Many positive things have been and will be said about Judge Neil Gorsuch leading up to his confirmation. Deservedly so. There is a lot to like about him, including his intellect and commitment to textualism.

But some have wondered: If Judge Gorsuch is confirmed as Justice Antonin Scalias successor, would he change the arc of the Supreme Courts decisions on criminal law and procedure, issues critical to a prosecutorial office like my own?

Justice Scalia recognized that some of the governments most consequential powers are those it brings to bear in the criminal justice system. We rightly count on the state to protect us from criminals and to appropriately mete out justice for broken laws.

If the state failed to fulfill those functions, anarchy would reign. But the governments powers to investigate crime and to charge defendants can result in serious intrusions on individual liberty. And, unchecked, government-sponsored loss of liberty leads to tyranny.

Those tensions caused the Founders to limit the governments criminal-justice powers through structural safeguards enshrined in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. Good judges defend those safeguards, insisting that the government honor them while enforcing the law.

Ginsburg: Trump Supreme Court nominee "very easy to get along with" https://t.co/p7BhgqhcbE pic.twitter.com/uYvcEuor53

Justice Scalia and Judge Gorsuch both fit that mold. To show their similarities, consider these four excerpts, two from each judges criminal-law opinions. Before jumping to the answers below, can you identify each passages author?

1. Instead of setting forth exact limits of the governments search and seizure powers in some numbingly detailed (and no doubt quickly antiquated) list of dos and donts, the framers of the Fourth Amendment more simply and ingeniously forbade all unreasonable searches and seizures.

2. Drunken driving is a serious matter, but so is the loss of our freedom to come and go as we please without police interference. To prevent and detect murder we do not allow searches without probable cause or targeted [investigatory] stops without reasonable suspicion. We should not do so for drunken driving either.

3. The Fourth Amendments protection of the home has never been tied to measurement of the quality or quantity of information obtained.

4. Since time out of mind the law has prevented agents from exercising powers their principals do not possess and so cannot delegate. That is a rule of law the founders knew, understood, and undoubtedly relied upon when they drafted the Fourth Amendment for what would have been the point of the Amendment if the government could have instantly rendered it a dead letter by the simple expedient of delegating to agents investigative work it was forbidden from undertaking itself?

For those keeping score, the authors are (1) Gorsuch (dissenting in United States v. Nicholson), (2) Scalia (dissenting in Navarette v. California), (3) Scalia (in Kyllo v. United States), and (4) Gorsuch (in United States v. Ackerman).

So Americans of all political stripes need look no further than Judge Gorsuchs own words to reassure themselves that he strives to strike the same careful balance as Justice Scalia on critical criminal-law issues. We can count on him, as Justice Gorsuch, to join opinions reminding prosecutors that their duty in a criminal case for the good of all Americans is not that they shall win a case, but that justice shall be done.

Sean D. Reyes is the Attorney General of Utah.

The views of contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.

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Gorsuch successfully balances criminal law, personal liberty - The Hill (blog)

March 3, 2017 12:26 AM By David Highfield

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Theres some disagreement over a plan to improve Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh.

While some think a new proposal is exactly how to transform the street, others fear taking away parking will hurt businesses.

The current discussion includes widening sidewalks on Liberty, but eliminating some street parking in the 900 block, at least during the day.

That has David Abrams fired up.

Big sidewalks might be nice in Paris, but Pittsburgh is still a driving city. People still drive in Pittsburgh, he said.

Abrams owns the Army Navy store thats been in business for 73 years. Its survived a lot, but he wonders if it can survive less street parking.

Its definitely going to affect my business because theres no place to park on Liberty Avenue. Not everyone comes in on a bus, said Abrams.

He says a nearby parking lot and a garage are filled up during the day.

But not everyone shares his concerns. Eve Picker owns buildings on Liberty and sees a different problem.

The street is not working, said Picker. That block is not working. I have a store front Id really love to fill with a caf, and I think people are really turned off by the congestion and the bus noise.

The plan to widen the sidewalks and perhaps even allow outdoor caf seating is an effort by a group called Envision Downtown to duplicate whats happened in Market Square.

But Executive Director Sean Luther says the idea is to adjust the plan for businesses and people who use Liberty. He also says street parking would not disappear entirely.

The plan that were work-shopping tonight preserves most of the parking spaces for night and weekends, and then were looking at the space during the day and saying, Whats the maximum benefit to the business owners and people who are trying to enjoy Liberty?'

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Envision Downtown met with building and business owners Thursday night, and plans to reach out to others for their input, including bus riders who wait at stops along Liberty Avenue.

John Norton lives in the 900 block of Liberty and is excited by the prospect of a new plan: I think its great. I think were really lucky that weve got really great designers paying attention to our block.

Envision Downtown wants to point out that this is a process. The plan is to release more details to the public next week.

You may have seen David at the anchor desk or reporting in the field, but he actually began behind the scenes at KDKA. David got his start at KDKA as a writer in 1991 before being promoted to a newscast producer. It wasnt long, though, before he...

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Debate Heats Up Over Plans To Improve Liberty Avenue Downtown - CBS Pittsburgh / KDKA

A new date for a court hearing has been set in the case against the alleged West Liberty-Salem High School shooter.

Ely Serna, 17, is scheduled to appear in Champaign County Juvenile Court at 10 a.m. March 29.

