Say you’ve just come across U.K. singer-songwriter Jade Bird‘s pop-rock confection “Lottery.” You’re feeling the mellow melodies on the verse. You’re grooving. And then suddenly, as soon as that chorus hits, her voice reveals itself like a turbine engine turning on. Now you’re awake. And you’re all in.
It’s a neat little trick Bird does — delaying then deploying her raw vocal power at the perfect moment — on songs like the roaring “I Get No Joy” and the beloved, rambunctious “Uh Huh.” The skeletons underneath these big bursts, though, are often very simple: songs written with only a handful of chords, some of them penned in a barn near Woodstock, New York, leaving plenty of room for Bird, MTV’s PUSH artist for the month of March, to express herself.
“When you’re not worried about the chords, you start saying your true feelings,” she told MTV recently.
At freshly 21, Bird is poised to share those true feelings on a forthcoming debut album. It’s a long time coming. She started out on piano in a musical family with a mom who blasted Shakira, Shania Twain, and the Chemical Brothers when she was young. Eventually, she hopped on guitar started working on songs at age 12. Her first live gig came soon after, at 13, in a pub. She was wearing a leopard-print dress.
“It was scary and it was daunting,” she said, “and then I did it again and again and again and again, and it was less scary.” Not even a decade later, she’s already looking ahead to her second album, continuing to sharpen her toolkit, and keeping her ears open for new music to listen to and get inspired by.
“I think I’m eclectic and I’m never afraid to not know an artist or a band or an album because I want to hear it,” Bird said. “I always find if you’re a music lover — which I am, I’m a music fan first — if you’re in a conversation, they go, ‘Have you heard this album?’ I’ll go home and I’ll check it out. I think that’s what separates you from growing your taste.”
Get to know Jade Bird in the full interview below, and watch her bellow her great and playful song “I Get No Joy” above.
Connor Hughes of The Athletic reported the Jets are “undeniably the favorite” for the free-agent running back. The Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also considered contenders for Bell’s services.
Bell, 27, sat out the entire 2018 season after refusing to sign his franchise tag with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He forfeited $14.5 million in the process.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
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The move was in response to US violations of the INF, the Kremlin said [File: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA]
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree suspending Moscow’s participation in a key Cold War-era nuclear arms control treaty, following a similar move by the United States.
In a statement on Monday, the Kremlin said the suspension would last until the US “ends its violations of the treaty or until it terminates”.
In February, Washington gave notice of its intention to withdraw from the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which was established as a major safeguard against nuclear war.
The move by US President Donald Trump set the stage for the bilateral pact’s termination in six months.
Washington accuses Moscow of developing and deploying a cruise missile that violates provisions of the treaty that ban the production, testing and deployment of land-based cruise and ballistic missiles that have a range between 500km and 5,500km.
US officials have also expressed concerns that China, which is not party to the pact, was gaining a significant military advantage in Asia by deploying large numbers of missiles with ranges beyond the treaty’s limit.
The President signed an executive order suspending Russia’s compliance with the INF Treaty
— President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) March 4, 2019
Russia has denied any breaches, instead charging that it was the US that had flouted the pact by deploying missile defence facilities in eastern Europe that could fire cruise missiles instead of interceptors.
Washington rejects the claim.
The collapse of the treaty has stoked fears of a replay of a Cold War-era Europe missile crisis during the 1980s, when the US and the Soviet Union both deployed intermediate-range missiles on the continent,
Putin has previously said Russia would seek to develop medium-range missiles, but would not deploy them in the European part of the country or elsewhere unless the US does so.
NATO has supported the US’s decision to withdraw from the pact, but many European leaders have voiced fears over the consequences of its demise.
China has also urged Russia and the US to preserve the treaty.
“What is clear in the Senate is that there will be enough votes to pass the resolution of disapproval, which will then be vetoed by the president and then in all likelihood the veto will be upheld in the House,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
The Senate majority leader had urged the president not to declare a national emergency after Congress rejected his demands to fund the wall.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged Monday that the Senate will pass a resolution blocking President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration on the southern border.
The Kentucky Republican’s comments underscore his inability to shield the president from a bipartisan rebuke, though McConnell added that he expected the House to uphold the president’s veto.
Story Continued Below
McConnell’s Kentucky GOP colleague Rand Paul became the fourth Republican senator to join 47 Senate Democrats in supporting the House-passed disapproval resolution, which needs a simple majority to go to Trump’s desk. The Senate will vote later this month on the measure to stop Trump from unilaterally redirecting billions toward his border wall.
“What is clear in the Senate is that there will be enough votes to pass the resolution of disapproval, which will then be vetoed by the president and then in all likelihood the veto will be upheld in the House,” McConnell said at an event in Louisville, Ky.
McConnell said Senate Republicans are studying whether it can amend the resolution but that “it’s never been done before,” and their options are unclear.
McConnell also made clear he tried to dissuade Trump from declaring the emergency, arguing that future Democratic presidents could use it to further liberal policy proposals: “That’s one reason I argued without success that he not take this route.”
“I was one of those hoping the president would not take the national emergency route,” McConnell said. “Once he decided to do that I said I would support it, but I was hoping he wouldn’t take that particular path.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Lakers and Melo have paused their negotiations, barring L.A. getting back into playoff contention. The Lakers had been “leaning toward” signing Anthony, but a stretch of four losses in five games caused both sides to re-evaluate.
Los Angeles is currently 4.5 games behind the No. 8 seed San Antonio Spurs.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
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Okili (C), 10, struts through the neighbourhood with his mother Judith (R) and her friend. The art of the Sape is about turning heads wherever you go. Okili has been a Sapeur for five years. He is still at school and his favourite item of clothing is his Yves Saint Laurent suit [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo – Wearing a white linen Jean Courcel suit, a Chanel bow-tie and Versace sunglasses, Ntsimba Marie Jenne wouldn’t look out of place in the front row of the Paris or London fashion weeks.
But the 52-year-old happens to be strutting her stuff in Brazzaville, the capital city of the Republic of the Congo.
She is one of the growing number of women belonging to the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes (the Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People), or Sape.
Like their impeccably-dressed male counterparts, the female Sapeuses will spend in excess of $3,000 on a suit when they don’t even have running water, and go without food in order to save up for the right designer accessories.
Most have ordinary day jobs as policewomen and tailors, but as soon as they clock off, they transform. On the streets of Brazzaville, they are treated like rock stars, defying their circumstances to bring “joie de vivre” to their communities.
Spending money on ornate umbrellas and silk socks might seem surreal when almost half the country’s population lives in poverty, but the Sape movement aims to do more than just lift the spirits. Over the decades, it has functioned as a form of colonial resistance, social activism and peaceful protest.
Charlotte, 44, has been a Sapeuse for five years. She works as a tailor to fund her lavish wardrobe, which includes Pierre Cardin suits, a Cartier watch and J.M. Weston shoes [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Celmantine, 52, has five children and she is a housewife, but for 36 years she has also been a Sapeuse. Her father was Sapeur and he gave her this pipe, made from Congolese ivory [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Michelle shelters from the intense heat in her trilby. The 32-year-old has been a Sapeuse for six years. She has one child and works at the agricultural ministry [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Edith, 47, has been a Sapeuse for decades. She now has four children and she is a housewife. She performs the Sape greeting of stamping and showing off the lining of her jacket outside a local bar [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Ntsimba, 52, has been a sapeuse for 20 years. She has two children and is a housewife. She wears a white linen Jean Courcel suit, Chanel bowtie, Versace glasses and J M Weston shoes [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Boudimbou, 44, outside a local hairdresser. A snack-bar owner, Boudimbou has been a Sapeuse for 15 years and her favourite item of clothing is her Dakar suit [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Okili is followed through the streets by his schoolmates. Although the other children at his school wear sandals or go barefoot, Okili is wearing patent Churchill boots from London [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Edwige, 35, stops traffic in the streets of her neighbourhood outside Brazzaville. Sapeuses say they perform something like a public service, bringing joy to everyone who sees them [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Ntsimba, 52, has been a Sapeuse for 20 years. She has two children and is a housewife. She likes to express her style through her Jean Courcel suit, Chanel bow-tie and Versace sunglasses [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Edith, 47, has been a Sapeuse for 36 years. She has four children and is a housewife. Her favourite item of clothing is her Pierre Cardin suit [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Celmantine, 52, sits on a neighbour’s sofa in her Next London suit and Chaps tie. Her pipe was passed down to her from her father, also a Sapeur [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Memba, 45, returns home. She has been a Sapeuse for 20 years. She is married with two children and is a housewife. She is wearing a suit designed and created by her Sapeur husband, Maxim Pivot [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
Judith, 39, sits in her lounge in a Rubens suit, Pierre Cardin bow-tie and J M Weston shoes. The policewoman has been a sapeuse for 18 years and has three children, one of whom is a 10-year-old Sapeur. [Tariq Zaidi /Al Jazeera]
As the NFL offseason moves into a high-activity phase during the NFL Scouting Combine that concludes Monday, teams will evaluate players as they take a look at the incoming draft class.
