text:
require 'digest'

class User < ActiveRecord::Base
  include SoftDelete
  include TaggableBehavior
  include Permissioner

  VALID_SORT_ORDERS = HashWithIndifferentAccess.new(
    :first_name => "LOWER(users.first_name)",
    :last_name => "LOWER(users.last_name)"
  )

  DEFAULT_SORT_ORDER = VALID_SORT_ORDERS[:first_name]

  attr_accessible :username, :password, :first_name, :last_name, :email, :title, :dept, :notes, :subscribed_to_emails, :auth_method, :ldap_group_id
  attr_accessor :password

  has_many :gpdb_data_sources, :foreign_key => :owner_id
  has_many :oracle_data_sources, :foreign_key => :owner_id
  has_many :jdbc_data_sources, :foreign_key => :owner_id
  has_many :pg_data_sources, :foreign_key => :owner_id
  has_many :hdfs_data_sources, :foreign_key => :owner_id
  has_many :gnip_data_sources, :foreign_key => :owner_id
  has_many :data_source_accounts, :foreign_key => :owner_id, :dependent => :destroy
  has_many :dashboard_items, :dependent => :destroy

  #PT. There is belongs_to relationship on open_workflow_events model.
  has_many :open_workfile_events

  has_many :owned_workspaces, :foreign_key => :owner_id, :class_name => 'Workspace'
  has_many :memberships, :dependent => :destroy
  has_many :workspaces, :through => :memberships
  has_many :owned_jobs, :foreign_key => :owner_id, :class_name => 'Job'

  has_many :activities, :as => :entity
  has_many :events, :through => :activities
  has_many :notifications, :foreign_key => 'recipient_id'

  has_many :comments

  # roles, groups, and permissions
  has_and_belongs_to_many :groups, -> { uniq }
  has_and_belongs_to_many :roles, -> { uniq }, :after_add => :add_missing_admin_role, :after_remove => :remove_extra_admin_role
  #belongs_to :chorus_scope

  # object_roles allow a User to have different roles for different objects (currently just Workspace)
  has_many :chorus_object_roles
  has_many :object_roles, :through => :chorus_object_roles, :source => :role

  has_attached_file :image, :path => ":rails_root/system/:class/:id/:style/:basename.:extension",
                    :url => "/:class/:id/image?style=:style",
                    :default_url => '/images/general/default-user.png', :styles => {:icon => "50x50>"}
  validates_attachment_content_type :image, :content_type => /\Aimage\/.*\Z/

  validates_presence_of :username, :first_name, :last_name, :email
  validates_uniqueness_of :username, :case_sensitive => false, :allow_blank => true, :scope => :deleted_at
  validates_format_of :email, :with => /[\w\.-]+(\+[\w-]*)?@([\w-]+\.)+[\w-]+/
  validates_format_of :username, :with => /\A\S+\z/, :unless => lambda { LdapClient.enabled? }
  validates_presence_of :password, :unless => lambda { password_digest? || LdapClient.enabled? || legacy_password_digest? }
  validates_length_of :password, :minimum => 6, :maximum => 256, :if => :password
  validates_length_of :username, :first_name, :last_name, :email, :title, :dept, :maximum => 256
  validates_length_of :notes, :maximum => 4096
  validates_attachment_size :image, :less_than => ChorusConfig.instance['file_sizes_mb']['user_icon'].megabytes, :message => :file_size_exceeded
  validate :confirm_ldap_user, :if => lambda { LdapClient.enabled? }, :on => :create

  validates_with UserCountValidator, :on => :create
  validates_with DeveloperCountValidator, AdminCountValidator

  attr_accessor :highlighted_attributes, :search_result_notes

  if ENV['SKIP_SOLR'] != 'true'
    searchable_model do
      text :first_name, :stored => true, :boost => SOLR_PRIMARY_FIELD_BOOST
      text :last_name, :stored => true, :boost => SOLR_PRIMARY_FIELD_BOOST
      text :username, :stored => true, :boost => SOLR_SECONDARY_FIELD_BOOST
      text :email, :stored => true, :boost => SOLR_SECONDARY_FIELD_BOOST
    end
  end

  before_save :update_password_digest, :unless => lambda { password.blank? }
  # Delete HABTM association objects
  before_destroy { |user| user.groups.destroy_all }
  before_destroy { |user| user.roles.destroy_all }

  after_initialize :defaults

  def defaults
    collaborator_role = Role.find_or_create_by(:name => "Collaborator")
    user_role = Role.find_or_create_by(:name => "User")
    self.roles << collaborator_role unless self.roles.include? collaborator_role
    self.roles << user_role unless self.roles.include? user_role
  end

  def add_missing_admin_role(role)
    admin_roles = [Role.find_by_name("Admin"), Role.find_by_name("ApplicationManager")]
    self.admin = true if admin_roles.include? role
  end

  def remove_extra_admin_role(role)
    admin_roles = [Role.find_by_name("Admin"), Role.find_by_name("ApplicationManager")]
    self.admin = false if admin_roles.include? role
  end

  def accessible_events(current_user)
    events.where("workspace_id IS NULL
                    OR workspace_id IN
                      (SELECT id FROM workspaces
                        WHERE public IS TRUE)
                    OR workspace_id IN
                      (SELECT workspace_id FROM memberships
                        WHERE user_id = #{current_user.id})").includes(:actor, :target1, :target2)
  end

  def self.order(field)
    sort_by = VALID_SORT_ORDERS[field] || DEFAULT_SORT_ORDER
    super(sort_by, :id)
  end

  def self.authenticate(username, password)
    named(username).try(:authenticate, password)
  end

  def self.named(username)
    where("lower(users.username) = ?", username.downcase).first
  end

  def self.admin_count
    admin.size
  end

  def admin?
    self.admin
  end

  scope :admin, -> { where(:admin => true) }

  def admin=(value)
    admin_role = Role.find_by_name("Admin")
    app_manager_role = Role.find_by_name("ApplicationManager")
    site_admin_role = Role.find_by_name("SiteAdministrator")

    if ActiveRecord::ConnectionAdapters::Column.value_to_boolean(value)

      admin_role.users << self unless admin_role.users.include? self
      app_manager_role.users << self unless app_manager_role.users.include? self
      if self.username == 'chorusadmin'
        site_admin_role.users << self unless site_admin_role.users.include? self
      end
      write_attribute(:admin, value)

    else
      unless self.class.admin_count == 1 # don't unset last admin

        admin_role.users.delete(self) if admin_role.users.include? self
        app_manager_role.users.delete(self) if app_manager_role.users.include? self
        site_admin_role.users.delete(self) if site_admin_role.users.include? self
        write_attribute(:admin, value)

      end
    end

  end

  scope :developer, -> { where(:developer => true) }

  def developer=(value)
    write_attribute(:developer, value)
    dev_role = Role.find_by_name("WorkflowDeveloper")
    if value == true || value == "true"
      dev_role.users << self unless dev_role.users.include? self
    else
      dev_role.users.delete(self) if dev_role.users.include? self
    end
  end

  def self.developer_count
    developer.size
  end

  def authenticate(unencrypted_password)
    migrate_password_digest(unencrypted_password) if legacy_password_digest?
    authenticate_password_digest(unencrypted_password) && self
  end

  def destroy

    if owned_workspaces.count > 0
      errors.add(:workspace_count, :equal_to, {:count => owned_workspaces.count})
      raise ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid.new(self)
    elsif gpdb_data_sources.count > 0
      errors.add(:user, :nonempty_data_source_list)
      raise ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid.new(self)
    end

    owned_jobs.each(&:reset_ownership!)

    super
  end

  def accessible_account_ids
    shared_account_ids = DataSourceAccount.joins(:data_source).where("data_sources.shared = true").collect(&:id)
    (shared_account_ids + data_source_account_ids).uniq
  end

  def full_name
    "#{first_name} #{last_name}"
  end

  private

  def update_password_digest
    self.password_salt = SecureRandom.hex(20)
    self.password_digest = digest_password(password)
  end

  def digest_password(unencrypted_password)
    Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(unencrypted_password + password_salt)
  end

  def authenticate_password_digest(unencrypted_password)
    digest_password(unencrypted_password) == password_digest.to_s
  end

  def authenticate_legacy_password_digest(unencrypted_password)
    Digest::SHA1.hexdigest(unencrypted_password) == legacy_password_digest.to_s
  end

  def migrate_password_digest(unencrypted_password)
    return unless authenticate_legacy_password_digest(unencrypted_password)
    self.password = unencrypted_password
    self.legacy_password_digest = nil
    save!
  end

  def confirm_ldap_user
    results = LdapClient.search(username)
    if results.empty?
      raise LdapClient::LdapCouldNotBindWithUser.new(
              "No entry found for user #{username} in LDAP directory server. Please contact your
system administrator"
            )
    end
  end
end


text:
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian Are Reportedly Getting a Divorce
Juan Ocampo, Getty Images
UPDATE (Jan. 5):
Following reports of a divorce for Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, TMZ published an article this evening (Jan. 5) claiming that the couple are actually seeking marriage counseling. However, a separation is still in the cards.
Sources told the tabloid outlet that a divorce has been looming over the celebrity couple since the latter part of 2020, but Kim and Kanye remain somewhat hopeful about working things out. Kim reportedly did feel she was ready to officially call it quits, but felt it would be "cruel" to do so while Yeezy was battling a bipolar episode last year.
Kanye has been residing in Wyoming while Kim and their four children—North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm—are in Calabasas, Calif.
A new report has surfaced claiming that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are ready to file a legal separation.
According to Page Six on Tuesday (Jan. 5), the couple's marriage is reportedly coming to an end with multiple sources telling the outlet that Kim has hired divorce attorney, Laura Wasser.
One source said, "They are keeping it low-key but they are done. Kim has hired Laura Wasser and they are in settlement talks. Kim got Kanye to go up there [Wyoming] so they could live separate lives and quietly get things sorted out to separate and divorce. She's done."
"Now this divorce is happening because Kim has grown up a lot," the insider continued. "She is serious about taking the bar exam and becoming a lawyer, she is serious about her prison reform campaign. Meanwhile, Kanye is talking about running for president and saying other crazy shit, and she's just had enough of it."
An unnamed source also told XXL, "They have been living separately, with Kanye spending his time in Wyoming while Kim is in Calabassas with the kids. They are amicable and fully aligned when it comes to the kids. There is no drama or contentious relationship at all between Kanye and the extended family which NY Post falsely reported."
The source added: "Kim and Kanye have been in therapy working on their marriage, however divorce is something that has been discussed off and on for the past year, but she has not pulled the trigger on that yet."
On another note, a different source has reportedly claimed that Kanye doesn't like the Kardashian's and Jenner's lavish reality TV lifestyles. "Is completely over the entire family... He wants nothing to do with them," the anonymous person said.
Last July, speculation about the impending divorce began to circulate online after Kanye West made anti-abortion comments and claimed Harriet Tubman didn't free slaves during his first presidential campaign rally at the Exquis Event Center in North Charleston, S.C. on July 19, 2020. During that same rant, 'Ye admitted to planning to abort his and Kim's firstborn child, North.
That same month, shortly after taking that controversial stance, Kanye West went on Twitter and suggested he was the one planning to end his six-year marriage with Kim. Kanye claimed he was enraged by Kim meeting with Meek Mill at a hotel to discuss prison reform.
Long before reports that Kim and Kanye no longer wished to continue with their relationship, rumors began to emerge suggesting the rapper and reality TV star were living separate lives. However, in December, PEOPLE magazine shared an exclusive report, which claimed that Kimye was still married despite divorce rumors.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West tied the knot back in May of 2014.
XXL has reached out to a rep for Kanye West and Kim Kardashian for a comment.
See the Times Rappers Faced Backlash for Wild Things They Said in 2020
Source: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian Are Reportedly Getting a Divorce
Categories: NoCo News

