Month: November 2020

A London woman’s incredible instincts and bravery helped save a young girl from being abducted on Tuesday morning. Now, we have a face to connect with the heroic act.

Ashanti, who goes by the name @shansdeya on Twitter, says her little sister, Zian, alerted her to the abduction saying “something was not right.”

So Ashanti walked outside in the residential area of Mitcham in south-west London. Where she saw a man walking suspiciously with a young girl.

She followed the man and filmed him until he finally let the young girl go and ran away. Later Tuesday, police arrested a man named Kadian Nelson in nearby Tooting who appears to be the attempted kidnapper.

via Twitter

Police found the man after the video taken by Ashanti went viral online. The chilling footage shows the kidnapper walking with the little girl held close to his body with his hand over her mouth.

In the video, Ashanti paces the man, demands that he “Let her go” and asks “What are you doing with her?” The man replies, “This is my sister, this is man’s family.”

“So what are you doing in the corner with her?” she asked and he responded by asking: “Why are you stalking, man?”

But Ashanti didn’t believe the abductor and kept on his trail. Doing so put her life at risk but she wouldn’t let him run off with the girl. When Ashanti finally reached him, the man let go of the girl and ran away. The young girl was terrified, telling Ashanti, “Thank you. Thank you.”

Security footage taken in the area shows the man grabbing the little girl.

After the video went viral, a group of vigilantes searched the neighborhood for the man, eventually making their way to his residence. Police had to tell them to leave the area as to not interfere with the investigation.

People are calling Ashanti a hero, but she says her sister is the one who should be getting all the credit.

“I wish I could thank you all individually, I’m not a hero Im just glad I had the courage to follow through,” she wrote on Twitter.

“My little sister is the real hero here, she’s 11 years old and was able to notice that something was not right and called me straight away,” she added. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to save that little girl.”

Emma Stevenson has started a Just Giving campaign to reward Ashanti and Zian for their incredible bravery.

“Let’s get these girls a reward from our community as a massive thank you,” Stevenson wrote on the campaign site. “Who knows what else that poor girl would of gone through it wasn’t for the quick thinking and actions of Zian?”

Last April, Upworthy reported on a case of sweet revenge in Hamilton County, Ohio and after Election Day, it’s become even sweeter.

It all began three years ago when Charmaine McGuffey was fired from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department by Sheriff Jim Neil. McGuffey claims it happened because she raised concerns over abuse of force by fellow officers and the fact she’s an openly gay woman.

Neil claims he fired McGuffey for creating a hostile work environment. The lawsuit is still pending in federal court. A trial date has been set for December 7.

“The current sheriff and I got into a pretty serious disagreement about the practice of him not holding officers accountable for use of force and harassment of women, female officers, and female inmates,” McGuffey told LGBTQ Nation.

McGuffey didn’t just want to beat Neil in court. She decided she would defeat him at the ballot box and take his job, too.

“He fired me. So after about a year or so of contemplating, I decided I can do a better job than him,” she continued.

So she ran against him to be the Democratic nominee for Hamilton County Sheriff earlier this year.

Both candidates are Democrats, but Neil lost a lot of support in the party by appearing on stage with Donald Trump at a 2016 rally. He later provided a sorry-not-sorry excuse for his behavior.

“It was selfish on my part because I didn’t take into consideration the other candidates on the Democratic ballot that are going to be running with me because this could not just impact my votes, but it could impact the votes on anyone on the Democratic ballot. I want to apologize for my actions,” Neil said according to Cincinnati.com.

In the Democratic primary held in April, McGuffey beat Neil in a landslide, winning 70% of the vote.

McGuffey’s victory was the best revenge she could have after being fired for what she believes is discrimination. But she had one more race to win before becoming the new Hamilton County Sheriff.

Twitter
via CharmMcGuffey / Twitter

Her competition on November 3 was Republican Bruce Hoffbauer. Hoffbauer had an uphill climb as a Republican in a heavily Democratic county. He also had trouble overcoming an incident from his past.

In 1990, while on duty, he shot and killed Walter Brown, a Black man, in the hallway of an apartment complex. Brown had charged at Hoffbauer so he was cleared of wrongdoing. But the city manager later concluded he used excessive force.

McGuffey won endorsements from Senator Sherrod Brown, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and former Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls. She also didn’t shy away from discussing her identity on the campaign trail.

