We last left Harry Potter waving off his eldest children, James Sirius and Albus Severus at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Today, new details have been released about JK Rowling&#8217;s beloved characters and the story that will unfold on the stage in the official eighth installment of the Potter saga:
The official website of all things Harry Potter released the following <a href="http://www.pottermore.com/news/cursed-child-eighth-harry-potter-story">statement</a> about the new play Harry Potter and The Cursed Child:
<blockquote>
&#8220;It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn&#8217;t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.&#8221;
</blockquote>
The next chapter in the story will explore Harry&#8217;s life after Hogwarts, after his marriage, and after dropping his children off for school. 
<a href="https://www.pottermore.com/news/cursed-child-announcement">The two-part play</a> is written by Jack Thorne in collaboration with J.K. Rowling, and is directed by Oliver and Tony award-winner John Tiffany. It will feature a cast of over 30 actors, to be announced.
The creative team released:
<blockquote>
&#8220;It is very exciting to explore Harry&#8217;s world in a brand new way through the live form of theatre. Collaborating on this story is exhilarating for all of us and we can&#8217;t wait to present the eighth story at the Palace Theatre next summer.&#8221;
</blockquote>
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child arrives at London&#8217;s West End for the 2016 summer season. <a>Tickets go on sale online</a> at 11am GMT on Wednesday October 28, on a first come first served basis to those who registered for priority booking. They will be available to the general public Friday, October 30 at 11am GMT.
Priority registration is still available at HarryPotterthePlay.com, but closes Saturday, October 24 at 11:45pm BST (3:45pm PST).
Unfortunately, the nature of the theatre experience means the vast majority of fans will not get to experience next installment in the same communal way the nation devoured the book series in popular binge-reading fashion. 
Of course, fans outside the U.K. will keep their fingers crossed that it may eventually travel to Broadway and tour, or at least end up a streaming event in movie theatres around the world.

New ‘Harry Potter’ Play to Feature Adult Cast and Themes

Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton laughed out loud after Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) questioned Clinton whether she was home alone during the night of the 2012 Benghazi attacks.
The outburst occurred during Clinton&#8217;s testimony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, before the House Select Committee on Benghazi. After laughing out cloud, Clinton pleaded for &#8220;a note of levity at 7:15 p.m., nine hours since the hearing began.&#8221; 
She described conversations with other officials and said, &#8220;I did not sleep all night&#8230; I was very, uh, much focused on what we should be doing.&#8221;
The moment was, The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/us/politics/a-hearing-and-a-house-as-divided-as-the-country-watching-it.html?_r=0">noted</a>, &#8220;the first laugh in an otherwise heavy session.&#8221;
Roby was not amused.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know why that&#8217;s funny,&#8221; the Republican reproved. &#8220;Did you have any in-person briefings? I don&#8217;t find it funny at all.&#8221;
Hillary supporters did, however, with chuckles coming from the back of the room.
Clinton has displayed a flippant attitude about the whole Benghazi reconnaissance from the beginning, and this is not the first time she has laughed in the face of the investigation. CNN reporter Jake Tapper was met with <a href="https://youtu.be/i2flqv2GWKA">similar results</a> over a week ago.

<div class="media_embed"><iframe loading="lazy" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="480px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i2flqv2GWKA" width="854px"></iframe></div>

Transcript via CNN:
<blockquote>
TAPPER: I know Bernie Sanders said that, quote, &#8220;the American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails.&#8221;
(LAUGHTER)
But there are a lot of people who are not.
CLINTON: Well &#8212;
(LAUGHTER)
</blockquote>
The fact that others were laughing at the hearing suggests the Hillary supporters are similarly flippant about the tragic (and preventable) incident
Arrogance in the face of scrutiny is a recipe for disaster, and while Hillary and other Democrats may be &#8220;<a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/410/first-democrat-debate-grades-bernie-surrenders-ben-shapiro">sick and tired</a>&#8221; of hearing about her emails, a good portion of the nation&#8217;s politically inclined insist this is no laughing matter.
In the end, Clinton insisted that she had the needed equipment at home to stay in close contact with the State Department. 

