Current Events
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Source: MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images / Getty / Austin Rivers
Austin Rivers is not happy with Hulu’s original series Clipped or the casting choices for the roles of members of the Los Angeles Clippers during Donald Sterling’s tenure as owner.
In a recent episode of his The Offguard Podcast, former NBA player turned ESPN NBA analyst expressed his frustration with the actors chosen to play his NBA brethren in Clipped.
The Hulu series is based on the ESPN 30 For 30 podcast, The Sterling Affairs, which focuses on the turmoil following the Clippers’ former owner being recorded by his mistress saying derogatory racial remarks.
In a clip shared on Instgram, Rivers goes ham on the actor cast to play Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry: “That is Stephen Santiago. That’s, like, the third baseman for the Padres. Who the hell is that guy?”
The actor who plays Blake Griffin in the series also caught a vicious stray from Rivers. “This is really bad. The guy’s hairline’s receding already, and he looks just nothing like Blake.”
P-Valley star J. Alphonse Nicholson’s portrayal of the “point god,” Chris Paul, did not win over Rivers either. “That is my local A/C man, Frederick. Who is this? Who the hell is that?”
Damn, that’s how you doing, the man who plays Lil Murda to perfection?
Austin Rivers Spares Laurence Fishburne
Sheldon Bailey, who plays DeAndre Jordan in the series, was not spared from Rivers’s ire either. “There’s no effort in this. That looks nothing like DJ.”
One person who did not catch that much flack for his performance in the show, outside of his body weight, was Laurence Fishburne. He happens to be portraying Austin Rivers’s dad, Doc Rivers, who was the Clippers head coach during the drama with Donald Sterling.
“Laurence Fishburne is a legend, and he’s a great actor,” Rivers said. “The body of my father is just a little bit different. I’m not saying he’s 100% in shape, but he’s built a little different than Laurence Fishburne. We could’ve done a little AI or something there.”
Fishburne spoke about his portrayal of Doc Rivers on a recent episode of the Dan Patrick Show revealing he had no idea who Rivers was before he got the role.
Luke James Dunks On Austin Rivers
One person who was not here for Austin Rivers’ hate was singer/actor Luke James, who had time for the former pro hooper.
“The series is great. casting is solid. u niggas should make a series. cast all the giant none acting ass niggas in it. see how it fairs out. i’m sure all these folks in agreement w/u will love it,” James wrote in the post’s comment section.
We can’t be mad at that.
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Donald Trump’s comments on the campaign trail have raised alarms from those noting his “unwell” behavior and media’s reluctance to call it out.
The mounting collection of bizarre remarks by Donald Trump on the presidential campaign trail has caused observers to note how “deeply unwell” he is and to question why more media outlets and figures aren’t calling for an examination of his mental faculties. “(But) Trump is obviously unfit—and something is profoundly wrong with a political environment in which he can now say almost anything, no matter how weird,” writes Tom Nichols for The Atlantic in a column, pointing to Trump’s most recent rally this past weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, which left many observers aghast.
At that campaign rally, Trump went into a rambling rant about electric batteries and sharks: “So I said, let me ask you a question, and he said, nobody ever asked this question and it must be because of MIT, my relationship to MIT. Very smart. He goes, I say, what would happen if the boat sank from its weight? And you’re in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery and the battery is now underwater and there’s a shark that’s approximately 10 yards over there, by the way, a lot of shark attacks lately, do you notice that?”
“I am not a psychiatrist, and I am not diagnosing Trump with anything. I am, however, a man who has lived on this Earth for more than 60 years, and I know someone who has severe emotional problems when I see them played out in front of me over and over,” Nichols wrote, adding: “The 45th president is deeply unwell. It is long past time for Americans, including those in public life, to recognize his inability to serve as the 47th.” EJ Montini of the Arizona Republic has also called out the media’s reluctance in a column, writing: “Too many respectable journalists and respectable journalistic institutions have allowed the fear of appearing biased to prevent them from being honest.” He cited the Las Vegas remarks as “the kind of thing that would be worrisome if done by an elderly member of your family.”
