#2017 expansion draft

[atwhughesversion]

pwhl vancouver is having such a dream start to their existence compared to the canucks, and their expansion/entry drafts haven’t even happened yet 😭🙏

like, the rules in the 1970 expansion draft allowed teams to protect 2 goalies and 15 skaters (by comparison, in the 2017/2021 nhl expansion drafts, teams only got to protect one goalie and either 7F/3D, or 8 skaters. and also a bunch of other stuff). which was gonna make it hard enough to build a good team, but naturally The Curse™️ was also sure to make an appearance — in one day, all to buffalo, the canucks lost:

the coin toss to determine which of the two teams would get first dibs on waived players

the wheel spin, bc naturally they used a carnival wheel, to determine which would get first pick in the expansion draft (the one where they chose players from existing teams)

the wheel spin to determine which would get first pick in the entry draft (the one that happens every year).

and like, yeah going 0/3 on three 50/50 chances kinda sucks and the odds of that happening are ?? BUT to add insult to injury, it was also incorrectly announced that vancouver had won the wheel spin for the entry draft, and it was as they were celebrating that this was corrected! and thus, the vancouver canucks were born.

meanwhile pwhl van is still gonna have to do the expansion draft and make sure they add depth, but they already have a starting defence pair, an amazing goalie, and a player who is not only excellent but is also a face of the league 🥹 wishing the best for the girlies (and the city. we DESERVE THIS OKAY HAVEN’T WE SUFFERED ENOUGH 😭)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Igor Bobic, Jennifer Bendery, and Arthur Delaney at HuffPost:

WASHINGTON — In their zeal to deliver a big win to President Donald Trump by passing his sweeping tax and spending bill, Republicans have been coming up with ridiculous ways to defend their plan to strip health care from an estimated 11 million low-income people. Experts don’t matter. Prove you are worthy of health care. We’re all going to die anyway. Somehow, these are actual arguments GOP lawmakers and officials have been making as they try to gloss over the pain their bill would impose on poor people and families while handing big tax breaks to mostly rich people. Here are five of the most absurd ways Republicans have tried to defend their so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which guts federal health and food assistance programs by nearly $1.3 trillion.

We’re all going to die anyway.

It was her first town hall of the year, held at 7:30 in the morning at a rural area two hours away from Des Moines — possibly to keep national attention off the senator as much as possible. Yet Republican Sen. Joni Erst of Iowa last week still managed to step in it with a flippant remark to a woman concerned about Republican plans to cut Medicaid. “People will die!” the woman shouted at the senator. “Well, we all are going to die,” Ernst responded with a smirk. “For heaven’s sakes, folks.” The glib comment quickly went viral on social media and Democrats pounced on her words, featuring them on signs at press conferences around the U.S. Capitol this week as they blasted the GOP tax and spending bill. It even spurred Democratic state Rep. JD Scholten to announce his entry into the race to unseat Ernst, who faces reelection next year, and election handicappers to shift the race slightly toward Democrats. [...]

Losing health care coverage is actually healthy.

From the minute Republicans started drafting the legislation this year, they knew two things: They would limit eligibility for the childless adults without disabilities covered under the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, saving hundreds of billions of dollars, and they would deny that the significant loss of coverage resulting from “work requirements” — which would mostly kick people who have jobs off Medicaid by imposing new paperwork burdens on them — counted as a cut. In fact, as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) explained in February, losing health care coverage would spur people to improve themselves, and they’d be better off for it. [...] In a major analysis of work requirements that have been tried in various federal programs, however, the CBO found in 2022 that booting unemployed people off Medicaid didn’t boost their employment. The budget office pointed to what happened when the first Trump administration let Arkansas implement a Medicaid work requirement in 2018. “There, many of the targeted adults lost their health insurance as a result of the work requirement,” the CBO said. “Employment did not appear to increase, although the evidence is scant. Research indicates that many participants were unaware of the work requirement or found it too onerous to demonstrate compliance.” [...]

Don’t believe the experts.

GOP lawmakers have sought to undermine the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan federal agency that analyzes the fiscal effects of legislation, after it estimated that the massive tax cut package will add $2.4 trillion to the debt over the next 10 years and eliminate health insurance for nearly 11 million people. Republicans have argued that these tax cuts will spur economic growth and eventually pay for themselves, something that studies have shown did not happen after they made similar arguments about their 2017 tax cut bill. They also have a very vocal critic to contend with in billionaire Elon Musk, their one-time ally who has savaged the bill as an “abomination” for how it will balloon the deficit. [...]

People will find jobs eventually.

Republicans who are willing to at least acknowledge that cutting Medicaid will lead to people losing health insurance argue that they will instead be able to find a job and receive employer-sponsored health care. “People are screaming and saying, ‘Hey, it’s kicking people off Medicaid.’ It’s not kicking people off Medicaid,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said in an interview with CNBC. “It’s transitioning from Medicaid to employer-provided health care. So, yes, we’ve got 10 million people that are not gonna be on Medicaid, but they then are gonna be on employer-provided health care.” That’s an extremely optimistic prediction, especially since the GOP bill doesn’t explicitly create any jobs itself. Even if those people who lose their Medicaid coverage are able to find a job at some point, not every employer offers health care, particularly for part-time roles. [...]

Prove you deserve care.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the former TV personality now running the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said people should have to “prove that you matter” to get Medicaid coverage. During a Wednesday interview on Fox Business, Oz defended the bill’s harsh, new work requirements for Medicaid. The bill requires states to deny coverage to people age 19 to 64 applying for Medicaid if they’re not already working at least 80 hours a month. It also requires states to kick people off Medicaid if they can’t prove they’re meeting the work requirements. The Congressional Budget Office estimates these work requirements alone will result in 5.2 million people losing their health coverage.

[...] “Go out there. Do entry-level jobs. Get into the workforce. Prove that you matter,” Oz said. “Get agency into your own life.”

