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This ended up having to be a double column and a bit late because I spent the last two weeks in self-isolation after a Covid exposure. Now Im back in the world (more or less Im under a stay at home order) and I got to catch up on two weeks worth of comics!

Best Comics of the Fortnight:

Beta Ray Bill #1 Ive loved Beta Ray Bill since I first saw him in Walter Simonsons Thor comics, and have long felt like hes criminally underused in the Marvel Universe. I was really happy to see that hes getting his own miniseries, and that its written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson, who is an incredible creator. This issue ties in with the King In Black event, as Bill attempts to save Asgard from a symbiote-covered Fin Fang Foom. Johnson does amazing work here Bill looks really cool, and he has a strong feel for the characters tragic side. He also recognizes how hes always stuck in Thors shadow. I enjoyed Johnsons recent Wonder Woman Black Label series, but feel like this might be an even better feel for his approach to art and storytelling.

Dead Dogs Bite #2 Tyler Boss is a really impressive creator who we dont get to see that much of (although he did draw the issue of Department of Truth discussed below). This series is whimsical and bizarre, and makes excellent use of Bosss unique sense of design. Basically, hes the Wes Anderson of comics, and I cant think of a better description than that. In this issue, Joe continues to search for his missing friend, and bluffs his way into the mayors office to try to learn where she may have gone. There are bizarre clues, and outsized characters all over the place. This book is a real delight to read.

Quick Takes:

Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1 Its always a treat when a new Beasts of Burden miniseries launches. This one focuses on Emrys, the Wise Dog, who has been around for a very long time. He tells the usual cast a story from his adventures in the Second World War, involving a strange mystical threat. This issue has a real BPRD vibe to it, if Hellboy were a sheepdog, and its pretty enjoyable. Benjamin Deweys art is really nice, but I still find myself missing original series artist Jill Thompson.

Captain America #28 This issue was trending on Twitter briefly because Ta-Nehisi Coates has been basing some of the Red Skulls rhetoric on the work on Jordan Peterson, the internet mouthpiece. It tracks from what I know of Petersons philosophy, and I found this amusing, but Im also more than ready for Coatess Cap run to close. It has never been bad, but its also never really grabbed me the way his current Black Panther run has.

Crossover #5 This issue is over pretty quickly, as Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw move their characters into position for the arcs big finish. Our heroes find themselves outside the dome around Denver, with a war brewing between some tortured characters from the fictional dimensions and US forces. I like how Cates has pulled in characters from his previous series, and borrowed Madman to make this book work. Its a good read.

Decorum #7 Its been a while since Ive seen this book on the stands. Jonathan Hickman took a long time getting this story moving when the series started, and now, with only one more issue to go, he kicks things into overdrive, as Neha finds the egg that her order of assassins are looking for, and makes off with the being inside of it. As with every issue of this book so far, Mike Huddleston does an incredible job, using a wide variety of art styles across the issue.

Department of Truth #7 We continue to learn a little more about the Departments history, as younger Lee Harvey Oswald gets a lesson on the Men in Black from the very young Doc Hynes, whose research caught the attention of the Department back in the day. Tyler Boss provided the art for this issue, which was a nice surprise, as hes incredible. I like that James Tynion IV is taking some time to provide context to some of the wilder aspects of this series now, and continue to be fascinated by this book.

ENIAC #2 Bad Ideas premier title is really working for me. Matt Kindt and Doug Braithwaite have a pair of secret agents going up against a sentient computer program from the Second World War that has the ability and motivation to potentially destroy the world. Kindt has them jumping through hoops, trying to gain the information they need to shut the program down. This issue has them rescuing someone from a Russian prison, and we start to learn just how deep ENIACs tendrils really go. This is a very solid series, with a terrific backup story by Kindt and David Lapham. Im thankful that the store I shop at is one of the few in my area carrying Bad Idea books.

Far Sector #11 Things get really exciting in this issue, as Jo has to try to stop a coup that she is still having trouble understanding, and it looks like the City Enduring is ready to tear itself apart. Writer NK Jemisin has created an endlessly fascinating world in this series, and has spent a lot of time exploring its complex society, and its similarities to Earth, and now that shes at the point of wrapping things up, I worry that Im really going to miss it. Jamal Campbells art has been great in this book, and its my hope that these two are not done working together, or with Jo.

