Month: June 2021

Aside from being one of the most popular rappers in the world, Drake is also an avid basketball fan. From frequently appearing courtside at Toronto Raptors games to hooping with NBA players and friends in the basketball court he had built inside his Toronto mansion, his love for the game is clear. So it comes as no surprise that the rapper stopped by a game for LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, on Friday night.

Bronny finally made his sophomore year debut with the Sierra Canyon School’s high school basketball team after he missed most of the season following surgery for a torn meniscus. Drake’s fandom for the game became very clear when he got into an argument with a referee during the matchup against Corona Centennial High School. Video of the interaction was captured by some in attendance and it shows Drake clearly frustrated with something the ref did. The conversation didn’t last long, and the rapper returned to his seat just seconds later.

Drake went to the game with LeBron himself, as well as JR Smith, Jared Dudley, his son Adonis, and more. Drake rocked a Bronny James jersey in the video for his 2019 track, “Money In The Grave,” with Rick Ross. As for the game, Bronny’s Sierra Canyon team unfortunately lost to Corona Centennial by a score of 80-72.

It’s been 20 years since Monsters, Inc., Pixar’s fourth-ever film, hit theaters, and though it’s gotten the occasional short as well as a prequel, it’s been one of the few from the company to never get the sequel treatment. That changes now, sort of: On July 7, Disney+ will start dropping Monsters at Work, a TV sequel that finally shows the company changing from frights to yuks.

John Goodman and Billy Crystal are back as James P. “Sulley” Sullivan and Mike Wazowski, the nighttime beasts hired to scare kids. At the end of the first film, they had a change of heart, all thanks to a sweet little girl. The belated sequel shows them taking the next step: After getting promoted, they pivot the company into making children laugh, not afraid.

They’re not, however, the stars. The main characters are a new batch of monsters, trying to eke out a living in a very different company. Ben Feldman plays Tylor Tuskmon, a would-be scarerer who has to try something else when he arrives. Mindy Kaling, Henry Winkler, and Alana Ubach round out the main voice cast. Disney+ needs all the content it can get, so don’t be surprised if you’re seeing more from Brave next.

You can watch the trailer in the video above.

UPDATE: UEFA released a statement on the incident, saying that Eriksen was “transferred to the hospital and has been stabilised.”

EARLIER: Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener against Finland was suddenly suspended due to a medical emergency involving standout midfielder Christian Eriksen. Late in the first half of the Group B opener, Eriksen, the side’s talismanic midfielder who plays his club ball for Inter Milan, suddenly collapsed during an attacking passage of play for the Danes.

Immediately, players for both sides called for the medics to come tend to Eriksen, who did not appear to be responsive. Medical personnel raced onto the pitch and appeared to start chest compressions. Players from the Danish national team created a wall around those who were tending to Eriksen, while players for both sides were visibly shaken up.

After several minutes of trying to do everything they could for the 29-year-old midfielder, Eriksen was guided off the pitch in front of the nation’s fans at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. Amid this, UEFA announced that the match would not continue.

“The UEFA EURO 2020 match in Copenhagen has been suspended due to a medical emergency,” UEFA said in a statement, per NBC Sports.

It is not known what caused this to happen, but for now, the thoughts and prayers of sports fans from every corner of the world are on Denmark’s star midfielder.

This past weekend was supposed to be a celebratory one for Polo G, as the Chicago rapper released his third album, Hall Of Fame, on Friday. Unfortunately, the weekend festivities were cut short after the rapper was arrested in Miami. The incident occurred after an album release party for the new album. Polo G and his mom, Stacia Mac, who also doubles as his manager, were riding in a vehicle following the party when police officers pulled them over. The reason for officers stopping them is currently unknown, but whatever it was, it resulted in Polo G being placed under arrest.

According to The Miami Herald, as cops attempted to handcuff the rapper, an altercation between Polo G and Officer Brandon Carrero ensued. Officers Brandon Carrero and Joseph Acuna “ended up in a struggle on the ground,” with the rapper striking the officer in the head, chin, forehead, and cheek during the incident, according to the arrest report. Acuna witnessed Polo G on top of Carrero while swinging his elbows and making contact with the officer. Later, once Polo G was placed under arrest, he allegedly threatened the officer, saying, “I will kill you, I swear I will use these fists to beat the sh*t out of you and knock your ass out.”

Stacia Mac took to Twitter afterwards to accuse the officers of picking on her son. “None of these charges would be possible if the POLICE did not make contact with my son Polo G!!!” she wrote. “He was NOT the driver. He was a PASSENGER in a professionally licensed vehicle with security. He was moving smart and correctly. What more could he have done.”

Polo G was booked into the Guilford Knight Correctional Center around 8:00 a.m. local time on Saturday. He was charged with battery against a police officer, public servant/influence performance threat, resisting an officer with violence, resisting an officer without violence, and criminal mischief. Polo G was later released after posting a $19,500 bond.