Republicans are making absurd excuses for kicking people off of Medicaid in their “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that is more accurately titled the One Big Bullshit Bill Act.

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

Noah Sheidlower, John L. Dorman

Medicaid may be on the chopping block as the Trump administration prepares its budget blueprint.

The House Budget Committee's budget draft included a goal of about $2 trillion in spending cuts and allowed for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.

The blueprint draft called for at least $880 billion in spending cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee over the next decade. This would likely mean large Medicaid cuts, potentially leading many Americans to lose their benefits. A Ways and Means Committee document outlining reconciliation options reveals over $2 trillion in potential Medicaid cuts, though some could overlap.

President Donald Trump has said Social Security and Medicare, which are the largest federal government programs, wouldn't be cut. Elon Musk has also accused "federal entitlements" such as Social Security of fraud.

The draft directed the Committee on Agriculture to reduce the deficit by $230 billion, which would mean cutting nutritional programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. [Food stamps/EBT]

The most recent Medicaid enrollment data from October 2024 revealed over 72 million people were enrolled in Medicaid, while 7.25 million were enrolled in Children's Health Insurance Programs. Medicaid provides healthcare and long-term services coverage for lower-income Americans and is financed by both the federal government and states. In some states, over 30% of the population is covered by Medicaid. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid spending in 2023 was nearly $872 billion.

Some GOP leaders have proposed reducing Federal Medical Assistance Percentages, the amount the federal government pays to states based on factors such as a state's per-capita income. Others have proposed Medicaid per-capita caps, which an early House Budget Committee proposal said could save up to $900 billion. This shift would lead states to either cut back on Medicaid services or identify other methods for funding potentially billions in losses.

Figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have argued that Medicaid is ineffective, and some question whether it has improved people's health. Critics of the program have also said people relying on Medicaid could get insurance from other sources, such as their workplace. However, Medicaid expansions have been shown to improve care access, reduce mortality rates, and spark economic growth.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina in recent days had already moved ahead with his border security, military, and energy package, as Republicans in the upper chamber had been waiting for their House counterparts to offer their budget proposal.

Graham is aiming to pass a second budget resolution extending the 2017 tax cuts later this year.

Senate Republicans can pass a budget reconciliation bill with a simple majority, or 51 votes, as they wouldn't have to meet the normal 60-vote filibuster threshold. The party currently holds a 53-47 majority in the upper chamber.

House GOP leaders see their budget framework as one that could pave the way for passing a reconciliation bill through Congress with the priorities of Trump and top conservatives in mind. Republicans have a razor-thin 218-215 majority in the House, so every vote will be critical, and they're looking to pass one bill with Trump's signature policy desires.

Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday told reporters that Graham's plan was a "nonstarter."

"We all are trying to get to the same achievable objectives," the Louisiana Republican said. "And there's just, you know, different ideas on how to get there."

GOP leaders have recently pushed for Medicaid cuts, leading to debates over how much to cut services many Americans rely on.

Other major points from the House blueprint included increasing the debt limit by $4 trillion, reductions in education totaling $330 billion, and allocating up to $300 billion in additional border and defense spending.

The Senate's plan calls for $150 billion in additional defense spending and a $175 billion boost for border security.

[theseshipsshallsail]

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER

If Elio were a betting man - like those who spend their days playing endless rounds of bridge and briscola in the Silvestri brothers’ bar - he’d lay good money that aside from the obvious lure of his cock and ass, Oliver’s favourite part of his body is most certainly his torso: the smooth, pale expanse of skin that’s ostensibly non-exceptional save for the peak of dusky nipples and sparse trail of hair leading to the aforementioned regions below.

It’s the spot Oliver braces his head when they’re alone in the villa’s garden; readily discussing the final draft pages for Signora Milani. 

The area he nuzzles upon first awakening in the burnished light of dawn; sleep-soft and heavy and blissfully warm against him.

It’s where he’s placing a teasing kiss right now, in fact - chapped lips skimming the shallow dip of Elio’s navel - and given they’re both naked in bed after a night of self-indulgence, the sensation itself should probably err on the side of erotic. As things stand, however, he finds it rather tickles, so the hitched gasp Elio sputters is truly mortifying when paired with the ungainly giggles that follow thereafter. 

High-pitched. 

Jagged. 

Redolent of an out-of-tune violin. 

Quick as a flash, Elio cups a hand over his traitorous mouth, but it’s barely a second before Oliver’s peeling it away; eyes dancing in such brazen amusement it only serves to fuel the indignity.

“Don’t,” he says, thumb tracing idle patterns atop the thin knot of veins at his wrist. “I want to hear you,” he assures, levering up on his elbow, and Elio huffs in fond exasperation. 

“Why?” 

Oliver shrugs. “Why not?” he replies; turning the gentle benediction of his lips to the ridge of Elio’s knuckles, instead. “Call me maudlin -”

“I’ve called you far worse…”

“- but half the pleasure lies in knowing what this does to you,” Oliver explains, skimming the pads of ink-stained fingers in a looping figure of eight. “In knowing how much you enjoy it.” 

Elio scoffs, already arching into the soothing touch. “Surely I've made myself tragically clear on that point?”

“Bravely,” Oliver corrects, never one to let him put himself down. “You've made yourself bravely clear, Elio Perlman…”

And all at once he’s laughing again - swatting ineffectually at Oliver’s sun-bronzed shoulders as he doubles his attack. 

Grazing his stubbly chin over the freckles on Elio’s abdomen.

Scrabbling relentless digits between his eighth and ninth ribs.

Nipping careful teeth along the bony curve of his hip.

“I still can't believe I get to do this…” Oliver murmurs then - completely at odds with his confident demeanour - and Elio’s brain just about short-circuits as he wraps both arms around him: the newfound need to shelter and protect stronger than he’d ever deemed possible.  

