Stuck Inside? Here’s The Top Blockchain Games You can Play Right Now – Blockonomi

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Many of us are spending lots of time at home during these unprecedented times, so keeping boredom at bay as a result of newfound free time is the task at hand for more than a few folks.

With that said, those of us in the cryptoeconomy are fortunate to have a rising blockchain gaming sector ripe for tinkering with.

The space still has plenty of room to grow to be sure, but there are no shortage of early projects therein that are already trailblazing. If youre long on time and short on activities, consider checking out some of the following cryptonative gaming projects a little further.

Market cap: 154,655 ETH

Which god will you fight for? Gods Unchained is a turn-based, digital trading card game built on Ethereum. Matches revolve around players going head to head with decks of 30 cards each, with cards being secured as unique non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Ethereum. The gameplay is like a mix between Heathstone and Magic the Gathering, so its a natural fit for fans of those projects.

Market cap: 42,649 ETH

Back in 2017, CryptoKitties, the digital cats collectibles game, was one of the first Ethereum dApps to achieve a flash of breakout success. Since then, the game has brought the breeding of NFTs into the cryptoeconomys limelight and has given its creators, Dapper Labs, the fuel to keep advancing innovation in the blockchain gaming arena. Each digital kitty is a one-of-a-kind token and can be bred with other tokens to create new, unique offspring. The digital genes of each collectible is maintained within its associated smart contract, which makes them readily trackable.

Market cap: 6,393 ETH

Can you field an amazing team of skillful pets? Axie Infinity is a digital pet arena game where, like CryptoKitties, new collectible creatures can be created through breeding. The ensuing Axies can be collected, traded, and battled for on-chain prizes. In this way, the project is one of the pioneers in the play to earn movement that is picking up steam in the crypto ecosystem. Youll need at least 3 Axies to start playing the game, so keep that in mind, but where the fun begins is in mixing and matching different pets to field teams with different complementary abilities.

Market cap: 19,815 ETH

If youre a fan of role-playing games (RPGs), then MyCryptoHeroes is likely for you. In this crypto-themed project, players collect heroes and equip them with the best equipment possible in order to battle them head to head. After battles, youll also need to restore your pieces to bring them back to full health for new bouts. The project currently boasts more than 50,000 unique items. Like some other cryptonative games, MyCryptoHeroes offers users both player-vs-player (PVP) and player-vs-environment (PVE) modes. It has also given life to several different character archetypes, including figures like farmers, warriors, traders, and creators. All you need is a wallet like MetaMask to play.

Market cap: 12,050 ETH

Crypto Space Commander is a real-time, massive multiplayer online (MMO) game that is built on Ethereum. Adventure through the cosmos and commandeer new on-chain resources in galaxies far, far away with your own unique starships. The games economy is player-owned, meaning users can set up shop and profiteer however they see fit. Also, players can constantly upgrade their ships and add new abilities, meaning your items can do more after you grind and level up. If youre into sci-fi fantasy games where mining and grinding is key, then CSC might be right up your alley.

Market cap: 4,111 ETH

Etheremon is a Pokemon-like game underpinned by Ethereum NFTs, so you can collect, trade, and battle your digital creatures called Ether Monsters, or Mons in the game all on-chain. Beyond Mons, players can also collect potions and buffs to keep their digital pets in top shape or use them sell optimized Mons on the open market. Overall, the are over 80,000 unique items in the game right now, and the average price of one is around 0.15 ETH. Players can generate value for themselves by mining the EMONT token, an in-game currency that is permanently capped at 20 million units.

Market cap: 87 ETH

Familiar to anyone whos played SimCity before, BlockCities is an Ethereum game that lets players customize their own cities with unique digital architecture. These cities are maintained as NFT tokens, so you can trade them just as you would a regular token. They even become provably rare upon minting, since no two BlockCities will be organized in precisely the same way. Altogether, there are 10 million possible building combinations for users to pick from, so theres certainly no shortage of customization options. The games beta just launched on March 19th, so its one of the newer projects to hit the scene.

Market cap: 6,115 ETH

The Sandbox, a user-generated blockchain metaverse, is a gaming-centric virtual world build atop Ethereum that is comprised of more than 160,000 plots of LAND, all of which are NFT tokens. In the future, the idea is that these plots will host virtual events and a wide variety of games. Users of the game can create and exchange their voxel assets for cryptocurrency or create new in-world experiences using the SandBox Game Maker tool, as seen in the tweet below. The Sandbox has some interesting backers, too, as Square Enix the firm behind the popular Final Fantasy gaming franchise just invested in the project.

Neon District is a free-to-play, cypherpunk-inspired RPG built by the team at Blockade Games. The game is set to be released via the Steam mainstream gaming marketplace this July, so its not out just yet. But if youre doing a deep dive into crypto games in the coming weeks, Neon District is worth looking into because its set to grab some considerable market share in the digital collectibles arena once its live. Every piece of in-game gear is represented by an associated NFT, but Neon District has been created to be friendly to crypto and mainstream gamers alike.

OpenSea isnt an Ethereum game but rather a decentralized marketplace that makes it easy to buy and sell Ethereum gaming pieces and other types of digital collectibles. For now, its the largest one-stop spot in the arena for all your blockchain gaming needs, so if youre looking to pick up your first Axies, CryptoKitties, or even sell your old gaming pieces youre no longer using, its a great place to start. OpenSea also makes NFT analytics easy, as the platform provides a range of market statistics as well as the ability to readily track an Ethereum wallets various NFT activities.

The blockchain gaming sector is surely just starting out, but it has a range of promising upstarts that are already providing lots of fun and bringing lots of value. Its been a bit overlooked in the wider cryptoeconomy to date, but that dynamic has been shifting lately.

Some of the projects listed above have been around for a while like CryptoKitties, while other ones like BlockCities are just beginning. What they all share is a willingness to lean on blockchain technology to create new kinds of gaming experiences and open gaming economies that have never been possible before. Theyre certainly interesting, and expect more projects to follow in their stead going forward.

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Stuck Inside? Here's The Top Blockchain Games You can Play Right Now - Blockonomi

Coronavirus could be the tipping point for blockchain-powered telemedicine – Decrypt

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Its an extraordinary moment in the modern world as the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has rapidly become a global phenomenon. Amid the frantic response to the deadly pandemic, entire countries are ordering shelter-in-place measures to keep people at home while restaurants and businesses close their doors.

Essential services remain open in those areas, including doctors offices and hospitals, but social distancing is leaving many reluctant to leave their homeswhile health services in some countries are already feeling the strain under the influx of coronavirus patients. Given the increasing isolation of the worlds population, its no surprise that telemedicine is getting a lot more attention of late.

Telemedicine (or telehealth) is the remote use of telecommunications to deliver carefor example, trading the typical doctors appointment for a private, secure video call with a medical processional. The practice has gradually been on the rise in recent years; a J.D. Power study issued in 2019 showed that nearly 10% of Americans had used a telemedicine service in place of a physical visit over the previous year.

Whether they knew it or not, many of those patients likely utilized telemedicine services that rely on blockchain technology to secure interactionsand in some cases, to allow patients to control their own data. With its immutable ledger and cryptographic design, blockchain is uniquely positioned to power such critical and sensitive services. And with the global COVID-19 pandemic potentially stretching out for months to come, this could be the tipping point that helps normalize telemedicine in the mainstream.

Telemedicine services have reported unprecedented demand in recent weeks, while state and federal governments are clearing some of the previous roadblocks to its expansion. President Trumps administration expanded Medicare benefits for US telemedicine services in the wake of COVID-19, for example, following other telemedicine-friendly moves in the past, while China has opened up the floodgates for Internet-based services. Its a whole new world for telemedicine.

Telemedicine will grow exponentially amid COVID-19 as people are very skeptical about going to a hospital or crowded testing areas to get tested, Blaise Wabo, Associate Director and HITRUST Practice Lead at cybersecurity and compliance firm A-LIGN, tells Decrypt. A lot of states didnt accept telemedicine, [but] the federal government has waived telemedicine restrictions for preliminary tests to be done virtually with a doctor or medical practitioner prior to going for further testing in person.

