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Cavs leading scorer Antawn Jamison could miss the rest of the season following surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured pinky finger on his left hand.
Jamison is expected to miss five to seven weeks after Tuesday's procedure, which will be performed by hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham, with Cavs team physician Dr. Richard Parker assisting. There are seven weeks left in the season. Jamison, averaging 18 points per game, was fouled late in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers by Jrue Holiday and walked immediately to the locker room.To read more or comment...
The Cavaliers couldn't hold an early 12-point lead in losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, but more importantly may have lost leading scorer Antawn Jamison as well.
Jamison fractured the pinky on his left hand going up for a shot in the third quarter and did not return. He left with 16 points and four assists, but the Cavs fell after shooting 21 percent on 3-pointers (3 of 14).To read more or comment...
End 3Q: Sixers 75, Cavs 564
* More bad news for the Cavs: Antawn Jamison fractured the pinky on his left hand and won't return. Just when the injury bug seemed to be leaving...
* The Cavs' energy level has been slipping since an impressive first quarter. It flatlined in the third.To read more or comment...
Philadelphia 76ers (29-29) at Cleveland Cavaliers (11-47)
Time: 5 p.m.; Venue: The Q; TV/Radio: FS Ohio, WUAB/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Anthony Parker, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
76ers probable starters: PG Jrue Holiday, SG Jodie Meeks, SF Andre Iguodala, PF Elton Brand, C Spencer Hawes
Officials: Eric Lewis, John Goble, Scott Wall
Injury report: Cavs -- Anderson Varejao (ankle) out; 76ers -- None.
This isn't the same team that lost 26 games in a row and 36 of 37. This isn't the team that forgot to show up on many nights, embarrassed themselves and couldn't wait to get home.
Maybe it was simply ending the long losing streak. Maybe it was growing tired of becoming a national punchline. Maybe Friday was a case of injecting some life following a big trade (even though the main component has yet to arrive). The solution doesn't matter -- the problem of not playing hard and not giving a good effort seems to have been solved.To read more or comment...
Antawn Jamison had 28 points and 13 rebounds and J.J. Hickson had 24 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high five blocks as the Cavs stunned the New York Knicks 115-109 Friday night at the Q.
New-look Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire struggled to play well together in their second game as teammates. Anthony was scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final minute and fouled out shortly after, finishing with 27 points and eight rebounds after scoring 16 points in the first quarter.To read more or comment...
End 3Q: Cavs 83, Knicks 75
* Great finish to the third quarter for the Cavs, who held the Knicks to 22 points in the quarter. The Knicks have no flow to their offense and clearly are a team going back to training camp with so many new faces.
* J.J. Hickson has set a career high with his five blocks. He's got 20 points and nine rebounds and Antawn Jamison has 21 points and nine rebounds.To read more or comment...
New York Knicks (29-26) at Cleveland Cavaliers (10-47)
Time: 7:30 p.m.; Venue: The Q; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Anthony Parker, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Knicks probable starters: PG Chauncey Billups, SG Landry Fields, SF Carmelo Anthony, PF Amar'e Stoudemire, C Ronny Turiaf
Officials: Dick Bavetta, Derrick Collins, Brian Forte
Injury report: Cavs -- Anderson Varejao (ankle) out; Knicks -- Kelenna Azubuike (knee surgery) out.
* The Cavs will be without new acquisitions Baron Davis, Luke Harangody and Semih Erden tonight. None of them will be in Cleveland until tomorrow. All three should take their physicals tomorrow and be ready to play Sunday against the 76ers.
Byron Scott on reuniting with Baron Davis:
"Baron and I talked last year in pre-season. He told me he wrote a letter that he wanted to send me but he said I was there in person. He just wanted to tell me his feelings and from that point on we've been great. I'm looking forward to having him here. I think you guys know the type of talent he has from the point guard position. He can definitely elevate our basketball team and make us better. I haven't spoken to him as of yet. probably when i'm done with you guys i'll go in and try to give him a call and see where his head is. But I'm excited about it. Our organization is excited. We're ready to get started."
What did Baron say to you during the preseason game?:
"To be honest he wanted to really kind of apologize for some of the things that happened in New Orleans. He felt that he understood now that I was just trying ot make him a better basketball player. As you guy might not know, I can be tough on guys at times. I don't think he accepted it at that particular time, but he's said he's matured and like I said, it's water under the bridge. We let it go and our relationship has been very good ever since."
The Cavaliers have acquired big men Luke Harangody and Semih Erden from the Boston Celtics for Minnesota's second-round pick in 2013, a pick the Cavs previously acquired in the Delonte West trade last summer.
The Cavs have been chasing Erden for a couple of weeks, and were dangling Anthony Parker for him, according to a league source. Instead, the Cavs kept Parker and gave the Celtics what could be a high pick in the second round.To read more or comment...
Follow along for updates during Cavs GM Chris Grant's news conference discussing the trade of Mo Williams and Jamario Moon for Baron Davis and a first-round draft pick from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Opening statement
"We'd like to thank Mo and thank Jamario. Great deal of respect for both of them and to their families. One thing all of us tend to forget in this business they all have families and kids and have to go to school. We respect what they did for this franchise. Took us to some high levels."
The Cavaliers are on the verge of trading Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to the Los Angeles Clippers for point guard Baron Davis and the Clippers' unprotected 2011 first-round pick, a league source confirmed to the Beacon Journal early Thursday morning.
The trade, first reported by Yahoo! Sports and NBA.com, should give the Cavs two picks in the top 10 of June's NBA draft.To read more or comment...
Let's be clear: J.J. Hickson apparently hasn't returned yet from the All-Star break. Hickson gave a performance reminiscent of early in the season when he mentally checked out -- or better yet, never actually checked in.
Scott benched Hickson again for the entire fourth quarter to send him a message, since it was the one motivating factor that worked with him early in the season. Scott grabbed Hickson's attention the fastest when he didn't play him in the fourth quarter, and chances are it worked again on Wednesday.To read more or comment...
End 3Q: Rockets 91, Cavs 88
* The Cavs have an amazing ability to allow 3-pointers at quarter buzzers. It happened at the half and again at the third quarter buzzer.
* The Rockets scored 19 of the first 23 points in the quarter, then the Cavs responded with a late 11-0 run to crawl back into it. Ramon Sessions playing well again with 15 points and nine assists. Antawn Jamison has 24 points and Jamario Moon has three 3-pointers for 11 points.To read more or comment...
Houston Rockets (27-31) at Cleveland Cavaliers (10-46)
Time: 7 p.m.; Venue: The Q; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Anthony Parker, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Rockets probable starters: PG Kyle Lowry, SG Kevin Martin, SF Shane Battier, PF Luis Scola, C Chuck Hayes
Officials: Ken Mauer, Tony Brown, Josh Tiven
Injury report: Cavs -- Mo Williams (ankle) questionable, Anderson Varejao (ankle) out; Rockets -- Courtney Lee (pneumonia), Yao Ming (ankle) out.
So I was driving all over Avon Lake and Avon Tuesday morning looking for driveway salt when I flipped on WKNR and heard good buddy and former ABJ sports writer Brian Windhorst talking about the NBA. When he said the Cavs had a major deal on the table for their trade exception, I immediately knew my day just got a little more interesting.
I began calling around to see if anyone else knew anything. After speaking to about four or five well-informed people, here's what I have deduced: The Cavs have a couple of offers that would be considered "major" moves involving the trade exception, and major in this case means taking on a big contract. But the odds any of those deals get completed by Thursday seem remote right now.To read more or comment...
As the New Jersey Nets continue to work feverishly for a deal involving Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony, the Cavaliers are waiting for the phone to ring.
The Nets and Nuggets agreed to terms on a deal that would send Anthony to the Nets, according to The (Bergen County) Record, but the deal is contingent on two things: Anthony agreeing to a contract extension with the Nets and a third team willing to take on Troy Murphy's $12 million expiring contract for a draft pick or two.To read more or comment...
Clearly, the Cavs just need to keep playing teams from Los Angeles. Over their last 29 games, the Cavs are 2-0 against teams from L.A. and 0-27 against everyone else.
Since they won't see the Lakers again and don't get the Clippers until next month, the only other alternative is to conjure up ways to play this aggressive every night. Strange concept, I know. But when the Cavs attack the basket, stay focused and give effort for 48 minutes, they can compete most nights with most teams in this league.To read more or comment...
End 3Q: Cavs 74, Lakers 71
* The Lakers were down nine with 2:23 left, but a 3-pointer by Kobe Bryant had the deficit down to one point in the final minute. Christian Eyenga took care of that with a vicious tomahawk dunk over Pau Gasol.
* Gasol has felt the wrath of Phil Jackson most of the night. That didn't help. Eyenga can FLY.To read more or comment...
Los Angeles Lakers (38-18) at Cleveland Cavaliers (9-46)
Time: 7:30 p.m.; Venue: The Q; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Mo Williams, SG Anthony Parker, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Lakers probable starters: PG Derek Fisher, SG Kobe Bryant, SF Ron Artest, PF Pau Gasol, C Andrew Bynum
Officials: Bill Kennedy, Kane Fitzgerald, Michael Smith
Injury report: Cavs -- Daniel Gibson (quad) questionable, Anderson Varejao (ankle) out; Lakers -- Matt Barnes (knee) out, Theo Ratliff (knee) out.
Just filed my story for tomorrow's paper. With the Cavs off today and little left over material, I went the route that I've been thinking about for a couple of weeks now: Who is worth keeping on this roster when the Cavs put it back together again?
And by put it back together, I mean legitimately contend for a championship. I don't see anyway they do that in under five years, so who off this roster is worth keeping for at least the next five years?To read more or comment...
Quicken Loans Arena -- where humiliating losing streaks go to die.
Two nights after the Cavs ended their miserable losing skid, the Wizards killed their own road losing streak here. This was a game the Wizards had been pointing to for weeks as their one shot to end it. The Cavs never gave the effort level to match.To read more or comment...
Two nights after ending the longest losing streak in sports history, the Cavs went back to work on starting another with a 115-100 loss to the Washington Wizards. It was the first road win of the season for the Wizards, who enered 0-25.
Antawn Jamison had 21 points and J.J. Hickson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavs, who have dropped 37 of their last 39 games. They never led in the game, falling behind by 17 in the first and by as much as 25. The Wizards had 95 points after three quarters.To read more or comment...
Half: Wizards 68, Cavs 46
* The Cavs have played themselves right out of a game against the Wizards. No other team in the league can play themselves out of a game against the Wiz, particularly at home.
* The Cavs turned it over 11 times in the half, allowed the Wizards to shoot 61 percent for the half and allowed 34 points in the paint.To read more or comment...
Washington Wizards (14-38) at Cleveland Cavaliers (9-45)
Time: 6 p.m.; Venue: The Q; TV/Radio: Fox Sports Ohio/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Mo Williams, SG Anthony Parker, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Wizards probable starters: PG John Wall, SG Nick Young, SF Kirk Hinrich, PF Andray Blatche, C JaVale McGee
