Federal Judge Approves $940 Million Settlement between Native American Tribes and Obama Administration

a federal judge in albuquerque, new mexico on wednesday approved a $940 million settlement between native american tribes and the obama administration. the class-action lawsuit claims the government shorted tribes for decades on contract costs to manage education, law enforcement and other federal services.

the judge's recommendation begins a process to release payments to the tribes attorneys said could take several months. michael gross, a lawyer for the tribes said, "the end result was there were no objections to the settlement and no objection to the fee request. this showed a unity among indian tribes that is absolutely astounding."

the ruling also authorized a $1.2 million reimbursement for lead plaintiff's costs, and an agreement for attorneys to receive 8.5% of the final settlement amount. nearly 700 tribes, or tribal agencies, are expected to claim compensation, with amounts ranging from an estimated $8,000 for some alaska native villages and communities elsewhere to $58 million for the navajo nation.

val panteah, governor of zuni pueblo, described "a financial death spiral." he said it came as his government tried to offset losses from the contracts in new mexico. other tribal leaders described trying to stem losses from the underfunded contracts with painful budget costs as they tried to meet critical needs in their communities.

the case was originally filed in 1990 by the ramah navajo chapter, a community of about 4,000 people. they became the case's lead plaintiff, along with the oglala sioux tribe in south dakota and zuni pueblo.

in 2012, the case went before the u.s. supreme court. the court sided with the tribes and sent the case back to the lower courts before the interior department announced a proposed settlement last fall. since the supreme court ruling, congress has appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars to fully fund contract support costs for tribes.

the settlement is the latest in a recent string of major agreements between the interior department and native tribes to resolve legal disputes which languished for years. in the largest agreement, the government agreed to pay $3.4 billion to resolve claims over royalties owed to generations of individual landowners.

kevin washburn, former interior department assistant secretary for indian affairs said, "it just shows the obama administration has been working throughout two terms to stop litigating with tribes. now, even in the last year of the administration, they're getting this lengthy case settled."

Florida's seatbelt violators are Racially Profiled

black motorists in florida are stopped and ticketed for seatbelt violations nearly twice as often as white residents statewide. in certain counties, blacks are stopped up to four times as often as whites, according to a new report from the american civil liberties union (aclu).

the study is based on data produced since the 2005 florida safety belt law was enacted. the aclu says black motorists tend to wear seatbelts less often than whites, yet this fact doesn't explain the large difference in racial disparity with seatbelt ticketing. 

additionally, black motorists' higher rate of stops and tickets expose them to a disproportionate financial burden - and risk of police force: unlike white motorists with similar citations. the alarming report was featured in the january 27 issue of the guardian. 

in response to these disturbing findings, the aclu is asking for an investigation by the florida attorney general's office of civil rights. the organization is also calling for the promotion of fair and bias-free policing, and for legislation to penalize agencies failing to collect and report data.  

Maryland Legislature Expands Voting Rights for People with Felony Convictions

maryland lawmakers on tuesday expanded voting rights for people with felony convictions by overriding governor larry hogan's veto of house bill 980. the action restores voting rights to about 40,000 people on felony parole or probation. maryland was one of 35 states who disenfranchised people on parole or probation: individuals living in the community but unable to vote.

marc mauer, executive director of the sentencing project said, "maryland lawmakers have taken an important step in expanding the vote to people with felony convictions living in the community. restricting voting rights is deeply problematic for a democratic society and compounds the social isolation of formerly incarcerated persons from their communities."

nationally, 5.85 million americans are prohibited from voting due to laws disenfranchising citizens convicted of felony offenses. these policies vary by state, and arbitrarily oppress people in prison, on parole, probation, or with past convictions. maryland now joins connecticut and rhode island as states to recently expand voting rights to such people.

felony disenfranchisement has produced broad racial disparities in its impact as well. in america, one in every 13 black adults cannot vote as a result of a felony conviction. moreover, in two states in particular - florida and virginia - more than 20% of black adults suffer disenfranchisement.

civic participation has been linked to lower recidivism rates. in one study, among individuals who had been previously arrested, 27% of nonvoters were re-arrested, compared with 12% of voters. although the limitations of the data available preclude undeniable proof of direct causation, its clear voting appears to compliment pro-social behavior, which might impact lower crime rates.

nicole d. porter, director of advocacy of the sentencing project said, "we are encouraged by state officials who are reconsidering unfair disenfranchisement policies. 23 states have enacted reforms since 1997. this reform offers an opportunity to strengthen the democratic process and we hope this will be followed by a commitment to notify impacted persons their voting rights have been restored."