As the presumptive Republican nominee continues to campaign, there seems to be no end to the comments. In a meeting with Republicans at Capitol Hill on Thursday, Trump stated that “Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city,” while also declaring – again – an affinity for fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter.
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Source: Eduardo Frederiksen / Getty / Atlanta Bus Hijacking
A scene reminiscent of the film SPEED starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock went down in Atlanta, and it also had a plot twist not even Tyler Perry would think of for one of his films.
Spotted on TMZ, an Atlanta city bus was hijacked by a crook, holding the driver at gunpoint and taking passengers hostage, leading ATL police on a high-speed chase that left one person dead.
Thanks to aerial footage, viewers were locked in as law enforcement was in hot pursuit of the bus as it plowed through Atlanta traffic, smashing civilian vehicles, including cop cars, in a chase that went on for miles on Tuesday.
The suspect, Joseph Grier, a convicted felon with 19 prior arrests, commanded the bus driver, Ernst Antoine, who was only on the job for three months, to drive after shooting and killing a passenger.
Speaking exclusively with ABC’s Good Morning America, Antoine said he was “ready to die” for the bus passengers and felt his handling of the situation “was right because people always coming first.”
When police finally got the bus to stop, the hostages ran for safety, and the suspect was immediately taken into custody, but that part didn’t play out so smoothly.
Speaking with PEOPLE, a passenger revealed that Grier “threw his gun and tried to disguise himself as one of the victims.”
When Antoine got off the bus, police mistook him for the suspect he revealed before pointing the cops in the right direction.
“When I get out, the police point the gun on me. I said, ‘No, I’m not the killer. I’m the driver.’ And they asked me, ‘Who is the killer?’ I say, ‘Him,’” Antoine told GMA.
This Bus Hijacking Is The Most Atlanta Thing Ever
The hijacking only gets more interesting. Not too long after the incident, an interview featuring Grier talking to reporters following a shooting at the Peachtree Center, leaving four people shot, surfaced.
In the interview, Grier discussed what he witnessed at the shooting before later boarding the bus and getting into a fight with another passenger.
Another passenger on the bus with a gun attempted to stop the fight, leading to Grier stealing the gun and shooting and killing the person trying to break up the fight.
As for his reasoning for his behavior, Grier, 39, claims he has bipolar disorder and has been off his meds for weeks.
We shall see how this plays out.
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Source: PATRICK T. FALLON / Getty / Alamo Drafthouse
Well, this came out of nowhere. Sony is now the owner of the popular movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse.
The two companies announced the stunning news on Wednesday, revealing that Sony will oversee the theater experience under its new Sony Pictures Experiences division.
In a press release, Sony promises it “will preserve Alamo Drafthouse’s distinctive movie-dining experience.” At the same time, Alamo will continue operating “all 35 of its cinemas across 25 metro areas under the Alamo Drafthouse brand.”
Alamo’s current CEO, Michael Kustermann, will remain in his role. If you’re worried about the Fantastic Fest film festival, Alamo will still be in charge of that as well.
Sony is purchasing the movie theater chain from Altamont Capital Partners, Fortress Investment Group, and Alamo founder Tim League.
That same group took ownership of Alamo after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021.
Sony purchased Alamo Drafthouse largely due to the 2020 termination of the Paramount Consent Decrees. According to The Verge, the 1948 Supreme Court decision required movie companies to sell the theaters they owned to increase competition and allow customer choice.
Now that movie fans have so many options for viewing films, the Department of Justice decided to reverse the decree.
While the news may shock many, Sony is not the first movie company to take advantage of the decree’s reverse.
Netflix also owns movie cinemas in New York and Los Angeles.
The reactions to the news are similar, with fans of the theater chain warning Sony not to mess this up.
“Not sure what this means but it’s an Alamo down the street from me and I love that place. Don’t ruin the vibes, Sony,” one person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
This writer agrees, and the price of my Alamo Season Pass better not rise either.