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
module Perspectives
  module Rendering
    def as_json(options = {})
      _property_map.merge(_template_key: _template_key)
    end

    def render_html
      _mustache.render(_property_map).html_safe
    end

    def render; render_html; end
    def to_html; render_html; end
    def to_s; render_html; end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Valid and reliable – accurately assesses real-life academic English skills.
Accessible – delivered at test centers worldwide.
Fast results – students receive scores typically within 5 business days.
Secure – unrivaled bio metric security measures ensuring confidence in student identity.
Recognized – accepted by institutions worldwide, including DIAC in Australia for student visa applications, New Zealand, Canada and US.


The Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park houses 33 archaeological sites, among which are: Sacsayhuaman Fortress, every June 24th, the Inti Raymi or Feast of the Sun is celebrated in the esplanade of Sacsayhuamán. In the archaeological complex of Qenko (labyrinth), ceremonies were performed in honor of the Sun, Moon and Stars; Dating from the year 1,500 AD The Puca Pucara precinct presents numerous precincts, interior plazas, watchtowers, aqueducts and roads; And would have served as a place of rest and lodging of the Inca. On the other hand, Tambomachay would have had religious functions linked to water.
Where is the Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park?
The Archaeological Park of Sacsayhuaman is located 3 km from the city of Cusco, in the upper part of a mountain, has a total area of approximately 3,000 ha. It has a great variety of Andean flora and fauna; Flames, hawks and kestrels can be seen very frequently in this place.
What places includes the Archaeological Park of Sacsayhuamán?
33 archaeological sites make up the archaeological park of Sacsayhuaman. Here are some of the most important sites of the Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park; To visit these places you will need the Cusco Tourist Ticket; If you do not know how to buy it, enter here.
It is located 2 km northeast of the imperial city of Cusco (10 minutes by car).
Sacsayhuaman means "place where the hawk is satisfied". It is estimated that the construction of La Fortaleza de Sacsayhuamán required the work of more than 20,000 men, for a period of 70 years; Presents a work of impeccable engineering (gigantic carved rocks that fit with absolute precision, without glue some). Sacsayhuaman must have been a titanic complex, with sacred lagoons and numerous ceremonial temples. It is known that it could have been a religious construction, but its location and style, made the Spaniards and chroniclers consider it a military building. In this place the most important temple of the Hanan Qosqo (high Cusco), dedicated to the cult of the sun (Inti), moon (Quilla), the stars (chaska), the Ray (Illapa) and other deities to which the Incas worshiped them. It is considered cyclopean, by the size of its stones, which in some cases weigh between 90 and 125 tons; Ah and is considered one of the most mysterious places on the planet.
Visiting hours: Monday to Sunday from 7 am to 6 pm.
It is located 3 km northwest of the plaza of weapons of the city of Cusco (15 minutes by car).
Qenqo was a ceremonial center built during the Huayna Capac government, as a celebration for the birth of his son Huascar. Quenqo has underground galleries and a semicircular amphitheater, which is worth visiting. Its construction dates from the year 1 500 d.C. Qenko (or labyrinth), is considered a sacred place in which ceremonies were celebrated in honor to the main Inca deities, the Sun, the Moon and the Stars.
It is located 7 km northeast of the imperial city of Cusco (30 minutes by car).
It receives the name Puca Pucara (red fort) due to the color that their stones acquire at dusk. In this complex you can find numerous enclosures, squares, watchtowers, aqueducts and paths. It would have fulfilled the function of tambo (place of rest or lodging). It is said that when the Inca wanted to visit Tambomachay, he and his court were staying in Puca Pucara. Its fortified appearance makes it called fortress.
It is located 7.5 km from the city of Cusco in the northwest direction (35 minutes by car).
Tambomachay is also known as the Inca baths. This complex has a series of walls, canals, waterfalls and aqueducts; Was a resort that served as a resting place for the Inca (governor of the empire), besides serving as a place of worship to water. One of the most outstanding characteristics of Tambomachay, is without a doubt its hydraulic system. It contains 2 aqueducts carved in the rock, which carry and maintain a constant flow of clean water throughout the year. Tambomachay is closely linked with Puca Pucara, and is related to the cult of water and the regeneration of the earth. According to the chroniclers, this enclosure dates from the year 1 500 AD It has an area of 0.5 ha, and is built almost entirely of limestone.
Average temperature: between November and March, the average temperature is 12° C. Between April and October, cold nights, sunny days and average temperatures of 10 ° C.
Climate: Cusco has 2 well marked seasons, a rainy one, that goes from November to March, and one dry (highly recommended), that goes of April to October.
Important: the entrance to the Archaeological Park of Sacsayhuamán is possible only with the Tourist Ticket of Cusco.


