aubiefifty

yahoo.com What Auburn football's Hugh Freeze said about transfers Jyaire Shorter, Larry Nixon III Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser 3–4 minutes LaGRANGE — Auburn football has been one of the country's most active teams in the transfer portal since coach Hugh Freeze was hired in November, and one of its busier days in the last few months came Tuesday. The Tigers added two former North Texas players in wide receiver Jyaire Shorter and linebacker Larry Nixon III. Both players joined the Mean Green as members of the Class of 2018, and each redshirted their freshman years before having career-best seasons in 2022. "Man, (I'm) excited about both those kids," Freeze said at an AMBUSH event in LaGrange on Wednesday. "Jyaire Shorter, I think, is a deep-ball threat. He’s proven he can go get the ball. He gives us some length and catch radius that we need for what we want to do offensively." PAYTON THORNE: 'People want to follow him': What Auburn football is getting in transfer quarterback FRESHMAN: Why Trent Dilfer said Auburn football QB Hank Brown has 'all the skills' to reach the NFL Shorter, who hauled in 23 passes for 628 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, had previously dealt with injuries before breaking out in 2022. He appeared in two games in 2021 before an injury shut him down, and the same happened the year prior after seeing action in just three contests. "Those are the difficult deals in recruiting a kid for one week," Freeze said of Shorter's injury history. "Those are uncomfortable and you have to make a gut call on some of those. Obviously, he came on his official visit and went through everything with our docs. We, obviously, are optimistic and believe that he’ll be 100%. But that’s absolutely always a concern. "It seems like there’s a lot of that with some of the portal guys that you have to kind of wade through and decide if the juice is worth the squeeze, so to speak." Shorter's big-play ability was enough for Freeze to overlook the injury concerns. "If we can get him 20 catches and 10 of them are touchdowns, that's pretty good," Freeze said. "Hopefully, we can get him more. I thought his explosive playmaking ability was impressive, and maybe something we really don't have, or don't have proven yet at that outside position. ... He's got that capability, so now we just have to get him healthy and hopefully get some consistency and some of that playmaking that you see on field." As for Nixon, who accumulated 105 total tackles last season, Freeze thinks he could push Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys and Wesley Steiner, among others, for a starting role at linebacker. "Just his passion, the way he ran to the football and the way he's a solid tackler," Freeze said. "You just can't have enough of those guys. And I think he's going to come in and compete for a starting position. I really do." Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football's Hugh freeze talks Jyaire Shorter, Larry Nixon III

Rudy Giuliani's accuser was entangled in a vicious domestic violence lawsuit when he promised to help — only to abuse her himself, court documents allege Laura Italiano,Jacob Shamsian 7–9 minutes Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Noelle Dunphy says she agreed to work for Giuliani when he promised a $1 million salary and free legal help. At the time, Dunphy was embroiled in a messy court battle with a wealthy, "abusive" ex, court papers state. Instead of helping, Giuliani was "aroused" by the details of her past abuse, she alleges in a lawsuit. Rudy Giuliani's sex-assault accuser says in her lawsuit that she agreed to work for him because he was the personal lawyer for then-President Donald Trump — and he had promised to represent her for free in her own nasty, longstanding court battle with an allegedly abusive ex-boyfriend. But instead of helping her, the Scotch-swilling, Viagra-popping Giuliani would become "aroused" as he plied her for details of her prior abuse, her lawsuit alleges. And throughout her two years working as Giuliani's director of business development, from 2019 to early 2021, he sexually assaulted her himself — including while discussing the case with her — perpetuating a "cycle of abuse," she claims. Giuliani has denied the allegations made in the lawsuit. "As Ms. Dunphy would soon learn, Giuliani's probing questions were not designed to help him provide legal advice," alleges Dunphy's lawsuit, filed Monday in state court in Manhattan. "Rather, Ms. Dunphy would come to understand that Giuliani was aroused by discussing her sexual history and violent relationships. Ms. Dunphy did not know it yet, but Giuliani would force her to repeat the cycle of abuse she had suffered," the lawsuit alleges. Insider has reviewed that protracted, previous court battle that Dunphy alleges Giuliani had promised to help her with — a series of lawsuits and counter-suits with a wealthy developer that careened for seven years through state and federal court in New York. Insider is omitting key, identifying details, including the ex's name, in order to protect Dunphy's privacy as a sexual assault accuser. She first filed suit against her ex in 2015 as "Jane Doe." Dunphy and her ex settled that lawsuit in October of 2016. But the aftershocks reverberated through the courts for another six years as she tried to back out of the settlement, as a federal appeals court forced it to be upheld, and as the developer ultimately refused to hand over the $10,000 he'd originally been ordered to pay her. Giuliani's name indeed turns up in the court papers of that battle. After a federal judge finally entered a judgment against Dunphy's ex last May — forcing him to pony up the $10,000 — Dunphy wrote a letter asking the judge to sanction Giuliani. Dunphy told the judge that Giuliani was her "secret legal advisor for years" and gave directions to the lawyer of record who represented her in the case. But Giuliani was slinging insults at her on Twitter and had revealed her true name in connection with the case, Dunphy alleged. She asked the judge to fine Giuliani $10,000 per day, also citing the fact that he faced disciplinary proceedings for his law licenses in New York and Washington, DC because of his endorsement of election conspiracy theories. "The lawyer is Rudy Giuliani, currently disbarred for unethical behavior such as inciting violence and/or lying and/or suggesting President Biden, Democrats and Republicans should be carried out as traitors if they don't blindly follow Trump," Dunphy wrote in the letter. "I realize ongoing investigations against Trump and Giuliani are far more important than the case about me being assaulted by Defendant here," she wrote. "Yet the cases are now intertwined." Dunphy sought Giuliani's help at a low point According to Dunphy's current lawsuit against Giuliani, she first began working for him in January of 2019. She notes that Giuliani was "at the height of his influence" by then, serving as then-President Donald Trump's personal lawyer. Giuliani offered his legal help to Dunphy as "an added inducement" to hire her, the lawsuit says, "Giuliani also offered to provide pro bono legal representation to Ms. Dunphy in connection with an ongoing dispute arising from an abusive ex-partner," Dunphy's lawsuit against Giuliani says. "To Ms. Dunphy, the chance to work for an influential politician once dubbed 'America's Mayor,' combined with the prospect of free legal representation by a former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, was a rare opportunity that was simply too good to pass up." rudy giuliani Rudy Giuliani has been named in a workplace sexual abuse lawsuit.REUTERS/Andrew Kelly As personal lawyer to a sitting president, Giuliani was certainly in a position of power as he hired Dunphy. But her case looked bleak at that point of the litigation, a review of court records shows. She first filed her lawsuit against the developer in 2015. He filed a countersuit in 2016, making his own ugly counter-accusations of defamation, fraud, theft, and sexual improprieties. According to a copy of their settlement agreement, which was reviewed by Insider, the real estate developer agreed to pay Dunphy the $10,000 in exchange for her waiving any claims against him. Both of them also agreed not to disparage each other, and to stay away from each other physically and virtually "in perpetuity." Trying to back out of the settlement, Dunphy argued that her lawyer didn't adequately represent her interests, that she didn't understand what she was agreeing to, and that she had previously turned down a proposed settlement offer of $100,000. In April of 2017, the federal judge overseeing the case ordered that the settlement be enforced anyway. An appellate court upheld the settlement as well, in January of 2019. It was at this time, according to Dunphy's lawsuit, that she met Giuliani. Giuliani took advantage of Dunphy's legal troubles, her lawsuit alleges Far from helping Dunphy with her legal morass, Giuliani "abused his position as Ms. Dunphy's lawyer to pressure her into sex," her lawsuit claims. "In one instance, for example, Giuliani promised Ms. Dunphy that he would give her $300,000 if she would forgo her legal rights in connection with her pending case and "f--- me like crazy," the lawsuit alleges. During legal consultations concerning her case with her ex, Giuliani asked her for "extremely personal details relating to her past, including explicit details about prior sexual encounters," she alleges. "Research," Giuliani called it. His accuser says Giuliani didn't pay her promised salary and demanded oral sex while she was on the phone with Donald Trump.REUTERS/Emily Elconin His legal advice was sub-par and self-serving, she alleges. "Giuliani told Ms. Dunphy that he wanted her to end her domestic violence litigation because he felt it was interfering with his sex life with her, and he did not want her to be 'distracted' by it," the lawsuit says. In her letter to the judge, Dunphy wrote that Giuliani "preyed on" another considerably younger "vulnerable female" who was a victim of domestic violence. She said that "America can do better." "We can't let the Court be an enabler for abusive men. I ask the Court to make a bold statement in defense of human rights," she said. The judge denied her request for sanctions against Giuliani and closed the docket. Soon afterward, she sued Giuliani directly. Giuliani has denied Dunphy's allegations, and has insisted through a spokesman that "his lifetime of public service speaks for itself and he will pursue all available remedies and counterclaims." Read the original article on Business Insider

