Progressive News Outlet Launched With UAE Money Loses CEO, Burns Millions of Dollars on Fancy Offices - Washington Free Beacon

The progressive news outlet Grid, which launched last January with seed funding from the United Arab Emirates and a masthead of high-profile media talent, has reportedly lost its CEO amid internal confusion over its business model, while burning "millions of dollars" on fancy offices and a 50-person staff.

Grid cofounder and CEO Mark Bauman, who raised at least $10 million for the venture, stepped down earlier this month and will take on an advisory role with the website, according to Axios.

The news comes less than a year after Grid‘s launch. The media outlet, which describes itself as a "collaborative newsroom of beat reporters" that seeks to provide a "more-complete picture" of major news stories, was developed by registered lobbyists for the UAE, the Washington Free Beacon first reported in January.

Despite attracting some big-name writers—including blogger Matt Yglesias as its editor at large—Grid has yet to break through in the crowded media landscape.

Axios reported the outlet is "losing millions of dollars paying for high-end office space in Washington while also supporting the salaries of over 50 employees." Grid has pulled in fewer than 13,000 followers on Twitter despite employing at least four people on its audience-building team, according to the report.

APCO Worldwide, a D.C. lobbying firm, told the Free Beacon last year that it was involved with advising Grid during its development. APCO, a foreign agent for the UAE at the time, declined to say which client enlisted its services for Grid.

"APCO Worldwide provided consulting services for Grid during the first half of 2021," APCO spokesman Jimmy Koo told the Free Beacon. "APCO has no continuing role at Grid."

Bauman, the departing CEO, raised seed funding for Grid from International Media Investments, according to the New York Times. International Media Investments is a holding company owned by Emirati royal Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy prime minister of the UAE and the half-brother of the nation's president.

Grid told Axios that, despite Bauman's departure, its investors are "committed" to Grid‘s success and that the organization does "not anticipate needing to raise funds from others to support our growing newsroom."

The outlet hasn't written many articles that mention the UAE, according to a search of its website, or focused extensively on topics of interest to the Gulf state, such as opposition to the Iranian nuclear deal.

Three days before Bauman announced his resignation, Grid published an article about the COP27 climate change conference that noted the UAE has a "problematic human rights record."

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Elon Musk Is Finding Out That Free Speech Isn’t Rocket Science - The New York Times

It’s harder.

“This is a battle for the future of civilization. If free speech is lost even in America, tyranny is all that lies ahead.”

So says Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Twitter, which remains, for now, the go-to place for political obsessives to argue over polarizing topics like gender therapy, school vouchers and Covid-19 policy. Musk has indicated that he wants to relax the platform’s rules around what people can and cannot say there — but doesn’t want to make it a “free-for-all hellscape.”

Seeking to balance those two impulses, Musk appears to be making it up as he goes along. He has said that Twitter users should be “able to speak freely within the bounds of the law,” but also that Twitter might temporarily suspend someone who tweets “something that is illegal or otherwise just destructive to the world” and either delete the offending tweet or make it “invisible.”

Even to those who closely follow free-speech debates around internet technology, it’s all pretty baffling.

“If anyone can get inside his head, I’d love to hear it,” said Corbin Barthold, an appellate lawyer for Tech Freedom, a nonpartisan think tank. “He seems to shift from free-speech absolutism until he decides he doesn’t like something.”

Trevor Timm, a co-founder and the executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation, called Musk a “giant hypocrite” who is abusing the term “free speech.”

Timm worries, too, about how Musk will behave when authoritarian countries like China, where Tesla has vast business interests, lean on Twitter to crack down on dissidents or journalists on its platform.

Judging from his tweets — including, most recently, an image of Pepe the Frog, the unofficial mascot of the alt-right — Musk seems consumed by the previous ownership’s enforcement of company policies toward accounts like those of Donald Trump, Kanye West and Milo Yiannopoulos, whose tweets have violated Twitter’s rules around hate speech and, in the case of the former president, incitement to violence.

The mass restoration of suspended Twitter accounts has already begun. On Monday, Casey Newton and Zoe Schiffer reported that Twitter had started to reinstate “roughly 62,000 accounts with more than 10,000 followers” apiece. The list includes “one account that has over five million followers, and 75 accounts with over one million followers,” they added.

Musk also urged his followers to vote for Republicans in the midterm elections, and has said he would support Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida if he ran for president in 2024.

In so doing, Musk has allied himself with a politician — DeSantis — who has gone after his own company. And he is setting himself on a potential collision course with other tech companies at a time when looming Supreme Court rulings could destroy or at least fundamentally change his business.

Twitter v. Apple

Twitter constraining what its users can say on its platform is very different, legally speaking, from what the government can do to police speech.

As Ben Wizner, the director of the A.C.L.U.’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, has put it, if Musk “decides tomorrow that any speech that criticizes Tesla is going to be banned from Twitter, he absolutely has the right to do that.” (Musk, by the way, is an A.C.L.U. donor.)

A lot of speech on social media platforms like Twitter falls into a category of what Daphne Keller, a Stanford scholar who was formerly a senior lawyer at Google, calls “lawful but awful.” She defines it as “speech that is offensive or morally repugnant to many people but protected by the First Amendment.”

