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(CNN) Few people will envy the man elected to be the new president of FC Barcelona . The upcoming election -- to be held on Sunday, just days after four senior officials were arrested -- is arguably the most important in the club's history and comes at a time of crisis that appears to be deepening by the day . Historic debts, reported by Spanish newspaper El Mundo to be more than one billion dollars, forced Barcelona into a fire sale of some of the most important figures in its playing squad during the summer transfer window. The rebuilding of its decimated squad, proven once again in the recent 4-1 hammering against Paris Saint-Germain to be well below the standard of its European rivals, is one of just many headaches facing the incoming president. Top of the list, however, is the future of club talisman Lionel Messi. The Argentine made public his desire to leave Barcelona last summer and it looks increasingly unlikely he will sign a new contract, meaning the … [Read more...] about Chaos, scandal and anger: Barcelona faces seminal presidential elections

close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for March 2 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Trent Frazier, Andre Curbelo and No. 4 Illinois arrived at Crisler Center ready to make a point. "We’re the hardest-playing team in the country. That’s our statement," Frazier said. "Even without our best player, we’ve got a lot of guys on this team." Duly noted. Frazier led the way with 22 points, Curbelo scored 11 of his 17 in the first half, and the Illini dismantled No. 2 Michigan with a smothering defensive performance, routing the Wolverines 76-53 on Tuesday night. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Kofi Cockburn added 12 points for Illinois. Playing again without injured star Ayo Dosunmu, the Illini (19-6, 15-4 Big Ten) kept Michigan from clinching the conference title and boosted their own chances at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. "I would be challenged to find a … [Read more...] about Intense No. 4 Illinois makes statement, drubs No. 2 Michigan

He made America’s representative institutions greatly biased in favor of Republicans. Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer Photo: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas In the United States, every season is campaign season. Four months after America last went to the polls, Democrats are still refining their autopsies of the 2020 race and already governing with an eye toward the 2022 midterms. Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, Republicans are trying to figure out just how firm Donald Trump’s grip on their party really is — and debating whether that grip should be stronger or weaker. To gain some insight into these matters, Intelligencer turned to our favorite socialist proponent of ruthlessly poll-driven campaigning, David Shor. A veteran of the 2012 Obama campaign, Shor is currently head of data science at OpenLabs, a progressive nonprofit. We spoke with him last week about how his analysis of the 2020 election has changed since November, what Democrats need to do to keep Congress … [Read more...] about David Shor on Why Trump Was Good for the GOP and How Dems Can Win in 2022

Tuesday on FNC’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” host Tucker Carlson railed against government officials, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), for closing schools in the name of COVID-19 “mitigation.” Carlson explained how the lockdown was having a detrimental impact on children that was not being acknowledged. Transcript as follows: CARLSON: Things change fast, but it’s our job to keep track. It wasn’t so long ago that our taste-making class had decided that Andrew Cuomo of New York was the single greatest governor in American history. Reporters who covered him didn’t so much ask Cuomo questions, they swooned blushing in his presence. People who passed out Emmys, gave Andrew Cuomo an award just for holding press conferences. Over on CNN, Jeff Zucker handed the Governor a recurring spot on his little brother’s TV show. Yes, Andrew Cuomo is quite a bit taller than Chris Cuomo. For a moment there, Andrew Cuomo was the man they told us. He was a steely mixture of Abraham Lincoln … [Read more...] about FNC’s Carlson: Coronavirus Lockdowns Instituted by ‘Incompetent’ Officials Harming Children

Private payrolls grew by less than expected in February, according to data released Wednesday. U.S. businesses added just 117,000 workers in February, data from payroll provider ADP indicate. Economists surveyed by Econoday had forecast job growth of 165,00. Other surveys had the forecast even higher. January’s figures were revised up to 195,000 from the initial estimate of 174,000. Manufacturing lost 14,000 jobs in the month, according to ADP. The services sector added 131,000. The figures indicate that the official nonfarm payrolls will grow by 210,000, according to ADP. That number will be released Friday. ADP had a rocky year last year as its estimates consistently failed to track job growth amid the chaos caused by the pandemic. February was a volatile month for the U.S. economy with the cold snap in the South West shutting down large parts of Texas and neighboring states, shuttering oil production facilities and many other businesses. … [Read more...] about ADP Private Payroll Estimate Falls Short of Expectations