<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe loading="lazy" width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SSUExGlnu-4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Hillary Cackles When Asked If She Was Alone Night of Benghazi

Benghazi

Hillary Clinton

Seattle Seahawks (2-4) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-4)
Last year&#8217;s Super Bowl chumps, the Seattle Seahawks, head to Levi&#8217;s Stadium in Santa Clara to face the San Francisco 49ers in what should be a solid divisional game on Thursday Night Football. 
These are two teams that seem to be heading in opposite directions. <a href="http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015101808/2015/REG6/panthers@seahawks#menu=gameinfo%7CcontentId%3A0ap3000000560159&amp;tab=videos">The Seahawks lost at home last weekend to the Carolina Panthers 27-23.</a> Despite some excellent plays in the second half of the game by Seattle playmakers &#8211; <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/10/18/9564887/seattle-seahawks-flea-flicker-marshawn-lynch-russell-wilson-ricardo-lockette">the flea flicker to Ricardo Lockette in the endzone is one not to miss</a> &#8211; Carolina came back to win with a fourth quarter TD pass to Greg Olsen, sealing Seattle&#8217;s fate.
Seahawks bandwagon fans have officially begun burning their 12th man jerseys and coming up with excuses about why football isn&#8217;t cool anymore. 
The 49ers on the other hand <a href="http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015101810/2015/REG6/ravens@49ers#menu=gameinfo%7CcontentId%3A0ap3000000561367&amp;tab=analyze">beat the Ravens at home 25-20</a>. Kaepernick threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns against one of the most desperate passing defenses in the league, totaling just under 200 yards to the two former Ravens Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. Yet over half the team&#8217;s points came from their kicker Phil Dawson, who went 4/4 onfield goals (53 yards his longest) and an extra point. 
Despite the teams&#8217; even records, Seattle&#8217;s 2-game losing streak, and San Francisco&#8217;s home field advantage and win last week, Seattle is still favored to win by five and a half points. 
Seattle may have defeated the 49ers in their past three matchups, but do they deserve to be favored by nearly a touchdown?
The answer is yes.
The 49ers may have won last week, but this is following a streak of four losses in a row. Their running game has been flawed and until last weekend, their bell-cow Carlos Hyde hadn&#8217;t cracked 100 yards rushing since Week 1. 
And home field is not an advantage for the 49ers. I&#8217;ve been to a home game &#8230; the fans there are more interested in standing up for &#8220;the wave&#8221; than keeping the opposing offense off the field. 
There is fantasy relevancy, and that&#8217;s why you&#8217;re here. 
One in 12 of you have Marshawn Lynch. This week features an interesting matchup: Lynch vs. Bowman. Inside linebacker Navarro Bowman is riding a major hot streak, recording 26 tackles in the past two games. He stuffed the box to keep Justin Forsett out of the endzone, holding him to 62 yards on 17 carries (3.64 yards per carry), and he stopped Jennings and Vereen on the New York Giants the week before. 
Of course, Marshawn Lynch is no Jennings or Vereen. 
The question is whether the Seahawks&#8217; offensive line will be sufficient enough to let Lynch really shine. Pro Football Focus rated <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seattle-seahawks-grades-from-pro-football-focus-high-marks-for-wilson-and-graham-low-marks-for-offensive-line-cornerbacks/">the Seattle line a combined rating of -9.5 for their efforts in last week&#8217;s matchup</a> against Carolina. Center Patrick Lewis&#8217;s -4.7 was the third worst among centers in week 6. 
Lynch got 17 carries last week &#8211; Pete Carroll appears to have learned his lesson &#8211; and he&#8217;ll get his carries again this week. And while Bowman beasts with the best of them, and while I like inside linebacker Michael Wihoite&#8217;s hustle the past two games, the 49ers really don&#8217;t have a remarkable defensive line, which means there&#8217;s a chance Lynch averages over 5 yards per carry, and breaks a couple big ones off for 30. 
Carlos Hyde is currently questionable for this game, and the Thursday night game does not give him much time to rest. Reggie Bush meanwhile is also questionable and may be there to take carries away, but I think Hyde will burden the load. 
Fantasy Predictions:
Two speedy quarterbacks have the potential to run for some yards, but I just don&#8217;t see that happening. Russell Wilson finally found how fun it can be to have a monster truck like Jimmy Graham to play with, but I do not see him repeating his 140 yard performance from last week. 
More likely, this is how I see this week&#8217;s Thursday night game playing out:
Wilson finds Graham early for a huge play to go ahead of San Francisco 7-0 or 7-3. Seahawks control the clock handing the ball off to Lynch the rest of the game. Lynch breaks off a big one and ends up with a HUGE 120 yard game with 2 touchdowns on 21 touches.
You&#8217;re welcome, Lynch owners.
Wilson will pass for around 200 yards and a TD. He will run for a TD as well.
Graham gets going early and wins up with 90 yards on 7 receptions, hopefully he gets the TD. Otherwise, Wilson spreads the ball around. Doug Baldwin the second highest receiver with 4 receptions and 60 yards. 
Kaepernick hits Boldin and Smith 5 or 6 times each for 70-80 yards, gets one or two in the endzone, but he throws a couple picks as well.
Hyde rushes the ball 18 times for 80 yards. No TD. 
The real stars of the show will be the kickers.
Must Start: Marshawn Lynch, Jimmy Graham, Steven Hauschka, Phil Dawson
Can Start: Torrey Smith, Carlos Hyde, Russell Wilson
Sleeper Pick: Torrey Smith. Anquan Boldin has an awesome history with Richard Sherman. Both have been <a href="http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130916/BLOG06/130919855">very vocal about each other</a>. However, I do not see Boldin stepping it up this week, which means Smith will have to dominate the open looks. He could wind up with over 100 yards and the TD. Not a safe bet against the Seattle secondary, but if you&#8217;re looking sleeper for Thursday, Torrey Smith is your guy.

