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Politics|House Passes Senate Border Bill in Striking Defeat for Pelosi
https://nyti.ms/2Nit7AE
House Passes Senate Border Bill in Striking Defeat for Pelosi
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday at the Capitol. Within the Democratic caucus, there was growing concern about the stalemate over border legislation.Credit...Tom Brenner for The New York Times
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Emily Cochrane
WASHINGTON — Congress sent President Trump a $4.6 billion humanitarian aid package on Thursday after Speaker Nancy Pelosi capitulated to Republicans and Democratic moderates and dropped her insistence on stronger protections for migrant children in overcrowded border shelters.
The vote came after a striking display of Democratic disunity and was a setback for Ms. Pelosi. Until Thursday, she had proved adept at navigating the complexities of a caucus rived by powerful progressive and moderate factions that often work at cross purposes. But their priorities clashed, the liberal flank was vanquished and the speaker — who had put her reputation on the line, calling herself a "lioness" out to protect children as she held out for stronger protections in the migrant facilities that house them — grudgingly had to accept defeat.
The final vote, 305 to 102, included far more Republicans in favor, 176, than Democrats, 129. It left House liberals furious.
"In order to get resources to the children fastest, we will reluctantly pass the Senate bill," Ms. Pelosi said in a letter to Democratic lawmakers. "As we pass the Senate bill, we will do so with a battle cry as to how we go forward to protect children in a way that truly honors their dignity and worth."
Her retreat came after Vice President Mike Pence gave Ms. Pelosi private assurances that the administration would abide by some of the restrictions she had sought. They included a requirement to notify lawmakers within 24 hours after the death of a migrant child in government custody, and a 90-day time limit on children spending time in temporary intake facilities, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
['Don't Talk to Her': We Toured the Troubled Border Station Housing Migrant Children.]
A last-minute revolt by centrist lawmakers ensured the demise of Ms. Pelosi's efforts to toughen the conditions in the Senate's $4.6 billion bill. The moderate Democrats had begun to worry about the possibility of leaving Washington on Friday for a weeklong July 4 recess without having cleared the humanitarian aid, and some were balking at a funding reduction for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That left the House floor in chaos, with emotions running high.
Ms. Pelosi was left with little choice but to accept the less restrictive Senate bill, which had passed on a lopsided bipartisan vote this week and would do far less to rein in Mr. Trump's immigration crackdown.
"We already have our compromise," Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, said on the Senate floor, calling his chamber's bill "the only game in town."
Ms. Pelosi resisted bowing to the Senate until the end, maneuvering for days among the competing factions in her ranks to try to find a set of restrictions to rein in Mr. Trump's immigration crackdown that would satisfy progressives without alienating moderates and lawmakers from Republican-leaning districts.
The final vote badly divided the party, including at its highest levels. The leaders themselves split, with Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader; Representative James E. Clyburn, the whip; and Cheri Bustos, the campaign chief, all supporting the bill. Much of the younger, second tier of leaders — including Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the caucus chairman; Representative Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, the assistant speaker; and Representative Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts, the caucus vice chairwoman — voted "no."
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus issued a blistering statement calling the measure "a betrayal of our American values."
"This bill — opposed by the Hispanic caucus and nearly 100 Democratic members of the House — will not stop the Trump administration's chaos and cruelty," the statement said. "What happened today is unacceptable, and we will not forget this betrayal."
Liberal Democrats were left fuming. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called the decision "an abdication of power we should refuse to accept." The Trump administration, she said, "will keep hurting kids if we do."
Representative Mark Pocan, Democrat of Wisconsin and a chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, scathingly singled out the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 23 moderate Democrats and 23 Republicans who lobbied lawmakers to accept the Senate measure, asking on Twitter, "Since when did the Problem Solvers Caucus become the Child Abuse Caucus?"
The moderates were livid about the comment, which Representative Max Rose, Democrat of New York, said, "Just speaks to why everyone hates this place."
Liberal lawmakers were left with a bitter taste, lamenting that a small group of colleagues in their own party had been able to force the majority of Democrats to swallow an outcome they did not want.
"There's a level of resentment," said Representative Raúl Grijalva, Democrat of Arizona. "We have to assess how we go forward. This is not a death fight between us, but it is certainly something that I think us progressives cannot take for granted."
The divisions came to a head when members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and several lawmakers from Republican-leaning districts forced House Democrats to delay a vote to bring up a new version of the measure, which combined the Senate bill with restrictions and rules previously passed by the House. Moderate Democrats had threatened to block that bill by voting against the rule that sets the debate procedures, a show of disloyalty to the leadership that is almost unheard-of under Ms. Pelosi. She was forced to cancel the procedural vote rather than see it defeated.
"They are melting down, in disarray," crowed Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 Republican.
House Democrats also harshly criticized Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, for joining with Republicans to support an aid package they said contained inadequate limitations on the Trump administration, arguing that his position had undercut their negotiating leverage.
"I blame Senate Democrats first and foremost for putting us in this position," said Representative Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington and a chairwoman of the progressive caucus.
Asked how such a collapse could be avoided in the future, Ms. Jayapal said, "I am looking for a new pharmaceutical drug that builds spines."
But ultimately, divisions in the House, not differences with the Senate, forced Ms. Pelosi's hand. Moderate Democrats privately told House Democratic leaders that they were wary of supporting a bill that provided less money for ICE that could later be used against them in their re-election campaigns to portray them as weak on immigration enforcement, according to two lawmakers and several aides familiar with the discussions who described them on the condition of anonymity.
The squabbling grew intense on the House floor on Thursday afternoon, as a scrum of the moderate members huddled in tense discussion about how to proceed. At least one, Representative Abigail Spanberger, Democrat of Virginia, grew visibly emotional and at one point stormed out red-faced, barking at a reporter who tried to interview her: "I do not want to talk!"
The legislation posed a tricky political test for Ms. Pelosi. Liberals, including some Hispanic lawmakers, balked at the bill early in the week because they feared it would only enable Mr. Trump's harsh immigration tactics by funding the very agencies that have carried them out. They threatened to withhold their votes, insisting on adding new restrictions and stiffer standards for facilities that house for migrant children, as well as more conditions on how the funding would be spent. In the end, almost every Democrat supported the resulting House bill.
But on Thursday, another proposed change, an $81 million cut for ICE, prompted a brush fire on the right of the caucus.
Representative Raul Ruiz of California, a medical doctor who trained in refugee assistance at Harvard and drafted the humanitarian standards supported by many Democrats, said that merely increasing funding for medical care, shelter and other needs would not be enough when a Justice Department lawyer argued in court that Customs and Border Protection may not be required to provide soap and toothbrushes for children in custody.
"This bill will fund a dysfunctional system," he said. "There are no standards that will force them to comply and be accountable to a basic level of humanitarian treatment and humanitarian needs."
While the bill would significantly increase the funds available to shelter migrants, he said, "It doesn't say that an individual should have at least a two-meter-square space; it doesn't say that temperatures should be kept in a humane range; it doesn't say that lights and noise should be off between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. so we can respect the sleep of the families which is necessary for health."
Tragic images of the migrant crisis and details of the horrid conditions migrant families and their children face in overcrowded, squalid detention centers and facilities have intensified the urgency to pass any legislation, but it also hardened some of the Democrats' resolve to fight for tougher oversight in the bill.
"It's difficult to see how anyone would object to some protections that would enhance protection of children and transparency," Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts said.
But Republicans argued that the overwhelming bipartisan vote on the Senate bill — and the blunt rejection of the House's initial legislation — showed that the core bill should be allowed to move forward without changes.
"You're going down a path that doesn't ensure a presidential signature," warned Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the House Rules Committee. "Frankly, I have some concerns that even the Senate version meets the definition of what the president will sign."
The now-jettisoned House changes, released early Thursday, included language ensuring the release of unaccompanied migrant children from temporary facilities after three months and allowing for lawmaker visits to facilities without notice.
It would have toughened health and safety standards for detention centers and other facilities, provided money for a pilot processing program in conjunction with nonprofits and reduced some funding for ICE and other agencies. Customs and Border Protection would have had to establish plans and protocols to deliver medical care, improve nutrition and hygiene, and train personnel to ensure the health and safety of children and adults in custody.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Data Awareness Is Increasingly Popular in the Storage Biz
Scott D. Lowe, vExpert, MVP Hyper-V, MCSE, Site Editor
As you scan the emerging storage market, there are some very cool things happening, but one of the features that seems to be increasing in popularity — and needs — revolves around analytics or at least some version of data-awareness. What is "data awareness" you may ask? Well, consider this: the vast majority of companies out there really don't know much about their storage. Sure, the storage administrator probably knows how much capacity they have, how much is left, and, in general, what applications are running against the storage.
But that's about it. For years, people have been bemoaning the state of unstructured data, which, by its very nature, doesn't have a whole lot of organization around it. Companies are running storage systems that may house millions — or even billions — of files with, literally, no idea of what they're storing. They may have hundreds of thousands of files with personally identifiable information (PII) or they may be wasting space storing people's iTunes libraries.
While the second scenario is just a space-waster, the first one, storing PII or credit card numbers in a non-secure way, can open an organization to all kinds of problems, from legal trouble to PR disasters. Further, companies simply don't know which files in their environments have been recently accessed and who has accessed those files. If a breach takes place, those companies may not be able to determine which files were accessed and without an understanding for who accessed files, a breach could be far worse than it would be if the direct impact can be truly determined.
Over the past couple of Tech Field Day events I've attended, the need to be able to keep track of data in a more structured way has been discussed. There are a few companies that have developed products that are either absolutely designed to solve the data awareness problem or that have features that can help organizations become more aware of potential issues in their troves of data.