Officials: Ron Garretson, Eric Dalen, Sean Wright
Injury report: Cavs -- Anderson Varejao (ankle) out; Wizards -- Rashard Lewis (knee) out, Al Thornton (finger) questionable.
Byron Scott said a couple of days ago that when the Cavaliers come out on the other side of this, they'll be better for it. Not necessarily the losing streak, but the mammoth rebuilding project that is underway.
He meant that the players would value wins a little more than they have for the last five years, when victories became something of a birthright or an expected occurence when the Cavs were on the floor. After nothing but losing for nearly two months, suddenly one simple victory felt so sweet to the players. That much was evident in the locker room, where smiles and deep exhales were all around.To read more or comment...
Daniel Gibson scored 10 points in overtime, Antawn Jamison hit a huge 3-pointer late and the Cavaliers ended their 26-game losing streak with a 126-119 overtime win at home against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The victory ended the longest losing streak in pro sports history, which the Cavs now share with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.To read more or comment...
End 4Q: Cavs 110, Clippers 110
* Baron Davis' shot at the buzzer was blocked by J.J. Hickson, who is having the game of his career against Blake Griffin. This is the Cavs' first overtime game since their last victory -- in December over the New York Knicks.
* J.J. Hickson has 27 points and 12 rebounds, Antawn Jamison has 29 points and Mo Williams has 16 points and 13 assists in 27 gritty minutes off the bench. Williams seemed to reinjure his groin early in the fourth quarter, but he's fighting through it. Cavs can't win without him.To read more or comment...
Cleveland Cavaliers (8-45) at Los Angeles Clippers (20-32)
Time: 7:30 p.m.; Venue: The Q; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Anthony Parker, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Clippers probable starters: PG Baron Davis, SG Randy Foye, SF Ryan Gomes, PF Blake Griffin, C DeAndre Jordan
Officials: Zach Zarba, Olandis Poole, Haywoode Workman
Injury report: Cavs -- Leon Powe (knee) doubtful, Anderson Varejao (ankle) out; Clippers -- Eric Gordon (wrist) out, Chris Kaman (ankle) out, Craig Smith (back) out.
Point guard Mo Williams will come off the bench in tonight's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Williams' addition to the rotation is a bit of a surprise, since coach Byron Scott kept listing him as doubtful most of the week.
Williams hasn't played since the Cavs' West Coast trip in mid-January. He received a cortisone shot in his ailing hip and has missed the last 13 games, but now says he is healthier than he has been at any point this season.To read more or comment...
INDEPENDENCE: They have lost 26 games in a row and 36 of their last 37, they were a punchline this week in Jay Leno's opening monologue and they are one loss away from setting the longest losing streak in the history of American professional sports.
But first-year coach Byron Scott's job is safe.To read more or comment...
That winning culture the Cavaliers spent five years cultivating and all summer bragging about is gone. That's what I took away from this loss, the 26th in a row, more than anything else.
This is no longer a team that knows how to win or "forgot" how to win, which has been floated in recent weeks. It's a team whose best player was taken away and now has no one left behind who believes they can still win.To read more or comment...
The Cleveland Cavaliers tied the record for longest losing streak in the history of American professional sports with their 103-94 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, their 26th consecutive loss.
Already the owners of the longest losing streak in NBA history, they have now tied the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccanneers, who lost their first 26 games in existence during the 1970s.To read more or comment...
End 3Q: Pistons 81, Cavs 70
* Not sure how this happens. Cavs played really well for the first half of the third quarter, cut deficit down to three. Yet at the end of the quarter, it's right back up to 11.
* After a miserable first half, Antawn Jamison was terrific in the quarter: 6 of 7 for 14 points. Doesn't matter. Cavs couldn't cut into the deficit.To read more or comment...
Detroit Pistons (19-33) at Cleveland Cavaliers (8-44)
Time: 7 p.m.; Venue: Quicken Loans Arena; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Anthony Parker, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Pistons probable starters: PG Tracy McGrady, SG Ben Gordon, SF Tayshaun Prince, PF Greg Monroe, C Ben Wallace
Officials: Ed Malloy, Matt Boland, Violet Palmer
Injury report: Cavs -- Anderson Varejao (ankle) out, Leon Powe (knee) doubtful, Mo Williams (hip) doubtful, Daniel Gibson (quad) probable. Pistons -- Richard Hamilton (groin) day to day, Chris Wilcox (groin) day to day, Jonas Jerebko (Achilles) out, Terrico White (broken foot) out.
Cavs radio announcer Joe Tait was released from his rehabilitation facility on Monday and allowed to return home as he continues to recover from bypass surgery. He is still expected to return to the booth at some point this season.To read more or comment...
Cavs guard Daniel Gibson will participate in the 3-point shootout Feb. 19 during All-Star weekend at Staples Center in Los Angeles. He will join a field that includes Boston's Ray Allen and Paul Pierce (the defending champion), Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, Miami's James Jones and Golden State's Dorell Wright.
Gibson finished second in the contest in 2008, the same year he was named MVP of the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge. Gibson is tied for ninth in the league in 3-point percentage at 43.9 percent. He and Allen (third) are the only two ranked in the top 10 who were invited.To read more or comment...
The Cavs' record losing streak has reached infamy via the Twitter hash tag #lasttimethecavswon. As of this writing, it's the top trending topic in the United States.
Check out some choice ones after the jump:
One of Byron Scott's principles is he won't take a guy out for missing a shot, but he'll take a guy out for not taking a shot. Jamario Moon has been in and out of Scott's dog house most of the season and now he might have a permanent home there.
Moon said he lost track of the clock. A strong case could be made that he didn't want to take the pressure shot with the game on the line. Either scenario isn't a very good one.To read more or comment...
The Cleveland Cavaliers missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer and set the record for longest losing streak in NBA history with a 99-96 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, their 25th consecutive defeat. The Cavs broke their own mark of 24 straight losses, set over the final 19 games of the 1981-82 season and the first five games of the following season. They've lost 35 of their last 36 games.
Jason Terry had 23 points and Shawn Marion had 17, both off the bench for the Mavericks, who had to fight for this one much longer than they expected. The Cavs had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Anthony Parker's long 3-pointer was short off the rim and the buzzer sounded as Antawn Jamison stood holding the ball, trying to decide what to do next.To read more or comment...
Halftime: Mavericks 59, Cavs 49
* The Cavs had their usual scorless drought, this time over the first four minutes of the second quarter. A fast start was quickly erased by defensive lapses and the Mavericks waking up and realizing they have to play hard at SOME point in order to take the rest of the night off.
* Christian Eyenga has 13 points and continues to impress. Antawn Jamison has 11 and J.J. Hickson has nine points and five rebounds. Ramon Sessions has nine points and five assists.To read more or comment...
The Cavaliers haven't won a game since beating the New York Knicks 109-102 in overtime on Dec. 18. That is a total of 48 days, not including today.
When the streak started, the Cavs were 8-19. They're now 8-43.To read more or comment...
From Byron Scott down the line to all the players quizzed over the last few weeks, this means nothing. The losses hurt, they say, but not the historic losing streak.
"I couldn't care less," Scott said again Saturday night.To read more or comment...
The Cavaliers lost their 24th straight game Saturday, 111-105 to the Portland Trail Blazers, giving them the single-season mark for the longest losing streak in NBA history.
The Cavs never trailed by more than 10 and led by as many as five in a game that included 17 lead changes. They trailed by four in the final minute and had a chance to cut it to one possession, but Ramon Sessions' pass to J.J. Hickson bounced off his shoulder when Hickson had a clear path to the basket. The possession ended without points and the Blazers held on, snapping their own string of woes. Portland entered having lost four of five.To read more or comment...
End 3Q: Blazers 86, Cavs 83
* Stop me when you've heard this before: The Blazers are shooting 11 of 15 on 3-pointers. That 73 percent is ghastly even for the Cavs, who are the worst team in the league at defending the 3-point line.
* Christian Eyenga has 12 points and six rebounds, which is already a career high in boards.To read more or comment...
Cleveland Cavaliers (8-41) at Memphis Grizzlies (26-24)
Time: 8 p.m.; Venue: FedEx Forum; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Manny Harris, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Grizzlies probable starters: PG Mike Conley, SG Sam Young, SF Rudy Gay, PF Zach Randolph, C Marc Gasol
Officials: David Jones, Mark Ayotte, Tommy Nunez Jr.
Injury report: Cavs -- Daniel Gibson (quad) probable, Mo Williams (hip) out, Anderson Varejao (ankle) out, Leon Powe (knee) out; Grizzlies -- O.J. Mayo (suspension) out.
When it happened against the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, it was easy to chalk it up to superior teams and superior talent. Now the Indiana Pacers are doing it, too.
Whenever an opponent needs a basket against the Cavs, they get it. Period. Whether it's a quick basket in transition, an open jumper off a pick-and-roll or a 3-pointer on the wing -- teams are scoring at will against the Cavs.To read more or comment...
The Cavaliers led late in the fourth quarter, but scored four points in the final three minutes against the Indiana Pacers to lose 117-112 for their 22nd consecutive loss. They're now one away from tying the Vancouver Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets for the longest losing streak in a single season in NBA history.
The Cavs had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but instead of calling a timeout to set up a play, Anthony Parker rushed a shot in the lane with 19 seconds remaining and the Pacers escaped.To read more or comment...
End 3Q: Pacers 89, Cavs 87
* You want baby steps? The Cavs led for 11 seconds during the third quarter. Why is that a big deal? It was their first lead in about 217 game minutes.
* Byron Scott has said for weeks the Cavs have to learn how to take a game away from another team in the fourth quarter. The Cavs too often have lost games in the final six minutes, but this is the type of team they could take a game from.To read more or comment...
Cleveland Cavaliers (8-40) at Indiana Pacers (18-27)
Time: 7 p.m.; Venue: Quicken Loans Arena; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WAKR
Cavs probable starters: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Manny Harris, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Pacers probable starters: PG Darren Collison, SG Mike Dunleavy, SF Danny Granger, PF Josh McRoberts, C Greg Hibbard
Officials: Dick Bavetta, Curtis Blair, Tony Brown
Injury report: Cavs -- Daniel Gibson (quad) questionable, Leon Powe (knee) out, Anderson Varejao (ankle) out, Mo Williams (hip) out; Pacers -- Brandon Rush (ankle) out.
LeBron James delivered the Cavs to 40 victories before any other team last season. He delivered them their 40th defeat Monday night, making them the first team in the league with 40 losses.
As much as Cavs fans don't want to hear it, it's hard to argue these days with James' decision to leave. Even at their best, the talent surrounding James in Cleveland seems to be a collection of sixth men. Anthony Parker would make a nice sixth man, not so much a starting point guard. Antawn Jamison is nearing the end of his career and began the season in the role of sixth man. Mo Williams' defensive liabilities leave him vulnerable when guarding some of the other top point guards around the league. He would be a dynamite scorer off the bench (when healthy) on a championship-caliber team.To read more or comment...