At this juncture, front-office executives will publicly express their intention of keeping their options open on trades and free-agent signings. Typically, Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium becomes a forum for ideas as club representatives mingle with each other.
Before the new calendar year starts March 13, we’ll speak to the minds of the decision-makers. How should they approach free agency, the draft and current roster situations? What’s the suggestion for the Arizona Cardinals, who hold the No. 1 overall pick? When is a good time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade wide receiver Antonio Brown?
Each recommendation highlights a solution to a roster issue or provides advice on how to better that team for the 2019 season.
Does this draft offer a must-have prospect for the Cardinals? Unless the front office plans to take Kyler Murray, this team should look to stockpile draft picks.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s favorable opinion on Murray as a No. 1 overall pick resurfaced shortly after he accepted the job in Arizona, but he recently said Josh Rosen is “our guy.” General manager Steve Keim didn’t have a strong endorsement for the UCLA product as the Cardinals’ starting signal-caller, stating “for sure, he is, for now.”
Rosen experienced a rough rookie campaign, throwing 11 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions while completing 55.2 percent of his attempts. Team brass fired the coaching staff after one season. The offensive line struggled to protect him; he took 45 sacks. With that said, Keim’s comments may be instrumental in driving up the trade value for a team that wants Murray.
It’s a draft loaded with defensive talent. The Cardinals can pass on taking Nick Bosa or any other prospect at No. 1 overall to pick up multiple early-round picks. That would allow Keim to address holes across the offensive line, add a wide receiver or take another high-potential player for the defense.
A 3-13 squad last season, the Cardinals have plenty of needs. The front office requires more ammunition to offset any possible misses. One player atop the draft isn’t going to put Arizona on the fast track to the postseason.
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Atlanta Falcons defensive end Vic BeasleyJoe Robbins/Getty Images
Vic Beasley’s 2016 campaign looks like an aberration, when he led the league in sacks with 15.5 and also forced six fumbles. Since then, the fourth-year veteran has accumulated 10 sacks and one forced fumble in 30 games, with only 17 being starts.
The Atlanta Falcons selected Beasley eighth overall in the 2015 draft, but he’s performed at the level of a first-round pick in only one season. Based on status, the Clemson product has come up short of expectations. The 26-year-old goes into a contract year and probably needs a campaign similar to his All-Pro season to convince the front office to retain him on a second deal.
Instead of hoping for Beasley to rediscover his form as a top-notch pass-rusher opposite Takkarist McKinley, general manager Thomas Dimitroff should add some competition for him.
At best, a push from a young player with much to prove puts immense pressure on Beasley to produce. If he falls flat again, the Falcons can initiate a transition at defensive end during the season.
Last year, the Baltimore Ravens kicked off the draft with Hayden Hurst at No. 25 overall in an offseason focused on revamping the team’s group of pass-catchers for Joe Flacco. Now that the quarterback‘s reportedly going to the Denver Broncos, barring a change of heart for either side, Lamar Jackson will take over the starting spot.
It’s important general manager Eric DeCosta acquires receivers who suit the franchise signal-caller going forward. Jackson must progress as a passer. He attempted only between 19 and 25 passes in each of his seven regular-season starts, but he threatened defenses on the ground, averaging 17 carries per contest once he took over the huddle.
In order to help Jackson’s development, the Ravens have to invest in wide receivers early in the draft. The front office released Michael Crabtree, and John Brown will become a free agent. Neither built a strong rapport with the former Heisman Trophy winner.
Assuming D.K. Metcalf comes off the board before the Ravens go on the clock with the 22nd overall pick, A.J. Brown and N’Keal Harry should come into play as potential pickups for an offense in need of a lead wideout.
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Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion DawkinsMark Brown/Getty Images
If the Buffalo Bills want to see quarterback Josh Allen succeed, team executives must add quality on the offensive line. The Wyoming product possesses the athleticism to mask holes up front, but the increased number of rushing attempts leaves him open to getting hit more. Similar to Jackson in Baltimore, a quarterback constantly on the run isn’t a sustainable approach for him or the offense.
Allen missed four contests because of an elbow injury and took 28 sacks in 12 games. Like most quarterbacks, he could put up better passing numbers with more clean-pocket plays. The front office will likely find two new starters on the right side of the offensive line; guard John Miller and tackle Jordan Mills have expiring contracts.
During free agency, the Bills can acquire veteran offensive linemen to strengthen Allen’s protection. Right tackle Daryl Williams has extensive starting experience with the Carolina Panthers. According to Miami Herald‘s Armando Salguero, a Dolphin may be available in the coming weeks. “Josh Sitton expects to be cut but certainty would be good,” he wrote.
The search for offensive linemen shouldn’t stop with free agency. Buffalo could have an opportunity to draft Jonah Williams with the No. 9 overall pick. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller lists the Alabama product as the ninth overall prospect on his big board. Assuming he’s available, the Bills can plug him into the starting lineup if they choose not to sign a veteran at the position.
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Carolina Panthers center Ryan KalilGrant Halverson/Getty Images
Though he’s yet to make a formal announcement, Panthers center Ryan Kalil acknowledged his plans to retire. Left guard Amini Silatolu’s contract expires in the coming weeks.
The free-agent pool features several veterans capable of filling a short- or long-term role in the trenches. Left guards Ramon Foster, Rodger Saffold and Quinton Spain may suffice as candidates to fill that spot.
The draft in late April will feature three centers who could hear their names called within the first three rounds: Elgton Jenkins, Erik McCoy and Garrett Bradbury.
Carolina must protect the A- and B-gaps in front of Cam Newton, who’s coming off a second shoulder surgery in two years. As he goes into his age-30 campaign, the Panthers may want to consider more runs between the tackles with a physical tailback as a change-of-pace option to Christian McCaffrey. But first, the front office must stabilize the center and left guard spots.
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Chicago Bears running back Jordan HowardDylan Buell/Getty Images
The Chicago Bears don’t have a first- or second-round pick because of a draft-day trade with the New England Patriots last year and the Khalil Mack acquisition in September. Barring a transaction, general manager Ryan Pace won’t have a selection until midway through the third round this year.
Fortunately for the Bears, the front office flipped the roster, specifically the offense, last offseason. Chicago re-signed tackle Bobby Massie to keep its offensive line intact, but there’s a pressing issue in the backfield.
In 2018, running back Jordan Howard posted a career low in yards per carry (3.7). Perhaps it’s going to take another season for him to adjust to head coach Matt Nagy’s system. Pace can take a pre-emptive approach and choose a running back on Day 2 of the draft. Devin Singletary, Justice Hill and Myles Gaskin may be available at No. 88 overall.
The Bears selected Howard in the fifth round, and he earned a Pro Bowl invite as a rookie in 2016. Now, with his numbers trending down, the front office may find a better fit in April. Another pass-catching running back with a larger frame than Tarik Cohen’s 5’6″ and 181 pounds could move this offense into high gear.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy DaltonKirk Irwin/Getty Images
The Cincinnati Bengals considered quarterback Mason Rudolph during the third round of last year’s draft, per ESPN.com’s Paxton Boyd. The Steelers moved up to No. 76 and selected the Oklahoma State product. With the next pick, the Bengals added defensive end Sam Hubbard.