Swae Lee has once again had an item stolen from him. The rapper, who is also one-half of the duo Rae Sremmurd, recently claimed that $300,000 worth of jewelry was taken from a hotel room he stayed in during a trip to Miami. According to law enforcement who spoke to TMZ, Swae completed a stay at the Mondrian Hotel in South Beach, and as he went to check out of the hotel, he realized that the large amount in jewelry was missing from the room.

The publication says sources close to Swae revealed that a bracelet and chains were taken from the room and that he believes hotel workers are responsible for the robbery. This is because when the theft was reported to the staff at the hotel, the bracelet was allegedly turned in by an employee, but the chains were nowhere to be found. Miami Beach police department detectives are currently investigating the incident, but they say there’s no evidence yet that hotel employees are responsible for the stolen jewelry.

This incident comes months after Swae revealed his hard drive filled with “all my songs” was taken from him while he was at Los Angeles International Airport. After offering a $20,000 reward for the drive’s safe return, he later revealed that it had been returned to him.

We’re living in a new golden age for game shows. Classic programs, like Match Game, Press Your Luck, and Supermarket Sweep, have been brought back, hosted by big names like Joel McHale, Elizabeth Banks, and Leslie Jones. Meanwhile newbies, like the British Taskmaster and the John Cena co-hosted Wipeout, are finding new ways to twist the genre. But one show has run into a bit of a problem before its debut season has been wrapped up: production on Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide — based on the popular backyard water toy first introduced in 1961 — had to be put on hold due to “explosive diarrhea.”

According to The Wrap, shooting on the show had to be put on indefinite hiatus after a crew member tested positive for giardia, a microscopic parasite that can cause diarrheal disease. A source said “up to 40 crew members fell violently ill,” leading to an outbreak of “awful explosive diarrhea.” Some collapsed; others were merely “forced to run into port-o-potties.”

At the time only one week of production was left. The show is scheduled to premiere after the Summer Olympics, which are set to take place in Tokyo from late July into early August. In a statement, NBC said they’re in “the process of determining next steps in order to complete production.” Hoping for the best for everyone because “explosive diarrhea” does not sound fun.

(Via The Wrap)

Right now world leaders are convening for the annual G7 summit. Those who run the globe’s top seven “world economies” are in Cornwall, England hashing it out over Big Topics. And after last year, they have more to discuss than usual: health care, climate change, and, of course, the ongoing pandemic. They’ll be able to get so much more done now that the guy who was usually otherwise occupied is no longer there. But so far the big takeaway, at least on social media, is this: Boy, did that “family” photo they took look awkward.

The image finds the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States perched on a beach, with Boris Johnson and Joe Biden front and center. As the pandemic is not yet over, they’re social distancing, not lumped in one big pile. It makes sense. But they all look impossibly stiff, unsmiling, not terribly happy to be there.

Granted, better stiff than painful. The three summits that were held during the Trump administration (the one last year was cancelled, for obvious reasons) was even more awkward than this one, with clear disdain for the then-American president emanating from the other six leaders. (There’s also that instant classic photo from a few years back, in which everyone looks like they’re yelling at Trump, who sits there, arms crossed, oblivious to the scorn he elicits.)

Still, lots of people had jokes about the 2021 family photo, among them late night hosts.

Even Queen Elizabeth had a crack about the lifeless photo, joking, “Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourself?”

Anyway, hopefully they get stuff done, especially now that America once again has an adult in charge.

On Friday we got Migos’ Culture III, the Atlanta rap trio’s first album together in more than three years. During that time, the group released solo albums, and now the gang is back together. Based on early reactions on social media, it appears that the listeners are enjoying the new project. One fan was Jay-Z, who texted Quavo to show love to Migos for a specific song from the album.

According to a text message conversation that was shared by Quavo on social media, Jay-Z showed some love for “Avalanche,” the lead track. “That Avalanche song is beautiful,” the screenshot reads. “Congrats to you and the guys on the album. Peace God!” Quavo replied, “Thanks [prayer hands emoji] OG. We Put Everything We Had Into This one.”

Migos performed “Avalanche” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon just a day before Culture III arrived. As for the project as a whole, it arrived with 19 songs and features from Drake, Cardi B, DaBaby, Justin Bieber, Polo G, Future, and more.

You can view the text message conversation between Jay-Z and Quavo above.

Culture III is out now via Quality Control/Motown. Get it here.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If there’s one thing the Los Angeles Clippers know, it’s how to respond to being down in an 0-2 hole. During their first round tilt against the Dallas Mavericks, L.A. lost the opening two games of the series before finding their form in Dallas and, ultimately, rallying back in the series to win Game 7 and punch their collective ticket to the conference semis.

That’s the good news, the fact that they know how to come back from this spot. The bad news: The team on the other side of things is the Utah Jazz, which have been nigh peerless during this NBA season. With all due respect to a very good Mavericks team, climbing this mountain will be exponentially more difficult for the Clippers than it was the last time.

