Month: March 2022

Amy Schumer promised she would “burn every bridge” while hosting the Oscars, and while she probably didn’t burn any bridges (except with Kirsten Dunst fans) she did experience one of the most chaotic shows of all time. While many celebs are divided on where they stand regarding Will Smith slapping Chris Rock, first-time host Amy Schumer says the event was “traumatic.”

Schumer made a lengthy post on Instagram commenting on the debacle, starting out by joking about her new Hulu show Life & Beth.

On the live broadcast, shortly after The Slap, Schumer made a joke about how the “vibe” changed, but managed to recover with her co-hosts.

Will Smith has since apologized for the slap, and many celebs have either joked about the event or criticized it. It seems like Hollywood will be talking about this for several more weeks…or unless something really big happens at the Grammys this Sunday.

The Recording Academy and CBS have slowly but surely been unveiling their huge list of artists who are set to perform at this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony (this weekend, on April 3). They’ve unveiled even more artists today and joining the list are Silk Sonic, Carrie Underwood, J Balvin, John Legend, and Maria Becerra. Furthermore, press materials note Silk Sonic (aka Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) will be opening the show.

These artists join a performance lineup that includes BTS, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, Brothers Osbourne, Foo Fighters, Nas, HER, Jon Batiste, Chris Stapleton, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., and Rachel Zegler. (Presumably, Foo Fighters will no longer be appearing since the band just canceled all their upcoming tour dates following the death of Taylor Hawkins.)

Silk Sonic is up for some big nominations this year, as “Leave The Door Open” is up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song. Balvin’s Jose is also nominated for Best Música Urbana Album.

Find the full list of 2022 Grammy nominations here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ahead of the release of their hotly anticipated third album, Blue Water Road, Kehlani has premiered their Justin Bieber-assisted collaboration, “Up At Night.”

On “Up At Night,” Kehlani sings of love and infatuation over a cooing, thumping groove, offering a throwback vibe that still manages to feel ahead of its time. The Biebs comes in on the second verse, promising someone, presumably his wife Hailey, “even when the sun don’t shine, I’ll be right by your side.”

“It’s about having a healthily obsessed relationship,” said Kehlani of the song in a statement. “You’re telling someone, ‘I love you so much it keeps me awake at night’. I love what Justin did, and it’s such a fun one to dance to.”

“Up At Night” marks the pair’s second collaboration, their first being “Get Me” from Bieber’s 2020 album, Changes.

Blue Water Road is Kehlani’s first album since confirming they prefer to use they/them pronouns. The bulk of the album was written and produced with Pop Wansel while the singer was on vacation.

Check out “Up At Night” above.

Blue Water Road is out 4/29 via Atlantic. Pre-save it here.

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

For the first time in NCAA Tournament history, the Duke and North Carolina men’s basketball programs are set to meet. The long-time rivals will face off Saturday in the Final Four, battling for a berth in Monday’s national championship game.

Coincidentally, country star and UNC basketball fan Eric Church was scheduled to perform the same day at San Antonio’s AT&T Center. That show is no more after Church announced in a message to attendees it will be canceled so he can watch the game with family and friends.

“As a lifelong Carolina basketball fan, I’ve watched Carolina and Duke battle over the years,” he said, “but to have them matchup in the Final Four for the first time in history of the NCAA Tournament is any sports enthusiast’s dream.”

Church described this move as “the most selfish thing” he’s “ever asked of the Church Choir.

“However, it’s the same type of passion felt by the people who fill the seats at our concerts that makes us want to be part of a crowd at a game of this significance,” he said.

Among the Church Choir on Facebook, many were unhappy and expressed dismay. One person even called Church a “clown” and received quite a few upvotes on their comment. Having said that, we have a hunch that basically every Carolina fan is going to try and cancel their plans with the hopes that their team will unceremoniously usher Mike Krzyzewski into retirement.