“As a gay woman working in law enforcement, I know what it’s like to be targeted for who I am,” she said in a campaign ad. “I’ve seen justice and I’ve seen injustice. And I know we can do better.”

via FOX 19

On Tuesday night, McGuffey pulled off a four-point victory over Hoffbauer with 99% of the county’s votes tallied. She became the first female commander at the sheriff’s office and the first openly gay sheriff in the county’s history.

“This is the honor of a lifetime, a dream job for me,” she said at a press conference.

“Remember, when I was 14 and a little girl, I was told ‘No way, you can never be a police officer because you’re a girl. Because you’re a woman.’ And look where we stand today?” she continued. “I’m so proud of everyone who made this happen.”

Joe Biden is not ready to say he’s going to win the 2020 presidential election, unlike the other guy, but he’s not not saying it, either.

“I’m not here to declare we won,” the former-vice president said during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon from Wilmington, Delaware, with Kamala Harris (six feet) to his side. “But I am here to report that when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners.” Biden currently has 253 electoral college votes, now including Wisconsin and Michigan, compared to 213 for Donald Trump; 270 wins it.

“I know this won’t be easy. I’m not naïve. Neither of us are. How deep and hard the opposing views are in our country. To make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as enemies. We are not enemies. What brings us together as Americans is so much stronger than anything that can tear us apart,” Biden said. If he wins the election, “there will be no blue states and red states… Just a United States of America.”

“More Americans voted this election than ever before in American history. Over 150 million people cast their votes. I think that is just extraordinary. And if we had any doubts, we shouldn’t have any longer about a government of, by, and for the people. It is very much alive, very much alive in America.”

Of the 150 million-plus votes that have been counted, CNN reports that 70.1 million were for Biden and 67 million were for Trump. There’s still many more to sort through, though.

(Via CNN)

After effectively being on the trade market since the day Anthony Davis was traded last year, a report from Shams Charania indicates Jrue Holiday is finally the subject of more aggressive trade discussion, with the Pelicans reportedly “openly discussing” deals involving Holiday.

With one year plus a player option remaining on his contract and his value still quite high as a capable scorer and play-maker and one of the most versatile perimeter defenders in the NBA, Holiday should fetch a solid return for New Orleans, even at age 30. These days, the NBA demands that you have guards who can do a bit of everything, which means Holiday could slide onto just about any team fairly easily.

So it’s no surprise that many contending teams have been linked to Holiday, according to Charania’s reporting. As the discussions likely heat up heading toward the Draft, several teams appear to be solid matches in trades with the Pelicans. The biggest question facing all of these teams in trying to negotiate a deal for Holiday is: What do the Pelicans want? They had playoff aspirations last season and fell just short, and that was with their rookie star missing most of the season. However, if they’re moving off Holiday, one would think they’re looking for at least some longterm help that fits the timeline of their young core a bit better than the veteran guard.

As such, it can be difficult to gauge exactly what a trade package will look like, as we don’t know whether David Griffin will be eyeing something heavier on draft compensation, young players that can still contribute now, or veterans elsewhere on the court. Here we look at a few potential landing spots for Holiday, and some of the framework they could work around, with draft compensation obviously needing to be worked out.

Brooklyn Nets

While the Nets are likely to go into next season among the teams expected to compete for the title, the roster overall is very short on defense. It’s hard to expect Kevin Durant to be at full capacity on that end after missing 18 months recovering from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, while Kyrie Irving has almost never been a plus defender. Aside from those two stars, the team is mostly made up of scoring guards and shooters. Flipping a few of those young offense-first players for Holiday could balance Brooklyn out and make them a more dynamic squad in the playoffs.

In the trade outlined above, Brooklyn dishes Spencer Dinwiddie, who’s a bit redundant with Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert, as well as Taurean Prince (who the Nets smartly signed to an extension that is perfect matching salary in trades like this) plus this year’s 19th overall pick to make Holiday their starting off-guard next to Irving. There’s always the chance a negotiator like Pelicans president David Griffin, who wrung a ton out of the Lakers and Hawks before last year’s draft, demands LeVert in this trade or asks that it include another young prospect like Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, but generally this is what the two teams would be looking at.

From the Pelicans’ side, Dinwiddie would slot in next to Lonzo Ball and keep New Orleans’ versatility and up-tempo offense intact. They could find a spot for Prince in the rotation and would likely love another pick as they build up their young core.

