Monthly Archives: June 2021

Relief payments to Black farmers on hold amid lawsuits backed by former Trump aides, conservative groups – Kansas Reflector

Posted: June 27, 2021 at 4:10 am

WASHINGTON Former Trump administration officials and conservative and libertarian nonprofits have launched lawsuits to block federal relief funds aimed at Black and minority farmers a development that House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott of Georgia calls an evil system at work here.

Suits have been filed in Florida, Wisconsin and Texas that say its unconstitutional to direct COVID-19 relief funds to Black farmers, who make up 1 percent of all farmers. The $4 billion in the American Rescue Plan is intended to help relieve debt the farmers accrued from decades of systematic discrimination in USDA lending.

A judge in a Florida federal court issued a nationwide injunction Wednesday, preventing the U.S. Department of Agriculture from issuing grants to those minority farmers. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard said the agency could still prepare to deliver debt relief until the program is found constitutionally permissible.

Scott, a Democrat, in an interview with States Newsroom was highly critical of the legal challenge, and questioned how any judge could deny the history of discrimination against Black farmers in the U.S.

There is a system, an evil system at work here, Scott said, and added that he believes Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump, is behind it.

The lawsuit in Texas, Miller v. Vilsack, was filed by the nonprofit America First Legal. The organization was started earlier this year by Stephen Miller and Trumps chief of staff, former Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), as a conservative version of the ACLU.

America First Legal opposes discrimination in all forms, Miller said in a statement when the suit was filed. We hold fast to the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr. that Americans should not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

America First Legal also includes in its leadership Matt Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa who for a time was the acting attorney general during the Trump administration, and Russ Vought, the former Office of Management and Budget director under Trump.

The lone plaintiff in that case is Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who is a rancher in the Lone Star State. Miller spent $641,000 running for his commissioner seat, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The suit takes issue with Sections 1005 and 1006 of the American Rescue Plan enacted in March that uses language in the 1990 farm bill to define socially disadvantaged agricultural producers as people subjected to racial or ethnic prejudices because of their identity as a member of a group without regard to their individual qualities.

That includes agriculture producers who are African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Asian or Pacific Islander.

The language does not prevent white farmers from also applying to the program, but all three lawsuits argue that the program excludes white farmers and is therefore discriminating against white farmers.

The USDA, which is headed up by Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, did not respond to a request for comment.

In her ruling in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Morales Howard wrote that in enacting Section 1005, Congress expressed the intention of seeking to remedy a long, sad history of discrimination against (socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers) in the provision and receipt of USDA loans and programs.

Such an intention is not only laudable, it is demanded by the Constitution. But in doing so, Congress also must heed its obligation to do away with governmentally imposed discrimination based on race, Morales Howard wrote.

The suit is ongoing.

The Florida case was brought by North Florida farmer Scott Wynn, who is being represented by Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian legal organization based in California that has an office in the Sunshine State.

The lawsuit argues that Mr. Wynn is categorically excluded from loan assistance under Section 1005 because he is white.

Pacific Legal Foundation is one of the oldest conservative advocacy groups and receives funding from several conservative and libertarian groups such as the Sarah Scaife Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the Donors Trust, which is tied to the Charles G. Koch Foundation.

The Bradley Foundation also helps bankroll the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, which filed a suit against USDA on behalf of 12 white farmers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Ohio in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

From 2011 to 2018 the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty received nearly $6 million from the Bradley Foundation, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, which is a progressive nonprofit watchdog group. Michael Grebe, the former president and CEO of the Bradley Foundation, currently sits on the board of directors at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.

The Wisconsin suit, Faust et al v. Vilsack et al, also argues that white farmers are excluded from the program and is therefore discriminatory.

Georgias Scott, the first Black lawmaker to chair the House Agriculture Committee, has held multiple hearings outlining the decades of discrimination Black farmers faced from USDA. He said that white farmers can apply for the relief program.

Its a political gambit too, Scott said of the lawsuits. How can a judge say that there is no past or present discrimination?

Black and minority farmers were left out of the pandemic relief funds during the Trump administration. In a House Agriculture hearing, Vilsack said that only .1% of Black farmers received any of the $26 billion in economic aid provided to farmers through the agencys program created by the Trump administration to help farmers weather the pandemic.

Only $20.8 million went to Black farmers and the rest went to white farmers, he said.

Black lawmakers have also raised concerns that if the relief money is not sent to Black farmers, then those farmers could lose their land.

Were on the verge of losing what little Black and socially disadvantaged farmers we have, Scott said.

