Rebuilding trust after cheating

When Notre Dame opened preseason practices three months ago, its first-unit offense featured names like Cole Kmet, Michael Young and Jafar Armstrong. The right side of the line consisted of three-year starters Tommy Kraemer and Robert Hainsey. Of the 11 to start practice on Aug. 4, only sophomore center Jarrett Patterson looked to be a distinct question. When the now-No. 15 Irish (6-2) opened the season on Labor Day in Louisville, Tony Jones joined Armstrong in the starting lineup, a two-back look that drove the offense down the field in only six plays on the first drive of the season. Of those seven names, only Patterson has been a mainstay this season. Kmet missed the first two games due to a broken collarbone; Young lost time to the same injury before opting to transfer. Armstrong tore an abdomen muscle on that first drive, and Jones has missed most of the last two games. Kraemer sprained an MCL at Michigan, and then Hainsey broke his ankle against Virginia Tech. That initial … [Read more...] about Things To Learn: Just as No. 15 Notre Dame gets its backfield back, it rebuilds its OL

DANVILLE, CA — A Danville man who served as a Contra Costa County Fire Protection District battalion chief has been charged with 12 felonies for falsifying payroll records and misappropriation of taxpayer monies during his time with the agency, the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office announced Friday. Louis Manzo Jr., 53, faces up to nine years in state prison and forfeiture of part of his pension if convicted on all charges, according to the DA's office. The investigation into Manzo began earlier this year after Con Fire contacted the DA's office about the suspected illegal activity. The alleged crimes took place between December 2014 and January 2019, according to the DA's office. During that period, Manzo would take vacation days but then later change his timecard record to claim special pay for an extra assignment outside of his normal course of duties, according to the DA's office. He would also list events for his special assignment that he did not attend or did … [Read more...] about Ex-Battalion Chief From Danville Charged With Cheating Taxpayers

Finland is to have the world's youngest prime minister after 34-year-old Transport Minister Sanna Marin was picked by the coalition-leading Social Democratic Party to succeed Antti Rinne following his resignation as national leader. She beat rival Antti Lindtman by 32 votes to 29 and will become head of a five-party coalition government, with all five having female leaders, and three of the four others also being aged under 35. Once she is sworn in later this week, Marin will become the world's youngest prime minister. In New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern is 39 and the Ukrainian Premier Oleksiy Honcharuk is 35. Rinne will remain as leader of the Social Democrats but stepped down as PM after losing the confidence of one of the coalition partners over his handling of strikes that followed the announcement of a wage cut for postal workers. He is likely to become vice-speaker of the Finnish Parliament and remain as chairman of the Social Democrats until next summer's party congress. The change … [Read more...] about Finland picks world’s youngest prime minister

LABOUR today agreed to adopt tougher rules on anti-Semitism in an attempt to bring the party's mounting crisis to an end. But Jeremy Corbyn faced new fury after he tried to add a statement saying it's OK to call Israel fundamentally racist. Party bosses voted to accept the international definition of anti-Jewish hatred - despite attempts by the far left to stop them cracking down. Previously, Labour had refused to adopt the full definition promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. After four hours of talks, the party's ruling national executive committee performed a U-turn, accepting the definition including all the "examples" attached to it which left-wing activists claim could stifle debate on the Middle East. In a bid to keep the left on side, they added a clause stating that accusations of anti-Semitism won't be used to curb legitimate free speech.Jeremy Corbyn exits National Executive Committee meeting as Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey gives a statement But the … [Read more...] about Labour bosses finally agree to toughen up rules on anti-Semitism in last-ditch bid to solve party’s racism crisis

Of all the feelings about New Labour at the last election, it was hatred that was the most striking. It was the view of a minority but they were vocal, and it was the intensity of the emotion that made such an impact. Hatred is about betrayal. For some the betrayal was the Iraq war or civil liberties, and that has been powerfully articulated. But there was – and is – another account of betrayal in which a liberal elite, smugly superior in their metropolitan progressivism, championed globalisation and sold ordinary working people down the river. This is not comfortable stuff. Too many elements of this story have some truth in them. And to compound the discomfort, it's a story that feeds into neuralgic arguments about multiculturalism. For both reasons, it's a betrayal that hasn't had the attention it deserves. As Labour begins the local election campaign, there are plenty around the party wondering whether a year of coalition government has been enough to neutralise this … [Read more...] about New Labour insisted that the past be left behind. What a mistake that was