I'm not going to go to in-depth into exactly what each company is doing in this post, but just introduce basics of who is doing what in general.
First up, DataGravity. DataGravity's value proposition is "Data Security at the Point of Storage." The product was built around this idea. They include deep data awareness in the platform from the beginning and allow companies to gain deep understanding of their data. For example, with DataGravity, you can determine what kinds of data you want to watch for — PII, customer data; basically, anything sensitive — and you can determine who has accessed that information and when they accessed it. DataGravity called this Data Awareness.
Qumulo is another company that includes data awareness in their platform as well. Qumulo is very different than DataGravity in that Qumulo is very focused on companies in which the applications running on the storage are the business whereas DataGravity targets more general-purpose storage needs. Qumulo's data awareness value is summed up here: "With greater visibility into which data is most valuable, where it is stored, what users or applications are accessing what files, what should be archived, backed up or deleted, and why data grows, Qumulo's customers report significant gains in workflow performance and storage efficiency."
Cohesity is another company that has included data awareness/analytics in their platform:
eDiscovery: Rapid content analysis to find relevant case information for legal requests or holds.
Compliance: Ensure compliance with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) requirements with Cluster-wide content scans for names, phone numbers, and credit card information that may have been stored in clear text.
The key difference in the platforms at present is the ease by which administrators can glean information from the system. DataGravity has advanced querying capabilities that don't require admins to write code to retrieve information and don't require DataGravity to write extensions to support new analysis needs. Qumulo and Cohesity are still developing their querying capabilities. That said, the mere fact that the data-awareness capabilities are baked into the various platforms means that it's just a matter of reporting and that the architecture is already in place to enable that reporting.
Of course, data awareness products have been around for a while, but they've often been provided by third party products that had to be added on top of the rest of the infrastructure. More and more, information and intelligence regarding the data are being built into storage as core features rather than relying on third party tools. DataGravity, Qumulo, and Cohesity aren't the only companies that do this, but they happen to be the three I've reviewed recently. Further, this kind of "Data Awareness" is not necessarily a brand new concept, but is one that seems to be gaining new attention in the startup world.
So, What is Secondary Storage Cohesity-Style?
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David Siles
Nice recap Scott of the next wave of intelligent, data-aware storage platforms and thanks for mention of DataGravity.
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Armchair Analyst: Matt Doyle
Montréal are legit contenders, Cincy ditch the past, no home cooking for RBNY & more in Week 10
By Matthew Doyle @MattDoyle76
We're almost a third of the way through the season. Let's take a look at two teams that are definitely Supporters' Shield contenders, one that might be, and one that almost certainly isn't yet, but is playing some damn good soccer.
And of course, we'll look at everything else as well, because that's what we do here. In we go!
Encounter at Farpoint
I'm going to let this excellent thread from Matthew De George do the explaining for how the direct movement of Philadelphia's shuttlers (in this instance he's highlighting Leon Flach, though Ale Bedoya's movement on the other side is even better) always opens lanes for the attackers, and did so once again late into Saturday night during Philly's 2-2 draw a continent away at LAFC:
Goal 1: Carranza makes the play in midfield, so Flach (circled) makes the center forward run splitting the CBs. All attention on him, Gazdag has to just slip past a ball-watching Ilie (second arrow right) pic.twitter.com/5E5NNL0QY8
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) May 8, 2022
(Click through into that whole thread. It's very good.)
There is nothing in the boxscore from this for Flach. Hell, it barely shows up in the advanced stats – you have to dig through Second Spectrum's tracking data to sift through off-ball attacking runs. And there, lo and behold: the Union are recording the highest number of off-ball attacking runs per transition opportunity that's ever been recorded in this league. That is, above and beyond everything else, who they are – they live for transitions. And it is perhaps a little bit ironic for a team that, as LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo put it after the game, "skips midfield entirely," that Flach and Bedoya are so crucial to the process of turning those transition moments into chances. They are the unsung heroes there.
Every Shield-contending team (as both these obviously are) needs guys like that. Every team also needs guys who are more loudly sung, and such has started to be the case for Philly's young Julian Carranza, whose quality is coming to the fore now that he's with a team that has the patience to develop him and has put him in a system that suits him. He had a goal and a secondary assist, and is now up to 4g/3a in about 620 minutes for the team atop the Eastern Conference.
It's a long way from his miserable two years in Fort Lauderdale. And yes, if watching Carranza occasionally reminds you of the guy up I-95 who won the Golden Boot presented by Audi last year, you're not alone.
"Julian certainly has had a great season so far," Union head coach Jim Curtin said after the game. "He has that kind of South American savvy and intensity in the box."
Against most teams, that would've been enough. But LAFC are LAFC; atop the West, atop the Shield standings, at home and on the front foot. They are still among the very best teams in the league in all the stuff they've been excellent at for years, like xG generated via pressure, xG generated via long, possession-intensive passing sequences, penalty area entries, etc. It's not quite ramped up as high as it was in 2019, but it's there.
What they've added on top of that is just complete set piece dominance, and yes, that is where Franco Escobar's late equalizer came from. LAFC now have a league-best nine set-piece goals in 10 games. That rate is unsustainable, but still, if they're generating a dozen corner kicks (as they did against Philly), there's a decent bet at least one is going to end up on the scoreboard.
And so there's a mounting body of evidence that this LAFC team is just tougher to beat than previous versions because you have to be better in more and different ways. They're spreading the wealth – Carlos Vela hasn't scored in eight games, Chicho Arango has yet to really blow up this year and Brian Rodriguez is hurt – so you can shut the big names down and still ship two. They're more experienced, so their shoulders don't slump when they go down early. That allows them to do stuff like come back from multiple deficits against a Union defense that has spent most of the season being impregnable.
"Anytime you come back twice, you have to come away smiling," Cherundolo said afterward, "and we do."
Also smiling after this weekend are CF Montréal, who absolutely pumped a short-handed Orlando side 4-1 at Stade Saputo, which is becoming a legitimate fortress. The hosts outshot the Lions 20-2, had almost 60% possession, completed nearly 90% of their passes and – this is the damning one for Orlando – won 50 of 88 duels. I understand going to the house of a superior opponent and intending to close up shop, but if you're going to do that, you've got to compete. Hard. Orlando didn't.
So Montréal buried them, and while that alone is impressive, the fact that they did it without DP d-mid Victor Wanyama, who's been excellent for them all season, says that they have the kind of depth that might translate to a Shield run.
Think I'm kidding? Right now, Montréal are on a seven-game unbeaten streak, taking 17 of a possible 21 points from that stretch despite four of those games being on the road. The two draws were at Atlanta (the first game after their CCL run, and clearly Montréal's legs weren't quite there yet as they melted down in the final 20 minutes) and at the Union (I don't need to explain to you that a point at Philly is an excellent result, right?). They beat the Red Bulls in Harrison, and a better-than-you-realize FC Cincinnati team in Cincy. If you go by single-game xG, which is dicey but doesn't mean nothing, they have just destroyed Vancouver, Atlanta and Orlando at home, and the step forward this weekend was turning that dominance into lots of goals in a way they didn't manage to in those first two home wins.
"Everyone is getting on the board right now," said center back Joel Waterman. "You can see different people scoring and we are doing it at the right moments. With Champions League at the start of the season, it was hard. But now we're getting a flow. The locker room is strong. But it is still early in the season, and we want more from this team."
They are right to want more. If you don't believe your eyes or the scoreboard, then believe the data. CFM's underlying numbers are still skewed by the first few weeks of the year when they were busy trying to juggle both the season itself and their CCL duties (they couldn't, just like New England, Seattle, NYCFC and Colorado couldn't), but since the CCL run ended they are unbeaten and have the second-best expected goal differential in the league, just behind NYCFC and just ahead of LAFC and, yes, FC Cincinnati.
They are, in other words, really, really good. Head coach Wilfried Nancy, who seems to be turning into Montréal's version of Curtin, seems to know it and is happy about it.
"The guys put in a good performance. I'm pleased. We had to remain calm after the goal we conceded, but the players are progressing," Nancy said in the postgame. "I feel it and I see it in training. They are proving they are capable of handling many different situations. We are in good form right now and we will enjoy it."
I will go on record that I'm pretty sure this is the best Montréal team I've seen in their decade in MLS. I'm not entirely convinced they'll end up in that top tier of Shield contenders – I think they're a notch below the likes of LAFC, NYCFC and Philly – but it's at least a possibility.
With a third of the season gone, that's never been the case for this club before.
Even with Cincy nearly keeping up with Montréal in the underlying numbers (not quite, but still) I can't quite bring myself to say that they're Shield candidates.
But now pause, for a minute, and think about what that sentence actually means. If you're struggling to say a team that's now won three straight, that are 5W-3L-1D in their past nine and have great underlying numbers aren't quite Shield candidates, then what, implicitly, is that team?
That team is good! FC Cincinnati are good! They have spent a third of the season playing like a playoff team! They have what could end up being a franchise-changing SuperDraft class! They have what already appears to be a franchise-changing coach and GM! They have multiple match-winners! Here, enjoy Lucho Acosta hitting what could be a Pass of the Week:
Armchair Analyst: Acosta to Vazquez with replay
Lucho leads MLS in expected assists by a freaking mile. TruMedia via StatsPerform has him at 6.32 xA, with Lucas Zelarayan second at 3.72. That gap of 2.6 xA between first and second place is the same as the gap between Zelarayan and 78th-place Inter Miami right back DeAndre Yedlin. This is, right now, a more dominant chance creation season than Carles Gil put together last year en route to winning the MVP.
