Maria Butina, the Russian Honeypot Who Wasn't: Reason Roundup

Plus: U.K. cops crack down on "insulting comments," the SEC suspends crypto-product trading, and a senator suggests FOSTA for opioids.

Social Media/REUTERS/Newscom

Butina "falsely portrayed as a villain," says lawyer. It provoked ample scandalized headlines and late-night TV jokes. But the Russian spy who shagged NRA members is yet another sexual fiction created by the feds.

Russian national Maria Butina still stands accused of having failing to file proper paperwork while working as a foreign agent and conspiracy. But U.S. prosecutors have now admitted that they have no evidence she traded sex for secrets or otherwise acted as a "honeypot."

The Butina text messages used to make that claim were just jokes, prosecutors now say.

In response, Butina's lawyers "are arguing that the prosecutors' error is emblematic of a flawed federal case that has wrongly landed their client in pretrial custody," reports The New York Times.

A federal judge is scheduled to review Ms. Butina's request that she be released from jail, as well as whether to impose a gag order, on Monday.

"I'm glad they walked it back, but in a lot of ways, the damage is already done," Robert N. Driscoll, Ms. Butina's lawyer, said in an interview. In court filings, he has argued that his client engaged in innocent political activity but has now been falsely portrayed as a villain in a sensationalized spy drama. "A simple Google search using the phrase 'Maria Butina and sex' yields over 300,000 hits," he said.

The alleged error is emblematic of much more than how prosecutors are handling Butina's case. It's incredibly typical for the feds to tell sordid or scandalous sexual tall tales about suspects, especially when any appearance of transactional sex is concerned.

Butina is lucky that prosecutors have at least acknowledged their mistake publicly and that the media will report on it, even if this coverage will be minuscule compared to the erroneous initial coverage. All too often, those who the feds falsely accuse of sexual intrigue and crime do not get that chance.

FREE MINDS

The U.K. is a creepy dystopian place, part infinity.

In addition to reporting hate crime, please report non-crime hate incidents, which can include things like offensive or insulting comments, online, in person or in writing. Hate will not be tolerated in South Yorkshire. Report it and put a stop to it #HateHurtsSY pic.twitter.com/p2xf6OLoQZ

— SouthYorkshirePolice (@syptweet) September 9, 2018

FREE MARKETS

Crypto investment funds get temporary suspension by SEC. Since 2015, the BitCoin and Ehterium investment products BitCoin Tracker One and Ether Tracker One have been listed on the Nasdaq. Last month they hit the U.S. market, "enabling domestic investors to access and invest in the crypto [exchange traded notes] in an over-the-counter market with their U.S. dollars," notes CCN. But on Sunday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission suspended trading of these products through September 20, citing "confusion amongst market participants regarding these instruments."

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the temporary suspension of trading in the securities Bitcoin Tracker One ("CXBTF") and Ether Tracker One ("CETHF") commencing at 5:30 pm EDT Sept. 9, 2018 and terminating at 11:59 pm EDT Sept. 20, 2018. https://t.co/5z1vEYFBFB

— SEC_News (@SEC_News) September 9, 2018

JUSTICE WATCH

The war on drugs is the new war on sex? During interrogations of tech bosses last week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D–W.Va.) suggested that the drug war needs a law like the recently passed SESTA-FOSTA package. That law made prostitution ads a federal crime and allows state prosecutions and civil lawsuits against any website or app that "facilitates" paid sex.

"Just like how we passed FOSTA and SESTA," Manchin said, "we passed bills that held you liable and responsible. Don't you think we should do the same with opiate drugs and they way they're being used on your platform?"