Thursday Night Football Preview & Fantasy Outlook

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Ben Carson trails Donald Trump by just a handful of points according to the latest Real Clear Politics <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/">average of national polls</a> of Republican primary voters, and he leads all candidates in a very important category: fundraising.
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/election-2016-campaign-money-race.html?_r=0">The New York Times</a> published the third quarter fundraising earnings, showing that the former neurosurgeon had taken in $20.8 million, the most of any Republican and third highest of any candidate. 
However, Federal Election Commission reports also show that Carson spent $14.2 million during that same period, first among the Republican candidates. Like Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, most of Carson&#8217;s support comes from small donations, so it&#8217;s uncertain Carson will be able to raise the funds needed for the rest of his campaign to compete with the &#8220;<a href="http://fortune.com/2015/10/19/ben-carson-fundraising/">wealthy and well-connected boosters of some of his rivals</a>.&#8221;
The <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/10/15/ben-carson-spent-more-than-two-thirds-of-his-third-quarter-haul/">Wall Street Journal</a> provides a breakdown of how most of Carson&#8217;s fundraising money is being spent:
<blockquote>
In all, Mr. Carson directed $11 million of the $14 million he spent in the third quarter to fundraising costs.
The campaign spent nearly $5 million &#8212; a quarter of its total haul &#8212; on social media, email marketing and online advertisements. Mr. Carson&#8217;s Facebook presence in particular has drawn attention for the size of his audience. <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/09/28/ben-carson-surpasses-trump-as-most-liked-gop-hopeful-on-facebook/">Last month, he surpassed GOP front-runner Donald Trump to become the candidate with the most fans on Facebook.</a>
He spent $2.6 million on direct mail, $1.4 million on telemarketing and another $57,000 on the campaign website.
</blockquote>
Ben Carson may also suffer from what Politico calls an &#8220;<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/ben-carson-luxury-campaign-spending-214863">appetite for the good life</a>.&#8221; According to the report, Carson has spent thousands of dollars on the campaign trail enjoying upscale dining and staying at high-end hotels.
<blockquote>
&#8220;His direct mail campaign cost the candidate $8.4 million, or nearly 60 percent of the total $14.2 million it spent in the third quarter.&#8221; 
Mother Jones
</blockquote>
But the majority of Carson&#8217;s &#8220;burn rate&#8221; can be attributed to his fundraising methods. Carson appeals directly to his supporters through email, snail mail, and Facebook campaigns. His direct mail campaign <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/10/these-presidential-candidates-are-running-out-of-money">cost the candidate $8.4 million, or nearly 60 percent</a> of the total $14.2 million it spent in the third quarter. 
This strategy ultimately is much more expensive than the $10,000-per-plate galas that helped Jeb Bush raise $13.4 million from July to September.
Despite raising more money than his competitors, Ben Carson&#8217;s campaign expenditure may be unsustainable. Spending nearly 60 cents for every dollar raised on fundraising means that any dip in the small donor funding on which Carson relies may jeopardize the financial well-being of his campaign. 
Ben Carson&#8217;s fundraising strategy seems to be predominately concentrated on raising additional fundraising. This is a slippery slope as it depends very heavily on many small party donors, many of whom may have already given their last contribution. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/debates/schedule/">With the next Republican debate around the corner</a>, one faulty step could bring Carson down in the polls, which could rapidly decrease his donor interest.
If Carson&#8217;s support stumbles, the high-margin campaigners may be able to run away with the polls. As a result, Carson may have to pursue alternative fundraising campaign strategies or withdraw his candidacy.

Is Ben Carson Going to Run Out of Money?