Denver Nuggets

Despite Jamal Murray’s incredible breakout in the Bubble, the Nuggets are still in an interesting spot when it comes to building around himself and Nikola Jokic. They can clearly get away with those two as the primary play-makers, but every team could use another guy who can make shots and defend. This isn’t so much about Holiday being able to do things Harris can’t, because Holiday will still basically fill Harris’ role, but it’s mostly about the fact that Holiday could do it better, and would be a better outlet for the two stars when their usual tricks aren’t working.

At the cost of basically Harris and an additional two first-round picks (not pictured), it’s probably worth it. But Denver probably isn’t going to include Michael Porter Jr. here (does Bol Bol move the needle?). That means they basically have to determine if the upgrade from Harris to Holiday is worth it, or if continuing to utilize their depth (including the return of Will Barton, who was injured during the restart) and keeping the cap sheet clean would be more valuable.

Mostly this comes down to how Denver sees Porter. If they believe he’s a possible superstar (which wouldn’t be all that crazy), then giving up assets for a fringe All-Star like Holiday doesn’t make a ton of sense. This offer is also a bit weak compared with others discussed here, so the Pelicans may not take it, but if Harris can return to the level of play he was capable before he began struggling with injuries, he’d fit in nicely next to Ball in the Pelicans’ backcourt.

Los Angeles Clippers

This would be an easy way for the Clippers to kill two birds with one stone, even if it involves them throwing in a first-round pick or two (although, they don’t really have any of those to trade in a time period that would move the needle for New Orleans). It’s clear that, at least with how Los Angeles plays, Lou Williams cannot stay on the court in the postseason. By including him here, the Clippers could move on while also using his value as part of a trade for another complementary piece in Holiday. In that case, Patrick Beverley becomes a bit expendable as well, since he is effectively a discount Holiday.

Among the problems with a trade like this are that it tosses another ball-handler into the mix for a Clippers team that clearly wants to play through its wings, though like Denver, it can be nice to have a more traditional fallback option. There’s also the question of whether New Orleans prioritizes younger pieces, which would make this deal less desirable for them. It’s hard to see where Williams fits into the equation for the Pelicans.

Expect the Clippers, the team with the wealthiest owner in the NBA and perhaps the most internal desperation to win, to sniff around any time an opportunity like this comes around, but the fit here is less than perfect, especially from New Orleans’ side. Beverley and Williams give them a pair of veterans that can help shepherd their youngsters and possibly get moved down the line, while Mann had his moments as a rookie.

Milwaukee Bucks

As with the Chris Paul sweepstakes, the construct of a deal is pretty simple. Basically, this would mean Milwaukee flipping both of its best guards for Holiday. The reasons why they would do that are pretty clear: Eric Bledsoe has consistently underperformed in the postseason and George Hill is solid, but expendable. They would probably have to throw in a couple first-round picks to get this done, but it’s probably worth doing with a Giannis-sized incentive to make the Finals if not win a championship in 2021.

A couple things to note here, though: First, the Paul fit is way better in Milwaukee because of how they play defense (Paul is more of a point guard defender whereas Holiday is effective because of his versatility) and their need for a true playmaker. Second, this deal, like the Clippers deal, centers on the Pelicans getting back veteran guards when they already have Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and other young guys at that spot, with more available in future drafts.

If the Bucks strike out on Paul and need a quick backup plan, this is a solid option. But it doesn’t seem to be New Orleans’ best plan, making it imperfect for both sides.

Philadelphia 76ers

The expectation is that the Sixers will also make a run at Paul with a similar package in place. Much of Philadelphia’s offseason will hinge on how highly opposing teams value Al Horford and Tobias Harris, and the reality is likely to be that nobody wants either player’s contract. However, Horford was linked to New Orleans last summer and presents a really strong pairing for Zion Williamson. If Daryl Morey and the Sixers are willing to give up several assets to strike this deal, maybe it becomes worthwhile for the Pelicans and it goes through.

Should it get to that point, the Pelicans may be wise to target Matisse Thybulle, who is one of the better overall young prospects realistically available to them among the teams listed here. The impetus for the Sixers to poke around here is obvious, but this would likely be among the lesser deals available to New Orleans — although it does bear mentioning that Philly has the No. 21 pick in this Draft, and using that to sweeten the pot would help.

