Monthly Archives: May 2017

High debts, competitive investments sent Marsh to bankruptcy – Supermarket News

Posted: May 14, 2017 at 6:20 pm

Marsh Supermarkets tried to keep its stores in shape, but ultimately couldnt withstand a two-front competitive assault from Kroger and Meijer.

The latter two companies dumped hundreds of millions into Marshs regional marketplace in the last two years with multiple remodels and new store construction, Marshs Chief Restructuring Officer Lee A. Dierks said in a disclosure statement accompanying Marshs Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in Wilmington, Del., Thursday.

Marsh tried to fight back by slashing costs and spending $15 million of its own on store refurbishments over the same period, Dierks said, but was unable to achieve the sales lift the company had sought. When new Kroger and Meijer stores opened, competing Marsh units saw double-digit sales declines and liquidity challenges followed shortly, he added.

According to Metro Market Studies, Marsh has lost more than two percentage points of market share in its home Indianapolis market between 2013 and 2017 before rounds of recently announced closures, falling to fourth in the market behind Kroger, Walmart and Meijer all of which operate at least some large-scale supercenters there.

Krogers market fill-in strategy a program directing capital spending to markets where it feels it can meaningfully grow share has been especially effective in Indianapolis, officials have remarked, citing its success there as a model for places like Wisconsin, where it is addressing the recently acquired Pick n Save banner.

Kroger just over two years ago said it would invest nearly half a billion dollars in the Indianapolis area on 11 new stores including seven Kroger Marketplace supercenters and 17 remodels.

That investment put additional pressure on Marsh, which was also dealing with high debts and underfunded pensions, Dierks noted in the disclosure.

Pension funds Central States Southeast and Southwest (owed $61.5 million) and Marsh Supermarkets PRIAC (owned $21.7 million) are identified as the companys two largest unsecured claimants. Marsh also owes $8 million to Supervalu, which took over its supply contract last year from C&S Whole Grocers. C&S is Marshs seventh largest creditor with an $800,000 claim.

Marshs objective in bankruptcy court is to find a buyer for its remaining stores as quickly as possible, the company said, in order to avoid being forced to close the 44 core stores that remain open. According to Scott Moses, managing director of Peter J. Solomon Co., the company as constituted cannot afford July rents due June 25, so is aiming to be able to assume or reject those leases by June 19.

Moses, whose firm was engaged by Marsh late last year to explore options, said five parties have expressed interest in some combination of the stores but a going concern offer has yet to have emerged. Marsh and Solomon would continue to market the assets, he said.

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Third-level education and loans system – Irish Times

Posted: at 6:19 pm

A chara, Under the proposed income-contingent student loan scheme, graduates would take on a debt roughly equal to the size of a 10 per cent deposit on the national average price of a house in Ireland. Graduates would spend years paying off this student-loan debt, instead of saving for their first home. In this brave new world, the only people who would be able to afford to buy their own home would be those who are fortunate enough to be able to rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad yet another socially regressive aspect of the proposed new scheme. Yours, etc,

LENNON NRAIGH

Bray,

Co Wicklow.

A chara, Your editorial Third-level funding: dodging difficult decisions (May 9th) argues that the argument that such a [student loans] system would deter students from poorer backgrounds attending third level does not stand up.

On the contrary, there is plenty of evidence to support that argument. Research into the area of student debt, and debt aversion more generally, has found that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are much more likely to be excluded from education if required to take out loans to do so. Evidence of these debt burden effects is evident in the research of Prof Claire Callender (2006), Callender (again) and Dr Jonathan Jackson (2008), and debt policy expert Mark Huelsmans report The Debt Divide (2015).

Irelands higher education sector desperately needs to address the issue of diminishing resources and ballooning student numbers, but we should reject any approach that excludes students from poorer and minority backgrounds. That includes the proposed student loan scheme. Is mise,

LUKE FIELD,

School of Politics

and International Relations,

University College Dublin,

Belfield,

Dublin 4.

Sir, The debate on the merits or otherwise of income-contingent student loans sidesteps the larger question of where the responsibility for funding the education system actually lies.

Requiring students to pay individually for their tuition disregards the fact that education is a socio-economic investment in the future, from which all of society ultimately benefits.

After the economic collapse of 2008, we managed to find 60 billion at fairly short notice to rescue the banks. Any kind of loan system merely turns students into cannon fodder for these same loan sharks, speculators and financial gamblers.

Since 2008, the world has collectively contributed about $17 trillion to save the global banking system. This is enough money to completely eradicate world hunger for 600 years.

When money is needed, it can be found. How much more equitable and functional our society would be, if we could treat relatively low-cost services like education, healthcare, housing and transport with the same kind of urgency. Yours, etc,

MAEVE HALPIN,

Ranelagh,

Dublin 6.

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Phoenix black mothers group marches, prays for end to violence, oppression – AZCentral.com

Posted: at 6:18 pm

About 30 attendees including members of the Black Mothers Forum recited prayers and sang patriotic and religious songs on May 13, 2017, to draw attention to the needs of their communities.(Photo: Garrett Mitchell/The Republic)

In honor ofMother's Day, a group of black matriarchs joined together in Phoenix to raise their voices out ofconcernfor the safety of their children.

Led by Janelle Wood, the group of about 30 friends and neighbors on Saturday morning marched west from Phoenix City Hall to the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in an effort to spiritually dismantle systems thathistorically "oppress, depress and arrest the black community," the group said.

Along the way, Wood, the creator of the Black Mothers Forum,led participants in prayerfor healing, restoration and renewed relationships with law enforcement, local government and the justice system.

The prayers were followed by religious and patriotic songs as Phoenix police officers escorted the group through the streets of downtown.

Wood started the Black Mothers Forumin August 2016. Several mothers had wanted to jointogether to "stop the bloodshed in our community."

"How would you feel if you watched your child pulled from you and you had no control over it?" Wood asked. "Together, when we become unitedand educated on certain things, we can speak up to things that are causing our children to go to the prison system, get killed, commit suicide or get involved in drugs."

Nikita Ortiz, 49, said their faith will guide them.

"Without faith, there is no hope for change," she said. "With faith, we can put action to everything we hope to achieve. There is a higher power we want to guide us."

In 2014,USA TODAYreported FBI arrest records showblack citizens in more than 1,000 cities were more likely to be arrested than people of other races.