But as Musk is learning, the First Amendment can’t force advertisers or business partners to agree to work with you once you change the rules in ways they don’t like.

Musk’s relaxing of Twitter’s moderation policies threatens to run afoul of Apple, which in the past has booted applications from its online store over safety concerns. It suspended Parler, a Twitter clone popular on the far right, after the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

When CBS News recently asked Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, whether the company might do the same to Twitter, he said he didn’t expect that to happen because Twitter had promised to keep moderating harmful content.

“I don’t think anyone wants hate speech on their platform, so I’m counting on them to continue to do that,” Cook said. Judging from his body language, however, he did not appear especially confident in that assessment.

On Monday, Musk claimed that “Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won’t tell us why.”

He didn’t offer any evidence for that claim, but DeSantis warned that if Apple removed Twitter from the App Store, “That would be a huge, huge mistake, and it would be a really raw exercise of monopolistic power that I think would merit a response from the United States Congress.”

That’s unlikely; Congress is hopelessly divided over how to regulate social media companies, with very little common ground between the two parties. But now that Republicans will take control of the House next year, they can hold hearings and at least make some noise.

Here comes the Supreme Court

If there’s little prospect that Congress can do much — other than complain — to alter how platforms like Twitter handle speech issues that’s not true of the Supreme Court.

Four cases are either already before the court or soon will be and, as Keller noted in an interview, “that might throw everything we think we know about the legal obligations of the platforms into disarray.”

Tech companies are on the opposite side of DeSantis over a Florida law, known as S.B. 7072, that bars social media companies from removing the accounts of any “journalistic enterprise” or political candidate. It’s on hold, under a federal injunction that was upheld by the 11th Circuit.

In signing that law, DeSantis cast it as a blow to “Silicon Valley elites,” whom he compared to tyrants in Cuba and Venezuela

A similar law in Texas was upheld by a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit but is likewise frozen for now. “We reject the platforms’ attempt to extract a freewheeling censorship right from the Constitution’s free speech guarantee,” wrote Judge Andrew Oldham, a Trump appointee. “The platforms are not newspapers. Their censorship is not speech.”

When there is a split in the lower courts, the Supreme Court often steps in. Florida has appealed to a seemingly sympathetic Justice Clarence Thomas, who oversees the 11th Circuit, to take up its case.

Ordinarily, most legal experts would expect the Supreme Court to overturn both laws as an illegal attempt to infringe upon the free-speech prerogatives of a private company. Lower courts have repeatedly batted away dozens of similar attempts to do so. But Thomas might have allies in Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito, and possibly others, in upholding them in at least some aspects.

The question might hinge on whether the court views social media platforms more like newspapers or more like radio and television. In 1974, the Supreme Court ruled that a newspaper can’t be forced to publish replies to one of its editorials. But the court has also ruled that cable companies can be required to carry local broadcast channels. The tech companies point to another decision, Reno v. A.C.L.U., that established that internet platforms are technologically distinct enough that they must be regulated differently.

In an amicus brief opposing the Florida law, Tech Freedom, the think tank, called it “a First Amendment train wreck.” If it were upheld, the group’s Barthold added in our interview, “It would amount to a huge burden on the platform. I don’t think Elon Musk would be happy with it.”

The Supreme Court has already agreed to hear two other cases that could touch on whether tech companies can be held liable when their recommendation algorithms recommend terrorist recruitment videos. Twitter is a party to one of them, and filed a reply brief arguing that upholding the Ninth Circuit’s ruling would be “harmful.”

Depending on how the court rules in those two cases, it could radically alter Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 26-word provision of the 1996 law that prevents internet platforms from being treated as “the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”

When it comes to those cases, “it’s much harder to game out what the justices are going to do,” Keller said. “It cuts across political divides in a way that the Texas and Florida cases don’t.”

Chris Marchese, a lawyer for NetChoice, an industry group that is a litigant in the Texas and Florida cases, said there was no sign that Twitter had pulled back on its support since Musk’s takeover.

But there’s also no sign that any of these legal threats to his business are on Musk’s radar, other than a glancing reference in leaked meeting notes to his seeming “very knowledgeable” about communications law.

“If Elon Musk really cared about free speech,” Timm said, “he would call up his new buddy Ron DeSantis and ask him to stop attacking Section 230.”

What to read

• Kevin McCarthy, vying to become the Republicans’ House speaker, disavowed Nick Fuentes and his ideology, but declined to criticize Donald Trump for meeting with him. Catie Edmondson has the details.

• Meanwhile, Jewish Trump supporters who looked past the former president’s admirers in bigoted corners of the far right, and his own use of antisemitic tropes, now are drawing a line, Jonathan Weisman reports.

• A same-sex marriage bill passed the Senate after a bipartisan breakthrough, Annie Karni reports. The vote will send the legislation back to the House, which is expected to approve it and send it to President Biden.

---

Thank you for reading On Politics, and for being a subscriber to The New York Times. — Blake

Read past editions of the newsletter here.

If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, please consider recommending it to others. They can sign up here. Browse all of our subscriber-only newsletters here.

Have feedback? Ideas for coverage? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com.