Here, have another:
Armchair Analyst: Acosta to Badji with replay
This is FC Cincinnati, on the road, just pouring it on against a Minnesota team that has been playing good soccer (especially defensively) over the past few weeks. With Acosta sitting in that hole as the No. 10 behind a pair of forwards, and with an actually solid central midfield behind him in Pat Noonan's 3-5-2, he is back to doing the types of things that got him into the Best XI (and onto PSG's radar) back in 2018.
And he's not even the biggest story in the attack. This is Brandon Vazquez, who now has 6g/2a in 804 minutes this year, and who'd be leading the Golden Boot race if he took penalties:
Armchair Analyst: Vazquez double move with replay
This is the type of double move in the box that Chris Wondolowski built his legendary career upon. Selling that first move and then making the second is how you end up all alone inside the six-yard box, tapping home the latest game-winner in club history against a team that's desperately trying to prevent you from doing just that.
"I saw Calvin [Harris] get slipped in, and I thought, 'I do this in training every day.' It's just natural for me, I already knew what to do," Vazquez explained afterward. "When I say I'm on autopilot, it was like, I've done it so many times already and it just comes natural, make a double movement always in the box, going one, and then going to another place and defender fell for it and I slipped it in.
"Scoring a goal in the 90th minute to win, it's the best feeling there is in this game. So I'm ecstatic."
Acosta is legit, and Vazquez (10g/5a in his last 1600 minutes, and he's leading the league this year in non-penalty expected goals) is legit, and new DP d-mid Obinna Nwobodo has made a really good impression through two games. On top of that the No. 2 overall SuperDraft pick, goalkeeper Roman Celentano, might've already won the starting job with three wins and two shutouts in his four games (poor Alec Kann, who finally got his chance to be a starter, got injured, and might not get his job back), while center back Ian Murphy, who they took later in the first round, sure seems like a long-term MLS starter.
So not only are there match-winners, but there are now fewer weak links in crucial spots, and there is actual depth. The turnaround hasn't quite been overnight – I'm old enough to remember the first two weeks of the season – but it's been about a year faster than what I expected. Noonan and Chris Albright have done very quick, very good work.
And now they have three wins in a row. It really is a new dawn for this team.
"You can feel it, you could hear it in the locker room. You could hear it and feel it in our stadium when we got a result at home against Toronto [on Wednesday]," Noonan said after the game. "The winning is important for this club, to show signs of progress but to also show that the group that we have is as capable of winning games. Regardless of who we're playing, where we're playing, as long as we have the mentality that we've shown I think certainly over the last week, this can continue.
"Hopefully we don't settle because we've had a good stretch, that we understand that we can do this quite often with the commitment from every player, every single day, and every time we step on the field. It sounds cliche, but when you have that commitment, when you have the buy-in, when you have that effort, nights like tonight, when you're not your best, you still can find a way to get results. And that's just a testament to the group of players that were out there working really hard for this club, for these fans."
This is pure Friday Night Lights stuff, but you know what? Cincy fans deserve it. They spent three years watching the worst soccer imaginable, and are now finally watching… well, it's not quite the best. There's not going to be a Shield at the end of the season.
But it's been damn good. So let's make it explicit: Cincy are playing good soccer. They look like a good team – a playoff team. I don't think, at this point, that anyone should be surprised if that's where they end up at season's end.
A few more things to ponder…
11. The Quakes, following their 1-0 home win over Colorado on Saturday night, have won three of four across all competitions since parting ways with Matias Almeyda. This one was – and I'm not making anything up here – an uneventful win. An uneventful win! I don't think the Quakes have had one of those since like 2016.
"We owe a lot to Matias and his staff," goalkeeper J.T. Marcinkowski said after posting his first shutout of the season. "A lot of the way that we pressure and the way that we defend can be credited to them for teaching us over the past three and a half, four years. But, with [Alex] Covelo's system, I think it's a little more structured, a little more less-is-more approach, I would say. I think this is a good indication of how we'll play moving forward."
That is, I think, what Quakes fans were hoping for. They were desperate to get off Mr. Almeyda's wild ride.
As for the game itself, the only thing remarkable about it was how well-worked the set piece leading to the only goal was. It was all very un-Quakes.
Part of this falls on the Rapids, who lack the creativity to punish the disorganization that's still hardwired into San Jose (even without Almeyda there's still the occasionally adventurous moment that needs to be deprogrammed out of the center backs). Without Jack Price and Diego Rubio, there's just not enough magic coming out of midfield or, in Rubio's case, dropping into midfield off the front line.
10. Dallas handled an almost fully rotated Seattle side on Saturday evening, winning 2-0 in Frisco.
It took some flexibility from head coach Nico Estevez to do it, because the Sounders did a very nice job of clamping the hosts through the hour. At that point, Estevez went to a 4-4-1-1 – he dropped a midfielder for center forward Franco Jara, put Jesus Ferreira into a free role and brought Paxton Pomykal into a more central role, one where he was getting on the ball in higher-leverage spots. Ferreira subsequently got the first goal, and Pomykal's ability to pick up the ball centrally and drive forward was key to the sequence on the second, which came from Paul Arriola:
Armchair Analyst: Pomykal midfield turn Arriola goal
Seattle's kids and back-ups didn't create much, but they were well-drilled and resilient, and didn't really break down until Dallas's shape and scheme changed. They are now 13th in the West with seven points from eight games.
Guess what? I'm going to vote them No. 1 in the Power Rankings anyway, and you can't stop me.
9. Let's stay with the shape change theme: For 65 minutes the Revs, playing out of a 4-2-3-1 these days after finally scrapping the wide diamond, had a ton of the ball but created virtually none of the chances against visiting Columbus, and were trailing 1-0. Then Bruce Arena finally did what a certain segment of fans (and me!) have been asking for, and switched to a 3-5-2.
They spent the next 15 minutes running circles around the visitors, absolutely drubbing them and turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. I highlighted the portion of the game during which the Revs were in a 3-5-2 on the xG race chart below:
Yes, you're seeing that right: During the period of time in which the Revs were in a 3-5-2, a formation that really suits their personnel (it gives Carles Gil a free role with two bodyguards; it gives obvious spots for two of New England's stable of forwards, none of whom play on the wing; it gets DeJuan Jones further upfield as a wingback, which has obvious benefits as we saw on the first goal) they constantly got forward and created chances, scoring two goals in the process, while holding Columbus literally without a shot.
As soon as New England took that 2-1 lead, though, Arena swapped out Sebastian Lletget for Omar Gonzalez and went to a flat, passive 4-4-2. Omar immediately got beat inside by Erik Hurtado, who finished neatly past Matt Turner.
That made it 2-2, and that's how it ended. The Revs have now conceded a league-worst eight goals in the final 20 minutes.
"You're at the end of the game, you have a goal lead, you went from three to a back four," Arena said afterward. "Common sense. It's safety, and it shouldn't backfire the way it did."
I understand that every manager has a preferred formation and principles of play, but at some point you've got to err on the side of playing to your roster's strengths.
Arena has not yet done that.
8. Sporting went to Queens – yes, Queens, not the Bronx for this one – and got a very credible scoreless draw from NYCFC. They didn't create hardly anything, and spent virtually the whole game playing against the ball (they had just 26% possession, which has got to be one of the lowest single-game totals for this team since Peter Vermes took over 13 years ago).
There is nothing wrong with that. When you've been shipping goals and are in the midst of some lineup turnover, some forced by injuries and others clearly by choice, given the form of certain defenders, closing up shop is often the right call.
"We played a 4-1-3-2," said Vermes, who almost always lines his team up in a 4-3-3. "We just felt, based on the size of the field, that it was going to be imperative that we had numbers in the middle, especially how they like to play through the middle. We tried to clog that up on them."
Sporting did a good job of that. Nonetheless the Pigeons, playing without Taty Castellanos, left points on the board here. Heber, sadly, has not recovered anything close to his pre-injury form, and the fact that was subbed off in the 68th minute of a goalless home game might signal what direction NYCFC's front office will go in via the transfer market if/when Taty is sold this summer.
7. This past week I wrote a column titled "The Blueprint," which examined how the Sounders have built a CCL champion-level roster. One of the sub-principles focused on the type of DP attacking midfielder to look for, which basically came down to two things:
Play the percentages by looking for a guy in his prime. Wunderkinds are fun, but the hit rate is lower, so age 25-29 makes more sense if you want to win.
Look for someone who's had success in multiple leagues.
Taxi Fountas checks both boxes. To be fair, he is more of a second forward than a true No. 10 playmaker, and he keeps proving it by scoring goals. On Saturday night he had two in D.C. United's 2-0 win over visiting Houston.
Fountas, a 26-year-old Greek international who's had successful stints in both his home country's league as well as Austria (D.C. acquired him from Rapid Vienna), now has 4g/1a in 250 minutes, and has brought a level of spice previously missing from this attack.
And this attack, it should be noted, is largely the same under Chad Ashton as it was under Hernan Losada. D.C. don't care about the ball, they care about field position, and they're willing to get it by having their center backs burst forward off the dribble (Brendan Hines-Ike looks like he's having the time of his life filling in for the injured Andy Najar). Julian Gressel and Brad Smith are both pushing way up from the wingback slots, while central midfield is all about disruption and transition.
As a neutral, they are still fun. And now the players look like they're having some fun as well.
Houston head coach Paulo Nagamura, to his credit, put his finger on exactly why his side struggled. "We lost too many easy balls in the middle of the park," Nagamura offered. "We gave the momentum to D.C. to push us back and defend for most of the first half."