"We're all looking for change. I'm tired of seeing young people getting killed. I'm tired of seeing police officers get killed as well," said 61-year-old Priscilla Krucko. "We all want change and want the violence to stop."

Many of the mothers at Saturday's march mentioned the ongoing court cases involving three Hamilton High School football players who are alleged to have participated in the abuse and sexual assault of teammates in a hazing ritual.

Nathaniel Thomas, 17,is charged as an adult with several felonies,including sexual assault, in connection with the crimes believed to have occurred over a 17-month span.

Two 16-year-old boys were charged as minors followingtheir arrests at the school in March.

Wood, who said she doesn't have firsthand knowledge of the case,said she felt that the coaches, administrators and other adults at the school should also be held responsible for what occurred under their watch. The head coach was subsequently reassigned off campus.

Janelle Wood, 52, led 30 demonstrators in a May 13, 2017, prayer march through downtown Phoenix to "spiritually dismantle" oppressive systems in the black community.(Photo: Garrett Mitchell/The Republic)

"We want to see healing and restoration in that community, especially with those teammates," Wood said. "The Hamilton hazing incident has really impacted the mothers. We want the focus on the adults who had charge over those young people. They need to take the responsibility. They need to be at the adult court system answering to the felonious charges and not the juvenile they have right now ... They were entrusted to keep them safe."

Wood said she and the Black Mothers Forum are attempting to contact the families of the victims and defendants.

"We believe we need to take responsibility and start to speak, get educated and get organized to start a course of action so our children can fulfill their God-given purpose,"Wood said. "We're tired of our black sons killing each other and being killed by police or anybody else. We're tired of the mass incarceration, tired of the school-to-prison pipeline. We've had it."

The group's next meeting is scheduled for May 21 at Phoenix'sBroadway Heritage Neighborhood Resource Center, 2405 E. Broadway Road.

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Sessions restores tough drug war policies that trigger …

Posted: at 6:17 pm

Ordering federal prosecutors on Friday to crack down on drug offenders, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions made clear he wants the Justice Department to turn the clock back to an earlier, tougher era in the four-decades-long war on drugs.

In a memo, Sessions said federal prosecutors should charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense in drug cases, even when that would trigger mandatory minimum sentencing.

Mandatory sentencing laws for drug users have been controversial for years, and many Republicans as well as Democrats now oppose them as unfair, ineffective and too costly.

The new Justice Department policy cancels the Obama administrations attempts to pull back on harsh sentencing strategies, which had produced a huge growth in prison populations. It restores some language from a 2003 memo written by then-Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft.

Speaking Friday at the Justice Department, Sessions said the crackdown was a key part of President Trumps promise to keep America safe, linking drug trafficking to increased homicide rates in some cities.

We are returning to the enforcement of the law as passed by Congress plain and simple, Sessions said.

Sessions rescinded policy memos signed in 2013 and 2014 by then-Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. that instructed prosecutors to reserve the toughest charges for high-level traffickers and violent criminals.

Since then, the number of drug offenders given mandatory minimum sentences has dropped dramatically, contributing to a 14% decline in the total federal prison population, with 188,797 inmates this month.

Holder slammed Sessions policy Friday, calling it ideologically motivated and not supported by facts.The policy announced today is not tough on crime, Holder said. It is dumb on crime.

The new policy threatens to halt a push for bipartisan criminal justice reform that has been led by some of Trumps closest advisors and embraced by key Republicans on Capitol Hill, including House Speaker Paul D. Ryan.

Sen. Rand Paul, (R-Ky.) criticized the new policy Friday, arguing that mandatory minimum sentences disproportionately targeted minorities because of how different drugs are categorized under the law.

The new policy will accentuate that injustice, Paul said in a statement.

Sessions is an outlier in his own party and even among many of his own colleagues in the administration, said Inimai Chettiar, a director at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law in New York. A lot of Republicans support reductions in sentencing.

Indiana, for example, implemented a comprehensive criminal justice reform package when Vice President Mike Pence was governor.

I would say that we need to adopt criminal justice reform nationally. We have got to do a better job recognizing and correcting the errors in the system that do reflect institutional bias in criminal justice, Pence said in a campaign debate last year.

As governor of Texas, Energy Secretary Rick Perry guided his state through a major shift in sentencing away from the kind of harsh penalties that Sessions seeks to restore in federal courts.

In those states and others, alarm at the escalating cost of incarceration helped drive calls for reform.

But Sessions, a former federal prosecutor in Alabama, was never on board with the push.As a U.S. senator from Alabama, he helped kill a proposed sentencing reform bill, warning the legislation could lead to more felons on the streets. He also helped block a 2016 bill that would have eased federal sentencing for marijuana use.

Since joining the Trump administration, Sessions has reversed an Obama administration attempt to phase out federal contracts with private prisons, saying the cells will be needed for the boost in inmate population he sees coming.

Under mandatory sentencing laws, judges have little discretion on how to sentence drug offenders. Prosecutors decisions on charging often determine how long offenders will spend in prison.

For example, if federal prosecutors include the amount of drugs in their written charges, that can trigger a mandatory minimum sentence.

They also can file motions for so-called sentence enhancements, which can effectively double drug sentences for repeat offenders, or put them in jail for life.

Some prosecutors use these tough tools as a hammer in plea negotiations, or to force offenders to cooperate.

In his memo, Sessions said prosecutors must disclose all facts relevant to a sentence, like drug amounts. He also canceled a Holder policy that said prosecutors should not use sentencing enhancement motions to coerce guilty pleas.

Drug trafficking is an inherently violent business, Sessions said. If you want to collect a drug debt, you cant file a lawsuit in court. You collect it by the barrel of a gun.

He said heroin is cheaper, purer and more easily available than ever. Advocates of sentencing reform say that the opioid crisis is evidence that tough policies of the past have failed.

But Sessions said that tougher enforcement could reverse that trend.

One former federal judge from Tennessee said he was forced to sentence a low-level drug dealer to life in prison. The defendant refused to take a plea deal for 20 years in prison and was convicted at trial.

Under no circumstances was this sentence justice, said the former judge, Kevin Sharp, who has become an advocate for sentencing reform. We ruined his life.