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Governor Lamont Signs Legislation Extending Gas Tax Cuts and Fare-Free Bus Service, Increasing Energy Assistance and Pandemic Premium Pay, and Updating the Bottle Bill - CT.gov

Press Releases

11/29/2022

Governor Lamont Signs Legislation Extending Gas Tax Cuts and Fare-Free Bus Service, Increasing Energy Assistance and Pandemic Premium Pay, and Updating the Bottle Bill

WATCH: Governor Lamont signs special session legislation

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed into law House Bill 6001, a comprehensive bill that was approved by both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly in special session yesterday and extends several cost-saving measures first approved this spring that will provide financial benefits and savings to state residents in the coming months.

“I thank the legislature for their prompt support on a bipartisan basis for this bill that is focused on helping to make Connecticut more affordable for our residents,” Governor Lamont said. “We’re extending the gas tax holiday a little bit longer, providing energy assistance for those in need, and increasing the amount of funding available for the pandemic pay program for the essential workers who’ve showed up to work every day throughout the pandemic. During the upcoming regular session, it is my goal to continue advancing more policy changes like these that will make a difference in the lives of the people who live here.”

The legislation takes the following actions:

• Gas tax cuts: Extends through December 31, 2022, the ongoing suspension of the state’s 25 cent-per-gallon excise tax on gasoline. Beginning January 1, 2023, the tax will be phased back in over a period of five months at five cents per month. (Connecticut is one of only three states in the country that currently have a gas tax suspension in effect.)
• Fare-free bus service: Extends through March 31, 2023, the ongoing suspension of the collection of fares on public transit buses statewide. (This is the maximum date that complies with 12-month length-of-time federal restrictions for temporary public transit pilot programs.)
• Increased energy assistance: Supplements this year’s $98.5 million of federal Low-Income Household Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) funding with an additional $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to the Connecticut Department of Social Services. This additional state-directed funding substantially mitigates the impact of unusually high energy prices and will help ensure that funding for the state’s energy assistance program (the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program or CEAP) is available to low-income households.
• Increased funding for the Premium Pay Program: Supplements the $30 million for the Premium Pay Program, which is providing payments to essential workers for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an additional $75 million, bringing it to a total of $105 million.
• Updates to the bottle bill: Pushes out the effective date of recent changes to sections in the beverage container redemption program, commonly known as the bottle bill, to allow retailers, especially small retailers, to continue selling off their existing inventory without being in violation of the changes that are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2023.

Twitter: @GovNedLamont

Facebook: Office of Governor Ned Lamont

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Astros to sign free agent first baseman José Abreu on three-year deal - CBS Sports

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The Houston Astros are in the process of finalizing a deal with free agent first baseman José Abreu for three years, Jim Bowden of CBS Sports HQ confirms. The deal is expected to pay $19.5 million per year, or $58.5 million in total, according to Fox 26.

Abreu, 35, is a three-time All-Star who has won three Silver Sluggers, a Rookie of the Year award and the 2020 AL MVP. Last season, he appeared in 157 games for the White Sox, hitting .304/.378/.446 (133 OPS+) with 40 doubles, 15 homers, 75 RBI, 85 runs and 4.2 WAR. The drop is power might be concerning, but Abreu hit 30 home runs in 2021 and here's what RJ Anderson wrote in his top 50 free agents (with Abreu checking in at number 17): 

Abreu is getting old (he'll turn 36 before spring training), but he keeps hitting. More than half of his batted balls last season had an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher; here's a complete list of qualified batters who fared better in that area: Aaron Judge, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Schwarber, and Teoscar Hernández. His maximum exit velocity, meanwhile, was in line with the marks posted by the likes of Juan Soto and Lars Nootbaar. The market tends to be unkind to older right-right first basemen, but Abreu, whose bat contains more pop than The 1975's discography, may be an exception. 

The Astros, of course, won the 2022 World Series, but first base was a bit of an offensive hole for them. Yuli Gurriel again held down the position and hit very well in the playoffs, but during the regular season, Astros first basemen hit just .236/.285/.371, so Abreu is a big upgrade. 

There might be concerns about Abreu's age, but 35 isn't really all that old when it comes to first baseman with Abreu's skill set. Given the batting average, exit velocity readings and contact skills, there's every reason to believe he'll continue to be an above average hitter for several more years. 

Speaking of those contact skills, only 30 of 129 other qualified hitters last season had a lower strikeout percentage than Abreu. Among regular first baseman, only Josh Bell, Ty France, Freddie Freeman and Gurriel were tougher to strikeout. 

Even better news for the Astros is there's a natural spot in the middle of their order for Abreu, slotted between lefty sluggers Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker. If the 3-4-5 goes Alvarez-Abreu-Tucker, which I'm betting it does, that means Jose Altuve leads off with Alex Bregman and Jeremy Peña filling the two and six holes, respectively. That's as good a 1-6 as you'll find in baseball. 

On the White Sox end, it brings Abreu's career with them to an end. He concludes his White Sox career with a .292 average and 134 OPS+. He collected 1,445 hits, 303 doubles, 243 home runs, 863 RBI, 697 runs and 31.9 WAR. In White Sox history, Abreu ranks sixth in career doubles, third in home runs, fifth in RBI, 10th in runs, 10th in hits and seventh in total bases. 