In 1920, there were nearly 1 million Black farmers who worked on 41.4 million acres, making up about 7% of the farming landscape.

Today, there are about 50,000 Black farmers who work on 4.7 million acres, making them 1.4% of the nations farmers. White farmers make up 98% of rural farmers.

Scott said that the lawsuits popping up in the courts in reaction to Black farmers getting federal help is just the past repeating itself, starting with the end of slavery.

In 1865, General William Tecumseh Sherman gave newly freed slaves 40 acres and a mule. But after President Abraham Lincolns assassination, newly sworn-in President Andrew Johnson reversed Shermans order. Many Black scholars have cited this moment as the beginning of generational economic setbacks for African Americans.

There is a pattern of this refusal to recognize the strong discrimination and racism that Black people especially face, Scott said.

Over the last 150 years, Black farmers lost land due to New Deal legislation programs, and faced rampant discrimination from USDA, to the point that the agency had to reach a large settlement with Black farmers.

Congressional hearings, Government Accountability Office reports, federal courts and USDA reports have continued to find Black farmers faced discrimination that led to land loss and debt.

We got through slavery, we got through Jim Crow, Scott said. Were going to get through this.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news outlets supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.

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Never-Trump Republicans Announce New Fundraising Effort To Re-Defeat the Ex-President – Reason

Posted: at 4:10 am

Miles Taylor, a man who was most famous when he was anonymous, threw his name last night into a hat most people were hoping wouldn't open until November 2022.

"If [former President Donald] Trump somehow wins the GOP nomination in 2024, I will run against him as an independent. And recruit more conservatives to do the same. We will split the vote and sink him," Taylor tweeted, insisting in a follow-up: "This is not a joke."

Taylor, a former Trump administration Department of Homeland Security chief of staff who wrote the bestselling book A Warning in 2019, starred in anti-Trump ads in 2020, and last month announced the intention to co-launch with 2016 anti-Trump independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin and a few former Republican elected officials an initiative to "catalyze an American renewal," made his latest splash on the same day as the official unveiling of the Renew America Movement (RAM).

RAM held a national town hall last night attended by such figures as 2016 Libertarian Party vice presidential nominee Bill Weld, Weld's fellow 2020 Republican presidential primary loser Joe Walsh, and former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele. The renewalists vow to raise "tens of millions" of dollars to defeat pro-Trump Republicans in a handful of Senate races and a couple dozen House contests in the 2022 midterms, according to Bloomberg.

For the moment, the new group is raising that money through an old vehicle, McMullin's 501(c)(4) nonprofit Stand Up Republic, which he launched two months after coming in fifth place in the 2016 election. McMullin, whose candidacylike Taylor's threatened 2024 runwas a direct challenge to Trump from the right, exceeded the Trump-Hillary Clinton margin in just two states: His home base of Utah, where he received 21.5 percent while Trump won by 18.1 percentage points, and Minnesota (1.8 percent vs. Clinton's margin of 1.5 points).

Only two independent candidates for president have received more than 1 percent of the national popular vote in the past centuryRoss Perot with 18.9 percent in 1992, and John Anderson with 6.6 percent in 1980. More to the anti-Trump point, the 45th president failed to win reelection not because his voters were lured away by third-party or independent candidates, but precisely because they weren't.

Trump received a higher percentage of votes in 2020 than he did in 2016: 46.9 percent, compared to 46.1. The main difference was that support for third-party candidates collapsed, from 5.7 percent to 1.8, and most of that bloc went to the Democratic Party, whose nominee jumped from 48.2 percent to 51.3. As I noted in November:

Pre-election pollspredictedthis2016 third-party voters, and specifically Libertarians (who made up 57 percent of the third-party electorate that year),repeatedly saidthat a majority of them were going straight, and preferred Biden to Trump by more than two to one. There were 7.8 million third-party voters last time, and just 2.7 million this time, so any strong lean by the remaining 5 million-plus was always going to dwarf whatever impact partisans may attribute to "spoilers."

Never-Trumpers have lost just about every intra-Republican fight over the past six years, usually by lopsided margins. Where they have punched above their weight has been in media attention, and (relatedly) in raising money from Democrats dreaming of a fractured GOP. As ever, I am rooting for all new political competition while taking all bets against.