The Pelicans, especially because they are run by Griffin, won’t take a deal in which they don’t get what they want. There is no need for them to strike now. Holiday will still help their team in 2021 and maintain value through to the trade deadline. A collection of middling first-round picks or secondary prospects may not be worth it. But showcasing Holiday ahead of the draft means the Pelicans get to strike first in the trade market and take advantage of desperation or other teams jumping the gun.

Love and Anarchy (Netflix series) — Do you want some atypical romcom business in your life to distract you from all the madness in the real world? Of course you do, but this Scandinavian series (which arrives with subtitles) might be a little too controversial to sit well. You can see the trailer here, and blackmail is involved with the stakes growing ever higher and unpredictable consequences to match.

Devils (CW, 8:00pm EST) — Patrick Dempsey’s Dominic is looking for his missing wife, and he then confronts Massimo about his cheating ways (with Dominic’s wife), and that leads to a whole lot of personal and financial drama, just like people like it.

Coroner (CW, 9:00pm EST) — A mass shooting investigation gets derailed by Jenny’s understandable exhaustion, but not without dangerous results

Jimmy Kimmel Live — Kanye West

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Sarah Silverman, Steve Kornacki, Common

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Henry Winkler, The Kills

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Leslie Jones

In case you need some early Christmas viewing material, this dropped last Wednesday:

Holidate (Netflix film) — Here we go, everyone. The holiday season has officially begun, according to Netflix, which drops a romantic comedy starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey. Both their characters loathe the holidays, including family gatherings and friend-loaded celebrations, so despite being strangers, they make a pact to do the “holidate” thing with each other for a full year. Because this is a romcom, they will obviously vow to never have romantic feelings for each other, but you know how that always ends, right? Oh, let’s just embrace the clichés, already. It’s 2020.

The Detroit Lions will head to Minnesota this weekend to face the Vikings in a game that will be pivotal for their hopes of possibly making the playoffs. At 3-4, Detroit needs a win to get back to .500 on the season and keep at least some contact with the 5-3 Bears for a shot at second in the division and a wild card berth.

However, it now seems very possible that they will have to beat the Vikings without the services of their starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, as the team announced on Wednesday that Stafford was being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

As their statement notes, teams do not disclose whether a player that goes on the Reserve/COVID-19 list has tested positive or if it is due to close contact with someone who has and they have had to enter quarantine. There is obviously a big difference in the two, and the protocols for both are laid out here.

If this is due to a positive test, Stafford would not play Sunday and, possibly, could miss their game against the Washington Football Team next week as he would enter a 10-day quarantine. Should it be due to close contact, it would require a negative test and increased daily testing and symptom monitoring for Stafford to return. If he cannot play, Chase Daniel would get the start in his place for Detroit.

The top priority is, of course, the health of Stafford and those around him, and hopefully he and anyone else near him who has tested positive are able to be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and make a full and speedy recovery.

After what seemed like an endless stream of weekly colossal drops, each worth wrecking your bank account over, we’re finally entering a calm week that will give our wallets some time to breathe. You know, before our favorite brands start dropping their holiday releases. Then it’s on again.

Overall, we’ve had a strong year for sneakers. If we lived in a world that didn’t have us shut inside due to a global pandemic, we might be seeing some new fashion trends. As it stands, whatever look ends might end up defining this decade are currently left hanging in our closets. To be shared only through pixelated Zoom calls.

With any luck, we’ll all be able to show off our new looks in 2021. Until then, let the collecting continue. Here are this week’s best sneaker and apparel drops.

Shoe Palace x New Balance 997S Great White

While this sneaker is obviously geared towards fans of the San Jose Sharks, it’s also just a flat-out dope design. This collaboration between New Balance and Shoe Palace is inspired by the Red Triangle — a location off the coast of Northern California, where almost half of the recorded Great White Shark attacks on humans have occurred.

A pretty dark inspiration for a sneaker, to be sure. But it does look cool.

The Shoe Palace New Balance 997S Great White is set to drop on November 5th for an unannounced retail price. Pick up a pair exclusively at Shoe Palace.

BBCICECREAM x Reebok Question Low Running Dog Collection

Billionaire Boys Club has been dropping multiple iterations of Reebok’s Question Low throughout the year, resulting in some of the silhouette’s coolest pastel ice cream parlor-inspired colorways. Now they’re bringing their Running Dog graphic to another three sneaker set. The purple iteration will drop globally this week, followed by two other colorways — a red and green version — which will launch in the Asian and European markets respectively, sometime next week. All three pairs are dope though, so if you’re digging on the red or green you’ll have to hit the aftermarket.

