The LuLac Edition #4,411, September 30th, 2020

  

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write On Wednesday” logo

The news that permeated the airwaves last week was the ballot controversy at the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections. People who work there are hard working and dedicated to the proposition that every vote is sacred. But a contractor there for a hot 2 days made a mistake. The officials duly reported it, noted it and thought an investigation would be undertaken in the usual manner. They did everything they were supposed to do.

But the investigation and its contents were immediately made public and its information were funneled up to one who had a stake in it, the President of the United States.

That was very odd procedure and Times Shamrock in its editorial Sunday called it out.   

 IN ODD MOVE, FEDS DISCLOSE INVESTIGATION

Your average journalist could retire early if she had a dollar for every time a federal investigator or prosecutor told her: “We don’t comment on ongoing investigations.”

But Thursday, U.S. Attorney David Freed issued a press release about the discovery that nine ballots mailed to the Luzerne County elections office had gone missing. (All were recovered.) In a remarkable coincidence, the release came two weeks after President Donald Trump’s campaign, which had sued against Pennsylvania’s vote-by-mail procedures, failed to meet a federal judge’s demand to produce proof of fraud. Just as coincidentally, President Donald Trump referred to the local case Thursday while continuing his fraudulent crusade against supposed ballot fraud.

Our editorials have often implored federal prosecutors to issue detailed reports on investigations of public interest. But prosecutors routinely either seek indictments or don’t, and move on without further explanation.

In this case, even though elections are county and state government functions, the federal prosecutor issued the press release. Republican Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis reportedly referred the matter to the Republican U.S. attorney without explaining why she couldn’t handle the matter or refer it to the state attorney general’s office, under the direction of Democrat Josh Shapiro, which would be the usual path.

Ballot irregularities should, of course, be investigated. But breaking standard protocol to announce details of an ongoing investigation is extraordinary.

“It’s wildly improper, and it’s truly unconscionable,” said Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department official and a law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He said that releasing details, which later had to be corrected, and identifying the candidate for whom the ballots were cast, is revealing.

“That is the tell, and it says this was not an act of law enforcement, this was a campaign act, and it should mean the end of the career of whoever approved the statement,” Levitt said.

Meanwhile, regional residents can sleep well knowing that there is so little crime afoot in the U.S. Middle District of Pennsylvania that federal prosecutors are looking for other things to do.

The LuLac Edition #4,410, September 29th, 2020

 

MAYBE  I’M AMAZED

Our “Maybe I’m Amazed” logo.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that if you are white in America and unannounced police come to your house in plainclothes, you can stand your ground. But if you’re block, your girlfriend gets shot to death after 30 rounds of ammo are fired.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that plants like humans can run and fever and get sick.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that both The Eagles and Phillies are simultaneously stinking. Just like the good old days of  my youth.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that the president keeps trying to telegraph fraud by the Democrats in the General Election when in effect it his party undermining the process. Remember friends, Accusation is confession.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that the FBI  and Federal Attorney Fried certainly spilled the beans on the investigation into those ballots at the Luzerne County Election Bureau. What the hell ever happened to, “We cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.”

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that once more Lebron James seems poised to take another NBA team to a title. LeBron is the magic elixir for franchises wanting to come on up.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that puny Pat Toomey has been so very silent on his party’s acquiescence to old Diaper Don. Puny Pat has his eye on the Governor’s seat in 2022.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that some voters will not vote for Biden because of what Governor Tom Wolf did in the early days of the pandemic. All he did was save lives but these “voters” are going with a guy who essentially killed 200,000 Americans.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that old Diaper Don paid $750.00 in business taxes the first year of his Presidency. Wonder how all by friends who own businesses feel about that when they blame the Dems for their high taxes.   

MAYBE I’M  AMAZED….that South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham is crying poverty as many of his former donors are leaving him high and dry. Plus he’s a liar. He dared reporters to call him out if he reneged on his 2016 statement about putting a Justice on the Court in n election year. Scum. 