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The Problem Belongs to Every Last Person: On Matt Bell’s Appleseed – lareviewofbooks

Posted: at 4:10 am

I FIRST BECAME aware of the United Nationss Agenda 21 proposal from a pamphlet my grandfather handed me when I was around 10 years old. The sky-blue booklet, which I still have in a storage box somewhere (a crude memento after his passing last year), was produced as part of a conspiracy theorist movement that saw the UNs proposal for equitable global trade and sustainable urban development as a dystopian campaign for a socialist one-world-order that would empty rural lands and forcibly condense people into cities. Its been a while since Agenda 21s debut in 1992, but the UN proposal still garners attention within ecological movements, urban studies programs, conspiracy fantasies, and science fictions. Recently, books such as E. O. Wilsons Half-Earth: Our Planets Fight for Life and Tony Hisss Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth have advanced visions inspiring the Half-Earth movement, which proposes that 50 percent of global lands and waterways should be turned into conservation areas an ecological prospect that has doubtlessly sent Agenda 21 truthers into a spiral.

Whereas the government-wary libertarian may balk at a Half-Earth proposal, Matt Bells latest novel, Appleseed (Custom House, July 2021), takes an approach that seems eerily more plausible amid the rising influence of Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and any number of neoliberal lone genius types for whom saving the planet is just another business venture an industry ripe for disruption and monopolization.

Appleseed plays on the dystopian climate disaster genre, deftly weaving threads from Greek mythology, magical realism, and Americas settler-colonial folklore to create the parallel universe its characters inhabit. True to its title, the book opens on two brothers, one human and one faun, venturing across the unsettled Midwestern frontier planting apple orchards. Chapman, the faun, harbors a secret desire to plant and harvest the perfect apple, one that will make him human and end his agonizing struggle between embracing his horned wildness and his desire to live a normal life alongside his brother. His story forms the past portion of the novels tri-temporal triptych structure, wherein each chapter follows characters centuries apart from each other in a recursive past/present/future cycle.

The plots central narrative (a term used loosely) takes place around 2070 after climate devastation has forced the creation of a Sacrifice Zone across the western and central United States. Choosing between the consolidation of the population or widespread urban collapse, the government has evacuated cities and rural communities, pushing them toward the East Coast and life on the megacorporation Earth Trusts Volunteer Agricultural Communities (VACs).

Not everyone has relocated willingly. Some stay behind to brave the heat and drought, preferring a Mad Maxadjacent freedom. Others detonate hydroelectric dams, tear up roads, and destroy infrastructure in a bid to re-wild the Sacrifice Zone and prevent Earth Trusts re-incursion in the federal governments absence. John, the present-day character, falls in the latter group. Perhaps a millennials grandchild, he grew up in Ohio and saw crippling drought and the extinction of the worlds honeybees, tragedies that pushed him to co-found Earth Trust with his childhood friend Eury. What begins as a garage start-up, however, quickly becomes an agro-industrial corporation turned independent global techno-state (think Amazon meets Microsoft meets a public-private infrastructure project on steroids).

While John wants to design nano-bees to pollinate and revive the nations remaining plant species, Eury unleashes grander ambitions. After John leaves the company to dwell in the Sacrifice Zone, Eury launches the VACs where specially designed crops (among them genetically modified apples), algorithmic efficiency, and social engineering combine. The arrangement enables Earth Trust to feed whole countries while housing and employing their climate refugees as Volunteers.

Despite global efforts, or a potent lack thereof, the climate only continues to inch closer to complete ecological disaster. While some of the worlds elite plan for hypothetical evacuations to Mars, Eury announces plans to turn back the clock and restore Earths lost species and habitats with one final moonshot project. However, her gift to humanity comes at a high price, one that John and a group of resistance fighters plan to prevent the world from paying.

Meanwhile, in Appleseeds third narrative, a thousand years in the future, a 3D-printed creature named C descends from a broken-down science vessel into the depths of a glacier. He scavenges the remnants of a civilization that came before, long since buried under a new ice age. At the bottom of a crevasse, C finds a twisted wreck of a tree, a relic that may hold the key to what caused humanitys demise. In his haste to return to his ship, he suffers a climbing accident, which forces him to throw himself and the tree sample into the ships recycler. Moments later, C is reprinted and reimbued with the memories of generations of clones that came before him. But each C is a little different, cobbled together from core biological elements and synthetic replacements harvested from the ship. With the injection of the tree, however, this C becomes something else entirely. His search for the trees origin instead becomes a search for humanity, or whats become of it.

Unpredictable to the last page, Appleseed ties these disparate narratives together with a rich network of symbolism and sharp prose. While there are tensely written action scenes befitting a sci-fi thriller, at the books core is a burning ethical question that wavers on the knife-edge of climate optimism and fatalism: Faced with the end of the world, would you bet on humanity to finally come together and avert disaster? Or one woman, one company, with a vision and the means to guarantee the outcome?