Wabo has written extensively about the convergence of telemedicine and blockchain in the past, and suggests that blockchain can be a key part of the technological leap needed to deal with a pandemic like this.

We can see that the world is not getting better prepared for medical pandemics, and one would think as technology advances, we definitely should do better, he says. More organized tracking systems are needed to collect and track data during a medical pandemic, and also predict patterns in order to be better prepared to contain wide outspreads and ultimately help with finding treatment quicker. Blockchain technology could be the solution to handling private medical information and interactions.

"Blockchain could be the solution to handling private medical information."

Technologies such as zero-knowledge proofs and multiparty computation can add an element of privacy to blockchain's immutable ledger. Eventually, the goal is to enable computations on private data without exposing that data, which has obvious applications in the field of healthcare.

Part of the appeal of telemedicineespecially at this particular timeis the ability to seek professional medical help without leaving the home or meeting face-to-face. Brennan Bennett, founder of Blockchain Healthcare Review and Senior Business Analyst for Intermountain Healthcare, also points to the potential for lower-cost medical assistance via telemedicine.

This crisis will actually put telehealth into perspective in terms of an affordable countermeasure to the rising costs of healthcare delivery, Bennett tells Decrypt. It's not hard to do the math both for the patient and the provider in terms of the value of remote access to diagnostic assessments for basic, and even moderately complex symptoms.

The real question is, how will telehealth advance in such ways that mobile and/or web applications have access to more advanced clinical decision support features powered by technology, such as AI-trained computer vision? he continues. Once this threshold is crossed in a meaningful way on a global level, the intake relief provided to our healthcare system from telehealth can truly experience exponential growth. Most blockchain-based healthcare apps have this benchmark built into their MVPs [minimum viable products].

There are some ambitious blockchain-driven telemedicine efforts out theresuch as startup BitMED, which Decrypt profiled in 2018. The company aims to provide totally free telemedicine to anyone in the world through a platform built around its BXM token. The trade-off, however, is that youll need to share your anonymized medical records, which the company can then lease out for big bucks. However, there are less audacious-sounding blockchain telemedicine startups out there, too.

Several tech companies and startups in the industry have recognized [the benefits of blockchain] and have started building a number of blockchain solutions aiming at tracking drug supply chains, medical supplies, insurance claims, medical diagnosis and symptoms, and managing medical data, adds Wabo. These services could, he explains, provide valuable insight and statistics to help contain disease outbreaks and advise citizens on safety actions and measures.

Wabo points to Medicalchain as an example. The service allows users to access a comprehensive health record and share it as desired with doctors, with a system built on MedTokens. Those tokens can be used on the companys MyClinic.com website, which allows for remote video consultations with doctors.

He also mentioned Docademics Doc.com, which uses the Doc Token for its own blockchain telemedicine service, along with Gainfy, which gamifies healthy living habits and provides rewards to users. Meanwhile, Bennett noted some compelling blockchain telemedicine services that have caught his attention, including tokenized DNA marketplace Encrypgen, AI-driven consultation service Medvice, and virtual visit app PointNurse.

Blockchain wont be a selling point for the average consumer at this point, but with the telemedicine industry set to boom in the wake of the coronavirus, the technology may prove a vital building block for companies enabling and empowering the future of remote healthcare.

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Coronavirus could be the tipping point for blockchain-powered telemedicine - Decrypt

Blockchain Innovator Fluree Secures Investment from Engage in Seed Funding Extension Round – Supply and Demand Chain Executive

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Flureeannounced a seed extension round of funding with participation from Engage.

The investment follows a June 2019 $4.7M seed funding round. The new funds will enable Fluree to expand the market penetration of its enterprise data management platform. Tech startups, government agencies and Fortune 500 enterprises use Fluree as the engine to share, secure and build services upon high-quality, trusted data. Fluree recently announced astrategic blockchain deploymentwith the United States Air Force.

Fluree PBC (Fluree) is a Public Benefit Corporation co-founded by serial IT entrepreneurs and executives Brian Platz and Flip Filipowski in 2016. Built for versatility, the Fluree platform is an enterprise database that acts as the foundation for emerging online architectures that include AI, microservices, machine learning, the semantic web and consortium blockchains.

Organizations have been striving to secure a data-first approach for nearly a decade, and Fluree finally brings that vision to life, says Brian Platz, co-CEO and co-founder of Fluree. As the semantic web continues to dissolve data silos and build a new framework for harnessing the value of information, Fluree is becoming the back-end to power that change. In Engage, we have the ideal partners to continue our strategic enterprise expansion and further catalyze the next phase of the web.

Managed by Tech Square Ventures, Atlanta-based Engage is backed by 11 corporations AT&T, Chick-fil-A, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Georgia- Pacific, Georgia Power, Goldman Sachs, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Invesco, The Home Depot and UPS along with leading research institution Georgia Institute of Technology and Invest Georgia. The Engage platform is a first-of-its-kind venture fund and program designed to provide companies access to what they need most: customers and new markets.

Founded two years ago, Engage has invested in over 40 companies from across the country. Engage portfolio companies have created over 1,000 jobs and gone on to raise almost $400 million in additional venture financing.

Fluree is providing a transformative solution to a large problem we see in the enterprise space, rethinking data storage and management, says Thiago Olson, managing director at Engage. We are thrilled to welcome Fluree into the Engage family and begin connecting them with our corporate partners.

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Blockchain Innovator Fluree Secures Investment from Engage in Seed Funding Extension Round - Supply and Demand Chain Executive

Monetising Your Time on the Blockchain – ICO Examiner News

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With large swathes of the worldwide population currently confined to their homes and facing an uncertain financial future, finding an additional source of income is on the minds of many. While universalgovernment handouts maybe forthcoming, individuals now also have the option of exploring the monetisation of their own time via theMicrosponsors platform based on the 0x protocol.

The general idea being that creators, website hosts, freelancers, or anyone with a social media presence, can create their own Ethereum-based ERC-721 non fungible token (NFT) to auction specified time slots. These NFTs will guarantee a mention, shout out, or other service for the winning bidder at an allotted time and place.

Last year, Microsponsors began with the lofty goal of rebuilding Advertising Technology (AdTech) and Marketing Technology (MarTech) from the ground up to free people from the large commercial organisations who create walled gardens that are difficult to escape and ruthlessly exploit their behaviour and data to extract advertiser dollars.

The first step on the road to freedom was envisioned to be a self-service peer-to-peer marketplace where niche content creators could dispense with middlemen and directly find sponsors who wanted to connect with their audience or social media circle.

Building upon 0x was a natural starting point and Microsponsors became part of protocols accelerator program in order to facilitate in the free flow of value on the internet.

Minting an NFT known on the platform as a native Microsponsors token (MSPT) has a current low fee of 0.0001 ETH plus the usual network gas fee, and attracts bids from sponsors who interact via Metamask.

Potential sponsors, large and small, are able to browse the market, ask questions and place a bid for any NFT that matches their own criteria.

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Monetising Your Time on the Blockchain - ICO Examiner News

Blockchain brings traceability to animal feed, safety and production – FeedNavigator.com

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Michigan-based, Neogen, creates and markets products focused on animal safety and production including antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, food safety, genomics and toxicology.

The partnership between Neogen and Ripe Technology was intended to connect links within the production system, said Joe Heinzelmann, director of business development at Neogen.

The company works with testing and safety diagnostics along with providing genomics services and producing animal husbandry and insecticide products.

When you think of feeding 9bn people by 2030 not only do you have to safe food, you have to produce it in ways that are sustainable and helps them produce safe food and then youve got to have the efficiency,he said. This trifecta of the diagnostics, ways to help clean things and keep rodents and pest out of the area, and the genomics to help with efficiency is one way to do that and one way to bring these worlds together in a more meaningful capacity is something like a blockchain.

