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One was on purpose. The other was simply ineptitude.

Billionaire Leon Black sues House Oversight Committee over Epstein probe subpoenas

A lawyer for the former Wall Street private equity investor argued that the committee was overstepping its authority.

Leon Black, a former Wall Street private equity investor, on Thursday sued the House Oversight Committee, seeking to stop the panel from enforcing its subpoenas against him in an ongoing probe of the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

“The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility. This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black. We were left with no choice but to file this lawsuit in response to an abuse of Congressional power,” Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich, said in a statement.

Black had been set to appear before the committee Thursday morning.

The lawsuit comes after Black voluntarily sat for a closed-door transcribed interview with the Oversight Committee in late June but left the hearing early.

Lawmakers have for months sought more information on the financial web that allowed Epstein to fund his sex trafficking operation and whether Black was at all involved or aware of any illegal activity. They specifically have sought information about any nondisclosure agreements Black signed with women.

Black has denied any wrongdoing, involvement in or awareness of Epstein’s illegal activity.

In Thursday’s statement, she said that Black was “misled” about the intentions of the committee’s chair, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.

“Mr. Black has cooperated with the Committee by voluntarily appearing to answer questions in a transcribed interview. Despite being misled about the intent of that interview, he then fully complied with the Committee’s subpoena related to Epstein,” Estrich said.

She added, “To imply misconduct because of the existence of a confidentiality agreement is entirely unjustified. Confidentiality agreements are routinely used in business.”

Estrich went on to wholly deny any allegations against Black, saying, “We want to reiterate that Mr. Black had no awareness of the criminal activities that led to Epstein’s arrest in 2019. Mr. Black never abused a woman. He never was with an underage woman. He never engaged in sex trafficking. He never paid Epstein for access to women. He was never blackmailed by Epstein.”

Black’s name appears more than 300 times in files released by the Justice Department late last year and early this year related to Epstein. His name appears often in emails from Epstein’s assistant, directing the financier to call Black. More than 100 of the mentions of Black are in emails from Epstein’s assistant, who wrote, “Leon Black returned your call.”

In a statement, Comer reacted to Black’s failure to appear before the committee Thursday, saying, “It’s a shame Leon Black is hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people.”

He added, “Mr. Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation as he was one of Mr. Epstein’s fee paying clients and has several non-disclosure agreements. Our deposition is moving forward this morning for the record and there will be an empty chair for Mr. Black. I will speak with our members about next steps.”

Black’s career and his reputation have been marred for years due to his relationship with Epstein, a convicted child sex offender who died in 2019.

In 2022, Black was sued over allegations that he raped a woman in Epstein’s New York City mansion in 2002. That case was later dropped with prejudice after both parties reached an agreement to do so and Black denied the allegations against him. A separate but ongoing lawsuit, filed in 2023, accused Black of raping a 16-year-old girl at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse in 2002. A lawyer for Black denied the allegations, calling them “frivolous and sanctionable.” In April, a judge overseeing the case wrote that the plaintiff and her attorney “engaged in serious, sanctionable misconduct in this case,” but allowed the case to proceed.

Black in 2021 stepped down from the hedge fund he co-founded, Apollo Global Management, after the firm conducted an independent review looking into his ties to Epstein. The review found that Black was not involved in Epstein’s criminal activities.

Earlier this year, he was set to be deposed in a lawsuit filed by survivors of Epstein and his associates alleging that Bank of America facilitated and profited from Epstein’s illegal sex trafficking activity. Bank of America later settled that lawsuit for more than $70 million and did not admit any liability in that case.

“While we stand by our prior statements made in the filings in this case, including that Bank of America did not facilitate sex trafficking crimes, this resolution allows us to put this matter behind us and provides further closure for the plaintiffs,” a Bank of America spokesperson told NBC News at the time.

In a statement reacting to news of the lawsuit Thursday, Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said, “By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two Congressional subpoenas. Black gave Jeffrey Epstein over $180 million over six years. He funded Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of women. Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault. His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable.”

Garcia also called to hold Black in contempt of Congress.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/co...sight-epstein-probe-subpoenas-rcna595887

You said methods, not systems. I misquoted.

Browns sign Coats to PS

https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/browns-sign-cb-michael-coats-jr-to-the-practice-squad

A judge blocks Trump’s new bid to curb birthright citizenship, citing Supreme Court precedent

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to limit birthright citizenship, granting a preliminary injunction against an executive order that the administration said would target “birth tourism.”

U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman in Maryland on Wednesday issued the injunction until a class-action lawsuit brought by immigrant families and advocacy groups is resolved.