Fear Case #3 Matt Kindt, and Tyler and Hilary Jenkins have outdone themselves with Fear Case. I liked the previous Kindt/Jenkins collaborations (Grass Kings and Black Badge), but this series has a lot more going on psychologically. Two Secret Service men have been given a year to solve a case involving a package (aka the Fear Case) that has been passed around for decades, trailing death and destruction behind it. Now, with only a day left on the case, the two agents have differences of opinion, and neither are prepared for the Case showing up on the doorstep of one of them. This is a very suspenseful book, with strong character work. I really like it.

Fire Power #10 Its big fight time in Fire Power, so most of this issue is spent with Owen preparing for battle, and checking in with his family. Robert Kirkman and Chris Samnee keep this series kind of decompressed, but also spend a lot of time making the characters likeable and believable, so the balance is just about perfect. Theres a very cool scene with airships and fire catapults, leaving me convinced that this is Samnees best work ever.

Giga #3 I think that Alex Paknadel is one of the most exciting and interesting writers working in comics right now. Giga is a very interesting look at a future society where people live in, and worship, the bodies of giant robots. Paknadel puts a lot of effort into his worldbuilding (check out some of his other books, like Turncoat), and now that we are three issues deep into this Vault Comics series, we can start to see that pay off. I also really like the art, by John L.

Green Lantern #1 Here I am, checking out another new DC series, because I want to like them. Geoffrey Thornes little-read Mosaic was interesting, and this series looks to be spotlighting John Stewart and Jo Mullein (from Far Sector), so that caught my attention. Im not sure that this first issue did much for me. Ever since Geoff Johns opened up the entire emotional spectrum to power rings, Ive found the Lantern books to be a little overly complicated. This issue has someone disrupting the conclave of the new United Planets because they have beef with the Guardians, and that leads to some complicated trouble. I think Id like this book more if it was pared down, but at the same time, there are enough interesting things here to suggest I might want to check out the next issue, and see what Thorne really has in mind. Dexter Soy drew most of this issue, and its remarkable how much hes changed from his debut on Captain Marvel, where his art was scratchy and hard to follow, to being almost completely part of the DC house style. Im not sure I like it.

Hollow Heart #2 Paul Allor and Paul Tucker make things a little more mysterious in this issue, as we start to question whether or not Mateo is helping El, a deeply unhappy cyborg imprisoned in Mateos workplace, or is working his own agenda. Allor is pacing this series really well, and I enjoy Tuckers art. Vault keeps putting out these quiet winners.

I Breathed a Body #3 Things get ever creepier in this new issue, as Zac Thompson leans into the body horror of this series, and we explore how the death and livestreamed desecration of the body of a major influence starts to impact the people around him. Theres a lot more to it than that, and Im not sure Im fully grasping everything. This is a good companion to Thompsons recently finished Lonely Receiver, as he sets out to understand our relationships with our phones and social media.

Immortal Hulk #45 Lately, issues of the Hulk have only moved the story forward in tiny increments, but the quality of the book remains high, and there are so many moving parts in Al Ewings story, that I dont mind one bit. This series is the strangest Hulk story ever, but also one of the absolute best.

Marauders #19 Its Morlocks vs. Reavers in Lowtown, Madripoor, as the Marauders have been told to hang back. Its cool to see Marrow back in action, as this series continues to play with its cast. Sure, we see some members of the core team that we havent seen for a while, but its weird to me just how loose the structure of this series is. Its working for me though.

The Silver Coin #1 I love the concept behind this series. Artist Michael Walsh is partnering with a different writer for every issue, and Im guessing that they are all going to be horror stories like this one, centred around a particular coin. In this issue, written by Chip Zdarsky, its the late 70s, and a small town rock band is finding their audience drying up as the thirst for disco grows. The members of the band find an old silver coin in a box of stuff the guitar players mother left behind, and when he plays using it as his pick, his music moves to a new level. This is a solid story, and Walshs art is terrific. Im always happy to support stranger series like this, and am looking forward to the upcoming issues (with Thompson, Brisson, and Lemire providing future stories). I also like supporting local creators, and three of the people involved in this project live in or are from Toronto.

Strange Adventures #9 Were now three quarters of the way through this series, and I feel like we still dont know the scope of Adams crimes. We do see some of the worst things he did during Ranns war with the Pykkt, but now that Earth is at war with these aliens, public opinion stays on his side. I feel like Tom King might be taking jabs at the Mueller report in this issue, as the Justice League release their rushed and incomplete findings, and TV pundits view it as vindication, even while the League sees it as damning. This series is pretty complex, and I feel like Ill need to see how King sticks the landing to fully assess how I feel about it.