Notes:

A bit rough and ready but it's been one hell of a week, and as much as I've sent my congratulations to the big man himself, I figured Elio would like the chance to express his pride too.

[moosefoligno]

the fucking vegas golden knights made me cry about flower when they took him in the expansion draft in 2017 (i was a pens fan for several years) and now theyre making me cry about him again 8 years later

[strawberryblondebutch]

I know that in addition to the political stuff the signs of on-ice intelligence are generally quite limited, but Britta Curl is probably a smart person in real life. Apparently she wants to be a doctor. When combined with how she never did this crap in college (though I didn't think this one was quite as bad as the first two), it kind of makes me look at it as more of a "hey, is everything OK?" situation than anything else.

I think Minnesota was such a bad fit for her. She clearly has a huge embarrassing chip on her shoulder for her own dumb reasons and with the in my opinion fairly deranged media campaign against them in the offseason, I'm sure most of the organization does too. You want an "us against the world" attitude in pro sports but when it's too much, maybe it's hard to keep people in check.

My expectation is she gets picked by one of the western teams in the expansion draft, everyone spends about a week getting mad at some generic hockey man or generic hockey woman in their management, but it works out fine.

I’m going to try to say this in the least asshole way that I can: wanting to be a doctor does not a doctor make. That being said, she did make the Scholar-Athlete list her whole career, so there is a degree of book smarts at play.

Her social media feed (before Elon took likes away) showed a predisposition towards conspiracy theories — anti-vax, tradCath, QAnon bullshit. And one thing that those theories fester is the prevailing sense that everyone is against you. They hate you and they want to get you and you need to defend yourself against the increasingly vague “them.” Combine that with the fact that, although she kept the penalties in check in college, she had a bad habit of taking things personally (I want to say it was 2023? I noticed she would argue with the refs every time she got touched because she wanted a penalty call), and you have someone thoroughly convinced that she has to “defend herself”.

I genuinely think the best thing for her to do would be to log off. Because — and I’m guilty of this too — Twitter and Tumblr will just reinforce that belief that everyone hates her and is out to get her. When in reality, if she shut up and stopped doing stupid shit, she would never be a favorite, but people wouldn’t cheer when she got trucked.

As for the expansion draft, I think whether she gets protected is dependent entirely on how much power Klee has in the organization by the time it comes around. He seems to really like her — not just by defending her to the media but by giving her such a large role. Maybe he’ll reconsider after the latest suspension, but I’m not sure.

Also, regarding the Frost writ large, I think it was a masterful PR stroke to let KCS take the heat. The articles kept mentioning a group of players on Klee’s side, but she was the only one ever name-checked. Kendall is a big girl (you know what I mean) who’s used to taking flak — first for the 2017 boycott, then for the PHF/PWHPA dispute. She’s fine playing the heel.

[stereax]

Can you explain the erik-canes drama please 😚

Yeah, no problem, anon! Meet me under the read more for the details :)

So last night we found Haulzy wearing a "Canes Suck" bracelet -

(let the record show I posted this FIRST before the Canes fans found it because I am speedier than them and also much better in every single way 😉)

Now, you may be asking yourself, "why is a grown, 32-year-old hockey player of a man wearing a bracelet that says Canes Suck on it?" That is a WONDERFUL question. First, let's look at Haula's career.

Erik Haula was drafted in the seventh round by Minnesota. He played for the Wild for a few years before, well, the Wild essentially sold him to the Golden Knights in the expansion draft - they basically sent Vegas Alex Tuch (one of their better prospects) for a third and "expansion draft considerations", meaning the Knights would choose Haula in the draft and not a player like Matt Dumba or Marco Scandella, who were more vital to the Wild's core.

Haula plays for the Knights for two years - he's part of the team that wills itself into the Cup finals in 2017-18. In 2018-19, Haula goes down early, getting injured in a game against Toronto that keeps him out the rest of the season.

Vegas trades him to Carolina three days before his wedding. It's a Kelly McCrimmon move - and if you know the Knights, you know what that means (trading fan favorites for better returns). By all accounts, Haula loved Vegas, so he's going into this Carolina thing with some apprehension, especially because this is the last year on his contract. If he puts up good numbers, he's going to get a payday. If not, well, probably not. Remember, he had a career year in 2017-18. He wants to prove he's got what it takes.

Alright. He gets there, gets hurt for a few games with an LBI, comes back, gets hurt again and is out for a few weeks. At the time he gets his second injury, he's got 11 points in 16 games, with 8 goals, one less than team leaders Svechnikov, Aho, and Hamilton (all of whom played more games). So the dude's playing stellar, but then gets banged up. He slots back into the lineup just before Christmas.

And here's where things go south. You see, Haula and his wife, Kristen, were planning to start a family. Kristen got pregnant probably around August, given that when Haula posted the baby announcement on his Instagram he noted a May due date.

The baby is found without a heartbeat 12/30/19.

Erik Haula plays the next day and pots a goal and an assist.

It's a second-trimester miscarriage, which means it's likely Kristen had to deliver a stillborn baby.

He points to the sky after the goal, honoring his lost daughter.

It's around this time that relations between Haula and the Canes begin to take a nosedive.

(Fun fact, contrary to what Canes fans will tell you, Haula's play only suffered significantly after the miscarriage. In the four games in December he played before the miscarriage, he got 2 goals and 2 assists, so in 20 games he had 15 points which is nothing to scoff at for a middle-sixer. Despite being tossed around a bit in the lineup, he was still producing very well.)

