Month: October 2020

The tangled legal web on display early in quarantine on Netflix has apparently grown larger, as another Tiger King fixture is officially in legal trouble of his own. Doc Antle is the latest person featured on the show to see legal trouble, as apparently that’s a prerequisite in having interest in big cats in the first place. This time, however, it’s not a plot to kill a husband or a plot to kill someone who people think killed their husband, but about the actual movement of the caged wildlife across state lines.

According to Variety, Antle was indicted on wildlife trafficking charges along with another man, Keith A. Wilson. Antle, as you may recall, owns one of the private animal refuges that were featured in the Tiger King series on Netflix.

Antle faces one felony count of wildlife trafficking, one felony count of conspiracy to wildlife traffic, four misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

Wilson has been charged with one felony count of wildlife trafficking, one felony count of conspiracy to wildlife traffic, four misdemeanor counts of violating the Endangered Species Act, four misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act and nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

The charges stem from the movement of lion cubs between Wilson’s Wild Animal Park in Virginia and Antle’s Myrtle Beach Safari Park. As Variety noted, everything apparently started with the raid on Myrtle Beach Safari Park in 2019, which was mentioned briefly on the program but cameras were not around to capture.

While the show certainly had a lot of legal snafus and claims to explore in its subjects, and it certainly mentioned the practice of moving animals from various parks, it was far from the true focus of Tiger King. Those transactions, however, seem to have been the larger concern of authorities who now have brought charges against Antle, making Tiger King even more of a legal mess than it was when the program started streaming just a few months ago.

Mariah Carey is no stranger to No. 1 debuts but this week, she earned the distinction in a different way than she’s used to. Her memoir, The Meaning Of Mariah Carey, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction list, as well as the Hardcover Nonfiction list. Carey had been on a months-long media tour to promote the new book, using her appearances to reveal the motivations behind decades-old songs and indirectly troll Eminem, and it looks like that hard work (and slick shade) has paid off.

Carey also revealed — or rather, illuminated — the 1995 grunge rock album she recorded (and released!) while working on her fifth studio album, Daydream. She tweeted a “fun fact,” clueing in her followers on the album’s existence. They quickly sleuthed out the existing project under the band name Chick, turning up a pair of music videos on YouTube and a CD going on Amazon for well-above sticker price. Mariah later revealed that originally wanted to promote the album, titled Someone’s Ugly Daughter, but that her label ultimately nixed her plans, forcing her to “abandon the project.”

Mariah also auditioned for a role in a potential Mean Girls sequel during an interview with Tina Fey, promising to exchange licensing for an appearance.

The Meaning of Mariah Carey is out now via Holt, Henry & Company, Inc. You can get it here.

One of the key parts of the agreement struck between players and the NBA in the aftermath of the players’ decision to strike games in late August was that the two sides would form a council that would work together on issues related to social justice and the empowerment of Black people in America. The league on Friday announced the first set of board members who will lead that effort, highlighted by Michael Jordan.

As the Hornets’ owner, Jordan has been a behind-the-scenes leader all year as the league sought to join the fight against systemic racism more aggressively. In his partnership with Nike through Jordan Brand, the six-time NBA champion also committed $100 million over the next 10 years in strategic donations to activist groups and charities across the spectrum of social justice.

In a statement, the foundation announced it would “drive economic empowerment for Black communities through employment and career advancement” and that it would be responsible for the strategy behind how to use the $30 million that NBA governors pledged to give annually. The NBA Foundation will also develop a media and marketing plan to tell its story and work with local markets and national partners on these efforts.

Seeing big names like Jordan’s as well as the commissioner and NBPA head shows a commitment across all parts of the league to making the foundation a priority. The league has enormous resources at its disposal and now several passionate and active figureheads manning the controls through the NBA Foundation.

Earlier in the restart, Donovan Mitchell treated us to some of the most electrifying performances in Orlando. He had multiple 50-point games and went head-to-head with Jamal Murray in the opening round series between the Jazz and Nuggets, showing us why he’s one of the NBA’s brightest young stars.

But basketball was only one aspect of what made the Bubble experience so meaningful to him. Mitchell has helped spearhead the NBA’s Social Justice Initiative and is partnering with Dove Men’s C.A.R.E campaign (Care About Racial Equality) to bring greater awareness to these issues. And as a former student at Louisville, he was vocal about the need for justice to be served in the Breonna Taylor case.