Suicide Squad #2 I decided to take a second shot at this book. Ive read the Future State Suicide Squad books since then, and am worried that this entire series only exists to set up that underwhelming story, but I liked this one. I have always liked Peacekeeper, and his ridiculous costume, and I also liked the dynamic developing between him and Superboy (they dont get along). I might pick up the next issue of this series too, because its drawing me in.

Tankers #1 I think Bad Idea is two for two with their second debut. Tankers is by Robert Venditti and Juan Jos Ryp, and the title refers to a group of soldiers driving large exo-skeleton suits for an oil company that has decided to secure its business by returning to the past and guaranteeing a solid future supply. Much of this issue is given over to people in outfits like the loader Ripley drove in Aliens, fighting dinosaurs, in a glorious amount of detail. Ryp has done great work with this book, and Venditti is having fun with the B-movie plot. I was also very impressed with the backup story, by Venditti and Jorge Monlongo, which has Abraham Lincoln entering into some sensitive negotiations with some aliens. Bad Idea comics are very well put together and attractive, and as much as the companys methods are tiresome, I do like what they are putting into the world.

Two Moons #2 John Arcudi and Valerio Giangiordano are really impressing me with this supernatural historical horror series. Virgil, the Two Moons of the title, is a young Pawnee man who was raised by whites, is about to be tried for killing a superior officer in the Union army, but is rescued by Confederates, of all people. There is a lot of mystery to this book at this stage, and Im very curious to learn more about where this title is headed. Giangiordanos art is detailed and very nice, and his supernatural pages have a lot of depth to them.

USAgent #4 Any good Priest miniseries is kind of like a puzzle box, and I feel like were getting closer to figuring out everything that is going on with John Walker and his sister in this series. I am very interested in the new USAgent, also known as The Saint, and his connection to Watanabe, the guy who has been tagging along with Walker. This is a good, unconventional series that actually makes me want to read more John Walker series, something I never expected Id see happen.

X-Men #19 We continue with the story of the three X-Men who went into the Vault a while back. Sync, Wolverine (X-23), and Darwin ended up spending decades in the sped-up world, and the story of how they spent that time is pretty cool. Jonathan Hickman keeps breaking up the narrative with infographics that fill in the gaps, and that keeps things moving smoothly. Mahmud Asrar is a great artist, but I feel like hes really been levelling up lately; this issue looks terrific. Im also surprised by how much Im starting to like Sync. I never really read Generation X, so I dont know much about him, but hes interesting in Hickmans hands.

Comics I Would Have Bought if Comics Werent So Expensive:

Avengers #44

Batman/Catwoman #4

Firefly #27

King in Black #5

Other History of the DC Universe #3

The Fortnight in Graphic Novels:

Dracula, Motherf**ker! Im a big fan of Alex De Campis writing, and the way she switches genres and approaches with almost every project she does. This short graphic novel has her looking at Draculas brides, in 1970s LA. The main character is a crime photographer named Quincy Harker, who ends up being pursued by the revived Dracula when he takes pictures of his latest bride after her death. Draculas original wives have thoughts about this. De Campi and artist Erica Henderson make this a psychedelic and lurid adventure into an LA that doesnt really exist anymore. Henderson has done some great stuff, but she outdoes herself here, making every page a delight. I do wish this was longer it just felt like it was getting underway and then it ended, but its a cool little project worth checking out.

Music of the Last Two Weeks:

Serpentwithfeet Deacon Serpentwithfeet has a lovely, minimalist approach to soulful pop music, reminding me a lot of Moses Sumney, although less ornate. This album is sensitive and warm, and showcases his voice very well. This whole album is about friendship and intimacy among men, and its incredibly warm.

Pino Palladino & Blake Mills Notes With Attachments Pino Palladino and Blake Mills are familiar names if you like to read liner notes carefully (which is not easy to do in the digital age). Theyve worked with a ton of artists I respect, and now have put out an album of their own instrumental music, collaborating with people like Chris Dave, Rob Moose, and the incredible Sam Gendel. This album of, I guess, jazz, is a little hard to define, but it is both thoughtful and it swings. I hope to see more from these guys.

Lana Del Rey Chemtrails Over The Country Club I only ever listened to Lana Del Rey starting with her last album, Norman Fucking Rockwell, but I loved that album. I was utterly entranced by Del Reys voice and sharp songwriting, which put me in mind of someone like Leonard Cohen. I had high hopes for this album, but came away disappointed. It feels like shes trying to recapture what worked best on NFR, but ran out of things to say. Everything seems a little derivative and formulaic. I guess thats what happens when you listen to big name artists though Its pretty, but its not making it to many best of lists at the end of the year.