The LuLac Edition #4,409, September 28th, 2020

 

 MONDAY MEMES 

 

The LuLac Edition #4,408, September 27th, 2020

DA'S STATEMENT ON LUZERNE COUNTY ELECTIONS CONTROVERSY 

The Luzerne County District Attorney has received numerous requests for comment with regard to our joint investigation with federal authorities. As the public is aware, the Bureau of Elections reported finding military ballots associated with the general election discarded in the internal office trash which further led to additional ballots found to have been discarded. These findings were reported by Luzerne County Administration to our office, and we therefore immediately contacted the Department of Justice. Please note, the ballots found are different than absentee or civilian mail-in ballots which have not yet been transmitted to voters. These ballots are Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act ballots which were sent out on August 25, 2020.
We understand and agree that the integrity of our election process is of paramount importance to this nation, this county, and each and every voter. Our office is thankful that this issue was reported, and we are working to assure the public that every vote counts and that every vote is counted.
In order to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, the District Attorney’s Office cannot provide further comment on the matter; however, as details can be made available, they will be released jointly by the Department of Justice and District. 

SULLY'S STORY 

Family members come in all shapes and sizes.  Some even have four legs and fur.  Our furry little family member is Sully, a 30 lb., tri-colored Beagle whom we adopted from a shelter in February 2019.  We know little about Sully’s life before adoption other than he was found as a stray in Schuylkill county and believed to be abandoned.  We had taken in two shelter Beagles previously and we were ready to welcome a third, so Sully left his shelter life behind and started a new one in Weatherly.

As Sully settled into his new home, he made fast friends with the Labrador/Hound mix next door named Dash.  They liked to explore the great outdoors together and they always wore tracking collars when doing so.  On the afternoon of Monday, 5/11/20, the two dogs went out for a stroll in the woods off of Stagecoach Road.  A short time later, Dash returned home by himself and bleeding.  He was immediately taken to the closest animal emergency hospital and admitted with serious injuries.  While that was happening, the hand-held tracker lost communication with Sully’s collar.  The last route that the tracker showed was a straight path from the top of Stagecoach Road down to a pond on state game lands across from the Weatherly Country Inn.  That’s unusual because like most Beagles, Sully rarely traveled in a straight line when his nose was to the ground.  The last signal the tracker received was from several feet into the pond and that’s odd because Sully is not a swimmer.  This suggests that Sully’s collar may have been removed and thrown into the pond.  An extensive search of the area was conducted, but neither the collar nor Sully was found.  He has been missing ever since.

As word of Sully’s disappearance spread, members of the community stepped up to help find him. Some people showed up in person and helped us search the woods and pond.  Others called and offered to assist in any way they could.  Several called to inform us of Beagle sightings.  We are extremely grateful for all those acts of kindness and to the people responsible for them, we say thank you.  We also want to thank the community for continuing to be aware and on the lookout for our beloved pup.

 It’s been four months since Sully went missing and we are still offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to his return.  Call or text 570-582-9343 day or night.  All tips received will be investigated and will remain confidential. 

 We look forward to the day when Sully is back home with his family where he belongs.  Then this incident, like his life in the shelter, will become a distant memory and he and his best friend Dash will finally be able to make new ones.

 The Thrash Family

The LuLac Edition #4,407, September 24th, 2020

 

 FOR MOST AMERICANS, AT LEAST ONE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IS UNTHINKABLE TO VOTE FOR. OTHERS ARE STILL CONSIDERING BOTH.

THEREFORE, THEY ARE STILL EVALUATING BOTH TRUMP AND BIDEN

A few weeks back, an Oslo, Norway newspaper interviewed a few people on Wilkes-Barre Public Square. Here is what transpired:

- With such different candidates as Joe Biden and Donald Trump, it is difficult to understand that someone has not decided who they will vote for. I could understand if the choice was between one of the candidates, or not to vote, but I can not understand that you can still consider both as relevant, says Karthy Bozinski to VG.

She is the Democrat's local team leader in Lucerne County, Pennsylvania. This is one of the counties political nerds in the tipping state follow with an arguing eye. In both 2008 and 2012, Democrat Barack Obama received the most votes here.