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Ravens kick six field goals in win over Lions
(Detroit, MI) -- Justin Tucker booted six field goals, including a 61-yarder with 38 seconds to play to send the Ravens to an 18-16 win over the Lions at Ford Field. Tucker's foot provided all of the offense for Baltimore, which improved to 8-and-6 and moved into the sixth and final playoff position in the AFC. Joe Flacco threw for 222 yards while Jacoby Jones made six catches for 80 yards. The Ravens also control their own destiny to win the AFC North going into the final two weeks of the season. Matthew Stafford threw for 235 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted three times, including once on Detroit's final drive. Reggie Bush ran for 86 yards with a touchdown and Calvin Johnson had six grabs for 98 yards, but the Lions fell to 7-and-7 and to third place in the NFC North.

subset: commoncrawl


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Did the U.S. Make a Mistake In Seizing Anas al-Liby?
For Americans, he is a monster, a major al-Qaeda leader who had a hand in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania that killed more than 224 civilians and—until U.S. Special Forces snatched him off the streets of Tripoli last week—a veteran terrorist tasked with uniting jihadists not just in Libya but across the arc of North Africa.
Sitting down, though, with his wife of 22 years and three sons in their cramped apartment, on the elevated ground floor of a small apartment building in a middle-class district in the Libyan capital on Saturday evening, I heard a different story that didn't fit the bogeyman portrait drawn by American officials.
And it is one that prompts the question: has the U.S. got the right man?
For his family, Abu Anas al-Liby, to use his nom de guerre, is an easy-going husband and kind, playful father who, just days before a Delta Force team grabbed and bundled the 49-year-old out of Libya, told his oldest son, Abdullah, that he was looking forward to becoming a grandfather.
For them, he is a Libyan patriot who sacrificed a great deal. His commitment to the ousting of Libya's longtime dictator, Col. Muammar Gaddafi, required them all to suffer, including several years of imprisonment in poor conditions in Iran after the family fled Afghanistan. They say they endured harassment and surveillance in Britain, where they sought political asylum and lived from 1997 to 2000.
It's a very different story from the one told by U.S. officials, who say al-Liby—who was indicted in New York in 2000 in connection with the twin embassy bombings—is a dangerous man. The grand jury indictment named 21 suspects as being involved in the U.S. embassy bombings, including Osama bin Laden. In the indictment, it is alleged that in late 1993, al-Liby and other al-Qaeda members discussed with Ali Mohamed (who was named as a co-conspirator but not as a defendant) about staging a bomb attack against the U.S. embassy in Nairobi. The attack was allegedly meant to serve as a reprisal for American participation in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia.
The indictment also claims—based on information provided by Ali Mohamed—that "in about 1994," al-Liby with other al-Qaeda members "reviewed files" concerning other possible terrorist targets, including the United States Agency for International Development in Nairobi and British, French and Israeli targets in the Kenyan capital.
Ali Mohamed was a complicated informant—a former Egyptian army major who later enlisted in the U.S. military, he was a double agent who worked both for the CIA and the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, a group founded by Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden's successor as the leader of Al Qaeda. In 2000, Mohamed struck a plea deal with U.S. federal prosecutors to receive a life sentence without parole and he plead guilty to five terrorist charges in connection with the embassy bombings.
Meanwhile, Al-Liby's family lived a peripatetic existence that included spells in Sudan and Qatar.
They always expected the knock at the door.
When it came, it wasn't a knock. It was the screech of tires outside their home, masked and armed men piling out of vans and cars, shouts of "What do you want?" And then more yelling, the slamming of car doors and then a final screech of tires as the American snatch squad and their Libyan assistants sped away.
U.S. officials celebrated the capture of Abu Anas al-Liby, whose real name is Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai. Against the backdrop of a government shutdown and a dismal American budget showdown, U.S. President Barack Obama showcased the news last week, asserting at a press conference in Washington DC that al-Liby was behind the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings. He "helped plan and execute plots that killed hundreds of people, a whole lot of Americans. We have strong evidence of that," a definitive Obama said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry boasted that "members of al-Qaeda … literally can run but they can't hide." American lawmakers praised the military operation.
And the American press joined the chorus. NBC News ran photographs, under the headline "Hiding in Plain Sight," that they claim are of al-Liby at a street party in Tripoli, held a year ago, supposedly to honor his participation in the Libyan uprising and the death of the eldest of his four sons in it. An unnamed U.S. official was quoted in the piece grumbling that al-Liby "has been out in public participating as if he had immunity."
But his family says he wasn't hiding—either in plain sight or stashed away. Last month, al-Liby talked with the Libyan attorney general and the head of intelligence to say he was keen to clear his name of the bombing accusations and was ready to face any Libyan judicial inquiry they deemed necessary. He was prepared for an American interrogation—in Libya. On Saturday, 19-year-old Ahmed, the lanky middle brother, who was wearing black tracksuit pants with "Juventus" emblazoned down one leg, handed me a letter dated September 15, 2013 from the attorney general's office confirming his father's discussions.
Al-Liby's wife, Umm Abdul Rahman, didn't deny that her husband had briefly been an al-Qaeda member, gravitating to Osama bin Laden after having fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. He was badly wounded in the 1988 battle for Jalalabad, with injuries to his jaw and right leg, she said. Dressed in a black niqab and all-enveloping abaya, Rahman, who married al-Liby in Pakistan in 1991 in an arranged marriage, became agitated, pulling out her uncovered hands to emphasize her words. She said al-Liby became disillusioned while in Sudan and broke finally with al-Qaeda by 1996, although she said it might have been earlier.
"My husband was affiliated with al-Qaeda a long time ago. But he was never a senior leader in al-Qaeda," she said. A key factor in the break came when "he got to know the men affiliated with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group," she said. "They had a common vision, a common cause, a common enemy, which was the Gaddafi regime and they wanted to overthrow this regime." Al-Liby joined up.
The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) was composed of Islamist dissidents who tried for more than two decades to overthrow Col. Gaddafi and mounted an insurgency in eastern Libya. Several are prominent figures in the new post-Gaddafi Libya. LIFG members fought with the mujahedin in Afghanistan against the Soviet-installed government of Mohammed Najibullah, but their primary reason for being there—according to LIFG leaders Abdel Hakim Belhadj, Sami Mostefa al-Saadi and Abd Al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid in several interviews with The Daily Beast—was to develop insurgency skills for anti-Gaddafi battle in Libya. They remained in Afghanistan where they could train and plot, but many fled in the months and years after the 2001 U.S. invasion of the country, suspecting the U.S. would not distinguish between them and al-Qaeda.
It was a justifiable fear. Although the Libyan dissidents claim to have shunned Bin Laden's efforts to cajole them to join al-Qaeda—a claim many independent experts who have studied the group believe is true—Gaddafi had persuaded the West that the LIFG were dangerous global jihadists, and following a 2004 rapprochement with the Western powers the Libyan dictator was embraced as a partner in the "war on terror."
More than a dozen LIFG members over the years were subject to renditions by the Americans and British and illegally transferred to Libya. Human Rights Watchdescribes the renditions as one of the darkest chapters in the war on terror. Many of those rendered endured torture at the hands of the Americans or the British and then finally the Libyans.
One of those rendered Sami Mostefa al-Saadi, who recently sued the British government over his rendition; the case was settled when the government paid $3.5 million in compensation to the Libyan. Al-Saadi says al-Liby, whom he first knew at the university in Tripoli where the latter studied computer engineering, had been a mid-level member of al-Qaeda but quickly became disillusioned because of the terror group's focus on American and Western targets.
"In the late 1980s, like many Libyans, he joined the fight in Afghanistan against the Russians. He became more religious. When he got to know that Libyan dissidents had formed a group he broke ties with Al Qaeda," says al-Saadi. He puts the date of the move in late 1994.
What happened to other LIFG members at the hands of American interrogators has played on Rahman's mind. Her eyes as well as her words betrayed her anxiety now: that her husband will be tortured on the American warship, the USS San Antonio, where it is believed he is being held and interrogated.
She said he is sick, still suffering from the Hepatitis C he contracted during the seven years he was imprisoned in Iran, the first year of which he was separated from the family and held in solitary confinement in an underground jail. They had been smuggled into Iran in 2003 and discovered by Iranian authorities hiding in a village. For four years they were held all together in one room with a tiny bathroom adjacent to a kitchen.
She said: "My husband is very sick. We want to know is my husband alive, is he dead, how's his health? If he is subjected to any maltreatment or torture he perhaps could die because of the different ailments he is suffering from." She trailed off into silence and then expresses frustration at Obama for his claim that her husband is a mass murderer. "These are false accusations and it is very hurtful and worrisome when the President of the United States characterizes my husband as a killer and a killer of hundreds without providing any evidence, without providing any proof. Isn't the accused innocent until proven guilty? I think it was irresponsible for Obama to claim that my husband is a killer and a killer of hundreds. It is unfair."
She pointed out that they were in Britain when the bombings happened and that they were under tight surveillance, with their home being raided frequently and her husband's computers seized. She is sure that if British intelligence had any evidence, they would have acted and the British authorities would have agreed to an extradition request made by the Americans during their stint in the U.K.
Despite claims in British tabloid newspapers that al-Liby left Britain secretly—the British media doesn't seem to have realized the entire family were there—she said they left openly and legally by flying out of the country. She had just given birth to their daughter, Hala, and the surveillance and harassment made them feel unsafe.
Of American allegations that al-Liby has been an active jihadist since the ouster of Gaddafi and had been tasked to oversee al-Qaeda groups across North Africa, she said this is untrue. He was applying to get his old work at the Ministry of Oil back as a computer engineer, she said—a job he held before going off to fight the Russians. She showed me a document from the oil ministry that listed him as one of the men waiting to be re-hired.
Read The Full Article On The Daily Beast
More articles from The Daily Beast:
- Chris Christie Slams Congress
- CEO Solutions to the Shutdown
- The Army's $5 billion New Uniform Already Being Replaced
© 2013 Newsweek/Daily Beast Company LLC