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, & The London Philharmonic Orchestra Promises I love the music of Floating Points, who has joined with jazz legend Pharoah Sanders and the LSO to put together this meditative and beautiful piece of music. Usually, a Floating Points song builds slowly and cuts out quickly, leaving listeners with a bit of a jolt. For this piece, which is a single work with seven movements, he slowly builds on a theme, and lets Sanders do this thing over it, mostly on his saxophone, but also with his voice, as the orchestras strings help the music swell. Its perfect headphone music, and its quite moving. This is an early shoe-in for the ten best albums of the year, and I only wish Id get to see it performed live.

Str4ta Aspects I know very little about the history of the British funk scene, but I know that this album, co-produced by legendary radio dj Gilles Peterson, is pretty fantastic. It has a timeless sound and a great atmosphere.

A Winged Victory For the Sullen Invisible Cities This is perfect rainy day music. I dont know anything about A Winged Victory For the Sullen, but their ambient neo-classical album is deeply atmospheric and morose, but in a beautiful way. Its an interesting counterpoint to the Floating Points album that I wrote about above.

Tags: The Weekly Round-Up

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The Weekly Round-Up #591 & #592 With Beta Ray Bill #1, Dead Dog's Bite #2, Fear Case #3, Suicide Squad #2, The Silver Coin #1 & More Plus 2...

Blue Book Artist Management has signed up comediansKonstantin KisinandFrancis Foster, hosts of the worldwide smash hit podcast and Youtube channelTriggernometry.

Triggernometry is centred around "open, fact-based discussions of important and controversial issues," with the widest range possible of guests. The show interviews people from all sides of the political spectrum, who have includedDavid Baddiel, Lord Andrew Adonis, Inaya Folarin ImanandJordan Peterson.

Launched in February 2018, they now average over3 millionmonthly views on YouTube. They have225k monthly downloadsof their audio podcast and234K YouTube subscribers.

Blue Book's clients include Micky Flanagan, Hal Cruttenden and Gary Delaney. They also recently signed up Scott Bennett, who has been doing regular online gigs from his shed over the last year.

Watch Triggernometry below

Hello! Thanks for reading all the way down. I wish I could give you a prize. But BTJ needs your support to continue - if you would like to help to keep the site going, please consider donating.

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Triggernometry sign to Micky Flanagan Management - Beyond The Joke

UNC-Greensboro head coach Wes Miller encourages his team during the first half of a first-round game against Florida State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Banker's Life Fieldhouse, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

It turns out the first time Roy Williams ever lost a first round game in the NCAA Tournament will end up being his last as a head coach.

The Hall of Famer announced his retirement Thursday but this was no April Fools prank. UNCs 82-65 defeat to Wisconsin in its March Madness opener was the 70-year-olds swan song after 33 seasons (18 in Chapel Hill and 15 at Kansas).

Now, the attention shifts to the three-time national championship-winning coachs successor. Will it be his longtime assistant Hubert Davis?

UNC Greenboros Wes Miller (+275) and Vanderbilts Jerry Stackhouse (+600) have relatively short odds. Or does the program go outside the Carolina bubble and try to lure a recent title-winning coach like Tony Bennett or Jay Wright?

Odds as of April 1st

UNC now becomes the second blueblood program conducting a coaching search in the last two-plus weeks after Indiana parted ways with Archie Miller and brought in Hoosier alum Mike Woodson to replace him.

The only common name from IUs list last week to UNCs pool of candidates now is Baylors Scott Drew. The longtime Bears head coach was a +1000 possibility in Bloomington and stands as a +1200 option to land on Tobacco Road.

Lets examine to top candidates and offer a possible sleeper.

The figure of speech has real meaning in many ways and certainly does when it comes to the person who will follow Williams on the Carolina sidelines. Thats why Davis appears to be a mortal lock for this role.

The 50-year-old checks off all the boxes. Hes a Tar Heel alum, played 12 years in the NBA and has served as Williams top lieutenant for the last nine seasons including the Heels last title in 2017. Williams was legendary UNC head coach Dean Smiths top assistant, but headed off to Lawrence for a decade-and-a-half prior to coming home when Smith was still an elite coach.

Smiths successor, Bill Guthridge, was another Smith assistant prior to being elevated to the top spot. Hiring top assistants is the Carolina way, making Davis the logical choice to be next up.

