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Only 33 percent of their games to date have come against winning teams, and they’ve won just 20 percent (3-12) of those. That’s a terrible indicator of what’s to come.

Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman nearly pushed through a proposal directing the City Attorney to explore a new law that could have banned backyard barbecues during certain high fire danger days across the city.

The arrest occurred after an undercover Glynn County Police officer observed the Georgia cornerback traveling nearly 100 miles per hour.

Senators Unanimously Pass Resolution To Withhold Their Own Pay During Shutdowns

Authored by Jackson Richman via The Epoch Times,

The Senate unanimously approved a resolution on May 14 that would suspend senators’ pay during government shutdowns.

The measure, introduced by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), passed by voice vote and is scheduled to take effect after the November midterm elections.

Under the resolution, the Senate secretary would withhold lawmakers’ salaries whenever a government shutdown affects one or more federal agencies. Pay would be released once government funding is restored.

Supporters say the proposal is intended to hold Congress accountable as shutdowns become increasingly frequent and prolonged.

“Shutting down government should not be our default solution to our refusal to work out our issues and our differences,” Kennedy said in a floor speech on Wednesday.

“This is about putting our money where our mouth is.”

Kennedy initially wanted the measure to take effect immediately, but included delayed implementation language to comply with the 27th Amendment, which bars changes to congressional pay until after the next House election.

He also accused Democrats of potentially using a shutdown before the elections “to create chaos” and influence the political environment heading into the midterms.

The legislation follows two major shutdowns over the past year that caused financial strain for thousands of federal employees, especially workers at the Department of Homeland Security. The agency reopened last month after a 76-day partial shutdown—the longest funding lapse affecting a federal agency in U.S. history.

That shutdown came shortly after a separate 43-day closure of the entire federal government, another record-setting disruption.

While federal workers often miss paychecks during shutdowns, members of Congress continue to receive salaries because the Constitution guarantees lawmakers’ compensation.

During a previous shutdown tied to disputes over health care subsidies, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) proposed a constitutional amendment requiring lawmakers to forfeit their pay during shutdowns.

“If members of Congress had to forfeit their pay during government shutdowns, there would be fewer shutdowns, and they would end quicker,” Graham said at the time.

Graham argued that a constitutional amendment would be the most legally secure solution, though such an effort would require ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Lawmakers have previously pledged to voluntarily reject their salaries during shutdowns, but Kennedy told reporters his proposal would ensure that “shared sacrifice” becomes official policy.

He acknowledged the resolution does not apply to the House of Representatives, saying, “the House’s business is the House’s business,” while also referencing tensions between the two chambers.

“There’s a very strong undercurrent of animosity among some of my friends in the House,” Kennedy said. “It’s quickly becoming like two kids fighting in the back of a minivan.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 18:25

Davidson and Hewitt welcomed daughter Scottie in December 2025.

Davidson and Hewitt welcomed daughter Scottie in December 2025.

There are 3,048 defendants total currently electronically monitored while on pre-trial release, so roughly 244 of them are untraceable.

Lawyers for the OpenAI co-founders turned rivals Elon Musk and Sam Altman took final digs at their counterparties and reminded jurors of embarrassing anecdotes Thursday during closing statements in the bombshell case over the future of juggernaut OpenAI.  Musk’s lead attorney Steven Molo resumed bashing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s character in his closing statements Thursday...

Mamdani, who is an oft-critic of Israel, has stood up for his wife, claiming she is a private person who should not face a glaring spotlight over her social media activity. 

Johanna Pagan-Alomar, 52, allegedly shot her 53-year-old hubby inside their home at Grand Avenue and West 176 Street around 7:10 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

The miniseries builds off the success of "House of David."

"After 15 years of marriage, we’ve made the difficult decision to separate," they said in a joint statement to Page Six.

"After 15 years of marriage, we’ve made the difficult decision to separate," they said in a joint statement to Page Six.

Billionaire Democrat Donor Who Bankrolled Swalwell Breaks Silence After Surprise Arrest

Billionaire and Democrat donor Stephen Cloobeck was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles on suspicion of felony charges of attempting to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness from testifying after a warrant was issued for his arrest. 

Cloobeck, founder of Diamond Resorts - who until recently was a major financial supporter of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D) failed campaign for California governor, was booked into custody in West Hollywood, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records. He was later released on $300,000 bail.

In a terse statement to the California Post, a press representative for Cloobeck said of the arrest: “These charges are false and we look forward to our day in court.”

Cloobeck cut ties with Swalwell following multiple allegations of sexual assault - but not before the now-former congressman recorded a bizarre apology video from inside his swanky mansion.