   

Denver Broncos Win Super Bowl 50

the denver broncos defeated the carolina panthers 24-10 to win super bowl 50 at levi's stadium in santa clara, california. denver linebacker von miller was named most valuable player. miller had six tackles, two and a half sacks and two forced fumbles.

denver (15-4) sacked carolina (17-2) qb cam newton seven times - a super bowl record for sacks by one team. broncos defensive lineman demarcus ware also had two sacks. one of miller's forced fumbles resulted in a touchdown early in the first quarter, and they never lost the lead.

broncos' peyton manning, 39, became the oldest qb to win a super bowl, and first starting qb to win on two different teams. he now has 200 career regular and playoff wins: most all-time. asked about his future plans, he said, "i'll take some time to reflect. i got a couple priorities first. i'm going to kiss my wife and kids. i'm going to drink a lot of budweiser tonight." 

carolina's potent offense, number one during the regular season with 500 points, was held to its fewest points of the year. denver allowed just 194 yards, another super bowl record for the least amount given up by a vince lombardi trophy winner. league mvp newton completed 18 of 41 passes for 265 yards and no touchdowns.

2016 NFL Honors and 2016 Hall of Fame Class

listed below are the winners of the 2016 nfl honors:

air player of the year - carson palmer, qb, arizona cardinals
ground player of the year - todd gurley, rb, st. louis rams
offensive rookie of the year - todd gurley, rb, st. louis rams 
offensive player of the year - cam newton, qb, carolina panthers

salute to service award - vincent jackson, wr, tampa bay buccaneers
clutch performer of the year - drew brees, qb, new orleans saints

coach of the year - ron rivera, carolina panthers
art rooney award - charles woodson, s, oakland raiders
defensive rookie of the year - marcus peters, cb, kansas city chiefs
assistant coach of the year - wade phillips, denver broncos
greatness on the road award - antonio brown, wr, pittsburgh steelers

defensive player of the year - j.j. watt, de, houston texans
most valuable player - cam newton, qb, carolina panthers
rookie of the year - jameis winston, qb, tampa bay buccaneers
comeback player of the year - eric berry, s, kansas city chiefs

fantasy player of the year - antonio brown, wr, pittsburgh steelers
deacon jones award - j.j. watt, de, houston texans
walter payton man of the year - anquan boldin, wr, san francisco 49ers
performance play of the year - aaron rodgers, qb, green bay packers

2016 hall of fame class
eddie debartolo, owner
tony dungy, coach
brett favre, qb
kevin greene, lb
marvin harrison, wr
orlando pace, ol
ken stabler, qb
dick stanfel, ol

Angelique Kerber and Novak Djokovic Win 2016 Australian Open Singles Titles

angelique kerber of germany stunned world #1 serena williams of the u.s. 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win the 2016 australian open singles championship. kerber captured her first career major - while playing in her first major final - after 33 grand slam appearances. 

kerber collected $3.4 million for her efforts and is now the #2 player in the world. kerber, 28, is the first german since steffi graf in 1994 to win here, and the first lefty to win down under since monica seles in 1996. ironically, she was down match point in her first round encounter.

"i was going out there and not thinking too much that it's a grand slam final. i was enjoying the whole two hours on court. i was going out there, trying, ok i can beat her; i beat her once. and just believe in myself. if you're just hoping, you can't win against her. that was my game plan: serving good, moving good and just going for it. it works," kerber said afterwards.

williams has 21 career major singles titles. she is one win away from equaling graf's 22 majors: an open era record since 1999. williams, 34, fell short for the second consecutive major. roberta vinci beat her in the u.s. open semifinals last summer. she told kerber, "you did so well let me be the first to congratulate you. you truly played so well in the moment."

