1. Nevada rules daily fantasy sports sites are gambling

The Nevada Gaming Commission ordered websites like DraftKings and FanDuel to stop operating in the state Thursday after declaring that playing daily fantasy sports is gambling, not a game of skill. It is the fifth state to prohibit the unregulated industry as the websites are investigated for possible exploitation of customers by employees who had inside information.

More: Nevada decision

2. J. Dennis Hastert to plead guilty in bank withdrawals case

J. Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican speaker of the House, plans to plead guilty to accusations of dodging bank laws and lying to federal investigators, prosecutors said Thursday. He was charged in May with structuring cash withdrawals of $1.7 million in total in order to avoid detection. The indictment claims the money was used to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct from a male student from when Hastert was a high school teacher.

More: J. Dennis Hastert

3. U.S. to keep thousands of troops in Afghanistan

President Barack Obama announced the U.S. will keep thousands of troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2017 on Thursday, stopping the withdrawal of American military forcing from the country. He entered office with a promise to end the military involvements in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More: Military presence in Afghanistan extended

4. Nine-year Conservative reign in Canada ends

Canada selected Justin Trudeau as its second-youngest prime minister Monday night, ending current Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party’s nine-year reign. The Liberals captured 184 out of 338 seats in the next House of Commons in an unexpected rout.

More: Justin Trudeau

5. Trump says entering Afghanistan was “right,” reversing earlier statement

Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States was right to invade Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, going back on his comments earlier in October to CNN in which he said that it was a “mistake.”

More: Trump comments

6. FBI investigating daily fantasy sports sites

The FBI is investigating the actions of daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel after players of the games and lawmakers made allegations of predatory tactics and questioned the use of insider information. A DraftKings employee admitted to inadvertently releasing data before lineups were locked in for the start of week three in the NFL, then won $350,000 at a rival site.

More: FBI investigation

7. Oprah buys 10 percent of Weight Watchers

Oprah Winfrey bought a 10 percent share of Weight Watchers for $43 million Monday, causing stocks to more than double. She bought 6.4 million shares at $6.79 each and join the board of directors and will act as an adviser for the company.

More: Weight Watchers

8. Tennessee commissioners reject proposal to fly Confederate flag

Commissioners in Greene County, Tennessee defeated a proposal 20-1 Monday night to fly the Confederate flag outside the county courthouse. The only commissioner who voted in favor of the resolution was the one who proposed it, James Randolph. He said it is “a part of history.”

More: Confederate flag

9. Oscar Pistorius released from prison less than 1 year into 5-year sentence

Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee Paralympic gold medal winner from South Africa, was released on parole Monday, less than a year into his five-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. “The Blade Runner” must serve the rest of his sentence under house arrest, but he still faces an appeal on Nov. 3 by prosecutors who argue that he should have been convicted of murder, not culpable homicide.

More: Oscar Pistorius

10. Jim Webb drops out Democratic presidential race

Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday. He could still make an independent run, but said he hasn’t made that decision yet. Webb said his views on many issues are not compatible with the power structure and the nominating base of the Democratic Party.

More: Jim Webb

 

Published on October 20, 2015 at 6:22 pm

Contact Jon: jrmettus@syr.edu | @jmettus