In drug cases, Sharp said, the judges role in sentencing is dramatically reduced. I have yet to talk to a judge who says mandatory minimums are a good idea, he said.

joseph.tanfani@latimes.com

Twitter: @jtanfani

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War On Drugs, Rebooted – FITSNews

Posted: at 6:17 pm

MISGUIDED JUSTICE MEMO MOVES AMERICA BACKWARDS

From its inception thiswebsite has been an unwavering opponent of the federal governments failed War on Drugs.

First, its wrong.

Second, it doesnt work.

Third, its hamstringing our economy.

Government efforts to outlaw certain types of recreational drugs have drained taxpayers of more than $1.3 trillion since the administration of Richard Nixon instituted this New Prohibition in the early 1970s. Yet this massive infusion of resources hasfailed to curb either supply or demand.

Nonetheless, another $50-60 billion in public money will be spent this year despite the demonstrable failure of such appropriations to produce the results policymakers have promised.

Vast expenditures on criminalization and repressive measures directed at producers, traffickers and consumers of illegal drugs have clearly failed to effectively curtail supply or consumption, a 2011 report from the Global Commission on Drug Policy noted.

Meanwhile, the War on Drugs has created a new class of violent criminals on the one handwhilecriminalizing behavior that ought to be perfectly legal on the other. Its also snuffed out a potentially lucrative new marketplace at a time when our countrys economy could desperately use additionaljobs and income.

Its time frankly past time our nation adoptedsome common sense in its approach to this issue. In our view, U.S. drug policy should beguided by the following four core principles

1 FREEDOM Americans should have the right to consumewhatever recreational drugs they wish within the privacy of their own homes or businesses or the homes and businesses ofother consenting adults. As long as their enjoyment of this liberty doesnt impose upon the liberties of others (i.e. injurious negligence, child neglect, driving while impaired, etc.), then it should be none of the governments business what substances they consumebehind closed doors.

2. FREE MARKETS Americans should have the right to produce and sellwhatever recreational drugsthey wish within their own homes or under the auspices of a business enterprise. Again, as long as this engagement of the marketplace doesnt impose upon the liberties of others it should be none of the governments business.

3. SMALLGOVERNMENTIn the interest of public health and safety, government should have the right to regulate and tax the recreational drug industry in a fair, consistent and transparent manner using whatever proceeds it derives from the industry toward the funding of core government functions.

4. LOCAL CONTROL Local governments i.e. municipalities and counties should retain the right to limit or even outlaw the public consumption of recreational drugs within their communities. While we dont believe local leaders should be allowed to dictate what citizens grow or consume on private property, it should be up to local leaders to determine the extent to which recreational drug use is permitted in public in their communities.

Unfortunately, these common sense principles are not guiding the decisions of our policymakers. Just this week, U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions appeared to take a major step in the opposite direction sending a memo to all U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutorsinstructing them tocharge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense those that carry the most substantial guidelines sentence, including mandatory minimum sentences.

Here is Sessions memo

Fullscreen Mode

Sessions claimed this policy shift was not directed toward low-level drug users but rather violent drug traffickers.

Our argument to that? Why preserve a system that keeps violent drug traffickers in business in the first place?

Last month, the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. released a new report entitled Four Decades and Counting: The Continued Failure of the War on Drugs. Written by analysts Christopher J. Coyne and Abigail R. Hall, this report meticulously documents the extent to which Americas current approach has been disastrous on all fronts and how changes at the state level as well as critical shifts in U.S. federal policies, both domestically and internationally are needed.

Wait internationally?

Yup American taxpayers are subsidizing anti-drug efforts all over the world, efforts that are failing every bit as spectacularly as governments domestic jihad.

The U.S. War on Drugs, like the ill-fated war on alcohol of the early 20th century, is a prime example of disastrous policy, naked self-interest, and repeated ignorance on the part of elected officials and other policymakers, Coyne and Hall concluded. From its inception, the drug war has repeatedly led to waste, fraud, corruption, violence, and death. With many states moving toward legalization or decriminalization of some substances, and other nations moving to legalize drugs altogether, rethinking Americas drug policy is long overdue.

Indeed it is

Supporters of recreational drug use were hopeful that U.S. president Donald Trump would move our country away from the failed policies of the past and to Trumps credit his administration has embraced medical marijuanaas a legitimate treatment option for millions of Americans suffering from a variety of ailments.

Thats a good first step. The legalization of medical cannabis (as we have repeatedly stated) policy debate it is amoral imperative. We have consistently supported it, and we hope lawmakers in our home state of South Carolina will continueadvancing compassionate legislationaimed at legalizing it in the Palmetto State.

Unfortunately, Trumps White House spokesman Sean Spicer has spoken with stunning ignorance about the origins of Americans ongoing opioid epidemic while Sessions DOJ memo strikes us as yet another example of the extent to which some law and order conservatives continue to tragicallymisread this situation.

Cracking down on drug dealers isnt the answer. The answer is upending their apple cart by ending four decades of failed prohibition and providing for a regulated recreational drug marketplace.

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Philippines’ war on drugs: detentions, legal cases surge – Bangkok Post

Posted: at 6:17 pm

Bystanders look on at a crime scene where an alleged drug personality was shot dead by unidentified men in Pasig city, east of Manila, Philippines, 13 May 2017. (EPA photo)

FOCUS: The Philippine government's war on drugs, implemented starting nearly a year ago upon the assumption into power of President Rodrigo Duterte, has not only resulted in the deaths of thousands of defiant suspected drug personalities, but also left jails swelling with more inmates and more legal cases piling up, authorities recently said.

At a recent forum about the condition of Philippine jails and prisons, Paulino Moreno Jr. of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said more than 142,000 individuals, as of last month, are detained across the country as almost all of them undergo trial for the various cases they are facing. Around 64% of these detainees are charged with violating the illegal drugs law.

The country's 466 jails have an ideal combined capacity of only around 20,400 individuals, and are only manned by no more than 12,000 personnel.

"Our statistics show that that's really the trend -- that most of the cases coming in are because of the law enforcement focus on illegal drugs (under the current) administration," Mr Moreno said as he acknowledged the "war on drugs" as "the major contributor to the congestion."

A previous population data report of Mr Moreno's agency covering until the end of January this year placed the number of detainees at nearly 132,000.