Blockchain

"Blockchain is a form of digital technology that chains together blocks of information in such a way that it creates a permanent, unalterable record. In the food and livestock industries, blockchain could be used to create the history of products and animals as they go through their entire production cycles," says Neogen.

The system also could be used to track the genomic profile of a dairy cow, along with the feed used, the animals medical history and how much milk it produced, the company said. The technology is set to be developed separately from Neogens analytics platform, but the two technologies will be used to provide data-driven insights to customers.

Agriculture provides a perfect environment for the use of digital technology like blockchain because the current system is fragmented, complex and involves numerous people working in analog environments, said Phil Harris, president and co-founder, Ripe.

There is both a regulatory push and consumer interest in knowing more about how food is produced, including the feed used and how the animal product was farmed, he said.

When you put all that together, that is the perfect environment and playground to bring in new software, new technology and new knowhow to help the industry tackle issues around limited traceability, issues with food safety. Those actors that are exhibiting best practices, around sustainability [including] less water usage, animal welfare, animal health and regenerative practices, are given a channel, a means to show and expose those best practices to people outside of the supply chain,he told us.

The use of systems like blockchain could provide support and evidence to value-added claims and production labels, said Harris. Additional digital tools like the use of sensors, the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and AI could be used to streamline production.

These four components can create significant efficiencies and optimization inside of the supply chain, so you can tackle those problems around lack of traceability, waste, fraud, spoilage and authenticity issues all of these friction points,he added.

One way that blockchain could be used within the animal production system would be to improve the traceability and safety of feed, said Harris. Before it reaches the producer, feed or feed ingredients move through several steps including going from farm to processing and through a distribution process and testing.

All of these actors are sequentially involved from point A, which is when the animal is born and when it starts to be fed, all the way through to slaughter,he said. When you link together all the actors and all the siloed activities if [the data] was shared more broadly within an application that had the ability to aggregate and provide intelligence, they would be able to be better actors and do a better job.

Taking what had been individual data sets and providing a shared copy could remove friction points, he said. The system also could play a role in tracking livestock development or animals raised in specific ways like without the use of antibiotics.

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Blockchain brings traceability to animal feed, safety and production - FeedNavigator.com

Meme of The Decade – The Banner Newspaper

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By: Joseph Caruselle

A compilation of Pepes many reactions. Credit: Dank Meme Team

It is very rare and unique for something to become a cultural phenomenon. Of the many interesting elements that make up our modern society, one I feel should not be overlooked is the shared experience of memes.

With only an image and 15 words or less, we can share relatable experiences. When we share them, we do it with the people that matter most to us, like our friends and family.

That is why it is important for us to take a moment to appreciate these things that bring us closer together.

After much deliberation and dispute, the Meme of The Decade was voted on and approved by nearly 125,000 anonymous Reddit users. For those who are unfamiliar, Reddit is a popular internet forum made up of thousands of smaller communities, each dedicated to different hobbies or interests.

So, after 4 rounds of voting and nearly 2 months of heated debate, it was ultimately decided that Pepe the Frog was to be our Meme of The Decade.

Pepe the Frog is a cartoon frog created by the cartoonist Matt Furie for his comic Boys Club, and while some might recognize it as a symbol of hate used by alt-right groups, it is also a symbol of resistance according to Hong Kong protestors.

At the end of the day, Pepe the Frog is simply a cartoon that we assign meaning to according to who we are. These images travel far and wide because they are shared human experiences that know no bounds.

It is hard to understate the sheer number of different subreddits as they are called, that are each dedicated to different things like gardening, movie reviews, politics, relationship advice, scientific journals, music videos, and just about everything else.

For all intents and purposes, it is the one-stop-shop of the internet.

Of the many smaller communities there are meme communities. Still too many to count as they each break up into different types of memes.

To give you an example Ill share one of my favorites, dedicated to the Star Wars prequel movies only (Episode 1, 2, and 3).

Of course, it must be said that we are at war with our sister subreddit dedicated solely to the Star Wars sequels movies (Episode 7, 8, 9). Many of the memes that make up these subreddits are sometimes just fun jabs at each other.

Im sure many people might find this kind of thing to be gibberish, and with good reason. You must understand that these are the kinds of things that tie us together as a community. When you share a meme with a friend and they reply, Oh, I saw that! with a big smile on their face, it is both wondrous and infuriating.

But we love it just the same.

It is also worth mentioning that there is no official authority of memes, there is no meme police, and there are no meme laws.

It is very possible that you have never shared a Pepe meme or have only seen it in passing, but that doesnt matter, because we each have our own meme of the decade.

Reddits communities can be a closed loop at times, which is why I thought it important to end on this note.

Whatever memes you share with your loved ones, make sure to take an extra moment to appreciate all the times theyve really made you laugh, smile, or simply just blow air out of your nose.

They are a special part of our society and I think were lucky to be a part of it.

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SXSW Review: ‘Feels Good Man’ documents the rise of Pepe the Frog – Vanyaland

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Editors Note: The 2020 SXSW Film Festival was canceled a few weeks ago due to concerns over the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This was the right choice, but it has deeply hurt both the financials of the people of Austin who depend on the festival for their livelihood and the filmmakers who would have had their work showcased there. Were doing our part: To the best of our ability, were still covering films that would have played the festival, and all this week, well be bringing you reviews of smaller films that you should be on the lookout for. We ask that you consider doing yours, and donating to one of these charities if you have the means.

***

Its a risky thing to make a movie about a meme, and its even riskier to assume that itll remain relevant for the time itll take you to complete filming. Most will be lost to the vast ocean and tempestuous tides of internet culture, but there are a few who have held on throughout the sea-changes. Chief amongst them is Pepe the Frog, whose origins in alternative comics at the start of the modern internet era led the cartoon frog to become one of the internets most recognizable images. But this dissemination had a darker side, and its one that youre probably familiar with: By the end of 2016, Pepe had become synonymous with the alt-right and a bunch of other malicious internet actors, and Arthur Jones compelling doc Feels Good Man tries to explore how and why this happened, as well as the fallout that this development had on the memes creator.

Pepe began his life as a character in Matt Furies Boys Club, an alt-comix tale of a group of chill cartoon dudes and their post-college bong-and-pizza slackerdom, and because Furie put his work up on MySpace, it eventually caught on with people on the internet at large. Furies a fascinating figure: hes a soft-spoken, introspective fellow who partied hard once upon a time but settled into some approximation of adult life over the course of his career as a cartoonist. A few talking heads acknowledge how Pepe seems to be his stand-in in the Boys Club comics, and Furies other projects, including his work as a childrens book author and illustrator, only serve to underline it: theyre full of frogs. Yet, he initially has a live-and-let-live response to how his creation is being used on the internet: its harmless fun, right? And, sure enough, it was: Pepe began helping people express complicated emotions in online spaces like 4chan, and Jones stacks his documentary with psychologists and theorists offering interesting explanations as to why.

But in the middle of the 10s, something changed: As all things in those spaces are wont to do, the mainstream culture picked up on Pepes usage in these spaces, and like most closed-off cultural groups when their shit goes mainstream, they reacted poorly. Really ugly and offensive images of the character began popping up online, attempting to throw normies off of the groups scent, and that approach only leads to mayhem. As Jones points out, at some point ironic hatred becomes indistinguishable from the real thing, and you suddenly have Pepe appearing on the Anti-Defamation Leagues list of hate speech symbols. Its at this point in which Furie decides to fight back against his creations misuses but when he also realizes that he cant put the toothpaste back into the tube, and the measures that hes taking might be too little, too late. Its also when Jones documentary gets truly fascinating as he starts pulling in some truly bizarre experts including an occultist magician, who highlights the black-magic energy that might have fueled the whole political enterprise and also when the film gets legitimately scary.

