News from October 19.

On the labor front:
Arbitrator John Feerick ruled that the NBA does not have to pay the 226
players who have guaranteed contracts during the lockout.  The league and
the players currently do not have any negotiation sessions scheduled, but
the Players Association has a membership meeting scheduled for Thursday in
Las Vegas.  Last Friday the owners submitted to the players their counter
proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement and the union publicly
denounced it.  Hopefully Feerick's ruling will signal an end to the
public posturing being done by both sides and they will finally sit down
and negotiate a new deal.  If progress or a new deal is not reached by
early next week, more games will likely be cancelled.