“The Supreme Court has spoken: Children in the certified class are ‘citizens at birth,’” Boardman, appointed by President Joe Biden, wrote in Wednesday’s ruling.

Birthright citizenship is guaranteed under current law for anyone who is born on U.S. soil, with a few exceptions. The law stretches back to 1868, when the 14th Amendment was ratified in the aftermath of the Civil War.

But Trump has long wanted to end birthright citizenship, issuing a previous executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens. The Supreme Court struck down that attempt in June.

In August, the president tried again with a narrowed executive order that appeared to restrict automatic citizenship for specific categories of people, including children born to adults with connections to foreign embassies or organizations or to anyone considered an “alien enemy” of the United States.

The order defined birth tourism as someone who enters the United States on a “nonimmigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth on American soil.” Birth tourism is already considered fraud and grounds to restrict a visa if someone seeks one specifically to obtain U.S. citizenship for a child.

The order sought to deny citizenship to children born to adults who “engaged in a commercial transaction to purchase or access birthright citizenship,” and some families said they feared their children could be denied citizenship simply because they purchased airfare to come to the U.S. and got pregnant after they arrived.

Families and organizations who sued over the birthright citizenship restrictions told the court that the executive branch has taken a broad view of who qualifies as an alien enemy, sometimes relying on speculation or misinformation to make that determination.

Others said they feared their children would be denied citizenship because a member of the parents’ extended family was connected to a gang in their home country, even though the parents were not gang members.

Uncertainty surrounding the order left them with confusion and fear, the families said.

They were joined in the lawsuit by We Are CASA, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection.

The administration’s attorneys argued that the request to block the order was premature and said the federal agencies tasked with enforcing it would use “appropriate measures” to do so, relying on official guidance that hasn’t been issued yet.

The judge rejected that argument.

“No matter what the guidance says, the 2026 Executive Order commands agencies to deny citizenship documents to several broad categories of children,” Boardman wrote.

“The White House must recognize it will not succeed in stripping children of their right to citizenship, evading binding court decisions or placing the president’s anti-immigrant agenda above the Constitution,” Shana Khader, legal director at We Are CASA, said in a prepared statement.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://apnews.com/article/birthrig...blocked-69de0a404602a6e648b35f6a852c833d

The SCOTUS just ruled on this but King Trump thinks of he writes a royal decree that somehow overrides the SCOTUS ruling.

With all the guys returning to play this year.

We have to find out who improves and how much?

Manning has the pedigree and all the measureables. He still has to prove he can lead and win.

Moore could be the top guy. But every year guys rise who were not on the radar before.

The college season has to play out.

We have to hope we get a shot at a guy we like a lot.

Name one politician who tells as many lies as trump? We see it pretty much on a daily basis and he leaves receipts on his social media account. Stop trying to make any actual comparison. It's foolish. And remember, George Santos is no longer a politician.

C'mon bro... you're just dizzy from that heat wave!

Agreed. My wife and I make a decent living. Before the "move" we had season tickets in the pound. But as ticket prices have escalated, we've cut back. Might go to 1 game a year, if that. (last year, no games). Sadly, we've chosen our future ahead of our present.

And I know it won't be long until we have to pony up money to even watch the Browns (or any team) on television. Yet those player salaries? They keep going up and up and up.

Good for them.

I thought I would bring up a change I have noticed lately. It's large pop ups appearing on my screen when I hit on a thread or change forums. It doesn't really bother me when I hit for a change between forums. The problem is when I hit on accessing a topic. It will pop up before it goes to the topic and totally screw up the post jumper function that takes you to where you last were on that topic.

It's not something i can't live with but I thought I would inform you of it and the issue it was causing.

It's troubling, sad, and downright despicable that people will watch stuff like this, knowing it's all true, and wave their hands and walk away.

"Extensive research"

The Athletic is doing a piece on Rookies who shined in preseason - Fano got a mention.

Spencer Fano, OT, Cleveland Browns (No. 9)
After playing mainly right tackle at Utah, Fano has had no trouble adjusting to the left side. He’s such a perfect fit for Todd Monken’s offense, and though he’s still feeling his way around NFL power, Fano will be a day-one starter. I loved this pick — and still do.

Concepcion also got a mention - but not Boston (which I find a little strange given everything I have read) ... but here is his blurb:

KC Concepcion, WR, Cleveland Browns (No. 24)
Concepcion was built to play in Monken’s offense, in the same manner Zay Flowers once was. We’ve already seen examples in training camp, both in Concepcion’s ability after the catch and the versatility he offers.