Cheap bourbon is one of the delights of the whiskey industry. That you don’t need to spend a crazy amount to get perfectly drinkable bourbon across the country is part of bourbon’s beauty. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of watery garbage out there, there is. That paradox, that there’s so much good stuff out there and simultaneously so much crap, can make it overwhelming for the novice whiskey connoisseur to know where to start. That’s where our “double-blind” taste test comes in.

To help you get started (or maybe just reset) with inexpensive bourbon that actually tastes good, I’m going to have my wife pull from cheap bottles off the shelves, pour a little into Glencairns, and log everything. Not only will I not know what I’m drinking, I’m going into this tasting with no idea what bottles will even be included. And I’ll be ranking based on taste alone.

The only directions I gave to my spouse were to grab “small batch” or standard labels, and don’t bother with the Old Crow (I already know that stuff is watery garbage). I ended up with eight bourbons in the $10 to $25 range, based on prices at Total Wine in Louisville, Kentucky.

Get it? Good.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Bourbon Whiskeys, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This has a very distinct nose that ventures from vanilla-soaked leather to a very clear sense of allspice berries and ground clove with a hint of cornbread batter and soft oak. There’s a light sense of caramel apples leading toward Johnnycakes covered in butter and honey with a light nutmeg lurking in the background. The finish arrives with a hint of dry reeds that ends up on a vanilla cream with brown spices.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Soft vanilla extract mingles with black pepper, winter spices, and smooth suede on the nose. The palate starts with an orange-oil heavy Christmas cake with almonds and dried fruit that turns into cherry cough drops on the mid-palate. The finish leans into dry yet sweet oak and green peppercorns with a touch of that cherry popping back in.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with mild leather, brown spices, light caramel, sour vanilla cream, and a hint of dried green mint stems. There’s thin cinnamon on the front of the palate that leads to vanilla pudding cups (but kind of like licking the lid), apple tobacco, and dry cornbread. The mid-palate is sweet with a “brown sugar” vibe that leads towards a little more winter spice and dry wicker.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Lemon-honey candy greets you on the nose with a touch of indistinct leather and wood and a hint of sour pizza dough. Plastic vanilla extract bottles and “spice” drive the thin-ish palate as buttered popcorn and cherry candy pop in. The finish mingles “oak” with apple cores and thin spice.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Maple syrup and chalky cherry vitamins mix with cream soda, buttermilk pancake batter, and a sachet of vanilla pudding powder. That vanilla powder becomes a soft pudding on the palate as dry cedar bark counters Flintstone vitamins and cherry cream soda. The end lets the creaminess shine as that dry cedar and cherry slowly fade out.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with hints of old leather, orchard fruits, vanilla caramel candies, and dried pepper tree kindling. Wet corn husks open the palate as Vanilla Coke and cherry candy create a sweet base before dry wicker break the palate towards the finished. Charred oak staves with a hint of bitterness lead toward a creamy end with hints of vanilla and apples.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Raw leather, dark Caro syrup, nutmeg heavy eggnog, and charred oak lead the way on the nose. The palate starts off with mulled wine spices with ripe, slightly tart, and mildly sweet red berries swim in rich vanilla-laced heavy cream. Cedar planks dipped in honey move the mid-palate toward a finish of cream honey tobacco leaves in an old leather pouch.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Apple chips (and maybe even banana chips) mingle with spiced honey, mild leather, and a green line of kiwi skins and fennel tops on the nose. Apple and honey granola cereal in heavy cream lead toward a vanilla pod and plenty of wintry spices. The finish has a dry firewood note that leads to honey tobacco with a hint of dried kiwi and red berries.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Benchmark Bourbon — Taste 4

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $10

The Whiskey:

The juice in this bottle is from Buffalo Trace’s Mash #1, which has a scant amount of barley and rye next to mostly corn. This is the same mash that’s used for bigger hitting brands like Eagle Rare, Stagg, and E.H. Taylor. In this case, this is a four-year-old bonded that’s sort of like a proto-E.H. Taylor Small Batch.