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WATCH: First Official '50 Shades of Grey' Trailer
Finally! The hot-and-heavy trailer for the much-anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey movie, starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, has arrived. The film comes out on Valentine's Day of 2015!
Plus, it's got a sexy cover of 'Crazy In Love' by Beyoncé!
Earlier this week, Beyoncé teased her Instagram followers with this clip:
Are you excited for the Fifty Shades of Grey movie? Comment below!


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Binge-Watching TV Could Lead to Early Death: Study
So, if you didn't already know—sitting around for hours at a time to binge-watch season two of Orange Is the New Black isn't exactly good for your health. A new study shows couch potatoes could be increasing their risk for an early death, and there are two head-turners in this particular study. The first: Researchers found that sitting for three or more hours a day increases your risk of death from cancer by 21% and death from heart disease by 44%; all other premature causes of death rose by 55%. Those are some pretty serious numbers—even the study's author calls them "a little bit surprising." The second: The researchers didn't find the same connection with other sedentary activities such as sitting at the computer, driving, or reading.
Photo: Courtesy Lionsgate Publicity
Read the full story from Newser.com


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All Games
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Shifting Associates: We are Packers and Movers in Alwarthirunagar.
We provide list of packers and movers in your city.
Packers and movers are companies, who offers air and ocean shipping services for relocation. They provides door-to-door relocation services via air/ocean. They move goods and products for individuals and businesses from one part of the world to another.
Packing and Moving is really a difficult task because it's a time when people get very puzzle. In earlier times, it was very difficult job to shift your belongings from one place to another but now it is not so. Today, there is countless moving and packing companies which are ready to take the pain of relocation and people also show their interest to take the assistance of these relocation companies. There are myriad companies available to take whole burden of relocation on them and make the mover simpler for their customers. The workers of these relocation companies are experienced and well trained and are always ready to make the move safe and comfy. The professionals are well experienced and handle the entire task in such way that the customers need not to be bothered at all. The most important thing about packing and moving company is that it saves your time and gives hundred percent guarantee of the safety of your belongings.
Packing This is one of the most important and difficult tasks that make people irritate all the time. In this task the experts pack number of goods such as wardrobes, linen, mattress, bed, furniture, kitchen appliances such as silverware, utensils, pots and pans, Tupperware, bake ware etc. all these items are really essential and several have zero tolerance to jerks. The workers use high quality packing materials to pack the goods safely. They always give their best to keep the goods safe all through the way. They accurately pack the goods and make their customers tension free about the safety of their goods.
Moving Moving is another important task that makes people stressful as it is the time when any thing can turn wrong. With the assistance of professional movers and packers one can easily shift their goods to the new location safely. They one by one handle the whole task and make their customers free from all the stress. Before doing so they also take numbers of precautions to keep the goods safe all through the way.
Unpacking Just after arriving to new location the workers unload and start unpacking goods firmly. These professionals unpack fragile goods separately and non fragile goods one by one so that they remain as they were in old location.
Rearrangement This is the final task that professionals handle. In this task the professionals rearrange safely at the exact place as per the demand of their clients.
Shifting Associates is a country's trusted Packers and Movers directory, we are shaping the future and helping people relocate their office or home in a convenient and cost effective manner. Shifting Associates is the most comprehensive logistic-specific platform on the internet. Driven by the highly qualified professionals and latest transportation facility, Shifting Associates takes pride to introduce itself as a leading movers packers directory enabling its customers shift swiftly and conveniently to any part of the country. We have always valued our customers and believed them to be an integral part of our success story. As a customer oriented packers and movers information directory, the commitment we give our customers is unconditional.


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'Hero' Teacher Killed in School Shooting Was Former Marine
(NEWSER) – The teacher killed in today's school shooting in Nevada has been identified by his family as Michael Landsberry, 45, a math teacher at Sparks Middle School who had previously served in the Marines. A local police deputy chief described Landsberry as a "hero" for intervening in the shooting and trying to get the young gunman to put his weapon down, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports. "To hear he was trying to protect those kids, that he stepped up and tried to stop the situation, doesn't surprise me at all," says his sister-in-law Chanda Landsberry. "He could have ducked and hid, but he didn't. That's not who he is." Landsberry was also a member of the Nevada Army National Guard. "He loved his school kids. He loved the Guard," she says. "It defined him."


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Lanza, Mom Didn't Speak for 3 Months Before Shooting
(NEWSER) – Adam Lanza apparently planned the Sandy Hook massacre by himself and left no evidence of why he killed 27 people at a Connecticut elementary school last year, according to a report released today. "Why did the shooter murder twenty-seven people, including twenty children?" wrote Danbury State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky in the report, which closed an 11-month police investigation. "Unfortunately, that question may never be answered conclusively." The report does say Lanza planned all his actions, including his suicide, and even wore ear buds during the assault, the Hartford Courant reports. Also from the report:
- A blow-by-blow of Lanza's carnage. The 20-year-old fired 154 shots, mostly in the classroom of substitute teacher Lauren Rousseau, where Lanza murdered her and 14 of her 15 students.
- He killed six more in the classroom of Victoria Soto, where student Jesse Lewis told kids to run when Lanza's gun jammed. Six safely got past Lanza, but Lewis was killed.


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Kellie Pickler's new album arriving next month
Listen to Kellie Pickler on iHeartRadio
Kellie Pickler's next album is on the way. The country star's fourth studio project, The Woman I Am, will hit stores November 11th.
Kellie says the title track was inspired by a question that came up during an interview. She recalls that she was asked which of her songs best describes her "in a nutshell," that she would recommend to someone who doesn't listen to country music and is unfamiliar with her work. Pickler says she didn't really have an answer, and told the interviewer she didn't think she'd "written it yet."
But she has now. Kellie says later that night she and her husband Kyle Jacobs wrote The Woman I Am. It's one of three tracks Kellie co-wrote for the disc. The album also features Pickler's two most recent singles, "Someone Somewhere Tonight" and "Little Bit Gypsy."
Photo Credit Getty Images