Another former Tar Heel one with head coaching experience (unlike Davis) is just down the road in Greensboro. Wes Miller took over the UNCG Spartans during the 2011-12 season, and has had built a nice program.

Millers teams have won at least 21 games in five straight seasons and have played in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments. The 38-year-old was also a player on Williams first Tar Heel title team in 2005 and, like Davis, has cultivated relationships in the state with high school coaches making him an attractive candidate from a recruiting perspective.

A potential wild card here (at least according to ESPNs Stephen A. Smith) and someone not even on the board is North Carolina Centrals LaVelle Moton.

Moton, like Miller, has developed strong ties with prep and AAU programs in the Tar Heel State. He has also taken the Eagles from the MEAC to the Big Dance four of the last seven years.

While Moton is a worthy candidate, he doesnt have that Tar Heel pedigree that seems to be imperative.

Among the longshots on the board, current Charlotte Hornets assistant general manager Buzz Peterson is the most intriguing name. At +3300, hes definitely worth an investment wager.

First of all, Petersons boss (and former roommate at Chapel Hill) is the most famous UNC alum of all-time in Michael Jordan.

MJs clout would go a long way in encouraging North Carolina leadership to hire Peterson if Buzz wanted to pursue the opportunity. Peterson is a former Heel player, as he was part of Smiths first title team in 1982.

Third, he has a strong head coaching resume, leading a variety of schools (including Tennessee, UNC-Wilmington and Appalachian State). One issue with Peterson? Hes only coached one of those teams the 1999-2000 App State Mountaineers to the NCAA Tournament.

UNC has exceedingly higher expectations than that. A Peterson hire in this spot smacks of Matt Doherty 2.0.

Theres a reason Davis is the chalk. Following a year of uncertainty amid the pandemic, North Carolina brass would be smart to make Davis the next leader in the Dean Dome.

Best Bet: Hubert Davis (+100)

NFL NBA NHL Golf NCAAF NCAAB Sports Writer

Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.

NFL NBA NHL Golf NCAAF NCAAB

Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.

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Odds to Be Next North Carolina Head Coach After Retirement of Roy Williams Hubert Davis and Wes Miller Top Favorites - Sports Betting Dime

Jordan Zimmermann has made 275 of his 277 major-league appearances as a starter but is expected to be used largely as a reliever with the Brewers.(Photo: Associated Press)

PHOENIX - The Milwaukee Brewers wanted to preserve pitching depth. Jordan Zimmermann wanted to continue pitching.

Those like-minded goals allowed the sides to come to terms on a minor-league contract Saturday that keeps the veteran right-hander with the organization for the time being.

It all comes down toa business move," said Zimmermann, who wasreleased Fridaywith fellow veteran right-hander Brad Boxberger with $100,000 retention bonuses due for both if kept on their previous deals.

BOX SCORE:Brewers 6, Royals 6

President of baseball operations David Stearns said it was his hope both would return, and Zimmermann was the first to commit.

"They obviously wanted to keep me around but didnt want to pay the money. I understand," Zimmermann continued."The fact that they wanted to keep me around means a lot to me. Thats kind of what went into my decision in coming back.

"The last couple of outings were really good for me. I feel like I have a lot left and I can help this team at some point during the season.

Zimmermann, who turns 35 on May 23, made his fifth Cactus League appearance later in the day against Kansas City in Surprise. He was roughed up for five consecutive two-out hits and three runs in his first inning of relief but bounced back with a 1-2-3 frame with two strikeouts.

After returning to Milwaukee with the Brewers, Zimmerman willhead to Appleton to begin his work at the alternate training site.

"I think Jordan is going to help us at some point in the season," manager Craig Counsell said."I think he's a great presence in the clubhouse and I'm happy we were able to work something out for him to be able to stay with us.

"We're going to need depth. I think he's pitching well. I think he's healthy. Now, I think it's just a matter of time until he helps us."

RELATED:Wisconsin native Jordan Zimmermann signs minor-league deal

The plan is to get Zimmermann ready topitch several innings at a time in various roles, much like Brent Suter has done for the Brewers.

"I think what we'll do is we'll stretch him out and then see where it takes us and see what our needs are," said Counsell. "I think keeping him healthy is important. He is capable of pitching at the start of games;he's capable of pitching bulk innings.

"At some point, we're going to need that. With some of the injuries to some other guys that we've had, maybe we're a little vulnerable right now."