Blind Notes From Above:

Lemon-honey candy greets you on the nose with a touch of indistinct leather and wood and a hint of sour pizza dough. Plastic vanilla extract bottles and “spice” drive the thin-ish palate as buttered popcorn and cherry candy pop in. The finish mingles “oak” with apple cores and thin spice.

Bottom Line:

This felt like a $10 bourbon from the nose to the finish. It was plasticky with a very thin feel. Still, there were clear notes here, so it’s not a total loss. I’d use it for whiskey and Cokes but not much else.

7. Bulleit Bourbon — Taste 3

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $23

The Whiskey:

Bulleit embraces a high-rye mash bill that’s comprised of 68 percent corn, 28 percent rye, and four percent malted barley. The juice is then rested for six years before blending, cutting down to proof, and barreling.

Blind Tasting Notes from Above:

The nose opens with mild leather, brown spices, light caramel, sour vanilla cream, and a hint of dried green mint stems. There’s thin cinnamon on the front of the palate that leads to vanilla pudding cups (but kind of like licking the lid), apple tobacco, and dry cornbread. The mid-palate is sweet with a “brown sugar” vibe that leads towards a little more winter spice and dry wicker.

Bottom Line:

This starts off so strong on the nose but then the early palate struggles to connect until the mid-palate kicks in with a nice, classic bourbon vibe. That missing step lowers this one pretty far on this list.

6. Buffalo Trace Bourbon — Taste 7

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is the whiskey that heralded a new era of bourbon in 1999. Famed Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee came out of retirement to create this bourbon to celebrate the renaming of the George T. Stagg distillery to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac bought the joint. As for the juice in the bottle, it’s Mash Bill #1 (like Eagle Rare, Benchmark, Stagg, etc.) that’s aged for at least four years.

Blind Tasting Notes From Above:

Raw leather, dark Caro syrup, nutmeg heavy eggnog, and charred oak lead the way on the nose. The palate starts off with mulled wine spices with ripe, slightly tart, and mildly sweet red berries swim in rich vanilla-laced heavy cream. Cedar planks dipped in honey move the mid-palate toward a finish of cream honey tobacco leaves in an old leather pouch.

Bottom Line:

This is where things get pretty good on this list. From here on out, the whiskeys have a clear beginning, middle, and end. There’s a mellow nature to this whiskey that’s very easy-drinking. There’s no “wow” factor and it gets a little lost in the mix but don’t let that stop you if the tasting notes speak to your palate. For me, that raw leather note on the nose tends to push me away a little and that’s why this ranks a tad lower.

5. Old Grand-Dad Bonded — Taste 2

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $20

The Whiskey:

This high-rye whiskey is aged for at least four years. The bonded barrels are then vatted according to the Old Grand-Dad flavor profile and bottled at 50 percent ABV, which lets a bit more of the juice shine in the bottle.

Blind Tasting Notes From Above:

Soft vanilla extract mingles with black pepper, winter spices, and smooth suede on the nose. The palate starts with an orange-oil heavy Christmas cake with almonds and dried fruit that turns into cherry cough drops on the mid-palate. The finish leans into dry yet sweet oak and green peppercorns with a touch of that cherry popping back in.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty damn good, albeit a little “peppery” with no distinction on that note until the end. Still, this was perfectly fine and felt like a good base for an old fashioned.

4. Jim Beam Black Extra-Aged — Taste 6

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $20

The Whiskey:

This expression replaced the old Jim Beam Black Label 8 Year. The juice in this bottle is aged longer than your average four-year-old Beam, but there is no age statement on exactly how long. The best way to think of it is that it’s aged for as long as it needs to be, according to the distilling team.

Blind Tasting Notes From Above:

The nose opens with hints of old leather, orchard fruits, vanilla caramel candies, and dried pepper tree kindling. Wet corn husks open the palate as Vanilla Coke and cherry candy create a sweet base before dry wicker break the palate towards the finished. Charred oak staves with a hint of bitterness lead toward a creamy end with hints of vanilla and apples.