Without Abreu, the White Sox will turn to Andrew Vaughn at first base, his natural position when he was drafted third overall in 2019. In terms of replacing Abreu's production, they could upgrade in the corner outfield spots (or DH, if Eloy Jiménez goes to left field). 

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‘Yellowstone’ season 5, episode 4: How to watch, free live stream, TV channel & more - cleveland.com

“Yellowstone” Season 5 continues tonight, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. Eastern on Paramount Network. In Episode 4 titled “Horses in Heaven,” John makes changes at the capital and later receives some advice from Montana’s newest senator. Also, Beth and Jamie’s feud reaches the boiling point.

WATCH LIVE FOR FREE: Philo (free trial) | FuboTV (free trial) | DirecTV Stream (free trial). Also, Sling has promotional offers.

In last week’s episode, Kayce tried to decide what was best for his family following the death of his son. Jamie dealt with the legal fallout from John’s move against Market Equities, but things are’t quite as they seem. Rainwater deals with trouble on the reservation while Beth celebrates successful business dealings out of town before causing some trouble of her own at a local bar.

Kevin Costner returns as family patriarch John Dutton. The show follows the continued exploits of the Dutton family and the conflicts surrounding their Montana cattle ranch and the troubles encroaching on their borders.

How to watch “Yellowstone” Season 5 online

New episodes of “Yellowstone” are available free on-demand or live Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on the following streaming services: Philo (free trial, then $25 per month), FuboTV (free trial, then $70 per month), DirecTV Stream (free trial, then $70/month) and Sling (50% off for first month, then $35 per month; Paramount Network is part of an add-on package for an additional charge). Between Nov. 25 - 30, Philo is running a special sale. Use the code THANKS to save 80% off your first month’s service.

What channel is Paramount Network on?

You can find which channel Paramount is on by using the channel finders here:Cox, WoW, Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.

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Free-agent WR Odell Beckham removed from flight on Sunday in Miami - NFL.com

Free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was removed from an American Airlines flight on Sunday from Miami to Los Angeles after officers were called to respond to a "medical emergency," the Miami-Dade (Florida) Police Department announced on Sunday.

Police added Beckham was not detained nor cited, per NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero.

Police said in a statement on Sunday that the flight crew was concerned for a passenger, identified as Beckham, after they attempted to wake him to fasten his seatbelt, and Beckham "appeared to be coming in and out of consciousness, prior to their departure."

"Fearing that Mr. Beckham was seriously ill, and that his condition would worsen through the expected 5 hour flight, the attendants called for police and fire rescue," police said in a statement. "Upon the officers arrival, the flight crew asked Mr. Beckham several times to exit the aircraft, which he refused. The aircraft was deplaned, at which time Mr. Beckham was asked by the officers to exit the plane, and did so without incident. Mr. Beckham was escorted to the non-secure area of the terminal by the officers where he made other arrangements."

American Airlines released the following statement:

"American Airlines flight 1228, with service from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX), returned to the gate before takeoff due to a customer failing to follow crew member instructions and refusing to fasten their seatbelt. The customer was removed and the flight re-departed at 10:45 a.m. local time."

Beckham's attorney, Daniel Davilier, said in a statement on Sunday that Beckham was asleep due to a flight delay, and "at no time was Mr. Beckham disruptive or combative."

"Mr. Beckham fell asleep with his blanket over his head, which is his normal practice for long flights," Davilier said. "He was awaken and told that the plane was back at the gate and that he needed to get off the plane because he did not put his seatbelt on when asked. He responded that he was asleep, and that he would put his seatbelt on at that time. He was informed that it was too late, and that either he would have to get off the plane or everyone would have to deplane."

Davilier added: "That incident was unnecessary.  Sleeping on a plane should not be a cause for removal from a flight. If they could wake him up when the flight returned to the gate, then they could have done the same thing to ask him to put on his seatbelt."

Beckham appeared to reference the incident in a series of tweets on Sunday.

Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me… I’ve seen it alll..

— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) November 27, 2022

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Beckham planned to begin his free-agent visits later this week.

Beckham is slated to visit the Giants (the team who drafted him in the first round in 2014) on Thursday and Friday. He then plans to visit the Cowboys on Dec. 5 and later will meet with the Bills.

Beckham is currently recovering from a torn ACL suffered during Super Bowl LVI.

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How to watch Week 12 of the NFL live online for free—and without cable - Fortune

With three games taking place a few days ago on Thanksgiving, it’s a bit of a light schedule this weekend for the NFL, but the Sunday night game is an absolute can’t miss.

The Eagles, who until recently were the league’s only undefeated team, will face off against Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay Packers, who stumbled last week, but are still determined to earn a spot in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the matchup of the Rams and Chiefs is likely to be a barn burner as well.

Here’s a look at all of the games to watch this week as you munch on yet another turkey sandwich and dust off the remaining pie.

Which NFL teams are playing this week? And what channels are airing the games?

Here’s this week’s lineup. (The home team is listed second.)

Sunday, Nov. 27

Houston Texans vs Miami Dolphins, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Chicago Bears vs. New York Jets, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Atlanta Falcons vs. Washington Commanders, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Cleveland Browns, 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox

Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS

New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

Los Angeles Rams vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC

Monday, Nov. 28

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Indianapolis Colts, 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

How can I watch NFL games for free—even if I am out of market?