According to the government, more than 57,500 antidrug operations were conducted by authorities from July 1 last year up to May 9 this year, resulting in the arrests of 72,812 individuals and the deaths of 2,949 others who reportedly fought it out with law enforcers.

A separate report of the Philippine National Police noted that of the nearly 9,500 homicide incidents from July 1 last year up to March 31 this year, about one-fifth have been determined to be related to illegal drugs, while more than half are still under investigation. Around 20% of the cases, meanwhile, were found to be not related to illegal drugs.

Mr Duterte, who was sworn into office on June 30 last year, had vowed to be harsh against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption, believing that peace and order will spur economic development across the country. He cites his two-decade leadership in Davao City on Mindanao island that used such a model as his concrete example.

Mr Duterte repeatedly said his administration's war on drugs will not stop until the last drug pusher is removed from the streets and last drug lord is killed. He said law enforcers are mandated to neutralize suspects who fight back and endanger the lives of the former.

The campaign had facilitated also the surrender of nearly 1.27 million drug personalities, of whom, almost 90,000 are peddlers. Authorities estimate there are 4 million Filipinos who are hooked to illegal drugs as users and peddlers.

Percida Acosta, chief of the Public Attorney's Office which provides free legal service to indigent individuals facing charges, disclosed that before Mr Duterte came into power on June 30 last year, her office was handling some 82,000 drug-related cases. But six months later, it "got bloated" to around 303,000 cases.

These drug-related cases, Ms Acosta said, account for more than 50% of all the cases her office is handling. Private law firms, meanwhile, handle much fewer drug-related cases, although these involve bigger personalities like drug lords and traffickers, she said.

"Not all (accused in these drug-related cases) were brought to jail because there is no more place for them there. Some were asked to return to their homes, or were referred to religious groups, non-government organizations and their communities for self-rehabilitation," Ms Acosta said.

With only 1,655 public lawyers across the country who also handle other cases like murder and rape, Ms Acosta said measures are being taken to reduce the case load of her office, including an appeal to the court to allow "small-time" violators of the illegal drugs law to plea bargain for the early disposition of their cases. "These smalltime drug users are just victims of drug traffickers," Ms Acosta said.

Meanwhile, Martin Perfecto, deputy director for reformation at the Bureau of Corrections, said the problem of congestion has existed for a long time, disclosing that the current population of all seven prison facilities across the country stands at over 41,000. The ideal capacity is only for a little over 19,200.

Mr Perfecto said about 30% of the current population consists of convicted drug offenders.

It is not clear, however, if the current campaign against illegal drugs made the congestion problem in prisons worse, especially since the country's Dangerous Drugs Board noted that the conviction rate for illegal drugs cases is very low.

Mr Perfecto hopes the current administration will start implementing the modernization program of the Bureau of Corrections, which is covered by a law passed in 2013, to be able to address the issues of congestion and its personnel, among others.

Just like the Bureau of Corrections, Mr Moreno said the Bureau of Jail Management also needs more facilities to reduce its congestion rate and eventually comply with international standards.

Rodolfo Diamante of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines lamented that despite the existence of the problem of jail congestion for a long time and the constant advocacy of several sectors to address it, it has remained a low priority for various governments.

"The reform of the jail and prison system is not really given attention to. There is no comprehensive reform program. The problem about jail conditions is not about lack of funds. It's the lack of priority, and the lack of implementation of the law," said Mr Diamante.

Jacqueline Ann de Guia of the Commission on Human Rights said the Philippines has "one of the most complex penitentiary systems in the world, considering the number of institutions that take care of our penitentiary system -- the Philippine National Police, the BJMP, local government units, the Bureau of Corrections."

"That explains the differences in policies, approaches, budgetary allocations," Ms de Guia said.

Mr Diamante said a proposal to integrate all jails and prison systems under one government unit is supported by his organization, as well as "alternatives to imprisonment," which also include the granting of executive clemency to longtime and aging prisoners.

"This congestion problem is really big, and is not just of the BJMP and the agencies involved in custodial function. This is a societal problem, and it needs a whole-of-government approach, and including the private sector also, of course," Mr Moreno said.

In light of the worsening congestion in jails amid the current administration's war on drugs, Ms de Guia reiterated to the Commission on Human Rights the fact that the government should have foreseen "many will be arrested."

"So, we should first fix the conditions of our jails. Let's allot budget for the construction of new facilities, like what the BJMP has said, so we won't have problems with congestion. We hope there is also an approach towards rehabilitation," Ms de Guia said.

At a separate forum, Benjamin Reyes of the Dangerous Drugs Board stressed the campaign against illegal drugs is not limited only to law enforcement, but also includes prevention and rehabilitation.

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Government crafts way to ban gambling addicts from casinos, pachinko parlors – The Japan Times

Posted: at 6:17 pm

The government and the ruling parties plan to propose a system that would allow pachinko parlors and other gambling facilities to ban serious gambling addicts, government sources said.

The problem of gambling addiction has drawn attention since Japan legalized casinos last year. The government believes building resorts with casinos and hotels will lure more tourists and lift the nations stagnating regional economies.

The government opened the door to casinos by enacting a law that legalized the use of so-called integrated resorts. The law took effect in December.

The government is now in the process of crafting a bill to dictate how the casinos should operate and hope to submit it to the extraordinary Diet session expected to be convened this fall.

Under the plan, only those who wish to overcome their problem, or their families, would notify nearby gambling facilities to ask that access be restricted.

If the facility operator recognizes the persons addiction, it could ban entry, or ask the person to leave. And if the addiction was determined to be less serious, an operator could limit the number of visits allowed to the facility.

Addition level could also be judged through medical certification, the sources said Saturday.

The government and ruling parties want to have the outline of the system drafted by this summer, but the operators might oppose the move because it would hurt their take.

De facto gambling has been permitted at slot-machine and pachinko parlors for decades. Betting on publicly run horse, bicycle and powerboat races is also allowed.

Pachinko parlors would most likely express strong opposition because they are privately run. A person must be at least 18 to enter a pachinko parlor.

A government survey in March said that 2.7 percent of respondents reported experiencing some form of gambling addiction at some point in their lives. In proportion to the population, that corresponds to roughly 2.8 million people.

When respondents who acknowledged being addicts were asked to name the type of gambling in which they spent the most money, the greatest number named pachinko or hybrid pachinko-slot machines.