Bottom Line:

This was nuanced yet accessible. It was deeply flavored but light in the right ways (that is, not thin or watery). This was just a really nice pour that would work equally well on the rocks or in a cocktail.

3. George Dickel No. 12 — Taste 5

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $23

The Whisky:

This is Dickel’s touchstone whisky. The corn-heavy juice — 84 percent corn, eight percent rye, and eight percent malted barley — is aged for at least five years before it goes into the bottle at 90 proof.

Blind Tasting Notes From Above:

Maple syrup and chalky cherry vitamins mix with cream soda, buttermilk pancake batter, and a sachet of vanilla pudding powder. That vanilla powder becomes a soft pudding on the palate as dry cedar bark counters Flintstone vitamins and cherry cream soda. The end lets the creaminess shine as that dry cedar and cherry slowly fade out.

Bottom Line:

This betrayed itself as Dickel from the jump, thanks to the vitamin chalkiness. I like it. But I can see why it puts a lot of folks off. That aside, this is still a well-built bourbon with a beginning, middle, and an end, with a clear flavor profile that works.

2. Four Roses Bourbon — Taste 8

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $19

The Whiskey:

This introductory juice from Four Roses is a blend of all ten of their whiskeys. The barrels are a minimum of five years old when they’re plucked from the warehouses, blended, brought down to proof, and bottled.

Blind Tasting Notes From Above:

Apple chips (and maybe even banana chips) mingle with spiced honey, mild leather, and a green line of kiwi skins and fennel tops on the nose. Apple and honey granola cereal in heavy cream lead toward a vanilla pod and plenty of wintry spices. The finish has a dry firewood note that leads to honey tobacco with a hint of dried kiwi and red berries.

Bottom Line:

This is so damn unique, especially compared to the other pours today. That green nose with the kiwi and fennel really helps this one stand out. After that, the whiskey leans pretty classic and doesn’t take any more big swings, which is kind of disappointing after that nose. Still, this is really well built and damn easy to drink. That’s a win.

1. Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch — Taste 1

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $16

The Whiskey:

This is Evan William’s small-batch bourbon reissue. The expression is a marriage of 200 barrels of Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon (78 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and ten percent rye). That juice is vatted, then proofed down to 90 proof (instead of the old 86 proof), and bottled as is.

Blind Tasting Notes From Above:

This has a very distinct nose that ventures from vanilla-soaked leather to a very clear sense of allspice berries and ground clove with a hint of cornbread batter and soft oak. There’s a light sense of caramel apples leading toward Johnnycakes covered in butter and honey with a light nutmeg lurking in the background. The finish arrives with a hint of dry reeds that ends up on a vanilla cream with brown spices.

Bottom Line:

I think this won thanks to the distinctiveness of the flavor notes from start to finish. The nose wasn’t just “spicy.” That spice is allspice and clove, specifically. There were layers that built on each other and created a bigger experience. It also felt pretty classic but had some real depth.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m not overly shocked by this ranking. Evan Williams 1783 is a goddamn solid whiskey. Four Roses is always a funky favorite. The cheapest whiskey tasted cheap. And yeah, I still don’t dig on that Buffalo Trace raw leather note.

In the end, if you’re looking for a good whiskey that you can both drink on the rocks and make solid cocktails with, I’d go with any of the top three, depending on what flavor profile you prefer. If you’re looking for a good, cheap bottle of bourbon that punches way above its price class, then definitely go with the Evan Williams 1783. That stuff rules.

The first rule of GOP Coke + Orgy Club is: you do not talk about GOP Coke + Orgy Club. The second rule of GOP Coke + Orgy Club is: you DO NOT TALK about GOP Coke + Orgy Club.