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Source: Kevin Dietsch / Getty
Hunter Biden’s conviction on felony charges in Delaware may have dismantled a major Republican conspiracy theory in the process.
On Tuesday (June 11), a jury in a Delaware court found Hunter Biden guilty on three felony counts related to him purchasing a firearm in 2018 while allegedly addicted to drugs. It marks the first time the offspring of a sitting president was found guilty in a criminal trial. The verdict, however, might have taken the steam out of one of the Republican Party’s conspiracy theories that they’ve pushed to hurt President Joe Biden’s chances of reelection – that he’s “weaponized” the Department of Justice to protect his family and persecute former President Donald Trump.
The line of thought, which was the focus of a House of Representatives sub-committee hearing led by Republicans last week, wasn’t only shared by the fringe element but peddled consistently on conservative media and on Fox News as they taunted, “Where’s Hunter?” But as the trial moved on towards its conclusion, President Biden’s assertion that he would not only stand by the verdict but make no moves to pardon Hunter Biden if convicted loomed large. One unnamed juror told ABC News after the verdict was announced that “politics never came into play” as they deliberated and that the prosecution achieved their burden of proof: “the verdict absolutely was not politically motivated.”
“I don’t think the verdict will materially impact the race,” said Republican strategist Rob Stutzman about the potential to impact the upcoming presidential election. “It does mute GOP claims that the Biden DOJ is weaponized against Trump and MAGA, but the election isn’t turning on that question.” The conviction comes less than two weeks after Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts related to fraud in the “hush money” trial where he was accused of hiding payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
Biden campaign fundraiser John Morgan remarked that “only a person with no heart would not be sympathetic” to Hunter Biden’s issues with addiction and recovery. “And [Biden] isn’t saying the trial is rigged. The contrast between the two trials will be a huge boost for the president,” he asserted. Others note that Trump’s conviction might compel voters not to pull for him instead of Hunter Biden’s situation. “The Trump verdict I think could force some lean conservative people to stay home. No poll can measure that. No one is staying home because of Hunter,” stated Democratic strategist Peter Giangreco.
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Source: Brandon Sloter / Getty
For the past few years many celebrities and people you may even know have decided to switch up their daily diets and go on a vegan only way of life. While that bares little to no consequences on their professional lives, hot dog eating legend Joey Chestnut’s decision to eat vegan led to his termination from his “job” of competitively eating hot dogs.
According to the New York Post, the reigning hot dog eating champion was told he will not be allowed to compete at this years Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island after he signed a deal with plant-based food brand, Impossible Foods. With Impossible Foods sponsoring the man who once gobbled 76 glizzies in a single 10-minute sitting, the higher-ups over at Nathan’s lowkey felt betrayed by Chestnut’s latest venture. Though they haven’t blatantly “banned” him from the contest, they basically banned him from competing at this year’s event.
The New York Post reports:
A rep for Major League Eating (MLE), which Nathan’s sanctions to run the event, said the organizers bent over backwards to meet Chestnut’s various other demands.
They even agreed to let him participate in a rival Labor Day dog-eating fest to be taped for TV as long as no hot dog brand was mentioned.
But they said they drew the line on letting Chestnut pitch for a different hot dog brand.
A source said Chestnut was paid $200,000 to appear in the Nathan’s contest last year, and was offered a $1.2 million, four-year contract going forward.
“The two sides could still come to a resolution before July 4, but it depends on Joey,” an insider said.
“He’s the Michael Jordan of competitive eating. But imagine if Michael Jordan said to Nike, ‘I love being the face of Nike but I want to do commercials for Adidas too,” the source said.
You know you’re that dude when someone says you’re the Michael Jordan of whatever you do even if that thing is gobbling glizzies. We wonder if there’s a porn star out there considered the Joey Chestnut of the industry. We’re not going to look into that though.
Following the news of his ouster of this year’s competition, Joey Chestnut took to Instagram to voice his displeasure over the decision and called out Nathan’s over his business decision saying, “To set the record straight, I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathan’s and they are looking to change the rules from past years as it relates to other partners I can work with. This is apparently the basis on which I’m being banned, and it doesn’t impact the July 4th contest.”