RELATED: Judge orders competency hearing for West Liberty shooting suspect

Serna has been accused of sneaking a shotgun into West-Liberty Salem High School on Jan. 20 and shooting 16-year-old Logan Cole twice. Authorities said Logan was shot in the chest and the side in one of the schools bathrooms. He is still recovering from the wounds.

Champaign County Juvenile Judge Lori Reisinger ordered a competency hearing last month at the request of the defense attorney. The competency hearing is to determine whether Serna can understand court proceedings and if he will be able to assist in his own defense.

Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi confirmed the new hearing date and said its about whether Serna is competent to stand trial. Talebi said he couldnt release any further information at this time.

DETAILS: West Liberty suspect asked victim to shoot him, report says

The Springfield News-Sun filed a public records request to the Champaign County Family Court office, but didnt hear back Friday afternoon.

Sernas defense attorney Dennis Lieberman also confirmed the hearing date and declined to comment further. Serna remains in juvenile detention.

Logans father, Ryan Cole, previously said the teen is recovering, but high lead levels in his system gave doctors some concerns. He posted on Facebook this week that the family learned the levels had dropped slightly.

READ: Sister of alleged West Liberty shooter speaks, school to re-open

We are very thankful for this drop (however small it is)! Ryan Cole wrote. We have an appointment with the toxicology doctor to discuss treatment plans.

Logan has returned to classes part-time since being shot.

The family again thanked people for showing support for Logan.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Ryan Cole wrote on Facebook. It is impossible to communicate how grateful we are for Gods healing and how thankful we are for your prayers.

Staying with the story

The Springfield News-Sun first broke the news of a shooting at West Liberty-Salem High School on Jan. 20 and has continued to dig into the story, including coverage of the communitys response and security changes at other schools after shootings.

Read more here:

West Liberty school shooting suspect gets new court date - Springfield News Sun

The American company took over the ownership of the sport last year, and has vowed to make it more spectacular for the fans.

Liberty president and CEO Greg Maffei also stressed that F1's profit margins will not rise in the short term, as the company will have to invest.

"I think everything that we thought about this business and the opportunity as we did our due diligence, and the time we spent prior to purchasing F1, has only been confirmed," said Maffei.

"There is enormous opportunity in areas like sponsorship, in the short term.

"There are longer term opportunities around digital, including gamification, including virtual reality, there are opportunities in broadcasting, there are opportunities probably to create more excitement around the event, but also more revenues around the event as we build to the weekend.

"Some of those will take time. I think in the short term we are unlikely to see margin for expansion, because even through there are some near-term wins around things like advertising, there's going to be expense to achieve that.

"But over the long term I think the challenges are probably as big or bigger, but the opportunities are as big or bigger than we originally thought."

Maffei also stressed that pushing through the changes it wants to implement will not be easy, given the complex nature of the way F1 works.

"There are many layers in this which makes it complicated, from the FIA to the teams to the F1 Strategy Group," he added. "I think fundamentally Chase [Carey] and Ross Brawn at are the centre of trying to make these races more interesting and more competitive, more exciting.

"I think there's uniformity about many of the actions we can take to do that. Whether we can execute on those, how long it will take, that's still open.

"But I think there's a lot of consensus around ideas that could make this sport more compelling, to the benefit of all players, the teams, the fans, the regulators, and the F1 commercial entity. A lot of alignment on those.

"Execution is not so easy, and as I said there are many players in here, so getting agreement, getting consensus on actual action items is not always as easy. But I'm optimistic."

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Liberty says F1 challenges, opportunities bigger than expected - Motorsport.com, Edition: Global

No. 2 Auburn softball wanted to make a statement this weekend in its final slate of games before SEC play begins.

Statement made.

There was little in doubt in Auburns 15-0 win over Liberty on Thursday night. Auburn scored all 15 runs in the first two innings and Liberty didnt get a hit, or a runner on, until the third inning.

I think the team as a whole decided to (relax), Auburn catcher Carlee Wallace said. I know it helps, Hitting is contagious, so, if I can go up there and give them a good at bat then well follow suit.

The 40-minute bottom of the first inning saw seven runs, five walks, four hits, three pitchers throwing a combined 66 pitches and two home runs. Wallace led off the game with a solo home run. After a Kasey Cooper single, Haley Fagan hit a home run of her own, her third of the season, to put Auburn up 3-0.

Liberty changed pitchers after that, but it didnt do much. Auburn scored a run on a walk, a Liberty error, a wild pitch and an RBI double by Wallace as Auburn batted around.

The barrage continued into the second inning. Kendall Veach started the inning with a solo home run, her team-best fifth of the year. After a hit by pitch and two walks, Victoria Draper hit an RBI single, Wallace hit a bases-c learning double and Cooper drilled a two-run home run. Auburn added another run to finish off the second inning with a 15-0 lead.

The offense reminded fans of days of old. Wallace had five RBIs in two innings, which is a career-high for her in a single game. The four home runs Auburn hit were the most since hitting four against Arkansas on April 17 last season. Auburn finished the day with 10 hits off of six different bats and drew 10 walks.

The cuts tonight were lot better as far as attacking zones, Auburn head coach Clint Myers said. You take away the strike three looking with the bases loaded, we were pretty aggressive for the night. And thats the thing weve got to have. We didnt have nearly as many swing and misses, the ball club (Liberty) is better than what you saw.

With the big lead, every Auburn position player found her way into the lineup in some way, shape or form. By the time the game came to a close, Veach was the only position player in her original spot when the game started.