It was always going to be a tall order for Jones to try and put the whole sweep of fast-changing internet culture in a 90-minute documentary, but he does a surprisingly solid job at condensing large amounts of information down to their basic elements. It may be too broad for some, but theres a lot to learn here, and its presented in lovely fashion, chock-full of beautiful animation thats nearly ripped straight from Furies comics. Theres a part of me that wishes that Jones would have waited even longer to make this documentary, just to document the memes further mutations over the years. The ones we see here where Pepe becomes a bizarre symbol of internet commerce through the rare Pepes online or a late-stage wrestling-style face turn where the meme is adopted by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong are fascinating, perhaps worthy of their own docs in the first place. But theyre ultimately addenda to Furies story, which, in its own way, feels mostly complete: He gave part of himself to the world, the world transformed it into something he didnt recognize anymore, and now hes doing his best to assert control over his creation and, more importantly, over his own identity to the world at large. It all adds up to this: Feels Good Man is one of the smartest docs made about the meme era yet, and its a genuinely fascinating watch.

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SXSW Review: 'Feels Good Man' documents the rise of Pepe the Frog - Vanyaland

Hollywood’s Creatives Suffer Blow in Appeal Over Weinstein Co.’s Bankruptcy Sale – Hollywood Reporter

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A federal judge rejects arguments from Bradley Cooper and other 'Silver Linings Playbook' stars and comes to a conclusion that the DGA, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA warn could deprive their members of bargained film profits.

The next few months figure to be a rocky one in Hollywood. And if the coronavirus epidemic gets worse, there could be bankruptcies. If that happens, many Hollywood stars could be at risk of being deprived of expected profits from movies and television shows. Witness a decision made Friday by a Delaware federal court.

The dispute emanates from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of The Weinstein Co., which itself was precipitated when Harvey Weinstein was outed as a serial rapist. Once in bankruptcy, the debtor sold most of its assets to Spyglass Media (formerly known as Lantern Entertainment) for $287 million. But not everyone was happy with the deal. There were many individuals and companies who wanted assurances they'd be getting everything owed under profit participation deals. The list included Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Quentin Tarantino, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Julia Roberts.

Spyglass decided to go on offense.

As a test case, Spyglass suedSilver Linings Playbook producer Bruce Cohen and sought a determination that his contract was not executory, meaning that obligations under the deal had been substantially performed. If Spyglass was correct, that meant it could be assigned Cohen's contract free and clear of any claims. Spyglass anticipated that the resolution of this dispute would aid in determining the executory nature of similar contracts.

In January 2019, a Delaware bankruptcy judge ruled in Spyglass' favor.

That decision was appealed by Cohen and many of the stars who worked onSilver Linings Playbook, including Cooper, De Niro and director David O. Russell.

The appeal then attracted an amicus brief from the Directors Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America West. According to the guilds, the entertainment industry had witnessed a surge of bankruptcies of late (e.g. Relativity,Open Road, etc.) and there should be no "perfunctory per se rule that finds entertainment industry personal service agreements to be nonexecutory once the underlying project is completed."

The guilds added that depriving them of contingent or deferred compensation would be "a severe blow, greatly diminishing their return in exchange for providing the very services that created product value in the first place."

Unfortunately for the talent working onSilver Linings Playbookas well as other directors, writers and actors in the entertainment community, a Delaware district court on Friday affirmed the bankruptcy judge's decision.

"The Court finds no error in the Bankruptcy Courts application," states the opinion (read here). "First, the primary purpose, or 'root' of the Cohen Agreement, which is self-described as a work-for-hire agreement, was the production of the film and the transfer of rights of authorship such that TWC could exploit such rights without concerns about claims from the Cohen Parties. The Cohen Agreement provides that the transfer of authorship rights occurred upon its execution. The material obligations under the Cohen Agreement were performed in 2011 and 2012 in 2011, when the intellectual property and other rights to and under the film were transferred to the Debtors at the time the parties executed the Cohen Agreement, and in 2012 when the film was produced and released. The film was released on November 16, 2012, and there is no question that the Cohen Parties performed their production services for the film almost six years prior to the Petition Date. In exchange, the Cohen Parties received fixed compensation and contingent compensation. After the film was released, the only obligations remaining under the Cohen Agreement were ancillary and could not be material."

The federal court rejects arguments that the ongoing nature of contingent compensation and other terms of the contract such as Cohen's ongoing obligation not to interfere with distribution is cause for a different interpretation.

It's possible that the ruling could see further appeal. In the meantime, the outcome here figures to impact future dealmaking in Hollywood and could be a notable development as the industry at large hits rocky economic times brought upon by a health calamity.

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Hollywood's Creatives Suffer Blow in Appeal Over Weinstein Co.'s Bankruptcy Sale - Hollywood Reporter

Letter to the Editor: Pandemic debt crisis is Trump’s latest bankruptcy – Press Herald

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The coronavirus emergency has highlighted the irresponsibility of the fiscal policies of Trump.

Cutting taxes while raising spending since 2016 has resulted in trillion dollar yearly deficits that jeopardize the future. Experts all along have warned that this would limit our response to inevitable recessions.

Now that we have a crisis Trump is proposing spending $850 billion additional borrowed dollars to try to avoid an economic meltdown. But can we survive the debt crisis that is being created? Or are we as a nation destined to be Trumps seventh bankruptcy?

Peter Rowland

Raymond

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Home deliveries and Humvees: life under Jordans harsh virus lockdown – The Guardian

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The quarantine law says anyone caught outside will be jailed for up to a year. The car is parked on the street outside, with a box of water in the boot. Do you risk it?

Such have been the sort of dilemmas facing people in Jordan since Saturday morning, when the Middle Eastern kingdom introduced one of the most stringent anti-coronavirus regimes in the world.

It was announced at 7am by rounds of air-raid sirens: every person in the country indefinitely confined to their homes. No grocery shopping. No trips to pharmacies. Not even a walk around the block. Those with medical emergencies could call the authorities, but anyone caught outside would be arrested. More than 800 people have been picked up so far, the military says.

Videos circulating on social media show army Humvees patrolling Ammans beige streets. Another clip showed a veiled woman who parked her car in the middle of an empty street and danced to the music blaring from her stereo. Local media reported later reported her arrest.

Jordan has undergone the same whiplash-inducing shift to a new era as other countries. Nine days ago, cafes were full, tourist sites were open and just person had tested for the virus, and recovered.

In a cascade over the next days, flights were cancelled, Jordans airport closed, the borders of Amman sealed, non-essential businesses shut and, finally, everyone ordered to stay home.

The curfew, imposed because people were flouting the governments plaintive requests to stay home of their own volition, was announced at 3pm on the day before it came into force, triggering an immediate run on bakeries and supermarkets. In the hours before people would be isolated from each other for their protection, they were pressed shoulder-to-shoulder buying bread and milk.

On Monday, a government spokesman told Jordanians the curfew would extend for weeks, and they should make do with the basics until then. An unprecedented scheme for delivering bread, water and pharmaceuticals to the population of 10 million is being trialled from Tuesday, though how it will work is still unclear. Ministers have already warned citizens to get used to the absence of luxuries.

Possible problems abound. Will there be enough workers or cars to deliver on what is sure to be enormous demand? Will farmers and distributors be allowed out to keep the food system running? And what happens when people run out of cash?

For my circle, the toll of the curfew so far has been an accumulation of small inconveniences. The elaborate meals we planned to cook during isolation have been pared back. Supplies of hay fever medicine in our house have dwindled to a single pill. A friend with two dogs cant walk either of them but says they are entertaining each other, for now.

But Jordan has shouldered far more than its fair share of refugees from across the region. On farms, in the poorer quarters of cities and in sprawling camps, more than 650,000 Syrians are also confined to their homes. There are few more resilient communities in the world, but most cannot afford to stockpile food for weeks.

Those who can look after themselves are looking after themselves, Ahmed, a Syrian who fled to Jordan from the city of Hama, said last week. Those who dont have food, dont.

The gamble is that a few weeks of difficulty might spare Jordan the horror that Italy, Iran and others are experiencing. Jordan has 112 coronavirus cases so far, with all but one said to be in good condition. The countrys health system is ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the least prepared in the region to fight a pandemic. The government had to act fast, and drastically.