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Gambling machines seized at two Asheville convenience stores … – WLOS

Posted: at 6:17 pm

After receiving complaints, Buncombe County Sheriff's Office investigators have seized multiple gaming machines and thousands of dollars from two Asheville-area convenience stores. (Photo credit: WLOS staff)

After receiving complaints, Buncombe County Sheriff's Office investigators have seized multiple gaming machines and thousands of dollars from two Asheville-area convenience stores.

Warrants showed that the Quick Stop at 1430 Merrimon Avenue had machines in the front of the store, where a photo showed several men playing the machines.

The other store was inside a Shell gas station at 2251 Hendersonville Road.

According to warrants, in both cases investigators played the machines, and then cashed winning tickets.

According to details in the warrants, because the clerks in each store delivered cash payouts, the machines were operating illegally in the state, and were seized.

No one from either store would speak to News 13.

Charlie Gentry said he frequently goes to the Quick Stop just north of Beaver Lake.

I go straight to the counter to buy my lottery tickets, said Gentry, who added he has never played, much less noticed, the gaming machines. It doesnt please me at all.

Gentry said he will consider not returning to the store because of the illegal gaming that was allegedly taking place inside.

Kurt Potter said he regularly goes to the station on Hendersonville.

The machines there are operated by a manager of a restaurant inside the station.

Potter said he wonders about North Carolinas laws.

For 20 years Ive been in this area and (the laws) come and go, Potter said. I think they should make a decision and stick to it, because they're wasting time taking care of it and then bringing it back.

Potter was referencing the fact that the machines had been returned to the store, but were not operating.

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UFC 211 odds, gambling guide – MMA Fighting

Posted: at 6:17 pm

Welcome MMA bettors, speculators, and gambling lurkers! Were back at it again for another week of comprehensive gambling analysis from your friends at MMA Fighting.

As always, a disclaimer: This aims to be an exhaustive preview of the fights in context with the odds, and doubles as a breakdown of where you can find betting value. The number after the odds on each fighter is the probability of victory that those odds imply (so Miocic at -145 means he should win 59 percent of the time). If you think he wins more often than the odds say, you should bet it because there's value in the line.

All stats come from FightMetric and all the odds are from Best Fight Odds. Net Value means how much money you would have made if you bet $100 on that fighter in every one of his/her fights that odds could be found for. Doubly as always, I'm trying to provide the most thorough guide I can for those who want to legally bet or who just enjoy following along. If you are a person who chooses to gamble, only do so legally, responsibly, and at your own risk.

Now with all that out of the way, lets go.

Breakdown

In the main event, Stipe Miocic defends his heavyweight title against the last man to beat him, Junior dos Santos. For Miocic, a win solidifies himself as one of the best heavyweights ever and ties him for the most successful heavyweight title defenses at two. For dos Santos, its possibly his last shot at UFC gold and a chance to reclaim the title he lost to Cain Velasquez.

Miocic is the quintessential jack of all trades, master of none. He can box, he can wrestle, and his game is held together by his combination of athleticism, durability, and cardio. More often than not, Miocic prefers to use his boxing. He throws a very high volume and he does so with technical proficiency. His striking is built around sharp footwork and a snapping jab-cross combination. He can apply pressure (leaving discernible openings for his opponent), but hes much better on the counter, slipping and shifting into a pretty check hook and an excellent back-stepping cross-counter.

Aside from boxing, Miocic has had clear success working his wrestling and ground-and-pound. He has good entries into single leg takedowns (particularly off the counter) and clean finishes. His top game is like his stand-up, lots of volume that wins rounds and wears his opponents down. He doesnt look to pass much but he will posture up and land good strikes from inside the guard and he doesnt need much space to do so.

Like many aging fighters (aging in cage-time, not years of life), dos Santos appears to be fading physically, though he has more than made up for this with serious technical and strategic improvements. For most of his career, dos Santos was an athletic power-puncher with sharp boxing and quick hands. He was also impossibly durable and difficult to take down, a combination which led him to the heavyweight title.

The problem for dos Santos was mostly strategic. He never possessed great footwork and was prone to crumble under consistent pressure, like Cain Velasquez put on him in their second and third meetings. Dos Santos has made huge improvements in his movement, and that could pay big dividends for him in Dallas. If his last fight with Rothwell is any indication, todays dos Santos is happy to stay on his bike, moving and countering in combination, or throwing straight shots to the body of his opponent.

There are a ton of variables to this fight. JDSs strategic approach has improved in large part because his durability was greatly diminished by the beatings he took from Velasquez. He also hasnt been all that active lately, whereas Miocic has been busy. Still, dos Santos is a specialist while Miocic is an all-rounder. If Miocic cant take dos Santos down, the fight should favor the former champion. If dos Santos stays moving and forces Miocic to pressure, there will be plenty of openings to hurt the champion. The basic math for the main event is this: Miocic is too hittable and dos Santos is too violent. The pick is dos Santos by KO in the second round, and I like him for a bet at underdog odds.

Breakdown

In the co-main event, Joanna Jedrzejczyk takes on one of the toughest tests, defending her strawweight title against the young bruiser, Jessica Andrade. A win for Jedrzejczyk puts her one away from tying Ronda Rouseys womens record of six straight title defenses, and likely sets her up for a fight with Rose Namajunas later this year. For Andrade, a win would be the culmination of the promise she has shown since dropping down to 115 pounds.

Jedrzejczyk is one of the best strikers in MMA today with a wealth of expertise stemming from her time training kickboxing under Ernesto Hoost. Jedrzejczyk works behind a piston-like jab which sets up the rest of her offense. From that, she attacks the head and body in combination and with volume. The volume is key for Jedrzejczyk. Shes not an enormous one-hitter-quitter type puncher but she has good power and the amount of heavy punches she lands wears opponents down rapidly.

The rest of Jedrzejczyks game compliments this all very well. She has excellent footwork and distance management, allowing her to maintain her preferred punching range. When fighters can work their way inside on her, Jedrzejczyk is a handful on the interior as well with her elbows and knees and shes an elite defensive wrestler and shes good at making fighters pay for failed takedown attempts.

Andrade is an exceptional athlete with a game built to maximize her explosiveness and power. From the opening bell, Andrade pressures opponents and looks to unload Tekken-style hook combinations to the body and head. She has great hand speed, so when she does corner a fighter she can unleash dozens of shots in mere seconds. Shes a powerful puncher but similar to John Lineker Andrades punches arent out-cold KO shots. Theyre thudding shots that overwhelm whoever is eating a dozen of them in rapid succession.