Liberty scattered three hits off of pitchers Kaylee Carlson, Ashlee Swindle and Jenna Abbott in the five-inning affair. Carlson went three innings, allowed one hit and struck out two. Swindle pitched the fourth inning, allowed two hits and Abbott pitched a clean fifth inning.

Combined, Auburn pitchers totaled 64 pitches, compared to 166 by Liberty.

Auburn will meet Liberty again in the Wilson/DeMarini Classic, which begins Friday at 12:30 p.m. when the College of Charleston takes on Texas State before Texas State and Liberty clash at 3 p.m. Fridays play will wrap up at 6 p.m. when Liberty and Auburn square off again.

And if Auburn can put up another game like it did on Thursday, the statements at the end of the weekend will be that Auburns bats are finally back.

We talked about it before that we want to make a statement going into LSU. We want to put the fear of God into teams before we play them, Wallace said. Thats kind of our goal just to make a statement before we start SECs that were the team that we want to be and were not Auburn, that oh my God theyre No. 2? They dont deserve to be No. 2. But we do. And I think were finally starting to play like it.

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Offense comes alive as No. 2 Auburn hammers Liberty - Opelika Auburn News

Two-time NBA MVP and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry teamed up with Liberty University in collecting shoes for children in Africa. The effort netted more than 20,000 sneakers for Kickn It for a Cause, a lifestyle brand started by a family friend of the Curry family, Chris Strachan.

Despite Currys incredible credentials as a professional that might suggest he was once a blue-chip recruit that played for a college powerhouse, his path ran through small school Davidson, where he went from unheralded prospect to NCAA Tournament star in 2008. So his experience at a small school (and the fact that his brother Seth played one season at Liberty), was part of the reason for his willingness to help. During his visit to Liberty, Curry even addressed the schools team as it gears up for postseason play.

Before all this NBA hoopla, from my journey coming from a small school like Davidson, I had the same kind of look that you all have in your eyes right now, Curry said. Just hyped to play and ready to go. Its an amazing opportunity to do it and do it together. Because every single one of you has a role and a part of your success .. Have fun doing what youre doing, and just enjoy it.

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Steph Curry and Liberty University help collect 20000 shoes for children in Africa - CBSSports.com

As a middle-schooler,Krissy OMalley would attendevery Flint Hill volleyballmatch she could, watching Ally Fellows set up the Huskies hittersona team that went undefeated and finished atop The Washington Posts rankings in 2014.

Id just hope one day Id be on that team. I remember looking at them and thinking, How could anyone be that good?' OMalley said. When youre little, you look up to someone whos doing everything right and youre like, Oh my gosh.

Now a sophomore and Liberty recruit, OMalleyhasgrown into the type of player she once admired. The 5-foot-9 setter worked on her gameobsessively over the last few years, recording 940 assists in the fall and and earning recognition as an All-Met honorable mention for one of the D.C. areas top teams.

OMalleys competitive drive helps set her apart from other talented players.One of her best performances came againstHoly Cross in the Metro City final. Flint Hill arrived about an hour early, and while the other playersused the extra time to dotheir homework, OMalleyand freshman Sydney Reedwere too excited to focus on anything besides the match.

We were just talking about the game coming up and we were just so in the zone, and I couldnt take my mind or my eyes off the prize, said OMalley, who delivered 29 assists in the three-set victory.

OMalley wanted to be a swimmer when she was younger after watching her oldest sisters meets, but discovered a passion for volleyball in fourth grade, she said. She gravitated toward the setter position, usingher soft touch and court awareness to excel in that role. OMalley sees herself as a quarterback, always thinking about how to put her teammates in position to succeed.

I love running the show. I love calling the plays and knowing who to set at what times. I think thats a really fun part of setting, OMalley said.

Flint Hill Coach Carrol DeNure said that it is this ability that sets OMalley apart.

We take that for granted with her, because she just has a good feel for the game and her teammates, DeNure said.

OMalley verbally committedto Libertylast Thursday.Though college istwo years away, she has beengetting a head start by watching theteam in action keeping a close eye on junior setter Anna Willey as she prepares to play at the next level.

I really want to get fundamentally better. I want to get everything crisper with my setting, OMalley said. Im just pushing to get stronger so when I get to Liberty, Im ready. I not only want to go to Liberty, but I want to succeed.

NUMBER CRUNCH:29

Wins in the past 30 games for Wilsons boys basketball team. The No. 7 Tigers (29-3) defeatedFriendship Tech, 59-56, in overtime last night to advance to Fridays DCSAA semifinal against No. 2 Gonzaga.

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Basketball. Never. Stops. Dan Roth (@ByDanRoth)is in Upper Marlboro for the DouglassCentral matchup in the boys Maryland 2A South region semifinal, and well (@allmetsports) keep youupdatedon the rest of the playoff games around the area, including the girls Virginia 5A quarterfinal games including Salem-Tuscarora, Wakefield-Princess-Anne and Edison-LC Bird.

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Flint Hill's Krissy O'Malley sets up volleyball future, commits to Liberty - Washington Post

Washington D.C., Mar 1, 2017 / 03:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The United States Congress can do more to prioritize international religious freedom, and ensuring that bills come up for a vote is key to that, an advocacy organization has found in its new scorecard for Senators and Representatives.

At a time when the three-fourths of the worlds population lives in countries where freedom of religion is significantly restricted, members of U.S. Congress must be held accountable on how much importance they give to protecting and promoting this freedom abroad, The 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative maintained.

Congress can do more to prioritize international religious freedom, the Wilberforce Initiative concluded from its scorecard for the 114th session of Congress.