If those who are confirmed to be sick are properly treated; if asymptomatic cases are confined long enough for the virus to work its way through them, their households and environments; if authorities can keep people satisfied long enough so that they adhere to the rules; and if the borders remain closed, preventing new cases from entering Jordan could avoid the worst.

Four big ifs. On Monday night, the third day of the curfew, Jordanians gathered on their balconies to sing and cheer in solidarity with each other and health workers. It is to be a nightly ritual. Over the next weeks, it will convey the public mood.

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Home deliveries and Humvees: life under Jordans harsh virus lockdown - The Guardian

Chiefs sign former St. Louis BattleHawks quarterback Jordan Ta’amu after successful XFL season – CBS Sports

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It didn't take long for former Houston Roughnecks quarterback P.J. Walker to find a new NFL home with the Carolina Panthers, but he wasn't the only XFL signal caller to be picked up on Monday. According to his agent, Kenny Zuckerman, former St. Louis BattleHawks quarterback Jordan Ta'amu has agreed to terms with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ta'amu led the BattleHawks to a 3-2 record and finished the shortened inaugural season third in passing with 1,050 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Ta'amu established himself as one of the XFL's best right from season opener, as he led the BattleHawks to a 15-9 victory over the Dallas Renegades -- who were the early favorites to win the league. Ta'amu completed 74 percent of his passes for 209 yards and one touchdown in the victory, and also rushed nine times for a total of 77 yards. It was a performance that made him a finalist for the XFL's first "Star of the Week" award.

The Ole Miss product broke the all-time school record for 400-yard passing games during his time in Oxford, and finished his career ranking sixth all-time in program history with 5,600 passing yards. During his senior season in 2018, he also rushed for 342 yards and six touchdowns.

Ta'amu ended up going undrafted in 2019, but got a chance with the Houston Texans and passed for 50 yards and one interception in three preseason games. He was released ahead of the regular season.

Ta'amu is expected to have an opportunity to battle Kyle Shurmur andChad Henne for the right to back up starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. While Ta'amu clearly was not picked up to be a starter, the Chiefs recognized his ability and potential during his five XFL games, and they are going to give him the opportunity to battle for a roster spot.

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Chiefs sign former St. Louis BattleHawks quarterback Jordan Ta'amu after successful XFL season - CBS Sports

The Jordan Westbrook One Take Dresses Up In A Volt And Black Colorway – Sneaker News

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Each debut surprisingly better than the last, the Jordan Westbrook One Take the ostensible budget-friendly alternate to the athletes Why Not Zer0.3 flagship is currently on track to be Russell Westbrooks most popular silhouette. Once holding claim over the top spots on the site, the pairs Black/Cement and versatile Triple White colorways have refined a roster yet to release, and today marks the unveil of yet another though it colors in much more bold than any of the aforementioned. Rather than dressed with neutrals or anything heritage-inspired, the pair prefers a coat of Volt dye, adding it to the mesh at the toe box and profile as well as the molds along its tooling; tongues, in slight departure, prefer a much darker green to better complement the black accents that seat adjacent. Grab a detailed look at this latest One Take right here and expect a release at Nike.com surely within the coming months if COVID-19 will allow it.

In other news, an Air Command Force LeBron 17 Hybrid is on the way.

Jordan Westbrook One Take VoltStyle Code: CJ0780-103

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The Jordan Westbrook One Take Dresses Up In A Volt And Black Colorway - Sneaker News

Chargers Draft: Is Jordan Love an option for the Chargers at #6? – Bolts From The Blue

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The 2020 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin in roughly one month and Los Angeles Chargers fans are busy discussing who the team should take with the sixth overall pick. Should it be a quarterback? An offensive tackle? A linebacker?

One draft prospect who has generated a lot of buzz among Chargers fans who favor a quarterback is former Utah State Aggie quarterback Jordan Love. Many believe he should be the pick at #6, and others have gone so far as to say Love is the best quarterback in this class.

Let me start this by saying Jordan Love is not the best quarterback in this class. Not by a long shot. Im not even convinced hes the third best quarterback in this class. Is he interesting? Sure. Does he have some enticing physical talents? Absolutely. But Im not sure I agree with the notion that he has the highest ceiling in this class, and I definitely want no part of him at #6. Frankly, Im not even sure Id take him in the first round.

Lets take a look at Jordan Love as a prospect:

Love has the frame (64, 224 pounds) scouts love in quarterbacks, which he couples with one of the two strongest arms in this class (Justin Herbert). Hes also extremely athletic and capable of throwing the ball accurately on the run from multiple platforms. He can extend and create with his legs and is arguably at his best when things break down around him. He is a playmaker and he is fun to watch.

If I had to pick one trait, or skill, that sets Love apart from the rest of the class, its his arm talent. His ability to throw with touch and fit the ball into tight windows is impressive, to say the least. His ball placement is somewhat erratic, but the arm strength and ability to layer throws definitely shows up on film. While its what makes him fun to watch, its also what is leading people to unfairly compare him to Patrick Mahomes, which is ultimately skewing evaluations.

Where the evaluation starts to go sideways, at least for me, is his decision-making. What I saw was a junior quarterback who, quite frankly, never diagnosed zone coverages. I thought defenses adjusted to what he did in 2018 by dropping linebackers into intermediate and deep zones in anticipation of Loves desire to attack the middle of the field. Unfortunately, Love never made any adjustments to counter the defensive adjustments made by the opposition.

The result? Interceptions. Lots and lots of interceptions thrown into crowds of defenders.

Jordan Loves supporters will be quick to tell you he struggled in 2019 due to a lack of talent. While its true that Love wasnt blessed with the multitude of weapons that Tua Tagovailoa or Joe Burrows had, he did have Saiosi Mariner post 63/987/10 as a graduate transfer and three other receivers post 35+ receptions for 430+ yards. That trio included Jordan Nathan, who saw his receptions, yards and yards per catch double from 2018 to 2019. He had people to throw to.

Its a cop-out to blame his interceptions on a lack of talent.

In my opinion, Jordan Loves film tells the story of a quarterback who simply didnt see the field well in 2019. The junior quarterback failed to diagnose zone coverages, stared down receivers, held the ball too long, and forced the ball into crowds of defenders. He also struggled with timing and appeared to try to out-throw coverages at times.

As a three-year starter, Jordan should be more advanced with his reads pre-snap, or otherwise. He shouldnt be missing zone coverages on a regular basis, and he should definitely be past the point of holding the ball and trying to out-throw coverages. The fact that Love still struggles with these things suggests he probably wasnt asked to decipher coverages or get through more than a couple progressions, and that just means more work for the team that drafts him.

There were two reads/throws in particular that consistently gave him issues in 2019. The first was failing to read or anticipate zone coverages. He repeatedly made this mistake on film, with the end result being turnovers. The second was a tendency to aim and telegraph balls when throwing intermediate and deep outs, rather than driving them home. He threw several picks on these throws, as well.

The issue with deep outs is more of an execution issue in my eyes, and one that can be fixed with improved timing and anticipation. The issue with zone coverages is a bigger problem because it should be a basic read for any quarterback, and yet he failed to make the adjustment. Love is predictable in his tendencies and either didnt identify coverages at the line, didnt see the defenders dropping into his passing windows, or just ignored them.

While all young quarterbacks are something of a project, I think Jordan Love is more of a project than some care to admit. Whether theyre trying to be different, are placing a little too much emphasis on his arm strength, or just arent seeing the diagnostic issues; there is much work to be done there. Thats why I dont see Jordan Love as a viable option with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 Draft.