Former Jackson State WR Shane Hooks visited Auburn on Tuesday JD McCarthy 2–3 minutes Despite the addition of former North Texas wide receiver Jyaire Shorter on Tuesday, the Auburn Tiger may not be done adding receivers. According to Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, Jackson State transfer wide receiver Shane Hooks unofficially visited Auburn on Tuesday. Hooks entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer on Dec. 21, 2022. He then committed to Ole Miss on April 20 but backed off that pledge on April 28. That is when Auburn got involved, offering him a scholarship on May 13. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder also has offers from UCF, Utah, Mississippi State and Liberty. This is his second time in the portal, he started his career at Ohio before transferring to Jackson State prior to the 2019 season. He did not play in 2019 or 2020 but started to emerge in 2021. He caught 16 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns in six games. Hooks became Jackson State’s top wideout last season, snagging 66 passes for 775 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the team in all three categories. Auburn has already added three wide receivers between the two transfer windows, Nick Mardner (Cincinnati) committed during the first window with Caleb Burton (Ohio State) and Shorter (North Texas) committing during the spring. They have also added former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne and FIU tight end Rivaldo Fairweather as they look to overhaul a passing attack that struggled last season.

Open in app or online Rudy Giuliani has always been a complete piece of s*** America's So-Called Mayor has never been America's Mayor Jeff Tiedrich May 17 Share question: how did Rudy Giuliani go from being America’s Mayor to being a complete piece of degenerate s***? answer: Rudy Giuliani was never America’s Mayor. he has always been a complete piece of degenerate s***. Upgrade to paid Rudy’s been in the news these days, and not for any cheery, uplifting reason. Giuliani, the lawsuit alleged, liked to work with Dunphy at home and at hotels “so that he could easily transition from work, to demanding sexual gratification, and back to work. Thus, Ms. Dunphy worked under the virtually constant threat that Giuliani might initiate sexual contact at any moment.” oh my god. eww. Giuliani “then pulled her head onto his penis, without asking for or obtaining any form of consent. He held her by her hair,” the lawsuit states. “It became clear to Ms. Dunphy that there was no way out of giving him oral sex. She did so, against her will.” oh no. no. no no no no no. ugh. ugh. shades of Borat 2. how did we get here? Rudy Giuliani was once a respected prosecutor, and then a popular mayor. how did Rudy sink so low? the answer is that Rudy never had that far to sink. he’s always been an amoral grandstanding power-hungry degenerate. let us count the ways. he’s always been an attention-hungry publicity hog. in the 1980s, Giuliani was the US Attorney for the SDNY. he loved the attention that high-profile arrests brought him. there was just one small problem: case after case fell apart or got thrown out of court, because for Rudy, getting his name in the newspapers was more important than getting actual justice. Giuliani's critics said that he arranged for people to be arrested but then dropped charges for lack of evidence on high-profile cases rather than going to trial. In a few cases, his arrests of alleged white-collar criminals at their workplaces with charges later dropped or lessened sparked controversy and damaged the reputations of the alleged "perps".[52] Rudy Giuliani ruined lives. did he care? **** no. he got what he wanted: his face on TV. he’s always been a raging misogynist. his first wife was his second cousin. he ended his second marriage via a press conference. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani's marital problems exploded yesterday in a public exchange with his wife, Donna Hanover. The mayor abruptly announced that he was seeking a separation from Ms. Hanover, and Ms. Hanover, caught unaware, then said that the couple's troubles began years ago because of a previous relationship between the mayor and a member of his staff. he’s always been a total ******* idiot. Rudy’s incompetence actually made the events of 9/11 worse. Giuliani has been widely criticized for his decision to locate the Office of Emergency Management headquarters on the 23rd floor inside the 7 World Trade Center building. Those opposing the decision perceived the office as a target for a terrorist attack in light of the previous terrorist attack against the World Trade Center in 1993.[130][131][132] The office was unable to coordinate efforts between police and firefighters properly while evacuating its headquarters.[133] first responders died becase of Giuliani’s idiotic decisions. did that bother him? **** no. 9/11 was a ******* gold mine for Rudy because once again he got what he always wanted: his face in front of a TV camera, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for months on end. all because George W. Bush froze in panic, leaving a power vacuum for Rudy to wedge his way into. and of course, Giuliani traded on his 9/11 fame for years, when in reality his bad decisions made the death and carnage so much worse. oh, and speaking of that WTC command center? rumor has it that Rudy used it as a love shack. Mark Kleiman and I have been discussing the theory that the disaster recovery bunker in WTC 7 was placed so as to make the best love nest for Rudy Giuliani and his then-extramarital-girlfriend (now wife). what a class act. he’s always been power-mad jackass. still basking in the glow of his unmerited 9/11 glory, Rudy wanted it to never end. Rudy Giuliani secretly asked then-New York Gov. George Pataki to cancel New York City’s 2001 mayoral election so he could remain in office following the Sept. 11 terror attacks, a new book reveals. huh. canceling an election. refusing to leave office. does any of that sound familiar? the rest, as they say, is history. the years have seen Rudy squander his unearned legacy (while making a fortune in the security industry by trading on his imaginary accomplishments), with one buffoonish act following another. Four Season Total ******* Clownshoes Dipshittery, anyone? so please remember, Rudy Giuliani has never been America’s Mayor. he’s never been on America’s side. he’s always been out for himself and he’s always been a total ****head. everyone is entitled to my own opinion is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Michael Cohen is finally taking the Trump Organization to trial over unpaid legal bills in the Stormy Daniels saga Jacob Shamsian 3–4 minutes Michael Cohen and former President Donald Trump.Spencer Platt/Getty Images; Mario Tama/Getty Images Michael Cohen's lawsuit against the Trump Organization is headed to trial in two months. Cohen says Donald Trump's company owes him $2.3 million for various investigations and court cases. His entanglement in the Stormy Daniels saga, the Mueller investigation, and more all stemmed from his former Trump Organization role, he alleges. A Manhattan judge scheduled a July jury trial for Michael Cohen's long-running lawsuit against the Trump Organization, where the former Donald Trump ally alleges he's owed legal fees for the Stormy Daniels saga as well as other investigations related to the former president's conduct. Cohen first filed the lawsuit in 2019, alleging that the criminal case against him over hush-money payments to Daniels — as well as his role in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, the New York Attorney General investigation into the Trump Organization's finances, multiple Congressional investigations into Trump, among other things — all stemmed from his role as a former vice president for the Trump Organization and as a personal lawyer for Trump. The Trump Organization owes him $2.3 million in legal fees for all those cases and investigations, he says. The lawsuit has wound its way through the New York state courts, surviving multiple appeals. In a January court proceeding, New York State Supreme Court Judge Joel Cohen indicated he would finally set a trial date, for July. The court docket was updated on Monday to reflect a July 24 trial date. In the January proceeding, the judge ruled that — because the Trump Organization refused for years to produce Trump and other company officials for depositions — jurors only need to weigh in on narrow issues, like whether the Trump Organization is liable for paying Cohen in the first place. Most of the five-day trial's evidence, he said, would focus on just how much money the company should pay him. The case is barreling to trial at the same time as the Manhattan District Attorney's office's criminal case against Trump himself, over whether he broke criminal laws in his payments to Cohen to silence Stormy Daniels about her alleged affair with the then-presidential candidate ahead of the 2016 election. Cohen has been a witness for the district attorney's office in its criminal investigation. That case is scheduled for trial in early 2024. The trial would also happen on the heels of a Manhattan trial, in federal court, over E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit against Trump. A jury found Trump personally liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her when he denied it, and awarded her $5 million in damages. Trump is appealing the case. Attorneys for the Trump Organization and Cohen didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider

