Daily Archives: September 16, 2020

BIRDS ARE FALLING OUT OF THE SKY

BIRDS ARE FALLING OUT OF THE SKY

Wildfires and climate crisis cited as possible causes for the deaths of thousands of migrating species heading south for the winter


Birds ‘falling out of the sky’ in mass die-off in south-western US

Thousands of migrating birds have inexplicably died in south-western US,

In what ornithologists have described as a national tragedy that is likely to be related to the climate crisis.

Flycatchers, swallows and warblers are among the species “falling out of the sky”,

As part of a mass die-off across New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona and farther north into Nebraska,

With growing concerns there could be hundreds of thousands dead already, said Martha Desmond, a professor in the biology department at New Mexico State University (NMSU).

Many carcasses have little remaining fat reserves or muscle mass, with some appearing to have nose-dived into the ground mid-flight.

“I collected over a dozen in just a two-mile stretch in front of my house,” said Desmond.

“To see this and to be picking up these carcasses and realising how widespread this is, is personally devastating.

To see this many individuals and species dying is a national tragedy.”

Long-distance migrants flying south from…..

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NFL RATINGS A BIT OF HISTORY

NFL RATINGS A BIT OF HISTORY

Average per game TV viewership of NFL games in the United States 2010-2019

The National Football League is celebrating another victory as the league finished its 100th regular season,

With a 5% gain in average viewership compared to last season, according to data provided to CNBC.

For the second consecutive season, the NFL increased its average TV viewership, improving to 16.5 million per game,

And expecting to finish with more than 180 million in total viewers for the 2019 regular season.

Last year, the league averaged 15.8 million viewers and league games finished with 46 of the top 50 telecasts during the season.

This season, NFL games finished with 47 of the top 50 telecasts.

The rebound in viewership certainly helps the league as it is hoping to renegotiate media deals with TV partners CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN and DirecTV.

Dating back to the 2016 season, the league suffered a fall in ratings and even experienced a 9.7% drop in viewership for the 2017 season.

The controversy surrounding players kneeling during the national anthem,

Which led to political criticism mostly from President Donald Trump, was partly to blame for the ratings decline.

But one network executive added that the lack of stars hurt ratings, too.

NFL RATINGS A BIT OF HISTORY AND THE DECLINE

The departure of quarterback Peyton Manning,

Who retired after he led the Denver Broncos to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50,

Was also described as a blow to NFL television ratings, the executive, who asked not to be identified, said.

The belief is Manning’s star power and likability among NFL fans allowed networks to benefit from ratings,

As games involving the Indianapolis Colts, where Manning played from 1998-2011, and the Broncos were highly rated contests.

After Manning’s exit, national games featuring the two teams no longer appealed to NFL audiences, the executive said.

Currently, the league is benefiting from younger stars like Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, an MVP candidate.

The network executive said Kansas City Chiefs games also finished strong, as those games featured star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Dallas Cowboys continue to be a TV hit, too.

The Cowboys’ 26-15 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving Day averaged 32.6 million viewers,

The most-viewed NFL game this season, with their 13-9 loss in Week 12 to the New England Patriots averaging 29.5 million viewers, the second most-viewed contest.

Last season the Cowboys were also featured in the most-viewed NFL game (averaged 30.5 million), a 31-23 victory over the Washington Redskins in Week 12.

Sunday night delight

NBC Sports Group released its ratings for the 2019 season,

Announcing average viewership for the Sunday Night Football package reached 20.5 million,

Its highest for the series since 2015, and up from 19.6 million in 2018, the network said, providing data from Nielsen in its media release.

The regular season finale between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, which determined the NFC West title,

Averaged 23.3 million viewers, helping SNF retain its dominance as the No. 1 primetime show on TV for the ninth consecutive year.

“With exciting games featuring compelling new stars emerging at quarterback,

Coupled with veterans at the position who rank among the best in history,

we’ve had a terrific season with viewership increases across the board,” Pete Bevacqua, president of NBC Sports Group, said in a statement.

DAWG SAYS: ME PERSONALLY, I AM TIRED OF THESE RICH PLAYERS ON THE FIELD WHO DO NOT HAVE A CLUE,

SHOULD JUST GO BACK AND DO WHAT THEY ARE PAID TO DO,

AND QUIT TRYING TO BE THE SOCIAL CONSCIENCE OF THE COUNTRY.

AND I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE NFL ANYMORE EITHER.

DIPSHIDIOT OF THE DAY (VIDEO)

DIPSHIDIOT OF THE DAY

Outburst by Las Vegas judge results in ethics charges

A Las Vegas judge is facing ethics charges after an outburst directed at a potential juror during a child rape trial resulted in an overturned verdict.

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline laid out formal allegations against District Judge Richard Scotti,

Who swore and hurled a pocket U.S. Constitution against a courtroom wall during jury selection in the 2017 trial ,

Of a man prosecutors said spent two years luring children with candy and molesting them in his northeast valley apartment complex.