6. Charlotte were unable to really crack Miami open until Miami obliged and basically just did it for them, gifting the hosts the only goal in a 1-0 Charlotte win:
Well done from Charlotte to take advantage of how much space Miami allowed in midfield here. And obviously a killer finish from Shinyashiki. pic.twitter.com/wXAcyOT4dK
— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) May 7, 2022
A simple long-ball and a neat bit of hold-up play from the center forward should not cause the entire central midfield to empty out, nor the subsequent jailbreak, but somehow it did. As the tweet says, credit to Charlotte for taking advantage of that, and credit to the newly acquired Andre Shinyashiki for his excellent finish of some precise service from Yordy Reyna.
It's worth noting that Miami left back Kieran Gibbs (that's him a step behind Shinyashiki) was subbed immediately after this goal.
"We didn't get back into shape quick enough," is what Miami head coach Phil Neville said, and clearly he's right.
Neville, we all know, is not afraid to bench an underperforming veteran. It'll be interesting to see if Gibbs is in the lineup for Tuesday's US Open Cup game (which they're putting a bunch of emphasis on).
Charlotte weren't great – they were lucky not to get gashed themselves in transition, but Miami couldn't quite find the final ball. Still, the ability to pick up results even when not playing all that well is a very good trait, and with three of their next four at home it's entirely possible that they hit mid-June and find themselves sitting comfortably above the playoff line.
Miguel Angel Ramirez has done a very good job with a mismatched and incomplete roster.
5. The Red Bulls are flipping MLS convention on its head. Our league is known for a lot of amusing things, with one of them being the fact that home-field advantage is more pronounced here than in any other league in the world. There are a lot of theories as to why – mine is that it's a combination of parity (SuperClubs in every league skew the stats by winning more often on the road, and MLS by its nature has no SuperClubs) + travel (a much bigger factor than fans realize) + environmental differences (everything from heat/humidity to altitude to turf) – but nothing's been proven, and the simple fact is that the home-field skew in MLS has held firm since the league's inception.
Following Saturday night's 1-1 home draw against Portland, this year's Red Bulls have taken just three of a possible 15 home points. They have taken 15 of a possible 15 road points. There has never been anything like this in league history.
I have a theory on this, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it an explanation: When playing on the road, RBNY are facing teams that are more likely to get on the ball and try to carry the game, taking risks through midfield. A great pressing team turns those types of risks into chances and goals.
When they're playing at home, RBNY are facing teams that are much more willing to drop numbers behind the ball and play it safe. The conventional wisdom against pressing teams has always been to counter them to death, and while I don't think it's playing out exactly that way, it's pretty close.
RBNY head coach Gerhard Struber, at least, agrees.
"Of course we can see that every team here in our stadium, every opponent, they stay much deeper. They give us not so much space for transitions, and also, I think in this time, also we have to be more in on-ball moments," Struber explained afterwards. "I think I can see that the boys grow in this direction. We find also in possession a better setup.
"But I think the situation is that we have in these times when we create chances, not always a dynamic advantage, and not always the space what we have away, and this is the difference."
So in short, RBNY are consistently creating more and better chances against almost everyone they play, no matter if it's home or on the road, and that was no different against the Timbers.
Here's the problem with that theory: RBNY under Struber aren't substantially different, from a tactical perspective, than what they were under Jesse Marsch or even under Chris Armas. Hell, they're really similar to the Union under Curtin, and every single one of those teams evinced the expected home/road split.
With that, what is becoming more salient is the argument that the center forward corps just isn't quite good enough.
"I think we cannot always expect against a team with this quality, they stay in a low block and that you can create in every few minutes a big chance," Struber offered. "I think in these moments, you have to score."
Portland got their only goal from their much-maligned center forward, Jaroslaw Niezgoda. He has not been good this season, but I thought his movement was a little bit better in this one, and certainly was on his goal.
4. I'm giving this sequence from Atlanta United, in their 4-1 home win over free-falling Chicago, our Pass of the Week:
11 passes in about 20 seconds pic.twitter.com/B3bu80nPOo
That's 11 passes and a goal, the first of three from on-loan Mexican striker Ronaldo Cisneros, in about 20 seconds. That is gorgeous.
Atlanta head coach Gonzalo Pineda warned us last week that his team was starting to play good ball, and they obliged him this week by going out there and showing it, then backing it up with goals. I thought Cisneros and Luiz Araujo did a good job of threatening to push into space behind the Fire's backline (and obviously, at times, doing more than just threatening), which brought some penetration to an attack that can get too bogged down just playing with the ball.
That is the good news for Atlanta. The bad news is really bad, though: Miles Robinson was subbed out in the first half with what sure looked like a left Achilles' injury. Pineda couldn't confirm exactly what the injury was, but he did say, both at halftime and afterward, that it looked bad.
As for Chicago, all the good vibes from their solid defensive start have disappeared. They are 0W-4L-2D in their past six games, have scored just twice in that span, and have shipped nine goals in losing the past three.
3. Vancouver rediscovered a tiny bit of last season's magic – their attack finally looked dangerous on the break again – in Sunday afternoon's 1-0 win over visiting Toronto FC. It is probably not a coincidence that Vancouver looking good happened in the same game in which Ryan Gauld finally looked like last year's version of himself.
At the same time, they were very, very lucky to walk out of this game with any result. Thomas Hasal had to save an Alejandro Pozuelo PK in the first half to keep it scoreless, and then midway through the second half had to be subbed off after a controversial play in which his hand was injured:
Armchair Analyst: Incorrectly disallowed TFC goal
I think Bob Bradley was right to be furious. I look forward to hearing Andrew Wiebe and Charlie Davies break this one down on Instant Replay.
As for TFC, they are by most metrics the worst team in the league right now, and most of it stems from their inability to stop, or even slow down, opposing transition moments. This outing did nothing to change that assessment.
2. If I told you that Nashville recorded their first-ever home win at their gorgeous new stadium, and that it was 2-0, and that it was against this RSL team, you'd guess that these were the goals:
A towering set-piece header from one of their giant center backs.
A Hany Mukhtar joint on the break.
And damn, you'd have been close. The first goal was, indeed, from one of their center backs off a (well-worked, straight-off-the-training-ground) set piece, but it wasn't a towering header, it was Dave Romney poking home a left-footer from just outside the six-yard box after Walker Zimmerman's shot had been saved off the line.
The second goal did, indeed, come on the break, but it wasn't Mukhtar who finished it off. It was C.J. Sapong, the veteran forward picking up his third of the season.
But the larger point stands, in that this one played out the way almost everyone would've predicted. Nashville were in charge from the jump, never let RSL get into the game, and it was only a matter of whether or not they could bang down the door in their typical ways.
In a way, it's very good – Nashville have a clear identity. They know who they are. But I still think it's fair to wonder whether or not this team's going to have the necessary firepower to push further in the postseason than they did last year.
1. And finally, we go to Austin for our Face of the Week, from this guy:
Yes, it's about his shirt. I can't decide if he's in Andrew Wiebe's head or if Wiebe's in theirs.
Anyway, the Verde started their 10-game run against the varsity segment of the schedule with a sloppy and frustrating 1-0 home loss against the visiting Galaxy, who got a 6th-minute banger from Mark Delgado and then created most of the best chances for the rest of the game (even though they were just as sloppy as Austin).
I'm not sure I feel any differently about either of these teams after this game. I am certainly, for one, still doubting Austin's ability to stay near the top of the West, as I don't think have the firepower to really push the best teams in the league. I am, however, slowly moving toward bullishness re: their ability to hold up defensively given how good Danny Pereira's become at d-mid. He has leveled up.
As for the Galaxy, they continue to get nothing from Efra Alvarez, Douglas Costa and Samuel Grandsir (I'm cutting Kevin Cabral a break this week since he should've had an assist), and so they are making things harder on themselves than they need to be.
Even so, they are 4W-1L-1D in their last six games, a stretch that includes wins over each of the top two teams in the Shield race. It says something about how far LA have come defensively that they're taking points even when they're leaving goals on the table.
Three takeaways as USMNT's 2026 World Cup cycle gets off to shaky start
Preseason mailbag, Part 3: Silverware for LAFC & Philadelphia? Montréal regression?
Preseason mailbag, Part 2: St. Louis-Sporting KC rivalry, Atlanta's teardown & more


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LeBron James King Of Shoe Sales For Nike Once Again
Tomer Azarly
LeBron James has been the face of Nike since he came into the league. Through his career years and MVP trophies to the pair of Larry O'Brien (NBA Championship) Trophies and Bill Russell (Finals MVP) Trophies, LeBron has been putting out incredibly designed shoes with Nike.
From January of 2014 to 2015, James' Nike shoes have brought in a grand total of $340 million in sales, Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes reported Wednesday morning per SportScanInfo. The $340 million was a 13% increase from the previous year of 2013-14.
Top 5 LeBron James Nikes As A Cavalier
Nike is still on top when it comes to shoes, now owning five of the six best selling shoes. The five being LeBron James at $340 million, Kevin Durant at $195 million, Kobe Bryant at $105 million, Chris Paul at $32 million, and Carmelo Anthony at $30 million. Derrick Rose of Adidas is tied in sales with Chris Paul, also generating $32 million in sales.
The best part is that James topped sales despite leaving the larger Miami market for the smaller Cleveland market. His return to the Cavaliers was a good story, but it is translating into enough success to put Cleveland back on the basketball map.
JUST IN: Inside Look: LeBron James' 16,679 Sq. Ft., $15 Million Mansion in Miami, Florida
Related TopicsKingLeBron JamesNikeShoes


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MTV Shows
Casey Reinhardt Of 'Laguna Beach'...Where Is She Now?
Matthew Scott Donnelly 11/22/2011
Casey Reinhardt, the new girl on "Laguna Beach" in 2005, and now, as a cupcake entrepreneur.