Extending the 2017 Tax Cuts Would Cost $3.5 Trillion: CBO Michael Rainey ~3 minutes House Republicans are pushing for spending cuts to reduce the deficit in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, but they also hope to extend the package of GOP tax cuts passed under then-President Donald Trump in 2017 – a move that would increase the deficit significantly. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told Fox News last fall that he wanted “to lock in those tax cuts that we got,” and Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida introduced a bill in February backed by 72 fellow Republicans that would “make permanent tax cuts for individuals and small businesses originally enacted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017.” In a new analysis published Tuesday that was prepared at the request of Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden, the Congressional Budget Office looked at how much it would cost to extend the 2017 tax cuts, many of which are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025, although some expire sooner. The total cost: nearly $3.5 trillion over 10 years. The biggest expense is associated with extending the individual tax cuts, which end in 2025. “The expiring provisions affect major elements of the individual income tax code, including statutory tax rates and brackets, allowable deductions, the size and refundability of the child tax credit, the 20 percent deduction for certain business income, and the income levels at which the alternative minimum tax takes effect,” CBO said. The cost of extending those provisions is about $2.5 trillion from 2024 to 2033. Higher interest costs on the resulting debt would add another $278 billion. Extending the higher exemptions for gift and estate taxes, which were doubled in the 2017 legislation, would cost $126 billion over a decade, plus another $13 billion for debt service. Extending the bonus depreciation provision for businesses would cost $325 billion, plus another $59 billion in added interest. And extending a set of tax changes that apply to overseas business income would cost $150 billion, plus another $16 billion for debt service. In a statement, Wyden pointed out the apparent contradiction between the GOP policy choices. “Republicans who say they’re worried about the deficit have brought our economy on the brink of default, and yet they want to run up the debt by locking in the Trump tax law that remains horribly skewed toward corporations and the wealthy,” he said. Former Treasury official Steven Rattner, who provided the chart below, put it more succinctly. “So much for fiscal responsibility,” he tweeted. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. repukes are such liars. they want to screw the poor but have no problem keeping the tax cuts for the rich and even making them permanent.