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Arcadia, CA, Feb. 5 -- With the major prep races on the road to the Kentucky Derby beginning in earnest, HRTV (R), The Network for Horse Sports, will offer racing fans the latest, up-to-date information on the Triple Crown trail when it premieres the weekly Fasig-Tipton Pursuit of the Crown, presented by Twinspires.com show, beginning this Thursday, February 7 (8 p.m. ET).
The comprehensive, informative show will not only focus on the upcoming 139th edition of the "Run for the Roses" from Churchill Downs, set for Saturday, May 4, but all Triple Crown stops -- the Preakness (May 18) from Pimlico Racecourse, and the Belmont Stakes from Belmont Park (June 8).
Laffit Pincay, III will host the show, while Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, a three-time Kentucky Derby winner, will deliver his unique insight as analyst. Scott Hazelton will again provide additional Triple Crown news and perspective.
The 30-minute show provides detailed interviews with key owners, trainers, jockeys of Derby/Triple Crown contenders, in addition to offering analysis and profiles of the top 3-year-olds from HRTV's experts.
Beginning on Sunday, February 24 (8 p.m. ET), HRTV will again introduce a second weekly installment of Fasig-Tipton Pursuit of the Crown, presented by Twinspires.com to its programming schedule. This half-hour show, slated for each Sunday, will offer an instant recap of the weekend's stakes races that have Triple Crown implications.
About HRTV
HRTV, The Network for Horse Sports, is a television-based multimedia network dedicated to equine sports. HRTV's programming features horseracing from top U.S. and international racetracks, as well as a wide range of world-class English and Western horse competitions, news, original programming and award-winning documentaries covering the world of horse sports. The live stream of HRTV is available on a subscription basis to high-speed Internet users worldwide at www.tvg2.com <http://www.tvg2.com/> . In the U.S., the HRTV television network is available via telco, cable and satellite in over 19 million homes.
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Bhavdiya Institute of Business Management is one of the premier Institutions in the field of Management Education. It has been launched by Ramau Devi Hemraj Verma Charitable Trust, Ayodhya on no profit basis with a firm determination and commitment to foster a holistic approach towards the development of Management Education.
The Institute has been approved by All India Council of Technical Education and affiliated with Gautam Buddha Technical University (Formerly known as U.P. Technical University, Lucknow.) At present it is imparting full time MBA Courses with the dual specialization in Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Information Technology & International Business and also open specialization in Insurance & Risk management, Hospitality, Project & Rural management.
The Institute distinguishes itself from other colleges and Institutes due to its holistic approach and unique foresighted planning in providing professional education in the state-of-the-art techniques. The main objective of an Institute is to generate a hoard of highly creative professionals, who can contribute not only in the Human Resource Development but also in the Nation Building Exercise, Economic Progress and Information Technology.
To provide an open opportunity to the young generation for evolving their core competencies and to build their career as world class professional with broad based foundation, in-depth knowledge and versatile personality to meet the challenges of Global Economy".
The main objective of the trust is to establish various technical institutions to produce highly skilled professionals, engineers, technocrats, medicos and management experts to shoulder the growing responsibility of the nation.
Copyright © 2013 - Bhavdiya Institute of Business Management


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Eddie Van Halen once asked to join KISS
Listen to Van Halen on iHeartRadio | Listen to KISS on iHeartRadio
If it were up to Eddie Van Halen, he'd have been in KISS.
Gene Simmons tells "Guitar World" the Van Halen guitarist approached him about joining KISS, "and he was very serious" about it. Simmons explains it was in the early 1980s, a few years before singer David Lee Roth left Van Halen.
Gene says Eddie "was so unhappy about how he and Roth were -- or weren't -- getting along," so Eddie took him to lunch at a diner in Los Angeles and made a pitch to join KISS.
At the time KISS was having their own lineup changes, but Simmons says he talked Eddie out of the idea. He remembers telling Eddie there wasn't "enough room" for him in KISS, and that Eddie wouldn't "be happy in KISS," because he needed to be in a band where he could "direct the music."
Simmons adds that a third person was with them at the diner. He says guitarist Vinnie Vincent -- who "wasn't yet in KISS" -- was a "sneaky guy" and "tagged along" for Gene's lunch with Eddie. Vincent ended up becoming KISS' new guitarist.
Photo Credit Getty Images


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Woman finds bedbug-ridden old mattress inside new mattress
(NEWSER) – If this isn't enough to scare you off from ever purchasing another mattress, we're not sure what would do the trick. A Phoenix mother bought two mattresses from Mattresses 101 last November; they appeared to be new, complete with plastic coverings, but two and a half months later, Allison Kiefer found a bedbug. She called an exterminator, who noticed the mattresses were extremely heavy, so he ripped one of them open—and found another mattress, this one ridden with bedbugs, inside. Mattresses 101 insists it sells only new mattresses and does not have a bedbug problem, but it refunded Kiefer and paid for the exterminator, AZFamily.com reports.


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Women 'marrying down' in record numbers
(NEWSER) – A new survey by the Pew Research Center points out a milestone of sorts: For the first time, the percentage of women marrying a man with a lesser education is greater than the percentage of men marrying a woman with a lesser education. It's close, 21% vs. 20%, but expect the gap to widen—among newlyweds alone, the figures are 27% vs. 15%. The Los Angeles Times notes that in 1960, only about 7% of women fell into this category, but the number has risen steadily over the years as women have surpassed men in college graduation rates.


