March 21, 2025

Musk Offers $100 to Wisconsin Voters, Bringing Back a Controversial Tactic

Elon Musk is bringing back his most controversial gambit from the 2024 presidential election: paying voters as part of a plan to identify and turn out conservative-leaning ones.

The super PAC that Mr. Musk founded to funnel his fortune into Republican causes, America PAC, said on Thursday that it was offering $100 to registered voters in Wisconsin who sign a petition “in opposition to activist judges” or refer others to sign it. Mr. Musk has been using the group to spend millions of dollars to elect a conservative candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in an April 1 election.

The petition reads: “Judges should interpret laws as written, not rewrite them to fit their personal or political agendas. By signing below, I’m rejecting the actions of activist judges who impose their own views and demanding a judiciary that respects its role — interpreting, not legislating.”

The purpose of the petition is multifaceted: Drive attention from the news media, increase awareness and voter registration among conservative voters, and help America PAC collect data on the most energized Wisconsinites who are likely to turn out for the conservative candidate, Brad Schimel.




https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/politics/elon-musk-wisconsin-petition.html

March 21, 2025

Season Two of ESPN Original Series Full Court Press, Featuring Hannah Hidalgo, Flau'jae Johnson, and Kiki Iriafen

Heading into March Madness, ESPN today announced that Full Court Press will return for a second season on May 3. Directed by Nikki Spetseris and produced by Omaha Productions and Words + Pictures in partnership with ESPN, the four-part ESPN Original Series will immerse viewers in the world of elite women’s college basketball through the experiences of sophomore Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, junior LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson, and graduate student USC forward Kiki Iriafen. Through exclusive interviews and inside access, viewers will experience pivotal moments from the 2024-2025 season, both on and off the court, as each athlete blazes a path in this new era of women’s basketball.

“The growing momentum behind women’s basketball is driven by its stars, and Full Court Press features three unforgettable, larger-than-life personalities,” said Lindsay Rovegno, Vice President of Production for ESPN Originals. “Hannah, Flau’jae, and Kiki are more than great players – they’re great characters. Season two captures the drive and resilience that make them special. We’re excited to continue telling these compelling stories and showcasing the evolution of the sport.”

“There is no better time to be a fan of women’s college basketball than right now,” said Peyton Manning, founder of Omaha Productions. “We’re thrilled to share the stories of these three talented women as they continue to push the game to new heights.”

The premiere schedule is as follows. All episodes will be available to stream on ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+ immediately following linear airings.

Episode 1: May 3 at 1pm ET on ESPN
Episode 2: May 3 at 2pm ET on ESPN
Episode 3: May 11 at 9pm ET on ESPN2
Episode 4: May 11 at 10pm ET on ESPN2



https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2025/03/season-two-of-espn-original-series-full-court-press-featuring-hannah-hidalgo-flaujae-johnson-and-kiki-iriafen-to-premiere-may-3/

March 21, 2025

Former Federal Workers Find an Outlet in Local Elections

When Erika Evans announced she would quit her job as a federal employee this month, she also made another announcement: She would run for local office instead.

Evans, who is running for Seattle City Attorney, is part of a swell in interest across the US in local campaigns. Many people considering runs are departing or fired federal employees; others see their candidacy as a way to channel frustration with federal lawmakers. They’re exploring a range of positions, from state and city lawmakers, to county clerks.

“There’s so much energy towards wanting to do something really concrete, something really tactical and strategic, something local,” said Amanda Litman, the co-founder and president of Run For Something.

Run For Something, a progressive nonprofit that recruits and supports young people to run for state and local office, reports unprecedented interest in its programs. Two weeks after Election Day, more than 10,000 people had already signed up to learn more about campaigning, and today, more than 20,000 people have shown interest in running. Emerge America, which prepares Democratic women for political campaigns, says it has seen a 157% increase in interest between November and February relative to that same period a year earlier.

Evans, 35, made the decision to leave her job as an assistant US Attorney after she saw how President Donald Trump’s executive orders “wreaked havoc” on both her work at the Department of Justice and on communities. If elected, she would be the first Black woman and person of color to serve as Seattle City Attorney. She is participating in a six-month 70-hour training program through Emerge.




https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-03-21/from-seattle-to-la-more-americans-mull-running-for-office

March 21, 2025

Pirate's Booty founder stages Long Island mutiny, declares he's mayor and tries to fire village staff

The founder of Pirate’s Booty Snacks lost his chaotic bid for mayor of a tiny New York community after he claimed he was the village leader and had the authority to replace the entire local government, officials said Thursday.

Elena Villafane, the incumbent mayor of Sea Cliff, defeated Pirate’s Booty Snacks founder Robert Ehrlich, 1,064-62, on Tuesday in the village, which is about 26 miles northeast of midtown Manhattan.

Villafane had been running unopposed for her third two-year term when Ehrlich jumped into the fray a week ago Monday.

That's when Ehrlich went to Village Hall and "presented a statement falsely asserting his authority as mayor, demanding access to office space, and declaring that the entire Village staff was fired effective immediately but could reapply for their jobs," the village said in a statement.




https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pirates-booty-founder-stages-long-island-mutiny-declares-mayor-tries-f-rcna197308

March 21, 2025

Canada Rushes to Fund Its Neglected Military

“Three decades ago, Canada published a report about its future military plans. ‘The Cold War is over,’ its first chapter began, before outlining the government’s massive budget pressures and proposing cuts to personnel and defense spending,” Bloomberg reports.

“Then came a warning: ‘Canada should never find itself in a position where the defense of its national territory has become the responsibility of others.'”