Tennessee Rep. Justin Pearson on Gun Control, the NRA, and the GOP Justin J. Pearson 22–28 minutes Skip to main content ‘Mommy, What If I Die When I Go Back to School?’ In the wake of a horrific school shooting in his home state, Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson calls for Americans to stand up to the NRA and demand that the GOP finally take action on guns M ary Joyce’s daughter witnessed the unspeakable. “The day after the children were murdered at the school, grief therapists passed out ‘Feelings Cards‘ with faces on them to help the children identify what they were feeling,” she recalled. “My nine-year-old daughter, Monroe, who saw the shooter, the barrel of the AR-15, and her friend get hit and die, chose the ‘Proud’ card. Puzzled, I asked her why she chose that card. She told me that she chose it because she was proud that she managed to sit so still and not make noise so the shooter wouldn’t see her. She is nine years old.” This is some of the heartbreak that Mary Joyce shared with me about her experience in the wake of the Covenant School shooting March 27 in Nashville that killed three of her daughter’s longtime classmates, along with three extraordinary and beloved staff members. Mary said her child, in her third-grade innocence, believed that her friend had fainted from fright, but was going to be OK. Death never occurred to her. She described the moment her child understood that her friends had actually died: “I saw the exact moment her childhood innocence disappeared forever.” Many of these families aren’t only heartbroken, they’re also confused and angry. “Why was someone so unhinged allowed to have weapons of war? What are these assault-style weapons even for? There are lots of hunters here. They hunt turkey. You can’t eat a turkey that’s been torn apart by an AR-15,” Mary told me. Becky Hansen has a fourth-grader and a kindergartner who were at the Covenant School that day. Both remain traumatized. She told me that her five-year-old son is afraid to go back to school. “He said to me, ‘Mommy, what if I die when I go back to school?’” Another Covenant mom I spoke with, Sarah Neumann, has a five-year-old child who was fortunate enough not to be in the school that day, but Sarah was across the street and rushed to the school when she got text messages about an active shooter. She was at the church where parents were reunited with their children, and is haunted by the screams of those who weren’t. “The safety of our children and communities isn’t a partisan issue. It’s not a left-or-right issue. It’s a right-or-wrong issue,” said Sarah. These mothers want change. They say they believe step-by-step gun-safety laws can slow down this madness tearing apart communities from coast to coast. “My kids are brave, just for showing up for school. I need to show my kids that I’m brave enough to show up for them,” Becky said. “There are ways to respect the Second Amendment and also keep our children and communities safe. I have a prayer for unity. I have hope for change.” They’re calling for safer gun-storage laws, closing background-check loopholes, and implementing “extreme-risk protection orders” or “red-flag laws” that allow law enforcement to temporarily remove guns from people who exhibit the potential to harm themselves or others. I first met Sarah at the Tennessee Capitol, and Mary, Becky, and their children at the Linking Arms for Change event on April 18 in Nashville, stretching from the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital, where victims of the Covenant School shooting were transferred, all the way to the Tennessee State House. Nearly 10,000 of us linked arms to demand that legislators work together to propose and pass these common-sense gun-safety laws. The Second Amendment right to bear arms does not replace or supersede the right to life. And the idea that the U.S. is supposed to be some “wild west” with no gun laws is a myth. Since its inception, America has had thousands of gun laws, regulating everything from sale, purchase, use, and outright bans. I went to the well of the Statehouse with state Reps. Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson to uplift the voices of the grieving Covenant parents, frightened children, and stunned Nashville community to shine a light on what matters more than the right to bear arms: the right to be alive. The reasons to pass common-sense gun laws like those that ban AR-15-style weapons are compelling and represent the common ground we all can stand on for the good of us all. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the U.S. far outpaces every other peer country in the percentage of child deaths caused by firearms. And we’re the only industrialized nation where AR-15-style civilian-combat weapons are the number-one weapon of choice for gun lovers. The National Rifle Association glorifies this weapon of war, calling it “America’s Rifle.” The AR-15 has only one purpose: to explode a body beyond any chance of life, and to do it at rapid speed, hitting as many bodies as possible. In Uvalde, Texas, doctors needed DNA samples to identify the bodies of the children who were murdered with an AR-15-style weapon during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School May 24, 2022. “It’s the perfect killing machine,” Tim Dickinson reported in this publication in 2018. The U.S. has the highest per-capita gun ownership among civilians of any democratic nation in the world. We have five percent of the world’s population, and as of 2018, have 46 percent of civilian-owned guns. And the highest number of gun deaths occur in the states with the weakest gun regulations. No one can credibly say that gun-safety laws don’t make a difference. Here we are, more than 10 years after 20 children and six adults were massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, five years after 17 students and staff were killed and another 17 wounded at the Marjorie Stoneham Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and just one year after 19 children and two teachers were slaughtered with this weapon of war in Uvalde, Texas. And here, now, at the Covenant School in Nashville, where three third-graders and three staff were gunned down, combat-style, leaving behind an unfathomable wake of trauma and grief. Since the 10-year ban on these types of assault weapons expired in 2004, the AR-15-style gun has been used in many other mass murders, including the massacre of 58 — and wounding of hundreds more — concertgoers in Las Vegas in 2017, 26 parishioners in a Sutherland Springs, Texas, church, 50 dead and dozens more critically wounded at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, and 10 Black people murdered in a Buffalo, New York, mass shooting by an avowed white supremacist. And, as Tennesseans were protesting for gun-safety legislation outside the Tennessee Statehouse in the wake of the Covenant School shooting, five people were shot dead and eight injured by an AR-15-style gun in a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. A whole family was just gunned down in Texas in May by a neighbor who was enraged when they asked him to please stop shooting off his weapon of war at night while they were trying to get their baby to sleep. One killed and four wounded by a shooter with a handgun in an Atlanta doctor’s office, and nine killed, including a five-year-old child, at a mall in Texas as I’m writing this piece. It’s madness to think that our children could lose their lives simply by going to school, shopping at a mall, going to the doctor, knocking on the wrong door, turning into the wrong driveway, or mistaking another car for their own. Nashville stars Sheryl Crow, Margo Price, Kacey Musgraves, Amy Grant, and others added their voices to the chorus of Tennesseans calling for common-sense gun-safety laws so that we can protect our children and communities from weapons of war. “Gun violence in Tennessee is not inevitable,” reads a letter the music stars sent to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. “We are not hopeless, and we will not accept inaction. This does not have to be our normal, and we ask that you stand with us! We know that gun-safety laws work. Policies like extreme-risk protection laws and secure-storage of firearms can save lives. And we ask that you keep your session open until these policies are put into place.” The GOP supermajority closed the session with no action on gun safety. After initially resisting GOP Gov. Lee’s call for a special session on gun reform, the legislators belatedly appear to have agreed to a special session on Aug. 21. That’s welcome news to Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sheryl Crow. Her own children go to school near the Covenant School in Nashville. “Our kids prepare for mass shootings. They prepare to avoid being killed in their own classrooms. They go to schools that are now built like fortresses. But our government does nothing,” she told me. “We’re asking for the bare minimum. We’re told that’s all we can possibly expect — if we can expect anything. All we’re asking for is background checks so weapons of war don’t get into dangerous hands. We’re just asking for a waiting period before you get the gun in your hands. We’re asking for safe storage of firearms. None of these infringe upon anyone’s Second Amendment rights. They may be a bit of an inconvenience, but they are no infringement. Is asking you to slightly inconvenience yourself really too much to ask in order to save children’s lives?” Mass shootings, currently defined by Everytown for Gun Safety as incidents where at least four people are shot, wounded, or killed, reached a fever-pitch high of 686 in 2021. So far, just halfway through 2023, the number of mass shootings is already more than 200, with the number of all deaths by gun violence so far this year already exceeding 14,000 people. Every day, 120 people are killed by guns in this nation. Gun deaths among children and teens grew a shocking 50 percent between 2019 and 2021. Nearly 50,000 Americans died as a direct result of gun violence in the U.S. in 2021, the latest date for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has complete data. According to data compiled by Voices for a Safer Tennessee, Tennessee has the 12th-highest rate of gun deaths in the country. In an average year, nearly 1,400 children and adults in Tennessee are killed by guns. As with the rest of the country, guns are the number-one cause of death for Tennessee children. Gun violence is so pervasive in the United States that it constitutes the central reason that countries are instituting travel bans to the U.S. At least seven countries currently caution their citizens against traveling here, with the massive, unrestrained gun violence that soaks our nation in the blood of our children and neighbors a leading factor. The unrestrained bloodshed floods our schools, grocery stores, places of worship, entertainment venues, birthday parties, and even an Independence Day parade. Opponents to gun safety say the problem is mental illness, the internet, isolation, social media, video games. But guess what? Other countries have all of these things too, but they don’t have anything approaching our levels of gun violence. Because, do you know what we have and they don’t? Easy access to weapons of war without regulation. That’s the difference. Are Americans OK with this carnage? Absolutely not. The vast majority of Americans — of both parties and independents — including a majority of Tennesseans, want an end to the killing. Support for common-sense gun-safety laws is widespread and bipartisan. An overwhelming majority of Americans support gun-safety laws like universal background checks, red-flag laws, extended wait periods, and higher ages for purchase. According to a recent Voicers for a Safer Tennessee poll, stunningly large majorities of Tennesseans from all political identifications — including gun owners and, significantly, 63 percent to 84 percent of Trump voters — support safe-storage laws, a 72-hour waiting period for purchase, reporting lost and stolen guns, closing universal background-check loopholes, and implementing extreme-risk protection orders (i.e., red-flag laws). Concerned Tennesseans quickly gathered over “food and fellowship” in the wake of the Covenant School massacre to form Voices for a Safer Tennessee to advocate for these laws. It was through these throngs of grieving and concerned mothers and children that my colleagues and I walked through each morning after the Covenant School massacre at the Tennessee State Legislature. I saw my Republican colleagues stride briskly past the mourning protestors, averting their eyes, ignoring the people crying out for change. Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett threw up his hands and declared, “There’s nothing we can do.” WHEN I THINK OF the courage of all the Covenant parents and surviving children, and all those who have suffered trauma and loss due to gun violence in this country, nothing disappoints me more than lawmakers who have the power to make change choosing to throw up their hands in defeat and say, “There’s nothing we can do but pray.” They’re wrong. There is everything we can, and must, do. Gun-safety laws are proven to work. This is the indifferent legislative climate in which Reps. Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson and I attempted, through regular order, to address the calls of the protesters outside and inside our chamber. But we weren’t allowed to do so. Our mics were repeatedly cut off. So we decided the only thing we could do, in good conscience, was to peacefully walk to the well of the House and let our constituents know that we are listening and we are with them. Indeed, we felt this was our duty, according to our state constitution’s Article 2, Section 17, which states: Any member of either House of the General Assembly shall have liberty to dissent from and protest against, any act or resolve which he may think injurious to the public or to any individual, and to have the reasons for his dissent entered on the journals. For this peaceful action, and the joining in of chants for change during a hastily called recess, Representative Jones and I, both young Black men, were expelled from office. Our colleague, Representative Johnson, a white woman, was not. Covenant mom, Sarah Neumann learned of our pending expulsion and rushed to the Statehouse. “I couldn’t believe that these brave legislators who were standing up against the murder of our children and the shattering of our community were to be expelled for doing their jobs,” she said. Representative Jones and I not only offended the special interests of the National Rifle Association and the Tennessee Firearms Association, we also breached decorum by our very presence on the House floor as young Black men objecting to a status quo created by years of white supremacy. This is an old story in Tennessee, the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan and the nation’s Jim Crow Laws, which either legalized or had the effect of legalizing racism in public places and institutions. Marginalized populations, those pushed to the periphery of our society, use civil disobedience to resist the status quo and overcome oppression in this country. Representative Jones and I believe such peaceful resistance to unjust and harmful laws is our moral duty. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” Dr. King led a nation toward equality by disobeying unjust laws. He broke decorum. As Diane Nash protested segregation during the 1960s, sitting in at lunch counters in Nashville where Black customers were not welcome, she disobeyed unjust laws. She broke decorum. The late civil rights giant and congressman John Lewis participated in the Freedom Rides of 1961 to protest racial segregation at interstate bus terminals. He marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, and was nearly killed during beatings from police. John Lewis disobeyed unjust laws. He broke decorum. The late congressman issued to us all a challenge: “Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get into good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” Montana state legislator Zooey Zephyr, protesting an unjust state law that bans transgender youth from receiving life-saving medical care, said that those who voted for this should consider the “blood on their hands.” She was charged with breaking decorum and banished from the House floor for the rest of the term. Violence comes in many forms, whether it is from the barrel of a gun, the noose of systemic racism, the ignorance of transphobia, the brutality of poverty, or the imposition of unjust laws. It must be resisted. Leaders in Nashville and Memphis promptly reinstated Representative Jones and I to overturn the unjust and undemocratic actions of the gerrymandered Republican supermajority that denied nearly 150,000 Tennesseans representation in the Tennessee State Legislature. They sent a clear, powerful message to the Republicans that our communities would not stand idly by while they placed the interests of the gun lobby and assault-weapons manufacturers above democracy and the rights and safety of the people. That they no longer control the narrative. The people are reclaiming the People’s House. We are at an inflection point. Gun violence is an obscene mainstay of our lives. Nearly one in five Americans have a family member who has died from gun violence, and one in six who have witnessed gun violence. There are at least 400 million civilian-owned guns in America. There are more mass shootings than there are days in a year. But we, the people, are united as a majority that rejects this epidemic of gun violence. We are a growing state and national movement of moms, of youth, of concerned communities. Gun lobbyists and the politicians who serve them don’t care about our children. They care about dictating policy that is financially lucrative to them, and it doesn’t matter that these policies harm people, or kill children. Margo Price, another of the Nashville musicians who penned the letter to Gov. Lee calling for common-sense gun-safety measures, said to me, “My children have been traumatized by the Covenant School shooting. I find myself looking over my shoulder when I’m out in public. This senseless gun violence and inaction from our lawmakers to address it could make me feel hopeless. But I see leaders like Representative Jones and you, standing up for gun reform, and it gives me hope for a safer world for our children.” Price went on, “I’m an artist, but I also consider myself a cultural worker. I hope my songs, lyrics, and actions can inspire others to discuss difficult topics. I grew up around guns, and am a gun owner myself. Art has the ability to change hearts and minds. As a musical artist in the country-music scene, I’m in a position to talk to people about what needs to be changed.” “If you’re a musician with a giant following of moms and dads, and you don’t feel an obligation to speak up about gun safety, when you can have a significant positive influence, that strikes me as a tragedy, and frankly, insanely greedy,“ continued Sheryl Crow. “If I had to lose every single fan, all my fame and income, to save a child from being gunned down at school, of course I would do it.” “If your freedom is defined by a stockpile of military-grade weapons and ignores the right to life of my children, you need to take a hard look at what freedom really means,” said Crow. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” She’s right. It doesn’t have to be this way. It is purely a political choice that we make to allow our children to be murdered in one of the most gruesome ways imaginable. And for what? With so many families, culture workers, faith leaders, educators, medical professionals, civil rights leaders, and schoolchildren demanding change, why do conservative lawmakers in Tennessee and other statehouses, and the halls of Congress, not only refuse to listen, but also pass laws to try to end all gun regulations. Follow the money. The National Rifle Association has long been one of the most powerful lobbies at both the state and national levels. Even as the revelation of widespread corruption has knocked them down a peg or two, they vastly outspend gun-safety advocates. They willfully misinterpret the Second Amendment, they create a mythology of patriotism and freedom around the ownership of weapons of war. AR-15-style weapons are cash cows for gun manufacturers. Estimates are that one in 20 Americans own at least one such weapon. And they are highly customizable, so there are enormous sales on all of those add-ons as well. The NRA gets significant funding from gun manufacturers, representing their interests when it comes to lobbying efforts. The NRA and the Tennessee Firearms Association don’t necessarily spend outrageous amounts to get a lawmaker elected in Tennessee. What it’s about is controlling the narrative with the toxic message that freedom means being armed to the teeth, and the threat of withholding money gun interests will spend and actions they’ll take to punish a lawmaker who doesn’t toe their line. The status quo is unacceptable. We’re done with mass murders, slaughters of children, and the abrogation of our true freedoms: the right to live, to thrive, to be treated equally regardless of what we look like, what gender we are, whom we love, where we live, or how little our income might be. This is a problem that can be solved. We’re done with following a dangerous “decorum,” defined by special interests who harm instead of help, who kill instead of support life. It’s time for all of us to link arms, sea to sea, and get into good and necessary trouble to redeem the soul of America. Pearson is the interim Tennessee state Representative for District 86 in Memphis and Millington. He was expelled from the Tennessee Statehouse by the GOP majority for standing with those calling for gun-safety laws, and was reinstated a week later by the Shelby County Commission in Memphis. (Special thanks to Karen Dolan of the Institute for Policy Studies for assisting with this piece.)