For Mitchell, one of the central goals is to be willing to engage in the type of difficult or uncomfortable conversations that lead to broader understanding. In a recent interview, he shared his painful experience about what it’s like to be a Black man in America and how he and so many others are forced to modify their appearance and behavior purely for personal safety reasons.

Via Michael Pina of GQ:

“I think being able to change the way we’re being depicted in the media, not having to take my hood off because I feel like I’m a threat. I think that’s something white people don’t even think about, being afraid when you’re getting pulled over. Whether you said anything right or wrong, having that fear. I don’t think that’s a fear that anyone but Black people or minorities really have. And I feel like that’s just something that we addressed and will continue to let people know that this is real.

***

“Too many times we hear, I can’t wait for things to get back to normal. Or I can’t wait until this is all over. At the end of the day this is neverending for us. As a 24-year-old Black man who went to a predominantly white private school, there were times where I had to change the way I dressed just to not seem like a threat, or wear a letterman’s jacket or some sweats—that way I’m deemed as the safe Black guy in the area. That shouldn’t be a way Black people feel. And I feel like the bubble was a success in allowing us to at least make people see this is a thing.”

The formation of the NBA’s Social Justice Initiative was a response to the work stoppage in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting. Collectively, teams opted to temporarily halt play during the first round of the postseason to put pressure on the league and its owners to construct a concrete plan to fight against inequality.

Beyond that, Mitchell and many other players have regularly been using their platform to speak out on these issues. Experiences like Mitchell’s are endemic in American life, and the type of openness and honesty he’s displayed goes a long way toward empathy and understanding.

(Via GQ)

Donald Trump’s very big Friday started with an afternoon appearance on the Rush Limbaugh radio program for what was billed on Thursday as one of the largest radio rallies in presidential history. But what listeners got was Trump claiming that LeBron James voted for Hillary Clinton because he’s too tall and him dropping an F-bomb in a tirade about Iran.

In a rant that didn’t even get Limbaugh to look up from whatever he’s doing on his webcam, Trump said Iran was “put on notice” and then swore in a moment that will likely draw a few complaints to the FCC.

“If you f*ck around with us, if you do something bad to us,” Trump said. “We are gonna do things to you that have never been done before.”

For basically any other president in the history of the nation, this wild threat made on a Friday afternoon against a nation rumored to be developing nuclear capability would draw alarms worldwide. But given that we’re just a little over a week away from Trump disclosing he has coronavirus, breaking quarantine several times, and spending long hours ranting and raving about all kinds of things on social media and in interviews, it’s unclear just how big an international emergency this is or whether it’s a mere FCC violation.

Trump also has an interview on Fox News scheduled for later Friday night, his first on-camera interview since he was hospitalized and subsequently returned to the White House. He’s apparently scheduled to get a medical examination live on air, so hopefully, this f-bomb is the most vulgar thing that comes out of Trump’s body today.

The Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez situation has continued to evolve in recent weeks, and there was a major development yesterday: Lanez was charged with one felony count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. If Lanez is convicted as charged, he could face over 22 years in prison. Lanez has had some time to digest the news, and now, he has shared his first public response to it.

In a tweet this afternoon, the rapper maintains his innocence, declaring, “a charge is not a conviction.” He wrote, “[Time] will [tell] … and the truth will come to the light … I have all faith in God to show that … love to all my fans and people that have stayed true to me & know my heart … a charge is not a conviction . If you have supported me or meg thru this , I genuinely appreciate u .”

As of press time, Megan has yet to share a public reaction to the news of Lanez’s charge.

These charges come not too long after Lanez released his new project, Daystar, in which he accused Megan of framing him for the shooting. He raps on “Money Over Fallouts,” “I thought you was solid too, but look at how you doing me / Look at how you doing me, people trying to ruin me.”

The Houston Rockets made the expected yet impactful move last month to move on from Mike D’Antoni after four seasons that mostly ended in disappointment. Houston has the ceiling of a title team with perennial MVP candidate James Harden and a system on both ends that has been proven effective at the highest level, but to break through into the Finals and potentially come away with a ring, the Rockets will need to find a way to get more out of Harden in the playoffs and generally better in big moments.

