Board to congratulate and thank representatives from multiple agencies for their work on standing up the new National Vetting Center (NVC). Charter of the National Vetting Governance Board, established pursuant to National Security Presidential Memorandum-9, "Optimizing the Use of Federal Government Information in Support of the National Vetting Enterprise," dated February 6, 2018. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan visited the National Vetting Governance Board on Friday to congratulate and thank representatives from multiple agencies for their work on standing up the new National Vetting Center (NVC). The National Vetting Center will operate subject to the oversight and guidance of a National Vetting Governance Board, which established a legal working group and separate privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties working group to ensure compliance with applicable law and appropriate protection of We were told that Trump wanted more extreme vetting procedures for immigrants, refugees and travelers into the United States. Bigger Government: Trump Executive Memo Creates "National Vetting Center" For Immigrants, Refugees And Travelers - The Daily Sheeple
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) https://www.nacdonline.org is the recognized authority focused on advancing exemplary board leadership and establishing leading boardroom ... Governance Risk and Compliance White Board Video ... IIA Malaysia's 2015 National Conference On Governance, Risk And Control by The Institute Of Internal Auditors Malaysia. 0:33. Play next; Play ... by Cherokee Nation. 24:27 upper left...and more. 1:25:44 . 2015 4 30 New Paltz Town Board Meeting by usiavideo. 2:06:31. ACCOUNTANCY Board Meeting 5 1 2015 8 45 AM by Tennessee Department of ... TOWARDS GOOD WATER GOVERNANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT: A MULTI-CASE ANALYSIS Dr. Agnes Rola Dr. Agnes Rola obtained her BSc. in Statistics and MSc. in Agricultural E... Caren Rangi is an experienced governance practitioner, whose roles include board member of the Broadcasting Commission, the Arts Council of New Zealand, the Charities Registration Board, and Chair ... BVU is a national model organization that has trained and matched over 2,100 business executives and professionals on the boards of more than 450 nonprofits. In addition, BVU provides consulting ... Welcome to Unacademy State PSCs, your one-stop solution for PSC Exam Preparation. India’s top educators will be teaching you daily on this channel. We will cover the entire syllabus, strategy ... Is your board taking the necessary precautions to mitigate emerging risks from cybersecurity to global currency risk? Dennis T. Whalen, partner in charge and executive director of KPMG’s audit ... Chair of the CalSTRS Teachers' Retirement Board, Harry Keiley, explains the role CalSTRS played in the naming of Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg to its board o... P. K. Hormis Tharakan, an IPS officer of the Kerala cadre (1968 batch) was chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India's external intelligence agency. Currently, he is a Member of the ...