Ben Carson

The podium may still be in the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas. Yet Joe Biden has not declared a run for presidency.
The Washington Post thinks otherwise.
&#8220;Vice President Biden plans to enter the contest for the 2016 presidential nomination,&#8221; <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joe-biden-candidacy-inadvertently-declared-833182">the Post article stated</a> before it was taken down. 
The item was posted Monday evening to its website with the headline <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2015/10/washington-post-pulls-biden-campaign-launch-story-after-glitch-214945">&#8220;Biden to launch a presidential campaign.&#8221;</a>
Those who clicked the headline were directed immediately to a page entitled &#8220;Editor&#8217;s Note&#8221; that read &#8220;This file was inadvertently published.&#8221; Politico <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2015/10/washington-post-pulls-biden-campaign-launch-story-after-glitch-214945">reported</a>: 
<blockquote>
Post congressional reporter Paul Kane, whose byline appeared on the article, was quick to tweet out the details. It seems this wasn&#8217;t news published before it was ready&#8212;just a &#8220;shell&#8221; story prepared so that the Post could push the button faster in case Biden did announce.
&#8220;Earlier tonight, a technical glitch caused publication of a just-in-case/when-we-know story of VP running for president,&#8221; he told his 10,000 followers on Twitter. &#8220;It happened when editors were embedding video file. It carries my byline. I regret that it was published accidentally. Deep apologies.&#8221;
&#8220;Finally, to be clear, we don&#8217;t know if it&#8217;s a yes or a no. Full disclosure: I have a he-says-no-story also written,&#8221; Kane wrote in a post to Twitter.
</blockquote>
Speculation continues over Biden&#8217;s potential to throw his hat into the ring. Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are currently dominating the polls for the Democratic nomination. 
Do the voters even want a Biden candidacy, or has it all been media spin?
<blockquote>
&#8220;Finally, to be clear, we don&#8217;t know if it&#8217;s a yes or a no. Full disclosure: I have a he-says-no-story also written.&#8221;
WaPo Congressional reporter Paul Kane
</blockquote>
CNN, after all, provided the extra podium for the debate, <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/democratic-presidential-debate-joe-biden-podium/2015/10/12/id/695791/">&#8220;Just in case.&#8221;</a>
CNN correspondent Jim Acosta spread the news about the extra podium via Twitter.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll taken prior to the first Democratic debate, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/12/us-usa-election-biden-poll-idUSKCN0S628F20151012">nearly half of U.S. Democrats wanted Joe Biden in the 2016 race for president</a>. 
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted from Oct. 7-12 and surveyed 1,431 adults, including 580 self-identified Democrats. 
The Post faux pas, however, comes nearly a week after the Democratic debate. 
More likely, news sources like CNN and Washington Post want Biden to run for president to fuel their own spin. The addition of the Vice President to the already colorful presidential campaign would add more drama, more intrigue, and more spin to the already bound-for-the-silverscreen epic that is unfolding in front of the nation.
But until your dreams come true, Washington Post, keep your &#8220;shell stories&#8221; by the sea shore where they belong.

The Washington Post Reported Joe Biden Was Running. There Was One Small Problem.

Joe Biden

Washington Post

Everett Middle School held its first student council election in several years. Yet when the results were tallied, this San Francisco principal decided <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2015/10/19/san-fran-middle-school-cancels-student-elections-because-too-many-white-people-elected/">the candidates elected were “too white.”</a>
Elections were held on Oct. 10, but on Oct. 14 principal Lena Van Haren sent an email out to parents saying the results were being ignored, without being made public, because those elected did not reflect the diversity of the school’s students.
The population of Everett Middle School is over 80% non-white.
Students who had run for office were left wondering if they had won or lost, parents were equally confused, and the story spread quickly in the city of San Francisco and beyond.
<blockquote>“It’s not OK for a school that is really, really diverse to have the student representatives majority white.&#8221;
Everett Middle School principal Lena Van Haren</blockquote>
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/10/19/middle-school-election-results-temporarily-withheld-because-the-winners-arent-diverse-enough/">reported</a> that Van Haren issued a statement:
<div>
&#8220;When we reviewed the results of our Associated Student Body (ASB) elections on Friday, October 9th, we saw that it was not fully representative of our school population,” Van Haren said in a statement. “I made the decision to pause on sharing the results with the students in order to capitalize on a teachable moment. I wanted to have a conversation with all of the candidates and ask for their ideas to make sure that all voices and groups are represented in our ASB. In retrospect, I understand how this decision to pause created concerns. Today I visited classrooms to announce the winners of the elections.”
</div>
Van Haren stated she never wanted to cancel the election. “We paused to have a conversation,” she told <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-principal-middle-school-election-winners-6578286.php">The Chronicle</a>, adding, “I never, ever said we wouldn’t share the results or they weren’t good enough.This is middle school. It’s not a presidential election. It was not about hurting democracy or putting diversity over democracy.” She continued, “It’s not OK for a school that is really, really diverse to have the student representatives majority white. The easy thing would have been to announce the results and move on. I intentionally did not choose the easy way because this is so important.”
She said she wanted to wait until there was a plan — created with student input — to increase diversity among student leaders, perhaps by adding positions.