At the end of the day, only the fans will suffer from this decision.
What do y’all think of Nathan’s Famous barring Joey Chestnut from this year’s hot dog eating contest? Fair or foul? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Marcus Ingram / Getty / Shannon Sharpe
For the foreseeable future, Shannon Sharpe will continue to accidentally call Stephen A. Smith his old debate partner, Skip Bayless, on ESPN’s First Take.
Spotted on Deadline, ESPN announced on Tuesday that it had inked a multiyear deal with Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe.
The new deal comes less than a year after Sharpe left Bayless and FS1 for greener pastures at ESPN.
As part of his new deal with the Disney-owned sports network, Sharpe will expand his role on the popular debate show First Take, keeping him alongside mainstays Stephen A. Smith and moderator Molly Qerim.
Sharpe brought his flair for debate to the program in August 2023, and it has since experienced its most-viewed May ever.
ESPN also notes that Sharpe will now be a part of other programming on the channel.
Per Deadline:
“Shannon Sharpe has been an incredible addition to the First Take team, enhancing the show’s dynamic with his engaging presence and insightful commentary,” said David Roberts, ESPN’s Head of Event & Studio Production, in a statement today about the new deal, the terms of which were not disclosed. “Shannon’s chemistry with Stephen A. Smith has elevated our debates and been another key reason First Take is the premier destination for morning sports discussion.”
Shannon Sharpe’s Stock Continues To Rise
Sharpe’s media stock has risen immensely since leaving Skip Bayless and his failing show, Undisputed.
His podcast Club Shay Shay has had some of the biggest interviews on the net, thanks to guests like Katt Williams, Amanda Seales, and, most recently, Ray J.
Sharpe also has a podcast with fellow retired NFL superstar Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson called Night Cap, where they opine on various topics, including sports, entertainment, and other social commentary.
With his newfound popularity, Sharpe has also been criticized for some of his controversial takes on Club Shay Shay and Night Cap, and his lack of interviewing skills is also the subject of debate on social media.
Uncle Shannon continues to secure the bag, and we will never be mad at a Black man for getting some coins.
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Source: John Nacion / Getty / Michael Rainey Jr.
Power Book II: Ghost star Michael Rainey Jr. should be celebrating the return of his hit Power spinoff series. Instead, he had to address a disturbing sexual assault incident he was the victim of.
Rainey addressed his fans on Monday, June 10, after he was sexually assaulted during TyTy James’ Twitch livestream.
Viewers of the live stream and fans of the young actor were stunned when James’ younger sister inappropriately grabbed Rainey Jr. while he was making a guest appearance on the popular Twitch stream.
He sent a statement on the incident through his rep, which went viral on Elon Musk’s trash platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Rainey is “deeply saddened and shocked by the events that occurred during the TyTy James live stream this past weekend. He is still processing what happened and doesn’t entirely know how to feel about it,” the statement sent to PEOPLE reads.
“This situation is not being taken lightly,” the statement continued. “Sexual harassment and assault are serious and unacceptable acts. Taking advantage of someone’s celebrity in this manner devalues entertainers and underscores the need to respect their humanity. Those who entertain us are human beings just like everyone else.”
Rainey Said He Was Still In Shock Following The Incident
Rainey then hopped on his Instagram account and addressed the incident, writing that he was “still in shock,” adding, “Can’t take it lightly because I know I would be in serious trouble if the roles were reversed.”
“This is an unfortunate situation that I can’t condone in any way,” he continues. “The fact is, sexual assault is never okay, regardless of gender or status. We’re all human, and we should respect each other. Most importantly, we should respect ourselves.”
While we couldn’t see James’ sister grope Rainey because her hands were covered by three younger children in the viral clip, the Power star’s visibly uncomfortable look on his face let us know something wild was going on.
He reportedly left right after the groping incident.
TyTy James Apologizes For His Sister’s Behavior
Following the backlash, James immediately issued an apology on his sister’s behalf.