Courtroom video captured the judge’s actions.

A prospective juror had told the judge she could not be unbiased because of her exposure to child abuse in her job as a nurse, according to court records.

Scotti, the commission’s prosecuting officer wrote last week, appeared to believe that was “a contrived excuse to avoid jury service.”

The commission alleged that the judge’s actions during the trial violated the first canon in the state’s Code of Judicial Conduct,

In that he did not “act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence,

Integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and avoiding impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.”

In addition, the commission alleged that Scotti violated another canon that requires judges to “perform judicial duties competently”,

And “be patient, dignified and courteous and act and speak with decorum and maintain a proper judicial demeanor.”

Scotti, who is up for re-election in November against Deputy Public Defender Carli Kierny, has expressed contrition for the outburst.

“I was trying my hardest to provide both sides a fair trial,

And the juror having two different excuses over two different days made it very difficult to do that,” Scotti said Tuesday.

“Admittedly I was angry, and I did apologize. … I’m confident that, once the commission hears everything,

They will decide that discipline is not warranted in this situation.”

The commission is expected to hold a public hearing on the matter, and could issue sanctions or discipline, though no date had been set.

DAWG SAYS: HOW IN THE WORLD DOES SOMEONE LIKE THIS GET ON THE BENCH?

ROGER STONE GIVES TRUMP ADVICE

ROGER STONE GIVES TRUMP ADVICE


ROGER STONE CALLS FOR TRUMP TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW IF HE LOSES

ALSO TO ORDER THE ARREST OF MARK ZUCKERBERG, TIM COOK, AND THE CLINTONS

  • Roger Stone has urged President Donald Trump to declare “martial law” if he loses reelection in November.
  • In an interview with the far-right conspiracy-theory site Infowars, Stone called for Trump to form a special task force of federal agents to “physically stand in the way of criminal activity” in the election.
  • He repeated Trump’s accusations that the election result would be fraudulent, as polls show the Democratic candidate Joe Biden maintaining a lead over the president.
  • After being convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering last year in relation to his activities during the 2016 election, Stone was granted clemency by Trump.

Roger Stone, the self-described political “dirty trickster” who advised Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign,

Has urged the president to seize power should he lose November’s election.

In an interview with Alex Jones’ far-right conspiracy-theory site,

Infowars, Stone echoed groundless claims pushed by Trump that the Democratic Party would rig the election.

Stone encouraged Trump to consider declaring “martial law” should he lose reelection, or invoke the Insurrection Act.

Using those new powers, Stone suggested, he should order the arrest of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg,

Apple CEO Tim Cook, “the Clintons,” and “anybody else who can be proven to be involved in illegal activity.”

The comments were made by Stone last week and first reported over the weekend by the progressive group MediaMatters.

Stone called for Trump to appoint former Rep. Bob Barr, a Georgia Republican, as a special counsel,

“with the specific task of forming an Election Day operation using the FBI, federal marshals,

And Republican state officials across the country to be prepared to file legal objections and if necessary to physically stand in the way of criminal activity.”

He singled out Nevada: “The ballots in Nevada on election night should be seized by federal marshals and taken from the state.

They are completely corrupted.

No votes should be counted from the state of Nevada if that turns out to be the provable case.

Send federal marshals to the Clark county board of elections, Mr. President!”

Nevada is regarded by pollsters as leaning Democratic,

And is being targeted by the Trump campaign amid signs it is becoming more competitive, according to The Cook Political Report.

ROGER STONE GIVES TRUMP ADVICE ON ELECTIONS

Alex Jones at a rally in support of the then-candidate Donald Trump near the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

He said journalists should be rounded up for “seditious activities” relating to the election,

singling out a report by The Daily Beast on left-wing groups discussing what to do in the event of a disputed election in November and violence on the streets.

“They want to play war — this is war,” Stone said,

Adding: “I’m for a legal election.

Everything I’m going to be involved with in terms of helping Donald Trump get elected will be perfectly transparent and legal.”

Stone’s claims in the interview echo Trump’s narrative that an expected surge in mail-in voting might lead to widespread voter fraud.

Observers fear the president is seeking to erode trust in the election, depress voter turnout, and prepare the ground to delegitimize the election if he loses.

Stone is a veteran Republican strategist and longtime confidant of Trump.

In 2016, he was a frequent guest on Infowars

Which traffics in conspiracy theories that “elites” and “deep state” operatives secretly manipulate world events,

And brokered a Trump interview on the site.

Jones has since been barred from several of the largest social-media platforms for promoting hate speech.

Stone was convicted last year of lying to Congress and witness tampering,

Relating to a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, but Trump granted him clemency in July.

Trump had described Stone’s trial as unfair in explaining why he issued the clemency order.

Andrew Weissmann, a prosecutor on Robert Mueller’s special-counsel investigation,

said in an op-ed article for The New York Times that Trump was rewarding Stone for “keeping his lips sealed.”