Reports of exactly what was going on are incredibly difficult to find and are generally tainted by the biases of whoever writes them. It's stated that Haula was, in some way or another, "forced" to play the day after the miscarriage and never given time to emotionally recover from it. He gets scratched a few times (and again, it's a contract year for him, so ice time is exceedingly valuable). There are rumors of a "shouting match" between Haula and head coach Rod Brind'Amour. Supposedly, he's not participating in after-game workouts that Brind'Amour makes the team do (for recovery) and thus "doesn't fit the culture of the team", "has no respect", and "is a jerk". (Which... we'd prefer him do work on the ice, thanks???) Other rumors say he's "bullying" the rookies on the Canes (which have never been corroborated by a reliable source nor been backed up by similar actions anywhere else). Kristen makes vague posts on Instagram that Canes fans interpret as being derogatory towards the team - Reddit widely quotes one as "Don't allow your loyalty to become slavery. If they aren't appreciating what you bring to the table, let them eat alone."

So Haula gets dealt at the deadline to the Panthers as part of a deal for Vincent Trocheck, after playing only 41 games for the Canes. And he journeys around the NHL for a few years after that before finding his home in New Jersey.

Ever since then, the Canes have absolutely haunted Haula. The "1-14" thing Canes fans put on pictures of him? It's because, since leaving the Canes, he's won once at their home rink (PNC)... and lost 14 times. In three consecutive years, his teams have lost to the Canes each time in the playoffs (Predators, Bruins, then Devils, respectively). He's the first player that happened to, where he played for three different teams and each year lost to the same team.

Canes fans boo him every time he touches the ice - for them, he's a traitor that shit-talked Raleigh and the team and backs it up by playing like a goon when he's against them.

So if there's one person on the whole Devils roster who deserves to wear a Canes Suck bracelet, it's Uncle Haula.

Go off, king.

📿👑

~ [ Addendum 1: Pasta ] ~

David Pastrnak, much like Erik Haula, also lost a child - his son died only six days old. I'm sure, when Pasta accidentally ran into Antti Raanta on the ice during the 2022 playoffs, they didn't go on his socials and make disgusting comments about his child's death...

Oh? They did? Well then.

Canes fans will tell you they only had the utmost of respect for Haula during his miscarriage and never used it against him, both during and after his Canes tenure. Somehow, I doubt that.

But maybe that's just me.

~ [ Addendum 2: Signs ] ~

When Canes fans make signs like this about you, it's understandable why you get upset.

The sign reads "It's me. Haula. I'm the problem. It's me. Hi everybody agrees", with cutouts of Haula's former teams' logos pasted on top.

What's so strange is that no Panthers, Bruins, Knights, Predators, or Wild fans seem to have a problem with Haula. It's only the Canes fans calling him "locker room cancer". Jack Hughes disagrees with this assessment.

Coincidentally, the "locker room cancer" charge was also famously said about Dougie Hamilton...

Oh, hey, look, some Canes fans behind the Devils' bench, just behind Jack, made a sign! I'm sure it's nice and respectful :)

Wait, is that Ellen Weinberg-Hughes next to a man whose face is photoshopped to be Sebastian Aho?

The sign says "Jack Your Mom's A Ho", by the way.

And several Canes players signed it.

"Bunch of jerks" is right.

So if you wonder why Jack Hughes beat the shit out of Sebastian Aho... look no further.

~ [ Addendum 3: Culture ] ~

Once again, I point you to this post by eugeniosuarez -

1 is about Jordan Staal, 2 and 3 are about Tony DeAngelo, if you're unsure.

Yeah, I think I see the culture problem here. Just to be clear, this one, right?

Glad we're on the same page 👍

[rymurrsneckbeard]

Liiiiike if you love Fleury don't read any of the following because I just really needed to rant for a bit.

I've really been thinking the last few days about this whole bigass farewell tour Fleury did this year, especially contrasted with so many other NHL players who announce their retirements like, days in advance, not an entire season in advance, and man it just really sums up literally everything negative I've ever felt about this man.

The ONLY hockey player I've ever seen who is so desperate for accolades, for people to tell them how great they are, is Mark Messier. And that's not a compliment. He does this big farewell tour so he can get an entire season of people fawning over him and his (overrated as all fuck) career. He gets handed the OT the other night, in an utterly meaningless moment, because otherwise his lasting legacy is choking away a 3-goal lead and being bailed out by the team in front of him (par for the course, that's his entire career in a nutshell. Which is why his successes all came behind an elite Pens team or an elite Vegas team, but he never found that with the Blackhawks or Wild).

He pulled this same shit after the 2017 Cup win. It was a spectacular display of a hockey player making an entire celebration about himself, in a way I've never actually seen a player do it before. Most hockey players are humble, sometimes to a fault. Like, Alec Martinez has also won multiple Cups, including scoring the series winner for one of them (and interestingly enough never sitting on the bench for entire series' worth of it!), but his retirement announcement came in the midst of his final game. He didn't need a year of people stroking his ego. He didn't need everyone fawning all over him telling him how amazing he was. He just was like "hey this was a great career, I'm done after tonight, love you guys."

Like you'd think that after he threw a visible, public tantrum after being benched in the 2017 playoffs his legacy would be tarnished. Or maybe after the locker room cancer-esque sword in the back photoshop bullshit he and Allan Walsh pulled when he got benched in Vegas. Or what about that whole "I'm gonna wear pads the color of the skin of the racist ass Chicago logo" debacle that everyone conveniently forgot like 4 seconds after it happened.

Literally he is the antithesis of everything I enjoy about a guy like Sidney Crosby. It is all about him, and his ego, all the time, but he's got excellent PR so shit that would've destroyed anyone else's legacy gets brushed under the rug.

