Yup! Even the great sport of tennis has been affected by sports gambling (as if gambling were a sport). The BBC reports (Jan. 18), “Over the last decade, 16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches. “All of the players, including winners of...

In this first month of a new year, The Take examines a few stories from the sane… to the inane. Where’s Colin!? — Former Joint Chiefs Chairman and Secretary of State Colin Powell has been conspicuously absent from all the activities surrounding the GOP presidential candidates. I kept wondering, what’s his take on all this. Wonder no more. According to...

Working families can’t compete with billionaires. Let’s stop the flood of dark money into our political system and do it now.   – Harry Reid, Senate Democratic Leader Dark money is the term used to describe funds given to non-profit organizations that are permitted, by law, to receive unlimited donations from individuals, unions, and corporations. These non-profits, typically 501(c)(4) and (c)(6)s,...

In Monday’s commentary (Those Clinton Emails), I began looking at the continuing issue regarding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. The fallout from inconsistent information from the Democratic candidate has caused her poll numbers to drop and led to a loss of trustworthiness among potential voters. But what’s the genesis of this controversy? Wikipedia...

How many ways can Donald Trump embarrass the American political process and the Republican Party? (He’s clearly immune from embarrassing himself.) Let’s count the ways: “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” — Trump referencing Senator John McCain who spent more than five years as a POW...

I rarely comment about ethical lapses that happen outside the United States, but this one’s unique. The small island of Canna, off the coast of Scotland in the Hebrides, is a stunningly beautiful and tranquil place with a population of just 19 adults and four children. It is also a place that faced its first case of dishonesty in 50...

Should we forgive Brian Williams? After four months, we now know what will happen to former NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams after being suspended for lying about his “war time” experience: He will not be returning to the anchor desk. The very able Lester Holt, who’s been filling in for Williams, will become the permanent anchor, a position well...

What’s to become of Brian Williams, the stalwart and – up until his abrupt six month suspension in February – trusted news anchor for NBC? The good news is that NBC News is taking the time to conduct a thorough internal investigation into the fabrications Williams has told the media, particularly about war-related incidents he was supposedly involved in. According...

The E.T. hasn’t been around for awhile. So, let’s get started. The Two-fer – Brian Williams out for six-months without pay; Jon Stewart says adios to The Daily Show. While an internal investigation continues into how NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams misled the public with a story about how the helicopter in which he was travelling in Iraq came...

Having dinner at my favorite local restaurant recently, I’m scanning the menu when a server recognizes me as a fellow Boston fan. She approaches the table and shouts, “Go Patriots!” She then remembers what I do and quickly adds, “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT!” Completely nonplussed, I ask, “Hear about what?” “The deflated balls,” she says. “I don’t...