QUICK HITS

• "In Writers Under Surveillance: The FBI Files, we get a look at some of the facts and hearsay that was gathered on 16 prominent authors" and a reminder that federal law enforcement has always been paranoid, petty, and political.
• How "fake news" on encrypted messaging app WhatsApp is fueling violence in India.
• What liberals get wrong about conservative history.
• The Oregon Law Center is challenging a state policy that suspends drivers' licenses for unpaid traffic fines.
• Former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos said the campaign was fully aware of his seeking "to leverage…contacts" to set up a meeting between Trump and Putin.
• "Come on. This is 2018. I can order a bowl from China in less time than it takes to get a driver's license in California."
• A record-setting hurricane is expected to hit North Carolina.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

...Sen. Joe Manchin (D?W.Va.) suggested that the drug war needs a law like the recently passed SESTA-FOSTA package.

Just one law away from winning the war on drug users!

[Tom Bombadil]

Please let Kavanaugh strike down these laws... But probably not.

[Red Tony]

Will a challenge to these laws even make the Supreme Court? That's the real question.

The lower courts matter just as much, if not more, because they decide what questions the Supreme Court even gets to hear.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Oregon Law Center is challenging a state policy that suspends drivers' licenses for unpaid traffic fines.

Is the OLC going to fill that resulting budget gap?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

I Left My Shoes In San Francisco
This is about power, their power to make your life miserable and even dangerous. By forcing you ? but again, not themselves ? to endure this primitive misbehavior, by making you live in fear, they are figuratively crushing you underfoot and punishing you for the crime of being Normal. All these awful people milling about doing awful things and wreaking the communities you live in? They are a result of your moral failings, of your selfishness, of your refusal to give even more of your money, freedom, and power over to the wise and kind and morally upstanding elite.

The elite are on the side of "society's victims," and you Normals are "society." You are the villains, you Normal people who simply want to lead a decent life in safety and relative prosperity. And the victims? The "victims" are often not victims of anything except their own taste for drugs and squalor, or they are victims of the elite's cruel plan to let the mentally ill out of the institutions to live on the streets, shouting at invisible antagonists.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

I hate South Yorkshire. There, I said it.

[Red Tony]

I hate England.

[Tom Bombadil]

The only thing we have to hate.....is hate itself.

[Bearded Spock]

"We shall hate on the beaches, we shall hate on the landing grounds, we shall hate in the fields and in the streets, we shall hate in the hills...."

[Earth Skeptic]

I hate the people who hate hate.

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

I don't know about N. Ireland, but Scotland and Wales are just as bad as England.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

Hold your tongue laddie. Scotland gave us Scotch.

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

Yes, but have you seen how they try to out do England with every nanny socialist endeavour? I think the current set of Scots must be entirely unrelated to the old ones.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

So you're saying that even Scotsmen are no true Scotsmen?

[perlchpr]

That was pretty much my first thought on seeing that ad.

I'm tempted to call and report myself.

[Zeb]

The most striking thing there, to me, is that the perception by the victim is what makes it a hate crime, not the actual motivation of the criminal.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

You've obviously never been indoctrinated... er... trained by corporate America on harassment. Perception is all that matters.

[Inigo Montoya]

South Yorkshire coppers are plonkers!

There, I said it. Go ahead and report it, if you want to be a wanker about it.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...and a reminder that federal law enforcement has always been paranoid, petty, and political.

An armed bureaucracy filled with righteous ladder-climbers? Who would have thought?

[Fist of Etiquette]

But on Sunday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission suspended trading of these products through September 20, citing "confusion amongst market participants regarding these instruments."

The market participants being federal regulators? Legislators?

[Longtorso, Johnny]

So, have you bought your 5 pair of Nike sweatshop shoes to own the cons yet?

[Leo Kovalensky II]

I bought some just so I can destroy them. Take that Nike!

[Horny Lizard]

I remember when they hated Nike for sponsoring Tiger. Same as it ever was.

[colorblindkid]

There's nothing "record" about this hurricane. Its a run-of-the mill strong hurricane.

[colorblindkid]

We're still having a below average hurricane season. Hurricanes largely just come down to luck. We can a record hurricane season with no landfalls, or we can have a dragon with one hurricane but its category 5 and slams into Miami. There her been far worse hurricanes in the past. Focusing entirely on global warming makes people tune out to the huge danger without climate change

[Tom Bombadil]

Broken record setting.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

It's a record alright. Spinning at 33.33333333 rpm.