world #1 novak djokovic of serbia defeated andy murray of great britian 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 to win the 2016 australian open singles championship. djokovic equaled roy emerson's record of six australian titles, and continued his unprecedented play in the last 15 months of his career.

the defending champion djokovic has won the last three major singles titles, including four of the last five. he lost the 2015 french open to stan wawrinka of swizerland. djokovic now has 11 career major singles championships, tying bjorn borg of sweden and rod laver of australia for fifth place on the all-time list.

afterwards djokovic said, "i never experienced this much crowd and this much love. i've had the fortune to win this trophy now six times, but i never experienced such support. everything is going well privately, as well, so i feel like i'm at the point in my life where everything is working in harmony. i'll try to keep it that way."

murray, 28, became only the second man to lose five finals at one major - all to djokovic in melbourne. his career record against djokovic was 9-21 before their encounter, losing 10 of his last 11 matches. murray said later, "it's been hard, regardless of today's result. i'm proud i got into this position, just quite looking forward to getting home now." his wife is due next month. 

   

  

U.S. Supreme Court Retroactive Ban on Mandatory Life Without Parole for Juveniles

the u.s. supreme court, in their 6-3 ruling on monday in the case of montgomery v. louisiana, written by justice kennedy, stated "children who commit even heinous crimes are capable of change." several thousand inmates could potentially be impacted by their decision.

the court's rulings in a series of cases over the past decade suggest children are different: making the mandatory, permanent sentence of life without parole (lwop) inappropriate. though mandatory sentencing of lwop was ruled unconstitutional in miller v. alabama, states differed widely on applying the ruling retroactively.

the united states is the only country in the world to allow such unconscionable sentences for children. in 2010, the sentencing project released findings from a nationwide survey of almost 1,600 people serving these sentences. they found many of these kids had been traumatized and victimized before they hurt others.

the sentencing project also cited extreme poverty, poor legal counsel and significant racial disparities with the imposition of life sentences for juveniles. despite many disturbing patterns, they also noticed meaningful change and reform from the inmates over the years, sometimes decades, after their incarceration.    

mandatory sentences of lwop rose exponentially in the 90's during the so-called 'super-predator era,' which has now been wholly discredited as fear-based media hype and political rhetoric. 

the sentencing project works for a fair and effective u.s. justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing policy, addressing unjust racial disparities and practices, and advocating for alternatives to incarceration.  

Black college student wins $45K settlement against Barney's

a young black male won a $45,000 settlement against barney's on wednesday, january 20. trayon christian, 18, sued the high-end clothing store and the new york police department (nypd) in october, 2013, claiming they profiled him for credit card fraud and buying a $349 designer belt on april 27, 2013.

christian, a queens resident, was hassled by two nypd detectives after he purchased the reversible black and white ferragamo's belt. an engineering student and part-time employee at the new york city college of technology at the time, christian felt he was detained because they believed he couldn't afford the belt.

christian said, "they said my card wasn't real, it was fake. they said someone at barney's called to report it." they detectives asked to see his id and look in his bag and whether and where he worked. he said, "the detectives were asking me, 'how could you afford a bag like this?' where did you get this money from?"

the detectives cuffed christian and took him to the 19th precinct station house, where he was kept in a holding cell for two hours. after he was released, the nypd said he was there for only 40 minutes. in august, 2014, barney's agreed to pay $525,000 in fines to settle racial profiling claims.





   

White Male Officer Sentenced to 263 Years for multiple Sexual Assaults of Black Females

daniel holtzclaw, a former oklahoma city police officer, was sentenced to 263 years in prison for the rapes and sexual assaults of seven black women, and one black female teenager. holtzclaw received the maximum sentence and will serve each year consecutively.

holtzclaw is white.

during the sentencing hearing, the women each shared the pain and horror of their individual trauma. janie liggons, 59, the grandmother who blew the whistle on the predator, said she, "just wanted her life back."

in december, holtzclaw was found guilty of 18 of the 36 charges brought against him. he was found not guilty of charges brought in the sexual assaults and rapes of five black women. sentencing was delayed temporarily as holtzclaw's defense team argued for a new trial, claiming prosecutors withheld evidence to help their client.

the lawyers said a detective's social media post and an interview with a juror compromised proceedings. but judge timothy henderson denied the motion and holtzclaw was taken back into custody. supporters and organizers crowded the courtroom, including members of the african american policy forum and the black women's blueprint.