To quote the book, The problem is bigger than any one person, any one company or government: the problem belongs to every last person; until its solved everyone remains complicit, even if they resist. Bell tackles this aphorism from the novels opening in the age of settler-colonial expansion across the United States. Chapmans quasi-magical and spiritual connection to nature, and his only partial humanness, opens a window into the original sin committed by successive generations of settlers that worked their way across the continent exploiting nature for their survival. There is beauty in the planting of orchards, yet a profound irony in the streams Chapman and his brother divert and the trees they cut down to make space for them. Thus, nature gives and gives over millennia until its exhausted collapse forces mankind back the way it came in a race against extinction.

Appleseed is propelled by the strength of its ideas rather than its specific characters or exotic worldbuilding. There are nods to Iain M. Banks and Ursula K. Le Guin, which might make the reader feel as though theyre watching an elaborate thought experiment untangle itself. The characters have lives of their own insomuch as they are tools to solve that greater puzzle. As such, the book occasionally breaks the fourth wall, veering away from the temporal plots into passages such as the one quoted above where the narrator speaks directly to the reader about their current and future complicity in the events about to occur. In this way, Bell pulls readers back and forth between seeing Eury and Earth Trusts enormous power as a villainous force to be fought, and the only means of survival in a world where governments are ineffectual and unsustainable resource consumption continues unabated. Moments such as these, and more ethereal scenes where Chapman is chased by three time-bending spirits in the Ohio woods, pull Appleseed out of the sci-fi genre and into something more a cerebral folktale all its own.

Because the novels present-day timeline is so close to our own, the alternate world Bell creates feels jarringly prescient. Bill Gates is already the largest private owner of farmland in the United States and has plans to create a new city in the Arizona desert. Nevada is considering a law that would allow corporations to build and manage legally autonomous cities, and Elon Musk has long had his sights on Mars. Couple these realities with the long-standing American belief in the power of companies to innovate faster and further than state actors and its not hard to imagine a future where the fight against climate change isnt waged against multinational corporations but is co-opted by them.

Appleseed is not your typical sci-fi novel in the same way the 2016 film Arrival is less about an alien invasion and more about theories of linguistics-driven perception. So, while readers expecting a gritty climate dystopia, or a one-world-order, might be disoriented by Appleseeds bucolic opening chapter about an apple-obsessed 18th-century faun, theyre in for something incredibly unique and equally gripping.

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Letter: It’s time to take care of Earth and stop wasting tax dollars – Worcester Telegram

Posted: at 4:10 am

So were funding Elon Musk's and Jeff Bezos next big adventure into space with our tax dollars and off the blood, sweat and tears of the underpaid, abused workers who made them insanely wealthy.

Its almost as big a waste as spending most of our tax dollars on a military whose mission lately seems to be looting and plundering the planet for cheap resources while committing genocide and creating refugees. For whom?Our corporate giants with their fat military contracts. Were even paying billions for them to stockpile more nukes which if we use just one, were goners.

So often I hear the Libertarian mantra about the people who live off the system: people who get housing, disability, food stamps, a free lap top or phone. What about these bloodsuckers. No one mentions them. Theyre hailed as heroes and jobs providers. This planet is in hospice due to our using our atmosphere and oceans as open sewers and destroying the nature we depend on.

Time to get our priorities straight. Time we took care of our Earth Mother and each other and stopped wasting our tax dollars on those who have too much as it is.

Charlotte Burns

Palmer

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Should Ohio approve sports betting and expand gambling in the state? Editorial Board Roundtable – cleveland.com

Posted: at 4:09 am

A bill passed by the Ohio Senate would open the door to legal betting on professional, college, Olympic and other sports.

The legislation still needs to win approval in the Ohio House and the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine before it can become law.

But DeWine has been reported as saying that he believes sports betting in Ohio is inevitable.

The question is whether its the right thing to do.

The legislation would authorize the Ohio Casino Control Commission to set up a three-tier licensing system:

The bill would impose a 10% tax on the net revenue from sports gambling received by license holders. After deductions for tax refunds and administrative costs, 98% of the money would be transferred to a fund to be used for K-12 public and private education. Two percent would go to the Problem Sports Gaming and Addiction Fund.

The legislation, despite overwhelming support in the Senate (it passed 30-2), is not without detractors.

The Fair Gaming Coalition of Ohio, a coalition of bars, taverns, restaurants, bowling alleys and other businesses that sell Ohio Lottery products, says 10,700 businesses across the state could handle this through the lottery kiosks set up through Keno.

