The ESPN Daily: A huge sports Thanksgiving, the dark art of free throw defense, and a promise kept at Auburn

November 27, 2019 admin

A very sporty holiday … Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Today’s ESPN Daily will get you all prepared for the frankly ludicrous amount of sports going on this week. Know a friend who’s getting amped up for the Turkey Day sportstravaganza? You can send them this newsletter right here.

No fighting … Few things are as tied together in the public imagination as hockey and fighting, but players have been dropping the gloves at lower and lower rates over the past few years. What’s behind this sudden pacifism? ESPN NHL insider Greg Wyshynski joins Mina Kimes to talk about how the game is moving toward a different style of play, and what that means for the future of hockey. You can listen to the full ESPN Daily podcast right here.

Your sports holiday gift guide … Looking to get a head start on holiday shopping for the sports fan in your life? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a guide to the best sports-themed holiday gifts, from insulated beer bottle holders to a framed Muhammad Ali print. Read more

The dark art of free throw defense … For the most part, athletes can perform physical feats that the rest of us can’t even conceive of. The one exception is free throw shooting: Because it’s a short-distance, immobile shot that no one is allowed to defend, you have occasional examples of otherwise-average people being able to hit them at a rate some NBA players can’t match. Of course, those people don’t have to deal with all the tricks NBA players can pull. See, it’s not QUITE accurate to say you can’t defend a free throw. From towel throwing to sweat wiping, here are all the ways the NBA’s savviest defenders can mess with a shot they’re not allowed to contest. Read more

The Thanksgiving Jack Johnson fought two men in prison … Jack Johnson was far past his prime as a boxer in 1920, when he participated in two exhibition matches in the same day at Leavenworth prison. The story of how it all happened, though — from his marriage to his exile in Mexico to his return — is just as astounding as any of his legendary professional fights. Here’s a look back at his Thanksgiving contest almost a century ago. Read more

The future of load management … The rules around resting stars in the NBA is already pretty complicated, and it might get exponentially greater once the new schedule changes come through. Zach Lowe breaks down what it’ll all mean for the league, and how it is addressing the challenge of making each game feel like appointment television. Read more

Why Colin Kaepernick and the NFL were never going to work out … His workout showed that he’s still got the skills of an NFL quarterback, but a lack of interest from any team means that Colin Kaepernick’s time in the league is probably over for good. Howard Bryant writes on how the two sides couldn’t find any common ground through a fog of distrust and acrimony. Read more

Loss, love, and a promise kept … Andy Burcham was devastated when his friends Rod and Paula Bramblett were killed in a car accident. Now, he’s navigating his first season as Rod’s replacement as Auburn football announcer … and raising the Brambletts’ son and keeping their adult daughter close. Here’s his remarkable story. Read more

Feast Week (games Wednesday-Sunday all week on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ACC Network, ESPN+): Maui Jim. The 2K Sports Classic. The Orlando Invitational. All that and more in the world of college hoops, all week across the ESPN family of networks. Here’s a guide to some of the bigger games on ESPN+. Read more

Nets at Celtics (Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN); Lakers at Pelicans (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Two homecomings within two hours of one another: an injured Kyrie Irving to Boston, and an extremely healthy Anthony Davis to New Orleans. You’ll want to tune in to see the crowd reactions, if nothing else.

Rivalry Week (games Wednesday-Saturday on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ACC Network, ESPN+): It might be Thanksgiving, but it feels like Christmas for college football fans this week. We’ve got some absolutely fantastic matchups on the docket for Rivalry Week, including Saturday’s lineup of No. 2 Ohio State at No. 13 Michigan (noon ET, Fox), No. 3 Clemson at South Carolina (noon ET, ESPN), No. 5 Alabama at No. 15 Auburn (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) and No. 12 Wisconsin at No. 10 Minnesota (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Here’s an ESPN+ breakdown of all the key matchups in one of the biggest college football weeks of the year. Read more

Bears at Lions (Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET, Fox); Bills at Cowboys (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS); Saints at Falcons (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Get ready for some exceptional NFL matchups as you settle down for Thanksgiving dinner. Or lunch, as some people do. Not breakfast, unless you live on the West Coast or get up very late. Anyway, here’s our full guide to the Turkey Day action. Read more

Tete vs. Casimero (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+); Valdez vs. Gutierrez (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+): We’ve got two exciting Top Rank Boxing matchups for you this holiday weekend. In the early fight, Zolani Tete defends his WBO bantamweight title against Johnriel Casimero. At night, Oscar Valdez takes on Andres Gutierrez in a WBO junior lightweight eliminator.