Id much rather see the Chargers, who just finished rebuilding the right side of their offensive line, make an aggressive play for the Lions third overall pick to select a certain left-handed quarterback, but thats another article for another day

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Chargers Draft: Is Jordan Love an option for the Chargers at #6? - Bolts From The Blue

The Jordan Westbrook One Take Gets The Black/Cement Treatment – Sneaker News

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While we wont have the opportunity to watch Russell Westbrook perform on the floor in the foreseeable future, we can still keep track of the NBA All-Star through his upcoming footwear releases. Recently, the Houston Rockets point guard took a moment to divert our attention away from his Why Not Zer0.3 signature, and instead introduced us to a new sibling model that hes added to his arsenal: the Jordan Westbrook One Take. Last seen showing face in a clean white and silver blend, the more minimalistic design is transitioning towards retro-inspired territories for a new makeover reminiscent of the iconic Black Cement 3s. A large portion of base is swathed in black that deviate between its mesh, and patent leather fabrications, while supporting accents of grey touch onto the treading, tongues, and upper overlays. Lastly, sprinkles of red make their way onto the sock liners and exterior stitchings that subtly nod to its muse. Grab a closer look here, and find them releasing soon on Nike.com and at select retailers.

In other news, the Air Jordan 12 Reverse Flu Game is expected drop in December.

Jordan Westbrook One TakeStyle Code: CJ0780-001

Make sure to follow @kicksfinder for live tweets during the release date.

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A royal flush: 54 photos that chart the style evolution of Jordan’s Queen Rania – The National

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Queen Rania, with Senator Jesse Helms in Washington DC on June 7, 2000, wears a simple black suit with a blue blouse, a style format she stuck to in the early 2000s. Getty Images

Queen Rania of Jordan, pictured in Amman in November 2000, sports a beige two-piece with a contrasting teal shirt. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured with a newborn Princess Salma as well as Princess Iman and Crown Prince Hussein, wears a maroon turtleneck in November 2000. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured in Amman on December 17, 2000, has long highlighted traditional Jordanian craftsmanship through her wardrobe choices. Getty Images

The royal experimented with a fringe and layered haircut in April, 2001. Getty Images

Queen Rania, here photographed on June 6, 2001, was an early proponent of the power suit. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured in Rome on October 12, 2001, also dabbled with lighter locks in the past. Getty Images

For a visit to London in November 2001, Queen Rania, pictured with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, chose elegant navy separates, for a finish that still looks contemporary. Getty Images

While in London in November 2001, the royal, pictured with Cherie Blair, began to show her appreciation for architectural cuts. Getty Images

Queen Rania, photographed with artist Hind Nasser on November 29, 2001, made a lesser-seen dabble with pastel tones in this co-ordinating lavender suit. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured arriving at King Abdullah's birthday party on January 29, 2002, wears a dramatic full-length coat over a classic shirt-and-trousers combo. Getty Images

The royal, pictured on June 10, 2002 in Amman, didn't escape the sunglasses trends and the pinstriped blazers of the early 2000s. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured with Baroness Symons and Maria Shammas on June 17, 2002, has long favourite monochrome ensembles with clean lines, as per this asymmetric coat and trousers look. Getty Images

The royal wears peachy chiffon embellished with sequins for a gala dinner in France on September 30, 2002. Getty Images

Queen Rania wears a bolero jacket over a velvet evening gown at Bellevue Palace in October 22, 2002 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images

Queen Rania first started embracing the pussybow blouse, a style she still favours to this day, in October 2002 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images

The royal looked to a Rennaissance-worthy velvet gown on December 2, 2002 in Versailles, France. Getty Images

The royal, pictured with Queen Sofia of Spain on September 30, 2003, wears knee-high boots with a chic sleeveless dress. Getty Images

Queen Rania champions the skirt suit on March 8, 2004 in Beirut. Getty Images

Queen Rania looks red carpet ready in cream satin for a gala dinner at El Pardo Royal Palace on May 21, 2004 in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images

For the wedding of Spanish Crown Prince Felipe de Bourbon and former journalist Letizia Ortiz on May 22, 2004, Queen Rania donned a simple white shirt, dressed up by a lilac and lace maxi. Getty Images

Queen Rania, while visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie, dressed for the UK's wintry climes in a knitted tunic layered over trousers on November 6, 2006. Getty Images

Queen Rania dresses up an emerald gown with a sleek black stole at the Foreign Press Association awards on November 23, 2004 in London. Getty Images

Queen Rania, then pregnant with Prince Hashem, wears a textured coat on November 29, 2004 in Amman. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured with Renee Zellweger, wears a long navy dress on June 11, 2006 for an event on the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea. Getty Images

The royal, pictured in Cape Town on April 3, 2006, dressed up a simple shirt with layered necklaces. Getty Images

Queen Rania wrapped. atrench coat over a printed tea dress at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, UK, on August 11, 2006. Getty Images

Queen Rania experimented with velvet for daywear in this blazer on October 30, 2006 in The Hague, Netherlands. Getty Images

This royal blue gown was offset by a woven belt on October 31, 2006 in Scheveningen, Netherlands. Getty Images

Queen Rania donned a classic LBD for a Unesco Goodwill Ambassadors meeting on April 3, 2007 in Paris, France. Getty Images

Queen Rania demonstrates why she reigns at tailored separates on October 31, 2007, in Amman. Getty Images

Queen Rania is the picture of elegance in pale dove grey Elie Saab at the Bambi Awards on November 29, 2007 in Germany. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured with Queen Sofia of Spain on October 18, 2008, dips a toe into the then-emerging lace trend. Getty Images

Queen Rania keeps it elegant in a tonal autumnal look on October 18, 2008 in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured with King Constantin of Greece, wore an artfully draped purple gown to the wedding banquet for Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden on June 19, 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden. Getty Images

Queen Rania turns to a scalloped coral silk dress on October 30, 2008 in Paris, France. Getty Images

Queen Rania amps up the drama with an oversized applique bloom at Windsor Castle on May 18, 2012 in London. Getty Images

The royal steps out in a blue dress with flattering white panels while with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall on March 12, 2013, in Amman. Getty Images

Queen Rania embraces a fringe of feathers with this long-sleeved top and draped skirt at the Women in the World summit on October 8, 2015 in London, England. Getty Images

Queen Rania, pictured with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German politician Christian Lindner on September 17, 2015 , wears a belted skirt with a subtly embellished blouse. Getty Images

The royal, pictured with Queen Letizia of Spain, wrapped up in a fashion-forward tweed jacket to arrive in Madrid on November 19, 2015. Getty Images

Queen Rania, photographed with Queen Letizia of Spain on November 20, 2015, has long championed the midi skirt, but this pleated black and white number might be her best one yet. Getty Images

Queen Rania debuted a cutaway coat layered over a hot-pink pencil dress on January 8, 2016 in London. Getty Images

Queen Rania looks regal in a flowing teal gown, and complementing golden headband, at the Royal Hashemite Court on June 2, 2016. Getty Images

Queen Rania, with Crown Prince Hussein, embraces Hama Fashion's traditional prints in a modern silhouette for Jordan's 70th Independence Day on May 25, 2016. Getty Images

Queen Rania made a rare appearance in eclectic Valentino prints at the Ein Herz Fuer Kinder Gala on December 3, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images

Queen Rania wrapped up in a statement red Givenchy coat and matching heels at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on August 11, 2017 in Camberley, England. Getty Images

The royal kept it simple yet super contemporary in a white Givenchy shirt dress at Fashion for Relief on May 21, 2017 in Cannes, France. Getty Images

Queen Rania wears an embellished pencil skirt with a light knit on November 30, 2017 in Oxfordshire, England. Getty Images

Queen Rania wore a dusky blue, high-necked dress for Princess Salma's graduation ceremony on May 22, 2018. Getty Images

Queen Rania turned to a fuchsia midi and heels by Amina Muaddi for a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II and King Abdullah II on January 1, 2019. Getty Images

The royal wears relaxed trousers and a loose scarlet Antonio Berardi jacket to tour the Jabal Al-Luweibdeh neighbourhood on April 17, 2019, in Amman. Getty Images

Queen Rania wore relaxed, safari-inspired Michael Kors suiting for a visit to Al Maghtas, where Jesus is believed by Christians to have been baptised, in March 2020. AFP

Queen Rania, pictured with Queen Sonia and King Harald V of Norway in Amman, on March 2, 2020, chose a clean yet ultra modern Izeta coat for the royals' visit to Jordan. EPA.