The U.S. Police killed almost 1200 people in 2015

u.s police killed more people in 2015 than in 2014. while exact numbers have various sources, the website killedbypolice.net stated almost 1200 people died because of police shootings in america.

their data shows white people are the largest group killed by the police. but collectively, asians, blacks, indigenous people and latinos surpass the number of people killed by the police. 

thinkprogress noted black men are 21 times more likely to be killed by cops than young white men, according to a propublica analysis. in 14 cities this year, every victim of a police killing was black. 

the centers for disease control and prevention also compiled similar data. they reported california, florida and texas lead the u.s. in terms of deadly police encounters. 

Will there be mercy or justice for Sandra Bland?

on december 21, the grand jury said it will bring no charges in the death of black lives matter activist sandra bland. she died in jail last july, three days after a traffic stop in waller county, texas. two videos of the stop went viral. the medical examiner said she hanged herself with a trash bag.

her family doubts it was suicide. jail officials did not think she was depressed, even after she told them she tried to take her life last year after a miscarriage. they did not put her on suicide watch.

"in prisons, it is not at all uncommon to find a prisoner hanged or burned to death in his cell. no matter how suspicious the circumstances, these deaths are always ruled "suicides." they are usually black inmates, considered to be a "threat to the orderly running of the prison." they are usually among the most politically aware and socially conscious inmates in the prison." - assata shakur.

the u.s. department of homeland security (dhs) admits they keep an eye on black matter lives through the internet for "situational awareness purposes" to ensure that critical information reaches appropriate decision-makers in federal, state, local, tribal and territorial governments," but denies it keeps files on anyone in the movement. 

the fbi behaved similarly with the black power movement in the 60's and 70's under cointelpro.

the grand jury heard nine hours of evidence. the hearing was in secret, there was no judge present, and no lawyer to question the evidence and witnesses presented by the prosecutor. these dynamics are common with grand juries.

the grand jury decision was presumably based mainly on the autopsy. yet, that same autopsy says bland had high levels of marijuana in her blood - levels so high she would have had to have smoked marijuana in jail.

the grand jury will meet again in january to decide "other issues." one such issue is whether the arresting officer, brian encinia, broke any laws during the traffic stop. encinia, a white male, is currently on paid leave. 

the bland family has brought a wrongful-death civil lawsuit against the following: encinia, jail officers elsa magnus and oscar prudente, the sheriff's office, the texas department of public safety, and waller county. 

there are key parts of the autopsy which are missing, and this has profoundly impacted their own independent autopsy. sadly enough, the bland family does not have the report on bland's arrest or her death. after the grand jury meeting in january, they hope more answers will be forthcoming.



   

When A Child Dies by Mumia Abu-Jamal

newsbreak: cleveland officials announce no charges to be filed in the police killing of 12 year-old tamir rice.

there is something shattering about the death, the killing, of a child. 

when a child dies the natural order is torn, the stars weep and the earth quakes. we have become so accustomed to this system we suppose it is natural, instead of a human imposition. 

politicians in the pocket of so called police unions bow before bags of silver and blink away the death of a child - especially if a black child.

what man-made institution is more precious than a child? what job? what so called profession? what office? what state? when a child dies, adults don't deserve to breathe their stolen air. 

when a child dies, the living must not rest until they have purged the poison that dared harm such a one. when a child dies, time runs backward and attempts to right such a wrong.

this should inspire movements worldwide to fight like never before. for something vile has happened. a child has been killed, and in america, because it's a black child - it means next to nothing.

from imprisoned nation, this is mumia abu-jamal  

2016 NFL Pro Bowl Team

the carolina panthers (14-0) have 10 players selected to the 2016 nfl pro bowl. the arizona cardinals, new england patriots and seattle seahawks each have seven pro bowl players.

patriots quarterback tom brady received the most votes. panthers qb cam newton was second. three rookies were selected: kansas city chiefs cornerback marcus peters, seahawks return man tyler lockett and st. louis rams running back todd gurley.