Andrade is also an excellent wrestler. Formerly a powerful 135-pounder, Andrade at strawweight is one of the divisions strongest competitors, and she uses that physicality to bully opponents with explosive wrestling and clinch control, the latter of which she uses to drag opponents to the mat. On top, Andrade is tough to shake and utilizes that same power to land heavy strikes. Shes no slouch in transitions either, as she has an excellent guillotine.

Andrade may be Jedrzejczyks toughest test in the division. Her speed, pressure, power, and stamina pose a host of problems for Jedrzejczyk, who often wins by relying on those very attributes. Still, Jedrzejczyk is a far superior technician and she has gotten increasingly better at playing the matador, a skill shell need to use here.

What puts me over the edge toward the champion, though, is the clinch fighting. Andrade is strong, but shes still small in stature and tends to get lazy in the clinch, whereas Jedrzejczyks frame and slashing elbows should score points and give her another phase of the game to operate in. In the end, Jedrzejczyk just has more areas to succeed in and more depth of skill to make those areas the ones in which the fight is contested. The pick is Jedrzejczyk by narrow decision in the Fight of the Night, but I favor placing a value bet on Andrade since the odds should be close to even.

Breakdown

Demian Maia takes on Jorge Masvidal in a fight that may well determine the next welterweight title challenger. Maia has been on a tear recently, winning six in a row over top competition, and a win should guarantee him a chance at the belt. Likewise, Masvidal has looked sensational since moving up to 170 pounds and a win over Maia would be the biggest of his career and give him an excellent case for a title shot.

Maia is a throwback to a simpler time of MMA, when pure specialists roamed the land. Despite the increasing prevalence of focused striking games as the dominant skill set, Maia succeeds by being the very best grappler in MMA, along with being an incredibly effective wrestler. Maia's game is all about getting a tie up with his opponent, and from there it is a decision tree of options. In the clinch, he has foot sweeps and throws or he can drop levels to attack the legs with chains of singles and doubles. Hes not the cleanest nor the most explosive finisher, but he is dogged in his pursuit of takedowns and, if all else fails, hes not averse to pulling guard and transitioning from that into a roll up single or using an excellent arm drag to sneak around to the back.

Once on the ground, nobody is better than Maia. His game is fundamentally flawless, prioritizing positional dominance over everything. He moves through positions seamlessly, finding his way eventually to mount or back mount where locks in a fight-ending choke.

On the feet, Maia... well, he's there. He knows how to punch and kick but still looks gangly and uncomfortable doing so. His striking mostly exists to disguise his relentless takedown attempts. Predominantly, he uses a jab feint to set up his outside shot. Beyond that, there isn't much to write home about here because everything is just a prelude to the grappling game.

Masvidal is a well-rounded fighter and an exceptional technician. A seasoned veteran who began fighting in boatyards as a teenager against much larger men, Masvidal is a defensive genius on the feet. He has layers of defense that set up a strong counter-punching game, but hes not restricted to that. Masvidal can fight at all ranges and moving in all directions, specifically behind a piercing jab and stinging low kicks. When openings arise, Masvidal has excellent timing and enough power that when he sits down on shots, they can hurt opponents.

While striking is his bread and butter, Masvidal is well-versed everywhere else. He has an offensive wrestling game that's better than average and his timing on single legs is tricky enough to be successful. Masvidal is also a very good grappler remember, he tapped Michael Chiesa, which is nothing to sneeze at and he has above average ground and pound. His biggest weakness is a general lack of volume and a tendency to do just enough to get it done rather than putting a mark on the fight. That kind of complacency has burned him with judges more than once. However, in his most recent outings he appears to be fighting with greater purpose, urgency and frankly speaking a meanness, something that bodes well for his run as an elite welterweight.

As with all Maia fights, this is a classic striker versus grappler affair. In a just world, Maia would tap Masvidal quickly and take his rightful title shot this summer, but we all know MMA is far from just. Even so, Im going to side with Maia here. Masvidal is a much better striker and an excellent defensive wrestler, but Maia is the bigger man, and he has taken down better wrestlers than Masvidal. Realistically, two takedowns is all he needs to win the fight. The pick is Maia by boa constrictor in the second round, but if either guy gets to over +100, theres value in betting that.

Breakdown

Frankie Edgar takes on Yair Rodriguez in a showcase bout between the aging veteran and the new kid on the block. Edgar is a former lightweight champion who has twice come up short against featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo. A win over the young, hotshot prospect Rodriguez likely cements his bid for a third title shot, if Max Holloway unseats Aldo later this year. For Rodriguez, this is his chance to announce himself as one of the truly elite at 145 pounds. With the UFC loving his ascension and his star power in Mexico, a victory here may well earn Rodriguez the next shot at the champion, regardless of who holds the strap.

Edgar is a classic wrestle-boxer and one who has continued to make technical improvements despite being a long-tenured veteran. He has quick footwork which allows him to dart in and out of exchanges on the feet, working head-body combinations and piling up points. This isnt the most threatening offense but its consistent, it wins rounds, and builds momentum for Edgar who gets stronger as the fight progresses.

Edgars constant boxing attack also creates big opportunities for his wrestling. Edgar disguises his entries behind strikes beautifully, and he has a variety of finishes either from a single or double leg position. Once he gets his opponent to the ground, Edgar has ferocious ground-and-pound. This has been an area where he has shown his biggest improvement over the last few years. Edgar is absolutely ruthless on the floor.

Rodriguez is a highly-touted prospect with a creative and brutally violent striking arsenal. He has an array of vicious kicks and functional footwork to maintain a long distance where he can use those weapons the most efficaciously. Hes still developing a boxing game, especially on the interior where he is hittable, but he has excellent speed and power when he does punch. He also switches stances effortlessly which creates a lot of uncertainty in the defense of his opponents.

Despite the gushing about his striking acumen, grappling is probably the strongest part of Rodriguez's game. Hes a sneakily good offensive wrestler and an improving defensive one, aided by his ability to maintain a long range. As a top position grappler, Rodriguez works sharp ground-and-pound and hes good at passing and holding position. From the bottom, hes even more aggressive, constantly moving his hips to find attacks but quick to stand back up if hes not finding a sweep or submission.