al.com Corey Williams wants to be at Auburn for long haul, help Bruce Pearl win a title Published: May. 17, 2023, 9:32 a.m. 6–8 minutes A week before Wes Flanigan left Auburn’s staff for a role at Ole Miss, Bruce Pearl was in Houston — site of this year’s Final Four — for the NABC Convention. It’s an annual tradition for college coaches across the country, as they descend upon the Final Four host city for clinics, presentations and networking. It also happens to be the time of year when there’s the most movement within the industry, so naturally, it’s the site of plenty of job interviews — both formal and informal. That was the case this year for Pearl, who had an inclination that an assistant role would soon come open on his staff. Read more Auburn basketball: Bruce Pearl “rooting for” Johni Broome at NBA Draft Combine but would love for the All-SEC center to return for another season Bruce Pearl balancing patience, urgency while exploring wing options in transfer portal Bruce Pearl: Auburn’s backcourt with five-star guard Aden Holloway will be “fun to watch” So, while in Houston, he met with Corey Williams, the former Texas Tech assistant and interim coach who was in the market for a new opportunity after the coaching change in Lubbock, Texas. Though Pearl didn’t have an official opening until about a week later, when Flanigan left on April 8 to join Chris Beard at Ole Miss, Williams knew right away that Pearl was someone he wanted to work for and with, if given the opportunity. “Meeting with him, talking with him, I knew right off the bat he was someone I wanted to work for,” Williams said this week on the Talking Tigers podcast. “I made that known.” Williams was hired at Auburn on April 21, nearly two weeks after Flanigan’s departure. He became the first new full-time assistant to join Pearl at Auburn since 2018, the offseason when Pearl brought in Flanigan and Ira Bowman to reshape the staff and provide a boost to the program, which went on to its first Final Four the following season. Now Williams is joining the Tigers, fresh off a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance (and second straight second-round exit), as Pearl reloads and restructures the program heading into his 10th year at Auburn. “All I want to do is enhance what they’ve already established,” said Williams, who added that he believes in working hard but prides himself in working smarter. With 24 years of coaching experience, including a run as a head coach and familiarity with the SEC, Williams had his share of suitors this offseason. Still, he knew Auburn is where he wanted to be. “Other schools offered me as well, but (Pearl) was the guy I wanted to work for,” Williams said. “…I was so excited for the opportunity, and we talked; it was a great conversation. I think I bring something—a different skillset that hopefully works well with this staff.” Shortly after hiring Williams, Pearl said during an appearance in Atlanta that his newest assistant “checks a lot of boxes” for the program. There’s the aforementioned 24 years of coaching experience, which includes six seasons as head coach at Stetson, the last two years as an assistant at Texas Tech, with stints working under Eric Musselman at Arkansas and Leonard Hamilton at Florida State also dotting his resume. Williams, who played at Oklahoma State under Eddie Sutton before returning to the program as a graduate assistant, also has championship experience in the NBA. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1992 and was part of the franchise’s threepeat during the 1992-93 season with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. Though he played a small part in that title run, Williams — who earned the nickname “Peewee” from teammates — was among the first names uttered by Jordan during the championship celebration for his role in helping the Bulls achieve greatness. Williams’ time in the NBA was short-lived; he was out of the league by 1994, after a brief stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and proceeded to play overseas for a few seasons. But that experience, and that championship ring, still carry weight. “I’ve been around,” Williams said. “I’ve got NBA experience. Most kids want to get to the NBA; I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt. So, I can talk about that in a manner that other people can’t.” RELATED: Bruce Pearl dishes on Denver Jones, Chaney Johnson and Auburn’s fluid roster makeover It’s just a small part of the larger skillset that Williams believes he brings to the table for Auburn as it goes through a transformational offseason. He also brings with him familiarity with the recruiting landscape in Texas and Florida, given his experiences coaching in those states, plus ties to Georgia—which has been the bread and butter for Pearl and his staff recruiting-wise over the years. Williams hails from Macon, Georgia, which is about an hour and a half southeast of Atlanta. It’s also about 2 ½ hours from Auburn. “Even though I didn’t go to Auburn, I feel like it’s ‘welcome home,’ because it’s just that close to my family, and that’s important to me,” Williams said. Also important to him is the opportunity to win and win big. He enjoyed success as an assistant at Oklahoma State, serving as a graduate assistant on the Cowboys’ Final Four team in 1994. He was part of a Sweet 16 team at FSU in 2011. At Arkansas, he helped Musselman lead the Razorbacks to an Elite Eight appearance in their second season together. Texas Tech made another Sweet 16 when he was there during the 2021-22 season. Williams has seen from afar what Pearl has accomplished at Auburn, and now he hopes to help the Tigers take it a step further. “I’ve always tried to pride myself in really trying to stay in a place for a while,” Williams said. “It’s just the last four years I’ve moved twice. That’s not something I enjoy doing. I’d like to be here for a long time and help Coach Pearl win a national championship. That’s my goal. I felt like, even when I talked to him and I watched him over the years, he is someone that will win a national championship, and all I wanted to do was be in the car with him. He’s driving the car; I just want to be a passenger and help him on the journey.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

did you read all the ties his staff had to russia? i will always think trump had a favor done or got lucky. i will never believe a damn thing trump says because he is such a damn liar. i also firmly believe if he could have done it he would have. we differ on things. you distrust dems and i would not trust a repuke any farther than i could throw him. you have a lot of nerve talking about truth when you supported trump for so long.