The card was announced last year as a way to hold members of Congress accountable for their activity or lack thereof in promoting religious freedom abroad.

Most of the major international religious freedom initiatives over the past few decades came from Congress, stated Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who earned the top score among members of the U.S. House.

The top scorer in the Senate was Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

The Wilberforce Initiative announced that collectively, more people are persecuted for their faith now than at any other time in the worlds history. This includes more than 100 million people killed under repressive secularist and communist regimes in the 20th century.

Federal legislators can help our nation lead in the protection and promotion of religious freedom by publicizing various issues and cases, by passing bills in support of religious freedom, and, in some instances, by exerting pressure in support of religious freedom. It is critical that legislators use their influence to support those who are persecuted for their faith.

So the Wilberforce Initiative's scorecard tracks legislators' votes on bills and their sponsorships or co-sponsorships of legislation, as well as their membership in religious freedom caucuses like the International Religious Freedom Caucus, the House Religious Minorities in the Middle East Caucus, and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

Most bills are not ultimately voted on, the Wilberforce Initiative maintained, so they make sure to keep track of members sponsorship of bills in an effort to bring up a vote on an important religious freedom issue. And many items, especially in the Senate, have not yet been voted on and provide ample opportunity for members to prove their commitment to religious freedom in 2017.

What were some of the most pressing matters of religious freedom in 2016?

Two of the biggest score items, according to the Wilberforce Initiative, were H. Con. Res. 75, a congressional resolution stating that the Islamic State was committing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria, which passed the House in March; and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, which passed both houses in December.

Some of the other items included the Combatting European Anti-Semitism Act of 2016 and Senate resolutions calling for sanctions on Vietnams human rights abusers, and condemning the Government of Irans state-sponsored persecution of its Bahai minority.

House resolutions included a call for the U.S. to support a Nineveh Plain province for its inhabitants who were persecuted by the Islamic State and a call for the global repeal of blasphemy laws.

Most of the highly-recognized leaders on the issue are members of the House, as the Senate has been less engaged in promoting religious freedom than the House, the Wilberforce Initiative noted.

The Wilberforce Initiative also noted that low scores do not necessarily indicate disagreement with international religious freedom, but reflect that it was not a high priority for that legislator. Conversely, high scores demonstrate that a given legislator actively supported international religious freedom legislation and has made support of international religious freedom a priority.

It also stated that a scorecard is an imperfect tool and that there are are additional factors that cannot be reflected, such as quiet diplomacy and casework.

Of legislators who earned an A, 56 percent were Republicans and 44 percent were Democrats. Those with B and C ratings were also majority Republican. But among legislators who scored a D, 62 percent were Republicans and 38 percent were Democrats. No legislators earned an F.

Marco Rubio was the only Senator to receive an A+, while 13 Representatives received the score: Robert Dold (R-Ill.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), James McGovern (D-Mass.), Joseph Pitts (R-Penn.), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), David Trott (R-Mich.), and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.).

Aside from Rubio, 2016's presidential contenders did not fare so well on the list. Sens Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) got C marks, and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) received D ratings.

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Congress can do more for religious liberty abroad, scorecard finds ... - Catholic News Agency

Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei seemed to change his tune slightly today when it comes to a possible deal with SiriusXM buying Pandora Media.

The streaming music companys shares jolted to a 2% gain after Maffei,whose company owns 66% of the satellite radio provider, called Pandora a really interesting asset.

You have to give them credit, he told theMorgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference. Depending on how you look at it, its either the seventh or the ninth or the fifth most [used] app among Americans. Great product way under monetized.

He also lauded its big dreams around subscriptions although were not necessarily convinced of the potential. But you have to be impressed with somebody with an 80 million audience listening 20 minutes a day.

That contrasted with Maffeis comment yesterday, in an earnings call, that suggested Pandoras stock price lifted by deal speculation has made the company too expensive.

Pandoras price fell 6.1% after he said thatits not clear that the valuation makes senseAt the right price, interesting. Not clear this is the right price.

Pandora has a market value of about $2.6 billion; its value increased more than 19% over the last 12 months, in part due to investor speculation about a possible sale. SiriusXM is at $24 billion.

Other comments today seemed to suggest that SiriusXM would benefit from an alliance with Pandora, which is primarily ad-supported.

When it comes to selling ads vs. traditional radio Pandora is undermonetized in that space. Radio advertising is a big pool of money. We try to think of ways to go after that pool of revenue.

He also noted that SiriusXM has to think about competition as cars increasingly connect to wireless broadband. Our satellite connection will not be the only connection to the car, Maffei says. But there are many capabilities and features that we have and can do better with having a connected car.

Also, some of SiriusXMs spectrum could be repurposed if you think long term.

On other fronts, Maffei says that he doesnt worry about Howard Stern leaving SiriusXM: In his latest contract we locked up not only his current rights but a whole bunch of library rights and a bunch of other things.

And sports services including ESPN dont have the leverage they once had.

Asked about mergers in the cable industry, the Liberty CEO whose company is the biggest owner of Charter Communications says theres room for more consolidation.

He lauded the change in philosophy at the FCC after President Trump picked Ajit Pai to be its chairman. That leveled the playing field vs. tech companies around privacy, our build out requirements, potentially net neutraliltylots of good stuff on that side.But also probably on the regulatory side in terms of M&A as well.