The best way to watch any sort of network programming for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. And watching most NFL games is fairly simple, since many air on broadcast networks, meaning you’ll be able to watch even if you don’t have a cable subscription. To ensure you’re getting the most reliable signal, be sure to test the antenna in multiple locations in your home.

Can I stream NFL games live online if I don’t have a cable subscription?

There are a panoply of options. 

Peacock

NBC’s streaming service will give you access to several games, including all Sunday night matchups. You can get a seven-day free trial, followed by a $5 or $10 monthly charge. (The free version of Peacock does not include live sports.)

Paramount+

CBS’s streaming service will give you access to games aired on that network. You can get a one-week free trial, followed by a $5 or $10 monthly charge.

Disney+

Disney’s bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you’ll have to pay $13.99 per month for all three combined (or $19.99 per month for no ads on Hulu). Including Live TV in the bundle bumps the price to $70 per month ($76 with no ads).

Hulu with Live TV

The free trial on this service is no longer offered, as well. It will cost you $70 per month.

YouTubeTV

After up to a two-week trial, you can expect monthly charges of $65.

Sling TV

Dish Network’s Sling recently increased its prices. The lower-tiered “Orange” plan will now run you $40 per month. Adding the more comprehensive “Blue” plan bumps the cost to $55 per month. (A $5 per month increase for each.) The seven-day free trial has disappeared along with the price increase, but the cord-cutting service is offering 50% off of the first month’s bill.

DirecTV Stream

Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow and AT&T TV, this oft-renamed streaming service will run you $70 per month and up after the free trial option.

Fubo TV

This sports-focused cord-cutting service carries broadcast networks in most markets. There’s a seven-day free trial, followed by monthly charges of $70–$100, depending on the channels you choose.

Can I watch NFL games on Amazon?

You’re going to have to wait a little longer. Amazon is, for the next 11 years, the exclusive home to Thursday Night Football, but does not carry any weekend games. The next matchup will see the Buffalo Bills take on the New England Patriots.

Does the NFL offer any viewing packages to watch the games I want?

A trio, actually.

NFL App

The NFL App will let you stream games that are being broadcast locally in your market on Sundays. If you want to watch an “out of market” game, you’ve got two choices.

NFL+

Watch live local and out of market games and (with the premium subscription) replays. There’s a seven-day free trial, after which you’re looking at a $30 charge per season. ($80 for premium.)

NFL Sunday Ticket

DirecTV customers have access to it, but (if you meet the conditions, like living in an apartment complex or some area where you can’t get DirecTV) you can also sign up for an online version, letting you watch any NFL game live this season. There’s a one-week trial, then you’re looking at monthly charges of $73.49 per month for a four-month period or $293.36 for the entire season (or $99 for four months or $396).

Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter will examine how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today’s executives—and how they can best navigate those challenges. Subscribe here.

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Pittsburgh Pirates: Left-Handed Bullpen Free Agent Options - Rum Bunter

PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 18: Catcher Henry Davis (R), who was selected first overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, poses with General Manager Ben Cherington after signing a contract with the Pirates during a press conference at PNC Park on July 18, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

The Pittsburgh Pirates need left-handed bullpen help, but what kind of options do the Bucs have avaiable to them?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have zero left-handed pitchers on their 40-man roster. After letting Manny Banuelos hit free agency, they are left with no options, either out of the bullpen or out of the rotation. Internal options do not provide much hope either, as their relief prospects are mostly right-handed, save for Tyler Samaniego.

The Pirates need to go after a left-handed bullpen option on the market, whether that be through free agency or trade. I want to go through each, going from the best to rebound candidates and other low-cost options. There are a lot of pitchers to talk about, so let’s get things started.

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LSU Football | Free Live Streaming Audio - Louisiana State University Athletics

November 26, 2022 - 03:55 PM

Preview Watch: ESPN2 Live Stats +0

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Free Agent Poll: Chris Bassitt - Bluebird Banter

We have used this idea for the last couple of years. The idea is to go through some of the top free agents, using the contract FanGraphs suggests and have a poll to see if we would sign him for that amount.

Chris Bassitt (two s’s and two t’s) is number 14 on FanGraphs’ list and #24 on Keith Law’s list.

Chris turns 34 in February. He declined his ‘mutual option’ with the Mets. He would have made $19 million this coming year.

Bassitt had a nice 2021 season, going 15-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 30 starts and 181.2 innings. He struck out 22.4% of batters and walked 6.6%, right around his career numbers. Baseball Reference has him at a 3.2 WAR.

Ben says:

Everyone always needs more pitching. There’s no rotation in all of baseball where Bassitt wouldn’t fit. He won’t be an ace. He might not be a no. 2 starter. But those are just labels, and no team goes into the offseason saying “no. 2 starter or bust.” Bassitt will give whichever team signs him a bunch of innings, and above average ones at that. That might sound like the middle class that’s been getting squeezed, but bankable starting pitching is exempt from the crush. It’s at a premium every single year. I don’t know where Bassitt will end up, but a staggering number of teams could use his services.