But something happened in 2016. Donald Trump swept Hillary Clinton off the field in Lucerne. He received almost 20 percent more votes than her. That amounted to almost 26,000 actual votes. Across Pennsylvania, he won with just about 44,000 of over 6 million votes.

The election this year is also expected to be even. Then every single voice becomes important. Now in mid-September, Joe Biden is a little horse's head ahead of Trump in the polls.

If the president is to win here again, he may therefore really need the support of the four percent, which according to a survey Monmouth University presented at the beginning of the month, which so far has not decided.

From Trump to doubt

In the square in the center of Wilkes-Barre, Lucerne's largest city with around 40,000 inhabitants, VG meets two of these. Both Gaetano Buonsante (23), who works for an insurance company, and Peter Gagliardi (65), who works in a grocery store, voted for Trump in 2016.

Both say they were in doubt four years ago as well, but in the end it was the belief that Trump was the best for the country's economy that became the tongue in cheek.

- And he did a good job for a long time. The economy went up and unemployment went down, says Gagliardi.

Buonsante agrees:

- But that has changed in recent months, so now I'm unsure, he admits.

Trump on Economy - Biden on Morality

Even though we meet them separately, they respond remarkably equally when VG challenges them on how it is possible to assess and vote for two such different candidates.

They say they have the greatest faith that Trump is again the one who can get the economy back on track once the corona virus has been brought under control. But then they are in doubt whether he is the right person to get control of the pandemic that has so far killed almost 200,000 Americans and shot up unemployment.

They also express that they think Biden is a better candidate when it comes to social issues they are concerned about. Both highlight the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. They are disappointed with how the president has handled these.

- I feel this is a moment in our history we must seize, so we can have more equality for all. I think Joe Biden will do a better job there. Although I do not always agree with his policy, I think his morals are more similar to my own, says 23-year-old Buonsante.

- I think Biden is better suited to reunite our divided country again. For example, he shows support for both the police and those who are victims of police brutality, says 65-year-old Gagliardi.

Caption below Gagliardi photo:

VOTER: Peter Gagliardi highlights Trump's foreign policy as something he shares with the president. However, he has not yet decided who will get his vote in November.

 Will see the debates

He believes it is not so unnatural to consider both candidates, even when they are different.

- I consider both because all choices are about advantages and disadvantages. None of the candidates are perfect, but in a democracy it is our duty to exercise the right to vote. As voters, it is also our job to evaluate them against each other before making a decision. Then you have to make an effort to find out who has more positive sides than negative sides, says Gagliardi.

He believes the three upcoming presidential debates will be decisive for which side they fall on. Buonsante says the same:

- If Biden shows good plans for things like a fairer legal system and support for housing for poor people, then I will probably go for him. But if I do not see a clear plan, then I have to go for what I think is best for those in the family who run a business. Then it's Trump.

- Can it happen that you do not decide before you stand in the polling station?

- I do not think so. And I do not hope so. But at the same time I am an indecisive type, so who knows, says the 23-year-old.

- We'll see when I make a decision. Maybe I should just say a prayer and follow my conscience, says the 65-year-old on the same question.

Ran out of signs

What the two men fall for could be decisive for whether Kathy Bozinski, the Democrats' local team leader, gets a good day on November 3, or not. Right now, she believes that they will once again be able to make Pennsylvania blue, and thus help ensure that Joe Biden becomes the next president of the United States.

- It is a completely different enthusiasm for the Democrats here now than it was in 2016. I am besieged by people who want to support us, she says, and illustrates it with how they recently ran out of Biden-sign people can get for to set up in his garden.

- We have simply had problems obtaining enough. The other day I had to call the office in a neighboring county for emergency assistance. They came up with 300 signs in the evening, which we started handing out almost in the morning. Already at 4 pm we were empty again. Now we have fortunately got 2000 new ones, she laughs, while volunteers sit around her and assemble the signs together.

VG made several attempts to get in touch with the Republicans' local team leader in Lucerne, but he did not respond to any of our inquiries. During a visit to the party's election office, we were told that no one there had permission to speak to the media.