And I KNOW they're going to put him in the HOF and I'm INFURIATED by it. Bro your career numbers are nearly identical to Chris Osgood (minus win total, but that's because Osgood didn't hang around like 5 years past his best-by date. GAA/SV% in both regular season and playoffs are nearly identical, I have a whole post about it somewhere on this blog). You were successful ONLY as long as you were playing behind an elite team, and even THEN you managed to choke hard enough to be benched in the playoffs by THREE teams and FOUR coaches. You cost the Pens at least 1 more Cup with that whole SIX STRAIGHT PLAYOFF SEASONS of sub .900sv%, and you probably cost Vegas 1 or 2 (notably the GAA of 4 vs the Caps in 2018 and whatever year it was when you choked away a 3-1 series lead AND a 3-1 game lead after giving up like 4 goals in 5 minutes or some shit like that). Two of your Cup wins are because Matt Murray was clutch as FUCK before concussions and the trauma of losing his dad ruined his career (and tbh the way Pens fans/Fleury apologists treated him in the aftermath of the expansion draft didn't fucking help and I'll NEVER forgive/forget that bullshit either). Your Gold medal win is a GIFT because you literally never even dressed. You are the most overrated goalie this league has ever seen and I am going to raise a drink in honor of you going the actual fuck away the minute the Wild are eliminated.

[jeynearrynofthevale]

Calvin Pickard was selected in the 2nd round by the Colorado Avalanche, a promising young goalie, people thought he might one day become a star. When Varlamov unexpectedly went out with an injury, it was Pickard who became the unexpected starter for the 2016-2017 season. The Avs had one of the worst records in nhl history that season. He was then the 1st player selected in the expansion draft by Vegas and the 1st player treated as disposable. Excited for a fresh start there, he was placed on waivers almost immediately. Then, he was traded to Toronto and helped the Marlies win their 1st Calder cup. He was then placed on waivers again by Toronto and picked up by Philly. Less than a week later, he was placed on waivers again and picked up by Arizona. He went on to sign in Detroit on a 1 year deal and then signed as an ahl goalie with the oilers in 2022. He made his first ever playoff start tonight at age 32 and won it for the oilers.

[mswyrr]

This time around, they have initiated vast planning operations that have produced detailed policy plans, expertise, and an armada of ideological loyalists ready to go to work. Project 2025 is the best known among them, and in many ways the most important one, as it managed to unite much of the rightwing machinery in an effort to guarantee a more efficient, more ruthless regime. The result is a multi-level plan to execute what amounts to a comprehensive authoritarian takeover of American government. Broadly speaking, Project 2025 envisions a vast expansion of presidential power over the executive branch. It seeks to dismantle certain parts of government while simultaneously mobilizing and weaponizing others. And finally, Project 2025 is a promise to purge from government anyone who is not all in on the Trumpist project and replace them with loyalists and ideological conformists. Thereby, the Right seeks to transform American government into a machine that serves only two purposes: first, exacting revenge on what they call the “woke”, leftist, globalist enemy – and secondly, imposing a minoritarian reactionary vision of white Christian patriarchal order on society. No serious observer believes they will be able to implement everything they have planned exactly as they have planned it. But there is no question that the Trumpist Right is far better prepared than it was in 2017. Last time, the Trumpists didn’t even know how to write a presidential executive order; this time, they have already drafted dozens, probably hundreds. Where last time they had so much catching-up to do and were constantly shooting themselves in the foot, they will have a proper base from which to start come January. If you have been paying attention to who Trump is nominating to be part of his team, you might find it difficult to accept the idea of a more effective regime. Fox News extremist Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense; Matt Gaetz, one of the most buffoonish MAGA trolls in Congress, as Attorney General… doesn’t this sound more like “malevolence tempered by incompetence” on steroids? Surely, such personnel decisions must derail the Trumpist project?

I struggle to see much reason for optimism. While these people are manifestly unqualified, they are also extremely loyal to Trump. The most willing executioners of MAGA extremism. Don’t expect any kind of pushback from them. The competence won’t come from Hegseth or Gaetz, fair enough; but they may only have to serve as figureheads, as a cadre of more capable extremists around them and around Trump goes to work. With such personalities in the mix, there will undoubtedly be unforced errors. There will be chaos. But chaos is not the same as moderation. Chaos can also accelerate the harm. And in authoritarian movements, frustration and chaos are much more likely to lead to further radicalization. If the recent trajectory of the Right is any indication, that’s what we should be expecting. Every potential off-ramp, the Right has ignored; at every crossroads, they opted for ideological purity. The Trumpist worldview constantly privileges the more radical over the more “moderate” forces. Every crisis situation only heightens the sense of being under siege that’s animating so much of what is happening on the Right, legitimizing and amplifying calls to hit harder, more aggressively. There’s always permission to escalate, hardly ever to pull back.

The circumstances favor the Trumpists Crucially, a new Trump regime would also operate under conditions that are vastly more favorable to its political cause. Almost all the factors that inhibited the extreme Right during the first Trump presidency are no longer present; all the guardrails that kept Trump and the more extreme rightwing factions in check after 2017 have been vastly weakened or destroyed entirely. First of all, during Trump I, the courts played a key role in opposing the radical Right. But several federal courts are now in the hands of Trumpist judges. Jay Willis and Madiba Dennie over at Balls and Strikes expect that by the end of his term, Trump will have picked about half of the federal judges across the country. A judiciary remade in his image. And most importantly, Trump can now count on a hard-right 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court. Let’s remember this was not the case until Amy Coney Barrett’s ascension in late October 2020, towards the very end of the Trump presidency. The 6-3 Court is a game changer. Not that we needed more evidence, but the Court’s almost unprecedentedly extreme ruling to declare Trump functionally immune from criminal prosecution should have erased any lingering hope that the Roberts Court “would not go THAT far.” And we have never even seen this Court operate with Trump in the White House, with a Republican trifecta.

tl;dr

[thenhlteaissuperhot]

realistically, could leon leave edmonton sooner? like get traded or something? i don't understand the contracts so i am not sure whether that's possible in his case. also, where could he go?

Leon's situation is actually quite optimistic in the sense that he has the chance to get out of there if he desperately wanted.

His contract with Edmonton is up for one more season and he has a "modified no-trade clause", which means that he can be traded if he agrees with the trade. Since it's modified it also means that he can't be traded into just any team as he has handed in a list of 10 teams back in 2017 when he signed the contract, which he so-called wouldn't mind getting traded into, and those teams are the only ones Edmonton can communicate with if the trade was about to happen - that list is still private as of right now, however, so we don't know what destinations he has scratched off completely.