He's so bad. I agree completely

A month to go 25 games and the Playoffs begin.

My favorite time of the year. Football begins. MLB Playoffs a month away.

My two teams would be in if it began today. Braves are 99.9%. The Guardians 50.9%

The Braves would be the second seed. the Guardians 6th seed.

Braves would get the by and face the winner of Dodgers vs Dbacks.

Guardians would play 3 game series against the White Sox.

I knew that was his nickname but had no idea either. Pretty cool!

You're welcome. Things seem to be moving more and more in that direction..................

Gov. Lee proposes renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is proposing renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton, joining a growing push to put the Tennessee icon’s name on BNA.

Lee and Nashville International Airport announced the proposal Friday, but the name change is not yet final. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s current naming policy and Lee’s proposal are expected to be discussed at the authority’s Sept. 17 meeting.
The video player is currently playing an ad.

The announcement comes as support for renaming the airport has surged following Parton’s death. As of Thursday afternoon, about 140,000 people had signed a Change.org petition calling for the airport to be named after her, including roughly 90,000 signatures added since her death.

The petition was launched in 2025 by Nashville residents who originally hoped to honor Parton while she was still alive.

State Rep. Todd Warner has also said he plans to introduce legislation to rename the airport when lawmakers return to session.

Lee spoke with Parton’s team about his proposal this week. According to the governor’s office, her team expressed appreciation for the outpouring of support and said they are open to continuing the conversation.

“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said. “From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her.”

The proposal, however, is far from final.

The governor does not have the authority to rename the airport on his own. The decision would likely fall to the airport’s governing board, though there is an ongoing dispute over whether the state-appointed board or Metro Nashville’s board is ultimately in control.

The change could also require action from the Tennessee General Assembly or Metro Council.

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority said Lee’s proposal and its current naming policy will be addressed at its Sept. 17 meeting.

Any name change could also come with a significant price tag. Previous estimates made during an earlier push to rename BNA after President Donald Trump put the cost of replacing airport signs and branding at about $10 million.

Parton was born in Sevier County and became a global music icon while maintaining deep ties to Tennessee. Her legacy also includes decades of philanthropy through efforts including the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library.

“BNA® is the front door to Music City, and with that comes a responsibility to reflect the very best of who we are as a community,” said Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.

The airport authority previously said its naming policy, originally adopted in 2010 and updated in 2024, lays out the formal process for naming its buildings, spaces, facilities and streets.

More details about the proposal are expected in the coming weeks.

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/s...tJYZpMqRKboJs_aem_iFsVaWqNX5X2Kufb_RRysw

In the end I doubt anyone makes some major movement to try and stop it. That would be an extremely unpopular thing to do here in Tennessee. I have seen some people from east Tennessee that oppose it because she is from there and not Nashville. But then Knoxville is the only major airport in that area and while it's called an International Airport it has no international flights and the Nashville airport dwarfs it is size and traffic.

Riddick and Deion were teammates on the Falcons, and are still friends. Riddick's "endorsement" of Shedeur was more about Deion and "the way he was brought up."

Lots of guys have starter "potential." Unfortunately, Shedeur isn't starter quality right now, and I'm not convinced he's ever going to get there. Dillon looked better after virtually no reps. Unfortunately, since they invested all those reps in Shedeur, he's probably going to stick around and take more reps which, to me, would seemingly be more efficaciously spent elsewhere.

If he's had every football advantage his entire life, and he still can't do (NFL) basic stuff (i.e, consistently throw on time), why am I to believe it is suddenly going to happen this season?

He's a talented thrower, but there's a lot more to playing QB.

U.S. imposes 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods after trade talks collapse





I'm just curious why any of this is even happening? It seems some people have very short memories. Trump claimed that NAFTA was a terrible trade deal. As such he made a new trade agreement with both Canada and Mexico calling it the USMCA. He claimed it was "the best and most important trade deal ever made". It is not set to expire until July 1st 2036.

Now all of a sudden he says both Canada and Mexico are taking advantage of us and wishes to ignore the very trade deal he himself agreed to and signed with both Canada and Mexico. WTH?

Is it any wonder nations around the globe no longer trust the U.S. and Donald Trump?

First they know that Trump's word isn't worth the paper it''s written on and secondly they now understand that any agreements the U.S. has with anyone, anywhere can be ignored based on a single election. We are no longer the trustworthy partners we used to be.

It seems as though now trump is saying the very deal he made in 2018 no longer counts because he made a crappy deal to begin with?