HICKENLOOPER ATTACKS GARDNER OVER SUPREME COURT VACANCY IN COLORADO SENATE RACE

Gardner and Hickenlooper (Photo: AP) 

Former Gov. John Hickenlooper attacked Sen. Cory Gardner in a new ad released Wednesday, charging that the Colorado Republican is "ready to rush through a Supreme Court justice at lightning speed" rather than address a host of other issues. is one of the first in the country to invoke the fight over Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's successor, underscoring how Democrats view the vacancy as a political winner in blue states, where the party base is furious at Republicans for moving forward to confirm a nominee and shift the Court even further to the right. "Cory Gardner has taken no action to lower health care costs, lower prescription drug prices, rebuild our infrastructure, fight climate change or provide economic relief in this pandemic for five months," says Hickenlooper in the ad. "But boy oh boy, Cory is ready to rush through a Supreme Court justice at lightning speed." 

"The next court will decide whether to rip up protections for people with pre-existing conditions, whether women still have a right to choose, and really what justice means in this country," he adds. Gardner is one of the most vulnerable Republican senators in the country, running in a state that went for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by five points in the 2016 presidential race. His campaign did not immediately respond to CNN requests for comment. It's a Tilt Democratic race, according to Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales. In March 2016, Gardner, like almost every other Republican senator, supported blocking then-President Barack Obama's nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, from filling the seat left by the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. "Our next election is too soon and the stakes are too high; the American people deserve a role in this process as the next Supreme Court Justice will influence the direction of this country for years to come," he said at the time. 

After Ginsburg's death on Friday, the Colorado senator quickly backed the Senate Republican strategy to consider Trump's to-be-announced nominee to replace her even though Election Day is less than six weeks away. "I have and will continue to support judicial nominees who will protect our Constitution, not legislate from the bench, and uphold the law," said Gardner in a statement earlier this week. "Should a qualified nominee who meets this criteria be put forward, I will vote to confirm." It's unclear exactly how the vacancy will affect the fight for control of the Senate. Democrats are confident that it will help them in blue states like Colorado and Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces a tough reelection race, while Republicans are confident it will help them in red states like Montana. 

If Sen. Doug Jones loses in deep red Alabama, Democrats needs to win four seats and the White House to take control of the chamber. Democratic Senate candidates including Hickenlooper have advocated for fulfilling Ginsburg's "most fervent wish" to not be replaced until after the next presidential inauguration, when a President Joe Biden could choose her replacement. Democrats have no power to block a nearly unified Senate Republican majority, but are warning voters that a Supreme Court with six conservative justices could dismantle the Affordable Care Act and its protections for those with pre-existing conditions. The Court hears a crucial case on the law's constitutionality a week after Election Day. 

 CRUZ BLOCKS AMENDED RESOLUTION HONORING GINSBURG OVER LANGUAGE ABOUT HER DYING WISH

 Sen. Ted Cruz  blocked an amended resolution honoring the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Tuesday, objecting to language about her reported dying wish that her successor not be chosen until a new president is installed. "All the kind words and lamentations about Justice Ginsburg from the Republican majority will be totally empty if those Republicans ignore her dying wish and instead replace her with someone who will tear down everything she built," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said while addressing the resolution, which was introduced by Republicans in the upper chamber. "That, of course, is not the standard," Cruz responded. "Under the Constitution, members of the judiciary do not appoint their own successors." 

The Texas Republican also said in his floor remarks that Schumer "put forth an amendment to turn that bipartisan resolution into a partisan resolution." That’s crazy. She never mentioned a name, just the process. As a matter if fact she was following the same logic set forth by Cruz’ pig faced mumbled mouth thug boss, Mitch “The Bitch” McConnell. 

 CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES $900,000 TO DELAWARE-LACKAWANNA RAILROAD CO.

 Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives) 

 U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright  announced that the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad Company will receive $900,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) fiscal year 2020 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant Program (CRISI) for the enhancement of the Green Ridge Yard located in Scranton. The CRISI program provides funding for capital projects that will improve passenger and freight rail transportation systems in terms of safety, efficiency, or reliability. “Rail is important to Northeastern Pennsylvania’s role in transporting goods up and down the Eastern U.S., and I applaud the partnership between the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad and the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority for their commitment to expanding rail in the region,” said Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. 