Can Edgar work takedowns? Thats the fundamental question here because if he cant hes going to get lit up. Rodriguez is younger, faster, longer, and hell force Edgar to wade through brutal salvos of offense to try and get takedowns and I just dont see it happening. Rodriguez announces himself as the next featherweight contender, stopping Edgar in the third round with something magical and violent and I like him for an underdog bet.

Breakdown

In the pay-per-view opener, Krzysztof Jotko welcomes former two-weight WSOF champion David Branch back to the Octagon in a bout that was bumped up from the undercard after Henry Cejudo vs. Sergio Pettis was cancelled this week. A win here puts either man right in the thick of the middleweight rankings and should earn the winner a bout with one of the many highly-ranked contenders trying to standout in a crowded title hunt.

Jotko is a young, rangy southpaw who throws straight punches and a variety of kicks. He doesn't have a lot of power but he piles up volume and he has fantastic takedown defense to keep things where he wants them. Jotko also has a complete ground game, more than holding his own in prolonged grappling exchanges with BJJ black belt Thales Leites. He has underrated offensive wrestling, good control on top, and excellent submission awareness.

Branch is a well-rounded fighter, who is competent on the feet but does his best work from top position. He uses long jabs with the occasional straight right to maximize his 81-inch reach until he can work his way into the clinch or a shot-takedown. From there he has an excellent combination of control, striking, passing, and submissions to give anyone in the division problems.

This looks to be a pretty straightforward affair: either Branch gets takedowns or Jotkos volume and kicking game outpoints him on the feet. Jotko is eight years younger, steadily improving, and his takedown defense is great. Branch will fail in the wrestling and though he wont get embarrassed on the feet, he will clearly lose the rounds. The pick is Jotko by decision and a prop bet on Jotko by decision at +130 is a good bet or parlaying him with another fighter down the card is fine.

Breakdown

Former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez takes on ninth-ranked Dustin Poirier in his first fight since losing the title to Conor McGregor at UFC 205 last year. A win doesnt exactly return Alvarez to title contention (such was the nature of his demolition), but it is at least a chance to wash the taste from his mouth after his last performance. For Poirier, a win over Alvarez would be the biggest win of his career and earn him another shot at the elite of the division while a loss would likely be the end of any real title aspirations he has.

Alvarez is mostly a veteran wrestle-brawler who has turned into a more refined boxer with his work under Mark Henry. He can operate in both directions on the feet, though hes less comfortable as a pressure fighter, preferring to stick on the outside, cut angles, and counter. He has good natural power and his right hook to the body is a potent weapon, but he also tends to get hit, especially early, and though hes ruggedly tough, you have to wonder if his many years in the game and his propensity for brawling is starting to catch up with him.

Aside from striking, Alvarez also has a strong secondary line of attack through his wrestling game. He doesnt have the most explosive shot or cleanest finishes, but he is dogged in his pursuit of the takedown and his physical strength and endless cardio mean he can grind fights down to a halt if need be. On top, hes got solid control and striking and hes pretty good at getting to the back and securing the rear-naked choke.

Poirier is a well-rounded fighter who has found his stride since moving up to the lightweight division. Despite spending a long time as a featherweight, Poirier is one of the biggest punchers at 155 pounds. At range, has a good jab and thudding left kicks as well as a heater of a left straight. But although hes fine at range, where Poirier thrives is as an inside fighter. Hes an excellent combination boxer in the pocket and he works all levels of the body well. Hes willingness to exchange in close quarters means he gets hit a lot, but its a calculated decision based on him bringing more power to the firefight.

Poirier is also an excellent clinch fighter. He has good knees and trips from that range, and he has a nice uppercut that he hides behind his own head before bringing it up the body to score. Hes a good defensive wrestler and he has solid takedowns of his own as well. Once on top, he is a powerful ground-and-pounder with solid scrambling and control.

This is an extremely tough rebound fight for the former champion. Poirier will carry many of the same physical advantages that McGregor did from Alvarezs last fight and we all saw how that worked out for The Underground King. Alvarez gets hit early and often and was especially susceptible to straight left hands, one of Poiriers best punches. Moreover, Alvarez is easily drawn into brawling exchanges in the pocket and there are few people at lightweight better at that than Poirier. Add in a genuine concern that Alvarezs best days are behind him and everything seems to be coming up Poirier here. Poirier is still hittable so its possible the former champion lands a big shot in the exchanges and knocks him out, but the more likely scenario is that Poirier lands the kill shots and gets his hand raised. The pick is Poirier by first-round KO, but the odds are good here so I would pass.

Chas Skelly (-125/56%) vs. Jason Knight (+105/49%)

Skelly is a grinder by trade but one with an aggressive submission game to compliment his NAIA All-American wrestling pedigree. He also showed dramatically improved striking in his last fight which can be attributed to his work with Henri Hooft. He flashed a decent jab and straight right hand to compliment his natural sense of timing. Knight is affectionately known as Hick Diaz for his aggressive boxing on the feet and his extremely active guard game. Hes a poor defensive wrestler but his rubber guard creates a world of troubles for fighters looking to take him down.

Can Skelly get takedowns? Thats the key question here. Skelly has improved his boxing but Knight is still the more skilled and more active striker and if it stays standing, Knight is gonna chew him up. This is a razor close fight but I think Knight has improved his wrestling enough to have the advantage here. Hopefully there is some grappling because that could be extremely fun to watch but the pick is Knight by unanimous decision in an extremely fun contest and I like him for a bet at underdog odds.

Marco Polo Reyes (+350/22%) vs. James Vick (-420/81%)

Reyes is a power-punching boxer with a penchant for getting into brawls. Hes throws excellent combinations in the pocket and both hands have fight changing power. Hes a bad defensive wrestler but hes active in getting back to his feet when taken down. Vick is enormous for the lightweight division and sports big advantages in reach and height. Hes fights well at range behind kicks and a long jab and hes uses his frame well in the clinch too. He also has an absolutely lethal set of chokes from the front headlock, making wrestling with him a dangerous proposition.