Being logical and looking at what teams could have appeared like attractive destinations to him in 2017, it's safe to say that Boston, Pittsburgh, and Washington might be on that list, while Colorado and New Jersey not so much... - though I am not sure whether the list isn't updated by him once it actually comes into force (which it did last year)

Connor's contract, which is up for two more seasons, has, on the other hand, a "no movement clause", which means that he cannot be waived, assigned to minors, traded without approval, or be exposed in an Expansion Draft - just to give you a bit of explanation about the contract terminology.

Looking at where could Leon go, you have to look at teams that have money to invest and won't be resigning huge names in the near future. Sure, the salary cap will be raised in 2024 and Leon is more than a promising investment to make for anyone, but still... He is a part of the top 5 players in the league so he will naturally want to be paid accordingly.

Looking briefly at a few teams:

Toronto is out of the question (fortunately) - paying another huge star would end them, and they have other problems to invest into (if they are sensible enough to realize that), even though an actual performing player in the play-offs would definitely come in handy for them

If we were living in my dream, I would have traded him to Boston for Swayman and perhaps one solid defenseman - Edmonton desperately needs someone good in the net and actually playing defense while Boston would definitely appreciate an above-average center creating scoring chances for guys like Pastrnak and Marchand to fill in the hole left after Bergeron and Krejci even more

Chicago could technically send like half of their draft picks to Edmonton - I can definitely see them wanting to acquire a decent linemate for Bedard (just Draisaitl and his Connors...) and frankly, the two would be quite a fun pairing

Detroit seems to be content with rebuilding their team through prospects so I don't think they would go for Leon if the chance occured

For all those mad Tkachuk and Draisaitl shippers, lovers, whatever you are - Florida does have a lot of defensemen, whose contracts end next season too, and they also have decent draft picks, so it's not completely unimaginable, but I am pretty sure that Leon would rather go play bear league rather than be with Tkachuk on the same team.

What's your opinion? Where could you imagine Leon if the trade really happened?

[torilaa]

Wednesday Writing Blog #1

So, I have a problem. A big problem for a writer at least. I have never finished a first draft. Hell any writing project really except for one or two short stories that I had to finish for college. Pressure seems to be the only way I spit things out. This is why I'm going to start making a blog post every week or so in order to remind myself that I need to write... Also because I love talking about writing. I think it would be great to spend every Wednesday or so venting or nerding out about it.

I could just be procrastinating again though.

Yup.

Anyway, today I figured out how my first book is going to end. They say the best thing to have before you start to write is an ending. I've been a pantser since I started writing, but I've discovered that really doesn't help with my motivation. If I don't know what happens next, I'm stumped for weeks. As for how I outline, I just use bullet points with acts 1-3. Any more structure than that and I feel constricted creatively. Any worldbuilding I have is thrown into the "Worldbuilding" folder. Let's hope I remember to update that as I write! Since worldbuilding is, yes, important but the story comes first.

I've made a basic outline so I'm rather confident about it for once. In fact, I wrote around 7k words so far (I scrapped basically all of what I wrote in 2017 with this concept which is...hard, but it had to be done since the MC is a very different character now).

Finally, I started reading Leviathan Wakes (the Expanse) partially for research purposes and partially because I loved the show.

Since I can't help but share, here is the alpha version of the first page:

Martin called it The Coffin.

The walls of the room were made of mirrors and a door that only Interrogator Martin Prouset could enter. The Order of Representatives made sure the room had nothing to distract the suspect except for the endless reflection of themselves, the table, the chairs, and the interrogator. These reflections made the room feel larger than it appeared to be in reality. Because it was small. Cramped. Three meters by three meters approximately and high enough so that the tallest man could stand with about an inch of clearance. The Coffin was a joke the Representatives played on both the suspect and the interrogator. Martin would rather be in a larger room, no, another place, a different time but instead, through fault of his own, he came into this room everyday to greet the mirrors, the table, the chairs. The only difference, ever, was the suspect that sat in that infernal chair.

Enough to make a man mad.

This new suspect? Dr. Theo Johansson, engineer with a memory quotient of 190 (that he would certainly brag about). Martin sat in the chair nearest the door and Theo Johansson’s reflection sat across from the table. Johansson’s wrinkled face was pale except the sockets beneath his eyes. Those deep eyes asked, “why?” The ones that forgot always asked why. Even doctors with an MQ of 190. The only people that looked at him were the ones that remembered what they did. Always it was with an expression of determined steel. Thankfully that wasn’t Johansson. The steel gaze always, always, made his blood run cold.

[vishwangdesai]

Vishwang Desai’s Thoughts on Investment Potential and Legal Framework for Neuro-Tech in India

India stands at the cusp of a technological revolution with the emergence of neuro-tech and brain-computer interface (BCI) sectors. While the global neuro-tech market is projected to surge beyond $20 billion by 2026, Vishwang Desai strongly feels that India's participation remains nascent, hindered by a complex regulatory landscape, ethical dilemmas, and infrastructural inadequacies. For investors, the potential is evident, but the pathway is fraught with challenges that extend beyond mere capital infusion. In this context, legal professionals are increasingly required to navigate a labyrinth of laws governing data privacy, biomedical research, and technology transfers.

The Promise of Neuro-Tech: Immense Untapped Potential

The neuro-tech sector encapsulates devices and systems designed to interact with the human brain, ranging from non-invasive neuro-monitoring systems to invasive brain implants that control prosthetics. India's tech-savvy population and burgeoning healthcare sector provide fertile ground for growth. Government policies, such as the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), have already set the stage for integrating health tech with AI and data analytics, creating a conducive environment for neuro-tech expansion.