I've heard there's a smaller hurricane starting up at 45 rpm. Supposedly a one-hit wonder though.

[loveconstitution1789]

The Two Week News Cycle is up. They moved on to the Apocalyptic Hurricanes Florence (Henderson), Isaac (Newton), and Helen.
NOAA Hurricane Center

[Leo Kovalensky II]

(Keller)?

[Tom Bombadil]

She would have made a great Supreme Court judge. Justice being blind and all that.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

She completely ignored the oral arguments, though.

[Tom Bombadil]

Ha! I'm picturing her with her hands smeared all over the lawyers' faces while they're speaking.

[Red Tony]

(a handbasket).

[Fist of Etiquette]

...and that the media will report on it, even if this coverage will be minuscule compared to the erroneous initial coverage.

If it's clean, it doesn't count as laundry.

[Fist of Etiquette]

In addition to reporting hate crime, please report non-crime hate incidents, which can include things like offensive or insulting comments, online, in person or in writing. Hate will not be tolerated in South Yorkshire. Report it and put a stop to it #HateHurtsSY pic.twitter.com/p2xf6OLoQZ
? SouthYorkshirePolice (@syptweet) September 9, 2018

Bloody hell. Can the United States revolt all over again?

[Leo Kovalensky II]

You've been reported.

[loveconstitution1789]

Someone will hate that.

[Tom Bombadil]

I've always hated Nazis, is this bad?

[Red Tony]

No, in fact it's encouraged.

You are referring to UKIP, right?

[Tom Bombadil]

No, I'm referring to the cavalier use of the word "hate".

[Longtobefree]

"Bloody hell. Can the United States revolt all over again?"

Sure we can. It just won't work this time, because no one will notice unless Trump tweets about it.

[lap83]

please report non-crime hate incidents, which can include things like offensive or insulting comments, online, in person or in writing.

does it include offensive tweets by nanny state local law enforcement?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Nonetheless, historians of this new generation consider themselves to be unbiased and even sympathetic observers of conservatism.

I have yet to meet a liberal who considered himself biased about anything.

[loveconstitution1789]

They consider themselves the most scientific minded, righteous, rational, even tempered, and champions of Civil Rights in the World.

They need to check for brain tumors because they have literally the opposite of the character traits they think they have.

[Red Tony]

That's because bias is for deplorables.

[Earth Skeptic]

No, bias is when someone is wrong. Like the other side is. Always.

[Weigel's Cock Ring]

A record-setting hurricane is expected to hit North Carolina.

If we're really lucky, maybe every single member of the Fake News Media will go stand on a beach somewhere in Hatteras or Nags Head or Duck to do live updates, get caught in a giant wave, and drown in a riptide.

[Tom Bombadil]

Am I to understand that Trump is Putin's puppet but he needed Papadopoulos to set up a meeting?

[Red Tony]

Please refer to this handy diagram.

[Leo Kovalensky II]

I never pegged Tony (of any color, time, or dimension) as an Iron Maiden fan.

[Cynical Asshole]

a senator suggests FOSTA for opioids.

Were they having a competition to see who could come up with the worst idea? If so, I think we have a winner.

[Red Tony]

Please. That competition has been going on for two hundred and twenty-nine years. I'm sure that's nowhere near the winner's circle.

[Ken Shultz]

Serena Williams may have been the victim of sexism (and racism), but I suspect the real issue was because she's an American.

There, I said it.

The question isn't whether she broke the rules. She was communicating with her coach--which is against the rules. The legitimate questions are 1) whether that rule is ever enforced and 2) why it wasn't enforced in the men's tournament.

1) That rule has, apparently, not been enforced in a very long time.

Her opponent also received coaching in the same way. All the players, apparently, receive coaching during matches and have for a long time. Her coach said that he has never been penalized for it before, and he's been doing the same thing in every serve of every game in every match of every tournament for years and years and years . . .