But the series is shifting back to Los Angeles, and perhaps a friendly arena will end up being beneficial to Ty Lue’s bunch. Of course, it’d help if they could figure out a way to keep Donovan Mitchell from continuing to do whatever he wants, which he seems capable of doing in any building right now.

Game 3 TV Info

Tip Time: Saturday, June 12; 8:30 p.m. ET
TV Network: ABC

Game 3 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Series Prices: Jazz (-480), Clippers (+350)
Spread: Clippers -4.5 (-107), Jazz +4.5 (-114)
Total: Over 223 (-109), Under 223 (-112)
Money Line: Clippers (-186), Jazz (+155)

Everyone can all use a little lift at the end of the week, and we’ve collected some of this week’s best stories to provide just such a pick-me-up. Here are 10 things we want to share, just because they made us so darn happy.

1. Introducing Lila, the U.S. Capitol Police’s first emotional support dog.

After the traumatic experiences of January 6th, Capitol Police officers could definitely use some extra support. Lila, a two-year-old black lab, will now serve as the department’s first full-time emotional support dog. Look at that sweet face!

We are thrilled to welcome the newest member of our Department!

2-year-old Lila is our first full-time emotional s… https://t.co/HO3o2Go1Qo

— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice)
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2. Speaking of the Capitol, take a look at this week’s gorgeous solar eclipse behind the dome.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shared the stunning “ring of fire” image on Twitter. Always a treat when nature gives us a great show.

3. Colorado sees its first wild wolf pups in six decades.

In the 1940s, the gray wolf was eradicated in Colorado by trappers and hunters, with the support of the federal government. Whoops. This week, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has announced the first evidence of wild wolf breeding in the state, a sign of hope for the endangered species. Read more about the discovery here.

Photo by M L on Unsplash

4. 30-year-old singer with terminal cancer amazed and inspired with her performance on America’s Got Talent.

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Singer Jane Marczweski, who goes by Nightbirde when she sings, is on her third round of cancer and was given a 2% chance of survival. Her America’s Got Talent audition with her original song, “It’s OK,” brought the house down, but her attitude and unique perspective on life are even more beautiful. Read more of her story here.

Golden Buzzer: Nightbirde’s Original Song Makes Simon Cowell Emotional – America’s Got Talent 2021

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5. Meet America’s first gay married couple, who legally got married decades before it actually became legal.

Through some careful reading of the letter of the law and some simple name changes, Jack and Michael McConnell used a legal loophole to get married 32 years before Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004 and 43 before it became federally legal in 2015. Read their story here.

The Story Of America’s First Gay Wedding 50 Years Ago

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6. 43-year-old mother of 4 qualifies for the women’s platform diving finals at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Laura Wilkinson has competed in three Olympic games and took home the gold in women’s platform diving in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Now, 13 years after retiring from the sport, she’s looking for a fourth chance to medal. “When I retired at 30 I was old back then,” Wilkinson told TODAY, “so this whole journey has just been a crazy, fun road.” Read more about her incredible comeback here.

7. Teen’s co-workers at Waffle House come together to ensure he can attend his graduation in style.

Timothy Harrison didn’t have his cap or gown or tickets for his high school graduation. He didn’t even have a ride to the ceremony. But his manager and co-workers at Waffle House stepped up to support him. Read the story here.

8. Border collie missing after being thrown from a car in an accident was found herding sheep in a nearby farm.

Good doggo’s gonna be a good doggo, no matter what. Tilly, a two-year-old family dog from Hayden, Idaho, was thrown from the trunk of the car during a collision and ran off. Thankfully, he was found doing what he was bred to do—herding sheep in a nearby farm. Read the story here.

Image by Couleur from Pixabay

9. High school principal in North Carolina gave graduating seniors a sweet sendoff by serenading them with ‘I Will Always Love You.’

Principal Marcus Gause told ABC News that he was a bit nervous because “nobody sings behind Whitney Houston and the greats like Dolly Parton.” However, he said, “the lyrics were really what I was trying to portray to my students.” (Did we mention the man can SING?)

In North Carolina, this principal stood at the podium on Graduation Day.

Instead of just a speech, he performed Wh… https://t.co/EmmHpdTBDo

— Goodable (@Goodable)
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10. 3-year-old dancing along to choreographed group dances is just the joy we all need to take into the weekend.

Tiny dancer Liang Liang first went viral in 2019 for his impressive dance moves, but this revival was so very needed. There’s nothing better than little kids dancing, but when they have actual skill, it’s even better. Get it, little man. See more of Liang Liang here.

@RexChapman Better here… https://t.co/EfMH5V2pZU

— #FreePalestine🌹M4A🌹ACAB🌹 (@whitecastleruns)
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Hope that brings a little needed light and delight to your week! Keep sharing the good to make the world better.