offensive players

quarterbacks: brady; newton; carson palmer, arizona cardinals; aaron rodgers, green bay packers; ben roethlisberger, pittsburgh steelers; russell wilson, seahawks.

running backs: devonta freeman, atlanta falcons; gurley; doug martin, tampa bay buccaneers; lesean mccoy, buffalo bills; adrian peterson, minnesota vikings.

fullbacks: marcel reese, oakland raiders; mike tolbert, panthers.

wide receivers: odell beckham jr., new york giants; antonio brown, steelers; larry fitzgerald, cardinals; a.j. green, cincinnati bengals; deandre hopkins, houston texans; calvin johnson, detroit lions; julio jones, falcons; brandon marshall, new york jets.

tight ends: tyler eifert, bengals; rob gronkowski, patriots; travis kelce, chiefs; greg olsen, panthers.

centers: travis frederick, dallas cowboys; ryan kalil, panthers; alex mack, cleveland browns; mike pouncey, miami dolphins. 

guards: david decastro, steelers; mike iupati, cardinals; zack martin, cowboys; josh sitton, packers; trai turner, panthers; marshal yanda, baltimore ravens.

tackles: jason peters, philadelphia eagles; tyron smith, cowboys; joe staley, san francisco 49ers; joe thomas, browns; andrew whitworth, bengals; trent williams, washington redskins.

defensive players

ends: ezekiel ansah, lions; michael bennett, seahawks; chandler jones, patriots; khalil mack, oakland raiders; j.j. watt, texans; muhammed wilkerson, jets.

interior lineman: geno atkins, bengals; calais campbell, cardinals; fletcher cox, eagles; aaron donald, rams; gerald mccoy, buccanneers; kawann short, panthers.

inside/middle linebackers: navorro bowman, 49ers; luke keuchly, panthers; clay matthews, packers; bobby wagner, seahawks. 

outside linebackers: jamie collins, panthers; thomas davis, jr., panthers; tamba hali, chiefs; justin houston, chiefs; von miller, denver broncos; demarcus ware, broncos.

cornerbacks: malcolm butler, patriots; chris harris, broncos; josh norman, panthers; marcus peters, chiefs; patrick peterson, cardinals; darrelle revis, jets; richard sherman, panthers; aqib talib, broncos.

free safeties: tyrann mathieu, cardinals; reggie nelson, bengals; earl thomas, seahawks.

strong safeties: eric berry, chiefs; kam chancellor, seahawks; charles woodson, raiders.

special teams players

placekickers: stephen gostkowski, patriots; dan bailey, cowboys.
punters: sam koch, ravens; johnny hekker, rams.
return specialists: darren spoles, eagles; tyler lockett, seahawks.
special teamers: matthew slater, patriots; justin bethel, cardinals. 




   

Race and Bail in America

the bail system for people of african descent in america is criminal. richard pryor once said, "there is no justice for black people - just us." listed below are statistics recently cited by the pretrial racial justice initiative (prji).

* african-americans are 2.5 times more likely to be arrested than white americans.

for non-violent drug arrests:

* african-americans are 2 times more likely to be detained than whites. 
* hispanics are 2.5 times more likely to be detained than whites.
* 1 in 15 african-american males are incarcerated.
* 1 in 36 hispanic males are incarcerated.
* 1 in 106 white males are incarcerated. 

race and bond amounts are significantly correlated:

* african-american men - 35% higher bond than white men.
* hispanic men - 19% higher bond than white men.

drivers of racial discrimination:

* implicit biases of system actors.
* jurisdictions that allow non-lawyers to make bail decisions.
* lack of adequate information to make informed decisions.
* monetary bail system.
* no oversight of discretionary decision-making.

short periods of pretrial detention increases the likelihood of:

* failure to appear in court.
* new criminal activity while awaiting trial.
* post-disposition recidivism.

defendants held for the entire trial period faced:

* four times greater likelihood of being sentenced to jail.
* three times greater likelihood of being sentenced to prison.
* three times longer jail sentences.
* two times prison sentence.

pretrial risk assessment can help to level these disparities through:

* education of implicit biases.
* move from monetary to risk-based system.
* multiple stages of release.
* oversight and accountability.
* require articulation of bail decisions.
* review of bail determinations.  