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A royal flush: 54 photos that chart the style evolution of Jordan's Queen Rania - The National

Cameron Jordan lobbies for the Saints to sign ex-first round pick Dion Jordan – Saints Wire

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How can the New Orleans Saints get better before the 2020 season? Theyve already begun working on that by signing free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, a two-time Pro Bowler who is one of the few route-runners in the league who can match Michael Thomas step-for-step. But what about the defense?

Cameron Jordan has some ideas. When browsing a list of available defensive linemen, the All-Pro pass rusher circled one name in particular: Dion Jordan, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft out of Oregon. He has spent recent years playing for the Seattle Seahawks and formerly-Oakland Raiders, having missed a lot of time after a 2015 suspension for violating the leagues performance-enhancing substance policy.

Hes played just 24 games in the last three years while dealing with a 2018 knee injury and a suspension related to an expired therapeutic use exemption for Adderall, and Jordans stat line isnt going to raise many eyebrows; in those 24 games, hes created 7.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits, along with eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. But the Saints Jordan sees more than a box score.

The veteran identified the free agents tools as, flexibility, inside rusher as well as outside rusher, pointing to the younger Jordans success in creating pressure from all over the defense front, crediting it to rare flexibility for such a tall lineman (the prospect tips the scales at 6-foot-6, 284 pounds).

On top of that, Jordan sees a vision where they could both coexist in certain packages, such as an all-defensive ends look featuring both Jordans lined up upside, with Marcus Davenport and Trey Hendrickson flanking them. Another lineup he proposed would be a package calling for five linemen with hands in the dirt, bookended by himself and Davenport on the edge with interior linemen Sheldon Rankins and David Onyemata inside next to the other Jordan.

Hes certainly painting an intriguing picture. When Jordans playing days are over, a coaching career could be ahead of him, assuming he doesnt get a job in the media. But back to his point about adding another Jordan: it would be a fascinating pickup, especially if he can steer clear of further suspensions.

The Saints defensive line was a strength of the team but got whittled down late last season with injuries. Adding someone like the other Jordan to the mix would make sense for the reasons already discussed. And its not like the Saints arent familiar with him; Jordan was picked by then-Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, now the head of the Saints college scouting department. Its something worth watching.

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Cameron Jordan lobbies for the Saints to sign ex-first round pick Dion Jordan - Saints Wire

Jordan Young happy to sign with PFL: ‘I got the short end of the stick’ with Bellator – MMA Junkie

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As Jordan Young looks ahead to the next chapter of his career with PFL, he has mixed feelings about his time with Bellator.

Young (11-1) spent the past three years and seven fights under the Bellator banner. He looked to be a major prospect, winning his first six bouts, including a stretch of five consecutive submission finishes. He stumbled in the final fight of his contract, though, and lost a decision to Julius Anglickas at Bellator 233 this past November.

Entering free agency off a lackluster defeat wasnt part of Youngs plan, of course. He said he fought injured and that contributed to his performance, which he felt was negatively used against him in negotiations. When he sat at the table with the Bellator brass, Young said his frustrations with the organization were magnified and he opted to move on.

I was looking to increase my worth and fell short a little bit there, then on the back end of that fight I needed hip surgery, Young told MMA Junkie. I dont do excuses and (expletive), but I got MRIs. I got three MRIs from 2019. They all shown a torn hip. I tried doing everything, but it backfired on me. I didnt get the job done. Its not like Bellator wasnt interested, but the numbers werent adding up for me. Im not interested in taking steps back or doing anything thats counterproductive to my career.

Lets throw two things out there. Look at the kid that beat me. He beat me, and you havent heard (expletive) about him. No promotion for the kid. Hes sitting on the sidelines, and Im going to fight before he does, and I had a hip surgery. The lack of promotion is something serious over there. I feel that. Im a young, up-and-coming star and Im looking to remind people of that with PFL.

Young said his free agency discussions included MMAs four major promotions: UFC, Bellator, PFL and ONE Championship. He thought PFL offered the most to him at this point in his career because competing in the 2020 season could allow him to fight up to five times in six months, and also offers the biggest immediate financial reward with a $1 million prize at the end.

The UFC was definitely a consideration in Youngs mind, he said, but ultimately he thought the timing wasnt right.

When I go to the UFC, I want to be prepared to be there to stay, Young said. Its not that I dont think Im ready now, but I feel I have more steps to take. I dont want to be a guy in the UFC that doesnt own a house yet, that doesnt have his (expletive) together, and then Im forced to take different steps and try different things out because I need the money. When I go to the UFC, Im going to be set. Im going to have what I need to have, and regardless of what happens in my fights, Im going to be taken care of.

Young said he has a good perspective on what he needs in his career right now, and thats why staying put with Bellator wasnt a realistic option. Young said hes appreciative of the experiences he gained fighting under Scott Cokers brand, but he does have some issues with how business is done.

A fighter like Young, who appears to have the talent, personality and mindset to thrive in the sport, should have been pushed much harder, he said.

A lot of people dont know who I am across the MMA community because they havent had the opportunity to see me, Young said. At 25 years of age and with an 11-1 record, I think thats kind of absurd. If you take a couple steps back, Ive only fought two or three times a year. A lot of those fights are first-round finishes. Im fresh. Im healthy. I make my check and then I sit for six months and you dont hear a word about me. Thats like the worst treatment I think you can give an up-and-coming fighter who has star potential and is winning his fights in the fashion Im winning them, which is without being touched.

I would rather have the long road than no road at all, but I feel like I got the short end of the stick. I notched off a lot of victories there in a short period of time and there wasnt really any big payoff for me. I didnt receive any big fights. I didnt receive televised spots. But (I have) no ill will. My career will be long, and the time for that stuff is now.

Young said he went from a kid who didnt have (expletive) to having a lot of opportunities while at Bellator. But in the end it was time to move on.

PFL offers something very different to Young with its season format and focus on performance over everything else. Its on that platform in which Young thinks he will flourish, and hes eager for his debut fight in June.

Nothing matters in this, Young said. Popularity, what you do outside fighting is the No. 1 thing. Its like Mortal Kombat. Theres no ducking anybody. Its always about who is next in line, and Im looking at it as a fight to the death, every single one. Ive always been ready to die, even for the lesser checks. I would let myself die for $50,000, so imagine what Ill do for $1 million.

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Jordan Young happy to sign with PFL: 'I got the short end of the stick' with Bellator - MMA Junkie

Hybrid d-end Jordan Thompson becomes 3rd player to stay home, commit to Rutgers this week – NJ.com

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Despite the devastating impact of the coronavirus, Greg Schiano and the Rutgers football staff are on a roll. Parsippany (N.J.) Hills athlete Jordan Thompson has committed to Rutgers, he confirmed to NJ Advance Media Friday morning.

Its either you want to be part of history or make history, he said. And I want to make it."

A 6-3, 225-pound junior, Thompson has ties to the Piscataway-based program, which helped keep him home. His mother, Neretta, ran track at Rutgers and graduated from the school in 1991. And theres a current player on the team whose opinion he values.

Billy Taylor, whos the long snapper for Rutgers, is the brother of one of my close friends, Zack, Thompson said last month. And he always talks about how amazing Rutgers is.

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A three-star recruit, Thompson visited Rutgers two Saturdays ago, and confirmed all the things he had heard about the school.

The facility and how much the coaches are willing to making Rutgers into a great program stood out," he said following the visit. "I was mostly with Coach Panagos, Gleeson, and Nunz. Coach Schiano said that I can play either side of the ball and I could help Rutgers make a difference. Rutgers is definitely one of my top schools.

And, now hes a Scarlet Knight.

I called coach Schiano today and he just talked about life and how they are recruiting a very good class. So, I said, I want to be part of it and I want to commit,' Thompson said.

Thompson is the third player to pledge to Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano this week -- a breakneck pace considering the country is on lockdown for the coronavirus. Rutgers 2021 class now boasts six recruits and is ranked 19th in the country and sixth in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports.com.