This San Francisco School Held Student Council Elections. Here’s Why The Administration Won’t Announce the Results.

San Francisco

With the daily fantasy-sports industry facing various challenges at the state level, the federal government is reportedly planning to get involved.
SportsBusiness Daily gathered multiple reports indicating Congress will hold hearings as early as November regarding the abundance of fantasy sports games for money.
Daily fantasy sports websites are already collecting signatures to petition this ban, as well as information that might prove this type of sports gambling requires skill to win as opposed to luck.
Like Roger Sharpe who called his shot to end the prohibition on pinball, daily fantasy sports may need to rely on the proficiency of so-called experts to prove that daily league sports betting requires a certain level of skill and research to win.
&#8220;We were thinking about friends getting together and playing fantasy sports where, at the end of the season, there would be a winner,&#8221; New Jersey Democratic Senator Robert Menendez told ESPN regarding the 2006 law legalizing fantasy sports, via SBD. &#8220;No one envisioned a multibillion dollar industry, daily games, hundreds of thousands of people playing, billions of dollars at stake. And look, at the end of the day, we have poker, horse racing &#8211; you can get better at skills by practicing and studying up, but they&#8217;re regulated as gambling.&#8221;
Fantasy sports analyst Matthew Morgan thinks, &#8220;they&#8217;re shutting it down except for Kansas, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.&#8221; 
Did daily league megastars FanDuel and DraftKings ruin it for themselves by becoming too big too quickly? 
<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/cmo/2015/09/16/are-draftkings-and-fanduel-bombarding-fans-with-too-many-ads/">DraftKings was the single biggest advertiser on television</a> from September 7-14 this year, airing 5,800 commercials costing upward of $20 million, according to ad tracker iSpot.tv. FanDuel put up similar numbers.
Both companies advertise heavily during national airings of NFL games, as well as sports, comedy, and news entertainment shows across broadcasting mediums, TV, print, radio, podcasts, etc.
The risk was that it might alienate viewers. Many Twitter users complained that they felt <a href="http://digiday.com/brands/everybody-hated-draftkings-fanduel-commercials-data-shows/">inundated with repeated commercials</a>. Instead, hundreds of thousands of entries are made each week on each site and others, meaning the ads have been working, atleast to garner dialogue. 
Both DraftKings and FanDuel have been able to spend so much thanks in part to recent massive investment rounds. Both are fresh off major funding involving big media companies: DraftKings having recently raised <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/big-media-catch-daily-fantasy-sports-bug-1437966105">$300 million</a> and FanDuel scored <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/fantasy-sports-create-billion-dollar-startups-1436846402">$275 million</a>. 
<blockquote>
At this point, the best-case scenario for the industry could be the issuance of comprehensive regulations, which currently, daily fantasy sports betting does not have. 

</blockquote>
In 2006, online gambling was banned with <a href="http://www.gao.gov/assets/100/91542.pdf">The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.</a> Similarly, daily fantasy sports betting is being considered a game of luck and potentially addictive, which is why the federal government has determined it is time to step in and take action.
At this point, the best-case scenario for the industry could be the issuance of comprehensive regulations, which currently, daily fantasy sports betting does not have. With specific regulations, the games could continue to exist. The worst case would be a decision by Congress to change its mind about fantasy sports, deeming the whole process gambling, and becoming illegal throughout the country.
Part of this problem could be addressed in the major companies&#8217; advertising strategies.
Current ads feature surprised fans saying how easy it was for them to win at daily fantasy sports. A cursor is shown clicking down the list, adding some of the best players to their rosters as if on a whim.
The major daily league sites may also have perpetuated their own folly by inciting addictive tendencies, offering bonus incentives up to $200 back to match your initial deposit. Of course, you have to bet it to get it, and there&#8217;s some <a href="http://www.totalsportsblog.com/2014/10/truth-fanduels-200-free-first-deposit-welcome-bonus/">fine print on that too</a>.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TeRkVgBsnM">At least one DraftKings commercial</a> indicates the level of research required to be a successful daily league player may be a more important part of the game. 
Even if the federal government decides to allow fantasy sports to continue with its current regulations, the industry as a whole still sits under scrutiny. It is possible that states will join Nevada&#8217;s effort to protect its own legalized gambling operations, or at the very least get a piece of the action.
The daily sites may not even make it through the rest of the season. Fortunately for sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, they may get enough press over the next month or two to reign in hundreds of thousands of new players itching for one big win before it&#8217;s gone. 
Good luck to the roughly <a href="http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/fantasy_football_a_congression.html">60 million people in the U.S. and Canada playing fantasy sports</a> in week 7.