Madison Cawthorn must have missed the memo, which seems surprising. After all, by the North Carolina congressman’s own admission, he’s a pretty wanted man in D.C. As he tells it, plenty of his fellow Republicans have thought nothing of doing “a key bump of cocaine” (his phrase) right in front of him on plenty of occasions, and invites to intimate GOP orgies from elderly congressmen are the norm. If Cawthorn was planning on accepting one of those orgy invites, he might be out of luck. After sharing the sordid details of the sex, drugs, and referendum lives that today’s Republicans lead while appearing on the “Warrior Poet” podcast, the controversial lawmaker may discover that he’s been blueblackballed from any future such events.

As Politico reports, there’s a line of high-ranking Republicans just waiting to have a word with Cawthorn. Among them are House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Scott Perry, who said that “I think it is important, if you’re going to say something like that, to name some names.” While McCarthy may hold a higher position, Perry chairs the House Freedom Caucus, to which Cawthorn belongs—at least for now.

According to Politico’s Olivia Beavers, the biggest challenge facing Perry is how far to dig into Cawthorn’s comments, or what—if any—action to take against him, knowing that it will only give more oxygen to the story. As Beavers writes:

More than one member of the group has raised the idea of kicking Cawthorn out, remarks that are seen as more rattling and venting than an actual likelihood, according to two people familiar with Freedom Caucus dynamics. These people, speaking candidly on condition of anonymity, said Cawthorn’s comments caught many of the group’s members by surprise.

One Freedom Caucus member, also addressing Cawthorn on condition of anonymity, described responses from “across the political spectrum … saying ‘what the hell?’”

So far, the closest Cawthorn has come to commenting on the backlash to his comments has been to retweet right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec, who probably isn’t the best guy to have in your corner:

(Via Politico)

Questlove is back once again to grace the stage on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

The Roots frontman returned after a glorious Oscar win for his documentary “Summer of Soul.”

But despite this potentially life-changing career moment, one thing remains the same: Questlove and Fallon got the sweetest bromance going on.

Setting his Oscar on the desk (“they’re heavy, man!”), Questlove joked with Fallon that he was warned to never set it down, lest it be stolen, so he ended up “spooning it on the plane ride home.”

“It’s a weight I’m willing to carry,” he gladly told Fallon.

And then, the heartwarming stuff happened.

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A true mensch, Fallon shared how Questlove’s win brought him to tears. “I was crying in my living room … I lost it,” he exclaimed, hands flailing.

Questlove, on the other hand, shared that he barely realized the win had happened at all. He had been meditating during the commercial break (fun fact: something he learned from Seinfeld) and had been in the zone when the winner was announced.

“I literally was not present for that entire moment,” he admitted. Can’t say we blame him.

Fallon then proudly showed a picture of Questlove with his mom, who accompanied him to the Oscars, before saying, “Everybody who knows you loves you, and is so proud of you dude. It couldn’t have happened to a better dude.”

A self-diagnosed “praise deflector,” Questlove was quick to say his true reward was working with Fallon, and getting to be free and supported to pursue his creative dreams, calling the studio “the best college ever.”

“I know it’s such a Hollywood answer, but that to me is what matters … so thank you.”

The convo had its own funny moments too (apparently there was a bet to play Smash Mouth at Jay-Z’s Oscars after-party), but all in all this was simply a wholesome, delightful portrayal of a loving male friendship.

You can check out the full video here:

We live in an era of hyperpartisanship in the U.S., one that is shaking the very foundations of our democratic experiment. It’s exactly the scenario George Washington tried to warn us about in his farewell address when he called “the Spirit of Party” our “worst enemy,” which would eventually lead to “the ruins of public liberty.”

Politicians are so entrenched in partisanship that it’s rare to see an elected official take a moral stand that goes against the party line. When we do see it, it’s often from a politician who doesn’t have much to lose—someone who is retiring or isn’t up for reelection soon enough for their going against the grain to impact their career.

But every once in a while we see an elected official truly take a risk to do what they believe is right. Such is the case with Utah state senator Daniel Thatcher, who is up for reelection this year and who spoke out against a state bill banning transgender kids from playing sports that align with their gender identity.