The Bengals don’t owe quarterback Andy Daltonany dead money over the last two years of his contract. He’s also going into his age-32 season and missed the final five games of the 2018 term with torn ligaments in his thumb. The three-time Pro Bowler doesn’t have a playoff win on his resume, even though that’s a team statistic.
As first-year head coach Zac Taylor and his coaching staff steer this franchise in a new direction, who’s to say Dalton will play out his entire contract?
Cincinnati can select a quarterback in Day 2 of the draft and potentially groom him into a long-term starter. Intriguing prospects such as Will Grier and Brett Rypien have upside after productive collegiate careers. They would have at least a year to develop before attempting to unseat Dalton as a starter.
One part of the Cleveland Browns defensive line looked dominant at times, and the other came off as average in most games. Left end Myles Garrett and right tackle Larry Ogunjobi provided strong pocket pressure during the last season, combining for 19 sacks. They also had 22 tackles for a loss.
At times, tackle Trevon Coley and end Emmanuel Ogbah flashed but not often enough throughout the season. The former profiles as a decent rotation asset against the run; the latter has underwhelmed since the Browns selected him 32nd overall in 2016. They combined for 3.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss.
The new coaching staff will likely give Ogbah a chance to make a strong impression because of his draft status. Coley probably won’t have the same expectations to elevate his game as an undrafted product out of Florida Atlantic in 2016.
With the 17th overall pick, the Browns should have a legitimate shot at Dre’Mont Jones or Jerry Tillery—two defensive tackles who know how to pressure the pocket. Next to Ogunjobi, either prospect could put significant pressure on opposing offensive linemen in pass protection. The focus on the penetrators in the middle could help Ogbah achieve a breakout season.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus LawrenceMichael Ainsworth/Associated Press
According to Over the Cap, the Dallas Cowboys have $49.4 million in salary-cap space. It’s the middle of the pack relative to other teams’ financial capital, but the front office has enough to keep one of the league’s top pass-rushers on the roster.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Lawrence isn’t interested in signing the franchise-tag tender for consecutive seasons. The 26-year-old had an early history of in-season injuries. He missed 16 contests in his first three years because of foot and back ailments, both of which required surgery. The fifth-year veteran is also expected to undergo a shoulder procedure during the offseason, per Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota.
Now playing at his best, it’s no surprise the unrestricted free agent would prefer to ink a long-term deal as opposed to accepting one year of financial security. The two-time Pro Bowler has logged 25 sacks since 2016. He’s by far the top pass-rusher for the Cowboys, which is his leverage going into the offseason.
Lawrence’s absence would put a significant dent in a defense that ranked sixth in scoring and seventh in yards allowed last term. Without the pocket pressure, quarterbacks will have more time to pick apart a pass defense that ranked 13th in yardage allowed and logged just nine total interceptions in 2018.
The league suspended defensive end Randy Gregory indefinitely for violating its substance-abuse policy, which adds some pressure to retain Lawrence. The front office already made an initial offer to the defensive end’s camp, per Machota. Now, it’s up to the two sides to reach an agreement.
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Denver Broncos tight end Jake ButtDavid Zalubowski/Associated Press
Assuming the trade for Flacco becomes official March 13, the Broncos have to take a look at what the Ravens did to help the 34-year-old signal-caller during his 11-year run in Baltimore. The use of tight ends became a recurring theme.
Todd Heap and Dennis Pitta became standouts with Flacco under center. The Ravens fortified their pass-catching unit with tight ends until his last season in Baltimore. The front office selected Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, hoping to re-energize the aerial attack.
Currently, the Broncos don’t have a standout receiving tight end, but there’s potential in Troy Fumagalli. In September, Jake Butt sustained a third ACL tear. Jeff Heuerman will hit the open market in the new calendar year.
The Broncos will have a treasure trove of receiving tight ends to consider in the draft, including Irv Smith Jr., Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver and Jace Sternberger. The front office simply can’t miss on a big-body target for Flacco.
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Detroit Lions cornerback Nevin LawsonTom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
The Detroit Lions’ cornerback situation closely mirrors the Cardinals’ in recent years. On one side, there’s a two-time Pro Bowl cover man, but there’s instability or subpar play on the opposite side of the field.
Like Patrick Peterson, Darius Slay can only position himself in one place at a time. He put together another strong campaign, notching 17 pass breakups and three interceptions last season. Still, the Lions surrendered 29 touchdowns through the air, ranking 19th in the league.
Last offseason, Detroit signed cornerback Nevin Lawson to a two-year deal, but he’s a Band-Aid on a huge void in the secondary. He’s logged just 25 pass breakups since 2015. Let’s put that in perspective; Slay broke up 26 passes during his 2017 All-Pro season alone.
Jalen Tabor, a 2017 second-rounder, hasn’t developed into a playmaker yet. In fact, he’s started just five games in two years. In 2018, the Florida product opened three consecutive contests with the first-unit defense but couldn’t hold on to the role.
General manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia have to put their heads together and find a perimeter playmaker for the secondary. Greedy Williams and Byron Murphy are two names to watch in the first round.
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Florida State defensive end Brian BurnsDon Juan Moore/Getty Images
Outside linebacker Clay Matthews will be a free agent. Nick Perry has battled significant knee and hand injuries, and he has also underwhelmed when on the field over the last two years, racking up just 38 solo tackles and 8.5 sacks.
ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky expects Green Bay to cut ties with Perry unless he takes a pay cut (the 28-year-old signed a five-year, $59 million contract in 2017).
The Packers can reinvigorate their pass rush with an edge-rusher using the No. 12 pick. Brian Burns racked up 23 sacks in three seasons at Florida State, and he possesses the natural bend that’s conducive to beating offensive tackles off the edge. Before the combine, the junior standout bulked up to 249 pounds and looked impressive in his workouts.
Burns ran a 4.53 40-yard time, and he also maintained his agility and hip movement during the position drills. Green Bay could pounce on a prospect whose stock should see a spike leading up to the draft.
The Packers can flip their outside linebacker unit, with Kyler Fackrell coming off a 10.5-sack season and Burns on the opposite side.
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Houston Texans right tackle Seantrel HendersonPeter G. Aiken/Getty Images
After Week 1 last season, Houston Texans right tackle Seantrel Henderson landed on injured reserve with a broken ankle. Kendall Lamm started in his absence, and he’s headed to the open market.
Henderson doesn’t have a strong track record as a starter. The 27-year-old hasn’t opened more than one contest in a single season with the first-unit offense since 2015 because of Crohn’s disease, two suspensions for substance-abuse policy violations and that ankle injury.
The Texans can dip their toe in the free-agent pool and pursue right tackles Daryl Williams or Ja’Wuan James if the latter doesn’t come to terms on a new deal with the Dolphins.
Last year, Houston selected Martinas Rankin in the third round; he started three games at left tackle. Julie’n Davenport served in that role as the primary starter. Assuming the two battle for the position, the opposite side remains a mystery.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson took a league-high 62 sacks last year, which raises concerns for the front line. There’s competition on his blind side, but there’s a need for talent on the right.
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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ryan GrantJeff Roberson/Associated Press
Don’t question general manager Chris Ballard and the front office. The Indianapolis Colts hit home runs with their first- and second-round picks in the last draft. Guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard became rookie All-Pros, while Braden Smith started 13 contests at right tackle.
Coming off a 10-6 season and a trip to the playoffs, the offense needs a playmaker opposite wideout T.Y. Hilton. Ballard and company, owners of the Nos. 26 and 34 picks, should take an in-depth look at a wide receiver group that features several late first-round and early second-round talents.
The Colts will likely have a shot at the following prospects: N’Keal Harry, A.J. Brown, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel. Someone in that group could flourish in Indianapolis. Quarterback Andrew Luck is healthy, and he’s throwing accurate darts again.
Last year, the Colts signed wide receiver Ryan Grant. He started 10 out of 14 contests but finished with just 35 catches for 334 yards.