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News Vice

How the Murder of an Anti-Corruption Journalist Could Bring Down the Maltese Government

November 27, 2019 admin corruption, daphne caruana galizia, joseph muscat, Malta, Panama Papers

Credit to Author: David Gilbert| Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2019 13:53:19 +0000

Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is fighting for his political life after his chief of staff and two ministers dramatically resigned on Tuesday evening over their links to the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia two years ago.

Caruana Galizia, a renowned investigative reporter, was killed when a car bomb exploded near her home in October 2017, and a series of recent arrests drawn attention to the role that members of Muscat’s inner circle might have played in her murder.

On Tuesday, Muscat’s chief aide Keith Schembri quit, and hours later was arrested by police, who questioned him about allegations made by a Maltese businessman that he was a co-conspirator in the murder of Caruana Galizia, the Times of Malta reported Wednesday.

The information on Schembri, who has run the prime minister’s office since 2013, was provided by Yorgen Fenech, who was arrested last week during a dramatic raid on his yacht. Fenech is believed to have provided the information in exchange for a pardon.

The police have also arrested Adrian Vella, Fenech’s doctor, who is suspected of passing messages to Schembri.

The police have 48 hours to interrogate the pair before they must charge or release them.

The arrest of Schembri will only add to the pressure on Muscat, after Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi also resigned Tuesday, saying it was “the right thing to do at this moment in time.”

Mizzi’s resignation was quickly followed by that of the Economy Minister Chris Cardona, who police questioned about the murder on Saturday. Cardona said he was suspending himself, saying he felt “duty-bound to take this step in the national interest.”

All three denied any wrongdoing.

The shock resignations, coming in quick succession, have put huge pressure on Muscat, who opposition lawmakers greeted with shouts of “mafia” when he entered the Maltese parliament on Tuesday.

The chamber descended into chaos, with Simon Busuttil, a former leader of the PN party, shouting: “You killed her with corruption. Do none of you have a conscience? You exploded her.”

Things got worse when Mizzi appeared shortly after announcing his resignation. “Shame on you, you’re corrupt, what are you doing here?” Beppe Fenech Adami, a PN lawmaker, screamed.

Outside the parliament, Muscat was bundled into his car as angry protesters — a rare sight in Malta — shouted “assassins,” “thieves” and “robbers.” Among those calling for justice was Caruana Galizia’s sister Helene Asciak, who ran behind the vehicle before breaking down in tears.

READ: Reporter who investigated Panama Papers killed in car bomb

Muscat faces significant pressure from opposition politicians and European leaders, who are calling for him to step back and allow the judicial process to run its course. He is also facing pressure from within his own party. Muscat’s deputy, Chris Fearne, said the damage done to Malta's reputation by this scandal is “almost irreparable.”

Back in 2016, Caruana Galizia used documents leaked in the Panama Papers to show that Schembri and Mizzi had become the beneficiaries of secretive Panama shell companies shortly after assuming office.

The revelations led to a snap general election in 2017, but Muscat and the Labour Party were returned to government in a landslide victory. But Caruana Galizia continued her investigations into high-level corruption — and five months later she was dead.

The current turmoil was sparked by the pardoning of Melvin Theuma, a suspected middleman in the murder who was granted immunity in return for information about the case. Local media reports claim Theuma possesses audio recordings linked to the killing.

READ: The VICE News guide to the Panama Papers

In July, three people were formally charged with the Caruana Galizia’s murder, but police investigations continue in a bid to root out who ordered the assassination.

“We're finally starting to see some progress in the investigation into Daphne's murder,” Corinne Vella, the sister of Caruana Galizia, told the BBC. “It's welcome, it's important, but it's very far long overdue. To us, Daphne's death has always been linked to her work, and we've maintained all along that justice for Daphne means justice for her murder, but also justice for all her stories, because to us they were connected.”

Cover: A woman holds a picture of slain investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizi as people gather to honor her death in the same spot and at the same time when she was murdered one year ago, in Malta, Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018. Caruana Galizia, who had probed money-laundering and corruption in the Mediterranean island nation, was killed when a bomb destroyed her car on Oct. 16, 2017. She was 53. (AP Photo/John Borg)

This article originally appeared on VICE US.

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