Zimmermann has seen it all as a major-league pitcher, having thrown 1,608 innings over 277 appearances with the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers.But 275 outings came as a starter, which is quite different from needing to heat up in a hurry in the bullpenas a reliever.

Zimmermann has spent the spring trying to familiarize himself with the nuances of thatswitch.

Its different, for sure," he said."Ive only been out of the pen a couple of times. I know the first or second time out of the pen this spring, I threw, like, 40 pitches out there. I just kept throwing and throwing and throwing.

"Its learning to dial it back and try to get ready in 20 pitches or so, which I was, but we had a long inning and a pitching change and I just kept throwing and throwing and throwing. The next thing you know, Id thrown 47 pitches before I even went into the game."

Zimmermannis a native of Auburndale and still resides there in the offseason, as well asa product of UW-Stevens Point. Hesigned with the Brewers on Feb. 18 rather than reuniting with the Nationals, and he had no interest in going elsewhere in the wake of his release.

"I knew this is where I wanted to be. Its a great organization," he said."The guys in the clubhouse are great. I wasnt looking to go anywhere else. I feel like this is a good fit for me. I think I can help this team at some point during the season. I really didnt explore anything else.

Outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said the right wrist inflammation that kept him out of Cactus League action for nearly a week was the offshoot of a procedure he had to remove a ganglion cyst after he finished the 2020 season with Boston.

"I had it for the past three years and I finally got it removed this past offseason," said Bradley, who returned to action Saturday against Kansas City and reached base three times on two singles and a walk in the 6-6 tie.

"That's kind of what I've been dealing with the past three years, but I was able to get cortisone shots to get me by until I finally got it removed two days after the season was done in September. The (Red Sox) doctor said he would give me one more cortisone shot, only if I was willing to get it removed. I wanted to make sure I could finish the season first."

RELATED: Jackie Bradley Jr. gives the Brewers a fourth high-quality outfielder. They see that as a luxury, not a problem.

RELATED: A 2020 draft pick has been the best surprise of Brewers spring training, but bigger challenges do lie ahead

Bradley said he was "very confident" that he will be good to go when the season opens Thursday.

"Yeah, everything feels good," he said. "It feels good to be healthy."

Outfielder Lorenzo Cain, also playing catch-up after missing a few weeks with a quadriceps strain, had a big day against the Royals with a single, walk, his first home run of the spring and three runs scored.

"Today, I felt my best as far as seeing the ball and really kind of letting my swing go as much as I could," Cain said. "Overall, I thought it was a solid day for me. I saw the ball really well today and now I just have to build off what I did today."

Right-hander Brandon Woodruff threw the ball against the Royals in the final tune-up before his opening day start against Minnesota. Woodruff went 4 innings, allowing four hits and two runs with two walks and seven strikeouts.

"I think it went really well," Woodruff said. "Today was more about attacking, trying to read swings. I was able to sequence up some pitches a little bit and the results were good. I was pleased with it. There were a couple of long innings when I had to sit there for awhile then go back and try to pitch, so it was good to be able to get those in and still be able to get some outs.

"I feel like at this point, Im as ready as I can get for the season and as you progress through the season, theres different pitches and other little things you can clean up and fix. The last two starts for me, I picked up the tempo a little bit with my delivery. Just get the arm moving on time and everything else works after that."

Woodruff said he tinkered with his changeup grip this spring, getting some advice from reliever Devin Williams, who has one of the best changeups in the game. He said a primary focus was making sure he felt strong and ready with a 162-game season coming after a shortened 60-game schedule in 2020.

In the bottom of the seventh, Brewers rightfielder Tyrone Taylor and first baseman Dustin Peterson collided chasing a foul ball down the line, both going down hard. Taylor shook it off and remained in the game but Peterson could not continue playing.

"Tyrones got a left thigh bruise; thats kind of a major issue," Counsell said. "Dustin was just dizzy so we just took him out. His right hip was bothering him. We mainly took him out with the dizziness to make sure nothing was going on there.

"I think its one of those deals where theyre both going to be pretty sore tomorrow. Tyrone took a knee or a head to his thigh pretty hard."

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One day after being released in 'a business move,' a veteran right-hander has returned to the Brewers - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The George Floyd trial has finally started in Minneapolis as if we needed any more drama in this country and the other channels are covering it like a championship game, which makes sense. If your job is to make Americans hate each other, if your job is to divide the country (and thats how they see their job), the opportunity to talk about George Floyd all day islike your Super Bowl.