The BBCICECREAM Reebok Question Low Running Dog Collection is set to drop on November 6th for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair exclusively through the BBCICECREAM webstore.

3M Nike Air Force 1 React LX

When it comes to 3M Nike collabs, the designs tend to be hit or miss. It’s easy to dive too deep into the 3M Scotch gimmick, but every once in awhile the brands strike a comfortable middle ground that explains why this collaboration exists in the first place. The Air Force 1 React LX nails that middle ground.

Featuring an oversized outline Swoosh, the AF-1 React LX sports a caution tape-esque back half, with a striped Volt colorway and reflective 3M detailing. Other highlights include a Volt speckled laces, TPU tubing, and Nike’s modern React cushioning.

The 3M Nike Air Force 1 React LX is set to drop on November 5th for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair through Asphalt Gold and select Nike retailers.

Jaden Smith New Balance Vision Racer Yellow

Despite controversy, Jaden Smith and New Balance are gearing up to drop a new colorful iteration of their Vision Racer sneaker. For those who don’t know — New Balance is currently in the U.S. district court for the southern district of New York with a suit that claims that Jaden Smith’s Vision Racer is misleadingly close to Authentic Brands Group’s Vision Streetwear Brand. Looking at these shoes, we’re going to go ahead and say it: that’s ridiculous.

This banana yellow colorway of the Vision Racer is Smith’s best yet, with hi-vis taping, and a design that speaks to the young tastemaker’s tendency to push the boundaries of what modern streetwear can be. He’s not anywhere near the levels of an Abloh, Kanye or even Pharrel, but the kid is going somewhere.

The Jaden Smith New Balance Vision Racer in Yellow is set to drop on November 6th for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair at Nice Kicks.

University of Miami Adidas ZX 5000

Inspired by the University of Miami, this iteration of Adidas ZX 5000 silhouette is yet another sneaker collaboration that might turn you off because of its association with the team that inspired it. But if you don’t know anything about the Miami Hurricanes and could care less, this stands tall as a great design that combines premium leather with luxury-inspired chrome heel tabs… that just happen to be the colors rocked by the Miami Hurricanes.

The University of Miami Adidas ZX 5000 is set to drop on November 6th for a retail price of $140. Pick up a pair at the Adidas webstore or select Adidas retailers.

Supreme Toshio Saeki Capsule Collection

As part of Supreme’s 11th Fall-Winter 2020 collection, the streetwear label linked up with the estate of legendary Japanese artist Toshio Saeki for an NSFW three-piece capsule collection that features Saeki’s original erotic artwork. Saeki is known as the “Godfather of Japanese Erotica” for his extensive catalog of ‘70s erotica that is one part traditional Japanese folklore and one part counter-culture psychedelic nightmare.

The capsule consists of a work jacket, hooded sweatshirt, and a pair of work pants that feature patchwork printings of some of Saeki’s most renowned work. It’s a wild look and one not everyone can pull off, but for those willing to try, the capsule truly is an inspired collaboration.

The Supreme Toshio Saeki Capsule collection will drop as part of Supreme’s larger Fall Winter 2020 collection on November 5th. Shop the collection at Supreme’s webstore.

The North Face Snow Rogue Capsule

The North Face is delivering a vintage 80’s inspired capsule collection that pulls some archival looks from The North Face’s older ski collections. The capsule consists of performance-focused winter mountain essentials like puffer jackets, fleece pants, beanies, bucket hats, jackets, and a few graphic t-shirts dressed in bright designs and colorways that looked designed to contrast against pristine white snow.

The Rogue capsule has a bit of an “extreme” edge to it, it’s loud, brash, and calls attention to itself. It also looks pretty damn great.

The North Face Snow Rogue Capsule is available now at the North Face U.K. webstore.

Chinatown Market Smack Capsule

The ever-playful Chinatown Market is anticipating some tense days ahead in the wake of the 2020 election. To mark the occasion, they’ve dropped a peace symbol-sporting capsule collection dubbed “Smack.” The centerpiece t-shirt of the capsule sports a loud hand-drawn peace symbol with scrawled Chinatown Market branding printed on a black, white, and purple t-shirt.