Just a short time after Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari went rounds over Stephen Colletti, the Season 2 cast of "Laguna Beach" captivated viewers as they partied like privileged rock stars during their senior year of high school. For the Class of 2005, the final chapter of life at LBHS was anything but business as usual, though, thanks in part to Casey Reinhardt, the perfectly manicured new girl with a sweet smile and an unfortunate skill for drawing gossip from her peers. Luckily, the rumor mill couldn't do enough to knock her off balance.
Currently, Reinhardt's "Casey's Cupcakes" is one of the most popular bakeries in the OC, and its operator's recipes with a twist--including the chili chocolate cupcake--made her the champion of the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" in February. When she's not in the kitchen, Reinhardt is busy overseeing her namesake charity, which has provided children with tools to further their education for nearly a decade. Take a look at what she told Remote Control below, and make sure to check out her website for info on her mouth-watering pastries.
You were the new girl on "Laguna Beach"--how did you wind up on the show?
MTV initially approached both me and my brother, Doug, but he went on to play professional baseball. [Producers] continued to pursue me, and I then transferred from my private school to LBHS. I am so happy I did it because now I have my senior year in a video scrapbook.
Gossip had a tendency to run rampant on the show--what was it like to see yourself being talked about by the likes of Kristin Cavallari and friends?
Gossip will always be present, whether you are in high school or a successful business person. I am confident in myself and have always recognized the reasons why people gossip, therefore I do not let it affect my life.
Any fond memories that never ended up running?
Yes, there were two events that were filmed that I wish had aired. The first was an Olive Crest event where I was invited to speak to children through The CASEY Foundation. MTV filmed the event, but it never made it to an episode. I also hosted a cupcake-baking party with my friends at our villa in Laguna Beach. It would have made a perfect episode!
What has been going on since high school, and how did you get into the cupcake game?
I graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in psychology. During college, I continued to pursue my acting and modeling career but have always had a passion for baking. After graduation, I knew I wanted to open my own cupcake business and Casey's Cupcakes was born!
What was your experience like on "Cupcake Wars"?
Cupcake Wars was amazing! I truly felt like I was in my element during the competition. It taught me how to push myself, think on my feet and come up with perfectly delicious cupcakes. It also gave me an opportunity to showcase my brand and product. I felt confident in the cupcakes I created and how I presented them to the judges. It was an experience I will never forget.
Tell me about the CASEY Foundation--you've had it for nearly 10 years. How did it start, and how has it progressed?
I love working with children, and I am passionate about helping those who are less fortunate. I founded the CASEY Foundation, Children's Alliance for the Success and Education of Youth, in 2002. I have worked with the Laguna Beach Boys & Girls Club, The Literacy Foundation, Union Rescue Mission and closely with Olive Crest. I feel it is important to show children the importance of education and how it will have a positive effect on their self-esteem and a successful future.
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Photos: MTV.com and Murphy O'Brien Public Relations


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AT THIS DISTANCE
poems by Bette Husted
ISBN: 978-1-877655-69-2 (69-WC)
LCN: 2010925248
First trade edition, 6 X 9, 104 pgs, 2010
$14, plus s/h (U.S. only)
Cover art & inside b/w croppings: "Above 8," Don Gray
Cover design: Kristin Summer, redbat design
Author photo: Dean Husted
First full poetry collection by the author of Above the Clearwater, finalist for the 2004 Oregon Book Award in creative nonfiction.
"Bette Lynch Husted, so richly rooted in the wild Oregon land she inhabits, writes with deep care and conscience. Her poems shun nothing--exploring difficult legacies and the mysterious encroachments of 'what people do' with calm humility and curiousity. She asks the questions. 'Anything a Box Will Hold' can't be missed. When she speaks of the 'winter wren singing his small whole-bodies celebration amid bright moss," that's her voice too, in the giant landscape--comforting and clear."
--Naomi Shihab Nye
"Space. Spaciousness. Amidst such vistas, these poems are placed. Visit. Stay."
--Lawson Fusao Inada
"This is a poet who will take you on roads you don't know to places where you haven't been, the lonesome places, Wallowa, Ahsahka, Imnaha, and on into the gray-crowned night. She travels the far West, the farthest West, farther than the pioneers. She goes the distance."
--Ursula K. Le Guin
"Bette Husted's poems in this collection explore the rural landscape, its peoples and why and how they live there...This is what important poetry is supposted to be, a caring look into a place one grew up and lives in."
--Alex Kuo
Bette Lynch Husted lives and writes in Pendleton. Her works include a chapbook, After Fire (Puddinghouse 2002) and a collection of memoir essays, Above the Clearwater: Living on Stolen Land (Oregon State University Press 2004, finalist for the 2005 Oregon Book Award and winner of 2005 WILLA Award in creative nonfiction). Her collection of essays, Lessons from the Borderlands, was published by Plain View Press. Her essays, stories and poems have appeared in Runes, Fourth Genre, Prairie Schooner, Natural Bridge and other journals. She was a Fishtrap Fellow and received a 2007 Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Award.


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Setting New Directions For Brief Interventions
CONFERENCE SUB-THEMES
Increasing the footprint of brief interventions in Asia and other LMICs
Technological innovations in brief interventions research
Screening and brief interventions for Problematic Gaming and/or Problematic Gambling
Importance of multi-stakeholder involvement and coordination in the successful implementation and scale-up of evidence-based brief interventions
Mobilization of local communities to implement brief interventions through non-healthcare platforms
Global challenges faced in the scaling-up of brief interventions
With the theme "Setting new directions for Brief Interventions", the 17th INEBRIA conference - 2021 aims to shed light on the future of Brief Interventions (BIs) research while also examining the current landscape of BI research within the substance use field and the barriers to implementation of existing research strategies. This conference will also focus on low resource settings, due to their limited representation in BI research at a global scale, and taking advantage of the conference's LMIC setting.
The primary theme of the conference will be Increasing the footprint of BIs in Asia and other LMICs. This will be achieved by exploring new areas of research being pursued globally for addressing the challenge of unhealthy substance use, with a special interest in the scope of work being done in low-resource settings such as Asia. Acknowledging the current landscape of BIs in Asia and shedding light on the gaps that need to be addressed moving forward will be key.
Another integral theme will be addressing Technological innovations in BI research, which has been a focus of researchers globally, spanning from simple text-based messaging for treatment, to the use of applications for Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for capturing real-time data. However, the focus of such efforts has been concentrated on high-income settings. Emphasis will be given to the replication of successful technological BIs in low resource settings where limited access to resources such as a smartphone or internet connectivity poses a major challenge. An exciting topic to explore will be ethics in the use of technology and the data collected through it including data sharing and management.
INEBRIA 2021 will also shed light on, and include in its conference programme, one of the newer thematic areas of SBIs for Problematic Gaming and/or Problematic Gambling. With ever-growing digital advancements, we are experiencing the digitization of gambling in the form of online games and apps as well as easy access to the gambling and gaming platforms which, in turn, serves as a factor for the development of the addiction itself. The conference will explore the current landscape of SBI research for gaming and/or gambling globally with a focus on LMICs. An important sub-theme to focus on here will be the co-morbidity of gaming and/or gambling with other substance-related problems such as harmful use of alcohol or other drugs, and SBIs that approach both elements of these comorbidities. Another key aspect to explore here would be the gaps in the SBI research base for gaming and/or gambling in Asia and elsewhere, and the way forward to address these gaps.
An important focus of the conference proceedings will also be directed towards the Importance of multi-stakeholder involvement and coordination in the successful implementation and scale-up of evidence-based BIs. The Conference will explore avenues to reduce the gap between ground realities and policies by involving policy makers, community workers, academicians, researchers, and key players from local authorities. One of the important sub-themes for the conference will be the Mobilization of local communities to implement brief interventions through non-healthcare platforms. This includes capacity building of the community and lay health workers for sustainable implementation of BIs.
Additionally, we will also address the Global challenges faced in the scaling-up of BIs as a sub-theme within the scope of the themes mentioned above and the strategies employed to address these challenges.
The theme of this conference will give an opportunity to start a dialogue on multiple facets for exploring the innovative solutions required to move forward for addressing unhealthy substance use while also keeping in mind the existing research approaches and the challenges faced in implementation and scale-up. An important aim of the conference will be to encourage representation of LMICs, with a special focus on Asia, and encourage young researchers to participate in the conference and share their work and explore mentoring opportunities.
Submission Guidelines and Links
Individual abstracts
Symposium abstracts
Workshop abstracts
Mentoring sessions
INEBRIA 2021
Email: inebriaconference@sangath.in


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Brooklyn Nine-Nine: "The Bet"
"The Bet"
Well, look at that, Brooklyn Nine-Nine fans. Who woulda thunk that you would have hitched your early-adapting star to the critical darling of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, with both Andy Samberg and the show itself taking home mini-worlds at this Sunday's Golden Globe awards. The wins were a surprise, especially considering the show won for airing a mere 12 episodes (presumably fewer seen by the HFPA), whereas its opponents had years to build up arcs and storylines. (Full disclosure: I believe the Golden Globes, like most award shows, are nothing more than marketing tools and fashion shows, and have little bearing on, y'know, actual quality.) You have to figure (or at least hope) that "The Bet" will land a few new pairs of eyeballs intrigued by the out-of-nowhere Golden Globes domination. So, it's a good thing that Brooklyn Nine-Nine came back with an episode that was both sweet and funny, combining some of the best aspects of the show into one entry.