2) If the same official called the men's tournament and never called it a penalty, then it was legitimate for her to speculate about sexism. When people are being subjected to rules arbitrarily, it's natural to speculate as to why. She might have wondered if racism explained it, but having watched the whole interaction between Williams and the referee, It seems to me that he was reacting to what the rest of the world calls "arrogance" but what Americans typically call "self-confidence".

The Europeans, especially, hate us for our "arrogance", and watching the interaction with the umpire, it seems to me that he was all about punishing this American for her "arrogance".

[Tom Bombadil]

1. How do you know her opponent received coaching and that all players receive constant coaching every match they ever play? Because Serena and her coach said so?
2. Serena told the referee "I have never cheated in my life". That seems at odds with the statement made by her coach.

[Tom Bombadil]

Also to be noted:

The "coaching" penalty was a warning only.

The 'point' penalty was for smashing her racket into the ground (because she was losing). That is a clear code violation.

The 'game' penalty was for umpire abuse.

Therefore, the umpire never "stole" a point from her, she stole it herself.

Conclusion: She is full of shit. Strong physically, snowflake mentally

[Ken Shultz]

If you watch the tape, she does not appear to have been aware that she had been warned for "cheating".

In that case, abusing the racket would have been her first warning, and abusing the referee woudn't have resulted in the loss of a game.

P.S. If he sanctioned her because she called him a "thief" for stealing a game from her, then he should be ashamed of himself.

[Tom Bombadil]

She didn't call him a thief for stealing a game from her. She called him a thief for stealing a point from her. Calling him a point thief resulted in a game penalty.

She over-reacted to a ridiculous degree, it was embarrassing. This is often done by cheaters who get caught. Also, she was getting her ass handed to her by Osaka.

I don't know the code of conduct guidelines exactly, but I would imagine disparaging the integrity of the umpire for properly following the rules is a code violation.

She threw away her chance to win the match, and the bullshit she was saying:
"This happens to me every time I play here"
"Do you know how hard I've worked for this"
"You don't do this to the men..."

I read a tweet analysis today, more than twice as many code violations given to men than women. I don't know if that is true or if Serena is true. But I know she acted horribly.

[grips]

"In that case, abusing the racket would have been her first warning"

No. Racket abuse is a mandatory penalty.

In addition, the coaching rule is always enforced, continuously.

[Ken Shultz]

The penalties are cumulative.

"In addition, the coaching rule is always enforced, continuously."

There's the rub.

Is this a thought or a fact? From whom did you hear this?

Was this rule enforced during the men's game?

Facts have links and can be checked.

[Tom Bombadil]

Well, you've been talking out your ass this entire thread.

[Ken Shultz]

What, did you get your feelingz hurtz?

[Tom Bombadil]

You and Serena apparently got your feelings hurt. So, you've both, in your own way, bitched about it.
I've called you and Serena on your bullshit.
So, no, my feelings are not hurt. Calling out bullshit is what is done around here. You know that, you've been here forever.

[grips]

"From whom did you hear this?"

Chris Evert. On the broadcast. When it happened.

"Is this a thought or a fact? "

Fact.

"Was this rule enforced during the men's game?"

According to Chris Evert and the other announcer, it sure was.

"Facts have links and can be checked."

YouTube.com

2018 official grand slam rule book

O. ABUSE OF RACQUETS OR EQUIPMENT
Players shall not violently or with anger hit, kick or throw a racquet or other
equipment within the precincts of the tournament site.
Violation of this Section shall subject a player to a fine up to $20,000 for each
violation. In addition, if such violation occurs during a match (including the warm-
up), the player shall be penalised in accordance with the Point Penalty Schedule
hereinafter set forth.

You, and Serena, are both wrong. Sorry.

[Ken Shultz]

"2. Serena told the referee "I have never cheated in my life". That seems at odds with the statement made by her coach."