Chicago Police Superintendent Fired after video of slain black teen surfaces 13 months later

chicago police superintendent garry mccarthy was fired tuesday by chicago mayor rahm emanuel amid disturbing racial issues within the department. after the video of 17 year-old laquan mcdonald being executed by a police officer last year surfaced just last month, community outrage and national protests led to his dismissal.

in the shocking dashboard camera video, mcdonald is seen walking away from a line of police cruisers. just six seconds after getting out of his car, officer jason van dyke shoots mcdonald. he spins around, writhing on the ground, and van dyke continues to shoot: 16 times. mcdonald had a three-inch blade knife, but didn't threaten the officer.

several patrol cars responded, yet only van dyke fired his weapon. the cook county medical examiner conducted an autopsy on mcdonald. the examiner lists the 16 wounds one by one: arms, back, chest, elbow, hand, left scalp, legs and neck. nine of the gunshots entered from the back.  

van dyke is white. mcdonald is black.

jay darshane, district manager for a burger king where mcdonald was seen running in the video, said shortly after the teenager was fatally shot, four chicago police officers demanded to see the security film. darshane also said 86 minutes of the film was deleted by the police department.

a spokesperson for the independent police review authority said, "we have no credible evidence at this time that would cause to believe cpd purged or erased any surveillance video." but darshane says the cameras were up and running all night. he said, "we had no idea they were going to sit there and delete files. i mean, we were just trying to help the police officers."

jeff neslund, an attorney for the mcdonald family said, "our first time down at the burger king restaurant when we started talking to employees, watching the burger king video, when we realized video had been deleted, or is missing, absolutely we knew something was up."  van dyke was charged with first-degree murder - a first in chicago for a cop.
  
chicago's black caucus and the chicago sun-times called for mccarthy's immediate ouster. under his tenure, the city has suffered with recurring street violence and controversial police-related shootings. last month, nine year-old tyshawn lee was shot and killed in an alley on the south side of the city. his tragic death was reportedly gang-related. 

in 2012, rekia boyd was shot by detective dante servin. a week after servin was acquitted in boyd's death, mccarthy defended the detective. he said dervin shouldn't have been indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges because he "hit the individual who he was aiming at," and only "happened to hit" boyd.

servin is white. boyd is black.

emanuel said (of mccarthy), "he has become an issue, rather than dealing with the issue, and a distraction." the mayor also said mccarthy was fired because of "the undeniable fact that the public trust in the leadership of the department has been shaken and eroded."    

last year, chicago surpassed new york as the nation's murder capital. additionally, the city has spent millions of dollars trying to defend racist police misconduct. undaunted, the black and brown people disproportionately impacted by their oppressive dehumanization continue to demand justice. 

Kentucky Governor Restores Voting Rights to 100,000 People

kentucky governor steve beshear issued an executive action today. his progressive order will automatically restore voting rights to about 100,000 people with nonviolent felony convictions who completed their sentences. 

kentucky, florida, iowa and virginia are the only states which disenfranchise people with felony convictions after completing their sentences. voting rights in these states can only be restored through a governor's action or pardons board. about 243,000 felons in kentucky lost their voting rights, including 180,000 who completed their sentence.

almost six million americans can't vote because of the legal disenfranchisement with their felony convictions. policies vary from state to state. the most extreme states restrict voting rights even after people serve their sentences, and are no longer on parole or probation: individuals in these states make up about 45% of the entire disenfranchised population.

felony disenfranchisement has produced broad racial disparities in its impact. nationwide, one in every 13 black adults have been stripped of their right to vote. in florida and virginia, over 20% of black adults experience disenfranchisement.

marc mauer, executive director of the sentencing project said, "in issuing this executive action, governor beshear has demonstrated bold and necessary leadership. denying the right to vote to an entire class of citizens is deeply problematic for a democratic society and counterproductive to effective reentry."

nicole d. porter, director of advocacy at the sentencing project said, "we are encouraged by state officials who are reconsidering archaic disenfranchisement policies, with 23 states having enacted reforms since 1997. yet, there is much more work to do, both in kentucky and other states, to allow the full democratic participation of all citizens."