Thompson is versatile and plays all over the field but will start out a hybrid defensive end at Rutgers. He joins East Orange (N.J) running back/cornerback Al-Shadee Salaam, and Westside (Newark, N.J.) defensive back Shaquan Loyal, whom pledged to Greg Schiano on Wednesday.

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Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TodderickHunt. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.

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More US Students Match to Family Medicine in Record Year – AAFP News

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In the first entirely unified match for allopathic and osteopathic medical students, the total number of U.S. students and graduates matching into the specialty increased by 103 compared to last year's combined totals from the NRMP and the American Osteopathic Association's Intern/Resident Registration Program.

"Everything is getting overshadowed by the pandemic, but we hope that doesn't diminish the sense of accomplishment students should feel," said Clif Knight, the AAFP's senior vice president for education. "It's important to recognize this critical milestone in students' journey of transformation into physicians. We're certainly celebrating every new member of the family medicine workforce. This is a big deal, and we congratulate our new family medicine residents."

U.S. seniors from allopathic medical schools accounted for 1,557 positions (60 fewer than a year ago) filled in family medicine, while U.S. seniors from osteopathic medical schools accounted for 1,399 positions (410 more than last year's NRMP total and 104 more than last year's combined NRMP and AOA total).

Knight praised the osteopathic pipeline, which matched nine U.S. seniors into family medicine for every 10 allopathic U.S. seniors who matched into the specialty. Knight said that was "astonishing" considering that osteopathic schools have roughly one-third the number of overall U.S. graduates. Only 8.6% of U.S. allopathic seniors matched to family medicine residencies, compared to 23.4% of osteopathic seniors.

Importantly, the international medical school pipeline contributed strongly to the family medicine workforce again this year, with 25.5% of family medicine residency positions filling with 1,193 students and graduates of international medical schools, 78 more than last year.

Knight said that although there have been positive changes encouraging students to pursue family medicine, including the launch of new residency programs this year, he called on U.S. allopathic medical schools to do more to spur the growth of family medicine.

"We need every sector of the undergraduate medical education pipeline to recruit, support, expose, prepare and graduate students into those family medicine residencies," he said. "It is shameful and unacceptable that the sector of this undergraduate pipeline that is the largest, receives the most public funding and includes some of the most elite medical training institutions in the country graduates the smallest rate of students into family medicine."

In 2018, the AAFP set an ambitious goal of ensuring that by 2030, 25% of U.S. medical students pursue family medicine as their specialty. The percentage of U.S. seniors and graduates entering family medicine remained stable at 12.6% with the rise in osteopathic students offsetting the reduction in allopathic students.

"I'm excited by the Match numbers, but we want to see that percentage go up," said AAFP President Gary LeRoy, M.D., of Dayton, Ohio. "We're only halfway there as we start a new decade, but we're going to keep pushing."

Overall, a whopping 4,335 students and graduates -- 487 more than a year ago -- matched into family medicine. It was the 11th straight Match Day with year-over-year increases for the specialty and the ninth consecutive year that a record number of people matched into family medicine.

Family medicine's final total of new residents likely will be significantly higher because the results released March 20 did not include students who matched through the post-Match Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). The specialty had 350 unfilled slots -- 70 more than a year ago -- due in part to the fact that nine family medicine residency programs received Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accreditation in January and likely recruited during the SOAP process.

There also are expected to be more than 100 medical students who matched to family medicine in the December 2019 military match, but those results were not available.

"Despite that growth, we need to grow even more to meet the needs of our communities," Knight said. "The pandemic highlights the need for access to primary care. People are relying on frontline physicians -- family physicians -- across the country."

Knight said even more family medicine training slots are needed to meet the nation's demand for access to care, and one way to do that would be to provide stable, increased funding for primary care programs, including the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program. That program has been extended by short-term funding patches multiple times, but without congressional action the program, along with community health centers and the National Health Service Corps, will expire May 22.

The Academy included workforce programs among the priority issues it asked congressional leaders to support in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic in a March 19 letter.(4 page PDF) The AAFP also is urging members to contact their members of Congress in support of teaching health centers via the Speak Out tool.(www.votervoice.net)

LeRoy said the pandemic has given the Academy more opportunities to communicate with the administration and federal agencies about the need to support primary care programs, including those facing a May expiration date. It also has given family physicians opportunities to talk with the media about what is happening in their communities as COVID-19 spreads.

"I'll be very interested to see how the Match looks for family medicine in 2021," LeRoy said, "after the nation and the world see how our specialty was the essential ingredient necessary to get us through this crisis."

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More US Students Match to Family Medicine in Record Year - AAFP News

Navy preventive medicine teams embark ships in 7th Fleet – navy.mil

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SOUTH CHINA SEA - Members of Navy Forward-Deployed Preventive Medicine Units (FDPMU) and Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) embarked several 7th Fleet ships March 14 to help combat the risk of and provide laboratory batch testing for COVID-19 aboard the ships.

Teams are embarked on the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and have the ability to batch test Sailors onboard who present with influenza-like illness symptoms, instead of only sending samples to be tested ashore.

This capability provides early-warning surveillance for the medical teams to be able to identify if a COVID-19 case is onboard a ship, but does not individually diagnose Sailors. If a batch were to test positive for COVID-19, the medical teams would take additional measures, such as isolating the Sailors whose samples were in the batch, and depending on the Sailors symptoms, potentially medically evacuating them off the ship to a shore facility for testing.

To date, no cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed aboard any U.S. 7th Fleet Navy vessel.

The team here in 7th Fleet has taken COVID-19 seriously from the beginning and has many public health measures already in place, said Capt. Christine Sears, U.S. 7th Fleet surgeon. The FDPMU and NMRC augmentation teams provide additional depth in our ability to combat this virus.

Teams embarked the ships to provide at-sea testing and to ensure the U.S. 7th Fleet operating forces are ready to combat a possible outbreak while maintaining mission readiness. The teams provide additional capabilities in addition to the U.S. 7th Fleets isolation procedures.

The teams are comprised of a variety of specialized Navy Medicine personnel to ensure force health protection of the fleet, and may include: a microbiologist, medical laboratory technician, preventive medicine officer, preventive medicine technician.

As a medical service corps microbiology officer, this embark gives us the chance to demonstrate some of our skillsets to the fleet, and what we bring to the fight, said Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Pavlicek, Blue Ridge COVID-19 testing team lead. This capability allows us, the Navy, to protect mission readiness and protection of our Sailors.

To ensuring force health protection of the fleet, other medical specialties or logistical components can be scaled up or down to meet mission specific requirements in the mitigation, health surveillance, and casualty prevention.

This is the most advanced laboratory capability that Navy Medicine has placed forward deployed, said Lt. Cmdr. Danett Bishop, leader and microbiologist for the preventative medicine team aboard America. We can make force health decisions in real time, enhancing the health of the crew while minimizing any potential outbreak of COVID-19.

The FDPMU teams aboard the USS America and the USS Blue Ridge are from Navy Environmental Preventative Medicine Unit 6 based out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and work to facilitate and educate using preventive medicine practices and provide additional laboratory capabilities. The team embarked with USS Theodore Roosevelt is assigned to the Naval Medical Research Center based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Currently, the teams are only authorized to perform surveillance testing and not individual testing. This means that the results cannot be linked to a particular patient for diagnostics, but would enable the team to detect COVID-19s presence on the ship based off of the results.

Since we are performing surveillance testing, the results of COVID-19 present, or not present can help inform the force health protection posture and provide valuable insight for the senior medical officer and outbreak response team, said Pavlicek.

The teams are equipped with two testing capabilities, including the BioFire Film Array and the Step One RT-PCR System. The BioFire Film Array will test for a dozen different respiratory diseases, while the Step One RT-PCR System allow for complex COVID-19 tests at sea, if necessary.

As the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet, 7th Fleet operates roughly 50-70 ships and submarines and 140 aircraft with approximately 20,000 Sailors.

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Navy preventive medicine teams embark ships in 7th Fleet - navy.mil