I'm not sure a competitor in the middle of such a big game is necessarily required to stop on a dime and suddenly become super rational in an intellectual debate with the umpire.

If she was doing something that has become common practice for all competitors throughout both this tournament and former tournaments, then I'm not sure that's "cheating" exactly.

[Tom Bombadil]

The point is: She was cheating.
The point is: The umpire gave her a warning. If she loses her shit, and subsequently loses a point and then a game. It's her fault entirely.
The umpire probably watched her blatantly taking coaching for a half hour before 'warning' her. She knows she was receiving coaching. She has no reason to object.

[Ken Shultz]

1) The point is that if she was doing something that she'd always done before, that her opponent was doing, that all the other players in the tournament were doing, and something that had always been done in all the other tournaments, then, no, it was no cheating--even if it was against the rules.

2) Ever heard the term "fouls to give" in basketball? Strategically breaking the rules to increase your chances of winning isn't always cheating. Sometimes, breaking the rules is part of the game.

3) If the umpire is enforcing the rules selectively or arbitrarily, then it's the umpire who might have been "cheating".

[Tom Bombadil]

Prove 1)
Prove 3)

It's already been proven (and admitted) that she and her coach were cheating.

Take some time and do some research about Tennis coach cheating and penalties. Then come back later and discuss.

[grips]

1) no she was cheating
2) strategically cheating is still cheating
3) no, the umpire has this thing called DISCRETION

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""If she loses her shit, and subsequently loses a point and then a game. It's her fault entirely.""

I've found it more common that people believe it's someone else's fault for how they act. You made me do this. It's your fault I'm acting this way.

[Tom Bombadil]

Ok, I'm going to start with a warning only. But if you lose your shit, it might cost you a point.

[grips]

This is basically what Every said, yes, men have gotten away with similar and worse, NO, not after a warning, as in Serena's case.

[grips]

*Evert

[MP]

Doesn't the ideal gas law explain it?

[Ken Shultz]

There's no question that an arbitrary application of the rules makes individuals speculate about why the rules are being applied arbitrarily--all from their own individual perspectives.

That's one lesson everyone from every perspective can draw from this incident--an arbitrary application of the rules can and does lead to identity politics.

The other lesson everyone from every perspective can draw from this?

Crying wolf on sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. makes the townspeople reluctant to run to the rescue--when a real wolf shows up. If the rules were being applied arbitrarily, there was probably a reason for that, and even if we can't be certain of what that reason was without getting into the mind of the umpire, some reasons are undoubtedly more likely than others.

[Earth Skeptic]

Hmmm, oppressed person of color vs. over-achieving asian. This will lead to some kind of grand slam quota system, right?

[Ken Shultz]

Or maybe they'll get a better umpire, revise the rules on coaching to make them clearer, and do other things to prevent this from happening again.

Not that this is necessarily bad for tennis. On the opening day of football, with two Monday night games, people are talking about women's tennis--which can't be bad from an advertising perspective.

Tonya Harding and company's shenanigans may have saved the Ice Capades. Who used to care about ice skating after the Cold War and outside the Olympics?

[Tom Bombadil]

Or maybe you should research the history of "coaching" violations and penalties in pro tennis before writing a thesis about it.

[grips]

No, he wanted to do his usual pontificate thing, where he becomes superficially aware of an issue, then issues a proclamation and considers the matter settled. And as usual, he got it largely wrong and looks stupid.

[Mickey Rat]

I read an article by Christine Brennen this morning saying that sexism was the "easiest and most logical" explanation of why the umpire ruled as he did. Also, did the umpire not know how culturally important Serena Williams is as the greatest tennis player ever? So he should not have upheld a rule that is apparently rarely enforced.

There was also an odd explanation that, yes her coach was making signals, coaching her from the stands but somehow Williams was unaware of his doing so. I guess she normally does not pay attention to what says.

[Tom Bombadil]

I think racism is the easiest and most logical.
Wait,
Giant Thigh-ism.
Hold the phone, Anti-Americanism.
Steady... Bad Breath-ism.