Law:

Bassitt didn’t establish himself as a major-league starter until age 30, getting to do so in possibly the best environment for it, Oakland, where the foul ground goes on forever and the team has a history of giving opportunities to pitchers like him. He doesn’t throw hard, but limits hard contact, gets ground balls, and doesn’t walk too many guys. His sinker was one of the most valuable in baseball in the last two years, with 62 percent of balls in play off the pitch hit on the ground. He doesn’t have a real out pitch and lives a bit on the knife’s edge, with above-average but not elite command or even control, and when anything he throws gets too close to the heart of the zone, he’s homer-prone. The 2022 season was also his first making 30 starts, and only his second time qualifying for the ERA title, with the other coming in the 60-game 2020 season. He’s a fourth starter, with more risk that he’s a five or less than that he becomes a three, worth two years and $24-28 based on what he’s done over the last three seasons but factoring in risk of durability or the tiny margins with which he works.

The term ‘damning with faint praise comes to mind.

Ben figures Chris to get a three-year contract at $17 million per year, for a total of $51 million. That seems a very fair price if he can continue to make 30 starts, and do a reasonable job. But then, the betting line on any 34-year-old to make 30 starts a year for the next three would get you very long odds.

On the good side, he didn’t pitch a ton of innings in his 20s, so he may do well into his 30s. But there is a fine line between pitching to soft contact and getting lit up.

Poll

Should the Jays sign Chris Bassitt if the price is $17 million a year for three years?

• 17%

  Yes, absolutely

  (25 votes)

• 19%

  Probably, but I’m not enthusiastic about it

  (28 votes)

• 41%

  Probably no, but I wouldn’t hate it

  (59 votes)

• 20%

  No, absolutely not

  (29 votes)

141 votes total Vote Now

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free-agent class 2022-2023, ranked - MLB.com

Just as he did for most of the season, Aaron Judge will dominate the headlines as he decides on his baseball future. Judge tops a loaded free-agent class that includes a trio of legendary pitchers, a number of premier shortstops and a whole lot of talent overall.

Below is a list of 70 available players and where they rank in the hierarchy of this year’s free-agent crop. Players are listed alphabetically by tier, and ages are listed as of Opening Day 2023.

Jacob deGrom, RHP, age 34: Despite making just 11 starts in 2022, the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner opted out of the final year of his contract, giving him a chance to cash in à la Max Scherzer. Plenty of teams will line up for the chance to bring him in, but will his recent injury history have a major impact on a deal?

Aaron Judge, OF, age 30: Judge’s preseason bet on himself should pay off handsomely; he turned down the Yankees’ seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension offer in April, then went out and belted a new American League record 62 home runs, winning his first AL Most Valuable Player Award. Entering his age-31 season, the only real question is whether he’ll land an eight- or nine-year (or even 10-year?) deal.

Trea Turner, SS, age 29: Turner had a strong platform year, scoring 101 runs while driving in 100 more. His OPS dipped to .809 after he averaged .900 from 2019-2021, but that shouldn’t prevent him from joining the exclusive $300 million club.

Justin Verlander, RHP, age 40: Tommy John surgery cost Verlander all but one start in 2020-2021, leading some to wonder how he would respond at the age of 39. All he did was lead the AL with 18 wins and a 1.75 ERA, throwing 175 brilliant innings for the World Series champion Astros en route to his third career Cy Young Award. Verlander opted out of his $25 million option for 2023, likely with an eye toward a Scherzer-esque deal.

Chris Bassitt, RHP, age 34: After pitching in relative obscurity in Oakland, Bassitt had a strong year with the Mets, posting a 3.42 ERA in a career-high 181 2/3 innings. Since the start of 2018 (when he returned from Tommy John surgery), Bassitt has a 3.29 ERA, delivering five solid seasons.

Xander Bogaerts, SS, age 30: Bogaerts opted out of the final three years and $60 million of his deal, thrusting him into an already strong shortstop market. Bogaerts was an All-Star in 2022, hitting .307 with an .833 OPS, though his power was down (15 home runs).

Carlos Correa, SS, age 28: Correa’s three-year, $105.3 million deal last winter allowed him to opt out, which he did after posting a good (but not great) season for the Twins. For the second year in a row, Correa finds himself part of a strong shortstop class; will he find the type of deal that eluded him last offseason?

Brandon Nimmo, CF, age 30: Nimmo does everything well, making him a player that can help almost any contender. He has a speed-power combination and strong on-base skills to go along with solid defense in center field.

Carlos Rodón, LHP, age 30: Rodón cashed in with a two-year, $44 million deal last winter with the Giants, which included an opt-out clause if he topped 110 innings in 2022. Well, he threw 178 innings, posted a 2.88 ERA and made his second straight All-Star team, setting him up for a much bigger deal this time around.

Dansby Swanson, SS, age 29: A strong defender (league-best 20 Outs Above Average) who made his first All-Star team in 2022, Swanson has established himself as a solid offensive contributor over the past three years. He’s also one of the game’s most durable players, playing in 382 of a possible 384 games since the start of 2020.

José Abreu, 1B/DH, age 36: His 15-homer season suggests he might not be the same threat he once was, but Abreu can still do damage at the plate, hitting 40 doubles while posting an .824 OPS. Still an everyday first baseman, he could also transition to DH at some point.

Josh Bell, 1B, age 30: Bell has been a reliable power threat over the past few years, though his two-month stint in San Diego went poorly (three homers, .587 OPS in 53 games). He should land in the middle of someone’s lineup.