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Portrait of Palestinian Democracy–2013
Today Mahmoud Abbas begins the ninth year of his four-year term, having originally taken office on January 15, 2005, after a quickie election held a few weeks after Yasir Arafat died in the ninth year of his own four-year term. As Daled Amos notes, "it's nice work if you can get it."
Palestinian democracy has been a bit of a disappointment: each of the peace-partner presidents were offered a state on virtually all of the West Bank and Gaza, with a capital in Jerusalem, and each of them walked away. Each time, the Palestinian public not only did not protest their president's rejection of "the long overdue Palestinian state"; they did not even demand another presidential election when the presidential terms expired. Like his predecessor, Abbas will end up serving as president longer after his term expired than when he was legally in office.
Since another Palestinian election is not likely any time soon, we must rely on the latest poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research for a picture of Palestinian public opinion. The poll indicates Abbas would be defeated by the Hamas candidate if a new presidential election were held, and that 56 percent of Palestinians would oppose a final-status agreement involving: (1) Israeli withdrawal from more than 97 percent of the West Bank and a land swap for the rest; (2) a Palestinian state with a "strong security force" (but no army) and a multinational force; (3) sovereignty over land, water, and airspace, but an Israeli right to use airspace for training and maintain two West Bank early-warning stations for 15 years; (4) a capital in East Jerusalem, including all Arab neighborhoods and most of the Old City; and (5) a "right of return" for refugees to the new state and compensation for "refugeehood."
The tragedy of Palestinian democracy was apparent two years ago; last year the portrait of Palestinian democracy got even worse; this year it has deteriorated still further, as it becomes even clearer that being elected Palestinian president means you never have to run again; that if an election were held, the candidate of the premier Palestinian terrorist group would prevail; that the Palestinians still reject even the "Everyone Knows" peace plan; and that the problem with Palestinian democracy extends far beyond the specific individuals elected in the two Potemkin presidential elections held so far.
Portrait of Palestinian Democracy–2013
Must-Reads from Magazine
Republicans Need to Prepare for the Worst
Expect the impossible.
If the 2016 presidential election cycle demonstrated anything, it was that Republicans suffer from a crippling lack of imagination. That ordeal should have established that the unprecedented is not impossible. Even now, Republicans seem as though they are trying to convince themselves that their eyes are lying to them, but they are not. The tempo of the investigation into President Trump is accelerating, and a nightmare scenario is eminently imaginable. Only congressional Republicans can avert disaster, and only then by being clear about the actions they are prepared to take if Trump instigates a crisis of constitutional legitimacy.
The events of the last 36 hours unrolled like a cascade. Late Wednesday, the New York Times published an interview in which Trump delivered a stinging rebuke for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, scolding him for recusing himself from the investigation into the campaign's ties to Russian operatives. In that interview, Trump appeared to warn special counselor Robert Mueller not to dig too deeply into his personal finances, or else.
Hours later, Bloomberg News revealed that Mueller's probe was investigating Trump's business transactions and tax records—a leak surely made in response to Trump's arm-twisting. More leaks from the investigation confirmed that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was being investigated for involvement in a money-laundering scheme, a revelation made more discomfiting by the discovery that he owed pro-Russian interests $17 million before joining the Trump campaign.
With the noose tightening, the lead attorney on Trump's personal defense team, Marc Kasowitz, and the legal team's spokesperson, Mark Corallo, resigned. The Washington Post reported that "Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe." Trump's spokespeople insist the president has no intention of pursuing the dismissal of the special counsel investigating his campaign, but his every action indicates that this is a lie.
Prominent Republicans reacted to all this incredulously. "There is no possible way anybody at the White House could be seriously thinking about firing Mueller," Sen. Bob Corker insisted. "We all know the president," said Sen. Orrin Hatch. "He makes some of these comments that he really doesn't mean." Sen. Susan Collins was willing to go a bit farther: "It would be catastrophic if the President were to fire the special counsel."
Off the record, however, Republican lawmakers are far less circumspect in relaying their fears about what the president is capable of doing to the republic. "Any thought of firing the special counsel is chilling. It's chilling," an unnamed GOP senator told CNN. "One gets the impression that the President doesn't understand or he willfully disregards the fact that the attorney general and law enforcement in general—they are not his personal lawyers to defend and protect him," another added.
These tepid comments for the record, with courage reserved only upon condition of anonymity, expose how Republicans in Congress have again failed to meet the measure of the moment. These are dangerous days, and it is incumbent upon Donald Trump's party in Congress to deter the executive branch from overstepping its authority. The only way to do that is to be clear about what the consequences for that kind of transgression will be.
The Congressional Research Service defines how the president could execute a nuclear option against the independent counsel's office. The Attorney General has recused himself from campaign-related investigations, so Trump would have to insist Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein remove Mueller. If Rosenstein declined, his resignation would likely be on offer, and his acting replacement (Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand) would have to field the same request. At this point, the comparisons between the Trump White House's behavior and that of the Nixon administration ahead of the 1973 "Saturday Night Massacre" are no longer hyperbolic.
In lieu of any ability to contain or control the special counsel's office, Trump's defenders have mounted a public relations campaign designed to undermine its authority and discredit its members. That will rally Trump's diehard supporters, but the president remains unsatisfied. National Review's Rich Lowry speculated convincingly that Trump would have little choice but to move against Mueller. Sooner rather than later, the conditions the president said would force his hand—a probe of Trump's personal finances—will be met. Lowry observed that Trump seems to believe his tax records and business practices should be off limits and his experience has taught him "that fortune favors the recklessly bold."
Republicans in Congress must stop comforting themselves with the notion that the worst cannot happen. They have to summon the courage to state publicly what they so freely tell reporters on background. If they are so concerned that the norms and traditions that have preserved the rule of law in this republic for 240 years are in jeopardy, they must say so. And they must say what the consequences will be for Trump, his associates, and his family if he goes too far. Republicans in office are disinclined to pursue a course of action against Trump that might jeopardize their standing with the voters who love him. None of that matters. Prioritizing their parochial careerist considerations over the best interests of their party and their country is how they got themselves into this mess.
Republicans may dislike the prospect, but it's fast becoming time for them to start saying the "I" word if only to save the president from his most reckless impulses. The longer they tell themselves that the unthinkable is impossible, the more likely it becomes.
Can Turkey be Trusted with F-35s?
Are the warplane's secrets safe?
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the newest generation air platform for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marines. Lockheed-Martin, which builds the F-35, describes it as "a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment." For both diplomatic reasons and to encourage sales, Lockheed-Martin subcontracted the production of many F-35 components to factories abroad. Many program partners—Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, for example—are consistent U.S. allies.
Turkey, however, is also part of the nine-nation consortium producing the plane, which gives Turkey access to the F-35's technology. "As a program partner, Turkish industries are eligible to become suppliers to the global F-35 fleet for the life of the program. In total, F-35 industrial opportunities for Turkish companies are expected to reach $12 billion," the warplane's website explained. "Turkey plans to purchase 100 of the F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing variant. Its unsurpassed technological systems and unique stealth capabilities ensure that the F-35 will be the future of Turkish national security for decades to come."
But is the F-35 safe with Turkey? In recent years, the Turkish government has leaked highly-classified information to America's adversaries in fits of diplomatic pique. Back in 2013, for example, Turkey leaked to the Iranians the identities of Israeli spies in Iran. Danny Yatom, former head of the Mossad, told USA Today that the incident would damage U.S. intelligence efforts, "because we will be much more reluctant to work via Turkey because they will fear information is leaking to Iran… We feel information achieved [by Israel] through Turkey went not only to Israel but also to the United States."
On July 19, the Pentagon criticized Turkey's state-controlled news agency for exposing ten covert U.S. bases in Syria in a way that can enable both the Islamic State and Iranian-backed forces to target Americans. Bloomberg reported that the leak also detailed aid routes and equipment stored at each base.
Both these incidents raise serious questions about whether Turkey can be trusted with the F-35, especially given Turkey's growing military and diplomatic ties to Russia, and the wayward NATO state's recent cooperation with China as well. The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense is rightly concerned about the security implications of a plan to service its F-35s in Turkey, but such concern should only be the tip of the iceberg.
Should Turkey even receive F-35s and, to the extent the program relies on Turkish factories, is it time to stand up quickly a Plan B? To do otherwise might squander the billions of dollars already spent on the program, risk increasing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ability to blackmail the West, and potentially land America's latest military technology on Kremlin desks.
The Trump Right's Martyrdom of Kim Guadagno
Too many martyrs make a movement.
If the GOP is to be converted into a vehicle for politicians who evince Donald Trump's brand of pragmatic center-right populism, Trump will have to demonstrate his brand of politics can deliver victories for people other than himself. Presidential pen strokes help to achieve that, as do judicial appointments. Nothing is so permanent, though, as sweeping legislative change. On that score, the newly Trumpian Republican Party is coming up short. If the passive process of transformational legislative success fails to compel anti-Trump holdouts in the GOP to give up the ghost, there is always arm-twisting. It seems the Republican National Committee is happy to play enforcer.
The RNC's nascent effort to stifle anti-Trump apostasy by making examples of high-profile heretics has claimed its first victim: New Jersey's Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno. The Republican is running to replace the nation's least popular governor, Chris Christie, and the effort has been a struggle. Trailing badly in the polls and facing the headwinds associated with trying to succeed an unpopular outgoing GOP governor in a blue state, Guadagno needs all the help she can get. That help won't be coming from the RNC. According to NJ Advance Media, the committee's objection to helping Guadagno isn't the imprudence of throwing good money after bad. It's that she was mean to President Trump in 2016, and she must be punished.
"[The president] is unhappy with anyone who neglected him in his hour of need," said a source billed as an RNC insider. The specific complaint arises from an October 8 tweet from the lieutenant governor said that "no apology can excuse" Trump's "reprehensible" conduct on the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape. "Christie was not as stalwart as some people in the party, but at least he didn't go against him the way she did," the insider added.
This source's version of events was supported by former two-term New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman. "She went down there, and the (Republican National) Committee was reluctant to back the campaign in the way one would have expected," she said. "The implication was, 'Well you were not a Trump supporter in the primary, and so don't expect much money.'"
This is almost certainly a pretext. Republicans are facing stiff competition and an unfavorable political environment in November's gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey. In 2017-2018, 27 GOP-held seats are up for grabs, nine of which are in some jeopardy of falling to Democrats. Republicans are going to have to husband their resources and triage their officeholders. That's a forgivable, if demoralizing, condition. Declaring Guadagno to have offended the leader and to be cut off from the font of Republican goodwill is not only unjustifiable, it's terribly foolish.
If Republican women are to be punished for saying that Trump's comments about sexually assaulting unsuspecting females were unacceptable, there are going to be a lot fewer Republican women. Moreover, the RNC has invited the perception that there is a double standard at play here. A slew of Republicans called on Trump to drop out of the race after that tape, but the RNC is unlikely to withhold support for Senators Rob Portman or John Thune when they need it. Among those calling on Trump to drop out was his own chief of staff, Reince Priebus—a fact the president reportedly won't let Priebus forget.
Cults of personality can be bullied into existence, but they rarely outlast the personality around whom they form unless that personality can claim some lasting achievements. In lieu of any compelling rationale, the effort to remake the GOP in Trump's image by force will only create dissidents. The ideological conservatives who once dominated the Republican Party are unlikely to make peace with the ascendant populist faction at gunpoint. And the RNC is not solely to blame for this boneheaded move. Even if the notion that Guadagno is being punished for disloyalty is a pretense, it is a response to a clear set of incentives promoted by this White House.
Maybe the most intriguing question of the present political age is whether or not conservatives in the GOP will come to terms with a man they once saw as a usurper. A heavy hand will only catalyze resistance, and Trump needs his own party as much or more than they need him. Guadagno's gubernatorial bid is on no firmer ground today than it was yesterday, but the Republican candidate's allies can now legitimately claim persecution at the hands of personality cultists. Too many martyrs make a movement. The White House and the Republican National Committee should tread lightly.
The Conservative Crack-Up, 2017 Edition
Podcast: Conservatism in shackles while O.J. goes free?
On the second of this week's podcasts, I ask Abe Greenwald and Noah Rothman whether the health-care debacle this week is simply a reflection of the same pressures on the conservative coalition Donald Trump saw and conquered by running for president last year—and what it will mean for him and them that he has provided no rallying point for Republican politicians. And then we discuss OJ Simpson. Give a listen.
Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes.
Macron's Terrorism Idiocy
Hyperbole yields cynicism, not the other way around.
Newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron surprised almost everyone when he invited President Donald Trump to celebrate Bastille Day with him in Paris, especially after the two leaders' awkward first meeting in Brussels in May. After all, between now and then, Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and Macron has become perhaps the most vocal critic of Trump among European leaders.
In hindsight, Macron's reason for embracing Trump might have been to get the president to reverse course on the Paris agreement. From the Associated Press:
French President Emmanuel Macron says his glamorous Paris charm offensive on Donald Trump was carefully calculated — and may have changed the U.S. president's mind about climate change…. On their main point of contention — Trump's withdrawal from the landmark Paris climate agreement — Macron is quoted as saying that "Donald Trump listened to me. He understood the reason for my position, notably the link between climate change and terrorism."
According to Macron, climate change causes droughts and migration, which exacerbates crises as populations fight over shrinking resources. If Macron really believes that, France and Europe are in for some tough times.
First, droughts are a frequent, cyclical occurrence in the Middle East, the Sahel, and the Horn of Africa. The difference between drought and famine is the former is a natural occurrence and the latter is man-made, usually caused by poor governance. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the Horn of Africa, where the same drought might kill a few dozens of Ethiopians but wipe out tens of thousands of Somalis.
Second, the common factor in the wars raging in the Middle East today is neither climate change nor extreme weather, but brutal dictatorship, radical ideologies, and the militias supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Yemen could be a breadbasket. Its terraced fields rising up thousands of feet in the mountains grow almost every fruit imaginable. Yemen also catches the tail end of the monsoon. If Yemenis planted exportable crops like coffee rather than the mild drug qat, which does not bring in hard currency, they might be fairly prosperous.
It is not climate change that denied the Syrian public basic freedoms and liberty for decades, nor was it climate change that dropped barrel bombs on civilian neighborhoods, tortured and killed 13-year-old Hamza Ali al-Khateeb, or used chemical weapons. For that matter, when it comes to radicalization, the problem is Syria was less climate and more decades of Saudi-and Qatari-funded indoctrination and Turkish assistance to foreign fighters.
Regardless of all this, another obvious factor nullifies Macron's thesis: When drought occurs in regions outside the Middle East, the result is seldom suicide bombing.
Terrorism does not have a one-size-fits-all explanation but, generally speaking, when it comes to Islamist terrorism, ideology plays a key role. Most terrorists are educated, middle class, and relatively privileged. Islamic State caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, for example, has a Ph.D. Many of the 9/11 hijackers were educated. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas recruits inside schools. Simply put, there is no linkage between climate change and terrorism.
Not only would Trump be foolish to buy Macron's argument, but environmentalists who believe climate change puts the Earth in immediate peril should be outraged. It is hyperbole. Moreover, it is the casual invocation of climate change as a catch-all cause for every other issue that breeds the cynicism that leads so many to become so dismissive of everything climate activists say. Macron may look down up Trump as an ignorant bore, but Macron's own logic suggests he is also living in a world where facts and reality don't matter.