text:
Tag Archives: Marshawn Lynch
2015 NFC Championship Betting
Posted on January 13, 2015 by Leo
There were few surprises on the NFC side of the bracket in the 2015 NFL Playoffs. The No. 1 and 2 seeds advanced, with Seattle beating Carolina 31-17 and Green Bay topping Dallas 26-21. As for the latter, the Packers had a much tougher test than Seattle. And it took a controversial no-catch call to seal their victory. Nevertheless, Green Bay survives and moves on to the NFC title game.
The Packers boast the likely MVP in quarterback Aaron Rodgers and one of the NFL's best offenses. But they are certainly facing a handicap here in that they'll be playing away from the friendly confines of Lambeau Field. With their win over Dallas, the Packers ended the season with a 9-0 record at home. But now they face a Seattle team that's won their last five games at CenturyLink Stadium by at least 10 points each.
As for Seattle, they are within two victories of winning their second-straight Super Bowl title. Recent history shows that it's tough enough to make the big game two years in a row, let alone win it. But based on the fact that they've won seven straight games and their defense looks better than ever, it's hard to see anybody but Seattle winning right now. Our current betting line at GTBets.eu reflects this:
Green Bay (-110)
Seattle -7 (-110)
Considering everything that we just discussed, it's certainly understandable that Seattle is a touchdown favorite here. They handily won in these two teams' only matchup of the season – a 36-16 stomping in the regular-season opener. Of course, that was nearly five months ago and a lot can happen in that time span.
Besides having time to improve their team, another thing that Green Bay has going for them is history. The last seven NFC title games have been decided by 7 points or less. Seeing as how Green Bay features a pretty complete team, it's not hard to see them keeping this one close – no matter how good Seattle may be. Going further, we figure this will be a game that comes down to a field goal or two.
Final Score Prediction: Seattle wins 27-24
Posted in NFL News	| Tagged 2015 NFL Championship betting, Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay vs Seattle betting, Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson, Seahawks vs Packers betting 2015	| Leave a reply
NFL Power Rankings for Week 4 (Sept. 25th, 2014)
It wasn't hard to spot the marquee matchup from last week. In a rematch of last year's Super Bowl, the Denver Broncos visited the Seattle Seahawks. Denver mounted a furious comeback to send the game into overtime, however, Seattle survived thanks to a Marshawn Lynch touchdown run. That said, it seems like Seattle should be a slam dunk for our new number one. But the truth is that it wasn't easy picking between the two, seeing as how Denver was on the road and pushed the game into overtime. So you might be a little surprised at who's still the top team in our Week 4 power rankings.
1. Denver Broncos (2-1); lost to Seattle Seahawks 26-20 (OT), retains same ranking – The Broncos failed to get revenge for last year's Super Bowl humiliation. But they certainly earned some respect by nearly walking out of Seattle with a victory. Emmanuel Sanders was brilliant in this game after catching 11 passes for 149 yards. He's another weapon that should make the Broncos' offense unstoppable throughout the rest of the season.
2. Seattle Seahawks (2-1); beat Denver 26-20 (OT), retains same ranking – The Seahawks are nearly as deserving of the top ranking, but on a neutral field, we like the Broncos just a little better right now. It certainly doesn't seem like a stretch to think that Seattle and Denver could meet in the championship for a second straight season.
3. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0); beat Tennessee Titans 33-7, moves up two spots – The Bengals' line has been outstanding on both sides of the ball. Andy Dalton hasn't taken a sack yet and the defense continues stuffing opposing runners when it matters most. All bets are on the Broncos returning to the Super Bowl from the AFC. But if there's a team to dethrone them as AFC champions, it is definitely Cincinnati.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0); beat Washington 37-34, retains same ranking – It's amazing how the Eagles continue falling behind early in games, only to storm back and claim victory. In fact, they're now the first team in NFL history to trail by double digits in their first three games and come out 3-0. Is it pure luck? No, Philadelphia just has too many weapons for teams to keep them down for long. But then again, this is a dangerous trend that they're walking on.
5. New England Patriots (2-1); beat Oakland 16-9, drops two spots – A week ago, we had the Patriots sitting at number three after their blowout victory over Minnesota. However, they looked pretty bad at home against the Raiders and needed a Vince Wilfork interception near the goal line to secure a win. New England has better days in them, but we certainly didn't see this last weekend.
6. Arizona Cardinals (3-0); beat San Francisco 23-14, moves up five spots – Many expected Seattle and San Francisco to battle it out for the NFC West crown. However, it's the Cardinals who are leading the way with an undefeated record – and they're doing it without starting QB Carson Palmer! Drew Stanton's fill-in job has been made much easier by a trio of strong receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Malcolm Floyd and rookie John Brown.
7. Chicago Bears (2-1); beat New York Jets 27-19, moves up three spots – For the second straight week, the Bears grabbed a tough road victory, thus further distancing themselves from a Week 1 loss to the Bills. Ryan Mundy really helped out with the latest win, taking a Geno Smith interception to the end zone while outrunning speedster Chris Johnson.
8. New Orleans Saints (1-2); beat Minnesota 20-9, moves up one spot – New Orleans finally got in the win column with a relatively easy victory over the Vikings. They put up 13 points in the first quarter and the defense did the rest from here. Drew Brees really attacked Minnesota underneath, completing 16-of-16 throws for 126 yards on passes thrown 5 yards or less downfield.
9. San Francisco 49ers (1-2); lost to Arizona Cardinals 23-14 drops three spots – True to form this season, the 49ers jumped out to a 14-6 lead in the first half, only to be dominated in the second half. San Francisco has put up 3 points in second halves while their opponents have scored 49. If Jim Harbaugh is losing control of this team, it's definitely after the first half.
10. San Diego Chargers (2-1); beat Buffalo Bills 22-10, moves up three spots – The only team to beat Seattle this year got another big victory over the upstart Bills. Unfortunately, they also lost RB Danny Woodhead for the season, which will hurt. This is especially the case when you consider that the team is averaging under 3.0 yards per rush. But as long as they keep winning, this is just a stat.
11. Indianapolis Colts (1-2); beat Jacksonville Jaguars 44-17, moves up one spot – Nobody really expected Indianapolis to remain winless after a visit to Jacksonville. And Andrew Luck showed why by unleashing 4 touchdowns and 370 yards in this blowout. The game could have been even uglier if the Colts hadn't let off the gas after going up 30-0 in the first half.
12. Green Bay Packers (1-2); lost to Detroit 19-7, drops five spots – It's hard to remember a time when Green Bay's offense looked so ineffective with Aaron Rodgers under center. Rodgers threw for just 162 yards while Eddie Lacy was bottled up for 36 rushing yards on 11 carries. We're still waiting for the latter to get going, which could finally happen against the Bears this weekend.
13. Carolina Panthers (2-1); lost to Pittsburgh 37-19, drops five spots – We can't understand how a defense that looked so dominate in the first two weeks could be so bad against the Steelers. They allowed both Le'Veon Bell and Legarrette Bount to rush for over 100 yards – including 244 yards between tackles. Maybe the lengthy loss of Greg Hardy to a domestic abuse case will hurt far more than we realized.
14. Baltimore Ravens (2-1); beat Cleveland Browns 23-21, moves up one spot – Rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro and Justin Forsett combined to rush for 154 yards on 29 carries and a touchdown, while Baltimore was able to hang on and beat the Browns in a difficult road game. We don't see anybody knocking off the Bengals for the AFC North crown, but Baltimore has a solid shot at the postseason if they can keep running the ball like this.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1); beat Carolina Panthers 37-19, moves up two spots – As mentioned before, Blount and Bell both had 100-yard games – the first time that this has happened for Pittsburgh since 1986. This was basically a 180-degree turn from the week before against Baltimore, when the Steelers couldn't seem to get anything going on the ground.
16. Detroit Lions (2-1); beat Green Bay 19-7, moves up three spots – The Lions are doing a fantastic job at stopping the run this year, as their 2.8 yards allowed per carry stat indicates. Things could get a little tougher since Stephen Tulloch was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL. But Detroit still has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to continue grabbing victories.
17. Atlanta Falcons (2-1); beat Tampa Bay 56-14, moves up one spot – Julio Jones tore the Buccaneers defense up by catching 9 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. The main issue here remains the running game, but the passing game should help make up for some of the lack of run production.
18. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2); beat Miami 34-15, moves up two spots – Knile Davis filled in nicely for Jamaal Charles with 132 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. Alex Smith also provided three touchdown passes, despite getting sacked five times. With Charles likely back from injury this week, KC will get a boost.
19. Buffalo Bills (2-1); lost to San Diego 22-10, drops five spots – Quarterback E.J. Manuel confirmed the inaccuracy fears that surrounded him in the preseason by throwing several passes way off target. He avoided tossing any picks, but this could be one of the worst non-interception games in history. Manuel must play better or the high-paid backup Kyle Orton will be seeing some snaps.
20. Dallas Cowboys (2-1); beat St. Louis 34-31, moves up two spots – Dallas had to mount a huge comeback here since they fell behind 21-0. They took control in the second half after being sparked by a 68-yard touchdown catch by Dez Bryant. The run game was working again too with DeMarco Murray running for 100 yards on 24 carries.
21. Miami Dolphins (1-2); lost to Kansas City 34-15, drops five spots – Lamar Miller has picked up the rushing torch with Knowshon Moreno still sidelined. Miller ran for 108 yards on only 15 carries. However, it was hard for Miami to stay with their effective run game since their defense gave up so many points. Additionally, Ryan Tannehill didn't look very good against pressure, finishing with 205 yards on 21-of-43 passing.
22. New York Jets (1-2); lost to Chicago Bears 27-19, drops one spot – The Jets lose another close game after coughing up three turnovers and delivering an interception that was returned 45 yards for a touchdown. They also had six red zone drives, only to come away with points on just one of these. This team could easily be 3-0 if they could capitalize on opportunities and close out games.
23. New York Giants (1-2); beat Houston Texans 30-17, moves up seven spots – We're not enamored with the Giants, it's just that from here on, there aren't many good teams left. New York got their first win of 2014, and Victor Cruz caught his first touchdown since Week 4 of last season.
24. St. Louis (1-2); lost to Dallas 34-31, drops one spot – Austin Davis continues to surprise skeptics, who thought that this team was done when Sam Bradford went down with an injury. Unfortunately, his solid play didn't translate into a victory this time around as the Rams blew a 21-point lead.
25. Houston Texans (2-1); lost to New York Giants 30-17, drops one spot – Rashad Jennings tore this team up with a career-high 176 rushing yards. And it didn't help matters that Ryan Fitzpatrick threw 3 interceptions – all of them on downfield throws. But Houston avoids moving down too much because they do have a couple of victories.
26. Tennessee Titans (1-2); lost to Cincinnati Bengals 33-7, drops one spot – Tennessee was completely dominated by Cincinnati, although we'll give them a little credit since this was an impossible road game. Rookie Bishop Sankey rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries in garbage time. Perhaps he's prepping to finally get some meaningful carries over Shonn Greene.
27. Cleveland Browns (1-2); lost to Baltimore 23-21, moves up one spot – Cleveland continues to play tough against superior opponents, however, they came up short this time around. The Browns' two losses, which came against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, are by a combined 5 points. This is definitely a team that can win once the schedule softens up a little.
28. Washington Redskins (1-2); lost to Philadelphia 37-34, moves up one spot – Kirk Cousins continues to energize this team as he finished with 427 passing yards, 3 TD's and one interception. Unfortunately, he and the Skins fell just short of winning a HUGE road game. Washington has now lost seven straight divisional games, which is more than anybody else in the league right now.
29. Minnesota Vikings (1-2); lost to New Orleans 20-9, drops three spots – The Vikings didn't perform too badly against the Saints, losing by just 11 points. However, there's more trouble ahead with season-ending injuries to Matt Cassel and Kyle Rudolph. When coupled with the loss of Adrian Peterson, this bodes very poorly for the offense. But at least fans will get to see exciting rookie Teddy Bridgewater take over at QB.
30. Oakland Raiders (0-3); lost to New England Patriots 16-9, moves up one spot – The Raiders can be happy that they almost beat a really good team that's probably going to win their division. However, the downside is that this still goes down as another loss in the books. Dating back to last season, Oakland is on a 9-game losing streak.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3); lost to Atlanta Falcons 56-14, drops three spots – Any illusions of a rebound season for Tampa Bay were shot down in this devastating blowout to the Falcons. The Josh McCown experiment looks like a failure and he'll miss the next game with an injury. This opens the door for Mike Glennon to win back the starting job that he held for most of last season.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3); lost to Indianapolis Colts 44-17, drops one spot – For the second straight season, Jacksonville looks absolutely hopeless. But it will be interesting to see what Blake Bortles can do with the variety of receiving options that he has.
Posted in NBA Power Rankings	| Tagged Carson Palmer, Danny Woodhead, DeMarco Murray, Emmanuel Sanders, John Brown, LeGarrette Blount, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Malcolm Floyd, Marshawn Lynch, NFL power rankings Week 4, NFL power rankings Week 5, Ryan Mundy, Seattle Seahawks number one, Stephen Tulloch, Vince Willfork interception	| Leave a reply
NFL Power Rankings for Week 1 (Sept. 4th, 2014)
Posted on September 4, 2014 by Leo
With the preseason officially out of the way, the 2014 NFL regular season is set to kick off tonight. The Green Bay Packers travel to Seattle to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Seattle is the favorite here, but the way that the Packers can score, there's no telling how this game will go.
The same could be said of who'll be accepting the Lombardi Trophy this year. Again, many people like the Seahawks, however, the 49ers, Broncos, Packers Patriots, Saints and others will all have something to say about this. So who's our pick for the NFL's best team as of now? You can see for yourself in our first NFL power rankings of 2014.
1. Seattle Seahawks – Yeah, this isn't exactly original. But what reason do we have to doubt the champs since they return all of their key starters? QB Russell Wilson and RB Marshawn Lynch will once again be heading up the offense while shutdown-corner Richard Sherman is said to be more focused than ever. He's going to need this focus since Seattle will have the unenviable target on their backs all season.
2. Denver Broncos – The Broncos may have been humiliated in last year's Super Bowl, but they figure to be better on both sides of the ball. First off, the pass rush will be nastier with both LB Von Miller and DE DeMarcus Ware coming after the quarterback. And Montee Ball's ascension provides an upgrade over last year's starting running back, Knowshon Moreno.
3. San Francisco 49ers – LB Aldon Smith's 9-game suspension is a big blow to the 49ers' regular season. However, the rest of the San Francisco team is more than solid. And if Colin Kaepernick keeps up his strong play from last year – where he threw for 10 TD's and one interception over the final six regular season games – the Niners will be completely fine without Smith.
4. New England Patriots – The offense will be even less reliant on Tom Brady this season with a talented group of ball carriers. Shane Vereen headlines the group with his dual abilities, while rookie James White, Brandon Bolden and Stevan Ridley add lots of depth.
5. New Orleans Saints – It will be strange not seeing Darren Sproles catching passes out of the backfield this year. But that could leave Pierre Thomas with an even bigger role. Rookie receiver Brandin Cooks got a lot of press this offseason. If he's as good as the hype, then Drew Brees will have no trouble finding him.
6. Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers missed seven games last year and Green Bay still made the postseason. Plus, Eddie Lacy got a chance to shine in his rookie season. Together, this pair forms one of the toughest QB-RB tandems in the league. Even in the opener against Seattle's tough defense tonight, these two should work well off of each other.
7. Philadelphia Eagles – It's almost impossible to see Nick Foles duplicating 27 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions for a second straight year. But even though we expect this ratio to change, it's hard to see him not being great once again in the weak NFC East. If receiver Jeremy Maclin can stay healthy, this has the potential to be the league's best offense.
8. Cincinnati Bengals – You have to like Cincinnati's chances of improving this year with Geno Atkins back. The All-Pro defensive tackle missed seven games last season and the defense was still stout. QB Andy Dalton got a big offseason deal. Will he prove that he's worth it this year?
9. Indianapolis Colts – Much is made about the unsettled backfield in Indy, but having Andrew Luck under center guarantees the offense of remaining dangerous. Signing LB D'Qwell Jackson and DE Arthur Jones will bring much-needed help to a defense that gave up 125.1 rushing yards per game in 2013.