Congress to Hold Hearings on Daily Fantasy Sports

Congress

Fantasy Sports

&#8220;Laker Babies&#8221; have a lot to prove or they may be fans&#8217; only hope for trades.
ESPN Staff Writer Baxter Holmes says that one tactic above all has helped <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13845720/losangeles-lakers-assets-liabilities">deliver the biggest stars to the Los Angeles Lakers: trades. </a> 
Through the decades, the Lakers have acquired some of the biggest names in basketball history through trades, including Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O&#8217;Neal, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard. It&#8217;s how they acquired first overall picks used to draft Magic Johnson in 1979 and James Worthy in 1982.
Heading into the 2016 season, the Lakers boast a starting lineup that features three players selected in the first two rounds of the past two drafts. Those &#8220;Laker Babies&#8221; will be running up and down the court for 30+ minutes a game to keep veteran starters Kobe Bryant and Roy Hibbert fresh, as well as backup veterans Lou Williams, Brandon Bass and Metta World Peace.
But is this the team impatient Lakers fans want?
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak is quick to suggest trades as a way to rebound from one of the worst chapters in franchise history.
&#8220;I do think we do have pieces that we can be in the discussion this season with other teams,&#8221; Kupchak said in late September. &#8220;We didn&#8217;t have as many pieces a year ago as we did this year, not to say that we&#8217;ll be any more active than we were a year ago.&#8221;
The Lakers have two options: rebuild or replace. After the worst two-year stretch in franchise history, marquee players aren&#8217;t clamoring for a purple and gold jersey the way Wilt, Kareem, and Kobe once did. For these Lakers to land a star through a trade, it will come down to their assets, which very well may be lacking.
&#8220;Basically what the Lakers have right now, at the top of the list is D&#8217;Angelo Russell, who has not played in the NBA, and Julius Randle, who has not played in the NBA,&#8221; said one NBA agent. 
<blockquote>
&#8220;I do think we do have pieces that we can be in the discussion this season with other teams.&#8221;
Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak
</blockquote>
According to NBA insiders who spoke with ESPN, Russell, the No. 2 overall pick in this year&#8217;s draft, is the Lakers&#8217; clear-cut top asset. 
Second and third options are either combo guard Jordan Clarkson, the 2014 second-round pick who made the All-Rookie first team last season, or forward Randle, the 2014 lottery pick whose rookie season was cut short by a broken leg after only 14 minutes of play in the Lakers&#8217; first game of the season.
Other players on the Lakers this year simply do not have the reputation to be a potential game-changer on any team, and are not very valuable to help other franchises.
Kobe Bryant, the team&#8217;s consistent best player if not for his multiple season-ending injuries, is one of the few NBA players with a no-trade clause in his contract. Even if the Lakers could manage to trade him in a deal, he could nix it at any time.
The Lakers also ultimately lose a first-round draft pick in the next three years to the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to their 2012 trade for Steve Nash. Unless the Lakers wind up with a pick in the top 3 by 2018, their first-round pick will go to Philadelphia. 
The Lakers also owe a top-five-protected first-rounder to the Orlando Magic as a result of the 2012 multi-team trade for Dwight Howard. As summarized by Holmes, &#8220;If the Lakers keep their next two first-rounders out of Philly&#8217;s hands by landing a top-three selection in 2016 and 2017, Orlando will instead receive second-round picks from the Lakers in 2017 and 2018. In total, the Lakers are sure to lose one of their first-round picks over the next three years, and it could be as many as two picks in that span.&#8221;
With an unproven supply of young talent and a lack of opportune draft picks, the Lakers could find themselves stuck with what they&#8217;ve got.
Perhaps this is just what the Lakers need. Let&#8217;s look at the talent.
Jordan Clarkson is quickly becoming the star for the Lakers this season. He will see starting minutes either at shooting guard with Kobe playing small forward, or D&#8217;Angelo Williams plays off the bench. If Kobe can play a mentoring role, he lets Clarkson run with the team and become the #1 option as the season rolls along. Clarkson could see huge numbers in points and assists, and Byron Scott has already shown he has faith in the young guard.
Julius Randle has superstar talent, and can play the 3/4/5. He handles the ball better than most bigs in the league and explodes out of the gym. Randle, a young Zach Randolph but with more speed, may be able to put up 20 points and 10 rebounds time and time again this season. 
Kobe is Kobe. If he can distribute the ball and stay on his toes, he&#8217;ll still be able to put up huge offensive numbers. Metta World Peace has been brought back to the Purple and Gold to hold down the backcourt. 
D&#8217;Angelo has the most to prove. If he can keep his 3-point shooting accurate, he and Lou Williams could control the perimeter, leaving Randle, Nance, and Hibbert open to take it to the rim.