This team has all the talent they need to win a championship, so it’s one case in which it’s fair to wonder whether coaching may truly have been one of the main problems. With that in mind, the Rockets’ coaching search is one of the most interesting in the league this offseason and outside of Philadelphia and Los Angeles, may have the most to impact on the 2021 championship odds. This does not even factor in the issues facing the team, namely that they are built around two stars on the wrong side of 30, went all-in on the small-ball concept, and have next to no draft capital for the next few years due to the Russell Westbrook trade.

Here’s who the Rockets have looked at so far, and why each candidate could make sense:

Stephen Silas

After several years of hype when he helped build a playoff team around Kemba Walker in Charlotte as part of Steve Clifford’s staff, Silas is once again a man of intrigue in the NBA as the offensive coordinator for the Mavericks, which finished the regular season as the best offense in the history of the league.

The fit here would be understandable now that Houston has reportedly received permission to interview Silas. No matter who general manager Daryl Morey hires, Houston is not going to suddenly shy away from its threes-and-layups offense. And that’s exactly what Silas coached up in Dallas, with Luka Doncic running the show in the Harden role. This pairing has the makings of a successful one.

Wes Unseld Jr.

Like Silas, it’s believed Houston has simply received permission to talk with Unseld, not that they have done so yet. Take it directly from Mike Malone, who heads up the Denver staff where Unseld has made his mark since 2015.

The Nuggets’ head coach credited Unseld almost entirely for concocting the defensive game plan that limited the Clippers in the second round and helped Denver upset them. For a Houston team whose defense has come and gone for large parts of the past four years under D’Antoni, finding a smart defensive mind to coach the team may not be a bad idea.

Tyronn Lue

The case for Lue is simple. An NBA champion, Lue proved in the playoffs over several years that he could work with superstar players to adjust over the course of the postseason or within single games in order to put those stars in a position to succeed. He also received credit for building a very, very good offense in Cleveland.

It’s hard to know whether Harden or Westbrook have the sort of relationship that LeBron James and Kyrie Irving did with Lue, but even if that’s unlikely, Lue is a more than proven commodity and would likely be a solid coach for the team. Lue is scheduled to meet with Houston’s brain trust next week, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.

David Vanterpool

It’s hard to imagine Vanterpool misses out on head coaching gigs for much longer. After spending several years on the Portland staff under Terry Stotts, the EuroLeague veteran Vanterpool has interviewed for different jobs around the league for years now, ultimately landing a promotion to associate head coach in Minnesota alongside Ryan Saunders. As one of the most experienced top assistants in the league and someone who coached a great Trail Blazer team for many years, Vanterpool is exceedingly qualified.

But it’s important to mention with someone like Vanterpool that what Harden wants is likely going to supersede most other factors. After underperforming with J.B. Bickerstaff, another up-and-coming young assistant, it may not make sense that someone like Vanterpool (or any of the other assistants here who have never been a head coach) who lacks shiny bona fides would dazzle Harden in the same way others will. Vanterpool has reportedly not yet officially interviewed.

Kenny Atkinson

Somehow, Atkinson is still not a head coach. Dismissed by Brooklyn just days before the NBA shutdown, Atkinson, whom the NBA world seems to hold in high regard, is going through the interview rollercoaster but has not landed a job yet.

Known mostly for his player development gifts after working under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta for several years, Atkinson was let go by the Nets before he had the chance to make magic with the superstars on that roster in the postseason. Houston’s goal is a title, and Atkinson just doesn’t yet have the reputation of leading great playoff teams. Atkinson interviewed this week.

John Lucas II

Stein reports at the New York Times that Lucas will interview “soon” for the Rockets top job after working there as an assistant under D’Antoni since 2016. There’s a chance the familiarity here gives Lucas an advantage. Lucas knows this wonky Rockets system better than anyone else who will interview, and he came in as a player development coach, meaning young players like Danuel House Jr., Austin Rivers, and Ben McLemore will know his style and likely have reaped the benefits of his coaching.

At the same time, it’s hard to know without being in Houston what Lucas’ relationship is like with Harden and Westbrook, or the Rockets’ front office. Continuity can be underestimated in some cases, but it also feels like Houston needs some big changes that Lucas may not provide.

Jeff Van Gundy

The Rockets have maintained interest in Van Gundy since he left the organization, when Morey took over as GM and installed his own head coach. Stein reported Van Gundy will interview once he is done calling the NBA Finals for ABC.