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Unrestricted free agent quarterback Nick FolesButch Dill/Associated Press
There’s a connection between quarterback Nick Foles and John DeFilippo. The two worked together during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl run. The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator served as the quarterbacks coach that season, although it’s fair to point out Frank Reich deserves credit as the play-caller for that offense.
Looking at DeFilippo’s time as an offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings, it’s fair to say he elevated quarterback Kirk Cousins’ game. The 30-year-old signal-caller notched a career-high 30 touchdown passes and completed 70.1 percent of his passes.
The Vikings offense didn’t show much balance, but DeFilippo optimized the talent under center. He could potentially do the same with a familiar face. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, there’s mutual interest between Foles and the Jaguars.
As the team turns the page on quarterback Blake Bortles, the front office can push this squad back into contention with a Super Bowl MVP who fared well in Carson Wentz’s absence over the last two years.
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Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric BerryDavid Eulitt/Getty Images
Since 2017, safety Eric Berry has appeared in four games, one of which was a playoff contest. When healthy, he was a versatile All-Pro—often discussed as arguably the best at his position.
Last season, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Berry battled Haglund’s deformity (h/t NFL.com’s Lakisha Jackson), a condition that causes bone spurs to dig into the Achilles. According to Yahoo Sports’ Terez Paylor, Dr. Bob Anderson deemed surgery unnecessary to correct the ailment. Still, it’s a gamble to count on him to remain healthy through an entire season.
This isn’t a motion to give up on the 30-year-old, but the front office must overhaul the secondary in order to improve the pass defense, which ranked 31st in yards allowed and surrendered 30 touchdowns.
Kansas City drafted Armani Watts in the fourth round last year. This time around, general manager Brett Veach should consider an early choice such as Nasir Adderley or Deionte Thompson if he falls to the second round because of his recent wrist surgery.
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Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Sam TeviTom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
As long as Philip Rivers remains under center, the Los Angeles Chargers have to approach the season in win-now mode. It’s important to hit on early-round draft selections, but we all know it’s a big guessing game with collegiate players coming into the league—some are riskier picks than others.
The Chargers started 2017 sixth-rounder Sam Tevi at right tackle for a majority of the 2018 season. Joe Barksdale held the role between the 2015-17 seasons but dealt with a knee injury last year. Los Angeles released him in December.
The coaching staff shouldn’t just hand Tevi the standing job this season. He struggled in pass protection, which is expected of a reserve talent thrust into a prominent role under short notice.
The Chargers can’t afford to put a pocket-passing 37-year-old quarterback in harm’s way. General manager Tom Telesco can lock down the position with an experienced veteran looking for a new start and a chance to compete in the postseason.
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Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus PetersKelvin Kuo/Associated Press
Every year, only one team walks away with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Thirty-one clubs come up short, and there are no consolation prizes.
However, some organizations can still view the positives as steps in the right direction. The Los Angeles Rams didn’t see a lot of production from their 2018 draft class. They didn’t make their first selection until the third round last year. Instead, the front office went after veterans, and that approach brought results.
The Rams couldn’t beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII, but how did they reach the title game? General manager Les Snead acquired established veterans for the defense, trading for cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. He also signed Ndamukong Suh to a one-year, $14 million deal. The front office also traded first- and sixth-round picks for wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a fourth-rounder.
The Rams injected their starting lineup with outsiders, most of whom made significant contributions.
Battling a knee injury for some parts of the term, Peters didn’t have his best year, but he’s on a rookie deal that carried a $1.7 million cap hit in 2018. Talib underwent ankle surgery, which cost him eight contests. When the cornerback duo took the field together, the Rams had a legitimate starting pair on the perimeter.
Cooks ranked second on the team in receiving yards (1,204) and was first in yards per reception (15.1). Suh filled the nose tackle role and occupied some double-teams. That took some heat off Aaron Donald, who led the league with 20.5 sacks. The 32-year-old recorded 4.5 sacks and four pass breakups.
The Rams made the right choice in fast-tracking their roster development with veteran talent. With quarterback Jared Goff on his rookie deal, Snead should keep his foot on the gas pedal in compiling assets on the market or via trade.
The Dolphins are expected to look for a new quarterback, per Armando Salguero. “The Dolphins aren’t planning on letting Ryan Tannehill remain as the starter in 2019,” the Miami Herald reporter wrote. “After seven years with the club, the people who run the organization, including owner Stephen Ross, are agreed they are moving on from Tannehill.”
Assuming the move occurs this month, the Dolphins would officially enter the quarterback market. The organization hired a new head coach, Brian Flores. It’s a fresh joint venture that’s moving into a new era.
Although the 2019 quarterback class doesn’t have a consensus top dog, Drew Lock is one of the most experienced passers being considered in the first round. Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray have one productive term as full-time starters. Daniel Jones led the huddle at Duke for three seasons, but his production pales in comparison to the Missouri product.
Lock has an extensive four-year resume, showed progress in ball placement and spread the targets around during his best season in 2017. Three of his wideouts eclipsed 700 receiving yards and logged at least six touchdowns that year.
The Dolphins might not need to start him right away, but his pocket poise indicates his readiness for the pro game.
The Vikings offensive line must undergo significant changes. According to Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Andrew Krammer, the coaching staff may move Riley Reiff inside to guard—similar to Mike Remmers’ shift from the perimeter to the interior, which started late in the 2017 campaign.
Keep in mind Remmers’ transition to guard didn’t work out well. That doesn’t mean Riley’s potential position change will fail, but the Vikings better have a plan B in case the experiment backfires.
Left guards Nick Easton and Tom Compton will hit the free-agent market. The former sustained a herniated disk in his neck that required surgery. The latter started in his place, but he’s been a backup for most of his career.
If you’re counting, the Vikings may want to upgrade at right guard for Remmers, fill the left tackle spot if Riley moves inside and add a left guard as an alternative option to the 30-year-old on the interior. Assuming Minnesota wants to solve its offensive line issues, it’ll take more than one acquisition to achieve results.
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New England Patriots wide receiver Josh GordonMark Brown/Getty Images
The Patriots don’t have to limit their target to wide receivers. If tight end Rob Gronkowski retires, the front office should find his replacement in the upcoming draft, which is chock-full of talent at the position.
Let’s say Gronkowski plays out the final year of his deal. At this stage in his career, it’s fair to question whether the nine-year veteran could lead a pass-catching group as the most dynamic asset throughout an entire season. The four-time All-Pro hauled in critical receptions during the playoffs, but he averaged just 52.5 receiving yards per game and scored three touchdowns during the regular season.
According to Ian Rapoport, there’s “a chance” the league reinstates wide receiver Josh Gordon, but it would be difficult to rely on him after multiple suspensions for substance-abuse policy violations. As wideouts Chris Hogan and Phillip Dorsett prepare for free agency, the Patriots have to consider a perimeter playmaker or pass-catching tight end early in April’s draft.
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New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy BridgewaterChris Graythen/Getty Images
Quarterback Drew Breestold reporters he intends to play another season. The Saints front office sent this year’s first-rounder to the Packers in order to move up to the 14th overall spot for defensive end Marcus Davenport last year. Assuming New Orleans remains in the thick of the 2019 playoff race, they would have a low first-round pick for 2020.
Once Brees’ contract expires at the end of the 2019 campaign, the Saints may have to scramble to find his successor. New Orleans can take early action and ink backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a two-year deal. It would allow the team to comfortably transition from a likely Hall of Famer to a Pro Bowl signal-caller with upside.
In the above scenario, Bridgewater would’ve spent two years with the team before taking over as a starter in 2020. It’s more than enough time to fully absorb the offensive system and familiarize himself with the roster. The Saints don’t have to see a drop-off in the win-loss column post-Brees if Bridgewater carries and runs with the torch.
The Saints may have to compete with teams offering Bridgewater a shot to start next season, but he’s worth an extra couple of million if necessary. He had a promising career in Minnesota before suffering a torn ACL and dislocated knee in August 2016.
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New York Giants quarterback Eli ManningJim McIsaac/Getty Images
Speaking at the combine, general manager Dave Gettleman touched on the way the Chiefs handled their quarterback situation over the last two years. They selected Patrick Mahomes with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2017 draft and sat him for a year behind Alex Smith. The front office traded the three-time Pro Bowler in the following year to Washington Redskins.