[Dillinger]

gonna-lose-ism so better come up w/plan quick to cover up being exposed by 20 year old.

[Tom Bombadil]

But It's My Turn-ism.

[Sevo]

"Venezuela merchants face arrest for defying Maduro's reforms"
[...]
"In a surprise raid, about two dozen armed police officers flanked by Santa Teresa del Tuy's mayor and journalists showed up at David's four-story warehouse, Autopartes Guarico 2000, and hauled away the 49-year-old father of three for allegedly raising prices by too much in a country ravaged by hyperinflation."
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/09/07
/venezuela-merchants-face-arrest-
for-defying-maduros-reforms.html

Damn wreckers!

[perlchpr]

Give up, people. Burn the warehouses and flee to a neighboring country.

[Jerryskids]

Bernie Sanders taking notes. Donald Trump asking Bernie if he can borrow those.

[Hamster of Doom]

Maduro just "reset" the economy by enormous increase to minimum wages. Essentially, everyone now makes minimum wage. Many businesses reportedly closed ahead of the change, since they could neither afford the new wages or afford to fire some of the staff and soldier on. (There are laws about firing people. A process must be followed. It is an expensive process.)

I have a theory that a viable economy requires viable production, but what do I know, I'm not special.

[CatoTheChipper]

If one excludes a few outliers, Bolivarian Socialism has nearly accomplished complete equality.

Maduro can now focus on the few exceptions that remain outside of the Party nomenclatura.

I cannot understand why Norteamericano Progressives have abandoned Maduro. Under his leadership, Venezuela has achieved the objective that Progressives say they so earnestly desire: equality.

[Mickey Rat]

The Merchants of Venezuela, they now must pay a fine of a pound of flesh closest to the heart.

[Bearded Spock]

I find it supremely ironic that Reason chose to criticize the South Yorkshire bobbies for finding hate in simple differences of opinion when Shikha does that in virtually every column she writes about immigration.

[MP]

Shikha has a badge?

[Bearded Spock]

Extreme, hysterical demagoguery is only bad when the cops do it.

[MP]

When talking heads do it, it's a cause of concern.

When the Government is doing it, citizens are at immediate risk.

[mad.casual]

Where's OBL to give us an "As an open borders libertarian..." moment?

As for me, Shikha's inside our borders, S. Yorkshire isn't.

[Tom Bombadil]

Shikha means "hate crime" in Derplandese.

[Red Tony]

Shika is an idiot with a pen.

English cops are idiots with the whole force of the British state behind them.

Granted, the British state isn't that impressive in the grand scheme of things, but you still don't want to deal with it.

[Earth Skeptic]

Well, Barney Fife cops.

[Ron]

at least Barney had a gun and a bullet

[Wise Old Fool]

you'd be mistaken to think that all british cops don't carry guns.

[lap83]

How will the cops find time to consider every non-crime hate report? Do they not have doughnut shops over there?

[Red Tony]

They call cookies "biscuits" and think that cabbage is edible. They don't need doughnut shops.

[Hamster of Doom]

I am convinced the British are uniquely evolved to have no taste buds, and nothing in the world's so-called "science" has proven different.

[Mickey Rat]

Coleslaw, sauerkraut, colcannon, kimchi...lots of people think cabbage is edible.

[CatoTheChipper]

The nice thing about a hate crime is that the cops don't have to prove anything. All that is required to demonstrate that a perp committed a hate crime is for the victim to complain that he/she/xie/they/etc. perceived it was the result of his/her/xis/their/etc. special victim status.

[Zeb]

There's a big difference between finding hate in differences of opinion and applying state-sanctioned violence and coercion to people because they have differing opinions.

[Sevo]

"AP Explains: Financial turmoil in emerging markets"
[...]
"Argentine families are trying to cope with 30 percent inflation. Companies in Turkey face bankruptcy if they can't pay off soaring debt costs. And investors who bet on emerging markets will be deep in the red this year."
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory
/ap-explains-financial-turmoil-
emerging-markets-57613905

Hmm. Turkey's economy is being "managed" by some tin-pot-dictator wanna-be, while Argentina is trying to recover from a lefty 'free-shit' splurge; couldn't be local conditions, right?
Nope. It's the Trump administration.