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Pandora Media Shares Jump After Liberty CEO Seems To Warm To A Deal - Deadline

Today, radical Islamic terrorists seek to pose an existential threat to our democracy and the Blessings of Liberty we celebrate. ISIL, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and others have sought to expand their physical boundaries and the reach of their violent ideology. These groups are convicted to destroy both our people and our values in the most gruesome and brutal manner possible.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower "kept the peace by using our own strength" a sentiment shared by President Ronald Reagan whose foreign policy was summed up with the familiar phrase: "Peace through Strength."

I believe the same approach is needed today.

The United States has the world's most powerful and skilled military. Our men and women in uniform are second to none. But President Obama whittled away at our military and too often muddled its mission, even claiming that climate change could pose a graver threat to our national security than terrorism. Military equipment must be upgraded. Training and new technologies must be invested in. Our readiness must be improved, not only to prepare for a major crisis, but to let our enemies know we're ready to respond to a major crisis.

In his 1983 State of the Union address, President Reagan explained: "Our strategy for peace with freedom must be based on strength economic strength and military strength." America's economy has endured serious blows throughout the last decade. Jobs have been shipped overseas. Taxes and regulations have made it difficult to start a business let alone expand one. We have to get our economy going again, something I'm eager to work with President Trump to accomplish.

At the same time, it's necessary we weaken the economic backing of terror groups. One of the worse outcomes of President Obama's deal with Iran was that it flooded Iran with cash. Iran, one of the world's largest state sponsors of terrorism, received almost immediate sanctions relief, producing an economic impact of as much as $150 billion. I'm optimistic we'll be able to work with the Trump administration to cut off terrorism's economic engines.

Additionally, we have a constitutional responsibility to "insure domestic Tranquility." Too much blood has been shed by terrorists on American soil. Still, our border remains porous and our immigrations policies inadequate. I have participated in classified briefings on this subject. I've visited countries like Greece and Egypt which sit on the front lines of the refugee crisis. I can tell you definitively; our current vetting processes are inadequate.

We often rely on government-to-government relationships to conduct immigration vetting, but in countries like Syria where the government has collapsed, it's nearly impossible to certify that someone is who they say they are. This is why I support putting a temporary pause on accepting refugees and other immigrants from terrorist-held areas until the administration can certify those coming into our country do not present a threat. I've also backed legislation empowering state governors to deny refugee resettlements in their state.

My number-one priority is the safety and security of the American people. That's what our Constitution requires of me and what ultimately will secure the Blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our Posterity.

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NOEM: Securing the blessings of liberty - Daily Republic

Three times in its Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV semifinal game on Wednesday, the Liberty Ranch High boys basketball team knocked on West Campus door.

But the second-seeded Warriors were quick to slam the door shut, knocking off the No. 6 Hawks 79-64 at The Jungle on Tokays campus. The win sends the Warriors to face top-seeded Central Catholic of Modesto, which spanked No. 4 Ripon, 82-61 in the other semifinal game.

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Originally posted here:

SJS Division IV basketball: Liberty Ranch falls to West Campus in semifinals - Lodi News-Sentinel

LIBERTY HILL

It took one free throw for Kandyn Faurie to realize the Alamodome is not your basic high school basketball venue

To her surprise, Faurie, a Liberty Hill junior, could see fans looking at her from behind the backboard. At most high school gyms in Texas, a blank wall is the typical backdrop behind the backboard.

Faurie and her teammates should be more accustomed to the spacious Alamodome when they play there in the UIL girls state tournament for the third straight year. Liberty Hill (35-2) will face Godley (35-4) in a Class 4A state semifinal at 3 p.m. Friday.

Liberty Hill junior center Sedona Prince said some of the Panthers felt like babies when they played at the Alamodome last March. They had trouble adjusting their depth perception while shooting inside a cavernous venue constructed for football that opened in 1993.

You think youre close to the basket and then you shoot an air ball, said Prince, a 6-foot-7 University of Texas pledge. Last year we had trouble adjusting to the lighting, which was very, very bright. The light was messing with my eyes.

The Panthers and the other 23 girls basketball teams that will convene at the Alamodome this weekend all will have to adjust to playing in an arena that can seat up to 39,500 for basketball, although the setup for the UIL tournament includes roughly 20,000 seats. Liberty Hills players also believe the other Class 4A semifinalists will have to adjust to the Panthers style of play.

Combining a powerful frontcourt with a pressing defense this season, the Panthers topped Austin-area teams in scoring at 65 points per game while allowing only 33.5. They enter the state tournament with a 15-game winning streak under second-year coach Chris Lange.

After being promoted from Liberty Hill Junior High, Lange tweaked the Panthers style of play upon his arrival at the high school in the fall of 2015. A team that relied heavily on 3-point shots began to feed the ball inside.

Faurie, who describes herself as a banger, is a muscular 5-8 forward who uses her strength and quickness to offset taller opponents. Prince is a five-star recruit who played for Team USA junior squads during the past two summers.

Faurie averages a team-high 17.3 points while Prince chips in 15.3. Prince finished the regular-season as the Austin-area in field-goal percentage (.595) and blocked shots (5.2 per game). She also averaged 9.1 rebounds.

It makes common sense for teams to play to their advantages, Faurie said. If you have an advantage shooting threes, then shoot threes. If your advantage is height and the inside game, go there first.

Faurie listed three reasons why the Panthers have blossomed this season chemistry, speed and their press.

Ten of the 14 girls on Liberty Hills roster have been playing together since the fourth grade, and Faurie and Prince have been friends since they were in the same class in second grade.