Head coach Pat Shurmur seems confident quarterback Eli Manning will lead the Giants’ huddle for the next term, per Raanan: “Asked specifically if he expects Eli Manning to be on the team in 2019, Shurmur said, ‘I fully expect him [back].’”
Though it’s slightly different than the Chiefs’ model, the Giants can land a quarterback in the upcoming draft and allow him to learn the ropes from Manning, who’s entering the final year of his deal.
Because this quarterback class doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 1 prospect, it’s the perfect time to take a signal-caller and groom him the “old-fashioned way,” which involves sitting out for a year before taking the field.
If Manning flounders, Big Blue would have the option to initiate the future plan at quarterback.
The Jets hold the No. 3 overall pick but gave up their second-rounder to the Colts last year when the front office moved up to the same spot. New York has six draft selections in total.
Coming off a 4-12 season, Gang Green needs to land a top-notch prospect capable of helping this team right away or move back to accumulate picks. The latter strategy would help general manager Mike Maccagnan add offensive assets around quarterback Sam Darnold.
If the Jets have a shot at taking Nick Bosa or Josh Allen, it’s a great acquisition for Gregg Williams’ 3-4 defense. Either player could add a significant boost to the pass rush.
Perhaps both prospects come off the board at Nos. 1 and 2. Quinnen Williams would be a solid pick, but the Jets have Leonard Williams on the books for another year, and the front office could re-sign Henry Anderson. He broke out with seven sacks last year.
With Williams on the roster, and considering Anderson’s standout season, how badly do the Jets need another defensive lineman unless he’s a transcendent talent?
Gang Green can look to move back and fill multiple gaps on the offensive line to protect Darnold or add the top wide receiver in this class. Prospects at those positions aren’t worth the No. 3 overall pick, but a range between No. 10 and 20 seems like a good landing spot for a high-potential offensive tackle or top-flight wideout.
Way back in October, CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora suggested the Oakland Raiders could entertain a trade that involves quarterback Derek Carr amid a roster blowup.
“Ultimately, what’s the point of keeping Derek Carr? And if you have all this draft capital and you get a one plus something else for Derek Carr, which I think [Jon Gruden] can—I’ll call it right now, Derek Carr to the New York Giants. At the combine,” La Canfora said on the Pick Six Podcast (h/t Will Brinson).
The front office sent Khalil Mack to the Bears and Amari Cooper to the Cowboys. It’s plausible the Raiders would listen to offers for their starting quarterback and start from scratch.
However, Carr had a stellar 2016 campaign, possesses an impressive career touchdown-to-interception ratio (122-54) and did all of it with four offensive play-callers in five years. He’s performed well despite coaching-staff instability.
General manager Mike Mayock spoke about Carr as a “franchise quarterback” Wednesday at the combine. His comments don’t rule out a trade, but it’s clear the executive thinks the 27-year-old is a capable starter in this league.
Carr took 51 sacks behind a putrid offensive line that ranked 25th in pass protection in 2018, per Football Outsiders. That group featured two rookie tackles, Kolton Miller and Brandon Parker, as starters for a majority of the season.
Before dealing Cooper, the Raiders released Michael Crabtree during the offseason, which stripped Carr of his top two wide receivers from previous years. Oakland should look to surround its starting signal-caller with weapons in the coming weeks. It’s fair to wonder how he performs if the Raiders add and develop players around him as opposed to getting rid them.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Josh AdamsScott Taetsch/Getty Images
In 2018, four Eagles running backs logged at least 45 carries, but none eclipsed 120 rush attempts. Josh Adams led the group and averaged 36.5 yards on the ground per contest.
Adams flashed in some moments during the 2018 term, but he didn’t produce at the level of a featured ball-carrier. While the Eagles clawed their way into the postseason, the undrafted Notre Dame prospect looked average in the final two weeks of the season. He logged a combined 22 carries for 71 yards in those contests before disappearing in the NFC Wild Card Round against the Bears (one carry for two yards).
Furthermore, an increasing number of featured tailbacks display solid hands as receivers out of the backfield. Wendell Smallwood and Corey Clement fill that void, but the offense would be less predictable with a do-it-all running back to take most of the snaps.
Assuming Nick Foles signs elsewhere, the Eagles’ success is tied to Carson Wentz’s progress. Nevertheless, the front office can help him with a dynamic tailback who forces linebackers and safeties to step up in coverage, clearing some space for wide receivers in the intermediate passing attack.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio BrownChris Graythen/Getty Images
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert says the team won’t give Antonio Brown away now that the two sides have agreed to part ways. Pittsburgh traded Martavis Bryant to the Raiders for a third-round pick. Amari Cooper went to the Cowboys in exchange for a first-rounder.
The front office should try to acquire at least a second-round pick for Brown. He turns 31 in July, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down. The four-time All-Pro led the league in touchdown receptions (15) last year and receiving yards in 2017 (1,533).
On the flip side, it’s time to end this storyline. Pittsburgh doesn’t need to deal Brown in haste, but it’s best the team move on sooner than later. It’s clear this player-organization fit has run its course. The star wide receiver has sent his goodbyes and thank-yous via social media to the Steelers fanbase.
According to Tom Pelissero, Colbert said Feb. 22 that three teams have inquired about Brown. If there’s a second-rounder on the table, the Steelers could execute the deal and use that pick in the upcoming draft.
Pittsburgh selected receiver James Washington in the second round last year, so team brass can use the extra selection to address needs at guard or inside linebacker.
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San Francisco 49ers left tackle Joe Staley (left) and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (right)Don Wright/Associated Press
According to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers would prefer to send Antonio Brown to an NFC club. 49ers general manager John Lynch should pick up the phone and inquire about him.
The 49ers can look at the Rams, their division rivals, as a good example of an aggressive offseason approach. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t on a rookie deal like Jared Goff, but the Niners will have a projected $69.3 million to spend in the upcoming year.
San Francisco didn’t land wideouts Allen Robinson or Sammy Watkins during free agency last year and selected Dante Pettis in the second round of the 2018 draft. The Washington product put together a solid rookie campaign, catching 27 passes for 467 yards and five touchdowns in 12 contests.
Marquise Goodwin profiles as a speedy slot receiver at best. In 11 games, he recorded 23 grabs for 395 yards and four touchdowns after racking up 962 yards in a full 2017 season. The front office declined Pierre Garcon‘s 2019 option, which made him a free agent.
Brown could vastly improve the 49ers’ passing attack with top-shelf production. He and Garoppolo would wreak havoc as an emerging tandem.
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Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank ClarkMichael Ainsworth/Associated Press
The Seattle Seahawks may want to sign defensive end Frank Clark to a lucrative multiyear deal before the Cowboys ink Demarcus Lawrence to a long-term pact.
Lawrence’s contract could set the floor for Clark’s deal. Over the last three seasons, the Cowboys defensive end ranks 17th among defenders with 26 sacks; the Seahawks pass-rusher lists ninth with 32.
Typically, teams aren’t in a rush to offer massive deals to defensive players, but Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald opened the floodgates last year. That said, they’re arguably the league’s top two talents on that side of the ball.
Now, with a premium on pass-rushers, we’ll likely see the financial figures rise with every new deal. The Seahawks will want to avoid being one of the last teams to sign their top-notch defensive ends.
Clark won’t top Mack or Donald in contract numbers, and Seattle has $50.9 million in cap space, which is enough to pay its top defensive player and still land second-tier free agents.
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Alabama running back Josh JacobsWilfredo Lee/Associated Press
In 2018, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ground attack ranked 29th. Running back Peyton Barber underwhelmed in a starting role, and he’ll become a restricted free agent. 2018 second-rounder Ronald Jones appeared in just nine games, recording 23 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Jones could have a bounce-back season, but most backfields feature multiple tailbacks. The Buccaneers can potentially land a top prospect at the position to compete with the USC product for carries next year. They can also split the load and add another dimension to the offense.
If none of the top running backs come off the board on Day 1, Josh Jacobs would be an intriguing pickup early in the second round, especially if he shows off his receiving skills at the combine.