<div class="media_embed"><iframe loading="lazy" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DM0Nwhb0jiQ" width="560px"></iframe></div>

Hibbert is a defensive machine, recording 6 blocks in the last three preseason games. Metta World Peace will continue to claim he is the best defensive basketball player in the history of the game, and that braggadocio may very well be the attitude around which the Lakers can rally. The Lakers did hold off the high scoring champions of last season, the Golden State Warriors, in a short preseason game at home this weekend. 
There&#8217;s talent on the bench with Nick Young and rookie Larry Nance Jr. (son of former All Star Slam Dunk Contest winner), and the team just may have what it takes this year to end the drought and snag a spot in the 2016 playoffs. 
It&#8217;s a longshot, however. The Western Conference is once again packed with talented teams at the top, and <a href="http://www.si.com/nba/2015/07/16/nba-standings-predictions-hornets-thunder-celtics-blazers-mavericks">the top 7 or 8 in the conference are predictably set</a>. 
If the Laker Babies can find success, there is a chance they can grow and dominate together. A Cinderella story could unfold this year and Lakers fans could see a team bound for glory. 
No assets? No problem.

Lakers Rebuilding Exciting But Not Easy

A violent scene unfolded during Sunday&#8217;s service at The City of God Church in westside Detroit. A man armed with a brick entered the church, threatened parishioners, and attacked the pastor. According to police, the pastor pulled out his Glock handgun and fired several shots at the man, killing him. The shooting took place inside the church on Grand River Avenue around 1:45 p.m.
&#8220;The pastor had had issues with the man before,&#8221; <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2015/10/18/pastor-kills-brick-wielding-man-during-church-service/74190782/">says Assistant Detroit Police Chief Steve Dolunt</a>. &#8220;He had been threatening him to do bodily harm. He walked into the service and went after the pastor with a brick. The pastor pulled out his Glock and fired several shots. I think he hit him four or five times.&#8221; The man was taken to Botsford Hospital and pronounced dead.
Dolunt identified the attacker as Deante Smith, 25, well-known to the congregation, especially familiar to the pastor. 
The 37-year-old pastor has not been arrested and is cooperating with authorities, Officer Jennifer Moreno said Monday. 
&#8220;He was never in custody,&#8221; Moreno says. &#8220;He was just brought downtown (on Sunday) for questioning regarding the incident. He stayed a couple hours, cooperated fully, and went home.&#8221;
Police will submit a warrant request to prosecutors after questioning the pastor to decide whether the shooting was justified.
&#8220;We are not sure at this point whether the man had mental problems or what,&#8221; Dolunt said. &#8220;It is still under investigation.&#8217;
Authorities said the man has a history of threatening the pastor and members of the congregation. Smith had ranted on Facebook that his pastor had gotten his wife pregnant weeks prior to the attack. Two Detroit police sources said detectives were investigating this possible relationship.
Dolunt said police were called to the church in September in response to a post Smith made on Facebook, stating he planned to attend the church.
On September 15, 2015, Smith posted: &#8220;That wasn&#8217;t my baby that was (his wife) and pastor(&#8216;s) baby.&#8221;
September 16, Smith wrote: &#8220;Can&#8217;t wait to see Sunday message at the City of God ministry. I&#8217;ll be there with the truth.&#8221;
September 18: &#8220;This (expletive) got my (expletive) pregnant. Tick tock (expletive) and everybody with you.&#8221;
Smith posted several more times in the weeks leading up to his attack about the pain he was feeling about the alleged affair. He posted &#8220;I&#8217;m hurting, yall,&#8221; on October 8.
<blockquote>
&#8220;That wasn&#8217;t my baby that was (his wife) and pastor(&#8216;s) baby.&#8221;
Deante Smith
</blockquote>
Concerned friends took note, one of whom wrote on October 13, &#8220;May I ask (what) is going on with you?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m crazy,&#8221; Smith responded, &#8220;they call me S.O.N.I.C.&#8221;
Sunday&#8217;s shooting comes just four months after a gunman opened fire and killed nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. 
Detroit City Councilman and pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Church on Detroit&#8217;s east side Andre Spivey <a href="http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/2015/10/19/pastor-shoots-brick-wielding-man-during-church-service/74217332/">commented on church security</a> since the mass shooting in Charleston.
&#8220;It continues to shock me,&#8221; Spivey said. &#8220;Before June, you saw things like this happen every now and then. But now it seems every week something happens at a church.&#8221;
Rev. Larry L. Simmons of Barber Memorial A.M.E. Church in northwest Detroit said he was one of the many Detroit pastors concerned with church security.
&#8220;Unfortunately, we had an incident about a year ago at another church in Brightmoor,&#8221; Simmons said, referring to an attack outside a church by a man wielding an ax. The off-duty police officer serving as a church security guard fatally shot the man who was later determined to be mentally impaired.
&#8220;That incident alerted us that our security was not right,&#8221; Simmons said. &#8220;But how do you make a place that&#8217;s open to the public completely secure? You can&#8217;t.&#8221;
Councilman Spivey said Sunday that he worries about the measures churches feel obliged to take in an attempt to make their congregations safer. 
&#8220;Thinking far out about it, I do hope the church does not become a place where you have security like an airport&#8230;&#8221; he said. &#8220;My concern is churches are becoming a place where you can no longer welcome people freely. And that shouldn&#8217;t happen.&#8221;
Then again, is a gun behind the pulpit the next-best option?
Police will turn over their findings over to the Wayne County Prosecutor&#8217;s Office for a charging decision.