you are not interested in the truth. you want to imply trump and company did nothing altho mueller said they needed to keep investigating. this is a little old but it is a refresher on why things happened. Donald Trump Asked For Russian Help In The Election 1 Year Ago Today Akbar Shahid Ahmed 7–9 minutes WASHINGTON ― On July 27, 2016, Donald J. Trump stood behind a lectern in a Miami suburb and asked the Russian government to intervene in the 2016 election. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Trump told a crowded press conference, referring to messages his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, kept on a private server and deleted. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.” Twelve months later, top U.S. intelligence officials have said Russian state-backed entities did something similar to what Trump asked for: They hacked and released internal Democratic Party emails to embarrass Clinton and aid Trump. The leaked materials dominated media coverage for weeks, notably in the lead-up to Election Day itself. What’s unclear ― and currently under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller and three congressional committees ― is whether Trump and his campaign were involved in that foreign interference effort. Trump himself says the remark last year was sarcastic, and there is no proof yet of criminal collusion. But a pile of evidence that’s drawn attention since he made the comment shows a pattern of open cooperation. And the latest big story about Trump-Russia contacts ― regarding a June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr., other campaign aides and a well-connected Russian lawyer ― proves there was a willingness in the Trump camp to accept Russian help even before Trump’s statement. In March testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, former FBI agent Clint Watts explained that the Trump team and Moscow-linked media, including the site Wikileaks, spent months amplifying each other’s sharing of false information and conspiracy theories, helping the Kremlin get more bang for its buck. “Part of the reason active measures [by Russia] have worked in this U.S. election is because the commander-in-chief has used Russian active measures at times against his opponents,” Watts said. He described Trump’s Oct. 11 promotion of a fake news report published on Russia’s Sputnik News, and how former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort pushed a different false story that Watts traced back to Russian sources. “He denies the intel from the United States. He claims that the election could be rigged,” Watts said. “They parrot the same lines.” Trump’s source for his October statement (actually made on October 10) remains unclear: whether he or someone on his team saw the erroneous Sputnik report, or viral tweets making the claim in the hours before Sputnik posted its story, or some other source. Sputnik deleted its article shortly after publication, and investigative website Bellingcat noted pro-Trump social media had spread the claim widely. The Russian social media influence campaign also spent time trying to boost disaffection among supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), targeting a constituency Trump repeatedly reached out to, Watts noted. A few days after that hearing, the popular blog Lawfare shared a similar assessment in a post titled “Of Course There’s Evidence Trump Colluded With Russian Intelligence.” They provided an appendix listing the many, many times candidate Trump praised the leaks and denied growing U.S. intelligence suggesting Russia was behind them ― something he has continued to do as president. And in May, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, issued a reminder that there’s more than enough smoke to suggest a fire. ″What we do not have right now is conclusive proof that President Trump’s team colluded with the Russian government. But a lack of conclusive proof is not the same thing as a lack of evidence, and we should not confuse the two,” Smith said in a press release. “There is sufficient evidence to justify the appointment of a special prosecutor, there is enough evidence for Congress to continue investigating, and there is enough evidence that the American people should be deeply concerned about the President’s dealings with Russia. We do the truth a disservice when we blur those two questions, and it is important that we make every effort to keep this distinction clear.” Smith noted the case of Manafort, who ran Trump’s presidential campaign until the New York Times revealed in August of last year that Ukrainian investigators believed he had received $12.7 million in undisclosed payments from a pro-Russian political party. (The Times has since shown that Manafort was in debt to pro-Russian interests just before he began working for Trump, and Manafort has spoken with Senate investigators about his role in the meeting with the Trump son.) Smith also mentioned Carter Page, a Trump foreign policy adviser who flew to Moscow last July to deliver a speech slamming the U.S. approach to the world and promoting Russia’s foreign policy. In 2016, a Foreign Intelligence Service Court judge determined that the FBI was probably correct in considering Page a Russian agent. And he cited Roger Stone, who was a Trump adviser for decades and loud promoter of the materials taken from the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chair John Podesta. Smith also noted the multiple undisclosed meetings between Trump officials like Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. It’s also become clearer over time how desperate Trump is to quash the Russia investigation. To that end, he has already fired FBI director James Comey, threatened Mueller and Sessions despite support for them within the GOP, and repeatedly attempted to switch the focus back to Clinton’s alleged wrongdoing. It’s striking that all this is often still forgotten in coverage and conversations of the affair. In discussing Trump’s links with Russian media election efforts, Lawfare’s writers attempted to explain why this is the case. ”We have collectively discounted this cooperation for two related, and quite perverse, reasons: It was overt and public and it was legal,” they wrote. “The consequence has been that we largely ignore it in discussing the matter.” Contributing to the confusion is the public fascination with uncovering something secret, the real desperation to find that one damning clue that will explain it all, and the difficulty reporters and the public have in realizing that the traditionally hawkish GOP could now share interests with Moscow. But the current tendency to forget Trump’s public call on Russia to hack his opponent is a worrying sign. Russian interference is far from over, and Moscow does its best to make its efforts public ― to take advantage of the way open liberal democracies work, and avoid clear incrimination of Russia or its partners, experts on Kremlin strategy argue. Unless Americans gain a better understanding of how this kind of influence works, there’s little reason to believe it will end, no matter how the Trump-Russia case concludes. This story has been updated to clarify the date of a Trump statement referred to in the testimony of a witness at a Senate hearing, and to add information as to the campaign’s possible sources for that incorrect statement.

Lauren Boebert once told women in rocky marriages that they just need to start 'chasing Jesus' to solve their marital issues. Now she's getting divorced. Cheryl Teh 3–4 minutes Lauren Boebert.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Lauren Boebert served her husband Jayson divorce papers in April. She's spent much of her political career advocating for "strong families." She once told women struggling in their marriages that chasing Jesus would solve marital issues. Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert once told women who were struggling in their marriages that devoting themselves to Jesus would solve their marital issues. This week — after years of making the traditional American family a cornerstone of her political platform — she joined a collective of far-right MAGA lawmakers who've gone through very public divorces. On Tuesday, Boebert announced that she filed for divorce from her husband Jayson Boebert, citing irreconcilable differences. He didn't take it well: According to an affidavit, he flew into a rage and set his dogs on a process server when the documents were given to him on April 25. News of Boebert's impending divorce comes after years of advocating for the traditional American marriage and family unit — the "union of one man and one woman." Boebert's website still says that she believes "strong families are the foundation of American society." On the same page, she rages about "anti-family leftists" and touts her efforts to protect "family values." Boebert has previously brought up her Christian faith while advocating for women to stay in rocky marriages. "Are you struggling in your marriage? Begin to speak life into your marriage. Ladies, you were called to something great in your marriage. The power that you have in Christ, for your marriage, is unmatched," Boebert told an audience at the Cornerstone Christian Center during an event in June. "And if you start chasing Jesus, with everything that you have, I promise you that your husband will chase you, chasing Jesus," Boebert added. "To be able to speak life into a marriage that seems like it's ending is so powerful." A representative for Boebert did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours. Boebert isn't the only MAGA lawmaker who's recently split from their partner. In December, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene finalized her divorce from her husband Perry Greene. He had filed for divorce in September, saying his marriage with the congresswoman was "irretrievably broken." Greene is now dating Brian Glenn, who works for the conservative Right Side Broadcasting Network. And in December 2021, then-congressman Madison Cawthorn announced he and his wife were splitting up after less than a year of marriage. Two days before announcing his divorce, Cawthorn had advocated for marrying young and having "as many kids as possible" at a Turning Point USA conference. Read the original article on Business Insider this woman is one of those do as i say and not as i do folks.

be careful i bet mikey wears a murder patch..............

i need a link to that...................