On Monday morning, CNN spent hours airing footage of prosecutors questioning one of the emergency dispatchers who happened to be on duty the day that George Floyd died. It wasnt very interesting and had no inherent news value.Is that your voice on the 911 recording? the prosecutor asked at one point. Yes, the dispatcher replied,and so it went interminably. Thensuddenly, at one point, the feedstopped without warning. Apparently there were technical difficulties. It wasnt a conspiracy, it was just live TV programing.

But CNNs control room cut to a legal analyst who assured viewers the pause was only temporary. This isnt Law &Order,' the analyst explained. It wont all be wrapped up in fifty-five minutes. This could go on a while. In other words, stay in your seats. Dont turn away. The trial may be boring, but its important.

Its not about George Floyd, obviously; it never was. No one on CNN cared about George Floyd while he was alive. He was unemployed and on drugs. Like a lot of people in this country, they paid him no attention. For that matter, no one on CNN actually cares about George Floyd now. What they care about is you and your role in the systemic racism that supposedly killed George Floyd.

If the Floyd trial ends in acquittal, there could be riots. We accept that as a fact of life in this country. No civilized country should, but suddenly we do. If there are riots, innocent people may die, as they did in large numbers this summer. CNN will downplay those deaths or justify them as they did this summer andas they have so many times before when those deaths are politically convenient. The point isnt to save people from dying. The point is to punish you and to change America. So from that perspective, its worth it.

Thats why theyre replaying that video of George Floyd dying in the sidewalk, to remind you of your culpability in his death. Thats why, even as they rub the countrys face in the death of George Floyd, there are many other tragic deaths some on video they ignore completely.

BOTCHED CARJACKING VICTIM FLUNG TO HIS DEATH FROM CARE; TEENS CHARGED WITH MURDER: POLICE

Heres one:A 66-year-old Pakistani immigrant called Mohammad Anwar died in Washington recently. As in George Floyds case, Anwarsdeath was on video. Unlike George Floyd, Mohammad Anwar was not a violent career criminal with a drug habit. He worked at the very bottom of the so-called gig economy and made his living driving for Uber Eats. Its a tough gig. On Tuesday, he was driving near Nationals Park in southeast Washington when two girls assaulted him with a Taser. The girls were 13 and 15 years old. Mohammad Anwar resisted. It was his car,the key to his living, and he didnt want to lose it.Abystander recorded what happened next.

Anwars last words were, This is my car, and it was.Bystanders watchedall of this happen,but no one stepped forward to help Mohammad Anwar. The two girls hit the gas, flipping the carover. Anwarflew out of the vehicle andlanded face down on the sidewalk, dead. The girls who killed him didnt seem bothered by this.

My phone is in there!My phone! one of them screamed. She cared more about her phone than the life of the man she just killed. This raises all kinds of questions, not only about them, but about us. What kind of society produced children like this? Who raised them? What does it say about our country that no one jumped in to help this poor man before he was killed?

Those are real questions, but CNN wasnt interested in asking any of them. In fact, the network refused even to call it a killing, since didnt help their politics. So in their account, the girls assaulted an Uber driver with a Taser while carjacking him, which led to an accident in which he was fatally injured.

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Which led to an accident.It wasnt a killing. It just kind of happened. It was an act of God, like a tsunami or a hailstorm. Unfortunately, he died. In fact, as the mayor of Washington, D.C., explained the next day, it may have been Mohammad Anwars fault. Mayor Muriel Bowser sent a tweet reminding her subjects to pay attention to their surroundings the next time they go outside.

Auto theft is a crime of opportunity, Bowser wrote. Follow these steps to reduce the risk of your vehicle becoming a target. Those tips included locking your car and not walking away as the engine is running.

Got that, D.C. residents? Staying safe is your job. Its not the job of the mayor you hired to protect you and who sits barricaded in her home, surrounded by a massive security detail you pay for as the city shes supposed to protect descends into chaos. No, its up to you. Youre on your own. Follow these steps to reduce the risk. Not surprisingly, carjackings are up all over the city, and if you know people who live there, they will tell you that. Neighborhoods that were safe last year, arent anymore. There are carjackings going on in residential neighborhoods, a 300% rise over one year, in fact.Shootings,robberies and theft are rising, too. Of course they are. Washington is becoming a scary place again. The capital of our country was also its murder capital in the 1980s. Thats not acceptable for a civilized country, but its becoming that way again.

Why is this happening? We dont have to guess. Its very simple. Last summer, the D.C. City Council voted to cut $15 millionfrom the police budget. It devastated the police department. Theyre basically not recruiting cops right now. There is but one class left at the police academy and massive retirements from the police department. If it continues at this rate, there wont be police in Washington in a few years.