“Surrounded by three oceans, with an allied superpower on its southern border, Canada took its peace dividend — and let its military atrophy. It has recently been absent from patrols and war games with allies.”

“A hostile President Donald Trump is changing that.”




https://politicalwire.com/2025/03/21/canada-rushes-to-fund-its-neglected-military/

March 21, 2025

Paige Bueckers eyes NCAA, WNBA glory

College basketball stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese became mega-famous last year following deep tournament runs and first-round WNBA draft selections.

If UConn can win a women's basketball national championship, expect the same for Hopkins alum Paige Bueckers.

Why it matters: The growing WNBA has never been more popular and drafts on April 14 — eight days after the national championship.

Bueckers finally winning the big one and then going No. 1 overall this year would make her a national household name.



https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/21/paige-bueckers-hopkins-ncaa-wnba-draft

March 21, 2025

UConn star Azzi Fudd received a timely assist from Stephen Curry during knee rehab

When Azzi Fudd went down with a knee injury 16 months ago and required surgery, her parents immediately wondered how they would navigate another grueling rehab process.

That's when Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry came in and dished out a most important assist: He and his team of trainers and medical professionals offered to help lead the effort to get the Connecticut guard healthy and back on the court after she tore her right anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus.

They came up with a precise plan, down to the specific milestones she would need to meet each step of the way, and collaborated with the UConn training staff to get her through those tests.

“I was cast to put together a really good group of people,” said Carl Bergstrom, Curry’s director of performance. “Doing a virtual or distant rehab is not without its challenges, so with the resources that were allocated and just the network that we have, I was able to take the time and really bring in who I thought were some of the best world leaders in ACL rehab that were in my network in North America.”


https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/uconn-star-azzi-fudd-received-a-timely-assist-from-stephen-curry-during-knee-rehab/ar-AA1Bn9SS

March 21, 2025

3 things WNBA could learn from Unrivaled's inaugural season, explained

Providing higher salaries (and equity) for all players

From the jump, Unrivaled made clear that player compensation was foundational to everything. The league offered players an average salary of $220,000 for less than three months of basketball — in comparison, the WNBA’s average salary in 2024 was around $120,000, despite the length of annual league commitment being twice as long.

Unrivaled also promised all players to earn at least $100,000, while the WNBA’s minimum salary was around $64,000 in 2024 (and a superstar like Caitlin Clark earned just over $76,000 in her rookie season).


Ensuring all WNBA teams have childcare centers

It’s an unsurprising answer considering the prominence of Unrivaled’s childcare services since the league’s launch. Unrivaled has hired a nanny service to watch players’ kids during games and other obligations, and the arena itself has a childcare center comprised of multiple rooms filled with toys and other activities for the kids. At least 8 Unrivaled players brought their kids to the facilities.


Generating more engaging social media content leaning on players’ brands

From the beginning, a major part of Unrivaled’s objective was to elevate players’ brands during the WNBA offseason. As such, the league focused on producing original content centering players — both on and off the court — on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms. In all, Unrivaled-owned and earned content across league and club accounts as well as fan conversation generated 589.1 million social media impressions, the league reported Thursday.



https://www.sbnation.com/2025/3/21/24390194/wnba-unrivaled-offseason-breanna-stewart-napheesa-collier-angel-reese-player-salaries-social-media

March 21, 2025

Notre Dame built a roster filled with WNBA-level talent. Can it finish the job?

Niele Ivey had one job when she returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach in 2007. There was a skinny, baby-faced high school guard making national headlines out of South Bend, Indiana, and Notre Dame needed to keep her at home. Those pipe-cleaner arms would become sculpted over the years, and the recruit would grow into a three-time all-American, an Olympic gold medalist and six-time all-WNBA selection while becoming one of the most recognizable women’s basketball players on the planet.

“Her first job was to get Skylar Diggins[-Smith],” former Notre Dame coach and Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw said. “That’s your job. That’s your one recruit. Get her.”

Ivey delivered, and that was just the beginning. She would have a hand in bringing in future WNBA stars Jewell Loyd, Kayla McBride, Arike Ogunbowale, Marina Mabrey and Jackie Young, and the latter three would be key members of the 2017-18 team that won the Fighting Irish’s first national championship since Ivey’s playing days in 2001.

“The way she’s able to recruit, how she connects with the players,” Diggins-Smith said, “her background, being a champion in the NCAA and having WNBA experience, she knows how to develop players. You continue to see a lot of that development through today.”



https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/03/21/notre-dame-womens-final-four-contender/

March 21, 2025

Jaren Jackson Jr is Having a MONSTER Season in Memphis

Everyone moves on different schedules.

Some players rocket to the NBA, fully formed as megastars. Some become valued role players. And some never make it. In his seventh season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. has leveled up.

Drafted fourth overall by the Grizzlies in 2018, Jackson Jr. has patiently and confidently expanded his game. As the team added Ja Morant and Desmond Bane around Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies have become a perennial top-tier team in the Western Conference.

In the meantime, Jackson Jr. has become a constant. In 2022-23, he was unlocked as a dominant help defender who won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award. This season, he’s unleashed a flurry of mid-range and driving moves to complement an already solid perimeter shot. While averaging a career-high 22.7 ppg and making his second All-Star Game, Jackson Jr. appears en route to another DPOY nod, or at least to be named to an All-NBA team. (Should either of those options come through, Jackson Jr. would qualify for a supermax contract extension worth about $345 million over the next five seasons.)



https://www.slamonline.com/the-magazine/slam-255/jaren-jackson-jr/