Auburn softball outside of top 15 in latest USA TODAY/NFCA Coaches Poll Taylor Jones ~2 minutes The Auburn Tigers (40-17) are ready for the postseason as they will travel to Clemson to participate in the Clemson Regional beginning Friday at 4:30 p.m. CT. Their first opponent will be the Cal State Fullerton Titans, who enter the tournament with a 33-19 record. Auburn just missed out on hosting an NCAA regional this season and looks to use that as motivation this weekend as the winner of the Clemson regional will get a shot to take down the top overall seed, Oklahoma. Just how close were the Tigers to hosting? Here is what coaches around the world have to say about the Tigers. Auburn remains the No. 16 team in the country in this week’s USA TODAY/NFCA Coaches Poll after making the semifinals of the SEC Softball Tournament in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Auburn fell short of the finals with a 3-2 loss to South Carolina on Friday afternoon. This weekend’s host, Clemson, dropped one spot after falling to No. 5 Duke in the ACC Softball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana. How does the rest of this week’s poll look? Here’s a look at this week’s USA TODAY/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: South Carolina (27), Louisiana (24), Marshall (19), Texas A&M (12), Prairie View A&M (1). Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

i need a link on the obama claim................

Why former Auburn basketball standout Charles Barkley is 'not a big fan' of NIL Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser ~4 minutes AUBURN — The introduction of Name, Image and Likeness has thrown a curveball into college sports programs across the country, and Auburn athletics is no different. Coaches Hugh Freeze and Bruce Pearl are still learning how to best navigate the challenges presented by NIL, but former Auburn basketball star Charles Barkley already knows where he stands on the topic. "I think what's going to happen in the next three to five years is we're going to have about 20 good teams because everybody is going to start going to the highest bidder," Barkley said at the Regions Tradition pro-am golf tournament in Birmingham last Wednesday. "I don't like it at all, (but) that's just the world we live in today." TRANSFER QB: 'People want to follow him': What Auburn football is getting in Payton Thorne HANK BROWN: Why Trent Dilfer said the Auburn football QB has 'all the skills' to reach the NFL Barkley, who grew up in Leeds before committing to Auburn and spending three seasons with the Tigers, also fears there's a risk for resentment to arise among teams based on the amount of NIL money each player is receiving, especially in football due to the fact that players must be three years removed from high school to be eligible for the draft. Basketball players can play just one season in college before trying to make it to the NBA. "If I'm a quarterback, I'm probably going to make the most money, and the running back and the wide receivers," Barkley said. "But the hardest two positions in pro sports are probably offensive line and defensive line. I'm not sure people are going to be paying those big, ugly guys a lot of money. They're going to pay the pretty quarterback and running back. I'm not sure that's fair." Balancing that fairness in regard to NIL is something Freeze has been tasked with since he landed the Auburn job in November. "Whether we like it or don't like it, it's part of the world that we live in," Freeze said of NIL on the first day of spring practices in February. "... There's not a single person in regards to NIL on any college football team, probably, that would say, 'I wasn't for that.' And so, if we're all for that, then we have to be willing to also deal with when we think it might not be adequately done for you. "There are still a lot of guys that go in debt to be a part of this program. And every program. You could trade seats with them if you'd like to, and, obviously, nobody would. I want our young men to try to operate out of an attitude of blessing and not entitlement. ... Life's not fair sometimes, and everything won't always be fair. But what do we do when it's not? I've spent a lot of time trying to teach them on those kinds of things." And while Barkley would've likely enjoyed the ability to make money from NIL during his time with the Tigers, he's glad he didn't have to deal with the challenges that may have come with it. "I made the best decision ever going to Auburn," Barkley said. "But I'm not stupid enough to think if I was making a lot of money at Auburn, that other players wouldn't get jealous at some point." Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Charles Barkley: Why Auburn basketball legend is 'not a big fan' of NIL