The Panthers quickness comes from guards Shaylin Vickers and Bethany McLeod, whos also a 100- and 300-meter hurdler. Vickers, meanwhile, has raced with Liberty Hills 1,600-meter relay team that has won state titles in each of the past two years. The duo has combined for 6.2 assists per game, most of them coming off feeds to Faurie and Prince.

In its latest trip to the UIL state tournament, Liberty Hill will be trying to break an 0 for 5 drought in state-semifinal contests. In 2016, the Panthers lost to Argyle the two-time defending Class 4A champion by 11 points, 43-32.

The goal as always for the Panthers will be to earn the right to hang a banner that reads 2017 state champions inside their cozy campus gym. Right behind a backboard.

Read the original:

Liberty Hill looks inside in bid for breakthrough state-tournament win - MyStatesman.com

In final moments of the fourth overtime in the game that just didn't seem to want to end, Liberty made a play that will be remembered.

The Class 2A West Region Section 2 semifinal with visiting Francis Scott Key was deadlocked at 76, and the Lions had possession. The same thing happened at the end of regulation, and the first three overtimes, but Liberty couldn't finish the job in any of those circumstances.

This time, the ball got knocked loose near the top of the key before Steven Goetz corralled it. He quickly flipped the ball to Jack Selby, and Selby drilled a 3-pointer as time ran out to give Liberty a wild 79-76 victory over Key on Tuesday night.

Liberty (14-9) advances to the sectional final on Thursday at Century. The Knights beat Oakland Mills in the other section semifinal Tuesday.

This game appeared as if it might last until Thursday. The Lions beat Key (12-12) in both regular-season meetings, but this one remained close the whole way. Liberty missed on shots in those final seconds of regulation and the first three OTs before Selby made his second game-winning shot of the season he did it earlier against South Carroll.

"[Goetz] picked it up, and he got it to me," said Selby. "I just tossed it up. I didn't know what to think."

The winning shot came from the right side, and Liberty's game-long patience finally paid off. Key liked to push the pace, drive to the basket and cause trouble. The Eagles finished with 36 free throws, several of which came during the overtimes.

However, the Lions remained patient with their motion offense, eating up large chunks of time in the fourth quarter plus all four overtimes and repeatedly making good passes and plays.

"They just refused to lose," Liberty coach Brian Tombs said. "We found opportunities to make plays and [win]."

Tombs said, with a smile, that he agreed with Selby on the game-winning 3 neither was 100 percent sure the ball was heading into the basket.

But they were hoping.

"I thought it had a chance," Tombs said. "I was praying it would go in."

Justin Brookhart led Liberty with 23 points, including 10 in a third quarter when the game's pace really picked up after the Lions ended a sloppy first half with a 19-18 lead. Goetz helped with 17 points while Selby finished with 16.

Amir Cole led the Eagles with 23 points, and Drue Giles added 20. Both players proved tough for the Lions to stop. Giles, a guard, repeatedly drove through traffic, got the basket and gave Key many offensive chances.

But Liberty answered that with that patient motion offense it used throughout much of the game. The Lions simply ran the clock down over and over.

Key's only real chance late in an overtime came near the end of the third extra period when Giles tried to slice through the lane but lost control of the dribble with around 20 seconds left, and Liberty got the ball back before missing a shot at the buzzer.

After that, though, Liberty took care of business in that fourth overtime. Key coach Ryan Kimble said several of his players were upset afterward. But he took a lot of pride in how hard they played throughout.

"I've got no complaints," Kimble said. "That's what high school basketball should be; our kids dug in each time at the [end of the periods] and got a stop, but that last time Jack just got off a really good shot."

Then he gave a sad smile.

"Four overtimes? You know, I don't think my heart could have taken a fifth one."

Francis Scott Key (76): Josh Brown 3, Drue Giles 20, Anthony Murray 8, Greg Horrocks 3, Noah Vipond 8, Amir Cole 25, Rashad Giles 7, Grant Stanton 2.

Liberty (79): Nick Tilson 4, Jack Selby 16, Ronak Morgan 3, Ben Brown 7, Justin Brookhart 23, Tristan Kent 9, Steven Goetz 17.

Halftime: Liberty, 19-18.

Regulation: Tied. 55-55.

1OT: Tied, 63-63. 2OT: Tied, 68-68. 3OT: Tied, 72-72.

sports@carrollcountytimes.com

410-857-7896

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Boys Basketball: Selby beats buzzer again with a 3 for Liberty - Carroll County Times

GASTON Ronny Williams, Tournament Edition made his annual appearance for Liberty Christian Tuesday Night at Wes-Dels Richard E. Johnson Gymnasium.

Williams, who was sensational in the Lions run to the state title last season averaging 17.7 points in Liberty Christians seven postseason games was electric once again in their 2016-17 sectional opener Tuesday against Southern Wells, nearly earning a triple-double in the Lions 73-45 romp over the Raiders.

He really controlled the game, Liberty Christian head coach Jason Chappell said of Williams, who had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while also adding a game-high-tying four steals, on Tuesday night. He was very poised, just throughout the whole game it wasnt just down the stretch it was throughout the whole game.

Williams actually came into the game nursing a sore ankle, which had mostly kept him out of practices since the Lions regular-season finale against Indianapolis Manual on Feb. 21, but he appeared fresh and ready to go from the start on Tuesday against Southern Wells (12-11), helping lead a pressure-filled defensive charge that forced eight first-quarter turnovers.