The group doesnt like that the proposal would limit enhanced products to Ohios existing casinos and greatly restrict who can offer sports betting.

Public education advocates in the coalition worry that marketing and promotion costs run up by online apps and casinos could ultimately lead to less money going to schools.

Should Ohio, which was slow to allow casino gambling, expand to allow sports betting as many of its neighbors have? Should pro sports get preferential treatment for licenses? What will this mean for integrity of athletics? And is it proper for the state to raise money from an activity that could lead to other societal woes, such as gambling addiction?

Our Editorial Board Roundtable offers its rulings.

Victor Ruiz

Victor A. Ruiz, editorial board member:

Gambling is already legal in Ohio (lottery, casinos, skill-based games, etc.) so the argument that it can lead to addiction and other woes makes no sense. We need more funding for our schools, which this may provide. We need to ensure that the funding is equitably distributed, so that the communities that need it the most benefit.

Ted Diadiun

Ted Diadiun, columnist:

Gambling on sporting events, particularly on college and other amateur sports, is a scourge on the athletic scene. There is nothing positive about it, and it encourages all kinds of unsavory and illegal mischief. I know its here to stay but giving it official governmental imprimatur can only encourage its spread and further invite criminal behavior. Terrible idea.

Leila Atassi is the managing producer for the public interest and advocacy team at The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

Leila Atassi, managing producer, public interest and advocacy:

While I dont see the allure of gambling, I appreciate that legalizing sports betting would lead to a lucrative revenue stream for Ohio schools. That said, I agree with the Fair Gaming Coalition that licenses should be distributed fairly for the thousands of businesses that are eligible to participate.

Lisa Garvin

Lisa Garvin, editorial board member:

A gamblers going to gamble, so the state should benefit from that. However, I dont want to see betting kiosks at every bar and restaurant, so licenses for those should be limited. Its unfair and borderline unethical if the MLB, NBA and NFL teams control the only retail sportsbook locations. What about college teams and other sports?

Mary Cay Doherty is a teacher at Magnificat High School in Rocky River.

Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member:

Its a sure thing. Sports betting is coming to Ohio. So, it is better that the General Assembly set the rules than special interest groups via citizen-initiated statutes or constitutional amendments. And ethically, gambling tax revenues are no different than those from tobacco and alcohol sales. But isnt the fox guarding the henhouse if pro teams facilitate betting on games they play?

Eric Foster is a columnist for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

Eric Foster, columnist:

Legalizing sports betting and spending revenue on education is a great idea. This will not cause some downward spiral of corruption in athletics. Widespread corruption already exists. However, the devil is in the details. Why limit the number of licenses? Such limitations encourage backroom deals and business monopolies. They should limit marketing and promotion costs reimbursement. More money for kids.

Thomas Suddes

Thomas Suddes, editorial writer:

Gamblings reality: In the end, the provider (casino; online betting or game systems; states) is always the one sure winner. But given that neighboring states have begun to offer sports betting, theres probably no good reason why Ohio shouldnt.

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial board roundtable to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.

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Jirkov imposes ban on gambling to improve quality of life – TheMayor.EU

Posted: at 4:08 am

Jirkov issues ban on gambling to reduce crime

It is hoped that the new decree will make the Czech city a safer place

On 25 June, the Czech City of Jirkov announced that a majority of city officials have agreed to make gambling illegal. The only exceptions to this new decree are small card games with a limit of CZK 500 (EUR 20). With this reform, Jirkov hopes to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in the city.

Mayor of Jirkov Darina Kovov expressed her satisfaction with this new law which restricts the operation of gambling establishments, noting: We are glad that the coalition and the opposition have found common ground in such a crucial matter.

In a press release, the City of Jirkov reported that several establishments halted their activities during the state of emergency brought about by COVID. Now, these centres will not be permitted to resume operating. In addition to the closure of these businesses, the number of pawnshops in the city is also expected to decrease.

The reason behind this is the fact that pawnshops are often located next to casinos and other such establishments which are frequented by individuals with gambling addictions. Unsurprisingly, the presence of these shops only further fuels dependence.

Admittedly, the new decree will initially have a negative impact on the citys economy. Nevertheless, it will reduce the number of indebted citizens and the negative repercussions of gambling addictions. On its website, the City of Jirkov further explained that one of the main reasons why it has issued this ban is to reduce crime.

It is important to note that the decree will further improve public health by ensuring that individuals do not suffer the negative psychological, physical, and social consequences of addiction. In this way, the Czech city seeks to become safer and more secure for all citizens.