“During this pandemic, we need to stay focused on our long-term goals for a sustainable economy—with clean air and safe roadways—as we also respond to our urgent, current needs. This grant will help us now and for years to come as it expands our ability to use rail for shipping, helping our businesses and taking pressure off our roads.” “This federal CRISI grant awarded to the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad (DL) is another example of our nationally recognized successful public/private partnership between the DL and the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority that has brought back the rail freight industry as a new economic growth industry in Lackawanna and Monroe Counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Larry Malski, President of the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority (PNRRA). Malski also cited the state of the art Flour Mill built on the rail line in Mt. Pocono as an example of the many new industries that have located on the rail lines that were saved from abandonment by the Rail Authority and now have again become a powerful economic tool in creating new jobs in Lackawanna and Monroe Counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

The PNRRA was formed in 2006 with long-term goals to keep rail as a major economic development force in Northeastern Pennsylvania and to continue to solicit, market and expand new industries along their regional rail network. “This CRISI Grant is an essential investment in a public asset, and a strategic investment in the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad,” said Charlie Monte Verde, Senior Director of Strategic Planning at Genesee Valley Transportation Co. Inc. “In 1993, we took over an operation of around 1,500 railcars-hauled. We’ve grown that figure to just shy of 10,000 railcars-hauled for our substantial customer base. 2020 has illustrated just how many of our customers are essential services in times of national emergency.

The components will:

 1) construct the connecting track between the South Wye Track and North Wye Track at Hyde Park, 

2) construct additional working tracks and a crossover at the new locomotive service and inspection facility at Green Ridge,

 3) realign and extend yard tracks at Green Ridge Yard, and 

4) enable other site improvements at the locomotive service and inspection facility. 

 CASEY STATEMENT ON PASSING OF JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG 

Senator Robert Casey (Photo: LuLac archives) 

 U.S. Senator Bob Casey released the following statement in response to the passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

 “Tonight our Nation mourns the passing of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg was a pioneer for gender equality, a champion for human rights and a fierce defender of workers on an increasingly corporate Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg served our Nation honorably and with distinction for four decades. Her heroic battles with cancer inspired countless Americans. I extend condolences to her family and may her memory be a blessing to millions of Americans. 

Consistent with the precedent set by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2016, Justice Ginsburg’s seat should not be filled until the presidential election concludes and the candidate chosen by voters is sworn into office.”

 MEDIA MATTERS 

 WALN TV 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM , 

Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on The Mothership 1340/1400 am, 100.7 and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on The River 105 and 103.5. 

BUDDY RUMCHEK 

Want to hear some great parodies on the news? Tune in to WILK Radio at 6:20 and 8:20 AM on Mondays. As Ralph Cramden used to say, “It’s a laugh riot!” 

 BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SOCK HOP SUNDAY NIGHTS! 

1980 

Our 1980 logo.

The explosion of the fuel tank of a Titan II missile occurred at a missile silo near Damascus, Arkansas one day after a workman had accidentally dropped a ratchet while working on maintenance. At 3:01 in the morning, the missile exploded, killing U.S. Air Force Sergeant David Livingston and injuring 21 airmen.  The blast also hurled an unarmed, nine megaton nuclear warhead, 200 yards from the silo……The Indian state of Bihar, led by Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, made Urdu a second official language for that state in addition to Hindi as part of a campaign promise that had been made by Mishra. At the time, Urdu, spoken by India's Muslims, had only been official in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Following Bihar's action, four additional would give Indian states gave official status to Urdu……In a bout for the World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight title, champion Lupe Pintor of Mexico faced contender and European bantamweight champ Johnny Owen of Wales at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. In the first eight rounds, Owen appeared to have the advantage.….With 25 seconds left in the 12th round, however, Owen was knocked down (for the first time in his career) by a short right punch and as he attempted to get up, Pintor struck Owen with a left uppercut knockout punch. Owen never regained consciousness, and was rushed from the auditorium to California Hospital Medical Center, where he underwent emergency brain surgery. Owen lived for 46 days before dying on November 4….. 