10. Chicago Bears – The Bears offense should have no trouble scoring points in their second year under coach Marc Trestman. But the defense will determine how far this team goes. Signing defensive ends Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen and Willie Young definitely helps, as does getting linebackers D.J. Williams and Lance Briggs back from injury. But the results certainly didn't show up in the third preseason game, when starters play the majority of snaps.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers – Pittsburgh might finally have their traditional power running game back with Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount heading up the backfield. Rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier will bring some nice explosiveness to a defensive unit that had aged far too much last season.
12. Carolina Panthers – Last year was a breakthrough season for the Panthers. But can they repeat that performance, or possibly do better? Every receiver from last season's roster is gone, meaning Cam Newton will be meshing with a completely new unit. So far, rookie Kelvin Benjamin is looking like a pretty reliable target for Newton.
13. San Diego Chargers – San Diego was one of three AFC West teams that made the playoffs in 2013. The offense again looks capable of leading the Chargers back to the postseason – especially with rookie sensation Keenan Allen coming off a surprise 1,046-yard year. The defense is the only thing that could hold this team back from more success.
14. Baltimore Ravens – Gary Kubiak has been brought in as offensive coordinator to shore up the mess here. The key will be figuring out how to use Bernard Pierce and an aging Ray Rice in tandem. A lot is riding on how linebacker C.J. Mosley and end Timmy Jernigan carry this historically good defense, which has never allowed 4.0 yards per rush in franchise history.
15. Arizona Cardinals – The running game should be a lot more explosive with Andre Ellington stepping into a featured role. But the line needs to do a much better job of protecting Carson Palmer, who was sacked a career-high 41 times. Also, the defense will definitely miss Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby and Daryl Washington from last season's 10-6 team.
16. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill is developing into a star quarterback. However, the new offensive line needs to ensure that this continues. The combination of Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno should guarantee that the running game is better this time around.
17. Kansas City Chiefs – It's hard to see the Chiefs duplicating last year's performance, where they benefited from one of the league's weakest schedules. The defense should once again be good, and Jamaal Charles showed that he's a bonafide star when healthy. But a lack of explosion in the receiving corp coupled with Alex Smith's weak arm will limit the offense.
18. Detroit Lions – There are plenty of weapons on this team with QB Matthew Stafford, wideouts Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, TE Eric Ebron, and running backs Reggie Bush and Joique Bell. Switching to defense, Ziggy Ansah and Ndamukong Suh need to put lots of pressure on opposing quarterbacks to keep a weak secondary from being exposed.
19. Atlanta Falcons – Many are picking the Falcons to far exceed the dismal 4-12 record from their last campaign. But we think that a few more regular season games are in order before predicting a return to NFC South dominance. Regardless, Atlanta should be much better with offensive line additions and a healthy Roddy White and Julio Jones.
20. St. Louis Rams – The Sam Bradford loss hurts, there's no way around that. But tailback Zac Stacy still gives this offense one weapon that opposing defenses will have trouble dealing with. Unfortunately, playing in the league's toughest division, the NFC West, will ensure that St. Louis doesn't make the playoffs.
21. New York Jets – The situation under center isn't as dire this season, with Geno Smith looking more polished in the preseason. And even if he fails, at least they have Michael Vick to fall back on. The secondary is much more of a concern because Dee Milliner and Kyle Wilson are the only truly experienced cornerbacks on the roster.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Everything from the Doug Martin injury to the Josh Freeman situation was a disaster for this team. But now they start fresh with Martin back and Josh McCown under center. Acquiring guard Logan Mankins in a trade with the Patriots was definitely a smart move for this team because their offensive line is unstable.
23. New York Giants – You wouldn't think that the offense would be as bad as it was in 2013, when Eli Manning threw nine more interceptions than touchdowns. But under new offensive coordinator Bob McAdoo, the team looks atrocious. Let's hope in this case that the preseason really doesn't mean anything.
24. Tennessee Titans – The passing game could really click this year with Jake Locker throwing to playmakers like Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. But it's a little unsettling that heralded rookie Bishop Sankey hasn't been able to take the starting job away from plodding veteran Shonn Greene. Once Sankey breaks out, this team will start experiencing success.
25. Dallas Cowboys – Dallas is saved from being the worst team by an offense that features Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and DeMarco Murray. But their defense is even worse from a year ago, when they allowed the third-most yards in NFL history. The losses of DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher and Sean Lee spell doom for the Boys.
26. Minnesota Vikings – Matt Cassel better hope that he can continue playing as strongly as he did in the preseason. Otherwise the Teddy Bridgewater era will be ushered in sooner, rather than later. Regardless of what happens at QB, though, Adrian Peterson looks to have yet another strong year running the ball.
27. Houston Texans – Jadeveon Clowney looked pretty explosive in preseason games and should have a long career of terrorizing opposing passers. As for the Texans' own quarterback situation, Ryan Fitzpatrick starts with the reigns. But with Ryan Mallet coming over in a trade, should we expect a future QB battle?
28. Buffalo Bills – The Bills had one of the NFL's most-underrated defenses last season after holding quarterbacks to the second-lowest rating (behind Seattle). But much like Houston, Buffalo needs to worry about their own passer since E.J. Manuel has shown little progression in his second year. It's no coincidence that the Bills recently signed Kyle Orton to a two-year, $11 million contract, making him the league's highest-paid backup.
29. Washington Redskins – This preseason was highlighted by Joe Theismann's comments that Kirk Cousins (4 TD's, 1 INT) was badly outplaying Robert Griffin III (0 TD's, 2 INT's). It doesn't matter, though, because coach Jay Gruden has handed Griffin the ball. He'll now hope to get back to his rookie success, rather than last season's debacle.
30. Cleveland Browns – Brian Hoyer didn't look overly sharp while winning the starting job over Johnny Manziel. But he does boast a 3-0 career record as a starter. It's almost impossible to see this mark remaining intact with Cleveland traveling to Pittsburgh, especially since the suspended WR Josh Gordon won't be available this game – or any game in 2014 for that matter.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jacksonville didn't win a game until Week 10; then they went 4-4 after that point. We certainly don't think that this indicates a .500 or better Jaguars club this season. But rookie Blake Bortles should take over at QB soon and start a new and better era in Jacksonville football.
32. Oakland Raiders – Oakland has been in rebuilding mode for over a decade. This season doesn't look to be any different, with a quarterback controversy already due to Matt Schaub's poor performance. The Raiders wanted Derek Carr to hold the clipboard for his first season, however, this doesn't seem so likely now.
Posted in Uncategorized	| Tagged 2014 NFL power rankings, 2014 NFL power rankings Week 1, Bernard Pierce, Cam Newton 2014, Chicago Bears 2014, D'Qwell Jackson, DeMarcus Ware Broncos, Denver Broncos 2014, Dez Bryant, Eddie Lacy, Joique Bell, Kelvin Benjamin, Marshawn Lynch, Pittsburgh Steelers, Richard Sherman 2014, Ryan Shazier Steelers, Seattle Seahawks 2014, Timmy Jernigan	| Leave a reply
Is Christine Michael ready for an expanded Role in Seattle?
Posted on June 3, 2014 by Leo
Seattle has no shortage of depth at running back. For starters, they feature Pro-Bowler Marshawn Lynch, who racked up 1,257 rushing yards and 12 TDs while starting in the backfield. They also have Robert Turbin, a multi-purpose back who gained over 500 total yards on the 2013 season. That said, there was little need to play rookie Christine Michael during the Seahawks' championship run last season.
Now, this isn't to say that Michael wasn't deserving of playing time. The bruising 5'10", 221-pound player out of Texas A&M runs a 4.43 forty and has the moves and power to be a great NFL tailback. But buried behind two veterans like Turbin and Lynch, Michael only managed 18 carries for 79 yards.
Coming off of what was akin to a redshirt season, Michael may force his way onto the field this time around. So if you're interested in 2014 Seattle Seahawks betting, you'll want to take into account how loaded this second-year man makes the team's backfield.
He's already been shining in OTAs, ripping off a number of impressive runs that have writers talking about the 23-year-old. Of course, this is nothing new to Seattle since they knew he had talent, taking him with their highest pick (62nd overall) in the 2013 Draft, despite already having two strong backs. But what's really impressed coach Pete Carroll is the strides that Michael has been making in other areas.
"We have very high expectations for him," Carroll said. "He's going to get a ton of work. He's just a million miles ahead of where he was in terms of understanding what we want scheme-wise, pass protection-wise, route-wise and we know he's a natural runner. He's got explosive talent and we just want to get him to fit in."
As Seattle running backs coach Sherman Smith points out, the only thing keeping Michael off the field more is a typical roadblock for many young players – understanding the NFL intricacies. "For Christine, it's just the development that he has to go through," Smith said. "You see the physical part of his game, there's no question about that. It's the mental part where most guys have to develop."
What to expect from Michael in 2014
Smith has made it clear that Lynch is the starter, and for good reason too. "Beast Mode" is in the prime of his career and showed no signs of decline last season. But as for Turbin, well, Michael definitely has a shot to steal work – or outright take the backup role – from the fourth-year veteran.
A big reason why Turbin backed up Lynch is because he had a better understanding of the offense and is a strong blocker. But judging from Carroll's comments, Michael seems to have improved in these areas. And even if he's not quite as good of a blocker as Turbin, he could still usurp the latter's role.
The idea behind drafting Michael was that he'd be the franchise's running back of the future. So Seattle will definitely be looking to groom him more in 2014. And it's not entirely crazy to think that he could be starting in 2015, given that Lynch is 28 and would add $9 million to the salary cap in two years. But first thing's first, and that is for Michael to get some meaningful playing time this season.
Posted in NFL News	| Tagged Christine Michael, Christine Michael 2014, Christine Michael forty, Marshawn Beast Mode, Marshawn Lynch, Pete Carroll Christine Michael, Robert Turbin, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks betting 2014, Sherman Smith Seattle	| Leave a reply
Adam Muema's Bizarre Behavior may bounce Him out of 2014 NFL Draft
Posted on February 28, 2014 by Leo
Going into the 2014 NFL Combine, San Diego State running back Adam Muema was an intriguing prospect with a 40-inch vertical leap and an unofficial 4.57 forty-yard dash time. More importantly, his last two years with the Aztecs were pretty impressive. In 2012, he rushed for 1,458 yards and 16 touchdowns on 237 carries. He followed this up with 1,244 yards and 15 touchdowns on 256 carries in 2013.
Given all of this, some analysts had Muema going as high as the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The lowest estimates were usually in the fifth round due to his smallish (for running backs) 5'10", 205-pound stature. But thanks to recent developments, it's almost impossible to see Muema getting drafted at all.
Those around the league were already wondering about his sanity when he left the combine because he was "following God." Muema later told reporters that God told him it was already a given that he'd be playing for the Seattle Seahawks. Forget the voices in Muema's head since the thought of him playing for the Seahawks is already crazy enough. They return Marshawn Lynch, capable backup Robert Turbin and heralded first-rounder Chrstine Michael, so it's highly unlikely that he'd crack this lineup.
Things have gotten even more bizarre lately because Muema was missing for three days after he left the combine. Thankfully, he's turned up, but the reason why he was missing is because God told him to stay in a Florida airport for three days. Oklahoma linebacker Corey Nelson, who'd been working out with Muema, explained the matter to the San Diego Union-Tribune, as you can see from the following excerpt:
Adam Muema was found Thursday at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, ex-Oklahoma linebacker Corey Nelson said.
The airport is near the athlete performance facility where they spent the past two months training for the NFL. Muema had been there since Monday, when his Southwest flight from Indianapolis landed at about 1:30 p.m. ET.
Muema called Nelson on Thursday to ask for a ride. When Nelson arrived, he said Muema was still dressed in NFL-issued combine gear. When asked to describe Muema's demeanor on Thursday, Nelson said the running back seemed "focused, cheerful and very wise."
"He said he was at the airport for three days straight," Nelson said. "He was telling me when I picked him up that God told him to stay at the airport and don't do anything. Just stay there. That's what he did for three days straight.
"On the fourth day, he told me he couldn't do it anymore. He decided to call me."
Not to turn this whole situation into a sacrilegious joke, but there's a strong chance that God doesn't want Adam Muema to get drafted with the advice that he's supposedly been dispensing. It's not like Muema was a guaranteed first-round pick going into the combine. And now that he's shown some very irregular behavior as of late, the former San Diego State star will have a very difficult time convincing anybody to draft him.
Maybe some team that's desperate for a running back will take a seventh-round flier on Mumea…maybe he won't get drafted and he'll work his way on to a team with a great preseason. Or, just maybe Muema's odd decisions will continue and he'll never see the field in a regular season game.
We're not wishing the worst upon the 21-year-old. However, he needs to change things around quickly, or he'll be the new Dimitrius Underwood, who was drafted in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. After being drafted by the Vikings and later signing a 5-year, $5.3 million contract, he walked out of training camp saying that his Christian faith and playing football didn't mix. He later blew an opportunity with the Dolphins after showing little aptitude for the sport. Underwood hit rock bottom when he said he "wasn't worthy of God" and tried to commit suicide by slashing his neck with a cutlass. Following this incident, he spent several months in a treatment facility.
Posted in NFL News	| Tagged 2014 NFL Combine, 2014 NFL Draft, Adam Muema, Adam Muema airport, Corey Nelson, Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, San Diego Chargers, San Diego State, Seattle Seahawks	| Leave a reply
2014 Super Bowl Outcome Likely to change Future of NFL Teams
Posted on February 4, 2014 by Leo
In a day and age where NFL teams desperately reach for the next great quarterback while ignoring the rest of their roster, the Seattle Seahawks are an anomaly. Their GM, Joe Schneider, in collaboration with head coach Pete Carroll, took no shortcuts en route to transforming a middling team with no identity into the powerhouse that destroyed Denver 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII.
The league definitely took notice of this spectacle, as Seattle's tall, lengthy corners, Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell, held the Broncos' star-studded receiving corp in check. The league saw safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas make crushing hits whenever Peyton Manning did find his receivers for mostly harmless chunks of yards. They watched as Seattle's pass rushers, Chris Clemons, Cliff Avril and Red Bryant, completely took one of history's greatest quarterbacks out of his comfort zone. They witnessed the Seahawks' offensive stars, Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, make huge plays whenever they were needed. And now, the league is going to act on what they saw in the 2014 Super Bowl.
You can count on a dozen or more teams working to build a roster that's more akin to Seattle. And this means that defensive players will gain a little more value this offseason. Greg Hardy, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are all set to make far more money this summer thanks to the Seattle Seahawks.
Teams have already been gravitating towards quarterbacks who can throw on the run. However, guys like Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater gain even more value in the draft after Wilson helped lead Seattle to a championship. Furthermore, the prototypical height requirement of 6'3″ or taller is diminished because of the 5'11" Wilson.
Running back committees have almost become automatic in this day and age. But when looking at the success Seattle had with a bruising, workhorse back like Lynch and a competent backup in Robert Turbin, getting somebody who can carry the load will be of extreme importance.
The Seahawks have definitely created the template here. And multiple teams will now be hoping to emulate Seattle's roster. Obviously some organizations will fail badly at doing so. Others might achieve the success of San Francisco and Carolina, which are both very similar to Seattle. But will anybody be able to reach the heights that the Seahawks did this year? Or will it be the team from the Pacific Northwest repeating again as champs? You can bet that this will be a busy offseason as teams try to prevent the latter from happening again.
Posted in NFL News	| Tagged 2014 Super Bowl, Andrew Luck, Aqib Talib, Byron Maxwell, Denver Broncos, Earl Thomas, Greg Hardy, Johnny Manziel, Kam Chancellor, Marshawn Lynch, Pete Carroll, Richard Sherman, Robert Turbin, Seahawks GM John Schneider, Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl XLVIII	| Leave a reply