SEC football recruiting grades Georgia earns A as Dylan Raiola commits while LSU Alabama also stand out Chance Linton 49–62 minutes Checking in on the SEC recruiting classes with spring winding down… The 2024 recruiting cycle is heating up with the spring winding down and summer approaching, but several SEC schools are already making waves on the recruiting trail. On a recent episode of 247Sports’ College Football Recruiting Show, 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins handed out his mid-spring recruiting grades for every SEC program in the 2024 cycle. According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, the SEC currently boasts 12 of the top-50 recruiting classes in the country. That includes seven teams ranked inside the top-20 nationally, headlined by two of the top four classes in the country. Get offseason and recruiting intel on your favorite college team for $1 for first month. Below are Ivins’ grades for every SEC team up to this point in the 2024 recruiting cycle, along with where they stand in the 247Sports Composite rankings. Georgia Bulldogs: A+ 5-star QB Dylan Raiola (Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 245.86 Class rank: National — No. 2 | SEC — No. 1 Total commits: 12 Average rating: 94.90 From Ivins: “As crazy as it sounds, anytime I talk with someone in Athens, they continue to bring up how this is such a pivotal class for them — they have to get dudes on campus. And UGA, right now, it feels like they’re just drafting on the defensive side of the ball. They continue to get talent there. … So, Georgia, it’s a fine-tuned machine right now. Not surprising.” ‌ LSU Tigers: A+ 4-star TE Trey'Dez Green (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 226.96 Class rank: National — No. 5 | SEC — No. 2 Total commits: 15 Average rating: 90.39 From Ivins: “We saw in that initial 2023 class, that first cycle for (Brian Kelly’s staff), they recruited nationwide. Fast forward to this 2024 class, he’s already got seven prospects from the state of Louisiana committed. LSU leads on the Crystal Ball for three more guys right in their backyard, so it seems like LSU has figured things out. … They love to use the tight ends, get them involved, that’s kind of the X-factor for the Tigers on offense, and I think (Top247 tight end commits Trey’Dez Green and Tayvion Galloway) are as good of a duo as you’re going to find so far in the 2024 cycle. … So, I really like the group LSU has assembled. I think this is exactly what the Tigers needed to do, and we’ll see how they finish it out.” ‌ Alabama Crimson Tide: A 4-star QB Julian Sayin (Photo: 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 145.45 Class rank: National — No. 20 | SEC — No. 7 Total commits: 6 Average rating: 95.42 From Ivins: “I mean, they only have a few guys committed right now. And I always caution people this time of the year when we talk about the Crimson Tide, they really haven’t took that recruiting machine out of the driveway yet and put it into drive. Traditionally, July and August is when they start picking up all of their commitments, and I think that will be the case once again. I do like the group they have committed right now. … We know the quarterback position is somewhere where Alabama is trying to find answers, and (top-50 QB commit Julian) Sayin is one of the best guys there.” ‌ South Carolina Gamecocks: A 4-star OT Kam Pringle (Photo: Don Callahan/Inside Carolina, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 191.91 Class rank: National — No. 9 | SEC — No. 3 Total commits: 10 Average rating: 92.04 From Ivins: “I gave the Gamecocks an A. They are absolutely passing right now, and I think it starts with the offensive line. We keep bringing up how the 2024 cycle lacks those blue chip offensive tackles, it seems like it’s a down year. And South Carolina, they need help in that offensive line room right now and they need it long term, and the Gamecocks have two really good guys committed — (Top247 prospects) Kam Pringle and Josiah Thompson, I like those guys a lot, and then they’ve got two projects in Blake Franks and Mike Williams. So, they are loading up at a key position where there really isn’t a ton of elite talent out there like that.” ‌ Florida Gators: A 5-star S Xavier Filsaime (Photo: Parker Thune, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 176.20 Class rank: National — No. 11 | SEC — No. 5 Total commits: 8 Average rating: 94.04 From Ivins: “I don’t think enough has been said on a national level about them getting five-star safety Xavier Filsaime out of the state of Texas. That is about as impressive of a get we have seen so far in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Yes, they’re going to need to hang onto him. But they also got some good linebackers committed, and then the quarterback, DJ Lagway. … DJ Lagway is probably the closest thing we have seen to Anthony Richardson in this cycle. He’s an elite athlete with a big arm, just needs to get more consistent.” ‌ Tennessee Volunteers: B+ 4-star CB Kaleb Beasley (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 191.27 Class rank: National — No. 10 | SEC — No. 4 Total commits: 11 Average rating: 90.50 From Ivins: “Tennessee’s M.O. has really been the past few years finding potential impact players on the defensive side of the ball, and they continue to do that. (Top247 cornerback) Kaleb Beasley is a guy that had nine interceptions as a junior – I haven’t found a defensive back with that many takeaways in terms of the blue chippers in the 2024 cycle. So, I like what they’re doing there. I think (top-100 QB Jake Merklinger) is the perfect guy for the Volunteers to take after (2023 signee) Nico Iamaleava. Merklinger has started more games than anyone else in the 2024 cycle. He doesn’t get rattled, he can run the football, and I think he’s someone that if something were to happen to Nico, he can step in and carry that offense.” ‌ Arkansas Razorbacks: B+ 4-star QB KJ Jackson (Photo: Elite 11) 247Sports Composite Score: 157.12 Class rank: National — No. 16 | SEC — No. 6 Total commits: 9 Average rating: 89.66 From Ivins: “When you talk about Arkansas, they already got a few of the state’s top-ranked prospects committed. Sam Pittman, we know that he can recruit. They missed out on Air Noland, the quarterback, but they get KJ Jackson, a kid from the state of Alabama. He’s also left-handed. That’s notable because new offensive coordinator Dan Enos has worked with some lefties in the past. Dan Enos coached (Tua Tagovailoa) up when he was at Alabama. So, I like what Arkansas is doing. They’re always going to be — as long as Sam Pittman is there — focused on finding big individuals and dominating the trenches.” ‌ Texas A&M Aggies: B 4-star S Jordan Pride (Photo: Parker Thune, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 120.70 Class rank: National — No. 25 | SEC — No. 8 Total commits: 6 Average rating: 91.12 From Ivins: “I really like what Texas A&M is doing on defense. We’ll see what they’re going to do on offense. But they pick up a commitment earlier this week from Jordan Pride, a Top247 safety — I think he’s got the tools and is someone that can play a variety of different positions on the back end. They also got a linebacker out of the state of Mississippi, Tristan Jernigan — he’s got some traits, not talked about enough. And then Daelyn Evans, a longtime defensive line commit. Remember two years ago what the Aggies were able to do with that defensive front – this is a guy that would rank right there with all those five-stars that they took. … I think Texas A&M needs to hold onto Dealyn Evans. He is a key piece to the class, reminds me of Gervon Dexter, who was at Florida, just selected in the second round of the NFL Draft.” ‌ Vanderbilt Commodores: B 3-star QB Jeremy St-Hilaire (Photo: Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean, USA TODAY Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 75.79 Class rank: National — No. 40 | SEC — No. 12 Total commits: 5 Average rating: 85.67 From Ivins: “I look at Vandy’s class and I know our former colleague Barton Simmons is there, but man, every take they have I think makes a ton of sense. And the reason Vandy got a B is because they needed to find a quarterback. They didn’t take one last cycle, and they got two guys committed. Whit Muschamp, who is the son of UGA defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, and then this kid Jeremy St-Hilaire. Both those guys are in-state prospects, and you put on the tape and there’s a lot to like about them. … So, I think Vandy, they’re doing just what they need to do.” ‌ Auburn Tigers: B 4-star QB Walker White (Photo: Elite 11) 247Sports Composite Score: 102.66 Class rank: National — No. 31 | SEC — No. 10 Total commits: 5 Average rating: 91.22 From Ivins: “I think it’s been really impressive what (Hugh Freeze) has done since he has arrived on The Plains. Late in that 2023 cycle, they flipped a ton of kids, got them committed, and they’ve made a big splash in the transfer portal in that second window. 2024 recruiting, we haven’t really seen it yet. (Top-100 quarterback) Walker White picked Auburn, but just a handful of guys committed. I think they’re going to hit their stride here as we get to the summer months and then into the season.” ‌ Ole Miss Rebels: B 4-star QB Demond Williams (Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 106.83 Class rank: National — No. 30 | SEC — No. 9 Total commits: 7 Average rating: 88.69 From Ivins: “When you look at their class, I like Jeffery Rush, the interior defensive lineman they have committed. But I still think the folks in Oxford are kind of juggling, hey, how much do we want to be involved in the transfer portal, how much do we want to be involved in the high school recruiting process. … Not a ton of guys in the boat so far. I will say, Demond Williams, the quarterback they have committed out of Arizona, I think he could be exciting in Lane Kiffin’s offense. He’s a dual-threat talent. Now, I don’t know when he’s going to get on the field … but he’s kind of electric and someone that I think can move the chains with both his arm and legs.” ‌ Mississippi State Bulldogs: C+ 4-star QB Josh Flowers (Photo: Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 82.93 Class rank: National — No. 38 | SEC — No. 11 Total commits: 5 Average rating: 87.15 From Ivins: “(Four-star quarterback commit) Josh Flowers is an electric dual-threat talent, a guy that can move the chains certainly with his legs. I still think (head coach Zach Arnett) and his staff are trying to find their footing. Go back to the 2023 cycle — really difficult situation with him taking over for the late Mike Leach — and they closed well on the recruiting trail. They got five guys committed, but only one prospect from their backyard — one of the top-25-ranked prospects in the state of Mississippi is committed to the Bulldogs. So, it’ll be interesting to see how, really, the next few months go for them. … But right now, definitely some work left to do for Mississippi State and first-year head coach Zach Arnett.” ‌ Kentucky Wildcats: C 3-star OT Hayes Johnson (Photo: 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 34.35 Class rank: National — No. 70 | SEC — No. 14 Total commits: 2 Average rating: 87.22 From Ivins: “I think it’s hard to poke holes in Mark Stoops and his staff’s philosophy, what they do. I mean, over the past few years, Kentucky has had 13 players selected in the NFL Draft. … But they’re not getting the blue chippers. Now, when you look at the prospects expected to visit this upcoming summer, there are some big names there, so I think you gotta be patient. But right now, certainly, Kentucky — it’s lacking on the recruiting front. I would think Mark Stoops, a guy that continuously puts out good squads, gets guys to the NFL, we would see a little bit more. Not seeing it right now. And I do think it’s a bit of a down year in-state there in Kentucky, so that’s playing a little bit into this as well.” ‌ Missouri Tigers: C 3-star QB Daniel Kaelin (Photo: Mick Walker, 247Sports) 247Sports Composite Score: 49.65 Class rank: National — No. 64 | SEC — No. 13 Total commits: 3 Average rating: 86.71 From Ivins: “Another program that’s kind of lived in the transfer portal. Let’s not forget, it wasn’t too long ago that they signed five-star wide receiver Luther Burden. But it seems like the recruiting has dropped off here a little bit. It’s been a bit difficult for them to kind of connect with some of the local prospects. They do have a quarterback committed, but you would think you would have seen a little bit more for the Tigers. … So, we’ll see how much more they look to the high school ranks, but it’s a program that’s really saving some of those counters and spaces for veterans and mercenaries that can come in and play right away.”