George Brett of the Kansas City Royals fell out of contention for being the first major league baseball player since 1941 to have a .400 batting average in a season, going hitless in four at-bats during a 9-0 loss to the visiting Oakland A's. Going into the game, he had been at ".3995037— which rounds out to .400" (based on 161 hits in 403 times at bat) before dropping to .396 (161 hits in 407 at bats or .3955774) He crossed the 40% threshold again Ultimately, Brett finished the regular season with a batting average of .390, still the highest in major league history since Ted Williams had hit .401 in 1941. As of 2020, only one player (Tony Gwynn, who batted .394 in 1994) has come close to the 40 percent mark. …..

Ken Osmond a Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer and former child television actor who portrayed Eddie Haskell on Leave It to Beaver, survived being struck by five bullets while in a foot chase after a suspected car thief. Osmond was protected from four of the bullets by his bullet-resistant vest, with the fifth bullet ricocheting off his belt buckle….The world's largest airport passenger terminal began operations, three days after the dedication of the William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport with 50 acres of square footage and the capacity to handle 55,000,000 passengers per year. The complex was "two mirror-image main terminals that are joined back-to-back to form one building", with four parallel concourses connected to the building by underground trains and moving sidewalks. In the United States, the League of Women Voters hosted the first of two presidential debates, but U.S. President Jimmy Carter refused to participate because candidate John B. Anderson was included.   

With Carter absent, Anderson and Republican nominee Ronald Reagan appeared in Baltimore and before a national television audience. A Carter versus Reagan debate would take place on October 28, seven days before the 1980 U.S. presidential election... Religious services were broadcast on the radio in Poland for the first time since the 1947 foundation of the Communist-governed Polish People's Republic. The concessions were made by Poland's government as part of the August 31 agreement with striking shipyard workers…..The Iran–Iraq War began with a surprise attack by the Iraqi Air Force on 10 Iranian airfields, in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy most of Iran's combat aircraft. Air raids were made by 36 MiG-23 fighters and 92 other Iraqi planes on Tabriz, Hamadan, Dizful, Isfahan, Ahwaz, Agha Jari, Bushire, Abadan, and Shiraz, as well as Tehran's airport. At the same time, tanks rolled across the Iraq border into Iran's Kermanshah Province. The next day, ground troops crossed from Iraq into Iran in three simultaneous attacks and captured Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan Province at the north of the Persian Gulf. Two of the six divisions of the Iraqi Army began a siege of the cities of Abadan and Khorramshahr. Iran responded with the aerial bombing the same day of Iraqi bases at Hamedan and Bushehr. The war would last until August 20, 1988, at a loss of as many as 500,000 Iraqi troops, 600,000 Iranian troops and 100,000 civilians in the two nations…….William Lee Bergstrom made gambling history with a successful $777,000 cash wager on a roll of the dice at the craps table at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. The amount would be equivalent to almost $2.4 million in 2020 money…..The Washington Post newspaper published the feature article "Jimmy's World" on its front page, a story by reporter Janet Cooke that began "Jimmy is 8 years old and a third-generation heroin addict, a precocious little boy with sandy hair, velvety brown eyes and needle marks freckling the baby-smooth skin of his thin brown arms." Copyrighted by the Post and reprinted by other newspapers, Cooke's story would win a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing on April 13, 1981. Two days later, Cooke admitted to executive editor Benjamin Bradlee that she had fabricated the story. In a telegram to the Pulitzer Prize Foundation, Bradlee returned the prize and wrote that Cooke had conceded "that her story about an 8-year-old-heroin addict was in fact a composite, that the quotes attributed to a child were in fact fabricated and that certain events described as eye witnessed did not in fact happen."…..and the number one song in LuLac land and America, 40 years ago was " Lookin' For Love - Johnny Lee. It was from the movie, "Urban Cowboy" .