Година: 2015 23 x 42 мин.
"Мери Маргарет Бланчард / Снежанка"
"Реджина Милс / На Злата Кралица"
"Дейвид Нолан / Принц "Джеймс" Очарователен"
Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope that he can stop her transformation. Along the way to Camelot, she gets help from the plucky and brave warrior princess Merida, as well as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
In Camelot, the heroes feverishly work to free Merlin. Determined to help Emma, David embarks on a quest to retrieve a magical relic that Regina could use to communicate with the imprisoned sorcerer, but, when David leaves, Arthur insists on joining him because the dangers ahead are greater than he can imagine. Meanwhile, Mary Margaret discovers the fate of her old friend Lancelot. Back in Storybrooke, Arthur seeks David's help to catch a thief who threatens the safety of the citizens of Camelot. Across town, Emma reaches out to a conflicted Hook as she sets about her plan to draw Excalibur from the stone.
After receiving a cryptic warning from Lancelot about Arthur\'s intentions, Mary Margaret realizes Arthur may be the heroes\' biggest threat, but when she is unable to convince David of the danger, she takes matters into her own hands. Meanwhile, Hook\'s unwavering love for Emma provides a glimmer of hope in her struggle against the unrelenting voice of Rumplestiltskin. In a Camelot flashback, Guinevere senses that Arthur is losing his way, consumed by his obsession with making Excalibur whole, so she sets out with Lancelot on her own quest into the heart of darkness. In Storybrooke, Dark Emma unleashes a secret weapon in the next phase of her plan to find the brave soul she needs to draw Excalibur from the stone.
In Camelot, as Mary Margaret and David attempt to retrieve the Dark One dagger, Emma uses a Dreamcatcher to look into the past to see how Merlin was transformed into a tree. Together, Emma and Regina figure out the critical ingredient they must acquire to free Merlin, but it\'s a race against Arthur, who does not want Merlin released. Meanwhile, with encouragement from his moms, Henry musters up the courage to ask Violet on a date. Back in Storybrooke, the heroes break into Emma\'s house hoping to locate Gold, but what they find will give them a glimpse of Emma\'s end game. Far from prying eyes, Merida sets about the mission Emma has tasked her with and begins molding Gold into the hero they need to draw Excalibur.
In a Camelot flashback, a chance encounter with Merlin, David, Hook and Belle gives Merida new hope in her quest to save her brothers from the usurping clans of DunBroch. Unwilling to leave anything up to fate, Merida brings Belle along on a dangerous journey that culminates with an invaluable lesson in bravery. In Storybrooke, Regina, Mary Margaret and David discover the spell that would allow one of Merlin's chosen to communicate with him, but when Arthur fails to reach the missing sorcerer the heroes grow suspicious. Meanwhile, Emma commands Merida to kill Belle in hopes of forcing Mr. Gold's heroic transformation. With Merida unable to disobey Emma's orders.
In Camelot, Merlin spearheads a mission to reunite the dagger with Excalibur so he can use the weapon to save Emma from the darkness threatening her soul. With Zelena in tow, Hook, Mary Margaret, David, Regina and Robin steal into Arthur's castle to take the broken sword from the maniacal king. Meanwhile, Merlin brings Emma along on a journey to confront his ancient nemesis and retrieve the sacred spark he'll need to reforge Excalibur. Both parties are tested, but one suffers a blow that could derail the entire operation. In a flashback to long before the Age of Arthur, young Merlin finds purpose after he is blessed with magic and immortality, but when he falls in love with a young refugee named Nimue, everything changes for Merlin, as their romance starts a chain of events that touches every one of our present day heroes.
Tensions in Camelot come to a head when Merlin, now under Arthur's control, delivers an ultimatum to Emma: hand over the Dark One dagger and the Promethean spark or he will kill her entire family. Refusing to give in, Emma and our heroes face off against Arthur, Merlin and Zelena in an epic battle of magic and will. Just when the end is in sight, Emma is forced to make a gut-wrenching choice that no one saw coming. Back in Storybrooke, Zelena's pregnancy mysteriously accelerates and Hook goes to new and desperate lengths to get answers from the Dark Swan.
Zelena and Arthur journey to DunBroch on a mission to retrieve an enchanted relic that will provide the advantage they need to vanquish Emma and our heroes. Their path will cross with Merida's, who is on a journey of her own to pay a debt that her father, King Fergus, owed to the Witch when he died. Merida enlists the help of two friends, Mulan and Ruby, but, in order to satisfy the Witch and save DunBroch, she first must discover the identity of the knight who killed her father. In flashbacks, Merida learns about bravery and honor as she trains for combat and rides alongside Fergus into the infamous battle that claims his life.
In a Camelot flashback, Hook becomes a Dark One and his lust for revenge against Rumplestiltskin is reignited. When Emma and Hook disagree about their best course of action, the final pieces of the puzzle are revealed as events in Camelot catch up to the present and we witness a charged confrontation between the forces of light and dark that sends our heroes on a collision course with destiny. Meanwhile, in Storybrooke, Hook's centuries old lust for revenge against Gold puts both of their fates in jeopardy while Emma's love faces the ultimate test as she tries to convince Hook to turn away from the darkness before she, Mary Margaret, David and Regina embark on a new mission as an unsuspected evil is released.
Тъмните сили се готвят да унищожат добрата магия веднъж завинаги, което довежда до сблъсък между Ема Суон и Капитан Хук.
След като Хук жертва себе си, за да спаси Сторибрук, героите го следват в подземния свят, където срещат лица от миналото си.
The heroes join forces with an old friend of Snow\'s to defeat an obstacle standing in the way of finding Hook. Meanwhile, Hook encounters challenges of his own.
Hook\'s captivity takes a dark turn when Hades threatens to condemn him to the River of Lost Souls after Hook refuses to choose which three of his friends will have to remain in the Underworld. Meanwhile, Gold is suddenly eager to help Emma, Snow, David, Regina, Robin and Henry find Hook so he can return home to Belle; but in order to do so, he must find his ex-wife Milah in the Underworld and ask for her help. In Fairy Tale Land flashbacks, Rumple and Milah face a life-or-death crisis concerning their son, Baelfire, that forces Rumple to make a deal that will haunt him.
In Underbrooke, Hook questions whether he is worthy of forgiveness after meeting his brother Liam. In the past, Liam makes a deal of his own to save himself and his brother... at the cost of a ship\'s worth of men. Meanwhile, Henry meets the Apprentice and learns of his true power.
Emma, Snow, David, Regina, Robin, Henry and Hook continue to search for a way to free everyone from the Underworld. At the mercy of Hades, Gold creates a portal to Storybrooke, which transports Belle, Zelena and Baby Hood to the Underworld. While Zelena and Regina get into a sibling squabble, Belle is reunited with Rumple only to learn some tremendously shocking news that will change her life forever. Meanwhile, Snow and David hopelessly attempt to send a message from the Underworld to their son, Neal. In flashbacks, Hades learns about Zelena's very special spell and pays her a visit in Oz with the intention of striking an alliance, but finds himself with more than just a partner in crime.
Belle turns to Rumplestiltskin with hope of finding a way to protect their child from Hades. However, they disagree over whether to use dark magic, as Belle forbids Rumplestiltskin from using his powers for evil. Meanwhile, Hades secretly meets with Gaston in the Underworld and encourages him to seek revenge on Rumplestiltskin. As the heroes try to find a way to defeat Hades, Emma has a terrifying nightmare that she realizes is beginning to come true. And in flashbacks, Belle and Gaston meet for the first time, but their blossoming romance comes to a halt on the eve of the Ogre wars.
Now that Hades and Zelena are reunited, Hades tells Zelena that he wants a future with her outside of the Underworld. All she needs to do is heal his heart with True Love's Kiss so they can leave the Underworld and trap the heroes there for eternity. When Regina overhears of this plan, she enlists Cora's help to find a way to separate Zelena from Hades. However, Cora reveals a family secret that could change Regina and Zelena's lives forever. Meanwhile, David finally meets James, only to realize that his twin is determined to seek revenge on him for stealing the life he could have had.
Hades turns to the heroes to ask for help with getting Zelena back from Rumplestiltskin and Peter Pan. In return, he offers to take all their names off their tombstones. However, when Hook is still unable to leave, he and Emma must journey into the depths of the Underworld. Meanwhile, Cruella De Vil is determined to keep the heroes trapped in the Underworld. In flashbacks, Emma searches for answers about her family and makes an unexpected friendship.
Emma, David, Regina, Robin and Henry are finally back home in Storybrooke and reunited with Snow, but, unfortunately, they still have to contend with Hades, who continues to deceive Zelena as he lays out his plan to use the all-powerful Olympian Crystal to take over the town. The heroes desperately search for a way to defeat Hades while Hook does the same in the Underworld, looking for those missing storybook pages. Regina and Robin take a more direct approach, which culminates in an epic showdown that will leave our heroes forever changed.
Regina reels from the death of Robin Hood, and everyone tries to give her room to grieve, but when the heroes discover Gold has stolen Hades' Olympian Crystal and tethered all of Storybrooke's magic to it, they set out to stop him. Henry decides he no longer can stand all the pain magic has caused his family, so he goes rogue, with Violet in tow, to destroy magic once and for all. Meanwhile, Zelena, Snow, David, and Hook attempt to open a portal that will return Merida and the other Storybrooke guests to their homes, but things go awry, and the group winds up in a deranged new world.
With the possibility of magic being destroyed and the fate of Storybrooke hanging in the balance, it's a race for Emma and Regina to track down Henry before Gold can find him first. Regina continues to struggle with her frustrations over her former evil-self and, elsewhere, Snow, David, Hook, and Zelena are imprisoned and must contend with two very disturbed individuals that may give Gold a run for his money.