Rounding out the collection is a matching hoodie with a back-printed graphic and a matching black trucker’s hat.

The Chinatown Market Smack capsule is available now at the Chinatown Market webstore.

Progressive-minded people across the U.S. who were hoping for a landslide Biden victory that would serve as a referendum on Trumpism quickly had their hopes dashed on Election Night. As of this moment, we don’t know the outcome of the election yet, but signs are pointing to a much-narrower-than-predicted victory for Joe Biden.

In all honesty, we should have seen it coming. As someone who spends a lot of time on social media and pays attention to what people pay attention to, the signs were all there. Comment sections full of Trump supporters pushing narratives full of disinformation. The Facebook Top 10 most popular posts list being filled with right-wing outlets that peddle alternative facts and bash legitimate journalism every single day (despite these same right-wing folks crying about Big Tech suppression and censorship). The clear fear and paranoia over “Antifa” and “radical leftists” and “socialism,” which Trump has disingenuously-yet-successfully associated with the slightly-left-moderate-at-best Joe Biden. The racism, of course, that is obvious to half of us but that Trump and his supporters insist isn’t there.

And if you’re reading this article through Facebook, take a peek at the comments afterward. The vast majority of comments will be from people who only read the headline and don’t read the article. It’s going to happen as sure as the sun rises and sets. That’s a big part of the problem, too.

American people today are living in two vastly different countries, if not entirely different worlds. On a fundamental level, we are more like the Divided States of America than the United States—only the divide isn’t geographic, but ideological. People have unfortunately accepted the binary left/right, liberal/conservative boxes that modern discourse demands we place one another into, removing nuance from every issue and assigning a “side” to every statement. Even science—basic science—has become a politically polarizing topic.

Partisanship plays a big role in this, with the pitfalls of our de facto two-party system being laid bare. White dominance plays a big role, manifested in both obvious racism and the unspoken white identity politics that has been plugging along since our founding. Greed and selfishness play a role, as does the genuine economic strife of millions of Americans due to the pandemic. Disinformation plays a huge role, as do the ignorance and ingrained prejudices that make millions of Americans easy prey for it.

A Biden 2020 landslide was always a pipe dream. It was magical thinking for people who want to believe that these problems are not as prevalent as they are, who deluded themselves into thinking that Americans were somehow immune to the propaganda of a populist authoritarian demagogue, and who dared to hope for proof that we are better than our worst human instincts.

But here we are. Despite ample warnings from historians, psychologists, survivors of the Holocaust, and more that another Trump term would be the final blow to the foundations of our democracy, we sit here biting our nails over how close the final count will be.

Stepping back and looking at the big picture, though, this is probably the best possible scenario for America. If Biden pulls out a slim win, the immediate authoritarian threat of Trump is removed—but we will still be forced to confront our national and social demons. A landslide win would have been comfortable, which would have made if far too easy for too many of us to say, “Oh, that Trumpism thing was just a fluke. A blip. An anomaly. The country’s really okay.” Clearly it was not, and clearly we are not.

That’s not a reality that’s easy to swallow, but it’s reality, and we need to face it head on.

When nearly 70 million Americans are willing to overlook hundreds upon hundreds of examples of indecency and incompetence—any one of which would have spelled the end of an elected official in a normal timeline—in order to avoid paying a little more in taxes, or to fulfill their xenophobic fever dreams, or to “protect the unborn” (despite abortion rates dropping the most under Democratic presidents), or to “protect the 2nd amendment” (despite zero evidence that Democrats were planning to do away with it), or to “save the us from corruption” over a toothless story about his opponent’s son (despite Trump’s corruption being rampant and out in the open), or to “save freedom” because they see being required to wear a mask during a literal pandemic as tyranny, or to see themselves reflected in Trump’s own delusions of narcissistic glory (that’s an actual psychological thing), or simply to “stick it to the libs” like we’re all stuck in junior high school, no, we as a country are not okay.

And make no mistake—this is our country. It’s the America of the moment, and in many ways, the America we’ve always been. Most Black Americans—who by the way came out 87% for Biden, by far the most of any racial demographic—have been telling us this over and over. The demographic vote split was largely predictable, with the only broad groups tipping for Trump being men (+1%), people over age 65 (+2%) and white folks (+14%). Women, every other racial group, and every other age group tipped for Biden.

