Wilkommen bei den Schatten » they did even worse than Pakistan), as w

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina lawmakers took steps Thursday to set aside a half-million dollars for the legal defense of a law limiting protections for LGBT people as a judge sought to streamline a cluster of lawsuits it has inspired.Republican lawmakers were mapping out the end of the session, including possible changes to the law known as House Bill 2, which has attracted high-profile critics including the NBA. The session could end this weekend.But there was no appetite to change the provision requiring transgender people to use restrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate in schools, universities and many other public buildings. The law also excludes sexual orientation and gender identity from statewide anti-discrimination protections.Pressure to change the law has come from several quarters including NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who said earlier this month that there needed to be progress on changing the law this summer to ensure the league keeps its 2017 All-Star Game in Charlotte.The league issued a joint statement late Thursday with the Charlotte Hornets saying they were doubtful that proposed changes would go far enough.We have been engaged in dialogue with numerous groups at the city and state levels, but we do not endorse the version of the bill that we understand is currently before the legislature, the statement said.Legislative leaders were weighing possible adjustments, while trying to determine whether theres enough support to get the legislation to Gov. Pat McCrorys desk. McCrory has urged lawmakers to repeal a provision preventing workers from using state law to sue over workplace discrimination.The governor has been public in what he has asked us to look at, House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said Thursday. We are reviewing those matters and its just still in discussion.Moore confirmed other changes are being considered but he declined to elaborate.The Senate also approved a plan to give McCrorys office $500,000 to defend the law in court, by transferring money from a disaster relief fund. The measure still must pass the House.Entertainers including Bruce Springsteen canceled concerts to protest the law, while scores of business leaders signed a letter seeking its repeal. Rallies to support the law, meanwhile, drew thousands of conservatives to Raleigh.Other legislators have said possible changes include increasing criminal penalties for people who commit sexual assaults in bathrooms and locker rooms. There also could be dispensations for transgender people who have undergone sex reassignment surgery but were born in the few states where the sex on a birth certificate cant be changed.Gay rights advocates held a news conference to say nothing short of the laws repeal would suffice.There is only one fix for H.B. 2, and its full and total repeal, said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. If they choose not to and Gov. McCrory and his political cronies run out the clock on this short session, they wont be able to outrun the voters of this state in November.McCrory discussed the law privately with Democratic legislators at the Executive Mansion.Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham, described the discussion as candid. But he said Democrats remained concerned that proposed changes dont fix fundamental problems with the law.A spokesman for McCrorys re-election campaign, Ricky Diaz, later said in an email: Any Democrat standing with the Human Rights Campaign and other out-of-state liberal interest groups by refusing any compromise is attempting to drive the NBA All-Star Game from North Carolina.Transgender residents and the U.S. Department of Justice have challenged the law in court, while McCrory, legislative leaders and a citizen group filed lawsuits to defend it. Legislative leaders will have their own legal expenses after filing a lawsuit separate from the governors.Federal Judge Louise Wood Flanagan, who was overseeing lawsuits by the legislative leaders and citizens group, on Wednesday ordered that they be sent to another federal court hearing separate challenges to the law. Her move increased the likelihood that at least four of the five cases will end up before one judge. It also denied efforts to consolidate the two cases with the lawsuit filed by McCrory before a different judge.The risk of inconsistent adjudication is high and the relative expense of multiple proceedings, as compared to a single proceeding, is plain, Flanagan wrote. Wholesale Giants Jerseys . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. San Francisco Giants Shirts . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. https://www.cheapjerseysgiants.us/ . Sulaiman, 44, was chosen unanimously Tuesday in a vote by the leadership, the World Boxing Council said. Sulaiman becomes the sixth president of the organization. Stitched Giants Jerseys . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Cheap Giants Jerseys . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Pakistan had to wait a week following victory over England at The Oval to have their rise to the No. 1 Test ranking confirmed and they will get only a couple of days to enjoy the accolade before walking out at the Ageas Bowl, on the ring-road-and-retail-park outskirts of Southampton, with the slightly less awe-inspiring billing of ninth-best ODI side in the world.Thats life in the tightly scheduled world of international cricket, as Frank Sinatra didnt quite sing: Riding high in August, shot down in August. Azhar Ali, Pakistans ODI captain, played his part in the Test sides success, spanking the six that effectively took them to No. 1 (once the elements had nixed Indias chances of a 3-0 win in the Caribbean) and he is hopeful that some of the positivity engendered by the first leg of the tour will bleed through into the rest.Misbah-ul-Haq has been rightly hailed for his leadership in Tests but even he had his struggles with Pakistans 50-over cricket and since handing over to Azhar after the last World Cup results in ODIs have continued to be indifferent. They managed to hold off West Indies as Bangladesh surged through to make the Champions Trophy cut-off last year but now sit outside the top eight, with qualification for the World Cup at stake.Nevertheless, Azhar was able to enjoy the south-coast sunshine and bask briefly in a little reflected success before turning his attention to the challenge ahead in the five-match series against England.Confidence is very high and belief is there, obviously coming in from the Test series, we had a very good couple of months here. We take that confidence into the one-day internationals as well, Azhar said.It is a massive boost and a proud moment for Pakistan cricket and the whole nation is very happy about it, as players the team is really happy about it. Its definitely a good thing for us, our one-day ranking is not great right now but we will take the opportunity the way the team is performing, hopefully we can convert it into ODIs as well. He could also point to the low expectations people had of Pakistans chances of Test success in England - where they had not played in six years - when the team turned up to make the Ageas Bowl their base for a preparatory camp two months ago. No one rated us very highly [when we arrived] - a few people said we would be competitive but there were doubts if we could win the Test matches here. The boys really believed in the Test matches so here also, we believe we can do it.Pakistan were handed a 3-1 defeat by Eoin Morgans side in the more familiar environs of the UAE last winter but this series will take on greater significance, with the next two ICC 50-over trophies to be contested in England.dddddddddddd Azhar described it as a good opportunity for us to keep in touch with the conditions and was also hopeful of ending a personal run of 12 innings and more than a year without passing 50 in ODIs.When you play international cricket, pressure is always there, he said. Ive had a few starts in recent months but I didnt convert into big scores so I will focus on that. As a batsman I need to score some big runs.Morgan would doubtless concur about the twin demands of captaincy and scoring heavily. He has not played for a month, after chipping a bone in his finger while playing for Middlesex, but proclaimed that a lack of matches doesnt bother me at all. His last half-century in either limited-overs format came in the UAE last November but he did find some form with an unbeaten 47 when England last played at the Ageas Bowl - an eight-wicket T20 win against Sri Lanka - and it is a ground where he averages 65.85, with two hundreds, in ODIs.Morgans style of captaincy has largely been free of prescriptions, preferring to grant his side the freedom to play in the way that suits them best, and he is also wary of predictions. Englands No. 5 ranking in part reflects how far they had slipped by the time of the World Cup (when they did even worse than Pakistan), as well as their inconsistency despite a year of record-breaking performances, and Morgan was grateful that the ECBs professed commitment to the one-day game extended to providing him with a full-strength side at the end of long summer.Ben Stokes is set to return after suffering a calf tear in the second Test against Pakistan, initially only as a batsman, while Mark Wood should make his first international appearance since the UAE tour, having recovered from ankle surgery. Alex Hales, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes have all been included after playing in the majority of Englands fixtures across this season.Yes, delighted, Morgan said of selection. I think its hugely important playing against Pakistan who are flying high at the minute, in Test cricket, but that rubs off on any side doing well. Also when teams tour places they dont come to that often they get better as they go along, so thats another challenge … With the way weve been performing wed like to think we are progressing nicely but we have a tough series ahead and a tough winter. ' ' '