Chris Watts lived with his wife Shan'ann and their two young daughters in Frederick, Colorado. They were married for six years. Their life was the ideal American dream with two small children, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3, and a beautiful five-bedroom home. But, as we learn as we get older, things aren't always what they seem to be on the surface.
Although I am not sure as to the length of the affair, it is now public knowledge that Chris was having an affair with a female co-worker. It is also assumed, per discovery of certain searches done on his computer, that he may very well have wanted out of his marriage and to start anew with his mistress.
On August 16 the bodies of Shan'ann and her two daughters were discovered at the property of Chris' former employer (he was fired on August 15, maybe because he got arrested or maybe because the former boss had suspicions, I don't know). The two little girls were found in oil tanks while Shan'ann was buried in a shallow grave near the tanks.
The interrogation video of Chris and his mistress' interview have been released. Nancy Grace and guests discuss this at www.crimeonline.com. Check it out. You'll realize the diabolical coldness that allowed this man to annihilate his family. Guests include Susan Constantine, Deception & Body Language Expert; Vincent Hill, Private Investigator, Author of "Playbook to a Murder"; Ashley Willcott, Atlanta Juvenile Judge & Lawyer; Ellen Killoran, CrimeOnline Reporter.


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Q: Simulate a path-dependent type in Haskell Here is a simplified example of what I want to do. Let's say you have a HList of pairs:
let hlist = HCons (1, "1") (HCons ("0", 2) (HCons ("0", 1.5) HNil))

Now I want to write a function replaceAll which will replace all the "keys" of a given type with the first "value" of the same type. For example, with the HList above I would like to replace all the String keys with "1" which is the first value of type String found in the HList
 replaceAll @String hlist =
    HCons (1, "1") (HCons ("1", 2) (HCons ("1", 1.5) HNil))

This seems to require path-dependent types in order to "extract" the type of the first pair and being able to use it to direct the replacement of keys in a second step but I don't know how to encode this in Haskell.

A: This is a proof search problem ("find occurrences of String in this list"), so you can expect that the solution will involve type class Prolog. I'll answer a simpler version of your question (namely "find the first occurrence of String") and let you figure out how to adjust it for your exact use case.
Since we're doing a proof search, let's start by writing down the proof object we'll be searching for.
data Contains a as where
    Here :: Contains a (a ': as)
    There :: Contains a as -> Contains a (b ': as)

A value of type Contains a as is a constructive proof that you can find a in the type-level list as. Structurally, Contains is like a natural number (compare There (There Here) with S (S Z)) identifying the location of a in the list as. To prove that a is in as you give its index.
For example, you can replace an element at a given location in an HList with a new element of the same type.
replace :: a -> Contains a as -> HList as -> HList as
replace x Here (HCons y ys) = HCons x ys
replace x (There i) (HCons y ys) = HCons y (replace x i ys)

We want to search for an a within a given list using type class Prolog. There are two cases - either you find the a at the head of the list, or it's somewhere in the tail. (If a is not in as, using contains will fail with a "no instance" error.) Ideally we'd write something like this:
class CONTAINS a as where
    contains :: Contains a as

instance CONTAINS a (a ': as) where
    contains = Here

instance CONTAINS a as => CONTAINS a (b ': as) where
    contains = There contains  -- recursively call `contains` on the sublist

but this fails the overlapping instance rule. Instance contexts and type equalities are not inspected during instance search - the elaborator doesn't backtrack - so neither of these instances is more specific than the other.
Fortunately there's a well-known solution to this problem. It involves using a closed type family to tell a and b apart. You define an auxiliary class CONTAINS' with an extra parameter, in this case a Bool telling you whether a can be found at the head of as.
class CONTAINS' (eq :: Bool) a (as :: [*]) where
    contains' :: Contains a as

Then you define instances for the cases when eq is True or False. The elaborator can tell these instances apart, because True and False are visibly different. Note that the step case recursively calls CONTAINS.
instance CONTAINS' True a (a ': as) where
    contains' = Here

instance CONTAINS a as => CONTAINS' False a (b ': as) where
    contains' = There contains

Finally you define your CONTAINS instance in terms of CONTAINS', and use the result of ==, a closed type family which tests whether its arguments are equal, to pick an instance.
instance CONTAINS' (a == b) a (b ': as) => CONTAINS a (b ': as) where
    contains = contains' @(a == b)

(This is one of the very few acceptable uses of Boolean type families.)
Now you can use CONTAINS as you would any other class. When you try and instantiate a and as GHC will attempt to search for an a inside as, and the contains method will return its index.
example :: Contains Int '[Bool, Int, Char]
example = contains

-- "no instance for CONTAINS"
failingExample :: Contains String '[Bool, Int, Char]
failingExample = contains

This is a fairly simple example and the code is already quite messy. You can definitely approach the example in your question in the same manner, but all told I'm not convinced that static checking is worth the complexity in this instance. Have you considered an implementation based on Typeable?