So the one hopeful takeaway here is that the U.S. is growing less white and the older generation is on its way out. But we have to keep doing the work to make sure that the white supremacy we’ve inherited gets dismantled instead of passed on, and we have to keep fighting the good fight against misinformation that leads to a shocking percentage of people to believe in kooky, dangerous ideas of reality like QAnon.

Progress is usually a two steps forward, one step back process, but sometimes it seems like two steps forward, three steps back. Even if democracy prevails, we have a lot of work to do to make this country what it should—and hopefully can—be.

It’ll be hard and it’ll take time, but we’ll get there eventually. We have to keep believing that.

The McDonald’s breakfast menu is one of the best menus in the entire fast-food universe. No one is waxing poetic about the BK Croissanwich in late 2020. Part of the charm of the McDonald’s lineup is that they keep their breakfast sandwich game relatively simple. English muffins, griddles (pancake-muffin hybrids), and biscuits are simple delivery devices for sausage, ham, bacon, egg, and/or cheese (for the most part).

That means that you don’t really have to overthink which breakfast sandwich you order from McDonald’s. That’s a good thing — we all have plenty of other stuff to overthink right now.

The eleven sandwiches ranked below are all of the entries on the national menu — meaning they should be available at every McDonald’s. Of course, there are hacks and regional specialties but we’re sticking to what everyone can get right now, no questions asked. Our metric is simple: What tastes the best?

Let’s dive in!

11. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel

Average Price: $3.29
Calories: 590

Toppings:

Toasted bagel with folded scrambled egg, two slices of American cheese, applewood smoked bacon, breakfast sauce, salted butter, and clarified butter.

Sandwich:

Look, I’m not a bagel purist but this is a one-star-out-of-five bagel. It’s not so much chewy as it’s springy. But with no flavor. Then there’s the bacon, perhaps the biggest culinary Achilles’ heel of McDonald’s menu. It’s rubbery and a pain to eat on a sandwich.

Add in the extra breakfast sauce and cheese, and this sandwich will eventually slide apart as you try and eat it.

Bottom Line:

This sandwich always seems like a good idea on paper. A BEC on a toasted bagel is a classic way to start a morning. But, here it is in the last position.

10. Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit

Average Price: $4.49
Calories: 460

Toppings:

Buttermilk biscuit with folded scrambled egg, applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, salted butter, and clarified butter.

Sandwich:

McDonald’s buttermilk biscuits aren’t bad. Or, let’s put it this way, they have no business being this “meh.” With the addition of a little melty cheese, folded egg, and protein, this is an easy off-menu win.

Bottom Line:

Let’s face it, having to bite extra hard through rubbery bacon means this biscuit crumbles more easily than it should. Lose the bacon and add some Canadian bacon and this will be a winning breakfast sandwich.

9. Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles

Average Price: $4.29
Calories: 430

Toppings:

Two Griddle cakes with folded scrambled egg, applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, and clarified butter.

Sandwich:

The McGriddle has really grown on me over the years. It’s a bit big, but you don’t really need a second sandwich if you’re ordering this. It’s hearty and satisfying, albeit on the expensive side of the price scale.

Bottom Line:

Fix your f*cking bacon, McDonald’s.

8. Sausage Biscuit with Egg

Average Price: $3.99
Calories: 530

Toppings:

Buttermilk biscuit with folded scrambled egg, sausage patty, salted butter, and clarified butter.

Sandwich:

This is a perfectly serviceable sandwich with a folded egg adding to the heft of the bite. Yet, the egg almost feels like too much for some reason.

Bottom Line:

That folded egg does really feel more like an afterthought that ends up costing you $2.30 more than a regular Sauage Biscuit. Also… where’s the cheese?

7. Sausage McGriddles

Average Price: $3.59
Calories: 430

Toppings:

Two Griddle cakes with a sausage patty and clarified butter.

Sandwich:

This is that little step up from an almost identical sandwich — the biscuit version above — that somehow gets the edge. It’s probably the note of “maple syrup” in the griddles that works nicely with the mildly spicy and very savory sausage patty, creating a bit more depth of flavor.

Bottom Line:

Do McGriddles really cost that much more to make than buttermilk biscuits? This costing $1.90 more than a Sausage Biscuit puts it below that sandwich in our book. No amount of syrup sweetness in the McGriddles can change that.