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Same Politicians Who Legalized Weed and Casino Gambling Killed Skill Games – Bacon’s Rebellion

Posted: at 4:08 am

by Kerry Dougherty

For more than 30 years Virginias been breathlessly legalizing vices.

It began when voters approved a state-run numbers racket the lottery in 1987. Since then, all manner of wagering has been approved for our gambling pleasure.

Virginia now has horse racing, off-track betting, sports betting and soon, casinos.

But in their wisdom, members of the General Assembly the same ones who battled tirelessly to bring slot machines and blackjack to the Old Dominion decided to 86 electronic skill games that reside mostly in truck stops, convenience stores and restaurants.

Make no mistake, theyre doing the bidding of the greedy big boys of gambling by cracking down on the little guys.

The casinos dont want competition for those Virginia betting dollars.

Never mind that these skill games kept numerous small businesses afloat during the pandemic when there were precious few outlets open for entertainment.

Take the case of Hermie Sadler of Emporia, for instance.

Throughout the Covid-19 shutdowns, this former NASCAR driver and Fox Sports pit reporter was able to keep employees at his convenience stores, restaurants and truck stops on the payroll, despite business being down 30 to 35 percent.

Sadler was even able to provide free lunches to first responders during the month of April 2020.

How did he do it? Two words: Skill games.

Youve seen them, those electronic gambling machines in the corners of convenience stores. They cost anywhere from a nickel to five bucks to play and pay out $25, $50 or the occasional $100 or $500 jackpot.

Revenue from those machines kept Sadler profitable when few people were traveling and patronizing his businesses.

But pressure from the newly legalized casino industry plus whining from the lottery folks that skill games cut into ticket sales convinced the General Assembly to outlaw the games that have been legal for decades.

Yep, on July 1, the same day pot is legalized the harmless little arcade games are gone.

Earlier this week Sadler and his attorney, State Sen. Bill Stanley, filed a two-count civil suit in Greenville County Circuit Court against Gov. Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring and the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, alleging that the new law is unconstitutional.

Theyre seeking an injunction to allow the machines to stay operational after July 1 until the case can be heard.

What we did in the General Assembly was wrong,Stanley said at a press conferenceoutside the courthouse. We decided that skill games are unseemly and theyre not.

If youre going to legalize gambling in the commonwealth of Virginia youve got to rip the Band-Aid off and legalize all gambling.

Picking and choosing winners and losers is un-American and un-Virginian.

He added that Sadler was standing up for the little guy.

Asimilar suit was filed this week in Norfolkby five business owners in Tidewater.

Running small businesses in rural areas of Virginia is difficult, Sadler said. Its been way more challenging this past year with Covid-19.

Skill games were a lifeline he said.

Weve been legally operating skill games for more than 20 years, Sadler told me yesterday. Truck drivers have to be down for 12 to 24 hours. Not only do they play the skill games for entertainment, they eat in our restaurants, they buy things. They bring in a lot of revenue for us and the state.

Truck drivers are not going to head to casinos if the skill games are banned, Sadler added.

I believe in the free markets. Let people decide where they want to spend their money.

In a state hellbent on legalizing all manner of gambling, the ban on skill games is punitive and unfair.

The General Assembly needs to fix its mistake when they meet in August.

This column is republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed & Unedited.

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Gambling: Clemson products set to shine in NFL during first year with Jags – Colorado Springs Gazette

Posted: at 4:08 am

Weve officially hit the doldrums, a time when any coachspeak quote or offseason beach workout is repeatedly dissected. With all teams on siesta until training camps commence, its the perfect time to start diving into futures markets, especially player props. Brad Evans from FTN Bets offers up two of his favorites before the line values evaporate under the sizzling summer sun. Fade or follow? That, of course, is up to you.

Trevor Lawrence OVER 22.5 passing touchdowns (-130, BetMGM) Possibly as or more exquisite than his brothers rather eccentric wardrobe taste, the proposed line is an extraordinary value. Compared to other books, BetMGMs line is a full two TDs lower. Advantage, bettor. This is a gift from the gambling gods. Lawerences entrance into the league should be quite memorable. As displayed during his storied days at Clemson, he possesses the all-fields arm strength and accuracy to pay an instant dividend. Evidenced by the hardware collected, the man soared. Last season with the Tigers, he notched a 111.0 passer rating or higher on every possible throw and finished top-12 nationally in adjusted completion percentage. His pro arsenal isnt too shabby. D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, Travis Etienne and CU product Laviska Shenault are a formidable bunch. The Jags projected bendable defense, too, will only assist. In the end, 25-plus passing TDs are likely for the new Blonde Bomber.