A: A bug breaks this in current GHCs. Once the fix is merged in, this should work fine. In the meantime, the other answer can tide you over.
First, define
data Elem :: k -> [k] -> Type where
  Here :: Elem x (x : xs)
  There :: Elem x xs -> Elem x (y : xs)

An Elem x xs tells you where to find an x in an xs. Also, here's an existential wrapper:
data EntryOfVal v kvs = forall k. EntryOfVal (Elem (k, v) kvs)
-- to be clear, this is the type constructor (,) :: Type -> Type -> Type
type family EntryOfValKey (eov :: EntryOfVal v kvs) :: Type where
  EntryOfValKey ('EntryOfVal (_ :: Elem (k, v) kvs)) = k
type family GetEntryOfVal (eov :: EntryOfVal v kvs) :: Elem (EntryOfValKey eov, v) kvs where
  GetEntryOfVal ('EntryOfVal e) = e

If you have an Elem at the type level, you may materialize it
class MElem (e :: Elem (x :: k) xs) where
  mElem :: Elem x xs
instance MElem Here where
  mElem = Here
instance MElem e => MElem (There e) where
  mElem = There (mElem @_ @_ @_ @e)

Similarly, you may materialize an EntryOfVal
type MEntryOfVal eov = MElem (GetEntryOfVal eov) -- can be a proper constraint synonym
mEntryOfVal :: forall v kvs (eov :: EntryOfVal v kvs).
               MEntryOfVal eov =>
               EntryOfVal v kvs
mEntryOfVal = EntryOfVal (mElem @_ @_ @_ @(GetEntryOfVal eov))

If a type is an element of a list of types, then you may extract a value of that type from an HList of that list of types:
indexH :: Elem t ts -> HList ts -> t
indexH Here (HCons x _) = x
indexH (There i) (HCons _ xs) = indexH i xs

(I feel the need to point out how fundamentally important indexH is to HList. For one, HList ts is isomorphic to its indexer forall t. Elem t ts -> t. Also, indexH has a dual, injS :: Elem t ts -> t -> Sum ts for suitable Sum.)
Meanwhile, up on the type level, this function can give you the first possible EntryOfVal given a value type and a list:
type family FirstEntryOfVal (v :: Type) (kvs :: [Type]) :: EntryOfVal v kvs where
  FirstEntryOfVal v ((k, v) : _) = 'EntryOfVal Here
  FirstEntryOfVal v (_ : kvs) = 'EntryOfVal (There (GetEntryOfVal (FirstEntryOfVal v kvs)))

The reason for separating the materialization classes from FirstEntryOfVal is because the classes are reusable. You can easily write new type families that return Elems or EntryOfVals and materialize them. Merging them together into one monolithic class is messy, and now you have to rewrite the "logic" (not that there is much) of MElem every time instead of reusing it. My approach does, however, give a higher up-front cost. However, the code required is entirely mechanical, so it is conceivable that a TH library could write it for you. I don't know a library that can handle this, but singletons plans to.
Now, this function can get you a value given a EntryOfVal proof:
indexHVal :: forall v kvs. EntryOfVal v kvs -> HList kvs -> v
indexHVal (EntryOfVal e) = snd . indexH e

And now GHC can do some thinking for you:
indexHFirstVal :: forall v kvs. MEntryOfVal (FirstEntryOfVal v kvs) =>
                  HList kvs -> v
indexHFirstVal = indexHVal (mEntryOfVal @_ @_ @(FirstEntryOfVal v kvs))

Once you have the value, you need to find the keys. For efficiency (O(n) vs. O(n^2), I think) reasons and for my sanity, we won't make a mirror of EntryOfVal, but use a slightly different type. I'll just give the boilerplate without explanation, now
-- for maximal reuse:
-- data All :: (k -> Type) -> [k] -> Type
-- where an All f xs contains an f x for every x in xs
-- plus a suitable data type to recover EntriesOfKey from All
-- not done here mostly because All f xs's materialization
-- depends on f's, so we'd need more machinery to generically
-- do that
-- in an environment where the infrastructure already exists
-- (e.g. in singletons, where our materializers decompose as a
-- composition of SingI materialization and SingKind demotion)
-- using All would be feasible
data EntriesOfKey :: Type -> [Type] -> Type where
  Nowhere :: EntriesOfKey k '[]
  HereAndThere :: EntriesOfKey k kvs -> EntriesOfKey k ((k, v) : kvs)
  JustThere :: EntriesOfKey k kvs -> EntriesOfKey k (kv : kvs)
class MEntriesOfKey (esk :: EntriesOfKey k kvs) where
  mEntriesOfKey :: EntriesOfKey k kvs
instance MEntriesOfKey Nowhere where
  mEntriesOfKey = Nowhere
instance MEntriesOfKey e => MEntriesOfKey (HereAndThere e) where
  mEntriesOfKey = HereAndThere (mEntriesOfKey @_ @_ @e)
instance MEntriesOfKey e => MEntriesOfKey (JustThere e) where
  mEntriesOfKey = JustThere (mEntriesOfKey @_ @_ @e)

The logic:
type family AllEntriesOfKey (k :: Type) (kvs :: [Type]) :: EntriesOfKey k kvs where
  AllEntriesOfKey _ '[] = Nowhere
  AllEntriesOfKey k ((k, _) : kvs) = HereAndThere (AllEntriesOfKey k kvs)
  AllEntriesOfKey k (_ : kvs) = JustThere (AllEntriesOfKey k kvs)

The actual value manipulation
updateHKeys :: EntriesOfKey k kvs -> (k -> k) -> HList kvs -> HList kvs
updateHKeys Nowhere f HNil = HNil
updateHKeys (HereAndThere is) f (HCons (k, v) kvs) = HCons (f k, v) (updateHKeys is f kvs)
updateHKeys (JustThere is) f (HCons kv kvs) = HCons kv (updateHKeys is f kvs)

Get GHC to think some more
updateHAllKeys :: forall k kvs. MEntriesOfKey (AllEntriesOfKey k kvs) =>
                  (k -> k) -> HList kvs -> HList kvs
updateHAllKeys = updateHKeys (mEntriesOfKey @_ @_ @(AllEntriesOfKey k kvs))