By the end of the first period, Williams had 10 points and the Lions were already out to a 14-7 lead. That would become a 30-19 lead by halftime, and ballooned to 48-26 by the end of the third quarter.

In all, the Raiders turned the ball over 19 times on Tuesday, compared to just 11 turnovers for the Lions, who had 17 assists on the night, as well as 13 offensive rebounds.

Not helping matters for Southern Wells was its 8.3-percent shooting clip from 3-point range; in fact, the Raiders missed their first 11 attempts from deep before finally connecting on their first and only 3-pointer with 43 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Chappell said he was proud of the way his team rallied without the full services of usual starter Joshua Tufts, who has been battling flu-like symptoms and came off the bench to score four points and grab four rebounds in 16 minutes and 41 seconds of action on Tuesday.

"A lot of people dont know this: Josh Tufts has been sick as a dog," Chappell said. "He wasnt even going to play tonight, but we let him play in spurts."

Without normal contributions from Tufts the teams second-leading scorer and rebounder throughout the season the Lions saw major contributions from junior Dallas Burko, who scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, while he also grabbed five rebounds and collected two steals.

Burko also drew two first-half charges on the defensive end, which, Chappell said, really got him going.

You look at him, and just throughout the course of the year, hes really turning into a player from a role player into a player, Chappell said of Burko. And Im really, really proud of him. His enthusiasm is always great; hes always really passionate about everything. He played a great game.

Sophomore Trey Davis also added 10 points for Liberty Christian.

Junior Jordan Bower had 18 points and six rebounds for the Raiders, while senior Elijah Barkell had 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Liberty Christian advances to Friday nights sectional semifinal matchup against Cowan (7-14). That game will follow Wes-Del/Daleville semifinal matchup, which tips off at 6 p.m.

Theyve got some shooters, Chappell said of the Blackhawks, who drew a first-round bye. Theyre young, but theyre going to be a very tough team to play in sectionals on a Friday night. The thing Im glad about is weve got a game under our belt, so thats always a good thing.

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Williams' near-triple-double leads Liberty Christian past Southern Wells - The Herald Bulletin

While the world was watching the Academy Awards ceremony, "Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins and story writer Tarell McCraney delivered a shout-out to their roots.

"Two boys from Liberty City up here on the stage representing 305," McCraney said after Moonlight had won the award for best adapted screenplay.

This did not go unnoticed in Liberty City.

"The first thing that come out of your mouth, this for everybody in Liberty City, that's epic to me," said Luther Campbell, the rap music impresario and Liberty City native.

As just about everybody knows, "Moonlight" tells the story of kids who grew up in Liberty City. Jenkins filmed part of the movie where he lived as a child, at the Liberty Square housing project, which is unfortunately known as a crime-infested place.

"Shooting, violence, killing, seen it all," said Crystal Corner, who lives in the complex and is the president of the Liberty Square Community Center.

For people who live and work in the area, the Liberty City connection to a film which won numerous awards, including Best Picture, is a source of immense pride. It also sends a message.

"We have kids that have talent in the projects, too, the public housing," Corner said.

Barry Jenkins played running back at Northwestern High School. Ronnie Jones was his quarterback. Jones remembers Jenkins as the kid who always had a joke to tell, and a student who was all business academically.

"He's very smart, very smart, I mean everybody knew he was gonna make it, be something, 'cause football, he played football but he always had higher goals than just playing football," Jones said.

To understand the magnitude of "Moonlight," one has to consider the history of he neighborhood. the riots of the early 1980's drove businesses away, drug dealers and gang members took over, and despair became an enduring problem.

"So now the community is left totally abandoned," Campbell said.

Luther Campbell is somewhat of a Liberty City legend. He knows the streets and people here as well as anyone, and says Jenkins and McCraney made more than a movie. They've provided a beacon of hope.

"They get it, they understand the struggle and they understand through what they're doing they're helping others, they're helping other kids aspire to be something better," Campbell said.

What about the merits of the movie itself? None of the people we spoke to have actually seen "Moonlight," but they all say they're going to watch it now.

Published at 6:47 PM EST on Feb 28, 2017

Continued here:

'Moonlight' Providing a Beacon of Hope for Liberty City - NBC 6 South Florida

Liberty Media's (FWONA) CEO Greg Maffei on Q4 2016 Results ... Seeking Alpha Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Liberty Media Corporation Fourth Quarter Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, ... and more »

Continued here:

Liberty Media's (FWONA) CEO Greg Maffei on Q4 2016 Results ... - Seeking Alpha

BRENTWOOD Cheer squads and parents of Liberty Union High School Districts cheerleaders are up in arms over an upcoming vote that could keep cheer teams on the sidelines.

Word got out last week afterSuperintendent Eric Volta recommended to the school board not to offer traditional competitive cheering next year, when the California Interscholastic Federation is due to officially recognize it as a sport.

In 2015, the state legislature passed a bill thatclassified competition cheer as a sport. Now, schools are rushing to figure out the costs and requirements associated withthe federations bylaws.

On Feb. 22, the Liberty Union High School district discussed whether to add the two types of cheer,traditional competitive cheer and competitive sport cheer, also known as stunting.

A major difference between the two is that traditional competitive cheer has timed routines that many people would recognize and competes throughout the year. Competitive sport cheeris focused on stunts, such as tosses and tumbling, and competes in the spring.

We are looking at expense, equity and opportunity and whats the best we can give to our students, whether its competitive sport cheer or traditional competitive cheer, said Pauline Allred, president of the LUHSD school board. Cheer becoming a CIF-sanctioned sport would add expenses to our sports program.