Travis Etienne OVER 44.5 receptions (-105, PointsBet) Sticking with the Duval County theme, the rushers reteaming with Lawrence should bang the box score. At the collegiate level, the pair connected 48 times last season. Etiennes explosivity and elusiveness combination is top-flight. With Clemson in 2020, he forced the 12th-most missed tackles (43) among all Division I running backs and tallied a laudable 3.84 yards after contact per attempt. His bubbling chemistry with Lawrence cannot be overstated. Under OC Darrell Bevell, whos passing offenses between Seattle and Detroit ranked inside the top-10 in four of the last five years, the youngster will carve out a sizable pass-catching role, similar to what DAndre Swift did with the Lions last year (46 catches in 13 games). Yes, James Robinsons presence muddies the Saint Johns already murky waters, but with multiple scoreboard-chasing scenarios likely to unfold, 55-65 receptions are achievable for Etienne in Year 1. No doubt, this is one of the best early player props available.

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5 Gambling Related TV Shows You Need To Watch in 2021 – Film Threat

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In a nutshell, gambling can be very mesmerizing to watch. Not only is there the thrill of the moment; the roll of a dice, the spin of a roulette wheel, but theres also the pageantry of lights and sounds. Put it all together and you get an experience that is a huge joy to watch.

Of course, the truth is that there arent that pieces of gambling entertainment out there. In fact, most gambling takes place in films, including some famous ones like the Oceans franchise which is a part-gambling, part-robbery flick.

Fortunately, though, there are some great TV shows in the genre. Since the world has largely moved from physical casinos to online casinos due to the pandemic, that means well have to get our fill of old-school gambling through our screen.

If youre a big fan of Poker, then Poker After Dark is definitely your show, especially if you like No-Limit Texas Hold em. Hour-long episodes show the progress of a specific table over the course of a week, with blinds starting at $100/$200. The top prize was $120k, with a $20k buy-in, so the stakes are pretty high, and it can certainly get pretty dicey (pun intended).

In between each round, thered be commentary from the hosts, as well as the players themselves. The show also started trying to introduce some new elements in the fourth season in the form of different types of games.

Interestingly enough, the show had a bit of a sordid history: it was canceled in its 7th season due to a criminal case, colloquially called the Black Friday Case, which involved one of the shows sponsors. Thankfully, after a 6-year hiatus, the show was rebooted and is now streamed on PokerGo.

Just keep in mind that this isnt a fictionalized gambling show like some of the others on the list (or a gambling movie like 21). Even so, its great fun if you want to see how real-world poker works.

If youre looking for something a bit more fictionalized and a little bit wider, then Las Vegas will do it for you. Its a comedy-drama covering a group of employees working in a fictionalized casino and hotel. As you can imagine, it covers everything from security to sleazy hotel guests, and things of that nature.

The show also has a pretty big star lineup, with celebrities like Tom Selleck and James Caan, and focuses on the character played by the latter: An ex-CIA officer who is president of operations at the fictional casino, before being replaced by another character played by Josh Duhamel.

Unfortunately, while the first two seasons did pretty well, the show started seeing lower and lower ratings starting from the third season, finally being canceled after the fifth. Even so, the show was received pretty well and its a great gambling-related TV show.

Looking at the slightly seedier side of gambling, Breaking Vegas focuses on some of the well-known illegal acts that have happened in vegas. In the same vein as some of the best movie heists, this show covers the cheaters, the liars, and the tricksters who tried to get one over on casinos.

The 14 episodes mostly cover things like the story of Ken Uston, who was one of the first people to perfect blackjack card-counting techniques and even sued several casinos over being blacklisted and won. There are also a few episodes that cover legal gambling strategies, such as throwing dice at a certain angle or with certain numbers on top.

Overall, its an interesting TV docu-series to check out if youve ever wondered how some of the most notorious cheating at gambling was done.

Centered around the world of race-track gambling, and horse racing in general, Luck tells the story of a man driven to gain revenge on those who wronged them. It very much lives up to the reputation HBO has for telling dark and gritty stories such as Game of Thrones and is captivating in its methodical purpose.

Interestingly enough, the main character is played by Dusting Hoffman, who if youll remember played Raymond Babbit in Rainman, one of the best film gamblers of all time.

Unfortunately, though, the show was canceled in its second season. It wasnt due to reception either (which was really good), but instead because there were a couple of horse deaths during the production. Since the show primarily revolves around that, and there was already bad press around their deaths (even though an investigation cleared HBO), they ultimately decided to cancel it.