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The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees.
Please visit The Princeton Review's page on campus safety for additional resources: http://www.princetonreview.com/safety
The Princeton Review publishes links directly to each school's Campus Security Reports where available. Applicants can also access all school-specific campus safety information using the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education: http://ope.ed.gov/security


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This heated blanket earned The Best rating from the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute after tests proved it to be the warmest and most comfortable. The Best model heated to 9.37� F above the ambient temperature�122% higher than other blankets. The Best Heated Blanket's temperature varied by only 1.60� F across its entire surface and its dual controllers produced a 8.13� F difference between the left and right sides when one controller was set to high and the other to low, unlike lesser models that produced a nominal 2.40� F variance. The polyester blanket has a 400 grams-per-square-inch soft, plush weave that earned the highest rating for comfort, and it withstood repeated cycles in a washing machine without pilling or fraying. With backlit LCD controller (two on Queen and King sizes), 10 heat settings, and 10-hour automatic shut off. King. 100" W x 90" L.
Lifetime Guarantee
The Best Heated Blanket (King) comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.
Should you have any questions, we are available seven days a week (8:00 am – midnight EST). Please call 1-800-321-1484 to speak with a specialist or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to receive a response within three business hours or less.
May we recommend:
(based on 3 reviews)
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(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
Excellent blanket
By GSS
from New York, NY
Best Uses
We recently purchased a king version of this blanket, and it seems to be an excellent product. It heats up quickly, and the low setting is gently warm without being too hot. My only criticism is that the On/Off button is not lit in any way, so turning it on or off in the middle of the night is more challenging than it should be.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Truely the BEST
By TJ
from Dallas, TX
We have had several heated blankets over the years and this is by FAR our favorite. It is soft, pliable, and lightweight. Also the size is better than blankets we have owned in the past which always seemed just a bit too small. I would highly recommend it to everyone!!
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Nice Blanket
By Mike
from Rocklin, CA
I got this product to replace the low-voltage electric blanket also sold by HM. This one is softer, heats better and more consistantly. The only think I don't like is that the wires are very obvious. Be warned, you can't tuck this blanket in at the bottom of the bed - but this is probably true for most electric blankets.
COPYRIGHT © 2017 HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. W106147 E. 57th ST • NEW YORK, NY • 10022 • 1-800-_321-1484