If the goal is to bring in a reputable leader and basketball mind who could bring a needed dose of accountability and seriousness to the franchise, Van Gundy is an understandable target. It’s just hard to know what his style would be in 2020, as the game has changed considerably since he last coached in the NBA, but he taken some time to get the rust off in recent years through his work with USA Basketball.

Sam Cassell

The man for whom Doc Rivers personally lobbied in the Bubble is a hot commodity this year, it seems. Cassell has been around Rivers for many years, first in the final years of his playing career in Boston and now as an assistant in Los Angeles. Now it may be Cassell’s time to get a look as a head coach.

Few NBA role players did more winning than Cassell, who earned championships with everyone from Hakeem Olajuwon to Paul Pierce. That could hold weight with Harden and Westbrook, as could Cassell’s positive attitude and high basketball IQ as a former point guard. Houston interviewed Cassell back in 2016 before they hired D’Antoni and have “mutual interest” this time around, according to longtime Rockets reporter Tim McMahon of ESPN.

Today, October 9, would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday. On the milestone anniversary of his birth, the former Beatles member received a lot of commemoration, so much so that he has been a trending topic on Twitter for much of the day. Some famous musicians decided to pay tribute to the fallen great, with one of them being Tame Impala leader Kevin Parker.

Parker took to Instagram to share a video of himself laying in bed, playing an acoustic guitar, and singing Lennon’s “Jealous Guy,” with some added polish thanks to the reverb of the room he was in.

Parker wasn’t the only one to observe the music legend’s birthday today. Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, who expressed his hope in a Rolling Stone conversation that his father’s legacy would continue to live on in upcoming generations: “We’re living in an age where enough time has passed. No one bothers to make sure that the younger generations have an opportunity to be exposed to it. I just always assumed the Beatles and John Lennon — no one is going to forget those stories. I don’t think my dad would have been satisfied with just being somebody that you have to discover through your own research.”

Watch Parker cover “Jealous Guy” above.

Desus And Mero may be the new kid on the block when it comes to late-night shows, but it’s already proving that its hosts have access to distinguished guests and moments no other show could or would try to get. The show delivered the first television performance of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” RMR debuted his Timbaland-produced “I’m Not Over You,” and they hosted one of Noname’s only television interviews. Last night, they secured another one-of-a-kind performance from Chika as she performed her new song “U Should” for the first time on TV.

The version Chika performs is much stripped-down from her usual arrangements, as she departs the full band approach of the original for an acoustic rendition with a softly-drummed conga for percussion and a lone trumpet to accompany the pre-existing guitar. Chika sits apart from the band on an outdoor couch flanked by potted plants and torches. Chika contributes both the singing vocals — usually embellished by her backup singers — and the rapid-fire, flirtatious verses.

Chika debuted “U Should” during an auspicious week; just days later she was revealed as a 2020 XXL Freshman — the same day her acting debut, Project Power, began streaming on Netflix. Since then, she also performed her Industry Games song “Crown” on The Tonight Show.

Watch Chika perform “U Should” on Desus And Mero above.

Following the success of last month’s drop of the Super Mario 64-inspired RS-Dreamer, PUMA is gearing up to launch three more Super Mario-themed sneakers in celebration of our favorite plumber’s 35th anniversary. Each sneaker in the three collection set will pay visual homage to one of the three Mario games included in last month’s Nintendo Switch release of “Super Mario 3D All-Stars.”

Repping Nintendo 64’s “Super Mario 64” is a Future Rider — which features an ’80’s-inspired white nylon upper with blue and red synthetic leather and suede overlays with a block graphic at the heel and a wing-capped Mario hang-tag that recalls the game’s original cover photo. The Clyde, which Hypebeast reports is a Foot Locker exclusive, is the most low-key design of the bunch (it’s our favorite, too) and features a white leather upper with a blue stripe and yellow laces, which are meant to recall the water-filled world of Gamecube’s “Super Mario Sunshine.” The Clyde also features with a hang-tag of Mario and the water-squirting backpack central to the game’s gimmick.

That brings us to the “Super Mario Galaxy” inspired RS-Fast, which features a sleek grey and black upper with blue accents, a speckled galaxy-esque midsole, and graphics of Luma, Mario’s star companion in the game. All in all, it’s been one hell of a year for out-there sneaker collaborations, and these are definitely collectors’ items that both PUMA and Nintendo enthusiasts will thirst for.

The Super Mario 3D All-Stars sneaker collection is set to drop on November 27th at the PUMA webstore and Footlocker in a retail range of $80-$120.