Andrew Benintendi, LF, age 28: Benintendi’s run with the Yankees after the Trade Deadline didn’t go as well as expected, but his first four months with the Royals -- he hit .320 with a .387 on-base percentage while playing good defense in left field -- should draw the interest of several teams.

Mike Clevinger, RHP, age 32: Clevinger’s return from Tommy John surgery was rocky at times, but the right-hander showed enough flashes of his old self to believe he will be better in 2023. Prior to the injury, Clevinger was among the best in the game, posting a 2.96 ERA from 2017-2020.

Willson Contreras, C, age 30: Contreras remains one of the better bats at the catching position (22 home runs, .815 OPS in 2022), but his defense is considered average at best. He’s still the best catcher on the market, so he should draw significant interest.

Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, age 33: Eovaldi made 32 starts in 2021, earning his first All-Star selection. He was limited to 20 starts and 109 1/3 innings in ‘22 thanks to a pair of stints on the injured list. He has been a consistent mid-rotation piece over the past three seasons, posting ERAs between 3.72 and 3.87 each year.

Mitch Haniger, RF, age 32: Injuries have been a big problem for Haniger, who has exceeded 96 games in a season just twice in his six seasons. When he played in 2022, he produced, slugging 11 home runs in 57 games.

Kenley Jansen, RHP, age 35: After opening his career with eight straight seasons of a sub-3.00 ERA, Jansen has done that only once in the past five years. Still, he led the NL with 41 saves in 2022 and remains a reliable closing option.

José Quintana, LHP, age 34: Quintana pitched well for the Pirates (3.50 ERA in 20 starts), but he thrived after being traded to the Cardinals, for whom he posted a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts. It was his best season since his All-Star campaign in 2016, leaving potential suitors to decide which pitcher they’ll be getting.

Jameson Taillon, RHP, age 31: Taillon had his best season since 2018, matching a career high with 14 wins while posting a 3.91 ERA. The righty also threw 177 1/3 innings, the second-highest total of his career.

Taijuan Walker, RHP, age 30: Walker made the All-Star team in 2021, then suffered through a dreadful second half. The right-hander bounced back with a strong 2022, going 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA in 29 starts.

Michael Brantley, OF/DH, age 35

Matt Carpenter, INF/OF/DH, age 37

Aroldis Chapman, LHP, age 35

Michael Conforto, OF, age 30

Johnny Cueto, RHP, age 37

Brandon Drury, INF, age 30

Adam Frazier, INF/OF, age 31

Andrew Heaney, LHP, age 31

Luke Jackson, RHP, age 31

Corey Kluber, RHP, age 36

Jordan Lyles, RHP, age 32

Trey Mancini, 1B/OF, age 31

J.D. Martinez, OF/DH, age 35

Adam Ottavino, RHP, age 37

Jurickson Profar, OF, age 30

Taylor Rogers, LHP, age 32

David Robertson, RHP, age 37

Ross Stripling, RHP, age 33

Noah Syndergaard, RHP, age 30

Justin Turner, 3B/DH, age 38

Christian Vázquez, C, age 32

Michael Wacha, RHP, age 31

Jesús Aguilar, 1B/DH, age 32

Zack Britton, LHP, age 35

Andrew Chafin, LHP, age 32

Aledmys Díaz, INF/OF, age 32

Carlos Estévez, RHP, age 30

Zack Greinke, RHP, age 39

Josh Harrison, INF/OF, age 35

José Iglesias, SS, age 33

Kevin Kiermaier, CF, age 32

Craig Kimbrel, RHP, age 34

Corey Knebel, RHP, age 31

Michael Lorenzen, RHP, age 31

Chris Martin, RHP, age 36

Andrew McCutchen, OF, age 36

David Peralta, OF, age 35

Wily Peralta, RHP, age 33

Jace Peterson, INF/OF, age 32

David Phelps, RHP, age 36

Michael Pineda, RHP, age 34

Miguel Sanó, 1B/3B/DH, age 29

Carlos Santana, 1B, age 36

Trevor Williams, RHP, age 30

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Don't bank on free returns: 60% of retailers roll out stricter policies - CNBC

The holiday shopping season is always closely followed by a spike in gift returning.

But this year, it may be harder to bring things back for free or at a low cost.

Roughly 60% of retailers said they're making changes to existing returns policies, with fewer promising free returns, according to a recent survey of retail executives. 

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On average, retailers expect about 18%, or $158 billion, of merchandise sold during the holiday shopping season to be returned, according to the National Retail Federation's most recent data.

For 2021 overall, the return rate was about 16.6% of total U.S. retail sales, or $761 billion in returned goods, and in 2022 fewer businesses are in a position to be able to afford such a hefty price tag.

With rising costs squeezing margins, many retailers are rethinking their return policies, shortening the return window and even charging a return or restocking fee, according to Spencer Kieboom, founder and CEO of Pollen Returns, a return-management company. 

Expect shorter return windows, restocking fees

A letter carrier holds Amazon.com packages while preparing a vehicle for deliveries at a United States Postal Service processing and distribution center in Washington, D.C.