However, India's current regulatory framework is relatively silent on neuro-tech-specific governance. The Medical Devices Rules, 2017, cover biomedical equipment but do not explicitly address neuro-tech or BCIs. Moreover, the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, provide general guidelines but are ill-equipped to handle the nuanced risks associated with brain-computer interfaces. Legal professionals must therefore advise clients on the broader implications of data privacy under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, particularly concerning the collection, processing, and transmission of neural data, which could potentially include biometric identifiers.

Legal and Security Challenges: Privacy, Data, and Ethics

One of the most contentious areas for neuro-tech development in India is data privacy. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, outlines stringent norms for handling sensitive personal data, including health data and biometric information. For companies developing BCIs, the challenge lies in obtaining explicit consent, safeguarding data storage, and ensuring cross-border data transfer compliance. Legal professionals must meticulously draft data protection agreements, particularly considering that neuro-data can potentially reveal cognitive patterns and behavioral insights, raising ethical and privacy concerns.

Further, the Biomedical Research Regulation and Reporting System under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) stipulates guidelines for human trials involving neurological devices. The guidelines mandate robust informed consent protocols and data anonymization, which are crucial given that BCIs inherently interface with the brain, potentially exposing personal and proprietary neurological data. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may lead to severe liabilities under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, particularly concerning defective products and negligent services.

Investment Roadblocks and Policy Gaps

While the neuro-tech sector in India presents lucrative opportunities, investment barriers persist. Intellectual property (IP) protection remains a critical concern. BCIs often involve proprietary algorithms and hardware systems that require patent protection. However, India’s patent regime, governed by the Patents Act, 1970, is yet to clearly define the scope of neuro-tech innovations, particularly in the realm of software embedded in medical devices. This legal ambiguity deters foreign investors, especially when juxtaposed with more comprehensive frameworks in jurisdictions such as the US and the EU.

Additionally, taxation policies for high-tech medical devices, including BCIs, remain cumbersome. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates applicable to medical devices are relatively high, impacting the cost structure for neuro-tech companies. Moreover, the absence of dedicated government incentives or subsidies for neuro-tech R&D further dissuades potential investors. Given these challenges, legal experts must advise clients on navigating tax exemptions, claiming R&D credits, and structuring cross-border investments to mitigate regulatory risks.

Conclusion: A Call for Legal and Regulatory Reforms

India’s neuro-tech sector is ripe for investment, but realizing its full potential requires targeted regulatory reforms. Policymakers, in the opinion of Vishwang Desai ,must consider implementing a comprehensive framework specific to neuro-tech and BCIs, integrating data privacy, biomedical ethics, and IP protection under a unified legislative framework. Legal professionals, particularly those specializing in health tech and data privacy, will play a crucial role in shaping the regulatory landscape, ensuring that India not only attracts foreign investments but also safeguards the cognitive rights and privacy of its citizens in an increasingly digitized world.

Read More of Our Blogs at: https://vishwangdesai.tumblr.com/

[channeledhistory]

Israel’s announcement of a new offensive to “conquer” Gaza, along with claims by Bezalel Smotrich, the Israeli minister of finance, that the strip will be “entirely destroyed”, have flustered the international community. Observers may be distressed, disturbed or upset by these plans. But they should come as no surprise. This kind of genocidal ideology has been evident, in Smotrich’s case, since long before 7 October. And opposition voices – including mine – have been warning of the government’s intentions in Gaza since October 2023.

These latest actions by the fanatic nationalists in Israel’s government are causing misery to Palestinians, but also to Israelis. The decision of the Israeli cabinet to expand its invasion has terrified the families of Israeli hostages. They have accused Smotrich of promoting his messianic vision on the graves of their loved ones, and Benjamin Netanyahu of hiding information and lying to them about the number of living hostages. Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan, who was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October, went to the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) this week with a chilling warning: the expansion of military efforts in Gaza will lead to the death of hostages, she said. When she called on army reservists to refuse drafting orders, she was silenced and removed from the platform.

In October 2023, in my first interview after the massacre of 7 October, I warned that the Israeli government would utilise the brutal slaughter in order to pursue its plans to annex Palestinian territories. The plan I referred to was one formulated by Smotrich in 2017, titled the Subjugation Plan (sometimes translated as the Decisive Plan). In it, he laid out a blueprint to eradicate the prospect of a Palestinian state. In a harrowing document that discusses people as if they were pawns on a chessboard, Smotrich reshaped the borders of Israel. First, he demanded annexation of Palestinian territory without granting basic political, civil or national rights to Palestinians, treating them instead as colonial subjects. Second, those Palestinians who would not accept their lot as second-class subjects would be physically expelled from their homes, lands and their homeland altogether. And third: those who resist, who struggle for their fundamental rights as human beings, would be hunted and killed.

While at the time of its publication this plan was directed mostly towards the occupied West Bank, it is clear how today the fog of war will allow for its implementation in Gaza. I was not a prophet sent to forewarn and predict the cynical ploy of Netanyahu and his gang of settlers – I only needed to listen to what they were saying. I was subsequently suspended from my position in the Knesset, and I am now serving a second suspension for endorsing South Africa’s request to the international court of justice to bring accountability and justice in the face of the violence I warned of.