Head coach Bruce Arians intends to develop quarterback Jameis Winston into a more consistent passer. He also designed game plans that helped dynamic running back David Johnson produce at an All-Pro level in Arizona.
If Tampa Bay falls hard for a tailback in this class, the front office should look to upgrade the position early in the draft.
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Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis and quarterback Marcus MariotaJames Kenney/Associated Press
Quarterback Marcus Mariota has cycled through three offensive coordinators. That’s outside his control, but his numbers have significantly dropped over the last two seasons (24 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions). The 25-year-old signal-caller will have a new voice in his ear (Arthur Smith) after Matt LaFleur accepted the head-coaching job in Green Bay.
The front office can’t bring LaFleur back for the sake of stability, but team brass could surround Mariota with more talent. Tight end Delanie Walker will go into his age-35 campaign, coming off a dislocated ankle with ligament damage.
Wide receiver Corey Davis hasn’t lit the league on fire, which is a byproduct of the quarterback’s struggles under center. Davis also saw suffocating coverage without a consistent playmaker behind him on the depth chart last year.
The Titans must equip the passing offense with another top-flight prospect on the perimeter to provide Mariota with a better chance at elevating his pass production.
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Ohio State quarterback Dwayne HaskinsAlika Jenner/Getty Images
The Redskins have a projected $16.7 million in cap space for the upcoming year. They’re on the hook for the remaining guarantees on Alex Smith’s contract whether he plays another down or not. This squad may be able to land a Band-Aid signal-caller such as Ryan Fitzpatrick or Tyrod Taylor on the open market, but don’t expect an aggressive push for Nick Foles or Teddy Bridgewater.
Smith isn’t expected to play for the 2019 term, per Ian Rapoport. Although it’s possible the 34-year-old returns to the field at some point, it’s best the front office move on and look for the future at quarterback.
Sitting at No. 15, Washington isn’t in a good spot to land a top quarterback prospect. The Giants (No. 6), Jaguars (No. 7) and potentially the Dolphins (No. 13), assuming they release Ryan Tannehill, may all draft a player at the position. Don’t count out Denver (No. 10) either; Joe Flacco is 34 years old.
If the Redskins want Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock, Kyler Murray or Daniel Jones, the front office will need to make a few calls before or on draft day. Without Smith, and with limited cash, the team needs to consider all options to fill the void.
Team cap space figures provided by Over the Cap. Player contract details provided by Spotrac.
K-pop’s talented rookie class just got a little more crowded. On Monday (March 4), the five members of Tomorrow X Together made their anticipated debut with coming-of-age anthem “Crown,” the upbeat lead single off their first mini album The Dream Chapter: STAR.
The Korean boy band — the first group from Big Hit Entertainment since global superstars BTS bowed in 2013 — is composed of five members: Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai. The name Tomorrow X Together (read as “Tomorrow By Together”) speaks to the group’s intent to “come together under one dream in hopes of building a new tomorrow.” They lay the groundwork for that ambitious goal with “Crown,” an early entry for 2019’s Song of the Summer.
The vibrant single finds the young artists pondering the pangs of adolescence over an energetic synth-pop beat; the crowns they sprout are symbolic of the physical, emotional, and mental changes that all young people endure as they grow up. “Wanna run away,” they sing. “Wanna disappear / Far away / Who am I / I don’t know who I am.”
But ultimately, they find comfort in one another — knowing that even though they may be different, they’re all experiencing the same uncertain feelings and can embark on this coming-of-age journey together. “Your existence changes my world like magic,” they sing. “I’m not in pain anymore.”
Its bright, pop-art visuals and playful choreography are distinctly TXT, but the song’s deeper meaning is signature Big Hit.
Big Hit Entertainment
Given the company’s commitment to producing music with a message, it’s no surprise that TXT’s debut single is the kind of song teens around the world can relate to. After all, BTS debuted with their own school trilogy that spoke to the fears and anxieties of a younger generation. Still, there’s something so undeniably sweet and empowering about “Crown,” a song that turns something scary — like the growing pains you can’t control — into something powerful, and beautiful, like a crown.
And “Crown” is just the beginning of TXT’s story. Per Big Hit, the five songs of The Dream Chapter: STAR will “unfold the stories of what they encountered as they grow and embark on this new journey.”
The rookie group teamed up with hitmakers The Futuristics (Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello) for “Our Summer,” another upbeat bop with crystalline vocals and a sticky, pop-EDM hook. Meanwhile, “Cat & Dog” combines marimba melodies with a trap beat, highlighting the group’s charismatic rappers. Album closer “Nap of a Star” showcases TXT’s airy harmonies over a simple guitar line. But it’s standout track “Blue Orangeade” that proves just how dynamic this boy band can be as a formidable fivesome.
TXT still have a long way to go before they cinch the Rookie of the Year title, but with a debut as loud and buoyant as “Crown” they’re off to a good start. Not to mention, they’re already following in BTS’ record-breaking footsteps: Pre-orders for their album surpassed 100,000 copies within three days in South Korea alone — and that’s not even counting the streams from their international fans.
Lake Assal, Djibouti – From a distance, Djibouti‘s Lake Assal could be mistaken for a prime holiday destination.
Its waters glisten under the midday sun, sparkling in different shades of dark blue, turquoise and green.
In the distance, camel caravans carry payloads of goods into the desert, disappearing beyond the horizon.
But the closer you get to this place of unsurpassed beauty, the vast desert plains give rise to an altogether different landscape – a place where the sand is not actually sand at all.
Created a millennia ago by volcanic eruptions, the receding waters at Lake Assal have left behind an expanse of crystal white salt that is stunningly beautiful, but excruciatingly painful to walk upon barefoot.
The waters of the lake offer no respite either.
The warm and shallow waters sting the eyes and bite against the skin.
Lake Assal has been at the centre of the salt trade for centuries with salt caravans travelling back and forth to the Ethiopian Highlands [Faisal Edroos/Al Jazeera]
Yet it’s here, every morning, that dozens of men Like Hummad Musa converge.
They toil away under the blistering hot sun and break the ground open with hand axes to extract salt, a trade which historians estimate has gone on since the sixth century.
Musa says most of this week’s labour has been mined just metres away from the shore and will be sold to the few tourists who visit this harsh, desolate place.
A relatively new country, Djibouti gained its independence from France just 41 years ago. But despite its young age, it’s the homeland of an ancient people who have lived and roamed the countryside for centuries.
Next week, Musa, a member of the Afar ethnic people, says he will take his caravan of 10 camels to markets across Ethiopia, a journey his father and grandfather once made.
“I’ve been working in this trade since I was a child,” the 63-year-old told Al Jazeera, as the oven-hot winds lashed against his face.
“We start work early in the morning and continue extracting the salt until Dhuhr prayers (midday).
“Whenever the tourists happen to visit, we come back (to the stalls on the shore) and sell them whatever we can to provide food and water for our families”.
Hummad Musa says most of the tourists that visit this desolate region simply take photos of the salt-encrusted skulls of antelopes and gazelles before leaving [Faisal Edroos/Al Jazeera]
According to Musa, each of his camels will be carrying up to 150kg of the “white gold” for sale in Ethiopia.
The journey could take up to five weeks and will see the caravan make at least four stops – first in Debyie, then Barkato, Balhou, and finally Aile Da-ar.
If all goes well, a top-grade slab weighing 25kg will fetch around 10 Ethiopian birr, around $0.40.
With each camel carrying around $2.40 worth of salt, the entire caravan could make more than $20 – with his share enough to last his family of three more than a fortnight.
According to Musa, what sets his salt apart from the “white gold” found in Ethiopia’s northeastern Danakil Depression is the quality.
Lake Assal has an average salt concentration of 34 percent, making it nearly 10 times saltier than seawater.
At 155 metres below sea level, Assal is also the lowest point in Africa and the third lowest point in the world after the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.
Wade into the waters, Musa says, and you’ll also find something, which can’t be found any anywhere else in the world – perfect spheres of salt.
The spheres of salt can vary in size from caviar eggs to small peaches [Faisal Edroos/Al Jazeera]
Depending on the wind, each segment of the Lake’s shore produces its own shape and size, he says.