This fight is much closer than the odds suggest. Vicks biggest issue is his defense and his propensity for getting hit by left hooks, a specialty of Reyes. Reyes pressure and power can certainly create problems for Vick. That being said, Vick is durable and Reyes struggled navigating the distance against Jason Novelli in his last fight, the same reach advantage Vick will have. Vick is a more potent offensive threat than Novelli and with the striking being close to a wash otherwise, I favor the man with the inherent physical advantages. The pick is Vick by third round submission but a value bet on Reyes is suggested since these odds are nuts.

Jessica Aguilar (-115/53%) vs. Cortney Casey (-105/51%)

Aguilar is the former number one womens strawweight in the world (back before the UFC implemented the division). Shes a well-rounded fighter with a high-volume boxing game but she excels with her wrestling and top control grappling. Casey is a big, athletic strawweight who has been improving drastically each time out. Shes uses good footwork and a long jab on the feet to maintain distance and shes ferociously strong in the clinch and on the floor.

Caseys biggest issue is her defensive wrestling (which is bad), and Aguilar can certainly test her there, but for JAG to do that, she must navigate a substantial height and reach advantage (four inches of both). Aguilar has also been out for almost two years and is coming off a torn ACL, whereas Casey is younger, a better athlete, and should be able to dominate in the clinch with her size and strength. The pick is Casey by unanimous decision and shes worth a bet if she stays this low.

Chase Sherman (-145/59%) vs. Rashad Coulter (+125/44%)

Shermans a light-on-his-feet heavyweight who likes to box in the pocket and has decent kicks at range. Hes a defensive disaster but hes got a great chin and solid cardio to compensate. Coulter is a well-built, powerful heavyweight with thunder in his punches and vicious knees. Hes coming in on short notice though, and his record has no notable wins.

Shermans head never met a punch it didnt like to get hit by and that spells trouble against a hitter the likes of Coulter. This should look a lot like the Walt Harris, fight where Sherman gets dinged up by the guy with the heavier artillery. The pick is Coulter by KO in the second round, but since he is coming in on short notice and making his UFC debut, I advise caution if you choose to bet him.

Gabriel Benitez (-140/58%) vs. Enrique Barzola (+120/45%)

Benitez is a southpaw striker who prefers to operate at range, setting the distance with chopping inside leg kicks. He has a sharp counter left straight and he works the body well. Barzola is also a striker but a more athletic and diverse one than Benitez. He has an active jab and throws in combination while also mixing in spinning attacks and a potent wrestling game.

This is a tough fight to call. Barzola will consent to fight at Benitezs range for the most part and Benitezs body work and pace should be effective; however, Barzolas jab and combinations attack the many holes in Benitezs defense. Ultimately, I think Barzolas wrestling will be the difference, keeping Benitez guessing and mitigating his superior counter attack. Benitez will win stretches but Barzola will win more of them on his way to taking a razor close decision and as such, I like him for a bet.

Joachim Christensen (+300/25%) vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov (-360/78%)

Christensen is a big, well-rounded light heavyweight. Hes an active striker who pumps a consistent jab and works in combination on the feet. Hes dreadful defensively but has a good chin, and a BJJ black belt and active clinch give him strong secondary tools. Antigulov is a powerful light heavyweight whos surprisingly light on his feet. A Russian Master of Sport in wrestling, Antigulov can grind in the clinch or snatch a single leg and work opponents over on top with efficacious punching, passing, and submissions.

Christensen is fresh off a win over another short, stocky wrestler in Bojan Mihajlovic but Antigulov is a different animal, being better in almost every facet of the game and eight years Christensens junior. Antigulov needs takedowns to overcome Christensens four-inch height and six-inch reach advantage and I think he can get them. I also favor him to win the pressure battle, as both men operate much better coming forward but Antigulov is more adamant. The pick is Antigulov by decision in a close, back-and-forth affair, but with the odds this wide, a value bet on Christensen is worthwhile.

Conditional Bets

Its been a few weeks since our last go, and Nashville wasnt too kind to us. We went 3-4 on bets for a loss of $54 (calculating based on betting $100 per bet). Hopefully we will rebound this week with a lot of underdogs coming through for us. That being said, I am picking a lot of underdogs this week and a lot of bets in general so this week could feasibly backfire spectacularly. Only time will tell but pay special heed to the Editors Note at the bottom here.

Enjoy the fights everyone, good luck to those who need it, and if you've got any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @JedKMeshew.

(Editor's note: All of this advice is for entertainment purposes only.)

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UFC 211 odds, gambling guide - MMA Fighting

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Mourinho denies gambling with Man Utd’s season – Teamtalk.com

Posted: at 6:17 pm

Date published: Sunday 14th May 2017 7:07

Jose Mourinho has denied taking a gamble by writing off Manchester Uniteds Premier League campaign and said league matches were games his side did not want.

The Europa League has been Jose Mourinhos priority for several weeks now, but the manner of his sides 2-1 defeat at Tottenham, particularly in the first half, will stick in the craw.

Behind after six minutes thanks to Victor Wanyamas powerful header, it would have been worse was it not for David De Gea.

Harry Kane also clipped the crossbar before bringing timely end to his wait for a goal against United, with the fans favourite directing home a free-kick from the ever-impressive Christian Eriksen.

Wayne Rooney pulled one back for the visitors the last goal at White Hart Lane but could not take the gloss of a victorious end to life at the Lane in a game in which United were firmly second best.

I make the the maximum of the teams potential. The players have the motivation to win the last match at home. They played to win and we tried to have balance even with players out of position, Mourinho told Sky Sports.

We gave minutes to people who needed minutes and gave protection to those who needed protecting. After we went 2-0 down we brought more quality and balance to the team and put the players in their correct positions.

We got to 2-1 and we could have made it 2-2, but Im happy and fine with the individual performances. The two goals are two very bad goals conceded, but the team is not used to playing together.

Asked if his hands were tied with so many matches, he added: Yes, today, against Man City, Swansea, Arsenal, Southampton and the final game against Crystal Palace.

And when people say we gambled, we didnt gamble. Nobody can play two big competitions with 15 players and this is what we had. It was compulsory, we didnt gamble and Im happy with the situation.

I rested a few players, there were no injuries and one less match to play because at the moment the Premier League are just matches we do not want to play.

Asked what he thought he needed to mount a two-pronged challenge next season, he dashed off before adding: I do not want to think about that. Im thinking about the final.

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Mourinho denies gambling with Man Utd's season - Teamtalk.com

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