[Weigel's Cock Ring]

This is what we call making America great again!

[Red Tony]

...the urge to Goatse you is strong today.

[Tom Bombadil]

Butina. Villainize me next.

[Earth Skeptic]

Would not.

[lap83]

that's not a very flattering picture of her, she looks 40

[Ken Shultz]

Kaepernick supplants Alex Smith as the started for the 49ers.

Alex Smith gets traded away, eventually landing with the Redskins.

Kaepernick spoils his own brand so badly, the 49ers end up with Garoppolo.

Garoppolo goes 15/33 with three interceptions (and a loss) on opening day.

On opening day, Alex Smith throws for a 118.1 QBR and the Redskins win.

Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins, who was sent packing by the Redskins--for no good reason--has a stellar opening game for the Vikings.

Kaepernick gets a Nike commercial that puts so much downward pressure on their marketing that their stock drops.

Listed from biggest winners to biggest losers:

1) Vikings Fans
2) Kirk Cousins
3) Alex Smith
4) Redskins Fans
5) Garoppolo
6) Kaepernick
7) 49ers' Fans (At least Kaepernick is getting paid by Nike)

[Ken Shultz]

I should have put Nike in there somewhere: probably behind Kaepernick (who got paid by Nike) but ahead of 49ers' Fans, a number of whom had to pay for tickets and sit through traffic just to watch that mess.

[TrickyVic (old school)]

""I should have put Nike in there somewhere:"'

Just do it.

[Tom Bombadil]

"Kaepernick gets a Nike commercial that puts so much downward pressure on their marketing that their stock drops."

Nike stock back up to 82 where it started. Sales way up.

[KevinP]

For how long?

Nike's Favorability Drops Double Digits Following New 'Just Do It' Campaign with Colin Kaepernick

http://morningconsult.com/form.....emCMOToday

[Incomprehensible Bitching]

Can we really keep pretending that we're not at a state of war with Russia?

#AdultsInTheRoom

[Red Rocks White Privilege]

Hate will not be tolerated in South Yorkshire.

"Child prostitution rings, on the other hand, will be, depending on who's doing it."

[Quo Usque Tandem]

If purveyors of the alleged rings qualify as a protected class, that will certainly be considered a priority over concerns like child rape.

[Dillinger]

hate hurts?

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Another headline that should incline this site to hire professional writers for headlines.

Withdrawal of the claim that her sexy messaging was more than just strange talk doesn't diminish to any degree the point that she shacked up with a pathetic, twice-her-age political operative who provided access to broad right-wingery.

[Michael Cook]

Tomorrow is Patriot Day and could well be the kick-off of a nasty little war with Russia and its proxies that we can all pray will stay localized around the province of Idlib, Syria.

If not tomorrow, then in a week, or a fortnight, I can't think otherwise why Assad in Damascus would be promising to use fluorine bombs again unless deliberately trying to provoke an out-size American response.

Now why do that? Maybe Putin wants to show off the reality that upgraded S-400 SAMs can clear the skies of American aircraft using known technology, especially if the SAMs are protected by the Krasukha-4EW radar and the shoulder launched 9K333 Verba MANPAD rockets to take out low level attackers.

One of the drones Russians may be operating in Syria is actually a licensed version of the IAI Searcher, developed just a few miles to the south in Israel. One of the latest vehicles that well-equipped Russian soldiers run around in nowadays is the GAZ ATV, with a Cummins diesel engine and Allison transmission, made in Indiana.

[Wise Old Fool]

Do we really care if Putin's spy was puttin' out or not? She's still a Russian FSB agent.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

If you're going to send double-oh Diane Reynolds a honeypot to distract him from finding the bad guy's lair, you're going to have to step up your game.