6. Sausage Biscuit

Average Price: $1.69
Calories: 460

Toppings:

Buttermilk biscuit with a sausage patty and salted butter.

Sandwich:

This is where simplicity really starts to pay off. A warm buttermilk biscuit with a single sausage patty shouldn’t be this enticing. That’s really it. Plus, the price is always right at the “under $2 per sandwich” mark.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those orders that you end up saying, “Yeah, give me a sausage biscuit too…” every single time you’re famished at the drive-thru. Still, that means it’s an add-on and not the star of the show.

And again, let’s get some damn cheese in the mix.

5. Hot ‘n Spicy McChicken Biscuit

Average Price: $3.89
Calories: 420

Toppings:

Buttermilk biscuit with spicy chicken filet and salted butter.

Sandwich:

This one sort of came out of nowhere and isn’t terrible (trust us, it could have been). It’s also brazenly simple — with just a buttered biscuit and a spicy, breaded chicken filet.

Bottom Line:

This is pretty solid but It doesn’t quite reach the heights of a Whataburger Chicken Biscuit because it’s missing that crucial dollop of honey. Still, it’s a nice change-up from all the sausage, bacon, and eggs options on this list.

4. Sausage McMuffin

Average Price: $1.49
Calories: 400

Toppings:

Toasted English muffin with a sausage patty, American cheese, and salted butter.

Sandwich:

It’s hard to argue with McDonald’s English muffin game. The toasted and buttered bread is the perfect delivery system for their breakfast sandwiches. That’s evidenced by the fact that with a sausage patty and melty American cheese it makes a perfectly serviceable one-hander.

Bottom Line:

This coming in at $1.49 makes it a very easy addition to any order. Two of these (like two McDonald’s cheeseburgers) definitely hit the spot.

3. Egg McMuffin

Average Price: $3.89
Calories: 310

Toppings:

Toasted English muffin with a fried egg, Canadian bacon, American cheese, salted butter, and clarified butter.

Sandwich:

This is a classic for a reason. It’s simple, for sure, but hits that right spot with the addition of Canadian bacon. That makes it a bit lighter than the sausage counterparts on the list but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Bottom Line:

Two Egg McMuffins and two hash browns are a solid go-to after a night out. Still, the fact that this sandwich is made (much) better by adding hash browns is what keeps it from the top spot.

2. Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles

Average Price: $4.39
Calories: 550

Toppings:

Two Griddle cakes with folded scrambled egg, sausage patty, American cheese, and clarified butter.

Sandwich:

This is probably the most filling breakfast sandwich on this list by far. The egg, sausage, cheese, and two basically mini pancakes just work together (salty and savory, who’d have thought?) and will leave you actually full, maybe a little regretful, but full nonetheless.

Bottom Line:

McDonald’s folded egg is far inferior to their fried egg. Switch them out the next time you order. It really does make this a better sandwich and would likely have propelled it to number one.

1. Sausage McMuffin with Egg

Average Price: $3.89
Calories: 480

Toppings:

Toasted English muffin with a fried egg, sausage patty, American cheese, salted butter, and clarified butter.

Sandwich:

This English muffin-based sandwich hits all the marks exactly. It’s filling yet not overblown. The right egg is used. The sausage patty still shines. There’s just enough cheese.

Bottom Line:

This is well-priced. You only need one, really. And it doesn’t need anything added or taken away. It’s a winner.

The NBA coaching carousel was very active this year, with the Clippers, Rockets, Sixers, Pacers, Thunder, Bulls, Pelicans, Knicks and Nets all decided to make coaching changes. In Indiana, that meant Nate McMillan was out after four years in which he never had a losing season. However, the Pacers stalling out in the first round of the playoffs once again was enough for Indiana to choose to look elsewhere, with Nate Bjorkgren getting the job from the Raptors.

McMillan’s longtime success in the league ensured that he wouldn’t be out of work for too long provided he was interested on returning to the bench immediately as an assistant, and on Wednesday we learned that new destination will be in Atlanta where he’ll join Lloyd Pierce’s staff, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.

It seems like a strong hire for the Hawks, who give their young coach another veteran presence on the bench and someone with a pedigree of helping teams forge a strong defensive identity. That is something desperately needed in Atlanta, where they have a strong offensive core and a few young, solid defensive pieces, but need to bring that together in something of a cohesive system to elevate their defensive level as a team to become a playoff contender in the East.