“After the actions that occurred during my stream last night I would like to sincerely apologize to Michael and his family for what took place.”
“My little sister was completely wrong and out of line. What she did was very inappropriate and unacceptable. I am truly embarrassed and disgusted by her actions,” James wrote on Instagram. “I completely respect whatever direction Michael wants to go in this situation. After watching the clip, I was completely taken aback by what she done [sic]. I will take extreme precautions with future streams to avoid similar issues and have banned her from participating in future streams. I do not condone any type of assault.”
50 Cent Plays Himself Trying To Be Funny
Rainey’s boss and former Power co-star, 50 Cent, was the target of X slander after trying to make light of the 23-year-old actor’s situation.
“Wait sexual assault 😟 from a male perspective this was an aggressive advance. LOL HE’s fine no charges are being pressed,” Diddy’ longtime nemesis and professional troll wrote in a now-deleted post.
The G-Unit general was quickly reminded that nothing is actually “deleted” on social media.
“This is the same 50 cent who’s supposed to be exposing Diddy for predatory behavior. He’s such a charlatan and opportunist,” a post on X read.
Welp.
If you or anyone you know were a victim of sexual assault, you can reach out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
For more reactions, hit the gallery below.
2. The accuracy
4. Where’s the lie?
5. She damn sure did
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Source: Pool / Getty
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was caught on a recording admitting to having a strong bias against the Left in his views.
On Monday (June 10), documentary filmmaker Laura Windsor released a recording in a post on X, formerly Twitter, of a conversation with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito which captures him expressing that he has a bias against the Left wing of the nation and feeling the U.S. should go back to a “place of godliness.” The conversation took place at the Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual dinner which was held last week. Windsor can be heard asking Alito about political polarization in the audio. “I don’t know that we can negotiate with the Left in the way that needs to happen for the polarization to end,” Windsor says. “I think that it’s a matter of, like, winning.”
“I think you’re probably right,” Alito replies. “On one side or the other — one side or the other is going to win. I don’t know. I mean, there can be a way of working — a way of living together peacefully, but it’s difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can’t be compromised. They really can’t be compromised. So it’s not like you are going to split the difference.” Windsor then followed up her words to Alito with another statement: “People in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that — to return our country to a place of godliness.”
“I agree with you. I agree with you,” Alito replied. Alito was responsible for authoring the infamous Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court in 2022, which reversed five decades of established law settled by Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. Windsor also posted a recording of her talk with Chief Justice John Roberts, who disagreed with Alito’s viewpoints. When pressed by Windsor if he felt the court should rule to guide the country on “a more moral path,” Roberts responded: “It’s not our job to do that. It’s our job to decide the cases the best we can.”
The justice has recently come under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that he flew a flag supporting the false claims of Donald Trump that the 2020 presidential election was stolen outside of his homes in Virginia and New Jersey. He has refused to recuse himself from all cases related to Trump and the January 6 insurrection.
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Source: DIMITAR DILKOFF / Getty
Luxury stores are still a big target for the criminal underworld. Thieves crashed a car into the Chanel store in Paris for a heist.
As reported by Raw Story one of the brand’s most popular brick and mortar locations got hit last week. In the early hours of Monday, June 10 a team ram-raided a truck into the doors of the Chanel store located at 52 Av. des Champs-Élysées. Once the automobile had caused the structure to weaken the thieves proceed to enter the establishment and helped themselves to the goods on the sales floor. Prior to leaving the scene they set the car on fire and escaped on motorbikes.
Police and firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after and put out the blaze. “The individuals used a first vehicle to enter the establishment, smashing the window, before fleeing in a second vehicle, taking some of the shop’s merchandise with them” a police source said. Another source close the investigation says they believe the crew consisted of four individuals. Back in May a Harry Winston store suffered a similar robbery where a team of thieves stuck the place up with long weapons and left on motorbikes. Police estimate Harry Winston lost anywhere from $6.5 million and $10.8 million in jewelry.
Chanel has yet to formally comment on the matter.