Look, I was totally willing to hate "The Bet," a callback to the pilot where it was revealed that Peralta and Santiago are embroiled in a year-long competition to see who could make the most felony arrests in one year. If Santiago wins, she gets his beater car. If Peralta wins, he gets a date. It was one of the few aspects of the pilot that truly irked me, forcing a romantic relationship into a script that didn't really call for one. How many will-they-or-won't-theys born from the bickering couples of screwballs comedies, fully formed for television by Sam and Diane must we endure as an audience? I was relieved when the bet had largely been forgotten save for a quick mention or a few moments of unguarded flirting between Santiago and Peralta. There was a nice meta quality to Hitchcock forgetting what the bet was all about in the first place. Wait, what bet? Of course, that bet.
But you know what? I totally fell for it. Call it sentimental, call it sappy, but "The Bet" was an excellent way to pick up a forgotten plot thread and propel an interpersonal storyline forward. While the prospect of a Peralta-Santiago relationship is still not something high on my list for directions I would like to see Brooklyn Nine-Nine head in, "The Bet" is a (tiny) indication that I may not hate the development as much as I thought I would, in part because there was never supposed to be any seriousness on Peralta's part, despite his latent intentions later revealed by Boyle. His entire idea was to make Santiago's night the date from hell. That fits into Peralta's characterization of being office obnoxious dude, but it also swipes some of the saccharineness off the top that could have really killed any notion that I would be pro-Peralta and Santiago hooking up. The date's abject awfulness escalates, until Peralta and Santiago are called away on a bust where Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero's easy chemistry takes over. Their chemistry is paramount. As I said, it has been hinted at, and those casual drop-ins into their less argumentative side over the season have patiently eased this relationship forward.
The main reason "The Bet" worked, though, was not due to Peralta's romantic leanings that, to reiterate, I'm still not entirely sure I'm on board for. Instead, it was all because of Charles' truth bombs. As much as I enjoyed Holt walking around with two dogs under his arms as if he did not fully understand the concept of the Puppy Bowl last week, I wrote that the subplots felt disjointed, only coming together with one gag at the very end. But Boyle's lack of filter, brought on by painkillers after he's literally upstaged by equine Sergeant Peanut Butter, brought every other action—including Peralta and Santiago's horrible-turned-sweet evening—into the same fold. "The Bet" felt like it all took place in one world, opposed to the sitcom variation where two to three precipitating events occur within a certain timeframe, and apparently nothing happens during the summer. From Peralta and Santiago's date to Holt's amazing interactions with Terry's wife, Sharon (Merrin Dungey), every story interacted and worked in a way that reminded me of when Parks and Recreation was firing on all cylinders. It particularly worked well for Holt's constant Sharon-related screw ups ("What else do I not know? You cooking meth? You breaking bad? How many cell phones do you have?"). It's not often, but I love it when Holt has to go on the defensive, rather than constantly act as the stoic all-knowing boss, especially because he tries so hard to remedy his mistakes and continues to dig himself deeper and deeper into the mess he's created. As if Andre Braugher needed to continually convince of me of his greatness, but remaining consistently deadpan while still scrambling to save his own ass proved my theory that he should have been the guy picking up the award on Sunday night, not Samberg. (I don't think I've laughed harder at this series than Holt pretending to get a text message so he could leave the conversation, a la Boyle in the elevator.)
What really got me, what took this episode from good to great, is how the the Boyle-Diaz interaction was handled at the end of the episode. Like Santiago and Peralta's will-they-or-won't-they, Boyle's unrequited love for Diaz was certainly not one of my favorite aspects of the show at its outset. But, like the Santiago and Peralta date and even Holt's interactions with Terry and his wife, "The Bet" changed the dynamic of their relationship. In Boyle's case, it was with only one perfect line. Rather than Diaz constantly acting as rejecter, Boyle finally got to gain a bit of the upper hand when he looks at her and explains why she doesn't have to be nice to him anymore. Boyle didn't take the Freestyle Killer's bullet specifically for Diaz: "I did what every good cop would do," he says. "And when you finally god out with me, and you will, it'll be because of things only Charles Boyle would do."
Looks like post-Globes, Fox's Kevin Reilly all but guarantees a second season for Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Um, guys, Chelsea Peretti and Andy Samberg were childhood best friends.
"Peanut Butter won't be joining us." "He's being feted by the United Nations." I love that Mike Schur and Dan Goor are obsessed with celebrity horses.
Hitchcock and Scutlly were so great in this episode, but Hitchcock coming in shirtless in the final scene was magical.


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Punk Goes Pop 2
Ah, another week, another compilation. Okay so maybe that's not how it usually works around here, but nevertheless last week saw the review of Take Action's seventh issue, and this week it's time for the most recent of the (in)famous "Punk Goes..." LP's. Ever since the series creation back in 2000, Punk has gone metal, pop, acoustic, 80's, 90's, acoustic again and crunk, and on this new edition it's time to go pop again.
People in the know won't be surprised, but for those who aren't acquainted with the series, I'll just reveal that the "Punk Goes..." albums really don't tend to have much to do with punk, rather they're just records on which a dozen or so of the most currently trendy scene bands record covers of well known songs from the genre or era in question. Up until now, the only noteworthy covers this has produced are to my knowledge Yellowcard's rendition of "Everywhere" (by Michelle Branch), Emery's version of "Holding Out For A Hero" (Bonnie Tyler) and to some extent Cartel's take on "Wonderwall" (Duh'h, guess who), but on this one I'm willing to say that there are a small handful of curious cases, so let's have a closer look shall we?
First band up is "Alesana" who make a pretty cool emo/screamo version of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around Comes Around", and they're followed immediately by Silverstein's cover of One Republic's smash hit "Apologize". I admit that I always loved that song, and Silverstein has by no means subtracted from it by rockifying it. Maybe Shane Told can actually sing it live? In any case, so far so well. August Burns Red's take on Britney's "Hit Me Baby One More Time" is just as totally ridiculous as you might expect, and the novelty wears of quickly. Thankfully it's a different story with Mayday Parade, who actually manage to make Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up" sound pretty cool, and this is definitely a highlight. As for A Day To Remember, I don't usually have anything positive to say about them, and their cover of The Fray's "Over My Head" doesn't change that one bit.
The next song deserves to start a new paragraph though. I'm sure that if songs were painting, Escape The Fate would apply their paint with their genitals, because their take on Santana's "Smooth" is just balls to the walls attitude for everyone to see. The cool thing it doesn't even sound like a song you would've been surprised at finding on their latest album and it's just another reason to surrender to the cheekiness of Craig Mabbitt and his new bandmates. There For Tomorrow also do a pretty cool job of Omarion's super cheese fest "Icebox", to the point where I actually think the band could have a career in R'n'b if rock'n'roll doesn't work out for them. It seems wherever I turn, there's that band doing something well, and we'll surely be hearing a lot from them in the future.
As for Chiodos and their rendition of "Flagpole Sitta" (Harvey Danger), I think the problem is that the song is just awesome the way it is, and adding a scream-covered breakdown to its end doesn't amplify it in anyway. I prefer the original by far I'm afraid. Bayside on the other hand could've easily convinced me that they wrote "Beautiful Girl" rather than Sean Kingston, because they sure don't sound like they're playing a cover.
Then comes the pit of uncoolness of the record. Breathe Carolina might not be the worst neon-core band I've heard, but I'm still not convinced of their value even after their take on Miley Cyrus's "See You Again", and the fact that anyone would actually cover that song scares me. They're followed by The Cab who put on a rather anonymous cover of Rihanna's "Disturbia" and I have yet to figure how you can make such an annoyingly infectious song sound so bland. A Static Lullaby's take on "Toxic" is news so old it's limping so I see no need to go into details about that. Instead I'll hurry on to Four Year Strong, a band I've always felt had the sound but not the songs, and here where Sara Bareilles has written one for them ("Love Song") they finally impress me. We're talking a quality level similar to some of the better covers by NFG or Goldfinger here. The album trails out with Attack Attack's already well known Katy Perry-cover "I Kissed A Girl", but I seriously can't stand that song in any form, so you're going to have to pass judgment over that yourself.
So there you have it. Track by track I'd say that "... Goes Pop 2" is definitely one of the better "Punk Goes..." outings, but it's still a pick and mix effort at best. There's a handful of cool covers on offer here at least, but most of the bands contribute too little to the original song, and thus you never really feel like the new versions have the punch to knock you over, but then hey, the songs are still good to have for you to scare your friends with, if any of them are foolish enough to request "I Kissed A Girl" or some shit like that.
Download: Smooth (Escape The Fate), "Love Song" (Four Year Strong), "Apologize" (Silverstein), "When I Grow Up" (Mayday Parade)
For The Fans Of: Scene cover songs
Listen: myspace.com/punkgoespop2


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Home » the 100 » A Preview Of The 100 Season 5
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A Preview Of The 100 Season 5
In seven days, a mere week–The 100 will air its fifth season premiere of Eden. Yes, I know it has been a very long wait, eleven months to be exact since Praimfaya, but that wait is nearly over and we will be absorbed in a new expedition of our characters and dynamic narratives. I have held off on spoilers-and unfortunately, you will not find any major ones here. I am going to try to keep the preview spoiler-free as much as possible. Yet, I will keep it exciting and edgy in preparation for the upcoming season. There are vague spoilers below, so if you do not want to continue, please feel free to disembark.
If you are one of the lucky few who got the screeners to preview, then you and I have mutual feelings. Season five is one of the best yet-The 100-always known for pushing the ledge has somehow been reborn and refreshed itself. If you put it in the show's perspective, it makes sense. Of course, some elements in the first four episodes that truly feel like the show-biting, heart-pounding and self-worth questioning. And there are the softer, lighter elements.
Let's start! The preview will reflect four episodes.