How can one be surprised by the comments of Smotrich if the actions of the Israeli cabinet for the past 18 months have followed his subjugation plan? Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have been bombed, starved, slaughtered and expelled in order to make room for Smotrich’s vision of new settlements. While the people of the world observed the war with terror and fear, Smotrich’s settlers boasted that they were living in a “miraculous time”. In the ongoing disputation as to what extent the actions of Israel constitute the crime of genocide, this plan should serve as the prime exhibit for the prosecution. “Subjugation” for Smotrich and his gang translates to ethnic cleansing, forceful transfer, illegal annexation and killings that break international law. In essence, this plan aims for the complete destruction and dissolution of the Palestinians as a national community, as a shared people, in their own homeland – isn’t this the definition of genocide? “Any attempt to annex land in Gaza would be unacceptable” said the UK’s Middle East minister, Hamish Falconer, this week. His words, which came with no sanctions or consequences attached, dispersed into thin air. It seems truly farcical that almost 20 months into this calamity there are still those who believe the Israeli government could be persuaded to change course by words alone, or that the Israeli cabinet holds any degree of care for rule of law and international norms. But if I first felt some degree of pity towards the UK government and its ineffectual diplomacy, it quickly turned into a burning anger when I remembered the recent visit of the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, to the UK. Only weeks ago he received protection from the same government that now accuses his cabinet of unacceptable and unlawful conduct of war. For the sake of the Palestinians, the hostages and the people of Israel, the Israeli government must be held to account. This cannot be accomplished through words alone. Ofer Cassif is a member of the Knesset, representing the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash)

[lifesciencesmagazine]

Allchem Lifescience Files for IPO to Raise INR 190 Crore

Source: outlookbusiness.com

IPO Details and Fund Utilization

Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company Allchem Lifescience has taken a significant step toward going public by submitting its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The company seeks regulatory approval for its initial public offering (IPO), which will include a fresh issue of equity shares worth INR 190 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of 71.55 lakh equity shares by its promoters, Kantilal Ramanlal Patel and Manisha Bipin Patel.

The proceeds from the fresh issue will primarily be used for debt repayment, with INR 130 crore earmarked for this purpose. The remaining funds will be allocated for general corporate expenses and business expansion initiatives. The IPO is expected to enhance Allchem’s financial stability and support its long-term growth strategy.

Company Background and Business Operations

Founded in 2017, Allchem Lifescience specializes in the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) intermediates and specialty chemicals. The company focuses on producing key starting materials (KSMs) and API intermediates, including piperazine derivatives, which are essential for the production of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder drugs like quetiapine.

Allchem has built a strong product portfolio with 263 different chemical compounds, emphasizing the development of high-demand products that are either difficult to source domestically or serve as import substitutes. This strategic approach enables the company to cater to the growing demand in the pharmaceutical sector while reducing dependence on imports.

Manufacturing, Clientele, and Financial Performance

Allchem Lifescience operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat, serving both domestic and international markets. The company has established a broad client base, supplying products to 148 customers across 13 Indian states and 66 clients in 22 countries worldwide. Its clientele includes well-known pharmaceutical companies such as Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Indoco Remedies, Micro Labs, MSN Laboratories, Neogen Chemicals, and Unichem Laboratories.

Financially, Allchem has demonstrated strong growth, with its revenue increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7% between FY22 and FY24. For the six months ending September 30, 2024, the company reported a revenue of INR 7.84 crore. Meanwhile, its profit after tax (PAT) has grown at a CAGR of 28.6% between March 2022 and March 2024, reaching INR 1.09 crore for the six months ending September 2024.

With a diverse product portfolio, a growing customer base, and a strong financial track record, Allchem Lifescience’s IPO is expected to attract significant interest from investors looking for opportunities in the pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals sector.

[nwbeerguide]

Day One Distribution and Chuckanut Brewery enter distribution agreement to put more beer into Oregon.

https://bit.ly/40wZqiM Portland, OR … Specialty craft beer distributor Day One Distribution is excited to announce the first ever release of Chuckanut Brewery’s flagship Bohemian-style Pilsner Lager and Kölsch German-style Ale in the 12oz six-pack format in Oregon. … Over the past 3.5 years, Chuckanut – an award-winning brewery focused on traditional European-style Lagers and Ales based in Burlington, Washington has been hard at work expanding the footprint of their production facility and taproom located adjacent to the Port of Skagit. While their original brewery & taproom in Bellingham closed in 2021 and the Portland P-Nut taproom both opened and closed over that same timeframe, they’ve also been simultaneously focused on doubling the size of their production space to keep up with increasing demand for draft, but to also bring online a new, state-of-the-art canning line. “Our canning line is up and running and we are sending out cans to all our distributors in the North, Greater Seattle region, and to Oregon,” exclaimed Chuckanut co-owner Mari Kemper. “Yes, we are starting with Kölsch and Pilsner then we’ll move on to our seasonals – Japanese Style Lager in winter, Mexican Style Lager in spring, and Fest Bier in fall.” Their new canning line arrived in Burlington in December and they’ve been hard at work dialing everything in to enable their first canning runs to start off the new year. Just today, Day One Distribution received not only an abundance of Chuckanut’s Pilsner and Kölsch cases in cans, but also a variety of seasonal kegs including Vienna Lager, Export Stout, Citra Leaf Pilsner, Rye Lager, and Dunkel Lager. “The prospect of a new canning line on the horizon, announced as part of their expansion a few years back, was very welcome news throughout the beer community in Portland,” says Day One founder Robby Roda. “Previous to today, their Portland taproom was the only place one could fine Chuckanut in the 12oz can format, but now it’ll be available everywhere we distribute in Oregon and we couldn’t be happier!” About Chuckanut Brewery: Chuckanut Brewery brews award winning Lagers and Ales and has won Large Brewery of the Year at WA Beer Awards 2017, 2019 and 2021 and Small Brewery at the GABF 2011 and 2009. The production facility and Tap Room in Skagit Valley is at 11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington, WA. Guests of all ages are welcome (including dogs) and there’s indoor and outdoor seating! Check out additional information about Chuckanut at chuckanutbrewery.com. About Day One Distribution: Day One Distribution was launched in the summer of 2016 by craft beer veteran, Robby Roda. The initial focus was to supply in-demand small specialty craft beer from Southern California into the booming craft beer industry of Portland, Oregon.Today, Day One regularly distributes 20 local breweries and brings in over 80 different breweries from around the country each year for limited specialty releases, tap takeover events, and for distribution throughout the state of Oregon. from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/4heacQp