Another show that revolves around real-life gambling, King of Vegas is a bit different in that it doesnt only focus on one game, such as blackjack or poker, but instead has a variety of them in each episode. The games played, along with the ones mentioned above, including Red Dog, Craps, Mini-Baccarat, and Horse Racing, to name a few.

Something else that makes King of Vegas stand out is that it has a mix of sex professional gamblers, and six amateur gamblers, all vying for the ultimate title of King of Vegas, and a $1mill prize. Each week there would be a set of four new games and one person would be kicked out.

If youve done the math so far, that means there are 12 players in total and 12 episodes to go on, with the final episode crowning the King of Vegas.

Its a shame the show only had one season since it has an interesting premise and a ton of potential.

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5 Gambling Related TV Shows You Need To Watch in 2021 - Film Threat

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Concerns over gambling and gaming habits of Isle of Wight youth – Isle of Wight County Press

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YOUTH workers and teachers are being shown how to help young people who have become drawn in to harmful gambling habits or who are gaming too much with behaviours exacerbated during the pandemic.

The Island Youth Mental Health Census 2019 suggested young people on the Island may be particularly vulnerable to anxiety and depression, which is often associated with harmful gambling or gaming behaviours.

This is believed to have worsened due to Covid pandemic lockdowns, when young people didn't have the structure of school or any social events or clubs to attend leaving them with more time on their mobile phones and other devices.

Experts at YGAM, a gambling charity, believe gaming has started to overlap because both habits involve devices and being drawn in to making micro-transactions.

Both are easily accessible and involve the 'excitement' of lootboxes (or virtual treasure boxes).

Gaming age ratings are lower than for gambling, which means children are getting used to the mechanisms of playing and winning at a younger age.

Another popular activity is e-sports, where you can bet on your team.

Kyle Riding, of YGAM, explained: "Children now get a strange perception of winning. During the pandemic, sport was cancelled but e-sport continued, and e-sport betting has gone through the roof.

"Young people may have been gaming and on e-sports before but usage increased during the pandemic. There are some incredible games out there, but there are lots of crossovers with real gambling, and there are blurred lines between the two."

YGAM is extending its reach to the Island, as previously reported by the County Press.

Katherine Sawyer, YGAMs education manager for the South West, said: "I recognise that the Island faces many unique challenges around this topic both geographically in terms of rural isolation and socio-economically."

What are the Island's statistics on gambling?

There is very little local data showing how many young people are gambling.

However the Isle of Wight Council said national data suggests that increasing exposure to online adverts for gambling and increased use of various platforms for learning and social interchange has contributed to an increase in gambling among young people.

Research indicates that gambling using mobile phones is the most popular way especially for younger people and that in-play and eSports betting is highest among young people especially males.

Gambling Commission data from 2019 indicates that 11 per cent of 11 to 16 year olds had spent money on gambling in the last seven days. It is recognised that increasing trends are seen in exposure to online gambling adverts as well as problem gambling.

The Children and Young Peoples Survey (from 2019) showed that 97 per cent of secondary respondents stated they have received information on how to stay safe online with 70 per cent responding that they always follow that advice.

This was pre-pandemic, with YGAM saying trends are showing an increase in gambling since then.

The County Press has found that on the Island, there are no specialist local gambling support services for young people.

YGAM is a help and advice service which offers resources and training to the childrens workforce, not direct intervention with young people themselves.

Scroll down for various helplines on this issue.

What are the signs to look out for in someone excessive gambling or gaming?

There is a big impact on mental health and although gaming disorder was classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2018 it is still a very new recognition.

WHO defines it as a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour so severe that it takes precedence over other life interests.

Look out for someone spending too much time or money online, building up or hiding debt issues, having arguments with family, and neglect of personal hygiene.

Other signs are lying and hiding behaviours, and people expressing excitement and adrenaline then a crash in their mood.

What are the solutions?

What are the problems?

The following national resources focused on gambling may be of help:

BigDeal is part of GamCare, the organisation that runs the National Gambling Helpline, and provides information, advice and support to young people aged 11 to 18 who have a gambling problem or who are affected by someone elses gambling. On the website bigdeal.org.uk there is a free live chat function which provides 1:1 advice, 24/7 and there is also a young persons helpline (0203 092 6964). Out of hours, a young person can talk to someone at the general National Gambling Helpline, which is staffed 24/7, on 0808 8020 133.

Young people on the Island can access the following resources in relation to their general emotional wellbeing and mental health:

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Concerns over gambling and gaming habits of Isle of Wight youth - Isle of Wight County Press

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