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Byron Scott said Friday morning that Kyrie Irving has a little "old soul" to him. This is what he meant:
As Irving was buttoning his dress shirt tonight after the game, about 15 to 20 reporters were waiting for him to talk. Most players like to be fully dressed for the cameras before the interview begins, but Irving turned around and locked eyes with an Indianapolis radio reporter.To read more or comment...
Danny Granger's 3-pointer with 1:29 left sealed the Pacers' 98-91 overtime victory over the Cavaliers on Friday.
Granger, plagued with foul trouble in the first half, hit a driving layup with his left hand on Indiana's previous possession, blocked a 3-point attempt by Antawn Jamison and then sank the 3 to put the Pacers up 93-87.To read more or comment...
Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1) at Indiana Pacers (2-0)
7 p.m.; Bankers Life Fieldhouse; Fox Sports Ohio/WTAM
Cavs probables: PG Kyrie Irving, SG Anthony Parker, SF Omri Casspi, PF Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao
Pacers probables: PG Darren Collison, SG Paul George, SF Danny Granger, PF David West, C Roy Hibbert
Injury report: Cavs -- Semih Erden (thumb) out; Pacers -- Jeff Foster (back) out, Jeff Pendergraph (knee) out.
Officials: Bill Spooner, David Guthrie, Josh Tiven
They won't all be this easy. In fact, none of them might be this easy until the Cavs play the Pistons again on Feb. 21.
I thought the Pistons were better than the Cavs before tonight, but maybe not. Whispers around Detroit are that coach Lawrence Frank is working the players too hard in practice and they might have tired legs already. Between video sessions and practice, the Pistons are working up to four hours a day. By comparison, Scott is limiting practice to about two hours.To read more or comment...
The Cavaliers scored 52 points in the paint and smashed the smaller Pistons on the glass for a 105-89 win at Detroit on Wednesday. It was the Cavs' first road win in their first attempt after winning just seven games away from home all of last season.
Samardo Samuels had 17 points and Ramon Sessions had 16 off the bench for the Cavs (1-1), who placed six players in double figures. Top overall pick Kyrie Irving had 14 points and seven assists despite sitting the game's final 17 minutes.To read more or comment...
Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1) at Detroit Pistons (0-1)
7:30 p.m.; The Palace of Auburn Hills; Fox Sports Ohio
Cavs probables: PG Kyrie Irving, SG Anthony Parker, SF Omri Casspi, PF Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao
Pistons probables: PG Rodney Stuckey, SG Ben Gordon, SF Tayshaun Prince, PF Jonas Jerebko, C Greg Monroe
Officials: Derrick Stafford, Brent Barnacky, Michael Smith
Injury report: Cavs -- Semih Erden (thumb) out; Pistons -- Charlie Villanueva (suspension) out.
Alonzo Gee has experience at falling on his head. That's why he knew he was fine Monday night when he lost his grip following a dunk and crashed hard on the back of his head and neck. Turns out, Gee also slipped and fell on his head following a dunk in high school.To read more or comment...
For much of the night, I really felt like Alonzo Gee and Ramon Sessions were the two best players on the floor. I'm not sure if that's a credit to their vast improvement or an indictment on the rest of the team.
Kyrie Irving looked lost at times, but I'm chalking it up to simply first game jitters. There will likely be many more nights like this, but he will also have nights where he dazzles. All part of the learning curve for a rookie.To read more or comment...
Jose Calderon had 15 points and 11 assists, one of seven Raptors in double figures, and Toronto spoiled the debut of top pick Kyrie Irving in its 104-96 victory Monday.
Irving had six points and seven assists, but shot just 2 of 12 from the floor. He had seven assists.
Leandro Barbosa had 14 points off the bench, Andrea Bargnani had 13 points and Amir Johnson had 12 points and 12 assists for the Raptors, who shot 53 percent from the floor and 43 percent on 3-pointers (9 of 21). The Cavs were the worst team in the league at defending the 3-pointer last season.
The Raptors built a 15-point lead in the third quarter before the Cavs' reserves cut the deficit to four early in the fourth. Ramon Sessions had 18 points and six assists and Tristan Thompson, the fourth pick in the draft, had 14 points and five rebounds for the Cavs.
Toronto Raptors (0-0) at Cleveland Cavaliers (0-0)
7 p.m.; Quicken Loans Arena; Fox Sports Ohio
INDEPENDENCE: Kyrie Irving will start at point guard for the Cavs tonight in the season opener against the Toronto Raptors. Irving came off the bench during the two preseason games, but coach Byron Scott said he wanted Irving with the veteran starters and Ramon Sessions to provide a veteran presence to a young second unit.To read more or comment...
The Cavaliers waived guard Manny Harris today in a mild surprise. Harris has missed all of training camp with a burn on his right foot suffered during the lockout and is expected to miss another week or two. The Cavs also waived guard Kenny Hayes, bringing the roster to 15.
Unless they pick up a free agent waived by another team, it would seem Mychel Thompson has made the team as an undrafted rookie.To read more or comment...
LeBron James on Wednesday scoffed off any comparisons between Dwight Howard's saga with the Orlando Magic and how James left the Cavaliers.
"No, he ain't going through what I went through, don't say that," James said Wednesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel, before the Magic hosted the Heat. "He's nowhere near going through what I went through."To read more or comment...
After Ryan Hollins fouled out of Tuesday's preseason loss to the Pistons, he was greeted by an irritated coach Byron Scott who chewed him out after a poor fourth quarter. Hollins had three turnovers and four fouls in the quarter, angering Scott and leaving open the debate over who will back up Anderson Varejao at center.To read more or comment...
Luke Harangody missed an open look at the buzzer and the Cavs fell to the Detroit Pistons 90-89 Tuesday in the preseason finale for both teams.
Omri Casspi had 18 points and five rebounds, Kyrie Irving had 11 points and three assists and Tristan Thompson had eight points and five rebounds in the loss.To read more or comment...
Detroit Pistons (0-1) at Cleveland Cavaliers (1-0)
7 p.m.; Quicken Loans Arena; Fox Sports Ohio/WTAM
Cavs probables: Ramon Sessions, Anthony Parker, Alonzo Gee, Antawn Jamison, Anderson Varejao
Pistons probables: Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Damien Wilkins, Charlie Villanueva, Greg Monroe
Injury report: Cavs -- Semih Erden (thumb) out, Omri Casspi (probable) questionable, Manny Harris (foot) out; Pistons -- None.
Officials: Tom Washington, Pat Fraher, Elie Roe
* Omri Casspi will play tonight, but coach Byron Scott hasn't determined yet how many minutes and whether or not he'll start. Casspi has been hampered by a sore knee and still wears a protective sleeve on it during games.
Kyrie Irving will come off the bench again tomorrow night when the Cavs host the Detroit Pistons in their second and final preseason game.To read more or comment...
I'm not sure yet if Omri Casspi can play, but he's serious when he's on the court. That's a start. Byron Scott likes the intensity Casspi brings to a team that desperately needs it. The Cavs were blown out too many times last year and players didn't seem to care.To read more or comment...
* Kyrie Irving was quicker than I was expecting. Maybe not John Wall fast, but pretty fast. Byron Scott swore he's better defensively than he showed, which is a good thing. He got beat off the dribble by Will Bynum and Brandon Knight. Fine players, but he's not exactly Derrick Rose or John Wall or Rajon Rondo, if you know what I mean. He needs to be better.
* Scott pointed out Irving's five turnovers, but don't read too much into it. First game jitters, although Irving seemed to tire late in the fourth quarter. He got sloppy with the ball and his decisions later in the game, but that was his first extended time on the floor in a long, long time.To read more or comment...
Kyrie Irving had 21 points, six rebounds and five turnovers in his NBA debut and Tristan Thompson had eight points, four rebounds and two blocks in the Cavs' 91-86 win over the Detroit Pistons in the preseason opener.
Irving did not start, but entered with two minutes left in the first quarter. He played the entire second quarter and fourth quarter, making 5 of 6 free throws in the final minute to clinch the win.To read more or comment...
Cleveland Cavaliers (0-0) at Detroit Pistons (0-0)
Time: 7:30 p.m.; Venue: The Palace of Auburn Hills; TV: FS Ohio
Cavs probables: PG Kyrie Irving, SG Anthony Parker, SF Alonzo Gee, PF Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao
Pistons probables: PG Will Bynum, SG Ben Gordon, SF Damien Wilkins, F Charlie Villanueva, C Greg Monroe
Injuries: Cavs -- Semih Erden (thumb) out, Omri Casspi (knee) out, Daniel Gibson (tooth) out, Manny Harris (foot) out; Pistons -- None.
Officials: James Capers, Curtis Blair, Olandis Poole
* Byron Scott chose Sessions as his starting point guard tonight for two reasons: So Kyrie Irving has to earn his spot and to give him more time to adjust. Scott said when he started Chris Paul in his first preseason game, Paul had the benefit of summer league and he joined the team a month before training camp began to get acclimated. The lockout prevent Irving from all of that.
AUBURN HILLS, MICH.: Ramon Sessions will start at point guard and Kyrie Irving will come off the bench in his first professional game tonight when the Cavaliers play at the Detroit Pistons in the preseason opener.
Cavs coach Byron Scott said he wants Irving to earn his position, plus he missed out on some key learning opportunities during the offseason because of the lockout. Scott started Chris Paul in his first preseason game when Paul was a rookie point guard, but Scott said the circumstances were much different.To read more or comment...
INDEPENDENCE: Even though Baron Davis is gone, the Cavs' starting point guard spot won't automatically fall to Kyrie Irving. Coach Byron Scott said Thursday the rookie will still have to earn it.To read more or comment...
Baron Davis was released by the Cavaliers using the amnesty provision on Wednesday night, making him a free agent. The move erases $28 million off the Cavs' cap and can give them roughly $7 million in cap space to use between now and the trade deadline.
A byproduct of the move signals the beginning of the Kyrie Irving era, since Irving will likely take over the starting point guard duties immediately.To read more or comment...
Cavs point guard Baron Davis was diagnosed with a herniated L2-3 disc in his back and remains sidelined indefinitely as Friday's amnesty deadline looms. In addition, Manny Harris will miss two weeks with a burn on his right foot from an accident at the Nike facility in Oregon he suffered before training camp began.
The injuries may put their roster spots in peril. Without counting any camp invites, the Cavs have 16 players under contract and must release one prior to the Dec. 24 deadline to set rosters for the regular season. Harris has yet to practice with his teammates, but was out shooting after practice Wednesday during the portion the media is allowed to watch. Scott is hopeful Harris can return to practice sometime next week, ahead of the official diagnosis.
"It's hard when you have all these other guys out here on the floor and he's not on the floor," Scott said. "I want him to be able to get out there because it would be a shame to have to let go of a guy that hasn't had his chance to fight for his job. But the bottom line is when we have to make decisions, we're going to make the decisions for the best of this team."
Harris was an undrafted rookie free agent last year and is still working on a non-guaranteed contract. Scott said Davis initially injured the back prior to camp and felt it tighten on the first day of workouts last Friday.
Both players may have made it back to the court by now if not for the lockout, which left team training facilities and medical staffs off-limits to players.
"If there wasn't a lockout, he'd probably be a whole lot better," Scott said of Davis. "But it is what it is. The lockout happened, we couldn't have our hands on our players and when you do that, a lot of times things hit you when it's over that you're not really ready for."
Scott insisted the Cavs haven't yet decided what to do with Davis, although the deadline is two days away. When asked directly if he wants Davis on the team, Scott said he wants what's best for everyone.
"I love Baron, but I also want the best for him and the best for this team and the organization," Scott said. "Whatever we do is fine with me."
Baron Davis missed his third straight day of practice while seeking a second opinion on his back as Friday's amnesty deadline looms.
Cavs coach Byron Scott said Davis is still away from the team and isn't sure when to expect him back. If he even comes back at all.
"I'm going to coach the guys who are here ready to play," Scott said. "If Baron is here, ready to go. If he's not, we move on."
Scott had initially thought he'd start installing concepts of his Princeton offense by today, but said after practice he hasn't done anything with it yet and will continue to keep it simple. Scott said it was likely the only time he would run plays out of the Princeton offense was coming out of timeouts when guys can line up properly.
Scott said the Princeton takes away some of the spontaneity and creativity of players on offense, so he's keeping the concepts simple. Besides, players were still struggling with the basics during a recent scrimmage.
"Guys were calling one play, but running a whole different play," Scott said. "I figured if it works, we might put it in. Since it wasn't, we wanted to make sure they understand exactly what they're doing."
Rookie Kyrie Irving said on Monday many of the plays the Cavs are running now are similar to what he ran at Duke. Scott said that is simply a coincidence.
"It's just something we felt would be real good with us," Scott said. "At the end of the day, if he's everything we think he can be, he'll have the ball in his hands plenty of times."
Other practice notes from Tuesday:
* Ryan Hollins took a broadcasting course at Syracuse during the lockout, then did some studio work as an analyst on UCLA men's basketball broadcasts. Hollins loved the experience and wants to get into the media full-time after his career ends.
* Hollins, now entering his sixth season in the NBA, said this is the first time in his career he's had the same head coach for consecutive seasons. Incredible.
* Samardo Samuels was a senior at St. Benedict's High School in New Jersey when rookie Tristan Thompson was a sophomore there. Now they've been reunited again as teammates in the NBA.
Samuels was the top player in high school his senior year and obviously a big star around school, but he entered the NBA as an undrafted free agent and Thompson was the No. 4 pick in the draft.
"It's weird, that's how the NBA works," Samuels said. "He's the No. 4 pick, but I still have the same talent that I did in high school, so I don't think that changes anything. We're both talented guys going after it, just like it was in high school."
* Omri Casspi missed practice with a bruised knee, but did some shooting afterwards. He's expected to miss a few more days.
The Cavaliers signed free agent shooting guard Anthony Parker to a one-year contract on Tuesday, their first free agent signing of the season.
Parker, 36, averaged 8.3 points in 72 games last season. He had been the top target of the Cavs throughout the offseason. Parker said he had other options, but chose the Cavs again because they showed the most interest and it felt like the best fit.To read more or comment...
Cavs General Manager Chris Grant said no decision has been made regarding Baron Davis and the amnesty clause, but in the boldest statement yet, coach Byron Scott dismissed the idea of Davis serving as a mentor for rookie point guard Kyrie Irving.
"You know who the best mentor for Kyrie is? You're looking at him," Scott said. "I'm the best. But we have a lot of good veterans who will help him along the way."To read more or comment...
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was so upset over Hornets star Chris Paul's reported trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, he called it a "travesty" in an e-mail obtained by Yahoo! Sports early Friday morning.To read more or comment...
Antawn Jamison arrived in Cleveland Tuesday night and worked out with his teammates today, giving the Cavs 10 of 16 players under contract already in camp, which is expected to officially open on Friday. Jamison's left pinkie finger is permanently crooked (think St. Louis arch), courtesy of season-ending surgery in March that inserted nine screws and two plates, but Jamison is mentally preparing himself for both the grueling season ahead and his role as mentor to a very young roster.
Jamison will make $15 million this season in the final year of his deal, making his expiring contract appealing to teams looking to clear cap space. But Jamison believes he'll last the season in Cleveland.To read more or comment...
The Cavaliers will open the season at home against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 26 and will host LeBron James and the Miami Heat on Feb. 17. It will be the Heat's only trip to Cleveland, which is one more than the Los Angeles Lakers will make.
The Lakers and former coach Mike Brown will not come at all in this lockout-shortened season.To read more or comment...
After the Cavs had played a preseason game last year, Leon Powe was sitting at his locker exhausted with ice on his knees (the ice part is fairly common, but he just looked worn out). Byron Scott had just worked the guys pretty hard at shootaround that morning and I asked him if that's why he looked so whipped.
"We had practice this morning. That wasn't no shootaround, that was practice," Powe said. "I ain't never practiced before a game. Never."To read more or comment...
Cavs rookie Tristan Thompson spent a fair amount of time during the lockout in San Antonio scrimmaging against elite NBA players. Thompson worked out with a number of Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder players, including Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
"That was a great experience," Thompson said. "It was a good taste for what the NBA is about."To read more or comment...
Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson's first game in a Cavaliers uniform will be Dec. 16 when the Cavs play at the Detroit Pistons in the first leg of a home-and-home preseason series. The Pistons travel to Cleveland on Dec. 20 and wedged in between is the Cavs' annual Wine and Gold scrimmage, which is Dec. 18 at Quicken Loans Arena.
The lockout has forced teams to slice the preseason schedule down to a home-and-home series with a geographical neighbor, which is why the Pistons make perfect sense. The regular season will be announced at 7 p.m. Tuesday on NBA TV. The Cavs were originally scheduled to play Toronto at the Q on Dec. 26. Since the arena is already reserved for basketball that night, it makes sense for the Cavs to open at home then, even though the opponent might change.To read more or comment...
The Cavaliers got back to work on Thursday. Sort of.
Ramon Sessions, Anderson Varejao, Samardo Samuels and Manny Harris returned to the practice court at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Thursday, the first day facilities were open to NBA players. They were not allowed to have contact with the coaching staff or front office and they did not speak to reporters.To read more or comment...