The picks (2 units unless otherwise indicated): Nebraska +2 over Penn State, Missouri -3 over Mississippi (3 units), Michigan State -7 over Northwestern (3 units), Kansas State -5 over Oklahoma, Iowa State -6 over Kansas, Cincinnati +3 over Houston (3 units), BYU Pick over Notre Dame (3 units), LSU -4 over Texas A&M (3 units), Oregon -20 over Arizona, Tennessee -3 over Vanderbilt, Boise State -6 over San Diego State (3 units), Baylor -8 over Oklahoma State (3 units).

This week's Amato and Armando Show:

Open Thread.

It was 50 years ago today that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Today, the nation still pauses to remember.

One of my favorite JFK memorabilia items: Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday Mr. President" at Madison Square Garden on May 29, 1962.

The LeRoy Neiman painting of the event is one I had over my fireplace for years. I loved picking out all the politicians in it, from Bobby Kennedy and Ted Kennedy (and Ethel) to Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird and Mayor Robert Wagner. Check it out below:[More...]

Former MA state chemist Annie Dookhan was sentenced to 3 to 5 years in prison today for falsifying lab tests.

Dookhan’s falsification of drug tests, in an attempt to look like a highly productive employee, prompted the release of hundreds of convicts, raised questions about thousands of cases, and forced the state to spend millions to address the problems

I reported the details of her fraud, and the implications here.

No more filibustering of presidential appointees. The Senate voted today to end it. Via the New York Times:

The Senate voted on Thursday to eliminate the use of the filibuster against most presidential nominees, a move that will break the Republican blockade of President Obama’s picks to cabinet posts and the federal judiciary. The change is the most fundamental shift in the way the Senate functions in more than a generation.

This is a big deal for the judiciary. Republican efforts to thwart Obama's picks will be diminished, particularly on the influential DC Circuit Court of Appeals which has three vacancies.

Overall, there are 18 vacancies on federal appeals court and 75 on federal district courts.

The DEA, IRS and Denver Police Department have raided multiple marijuana businesses today -- more than a dozen. Westword has all the ongoing details. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver has confirmed the raids:

"The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Denver Police Department and state and local law enforcement are today executing lawfully obtained search warrants and seizure warrants."

...."Although we cannot at this time discuss the substance of this pending investigation, the operation under way today comports with the Department's recent guidance regarding marijuana enforcement matters."

Westword reports Swiss Medical in Boulder was also raided. The Denver Post has more and says it's the largest raid since medical marijuana became legal. Photos here.

After serving 11 years for the murder of Martha Moxley, Michael Skakel has been freed on $1.2 million bond pending a retrial.

Skakel, the nephew of Ethel Kennedy, was 15 years old in 1975 when Martha Moxley was murdered. The crime went unsolved for more than 20 years and suspicion had always focused on his brother Tommy. After Dominick Dunne and Mark Fuhrman re-ignited interest in the case through their books, suspicion shifted to Skakel and in 2000, he was charged with murder. He was convicted at trial and sentenced to 20 years to life.

Had Michael Skakel been charged in 1975 when the murder occurred, he would have been tried in juvenile court and if convicted, received a sentence of no more than two years. That's how juveniles were treated back then in Connecticut.

At the time of the crime, there was a five year statute of limitation on murder, which had expired by the time Michael was charged. In upholding the conviction, the Court overruled its own 1983 precedent. (More on that below.)

I'm glad Skakel's conviction was overturned, but I don't agree his conviction was the result of inadequate representation at trial. Here's what I think went wrong at the Skakel trial and on appeal. A recap: [More...]

I'm still so busy I haven't been following any news.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

CBS Poll:

Just seven percent of Americans think the Affordable Care Act is working well and should be kept in place as it is. Far more, 48 percent, think there are some good things in the law, but changes are needed to make it work better, and another 43 percent think the law needs to be repealed entirely.

(Emphasis supplied.) Mend it, don't end it.

In terms of ObamaCare, my problems with the "market reforms" is a matter of record - I think the regulatory reform/exchanges/mandate is bad policy. I preferred the expansion of public insurance (such as Medicaid expansion, which is the piece of OCare that is unequivocally good and working. But we are where we are - ObamaCare is under fire and extremely unpopular. What do Dems do now?

ObamaCare is not changing any time soon imo. The President won't support any repeal and the GOP won't support any fixes. This means what to do next will necessarily be a 2016 issue.

Here's my modest proposal -- mend ACA as follows - replace the mandate with autoenrollment in Medicare for those persons who either do not qualify for Medicaid or do not have private insurance, using the existing tax credit/subsidy structure where applicable. Simple and effective imo. And politically feasible.

This would have the effect of providing insurance to as many as possible, improving the solvency of Medicare (improving the health of the Medicare pool will lower costs) and be politically popular.

My two cents.

Open Thread.

The Amato and Armando Show:

The picks (disagreements in BOLD John Amato (J), Armando (A)): (J) Buffalo Bills -1, (A) New York Jets -1, (A) Jacksonville Jaguars +8, (J) Arizona Cardinals -8, Cleveland Browns +6 over Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins +4½ over Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers -1½ over Miami Dolphins, (J) Atlanta Falcons -1½, (A) Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1½, (A) Green Bay Packers +6, (J) New York Giants -6, Chicago Bears -3 over Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos -8 over Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers +3 over Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks -13 over Minnesota Vikings, (J) Houston Texans -10, (A) Oakland Raiders (+10), Carolina Panthers -1 over New England Patriots, New Orleans Saint -3 1/2 over San Francisco 49ers.

Open Thread.

The picks (last week 15-5 ATS, +25 units): USC +4 over Stanford, Rice -16 over Louisiana Tech, Boise State -23 over Wyoming, Auburn -4 5 units over Georgia, Cincinnati +1 over Rutgers, Texas +3 over Oklahoma State, Iowa State +24 over Oklahoma, Ohio State -33 over Illinois, Michigan State -7 5 units over Nebraska, Navy -7½ over South Alabama, Kentucky +13 over Vanderbilt, Kansas State -10 over TCU, Houston +16 over Louisville, Indiana +24 over Wisconsin, Troy +28 over Mississippi, Purdue +22 over Penn State, West Virginia -7 over Kansas, Michigan +3 over Northwesten, Oregon -28 3 units over Utsh.

This week's Amato and Armando Show is a comedy of technological and other errors. You'll be laughing at us not with us:

Uh, Go Gators!?!

Open Thread.