The spheres are formed entirely by nature when tiny crystals get glued together and roll around on the seabed. They slowly snowball before whittling and polishing themselves into perfect spheres.
Families work together, he says, with men wading deep into the lake to get the salt.
Later, the women hand sort the spheres by size, which can vary in size from caviar eggs to small peaches.
Musa says while the trade is relatively unknown in the west, Assal’s salt has not escaped the attention of Chinese mining companies.
With more than six million tonnes of salt being deposited in the area every year, and the thickness of Assal’s crust varying between 20 and 80 metres, a Chinese-funded industrial plant has started work. The government has also tabled the Lake Assal Salt Project to further commodify the lake.
Hummad Musa’s house is made of chicken wire and corrugated iron. It neither keeps the wind or the heat out [Faisal Edroos/Al Jazeera]
But today, most of Musa’s daily business comes from tourists or the thousands of foreigners stationed at the United States’s, Chinese, Japanese, and French military bases in Djibouti.
“I’m flying back in a couple of weeks and my wife told me to bring back some novelty items,” said Carl, one of 4,000 Americans stationed at Camp Lemonnier.
“So the first place I thought of was here.
“I doubt my wife will use the salt to cook with but it sure will make for a good gift.”
A railway being built from Djibouti to Ethiopia has also raised fears that in the near future the traditional camel caravan route could be rendered obsolete.
But until then, Afar miners like Musa say they’ll continue their tough way of life, hacking away at the ground and eking out a living from this desolate stretch of salt.
Goubet Al-Kharab, referred to as the Island of the Devil, is just 20km from Lake Assal [Faisal Edroos/Al Jazeera]
EL PASO, Texas — Is Beto O’Rourke the progressive icon who, during his Senate run against Ted Cruz, talked about legalizing marijuana and impeaching Donald Trump? Or is he the centrist Texan who, during his first run for the House, raised the possibility of making Social Security less generous for future retirees?
It might be the biggest question lingering over O’Rourke as he prepares for a likely run for the Democratic presidential nomination: Just what does he believe, actually?
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O’Rourke seems unwilling to place himself on his party’s conventional political spectrum. At the final town hall of his congressional career, the last of more than 100 such gatherings he held, O’Rourke was greeted in December at a local high school by cheerleaders, a mariachi band and supporters wearing T-shirts reading “Beto for President.” In response to a question from POLITICO after the event, O’Rourke would not—or could not—answer if he considers himself a progressive Democrat.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m just, as you may have seen and heard over the course of the campaign, I’m not big on labels. I don’t get all fired up about party or classifying or defining people based on a label or a group. I’m for everyone.”
O’Rourke’s political identity was shaped by his hometown of El Paso, during his first House campaign seven years ago. While even then he was considered a progressive Democrat, he was also an idiosyncratic political thinker who seemed to think through problems while talking about them aloud—with voters and even junior staff.
During that 2012 race, O’Rourke mentioned to the 19-year-old campaign assistant who was driving him around El Paso in a pickup truck that many people in his West Texas congressional district seemed to be worried about Social Security, the staffer recalled. As it happened, the assistant, Joey Torres, was reading Bill Clinton’s 2011 book, Back to Work.
In it, Clinton discussed a method, suggested by the bipartisan Bowles-Simpson commission, to gradually raise the Social Security retirement age to 69. Few Democrats supported the idea, and since then it has become verboten among progressives, who want to increase Social Security benefits rather than reduce them. But surprisingly to Torres, O’Rourke was intrigued. Soon the candidate was cutting a campaign video in which he said it is possible that “we’ll have to look at future generations … retiring at a later age, paying a greater percentage of their income into Social Security and making other necessary adjustments” to ensure the longevity of the program.
When I asked Torres recently if he often discussed policy positions with O’Rourke during the campaign, Torres said they did so only after canvassing neighborhoods and talking to voters. “The way we developed our strategy was to start block-walking and figuring out the issues that people really cared about,” Torres said.
And what did O’Rourke reveal about his political philosophy during these conversations, with Torres and with voters?
“He’s really fueled by being around people,” Torres said.
To O’Rourke’s supporters, that means he’s a listener who isn’t doctrinaire. To his critics, it means he is a malleable or worse—that he has no political core.
Running against an eight-term Democratic incumbent, Silvestre Reyes, in a heavily Democratic district in 2012, O’Rourke possessed the progressive credentials necessary to challenge Reyes from the left. And in some ways, he did. While serving on the El Paso City Council, he had already called for the legalization of marijuana and championed a proposal—highly controversial at the time—to provide health benefits to partners of gay city employees.
Yet in Texas’ open primary system, with Republicans as well as conservative Democrats deciding between the two candidates, O’Rourke’s advisers saw an opening for O’Rourke to run to Reyes’ right, as well. So O’Rourke criticized elements of the Affordable Care Act, then-President Barack Obama’s signature health care overhaul. His position on Social Security suggested an openness to proposals floated by a group of congressional Republicans. And in one internal campaign upheaval that became so intense it left one of his friends and political allies weeping, O’Rourke considered de-emphasizing his position—the subject of a book he co-wrote—on legalizing marijuana.
The strategy worked. By the end of the campaign, Reyes became the only Texas incumbent to lose a primary in 2012. And O’Rourke won his first race for national office, the biggest credential in his likely presidential campaign less than a decade later.
***
If O’Rourke has a political center, it is geographical, not ideological. He was raised in El Paso, a former garment-making capital of about 680,000 people on the border with Juárez, Mexico, and often recalls a pivotal moment in New York City in 1998, several years after he graduated from Columbia University. During a crowded one-hour commute to his job as a fact-checker at a publishing house in the Bronx, he was “pressed up against the glass of a subway car,” as he described it at an event in El Paso in January. With “sweat pouring down my face, under my shirt, in my pants,” he said, he imagined an alternative: “I could be in an air-conditioned truck in El Paso, Texas listening to 92.3 … maybe the window rolled down, my hair blowing … I knew that I had to get back.”
When O’Rourke returned to West Texas that year, he marveled at the Franklin Mountains, the food, the music and El Paso’s connection to Juárez, sharing a skyline and a culture. “I was like, ‘Holy shit, this is the most exciting, essential, amazing place on the planet,” he said. “Having lived in New York, having traveled through most of the country, this was where it was at … I desperately wanted to be part of sharing our story.”
He started a web design company and an alternative newspaper, saying he “just wanted to be as engaged as I possibly could.”
“The logical conclusion,” he added, “was to run for office.”
O’Rourke’s father, Pat, had served as an El Paso County commissioner and county judge. He co-chaired Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign in Texas in 1984 and 1988 before abandoning the Democratic Party to run for Congress as a Republican in 1992. He complained that Democrats had become unsupportive of business, and said at a forum that year that he “found it difficult to identify with actions in Congress and the polarizing going on,” according to the El Paso Times. But in his own campaigns—first for a seat on El Paso’s City Council and later, for a seat in Congress—the younger O’Rourke exhibited less interest in politics than place.
When El Paso Inc. bestowed its “El Pasoan of the Year” award on O’Rourke last month, O’Rourke told about 600 people at El Paso’s Fort Bliss that the award was “the honor of a lifetime, and the pinnacle of what has made me who I am.” Eight years earlier, walking through downtown El Paso to shoot a campaign video, O’Rourke had lauded “a new sense of civic pride” in the city and “the young people and not-so-young people who decided to move back here.” His campaign website featured the slogan, “It’s time for El Paso to take the lead.” And he ran a TV ad entitled, “El Paso is America’s #1 ‘Can Do’ City.”O’Rourke would knock on some 16,000 doors during the congressional campaign.
O’Rourke had established himself on the El Paso City Council as part of a group of young Democrats known locally as “the progressives.” But during an on-stage conversation with O’Rourke earlier this year about the through-lines of his political career, Richard Pineda, a communications professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, suggested that O’Rourke had distinguished himself as a councilman and a congressman not by supporting any particular policy but instead “largely by the interaction which you had with constituents.”