Students and parents have spoken out and have launched a campaign to convince the school district to include competitive cheer as a sport.

The girls have worked so hard for cheer to be finally recognized as a sport and to give their athleticism some credibility, saidTiffani Hom, whose daughter is a freshman on the Heritage High School varsity cheer team. Its kind of like a slap in the face to the girls.

Gil Lemmon, the commissioner of athletics for the North Coast Section of the CIF, said that the sport is notequally protected under anti-discrimination laws, known as Title IX, yet. However, its inclusion as a sport under the CIF adds protections and requirements for the 26,000 student athletes currently competing in cheer.

Some people are putting the cart before the horse here, Lemmon said. This is an opportunity for the school to list the activity as a CIF-approved sport. This is no different than when we added lacrosse. It means that schools, if they offer that activity, would have to comply with all the other CIF rules and regulations.

The cheer community in the Liberty Union High School District is strong. Heritage High Schools varsity cheer team made it to the semi-finals and placed 10th at the Universal Cheerleaders Association Nationals in Orlando, Fla. The stunt group made it to the finals and placed 10th as well.

If you want to cheer in college, youll need that competition piece, said Deborah Hinds, whose daughter Desiree is also on the Heritage High School varsity cheer team. The Heritage and Freedom High teamsare the bestin the Bay area.

While the majority of cheer athletes are in traditional competitive cheering, competitive sport cheeringhas been gaining ground in recent years.

What were hoping is that over time, we would see the competitive sport cheer grow, Lemmon said. It has a season of sport and theres an opportunity for the student athletes to compete against other schools.

Antioch Unified School District is leaning toward offering both programs, but Pittsburg Unified is hinting that it might go the same route as Liberty Union, by only offering competitive sport cheer.

Greg Strom, coordinator of athletics for Pittsburg Unified, said that the decision mainly concerns expenses. Traditional competitive cheer requires more travel and fundraising.

Thisassessment was confirmed by LUHSD board member Raymond Valverde, who said that the district superintendent, Eric Volta, had cited funding as a concern when recommending that only competitive sport cheer be offered. Valverde supported keeping traditional competitive cheer and said that the district will be discussing the issue further at their March 8 meeting.

Whatever the outcome, the district has committed to keeping sideline cheer, which is a club, rather than a competitive sport.

LUHSD Superintendent Eric Volta could not be reached for comment.

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Liberty Union students, parents feel sidelined by district over cheer program - East Bay Times

PITTSBURGH

PennDOT District 11 is announcing lane restrictions on the Liberty Bridge, Liberty Tunnel (Route 3069) Second Avenue, the Boulevard of the Allies and I-376 (Parkway East) in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, will continue Wednesday, March 1, weather permitting.

Single-lane restrictions for survey work and material delivery will occur through Friday, March 17 on the Liberty Bridge, Liberty Tunnel and Second Avenue. Restrictions will occur according to the following schedule:

Liberty Bridge

Liberty Tunnel

Second Avenue

I-376 Parkway East

Boulevard of the Allies

Lane restrictions on the Liberty Bridge will be coordinated with events at PPG Paints Arena.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting http://www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 511, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

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Daily traffic restrictions announced for Liberty Tunnel and Liberty ... - WTAE Pittsburgh

Inside Higher Ed

Liberty and Bob Jones Universities may run afoul of Obama Title IX ... Inside Higher Ed Obama administration guidelines for LGBT student protections under Title IX remain in place, and the student codes at Liberty and Bob Jones Universities ... and more »

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Liberty and Bob Jones Universities may run afoul of Obama Title IX ... - Inside Higher Ed

Monday, February 27, 2017 at 12:17 p.m.

Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney

ABC/Eddy Chen

When film director Barry Jenkins and playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney took the stage to accept the best adapted screenplay Oscar for their movie, Moonlight, they let the world know where they came from.

Thank God for my mother, who proved to me through her struggles, and the struggles that Naomie Harris portrayed for all of you, that we can really be here and be somebody, McCraney said. Two boys from Liberty City up here on this stage here representing the 305.

At that moment, I was so fucking proud to also be a Liberty City native. And when Moonlight won the Academy Award for best picture, I shed tears. We are not Bal Harbour. We are not Aventura. We are not Miami Beach. We are none of those glitzy tourist traps you see on travel brochures and national TV broadcasts. But Liberty City is a proud community of hard-working, talented people just like Jenkins and McCraney.

Just a few weeks ago, Devonta Freeman, a kid from the Pork 'n' Bean projects, starred for the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl. Beginning with his Pop Warner days, he fought criticism that he wasnt fast enough, big enough, or strong enough to make it to the pros. Another native, Keon Hardemon, could have been just another public defender. Instead, hes one of the youngest politicians to serve as chairman of the Miami City Commission.Briana Rollins went from starring on the Miami Northwestern High track team to winning an Olympic gold medal last year. And neighborhood football was featured last week nationally on Vice World of Sports.

Being from Liberty City taught me to fight for what I believe in, even if it means taking the battle all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Seeing Jenkins and McCraney conquer the Academy Awards, an institution that has faced valid criticism for not recognizing black films, proves that people from Liberty City can do anything they set their sights on.

It made me so happy to be from the place in Miami where the voices of the suffering often go unheard. Last night on national television, kids from Liberty City saw for themselves that their dreams can come true.

Read more:

Liberty City Shed Tears After Moonlight Win - Miami New Times