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Stores such as Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and J. Crew (which was once well known for a generous return policy that spanned the lifetime of a garment) have shortened their regular return windows to within a month. Year-end shoppers, however, are being given some reprieve: J. Crew and others are currently offering extended holiday returns and exchanges.

At Anthropologie, REI and L.L. Bean (which also once promised lifetime returns), there's now a fee — all around $6 — for mailed returns.

"These adjustments in return policies are not there to cover costs," Kieboom said. "They're really there to deter the consumer from returning." 

Rising costs squeeze margins

With the explosion of online shopping during the pandemic, "free returns was a high convenience model the customer appreciated," said Erin Halka, senior director at Blue Yonder, a supply chain management company. Now, with higher labor and shipping expenses, it is costing retailers "a tremendous amount of money" to sustain, she said.

"Charging for returns is one way to cover a portion of that cost," she said. "It also can deter customers from overbuying, since at least 10% of returned goods cannot be resold."   

Just as retailers struggle with excess inventory, "often returns do not end up back on the shelf," and that causes a problem for retailers struggling to streamline expenses and enhance sustainability, Kieboom said.

The supply chain is designed to go one way.

Lauren Beitelspacher

associate professor at Babson College

"The supply chain is designed to go one way," said Lauren Beitelspacher, associate professor and chair of the marketing department at Babson College.

"The more money retailers lose on returns the more they have to make up for that by raising prices," Beitelspacher said.

"Changing the return policy is an easier pill for the customer to swallow than an increase in the purchase price."

How to avoid return fees

Still, shoppers love free returns almost as much as they love free shipping. In fact, 98% of consumers said that free shipping was the most important consideration when shopping online, followed by more than three-quarters who said the same about free returns, according to a recent report by PowerReviews. Affluent shoppers were even more likely to favor a free-return policy.

If the option to return is important, get to know the policies before you buy, experts say. Often, it's not immediately clear, Halka said. "You typically have to dig into the fine print."

Expect limitations on what can be sent back and when, she said. "A 30-day window is now typical."

That time is well spent in terms of making the best possible decision on your purchase. "You have to find the return policy that works best for you," Kieboom said.

For those looking to avoid returns altogether, shopping in person may be the way to go, Beitelspacher suggested. "The majority of returns come from having regret because it's not what we expected. Shopping in person minimizes that expectation-reality gap," she said.

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Latest On Yankees' Free Agent Targets - MLB Trade Rumors

The Yankees are certainly hoping they’ll be able to re-sign Aaron Judge, but until the AL MVP makes his decision, the Yankees are considering several other free agents and trade targets.  In addition to some names already linked to New York in past reports, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that the Yankees have checked in on the likes of Justin Verlander, Carlos Rodon, Brandon Nimmo, Cody Bellinger, Michael Conforto, and their own incumbent free agents Jameson Taillon and Andrew Benintendi.

In general, it’s pretty commonplace for the Yankees (or pretty much any team, particularly the biggest spenders) to at least get in contact with agents early in the offseason in order to gauge interest, or get a sense of asking prices for any particular player.  As such, some of these players might not necessarily be at the top of the Yankees’ target list, and Heyman notes that some could be options only if Judge signs elsewhere.  For instance, though “the Yankees seek multiple outfielders,” Heyman doesn’t think the Bronx Bombers would both re-sign Judge and also add Nimmo on a pricey contract.  Likewise, the Yankees aren’t expected to bid at the top of the shortstop market, unless a Judge departure gives them new reason to explore Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, and company.

Since Anthony Rizzo has already been re-signed to solidify the first base position, New York’s offseason plan on the position player side looks pretty set — retain Judge, then add a less-expensive second outfielder (Conforto or Bellinger are both likely candidates for one-year contracts).  Should an opportunity arise to move an infielder like Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, or perhaps even Gleyber Torres, the Yankees could pounce, but the presence of Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and yet-to-debut star rookie Anthony Volpe gives the Bombers some flexibility in figuring out the infield mix.  DJ LeMahieu’s toe injuries will also factor into the front office’s next decisions.

If Judge did leave the Bronx, of course, any number of new backup plans could be put into place.  However, a Judge departure may only throw the position-player scenarios into flux, since Heyman writes that “the pitching pursuits are said to be ’on different tracks’ ” than the Yankees’ interest in position players.  Though naturally adding any high-profile player has an overall impact on a roster in terms of salary or luxury-tax figures, it makes sense that adding a new pitcher isn’t necessarily tied to Judge’s situation, since Judge’s return has a bigger chain reaction on the lineup as a whole.

Putting a new starter into the rotation is a cleaner fit, especially if that new addition is an ace like Verlander or Rodon.  While the Cy Young Award winner has been a Yankees target in the past, Heyman reports that “the Yankees’ confidence level on [signing] Verlander is low,” so he might also be something of a Plan B option for the club.

The Yankees also might not necessarily be seeking an ace, since Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes are already in the fold.  Since Luis Severino, Frankie Montas, and Domingo German have their share of question marks, adding a reliable third-starter type like Taillon would help solidify the starting five.  Kodai Senga (another pitcher garnering interest from the Bronx) is perhaps something of a wild card, given how it isn’t known how well he can make the transition from NPB to the major leagues.  Senga’s stuff could make him a front-of-the-rotation arm might off the bat, or he might end up being more suited to the middle or back of a pitching staff.

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