O’Rourke nodded. “A lot of it comes from just accepting that I’m not as smart as I want to be,” he said. “I’m more likely than not always not the smartest guy in the room. I haven’t figured it all out.”
His tolerance for uncertainty—and his preference for pragmatism at a time when Nancy Pelosi has called a border wall “immoral”—was in evidence last month, after he told MSNBC that he would “absolutely” remove an existing stretch of U.S.-Mexico border wall from his hometown of El Paso. Within days, O’Rourke was declining to generalize his remarks for parts of the border he doesn’t know, telling reporters “there is a role for physical barriers in some places.”
“I would work with local stakeholders, the property owners, the communities, those who actually live there to determine the best security solution,” O’Rourke said. “We saw in El Paso a solution in search of a problem imposed on us by people who did not live here.”
While listening to a pianist play late one recent night at a restaurant in the city’s downtown, Steve Ortega, a friend of O’Rourke who served on the City Council with him, tried to sum up O’Rourke’s approach to politics. “In El Paso, he’s viewed as very progressive,” Ortega said. “And El Paso knows him.”
Still, Ortega went on, “I think he’s a pragmatist in many ways. … If I had to peg him as something, I’d peg him as a liberal with a libertarian bent.”
***
By the time O’Rourke announced his run for Congress, he had been openly considering challenging Reyes for nearly two years, beginning with a confrontation between the two Democrats on drug policy. As an El Paso councilman, O’Rourke had pressed for a 2009 resolution that encouraged the federal government to undertake an “open, honest, national dialogue on ending the prohibition of narcotics.” El Paso, which had watched the Mexican Revolution unfold across the Rio Grande a century earlier (the local press ran tips for how to view battles, and businesses hawked binoculars), was now stricken by the deadly drug war raging in Juárez, where more than 1,500 people had been killed in a single year. In 2010, bullets fired from across the border hit El Paso’s City Hall.
Years before many progressive Democrats adopted a similar position, O’Rourke argued that legalizing marijuana could disrupt the business of drug trafficking and help to stem cartel violence. The council unanimously approved the resolution. After the vote, Reyes, a former U.S. Border Patrol agent, warned O’Rourke and his colleagues that they were making a mistake. The provocative measure, Reyes said, could jeopardize federal funding in the area. Enough of O’Rourke’s colleagues were spooked that when the mayor vetoed the resolution, there was no longer enough support on the council to override him.
Although O’Rourke voted to override the mayor’s veto, he considered soft-pedaling his position two years later as he began his primary campaign against Reyes. With Dealing Death and Drugs: The Big Business of Dope in the U.S. and Mexico, the book O’Rourke co-wrote with his friend and fellow council member Susie Byrd, already in production at El Paso’s Cinco Puntos Press, the campaign discussed halting the book’s publication, according to Torres, the campaign assistant, and Bobby Byrd, the press’ co-founder and Susie Byrd’s father.
O’Rourke’s advisers, Bobby Byrd said, were worried about drawing renewed attention to O’Rourke’s position on marijuana. The book’s cover carried another, unmistakably clear, subtitle: “An Argument to End the Prohibition of Marijuana.”
“He got together all his peeps, and they told him, they said we’d pay back Cinco Puntos,” Bobby Byrd told me at his publishing house in El Paso’s downtown on a recent morning. “Susie came over to our house, and she was weeping.”
Bobby Byrd recalled a long conversation with O’Rourke on the telephone. O’Rourke told him, he said, “all of my [campaign] committee is against it.”
“At the end, I said, ‘You know, there are a lot of supporters, people like me, who are left wingers … if you take it off the market, they’re going to think of you as just another politician,’” Byrd said.
He recalled that O’Rourke told him, “You’re right.” The book’s publication went forward as scheduled. (Chris Evans, an adviser to O’Rourke’s Senate campaign, said in an email to POLITICO that O’Rourke in the 2012 congressional campaign “proudly advocated for ending the prohibition of marijuana.”)
“When we left the conversation off, I felt really good about Beto,” Byrd said. “The interesting thing about Beto is he talks to people.”
Yet if O’Rourke recognized the political liability of backtracking, he also saw the pitfalls of plowing ahead. With Reyes running advertisements criticizing him for proposing legalization, O’Rourke told the website PolitiFact in 2012 that although he favored the legalization of marijuana, it is “not a priority of this community; it doesn’t reflect the desires of people I seek to represent as my constituents.”
In a public opinion poll conducted by the El Paso Times one day after O’Rourke entered the race, nearly 30 percent of voters were undecided between Reyes and O’Rourke. And O’Rourke was doing especially well among more moderate voters—those who had voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries in the past.
El Paso’s congressional district is safely Democratic, so it is not unusual for Republicans there to vote in the Democratic primary. Russell Autry, whose company conducted the poll for the El Paso Times, told the newspaper at the outset of the campaign that O’Rourke “has to count on those voters.”
With the Democratic Party’s establishment squarely behind Reyes, O’Rourke ran at his fellow Democrat less for his ideology than his incumbency. He highlighted reports that Reyes used campaign funds to pay family members. He blamed him for long wait times at the city’s border crossings with Juárez. And he blamed Reyes, a Vietnam War veteran, for deficiencies in the local veterans health care system.
While Obama, the sitting president, endorsed Reyes and former President Clinton came to the district to campaign for Reyes, O’Rourke tilted against the Democratic Party’s leaders. He wrote on his campaign website that although Obama’s federal health care overhaul “seeks to address some important problems when it comes to accessing health care in this country,” it failed to address problems “specific to El Paso and the border,” including Medicare reimbursement rates and an inadequate supply of medical professionals. O’Rourke said he would “consult with the community before voting on legislation this significant,” while faulting Reyes for failing to do so.
Reyes lit into O’Rourke, saying at a news conference that he “recently told insurance brokers that he would have voted against the health care bill, which helps our seniors pay for their prescription drugs and provides free preventative services,” according to the El Paso Times. Reyes added, “I wonder. Is that a Democrat?”
Tactically, O’Rourke’s campaign carried many of the markings of his larger, near-miss Senate run against Cruz, in which O’Rourke relied on a “distributed” form of organizing that put low-level staffers and volunteers in charge of their own voter-outreach operations. Similarly, O’Rourke’s 2012 campaign used an in-house program to connect supporters with friends and family members, inviting supporters to manually upload lists of their contacts into an internal file.
“They would come into our campaign office and they would just like start finding their friends and family, and basically marking them down,” said Matt Sutton, who worked on the campaign and in O’Rourke’s congressional office. “When it came time for early voting, you were responsible for those people. They were your people that you needed to encourage to get out and vote.”
Sutton said the network did not amass “a humongous amount of people.” But he estimated that between 3,500 and 5,000 people were signed up. And in a race decided by less than 3,000 votes, he said, “Had we not had that, there is like a pretty good chance that we probably wouldn’t have pushed it over the finish line.”
Before swearing off super PAC money later in his career, O’Rourke also benefited from spending against Reyes by the nonpartisan super PAC Campaign for Primary Accountability, which received $18,750 from a partnership with ties to O’Rourke’s father-in-law, William Sanders. O’Rourke also took a small amount of PAC money himself. Reyes at the time called O’Rourke an “opponent who deliberately ran a nasty, dirty campaign.” But even Reyes’ supporters have acknowledged the incumbent was surprised by the strength of O’Rourke’s challenge, and that O’Rourke outworked him.
Autry, the pollster, worked for O’Rourke during his City Council days, although O’Rourke would later say that he doesn’t rely on focus groups or polls. When an O’Rourke campaign volunteer went door to door, Autry recalled, he or she would ask voters if they had any questions for O’Rourke. If they did, the volunteer offered to put O’Rourke on the phone or call him to the house on the spot.
“He was the hardest worker we ever saw,” Autry said.
In El Paso in 2012, he added, many Republicans disenchanted with Reyes found an alternative. “Many Republicans voted in the Democratic primary, and the majority of them voted for Beto.”
The reasons, Autry suggested, had less to do with O’Rourke’s ideology than his charisma.
“If you do your homework and you vote for what you think is best,” Autry said, “you’re going to be all over the map.”
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