All together now:
replaceAll :: forall t kvs.
              (MEntryOfVal (FirstEntryOfVal t kvs), MEntriesOfKey (AllEntriesOfKey t kvs)) =>
              HList kvs -> HList kvs
replaceAll xs = updateHAllKeys (const $ indexHFirstVal @t xs) xs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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NAPO's 2018 Legislative Update Breakfast and Lobby Day; NAPO Participates in National Officer Safety & Wellness Group Meeting; NAPO Endorses Authorization of Project Safe Neighborhoods; NAPO on the Hill: Public Safety Officer Rights; NAPO on the Hill: Encryption; NAPO Attends Public Pension Network Meeting; Register Today for NAPO's 40th Annual Convention San Diego ~ July 13-17, 2018
NAPO's 2018 Legislative Update Breakfast and Lobby Day
Do not miss the opportunity to join NAPO on Tuesday, May 15 for our Legislative Day on Capitol Hill. This is a great opportunity to lobby Congressional Representatives and Senators on behalf of your members concerning the issues which affect law enforcement. Prior to lobbying Capitol Hill, plan to attend NAPO's Legislative Breakfast for an update on NAPO's legislative priorities, results to date from the 115th Congress and to receive handouts to use during Hill visits. Please note: due to The Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony, also scheduled for May 15, we will not be hosting an Awards Luncheon this year, instead presenting our Legislative Awards in the respective Senators' & Representatives' Offices.
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Legislative Update Breakfast
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Capitol Hill Visits
For assistance setting up your Capitol Hill appointments, contact Andy Edmiston, NAPO's Director of Governmental Affairs, at (800) 322-6276 or aedmiston@napo.org, by May 2.
The registration fee of $75.00 per person includes the Legislative Update Breakfast and Handouts for Congressional Visits. Advanced Registration is required. Please contact Elizabeth Loranger, NAPO's Director of Events, at (800) 322-6278 or eloranger@napo.org if you have any questions regarding the seminar or hotel arrangements.
May 4 is the deadline to register! You can register online or complete the registration form and return it to NAPO at eloranger@napo.org or Fax to (703) 684-0515.
NAPO Participates in National
Officer Safety & Wellness Group Meeting
On April 17, NAPO President Mick McHale participated in a meeting of the National Officer Safety and Wellness (OSW) Group, which is comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement associations, research organizations, and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice within the Department of Justice. The aim of the OSW Group is to better understand and respond to the range of issues associated with improving officer safety and wellness.
The focus of this meeting was line of duty deaths and officer mental health and suicide prevention. The meeting began with a review of the December 2017 report by the COPS Office and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) entitled Making it Safer: A Study of Law Enforcement Fatalities Between 2010-2016. The report broke down how officers died in the line of duty, from the most dangerous calls for service to ambushes to lack of using protective equipment like body armor or seat belts. Not surprisingly, calls related to domestic disputes and domestic-related incidents continue to represent the highest number of fatal types of calls for service.
The most concerning finding of the study is that 2016 saw a significant increase in ambush attacks on unsuspecting officers, as 21 were shot and killed. 61% of those officers were not answering a call for service or engaged in enforcement action or performing official duties – they were targeted and killed just for the uniform they wore. 12 officers were murdered sitting in their patrol cars. While the OSW meeting did not focus on officer ambushes as much as it did what the COPS Office and NLEOMF considered more preventable findings, such as ensuring officers wear their body armor and seat belts at all times, NAPO believes that increased penalties for such deadly attacks on law enforcement would help prevent such violence.
The remainder of the meeting delved into the provisions of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, a bill NAPO worked hard to pass at the end of last year. Specifically, it focused on ensuring mental health services are accessible to officers – not just after significant events but also for the daily stresses of the job – and whether a national crisis hotline just for cops would be beneficial.
McHale brought up the new Florida law the Florida Police Benevolent Association just helped pass that allowed for PTSD to be covered under workers compensation for first responders. Only just over half of states cover PTSD under their workers compensation programs, leaving hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers and first responders to foot the bill for their own mental health services – a big obstacle to ensuring officers get the mental health and wellness help they need. Lawmakers and policy makers across the country must recognize the stresses and strains officers experience on the job every day and support them in getting the help they need for the safety of themselves, their families and communities.
In addition to the need to provide and cover mental health services for officers, the OSW Group discussed the benefits of law enforcement crisis and suicide prevention hotlines, hearing presentations from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), COP2COP (a peer support hotline for suicide prevention and mental health services for law enforcement in New Jersey), and Safe Call Now (a 24-hour, confidential crisis referral service for law enforcement). The group discussed the best way to create a national hotline and how to build off the best practices and resources that are already out there, such as the VA's veterans crisis hotline, COP2COP and Safe Call Now, to ensure a hotline with national reach but also local peer support and resources for the officers.
As part of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, the DOJ has one year to come up with a report on how state and local law enforcement can use resources like those at the VA and Department of Defense to help officers with mental health crisis. This discussion will no doubt play a role in that report.
Other issues discussed included the importance of peer mentoring programs, supporting families of officers, regulating stress, and maintaining heart and physical health. The result of this meeting will be some sort of report from the COPS Office outlining best practices, lessons learned and guidelines on ensuring officer safety on the job and mental health resources.
NAPO will continue to participate in the National Officer Safety and Wellness Group to ensure that rank and file officers get the support and resources they need to protect and take care of themselves and the communities they serve. If you have any questions about the National Officer Safety and Wellness Group, please contact Andy Edmiston at aedmiston@napo.org.
NAPO Endorses Authorization of Project Safe Neighborhoods
NAPO pledged its support for the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program Authorization Act (S. 2703), sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Gary Peters (D-MI). Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), has brought together federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to target violent gang and gun crimes in our communities since its inception in 2001. After years of underutilization, NAPO stood with Attorney General Sessions when he announced the relaunch of this important program in October 2017 as a key part of the Department's efforts to reduce violent crime by providing more resources and support to state and local law enforcement and ensuring those resources meet local needs.
Although it has received funding throughout the years, PSN has never been authorized by Congress, making it susceptible to elimination. It is important that this program be explicitly authorized by Congress to ensure that it remains a resource on which state and local law enforcement can rely. PSN has funded evidenced-based and data-driven programs to fight gangs and violent crimes in our communities such as targeted police patrols to school and community intervention programs. The Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program Authorization Act authorizes this vital program, ensuring that state and local law enforcement can continue to fight gang and firearms-related violent crimes in our cities and our communities in the most efficient and effective manner.
PSN is at the core of the Justice Department's efforts to reduce violent crime, providing more resources and support to state and local law enforcement and ensuring those resources meet local needs. NAPO has long called for the DOJ to refocus state and local law enforcement programs to better respond to state and local agencies' needs. This includes programs like the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program and PSN. In recent years, we have seen the COPS Program take a top-down, Washington-knows-best approach and the PSN whither under an Administration that did not believe in this proven, crime-fighting program despite what local agencies were telling them.
NAPO strongly supports this legislation to authorize PSN and our goal is to have Congress pass it during National Police Week. We thank Senators Cornyn and Peters for their continued support of our nation's law enforcement community.
NAPO on the Hill: Public Safety Officer Rights
Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
With the U.S. Supreme Court agreeing to take up the Janus v. AFSCME case, and as part of our effort to increase employee protections for law enforcement officers, NAPO is supporting the reintroduction of our Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, which would extend basic collective bargaining rights to state and local public safety officers. Congressmen Dan Kildee (D-MI) and John Duncan (R-TN) introduced the legislation (H.R. 4846) in the House on January 19.
NAPO is working on securing a bipartisan pair of Senate sponsors, with Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) agreeing to be the lead Democrat. NAPO met with the offices of Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to gauge their interest in joining Senator Baldwin in introducing this legislation. Senators Collins and Murkowski were cosponsors of this legislation when it was previously introduced.
While NAPO has several member organizations in right-to-work states such as Florida, Texas and Arizona that have been successful in maintaining and growing membership in such environments, NAPO has long believed all law enforcement officers should have the basic right to bargain collectively. It is for this reason that we are reintroducing the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act.
In addition to Senators Collins, Capito and Murkowski, we have spoken with Senator Marco Rubio's office, which indicated he is interested in being a lead sponsor of the legislation. We will continue to communicate with staff and provide whatever information is necessary to secure the support of these Senators.
Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights
As part of our efforts to increase employee protections for law enforcement, we continue to pursue the reintroduction of the Law Enforcement Officer's Procedural Bills of Rights. This bill would establish standards to guide law enforcement agencies in developing and operating a fair and effective investigative process. Individuals should have the right to file a complaint, to have the complaint investigated, and to be informed of its final disposition, including learning the outcome of the investigation and any resulting disciplinary action.
NAPO met with staff of Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-MN) to discuss the reintroduction of the Law Enforcement Officers' Procedural Bill of Rights Act. Congressman Paulsen was one of the sponsors of this legislation when it was last introduced in the 111th Congress in 2009. While he continues to support the legislation and officer rights, he is in a tough election this year and wants to know that the Minnesota law enforcement community will have his back if he sponsors this bill. He is still considering being the lead sponsor and we will give him first right of refusal.
Many of NAPO's members are facing attacks to their due process rights from activists who believe that the due process rights given to officers either through their collective bargaining agreements or their state's law enforcement officers' bill of rights creates a double standard and gives officers undue protections against criminal investigations. With the President and the Attorney General declaring that supporting state and local law enforcement is a top priority for the Administration, anti-cop activists are taking to the state and local level to wage a war against officer rights.
Throughout the country, many states lack coherent guidelines and procedures for law enforcement officers' due process rights. Sworn law enforcement officers are held to an extremely high standard of personal and professional conduct, due to the enormous responsibilities they exercise. However, many officers are denied the same basic due process rights that all other citizens enjoy. In approximately fifty percent of the states, officers enjoy some legal protections against false accusations and abusive conduct. Nevertheless, this leaves hundreds of thousands of officers with limited or no due process or who face limitations or retaliation when exercising these rights.
Taking away an officers' due process rights is not the way to improve police accountability and transparency. In fact, most officer bill of rights laws and provisions include guidelines and procedures for handling and investigating complaints, ensuring the department takes complaints against officers seriously and conducts a thorough inquiry. The Law Enforcement Officers' Procedural Bill of Rights Act would ensure that all states have at least a minimum of standards and procedures in place to guide both state and local law enforcement agencies and law enforcement officers during internal investigations, administrative hearings, and evaluation of citizen complaints.
NAPO will continue meet with members of Congress to recruit members who will stand up for rank and file officers on this important issue.
NAPO on the Hill: Encryption
The Senate Judiciary Committee is preparing for hearings on the issue of encryption and stored communications over the summer and Committee staff asked NAPO and other law enforcement organizations to meet on April 24 to go over our concerns and what issues we would like to see tackled in the hearings. At issue is the Email Privacy Act, H.R. 387 / S. 1654, which substantially changes the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and places an undue burden on law enforcement's ability to gather evidence that can help solve crimes. Furthermore, the bill does not address the real and growing challenges faced by investigators and prosecutors in obtaining electronic evidence when they attain the required legal process.
H.R. 387 passed the house by voice vote in February 2017 and we have been working with the Senate Judiciary Committee on this issue ever since. While NAPO does not object to the requirement for law enforcement to obtain a warrant for the contents of stored communications, the Email Privacy Act would do much more than that. NAPO believes that several other provisions of the bill would place an undue burden on law enforcement's ability to gather evidence that can help solve crimes. Furthermore, the bill does not address the real and growing challenges faced by investigators and prosecutors in obtaining electronic evidence when they attain the required legal process.
The Email Privacy Act contains an unprecedented requirement for law enforcement to serve a warrant for electronic evidence directly on a customer or subscriber who is under investigation and describe details of the investigation. Further, it does not contain sufficient exceptions to the warrant requirement for urgent situations like an imminent threat of physical harm, likely destruction of evidence, consent by a victim or a witness, or public safety emergencies that are not necessarily part of a criminal investigation (missing child, missing elderly adult) and it does not adequately address the lack of standards for service provider response to law enforcement legal demand.
NAPO will continue to work with the Committee staff to ensure these issues and concerns are addressed in the hearing. If you have any questions about S. 1654 / H.R. 387 or NAPO's efforts, please contact Andy Edmiston at aedmiston@napo.org.
NAPO Attends Public Pension Network Meeting
NAPO attended the monthly Public Pension Network (PPN) meeting, which brings together public pension practitioners and retirement systems, public sector labor organizations, and state and local government representatives to discuss the latest updates on public pension and social security issues being considered by Congress and the Administration.
The budget compromise that passed Congress in February included language establishing a Joint Select Committee on the Solvency of Multiemployer Pensions Plans that has the goal of submitting legislation to Congress by the end of November that would solve the pension crisis facing several multiemployer pension plans.
As the Joint Select Committee on the Solvency of Multiemployer Pensions Plans focuses on the solvency issues facing multiemployer pension plans, there has recently been some conflation between these plans and state and local government retirement systems by some Joint Committee members and staff, which needs to be corrected. The PPN's biggest concern is that the Public Employee Pension Transparency Act (PEPTA) could make its way into the final recommendations even though the issues faced by multiemployer plans are not being experienced by public pension plans.
NAPO and members of the PPN have a strong opposition to the public pension requirements contained in PEPTA as they do not protect benefits, save costs or improve retirement system funding. We believe they are unfunded mandates and an inappropriate federal intrusion into areas that are the fiscal responsibility of sovereign States and local governments, and are conflicting, administratively burdensome and costly. Further, PEPTA threatens to eliminate the tax-exempt bonding authority of state and local governments.
Federal interference in state and local public pensions not only violates the principles of federalism, but represents a fundamental lack of understanding regarding state and local government operations and financing, including governmental accounting rules and strict legal constraints already in place that require open financial reporting and processes. It also ignores the fact that every state and countless localities have recently made modifications to pension financing, benefits structures, or both.
The PPN is scheduling meetings with staff of the Joint Committee members to educate them of our opposition to public pension reform and will work to ensure such provisions are not included in any product produced by the Joint Committee.
Register Today for NAPO's 40th Annual Convention
San Diego ~ July 13-17, 2018
NAPO's 40th Annual Convention will take place July 13 – 17, 2018 in San Diego at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. We have an incredible week planned for all – informative speakers, timely topics and exciting social events!
The convention registration brochure will be mailed next week, in the meantime the brochure is attached. Online registration and convention information is also available by clicking here. If you have any questions or need additional information please do not hesitate to contact NAPO's Director of Events, Elizabeth Loranger at eloranger@napo.org or (703) 549-0775.
We look forward to seeing you this summer in San Diego!


Successful candidates will be awarded"Diploma in Administrative Assistant Training".
This Diploma course of Administrative Assistant Training is comprehensive and designed to cover key areas listed under the curriculum. This course has been designed for 60 guided learning hours.
Fill out your details to find out more about Administrative Assistant Diploma - Accredited by CPD.