The first fifteen minutes of Eden was shown at the beginning of the WonderCon 2018 panel-Clarke is fighting to survive, about to give up, but then is fueled with new hope. Yet, the real light of Eden is the newcomer, Lola Flanery, who plays the 'spunky' Madi. She is going to be at Clarke's side and to say that Clarke is a protective mother, is very much an understatement. I don't want to give away too much, but there will be moments where this will be greatly emphasized in the episode. And by the way, where are those awards for Taylor and Flanery? Their talent is so surreal and raw in Eden that will make the viewer hard to believe that they're acting.
We will also be meeting the new Eligius prisoners face-to-face. Charmaine, the woman general is fierce, but the thing about her is that she is human as well as the other prisoners. Despite the choices that have done, even though they're immoral and make The 100 look like saints, they have that fire in them to fight for their own survival. Sounds pretty familiar, right? Although Chaine comes across as cold and calculated (and she is) she has a lot to connect with Clarke and Octavia. In fact, these three females will be the denominators throughout season 5,
And let's not forget about Spacekru-who had quite the interesting time up in the ARK. There will be couples no more and people who will bond. Bellamy-who has always been in-and-out of rationalism in the show's 4-year course, will be more stoic and very "head-on" when it comes to leadership. Fathoming that Clarke has passed on (her gift of sacrifice of saving her people), Bellamy will take her "using his head" advice seriously. He has come up with tentative ways to keep things running smoothly and with minimal errors. This Bellamy version is one that I am very excited about. He is still Bellamy, but with a more matured and ingenious character. My heart and brain are not ready for this!
Also, Emori has gotten some pretty bad-ass scenes, along with Echo. It seems like space has done them well! In a narrative point-of-view.
Octavia will probably encompass one of the most dynamic character arcs and evolution this season and it is no shock. Her ways of surviving and keeping order with the Bunker Kru is an effect of her grief and trauma after losing Lincoln in season three. And she will seek advice from her least favorite person to help resolve the conflicts. I think that season five Octavia is similar to season one Bellamy, but as they're both different characters, it is not the same.
I have many favorite scenes in the four screeners, but I think my most favorite has to be in 503.
Abby and Kane will have the exciting narrative, but it will sadden us a bit. Oh, let them be happy for once.
As for the other characters, you just have to wait and see!
A few more highlights:
The entire season will be like a feature film.
Eden and Red Queen will have background on what happened in space and the bunker during the time-jump.
I have a newfound passion for Murphy.
Clarke is Wonder Woman.
Raven is the wing.
There was a very good reason the reunion was left out of the trailer-and people will be overjoyed with it.
The six-year time jump is nothing to be feared. In fact, it creates a whole new and unreal world for The 100.
The 100 season 5 will air April 24th on the CW. Come back for my recaps for the show during the block.
Follow Grounders Source on Facebook and Twitter to keep updated with the latest The 100 news.
the 100the 100 season 5
Promotional Photos From The 100 Season 5 Premiere
The 100 Season 5 Introduces New Credits Sequence


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Suggested Memorandum of Understanding
interFIRE VR offers this Memorandum of Understanding (adopted from a real MOU) as a model to assist fire/arson investigators draw up a unique document for their community. Dashes (---------) are to be replaced by municipality, county, state, or other local name.
Memorandum of Understanding For Investigative Services
Between the
State Fire Marshal's Office
County Sheriff's Department
State Police
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms
County District Attorney's Office
US Attorney
State Insurance Fraud Bureau
City of -------, and the ------- Police & Fire Departments
The purpose of an Memorandum of Understanding is to establish an interagency agreement on the level and duration of response and commitment, investigative methodology, level of financial and technical support and other matters critical to the success of the mission to reduce arson.
The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to establish response and investigative protocols, pursuant to which the agencies listed above agree to provide assistance to the City of ----- in responding to the demands of fire and arson incidence in the city.
It is understood that the crime of arson represents both a fire service problem and a law enforcement problem for a community. Experience shows that the most effective deterrent to arson lies both in effective investigation of every fire and taking proactive preventative measures . Personnel assigned to conduct fire investigation must be skilled in origin & cause determination, physical evidence collection, interviewing and interrogation, and case preparation and documentation. Accomplishment of the mission to significantly reduce arson in the City of -------- requires the full commitment of all fire service and law enforcement personnel, Prosecutors and other allied agencies working together with the community.
It is the purpose of this agreement that all the agencies listed agree to form the -------- Arson Strike Force.
Standardized Fire Notification
1. SOLE REQUESTING/NOTIFICATION AUTHORITY. The -------- Fire Department is designated as the sole requesting authority for the investigative services of the -------- Police Department, -------- State Police, the State Fire Office, the Sheriff's Department and ATF for fires or explosions occurring within its jurisdiction.
2. WHEN TO NOTIFY. In addition to the notification requirements established under applicable state law, the -------- Fire Department agrees to immediately notify the Strike Force during duty hours and the duty Strike Force Team Leader ("Team Leader") during off-duty hours via pager of every fire as soon as it is confirmed.
3. INFORMATION NEEDED: Whenever the -------- Fire Department notifies the duty Team leader of a fire, the reporting officer or dispatcher shall provide that representative with the following information as a minimum:
A. Date/ time, and location of the incident.
B. Description of the incident:
- Fatal or critical injury to any person
- Evacuation of occupants
- Multiple structures
- Commercial building
- Structural fire incident within the "Target Area"
C. Preliminary cause if known (i.e., arson, suspicious, undetermined, accidental.)
4. INVESTIGATIVE COORDINATION. In those cases where a request for an investigator is made, the -------- Fire Department Investigator shall coordinate closely with the -------- Police, State Police, State Fire Office, Sheriffís Department, and ATF Investigators during the entire investigative process. The Strike Force Commander shall be appointed by the -------- Police Department.
The Strike Force Commander shall have line supervisory authority over all personnel for the purpose of conducting fire and arson investigations within the City of --------. He shall establish several "Teams" from assigned investigators taking into account the fire/arson investigation experience and training of each individual so that each of the Teams will be approximately equal in capability. The Strike Force Commander shall create a duty roster which assigns responsibility to individual Teams for immediate response to in- progress fires on a rotational basis during off-duty hours to include the overnight shift, weekends and holidays. The -------- Fire Marshal will respond to all protocol fires occurring during Strike Force off-duty hours.
The Strike Force Commander shall meet with each Team after its formation and shall help to select a "Team Leader". This individual shall have line supervisory authority of other members of his Team for the purpose of conducting fire and arson investigations and associated activities in the City of --------. The Team leader will utilize the Incident Command System (ICS) at fire scenes for the purposes of safely coordinating investigations and fire scene examinations.
The Strike Force Commander shall create a roster of investigative personnel with telephone numbers and pager numbers to facilitate immediate notification in emergencies. This roster will be distributed to all investigative personnel on the Strike Force.
Investigators, Team Leaders, and the Strike Force Commander shall be individually responsible to safely and legally carry out the investigative function of the -------- Arson Strike Force. Unit supervisors shall maintain constant communication with the -------- County District Attorney's Office and/or the U.S. Attorney's Office on operational functions such as obtaining and serving search and arrest warrants, case development and status, and other legal matters.
The Strike Force Commander shall be directly and immediately notified in any situation where there are deaths or high priority fire or explosion incidents. He shall have the authority to order multiple Team response as dictated by the situation.
-------- ARSON STRIKE FORCE RESPONSILIBILIES AND INVESTIGATION PROTOCOL:
1. HIGH PRIORITY STRIKE FORCE TEAM RESPONSES: The "on-duty" Team shall IMMEDIATELY respond to and investigate all fires in the City of -------- that come under the following high priority categories:
A. Fires or explosions causing the death of any person.
B. Suspicious or undetermined fires or explosions resulting in critical injury to any person.
C. Suspicious or undetermined fires or explosions resulting in the evacuation of any person from a building.
D. Suspicious or undetermined fires or explosions resulting in destruction to multiple buildings or structures.
E. Fire or explosion causing destruction to any government property or to any storage facility containing and storing public documents.
F. Fire or explosion damage to a commercial or residential structure of suspicious, unknown cause or of substantial nature.
G. Any other fire or explosion incident causing damage to a building.
2. OTHER ON-DUTY RESPONSE TEAM INVESTIGATIONS: All agencies participating in the -------- Arson Task Force may participate in the investigation of non-protocol fires or explosions occurring in the City of -------- not cited above, provided that:
A. City of -------- investigators promptly and properly report the incident to the -------- Arson Strike Force Commanding Officer, or designee, or to the on-duty Team Leader.
B. There is a commitment by the -------- Fire and Police Departments to assist in the investigation utilizing the following steps:
a. Recognize that excessive overhaul can destroy any possibility of reconstruct of a fire scene. Secure the area of fire origin and apply every practical means possible to protect possible evidence (including wall and ceiling burn patterns and interior contents).
b. Participate in the excavation and reconstruction of the area of fire origin.
c. Conduct written interviews as a normal part of every investigation in cooperation with the State Fire Office Investigator, state police, Sheriffís Department and ATF Agents.
d. Make arrangements to interview ìfirst-inî fire personnel involved in suppression efforts prior to the end of their shift.
C. The decision to investigate any fire not described in section 1 of this article, shall be at the discretion of the -------- Arson Strike Force Commander, or his designee, and shall be based upon the following consideration:
a. Availability of leads and/or case solvability factors.
b. Availability of investigative resources under the current workload.
c. The severity of the incident.