2015 Major League Baseball Awards

here are the major league baseball post-season award winners for 2015:

most valuable player, american league - josh donaldson, toronto blue jays

most valuable player, national league - bryce harper, washington nationals

cy young award, american league - dallas keuchel, houston astros

cy young award, national league - jake arrieta, chicago cubs

manager of the year, american league - jeff banister, texas rangers

manager of the year, national league - joe maddon, chicago cubs

rookie of the year, american league - carlos correa, houston astros

rookie of the year, national league - kris bryant, chicago cubs

hank aaron award, american league - josh donaldson, toronto blue jays

hank aaron award, national league - bryce harper, washington nationals  

relief man award, american league - andrew miller, new york yankees
relief man award, national league - mark melancon, pittsburgh pirates

The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015

the sentencing reform and corrections act is a bipartisan, bicameral reform bill introduced in early october in congress. the legislation would take a number of steps forward to reduce harsh penalties which are costly to families and taxpayers. 

among other initiatives, the bill intends to expand the existing safety valve, and give judges enhanced discretion to exempt a substantial number of individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses from harsh mandatory sentences.

the bill also seeks to make the fair sentencing act of 2010 - which scaled back the unfair sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine - retroactive to allow nearly 6,000 current prisoners to petition for sentence reductions; and provide sentence reduction incentives for prisoners who take part in rehabilitative programming. 

marc mauer, executive director of the sentencing project, calls the bill, "the most substantial criminal  justice reform legislation introduced since the inception of the 'touch on crime' movement." the sentencing project works for a fair and effective u.s. justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing policy, addressing unjust racial disparities and practices, and advocating for alternatives to incarceration.   

2015 AL & NL Gold Glove Winners

the 2015 rawlings american league and national  league gold glove award winners were announced on tuesday night. the players are listed below:

american league
pitcher: dallas keuchel, houston astros
catcher: salvador perez, kansas city royals
first baseman: eric hosmer, kansas city royals
second baseman: jose altuve, houston astros
third baseman: manny machado, baltimore orioles
shortstop: alcides escobar, kansas city royals
left field: yoenis cespedes, detroit tigers
center field: kevin kiermaier, tampa bay rays
right field: kole calhoun, los angeles angels

national league
pitcher: zack greinke, los angeles dodgers
catcher: yadier molina, st. louis cardinals
first baseman: paul goldschmidt, arizona diamondbacks
second baseman: dee gordon, florida marlins
third baseman: nolan arenado, colorado rockies
shortstop: brandon crawford, san francisco giants
left field: starling marte, pittsburgh pirates
center field: a.j. pollock, arizona diamondbacks
right field: jason heyward, st. louis cardinals

Kansas City Royals Win 2015 World Series

the kansas city royals captured their first world series championship in 30 years with an impressive five-game victory over the new york mets. they won 7-2 in a dramatic 12th inning flurry on a chilly sunday night at citi field in new york.

royals catcher salvador perez, who hit .364 during the series, was named most valuable player. the humble all-star led the majors in games and innings caught in each of the last two seasons. perez is the first catcher to win world series mvp since pat borders of toronto in 1992.

kc scored five runs in the decisive 12th inning. the go-ahead rbi came from reserve infielder christian colon - who singled in his only at bat during the series. it was their eighth comeback win of the postseason, and the sixth time they overcame a deficit of least two runs: both world series records. kc scored 41 runs in the eighth inning or later, another world series record.

before the game, royals manager ned yost said, "i felt from the beginning this group, after what they accomplished last year and saw the heartbreak in their eyes after game seven, that we had unfinished business to do. and yeah, i sit there sometimes and think this is just the way it's supposed to be." 

kc third baseman mike moustakas also said before the game, "we knew the only way to get rid of last year's feeling is to go out there and finish the deal." royals first baseman eric hosmer said, "we all realize that these opportunities don't come often. and i think that's one thing that we all really focused in on in spring training was the fact that we came so close to winning a world series."

royals pitcher edinson volquez started game five and threw six innings of two-hit baseball - just three days after burying his 63 year-old father, who died in his native dominican republic. volquez later said, "my mom told me before i got here, go over there and enjoy the game like you always do and be proud. we are proud of you. and be proud, and make people proud, more proud than they are."