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Dollars well spent.

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“When the couple lit the unity candle together and it blew out.”

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Two words: White savior.

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The messages were painted right outside the White House.

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As protests all across the country enter their third week, one notable figure who has used his voice to speak on social injustice and police brutality used it once again to speak directly to protestors. Speaking to Bill Maher on Real Time With Bill Maher, Killer Mike joined the show just a week after asking Atlanta protestors to not “burn your own house down for anger with an enemy” to remind protestors that there must be a bigger plan and end goal than protesting and the destruction of property.

“I think that the kids that were out raging in the streets certainly deserve to be out raging in the streets,” Killer Mike said. “I appreciate the protest, I appreciate destroying property, when it’s followed the next day by real organizing. I want kids to know that the righteous anger is certainly permitted and I would say encouraged to wake society up.”

Moving forward in his conversation with Maher, Killer Mike stressed the need for further planning in the fight for equality.

But after the destruction of property, I need you to become an organizer. I need you to plot, plan, strategize, organize, and mobilize. Protesting is the first step. It’s when you come in the ICU and you’re bleeding, they have to stop the bleeding first. And then how do we stabilize the patient? The stability comes through beating up your local ballot boxes. It’s in making sure that you vote in your prosecutors’ races, voting in terms of who your mayors and Senators are going to be, you have to start to do that.

Concluding their conversation, Killer Mike called for “a return to supporting small- and mid-level black businesses” in order to ensure that people outside the government will support the black community. “If we’re ever going to be free of total government control then we can’t be beholden on government for everything as well. So I believe there’s legal goals we should have, there’s legislative goals we should have, there’s educational goals we should have. So I don’t believe protest ever ends as much as it evolves into a way of life that demands justice.”

ESPN’s latest 30 for 30 documentary, Be Water, continues the tradition of exploring interesting sporting lives like The Last Dance (Michael Jordan) and Lance, which explored the scandal-filled life of Lance Armstrong. Be Water highlights the life and career of martial artist Bruce Lee from his time in the US in the 1960s to his eventual rise to fame after returning to Hong Kong in the 1970s. Ahead of the 30 for 30 premiere, RZA has shared a new song inspired by Bruce Lee.

Sharing “Be Like Water,” RZA reminds listeners of the phrase Lee put into effect and echoed repeatedly throughout his career. Speaking to Hypebeast, RZA shared his thoughts on the two-minute track.

Bruce Lee’s teachings extended beyond physical martial arts. He was full of philosophy and mindfulness. His quote ‘Be Water my friend’ is profound and multi-tiered in definition. It inspires the idea that in adapting to life situations, sometimes we have to flow smoothly as a stream, while other times we have to crash like a tsunami.

RZA and Wu-Tang Clan as a whole have been known to showcase their Bruce Lee influence throughout their careers. Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album Enter the Wu-tang (36 Chambers) references Lee’s 1973 film, Enter the Dragon. RZA took inspiration from Lee for his own martial arts action films, including 2012’s The Man with the Iron Fists.

Be Water premieres on ESPN Sunday at 9PM EST. You can watch the video for “Be Like Water” above.

Elmer Fudd is still hunting rabbits, but these days he will apparently do it with a scythe. The Looney Tunes character made headlines and drew plenty of reaction online when people realized the new HBO Max show featuring the hapless hunter will feature his character without a hunting rifle.

“We’re not doing guns,” executive producer Peter Browngardt said in an interview with the New York Times. “But we can do cartoony violence – TNT, the Acme stuff.”

The new Looney Tunes show on HBO Max has drawn plenty of interest in the shiny new streaming service, even more than some of the more traditional prestige shows you’d associate with HBO. But it seems news of Fudd not having his gun in the series has taken a while to reach the masses. For anyone paying attention, though, a hunting rifle-less Fudd has been nothing new. In 2019, for example, Fudd and traditional nemesis Bugs Bunny appeared in a YouTube short called “Dynamite Dance,” seen above.

In it, Fudd doesn’t have a gun, instead taking a swing at Bugs with a scythe. You know, the thing the Grim Reaper is mostly known for. It’s a more metaphorical weapon than anything, but it still plays out like a traditional Looney Tunes chase segment.

That clip hit YouTube in June of 2019 and later became part of Looney Tunes Cartoons, which is now on HBO Max. In other words, people are just noticing a change that was made some time ago. But the news spreading online also drew plenty of reaction. There were a lot of jokes to be made about the situation, especially given that it’s a cartoon everyone is essentially pretending to be mad about.

As some pointed out a hunter is not the only thing the Fudd character has been known for over the years, either.

But there’s also a very serious point to be made: these cartoons have evolved over the decades they’ve existed and have a shared history of some now offensive things that would absolutely not be acceptable in today’s society. Gently discontinuing use of a firearm in a children’s cartoon might be a trigger to make some people upset, but it’s far from the most offensive thing Looney Tunes has had to distance itself from in its long history.

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After reaching the proverbial top of the mountain in 2016 to claim the bantamweight championship against Dominick Cruz, Cody Garbrandt’s career came crashing down to the tune of three consecutive losses. He admittedly lost his passion for fighting and wasn’t interested in watching what was happening across the division. So in October 2019, Garbrandt, in search of a jolt to his career, mixed it up when he began working with famous boxing trainer Mark Henry while splitting time with the Team Alpha Male squad in California.

In preparation for his return to the Octagon, Garbrandt encountered yet another setback back in February when he suffered a staph infection that turned into strep and attacked his kidneys, putting ‘No Love’ in the hospital with a kidney infection. He returned to training in mid-March, but faced an uphill battle to work his way back into contendership for the now-vacant bantamweight title.

It’s that build up, the hardships and the struggles that made Saturday night’s win against Raphael Assuncao so special. From the moment the first round started, Garbrandt held a laser-focused demeanor. He flew around the Octagon, popped in and out, threw lightning quick strikes and landed with precision. He connected on 19 of 43 significant strike attempts, but none was heavier than Garbrandt’s fight-sealing right hand that came right at the buzzer of the second round to put Assuncao’s lights out.

Garbrandt leaned down, waited for Assuncao to throw a hook and popped up with a blistering right hand to give him the win.

That sequence was emblematic of Garbrandt’s renewed strategy and focus. Over his career, Garbrandt became a fan-favorite for his willingness to throw hands, but after three consecutive knockouts, the fear was Garbrandt’s chin was gone. On Saturday, he remained poised, never leaving himself too open and consistently finding openings.

“I know I’m a skilled fighter, but I give these fights away when I brawl,” Garbrandt admitted in his post-fight interview.

For Garbrandt, this win was more than just snapping a losing streak. It was what he perceives as the start of something bigger.

“It’s been a journey. Went from the top of the world to a three-fight skid. I’ve got the passion back in my heart,” Garbrandt continued. “I’m here to be the best and get that championship strap back.”

Ranked No. 9 in the division, Garbrandt’s return to title contention won’t be easy. But after knocking out the No. 5-ranked Assuncao, the former champion is ready for whatever comes next in a suddenly stacked division not lacking in contenders.