Machine Gun Preacher vs. Man With Brick

Detroit

<blockquote>“I think this administration is adamantly opposed against fossil fuels, period. They’ll do anything to stop it. I don’t think they have a legal leg to stand on.”
Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska</blockquote>
Secretary of the Interior Department Sally Jewell announced Friday that the department is canceling future lease sales and will not extend current leases in Arctic waters off Alaska’s northern coast, <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/interior-department-curbing-future-arctic-offshore-drilling/?utm_source=news.google.com&amp;utm_medium=Referral&amp;utm_campaign=RSS_editors_picks">essentially extinguishing such permits</a>.
Jewell said the federal government is canceling federal petroleum lease sales in U.S. Arctic waters that had been scheduled through 2017.
This news follows the Sept. 28 announcement made by the Royal Dutch Shell, commonly known as Shell, that it would cease exploration in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas after spending nearly $7 billion on Arctic exploration. The company cited <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/business/international/royal-dutch-shell-alaska-oil-exploration-halt.html?_r=0">disappointing results</a> from their Chukchi well as well as unpredictable federal regulations.
Shell’s withdrawal from Arctic drilling may be an indicator of a declining oil industry, shaving expectations in the wake of collapsing oil prices.
Jewell said: “In light of Shell’s announcement, the amount of acreage already under lease and current market conditions, it does not make sense to prepare for lease sales in the Arctic in the next year and a half.”
Beaufort Sea leases are set to expire in 2017, and Chukchi Sea leases in 2020.
The cancellation of future lease permits follows the Democratic debate on Tuesday, Oct. 13, where Democratic candidates frequently spoke about environmental issues like climate change and the need to find alternative energy sources, arguing these may be <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/256859-sanders-climate-is-biggest-national-security-threat">two of the most important issues</a> the nation faces over the next decade.
Advanced oil drilling techniques have saturated the oil global market. This year, industry executives held out hope that the oil price, which has fallen more than 50 percent to under $50 a barrel since last summer, would recover quickly. But in recent weeks, a growing number of executives have warned that the downturn could last well into 2016 and even beyond.
Jewell asserts that current market conditions and low industry interest made the leasing decision easier.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said the company disagrees with the agency’s decision to cease lease extensions.
“When it comes to frontier exploration in Alaska, one size does not fit all,” Smith says in an email. “We continue to believe the 10-year primary lease term needs to be extended.”
Kevin Pendergast of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement stated Shell had not met the criteria to extend its leases, including providing the agency with a work schedule. Regional supervisor for field operations Pendergast says, however, Shell could apply again.
This decision to terminate future leases will significantly reduce the role Arctic offshore drilling will play in the search for alternative energy sources, and is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/us/exuberance-and-disappointment-at-shells-about-face-in-the-arctic.html">seen as a major victory by environmentalists</a>.
Miyoto Sakashita of the Center for Biological Diversity praised the Interior Department’s announcement.
“This is great for the Arctic and its polar bears,” Sakashita said. “We need to keep all the Arctic oil in the ground.”
Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, thinks this battle will likely wind up in court.
“I think this administration is adamantly opposed against fossil fuels, period,” said Young, sole House member from Alaska. “They’ll do anything to stop it. I don’t think they have a legal leg to stand on.”
Could the Obama administration be paving the way for presidential hopefuls?
Two of the six participants at <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/13/the-oct-13-democratic-debate-who-said-what-and-what-it-means/">last week’s Democratic debate</a>, Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders, answered “climate change” when asked “who or what is the greatest national security threat to the United States.”
With the move to cease drilling permits in Alaska, the U.S. will be forced to seek alternative energy sources and let other countries continue to dominate the oil economy.

Menu

Josh Hillinger