3. AVAILABLIITY OF AN ACCELERANT DETECTION CANINE TEAM - The State Fire Office shall make available to the -------- Arson Strike Force on a 24 hour a day basis the services of an Accelerant Detection Canine (AK-9) Team for fires that appear unusual or suspicious or may be considered of incendiary origin. All requests must be made by the -------- Arson Strike Force directly to the assigned AK-9 handler, providing the following information for a AK-9 Team response:
A. Date, time and location of the incident.
B. Description of the fire incident, stage of fire suppression activity, structural collapse or other hazards which may affect the AK-9 search.
C. The AK-9 handler will make the final decision on the use of his canine partner taking into consideration the stability of the building, hazardous material, safety issues or other appropriate concerns.
D. Debris removal utilizing gasoline powered heavy equipment shall not commence until the fire incident Commander, Team leader and AK-9 handler have conferred and authorized such action.
E. No gasoline or other fuel powered tools or equipment other than those necessary for fire suppression and control shall be used in or around the fire building until inspected by the AK-9 handler.
F. The AK-9 handler will not use his canine partner when in his opinion the fire scene has not been properly cleared, is unsafe, or has been contaminated.
G. State Fire Office AK-9 handlers shall not be requested when many hours of scene preparation or debris removal remain to be done. All collapsed heavy debris shall be removed from the surfaces or areas to be examined prior to the AK-9 response.
H. The ADC handler will not use the canine, when, in his opinion, the fire scene has not been properly cleared or is unsafe for himself or his AK-9.
-------- ARSON STRIKE FORCE INVESTIGATION PROTOCOL
All agencies participating in the -------- Arson Strike Force agree to conform their investigation operations to the Investigation Protocol described herein. This protocol requires that the following sequence occur immediately after receipt of a report on a working fire anywhere in the City of --------.
1. IMMEDIATE TEAM RESPONSE TO A DESIGNATED CATEGORY FIRE: The immediate dispatch of the on-duty team to any structure fire which falls within the definition of a designated incident 24 hours a day.
2. IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION OF THE -------- ARSON STRIKE FORCE COMMANDER OR HIS DESIGNEE: In fire incidents falling within the definition of "High Priority" as described in Article 2, Section 1.
3. The -------- Arson Strike Force shall respond to all structural fires occurring in the City on a 24 hour a day - 7 day a week basis.
4. Vehicle fires and other categories of fires such as outside fires not involving a structure may be investigated by the Strike Force if the -------- Fire Department Company Officer determines the fire was incendiary and if there is sufficient resources available at the Strike Force.
5. Juvenile offenders involved in arson cases will be referred to the -------- Police Departmentís Juvenile Aid Bureau for prosecution.
6. It will be the policy of the -------- Arson Strike Force to seek prosecute of any person who intentionally sets a fire in the City of -------- consistent with state law.
7. The -------- Arson Strike Force recognizes that arson cases are frequently circumstantial in nature and often depend heavily on developing pertinent information from fact witnesses. The Strike Force also recognizes that fire scene origin and cause examination can be a complex process. Here again, developing information from early witnesses to the incipient fire including victims, abutters, the reporting party, first in firefighters and other persons will often provide important information. Such witness observations usually serve to corroborate the origin and cause examination results. It is critical that these persons be identified and interviewed. The investigation protocol of the -------- Arson Strike Force is designed to secure, and not lose, this invaluable source of potential evidence. Investigators from this Strike Force will follow the protocol as described herein:
a. INTERVIEW FLEETING WITNESSES IMMEDIATELY - In any fire, the first fire investigator on the scene shall briefly size up the fire origin to determine the room of origin, secure obvious physical evidence and manage overhaul. Following this activity, which should only take a few minutes, Strike Force investigators will focus their efforts to identifying potential "fleeting witnesses" (such as the passer-by who discovered or reported the fire or other early witnesses who may have stopped to render assistance). Experience has shown that these people will leave the scene during fireground operations. Unless they are identified and interviewed during firefighting operations there usually is no way to identify or relocate them. Those building occupants who lived or worked closest to the fireís origin shall be interviewed next to document any observations or knowledge they may have about fire hazards and the sequence of events surrounding the fire's initiation and development. Abbutters and line of sight neighbors are interviewed next. All initial interviews conducted by members of the -------- Arson Task Force shall be reduced to written statements or will be audiotaped or videotaped in accordance with the recommended procedure.
b. BEGIN PROCESSING THE SCENE AFTER IMPORTANT INTERVIEWS ARE COMPLETED: As soon as practical after available important witnesses are interviewed for details about the probable fire origin and flow of events the examination of the fire scene may begin. Excavation of collapsed debris not germane to the cause of the fire and reconstruction of remains of furniture or other items to their pre-fire position are important phases of fire flow analysis.. Origin and cause examinations shall conform, step by step, to the Unit's training.
Each area of fire origin requires through excavation, reconstruction, analysis and documentation. Evidence will be taken in accordance with best practices and existing policies providing that all phases of recovery are documented and a chain of custody is constantly maintained. All evidence taken during -------- Arson Strike Force investigations will be secured in the Unit's contraband room pending analysis or presentation to a court unless other arrangements are approved by the Strike Force Commander.
c. SET UP AN INCIDENT MASTER FILE - An ìIncident Master Fileî should be set up as soon as is practical into an investigation. All statements, consent forms, search warrants, signed Miranda cards, and other data collected by individual investigators shall be placed into this file at the end of each day. Photocopies of the file materials shall be taken back to the field by a Team supervisor or case officer in a ìworking fileî. For the system to work correctly, information must flow freely and constantly among all investigators. For the system to work at all, every investigator has a right to know that other investigators are working effectively toward a common objective. Master files will be retained in the Strike Force Commander's Office and will be accessible to supervisory personnel only.
d. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMER FILE - A file containing information on confidential informants will be established by the -------- Strike Force Commander. This file shall contain biographical information on the identity of each informant, a photograph, a current Probation Record, and a log of information provided.
Media Coordination During a Joint Investigation
It is important to provide a focal point for the orderly and consistent dissemination of information to the public. This avoids conflicting, misleading or premature statements about investigative findings. To this end the following procedures shall be followed:
1. ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE FIREGROUND COMMANDER. The Response Team leader, or his designee, shall upon arrival on the fire scene, immediately establish contact with the fireground commander for the purpose of coordinating any release of information to the media regarding theories concerning any potential fire cause or concerning Strike Force operations at that scene.
2. COMMUNICATING WITH THE MEDIA: All statements to the media shall be made through the fireground commander or the highest ranking -------- Arson Strike Force Investigator on the scene. The details of investigative findings shall not be released or commented upon to the media until the Response Team Leader or Strike Force Commander affirm the accuracy and wisdom of doing so. However, nothing in this agreement shall be construed to constrain the Chief of the -------- Fire or Police Departments, the -------- County District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Attorney, the Insurance Fraud Bureau, the -------- Department of State Office of Fire Prevention & Control , the -------- County Sheriff, the -------- State Police, or Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms from discussing the overall mission of the Task Force as distinguished from providing details about a specific investigation.
Law enforcement and Fire Service agencies agree to commit, at their own expense, the following number of investigative personnel to participate in the -------- Arson Strike Force for a period of six months to work on a daily basis towards the objective of the Strike Force to reduce arson in the City of --------. Strike Force investigators will continue to be employees of their respective agencies. These agencies agree that the assigned personnel will be under the line control of the Strike Force Commander, or his designee, for the purpose of fire/arson investigation operations and related activities.
a. -------- Police Department - three detectives
b. -------- Fire Department - one investigator
c. -------- State Police - two detectives
d. -------- County Sheriffís Department - two investigators
e. -------- Office of Fire Prevention and Control - two investigators
f. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms - one agent
All agencies agree to fully support their assigned personnelís ability to fully participate in the operation by supplying all necessary fire investigation and personal safety equipment required to conduct this function. Because of the nature of the problem and the complexity of the investigations it will be necessary for each agency to provide sufficient overtime compensation to its personnel.
Each participating agency and all assigned personnel agree to comply with all applicable state and federal OSHA Regulatory Safety Guidelines 1910.120.
In the event of a legal action alleging wrongdoing on the part of an individual investigator the agency to which the individual belongs will assume costs associated with the defense and indemnification of their personnel.
The -------- Fire Department Incident Commander or Safety Officer shall be responsible to make an assessment of the structural integrity of any building damaged by fire or explosion and determine what additional hazards which may be present. Strike Force operations shall be governed by his counsel.
The -------- Arson Strike Force shall employ independent experts to conduct complex examinations whenever necessary. Property insurance companies who insure a given loss shall be solicited for funding for this purpose. Alternative funding sources for such examinations in cases where no insurance is present will be explored in conjunction with the District Attorneyís Office and Corporation Counsel.
The City of -------- agrees to provide a suitable and secure facility for the Strike Force. The City also agrees to fund the costs of the Strike Force telephone and other ordinary administrative costs.
This Memorandum of Understanding is in effect upon signature of all parties. It shall remain in effect unless rescinded in writing by any party on fourteen days written notice or revised in writing by mutual consent. This MOU shall be reviewed twelve months after the date of execution and every year thereafter.
Support and Agreement
I pledge my support and agreement to the terms of mutual commitment to work together in the reduction of fire and arson in the City of --------.
City of --------
___________________________________ ____________________
-----------------, Mayor Date
-------- Fire Department
-----------------, Chief of Department Date
-------- Police Department
-------- County
-----------------, County Executive Date
-------- County Sheriff's Department
-----------------, Sheriff Date
-------- State Police
---------------, Major, -------- State Police Date
-------- Office of the State Fire Marshal
---------------, Chief Fire Marshal Date
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms
---------------, Special Agent in Charge Date
-------- County District Attorney's Office
---------------, District Attorney Date
-------- County Arson Task Force
---------------, Chairperson Date