“I was with my counsel and we had a chat with him, I just told him, ‘You busted the trust,’” Cloobeck said of Swalwell at the time the allegations broke. “I’m shocked, I’m disturbed and get the fuck out of here.’ Then I walked away and that was it.”

“I was blown away!” the billionaire claimed. “Like blown away. Like, there’s no way I would have endorsed him. It’s such a shock.”

The billionaire, who briefly ran for governor himself last year before dropping out to support Swalwell, has since rebranded himself a Republican.

“I am no longer supporting Eric. Fucking tell everyone I’m a libertarian. Fuck you, Democrat Party,” he told the California Post.

Cloobeck has also recently made headlines thanks to his 28-year-old fiancée, Penthouse Pet Adva Lavie, who faces six felony charges for allegedly preying on older men through dating apps. However, his lover’s legal troubles haven’t impacted the impending nuptials, according to the billionaire.

His 28-year-old bride-to-be, Penthouse Pet Adva Lavie, is facing six felony charges for allegedly preying on old men through dating apps

“The marriage is still on, the date is now a secret,” he said.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 18:00

The Fire and Liberty will face off tonight for the second time since Tuesday.

Taking more money from Elon Musk won’t fix the government incompetency that got us here in the first place, but it does undermine the innovators that make our economy the largest in the world.

Iran is allowing some vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday following talks with Beijing ahead of President Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The actress gushed over the "American Pie" star just one year before calling it quits after 18 years of marriage.

The actress gushed over the "American Pie" star just one year before calling it quits after 18 years of marriage.

Warren Whines As Senate Banking Committee Advances Crypto CLARITY Act, Two Democrats Break Ranks

Authored by Micah Zimmerman via BitcoinMagazine.com,

The Senate Banking Committee advanced the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act on a 15–9 vote Thursday, with Sens. Ruben Gallego (D‑Ariz.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D‑Md.) joining all 13 Republicans to move the sweeping crypto market structure bill to the full Senate.

The Clarity Act is the Senate’s bid to build a federal framework for digital asset trading, stablecoins and intermediaries, splitting oversight between the SEC and CFTC and setting registration, disclosure and compliance rules for exchanges, brokers and custodians. It now advances alongside a related bill from the Senate Agriculture Committee, with the two texts expected to merge before a floor vote.

Chair Tim Scott (R‑S.C.) cast the markup as a turning point after years in which crypto firms operated in what he called a “regulatory gray zone” under “outdated rules.” 

He said the bill aims to protect consumers, keep innovation in the United States and “close the doors that criminals, terrorists and hostile regimes have tried to exploit,” after months of cross‑party talks that expanded the draft by more than 200 pages.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R‑Wyo.), who leads the committee’s digital assets panel, called the Clarity Act “the hardest piece of legislation” she has worked on across decades in state and federal office. She described it as a “case of first impression” that tries to fit new asset types and software into a regulatory code built for earlier markets.

BREAKING: 🇺🇸 Senate Banking Committee PASSES the Clarity Act in 15-9 vote.

The bill now goes to the full Senate. pic.twitter.com/TCs6T283y2

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) May 14, 2026 Warren’s camp: “industry‑written” and “not ready”

Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D‑Mass.) led the opposition, arguing the committee should focus on groceries, health costs and credit card rates, not “a bill written by the crypto industry for the crypto industry.” 

Warren warned that the draft “blows a hole” in securities law that has protected investors since 1929, preempts state anti‑fraud rules and allows banks to load up on volatile crypto exposure in ways she linked to pre‑2008 practices. 

She said the bill “declares open season on defrauding American consumers who use crypto,” and accused Republicans of advancing a framework that helps “the President of the United States’ crypto grift.

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D‑Ga.) tied his no vote to ethics concerns, calling President Donald Trump’s digital asset business ties “pure corruption” and faulting Republicans for refusing enforceable conflict‑of‑interest rules for all elected officials, including the president and vice president.

Illicit finance, mixers and stablecoins

National security concerns drove a series of Democratic amendments that Republicans rejected in 11–13 votes. Warren proposed stronger sanction tools against crypto mixers and DeFi services, citing Treasury’s 2022 designation of Tornado Cash and warning that the bill does not isolate mixers in statute. 

Sen. John Kennedy (R‑La.) pressed her on why new anti‑money‑laundering sections do not already cover those services, then joined Republicans to defeat the proposal.