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So what happens when you do something like this? Like clockwork, six months after they defunded the police department, Washington, D.C., recorded its highest murder rate in 15 years. When you defund the police, people die. That happens every single time. And thats why Mayor Muriel Bowsermust surround herself with cops. She doesnt want to get hurt, though she doesnt care if you do.

Its a very simple lesson, and everyone knows its true. Thats why we have cops in the first place. Theyve never really gotten credit for the gravest policy screw-up maybe in living memory. They defunded the police across the country, and our leaders are ignoring the consequences. Some places are doubling down. In Baltimore, for example, acity that does not need more tragedy, officials have announced they will no longer prosecute what they call low-level offenses,including drug possession and prostitution.

Whats low-level, exactly?That kind of depends on where you live and how much police protection you have. Prostitution and drugs arent a big deal if theyre not near you. However,when your kids cant go outside because prostitution and drug possessionare taking place right outside your house, theyre not low-level crimes. They wreck your life. The people who run Baltimore dont care about this. They have no interest whatsoever in what is happening outside your house. So the mayor of Baltimore andthe local prosecutor, recently sent a press release describing this policy as a success because it reduced systemic inequity. By the way, it also led to lower arrests. Imagine that?

So Baltimore has equity now. What a relief. Many of us are hoping Baltimore will have more equity. What does that look like? Last week, Baltimore recorded seven murders in six days. Thats a killing every day of the week, plustwo on Saturday. Thats deeply equitable and its happening in cities across the country. Once again, no ones noticing this, but if you live in one, you well know whats happening.

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In Chicago, for example, the George Soros-funded states attorney, a hard-left ideologue named Kim Foxxstopped prosecuting what she called low-level crimes. Last year, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfootmayor called for an $80 millionreduction in the police budget. What happened next? Can you guess? Have you read thisstory before? Oh, yeah. By January, Chicagos carjacking problem looked like (wait for it)Washington D.C.s.

Through mid-March, more than 370 carjackings had been reported in Chicago, the most the city has seen in a three-month period in at least 20 years, maybe much longer.

But its not just Chicago. This is happening everywhere is we advance toward a full year of mourningthe death of a single man on the sidewalk in Minneapolis. Thousands of Americans have been murdered thanks to the policy changes justified by the death of that man. Ponder that for a minute. Has there ever been a more perverse moment in this country?

Its not clear what we can do about it, but you can start by telling the truth out loud. According to The Washington Examiner, the murder rate in virtually every city in the United States is at its highest levels in more than two decades. Last year, there were more homicides in the United States than in any year since 1998. How did that happen? Oh, BLM. Thanks, BLM. BLM did this to us whilethe people who are funding them were posturing about how great they are and how this is going to make America more equitable. Poor people were paying the price with their lives. No one has admitted this, no one is accepting responsibility for it,and no one has been punished for it.

Irony of ironies, few places are more dangerous than the actual physical place where George Floyd died in Minneapolis.

None of this is getting better, by the way. Its getting worse. Still, no one has asked the most basic question: Why is this happening? Its not all political. The 13 and 15-year-old girls who killed the Pakistani Uber Eats driver werent acting out of political solidarity with anybody. What is that exactly? Why do people do that?

Jordan Peterson sent a very interesting tweet out the other day,just a simple graph ofthe out-of-wedlock birth rate. Among African-Americans, it was 70%. So if you took the out of wedlock birthrate, broke it down by demographic group, and put it next to the crime rate, one thing you notice they track exactly or close enough to suggest a profound connection.

Why is no one interested in pursuing that? No one even asks why this is happening. Youre not supposed tosee how Mohammad Anwar died. Instead, youre supposed to watch endless loops of video of the death of GeorgeFloyd so you can tell yourself its all one bad cop or its all systemic racism.

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But if you look away from the propaganda and you look toward the reality of whats happening to your country on the streets ofWashington or Chicago orMinneapolis, you might have a few questionsfor the people in power. Theyre the ones who created this society. Theyre the ones responsible, and thats exactly the conversation they dont want to have.

So they tell you much more about George Floyd. Watch the 911 dispatcher testify some more. Just dont change the channel.

This article is adapted from Tucker Carlsons opening commentary on the March 29, 2020 edition of Tucker Carlson Tonight

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Tucker Carlson: Unsafe cities, divisive mainstream media the real legacy of George Floyd's death - Home - WSFX