Sen. Jack Reed (D‑R.I.) described how Iranian actors use stablecoins to buy drone components, import sensitive goods and collect tolls from tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the Treasury still must “go hat in hand” to issuers such as Tether for voluntary cooperation, and sought explicit power for regulators to block foreign illicit stablecoin flows; his amendment failed on the same party‑line split.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D‑Md.) pointed to estimates that more than 150 billion dollars in digital assets flowed through wallets tied to illicit activity last year and highlighted a large North Korean exchange hack where DeFi services helped launder funds. 

His proposal to make it unlawful to release a DeFi protocol with the stated purpose of enabling money laundering, sanctions evasion or terror finance also fell in an 11–13 vote, after Republicans argued that existing criminal statutes already reach that conduct.

Republicans, led by Lummis and Sen. Bernie Moreno (R‑Ohio), answered that Titles II and III of the bill already tie digital asset intermediaries into the Bank Secrecy Act, expand Treasury’s “special measures” authority and bring kiosks, brokers and exchanges into clearer federal oversight than the House version.

President Trump, World Liberty and failed ethics amendments

Ethics provisions tied to Trump’s business ties to World Liberty Financial and other crypto ventures produced some of the sharpest exchanges. Van Hollen offered an amendment to bar the president, vice president and members of Congress from business ties to crypto firms and to require more disclosure, saying it was needed because “the president and members of his family” had been involved in “corrupt crypto ventures and various crypto scams.”

Moreno said the measure belonged in the Judiciary Committee because it carried criminal penalties and defended Trump as “a good man,” accusing Van Hollen of declaring criminal conduct without a court record. The amendment failed 11–13.

Warren tried to force banking regulators to release confidential supervisory records related to Jeffrey Epstein, arguing Epstein had backed early crypto investments and that exam files could reveal what banks and supervisors knew as he moved funds through major institutions. Lummis answered that confidential supervisory material is outside a market structure bill’s scope, and that amendment also failed, even after Kennedy said he would have supported it without “co‑conspirator” language.

DeFi safe harbor deal exposes Democratic split

One of the most consequential votes came on Lummis Amendment 122, a technical package negotiated with Sen. Mark Warner (D‑Va.) that refines when a DeFi protocol counts as controlled by a small group and interacts with the bill’s core safe harbors. 

Warren argued the amendment embeds “a narrow test” for which entities count as crypto intermediaries and imports a Section 604 “loophole” that shields decentralized services from basic anti‑money‑laundering rules, saying that “it doesn’t matter if you have rules if nobody has to follow them.”

After a short technical fix to strike two lines, the committee adopted the amendment 18–6, with Warner, Cortez Masto and Alsobrooks joining Republicans. That vote marked a clear split: Warren, Reed and Van Hollen opposed the compromise, while a “crypto Democrat” bloc accepted the DeFi framework as a basis to refine before floor action.

Process fight over which amendments get heard

The markup also turned into a test of Scott’s control over the amendment list. Before the hearing, he ruled more than a dozen proposals out of order on drafting and filing grounds, including a National Sheriffs Association‑backed fix from Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D‑Nev.) on decentralized platform enforcement and a community‑bank‑supported stablecoin‑yield tweak from Reed and Sen. Tina Smith (D‑Minn.).

Later, seeking a bipartisan outcome, Scott reinstated several amendments, including Lummis 122, after Democrats such as Warner and Gallego said committee votes on those compromises would make support easier. Warren objected that he was reviving a subset of Republican‑side language while leaving law enforcement and community‑bank proposals sidelined. 

Van Hollen noted that some of his own properly drafted amendments never reached a vote, even as previously disqualified Lummis text passed 18–6. 

Scott replied that he and Warren had agreed to cap amendments from each side, and that within that cap he was using discretion to serve Democrats who wanted a bipartisan result.

Gallego and Alsobrooks give Clarity Act its bipartisan spine

Through the day, Republicans accepted targeted changes that industry and moderates backed, including Sen. Mike Rounds’ AI sandbox and Sen. Dave McCormick’s portfolio‑margin language, both adopted with Democratic support. They rejected every Democratic attempt to extend sanctions tools, bar bailouts, tighten DeFi liability or write ethics rules into the bill.

By the final vote, the Democratic side had split into clear camps. Warren, Warnock, Van Hollen, Smith and Reed built a record that presents Clarity as an industry‑driven framework that weakens enforcement and leaves presidential conflicts untouched. Warner helped shape key language but kept leverage for later stages. 

Gallego and Alsobrooks supplied the decisive Democratic votes that turned a partisan project into a 15–9 bipartisan committee win, while both signaled that support on the floor will depend on further movement on ethics and enforcement as the bill heads toward merger with the Agriculture Committee’s version and a 60‑vote test before the full Senate.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 17:40