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The bill, which did not receive any public input or debate, was amended in the final hours of the legislative session to create the all-out ban on transgender girls competing in girls’ sports, and was passed in the Utah House and Senate earlier in March. However, it hit a road bump when Utah’s Republican governor Spencer Cox vetoed it, citing multiple issues with the bill, including the fact that out of the 75,000 high school athletes in Utah, four are transgender—and only one is a trans girl.

“Four kids and only one of them playing girls sports,” Governor Cox wrote. “That’s what all of this is about. Four kids who aren’t dominating or winning trophies or taking scholarships. Four kids who are just trying to find some friends and feel like they are a part of something. Four kids trying to get through each day. Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few.”

He also pointed out that 86% of trans youth report suicidality and 56% of trans youth have attempted suicide.

“I am not an expert on transgenderism,” he wrote. “I struggle to understand so much of it and the science is conflicting. When in doubt however, I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion. I also try to get proximate and I am learning so much from our transgender community. They are great kids who face enormous struggles … I don’t understand what they are going through or why they feel the way they do. But I want them to live.”

Supporters of transgender rights praised Governor Cox for vetoing the bill, despite knowing the veto would most likely be overridden by the legislature. Four out of Utah’s 74 Republican legislators voted against overriding the veto, but of those four, only Daniel Thatcher is up for reelection. He already has three opponents from his own party lined up to run against him in the primaries, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, so going against the party line—especially on a highly visible issue—poses a real political risk for him.

But Thatcher shared that he was willing to take that risk and explained his reasons for opposing the veto on several grounds. For one, he said, it’s unconstitutional. He pointed out that the conservative-weighted Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision written by Neil Gorsuch, ruled that sex includes gender identity. Second, he said it would be a waste of money, especially since there’s no way it would stand. Third, it harms the transgender community—people he has worked closely with and has grown to love in his work as a suicide prevention advocate. Fourth, despite attempting to protect girls and competition integrity, this bill actually harms girls, putting them in a position to constantly have their femininity called into question and their bodies put under more scrutiny than they already are.

Watch him speak on the bill to his colleagues in the Senate:

“And if I lose my race, I lose my race standing for what I believe in, like I always have,” he said. “In my world, conservative doesn’t mean turning your back on your principles.”

Thatcher knew his vote wasn’t going to change the outcome, and he could easily have voted along with his party or even simply abstained. But he chose the path of integrity. With multiple states proposing and passing legislation specifically targeting transgender people in various ways, we need to see more of this kind of open-heartedness and moral courage. Imagine how different our country would be with more politicians who stand for principle before political party, and more elected officials willing to put what’s right ahead of their own political ambitions.

The Utah bill goes into effect July 1.

Teachers across the country are leaving the profession for a multitude of reasons, some of them good and some of them not so good. Schools have been losing helpers at a breakneck pace throughout this pandemic and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified people to take their place. Tennessee has come up with what could be a very real solution to the teacher shortage and other states may want to take note.

The state of Tennessee is offering a path to a four-year teaching degree without going into crippling debt or having to work multiple jobs to afford the education. Tennessee has partnered with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor to create teacher apprenticeship programs across the state to help with the teacher shortage. The first program was launched in the Clarksville-Montgomery County school district with Austin Peay State University as the first teaching apprenticeship program in the country.

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This program is based on the success of existing apprenticeship and training programs for welders, healthcare workers and other skilled labor jobs. The model is referred to as “Grow Your Own,” and that’s exactly what Tennessee is trying to achieve. Growing their own teachers by offering this unique program to people who may otherwise not ever be able to feasibly attend school, or if they did it may take them several extra years to finish due to the financial strain.

Through this program, teachers are able to work full time in the classroom while pursuing their degree in education. The program can work well for nontraditional students and can even be geared toward those that already work in the school system, such as janitorial staff, secretaries or teacher assistants. U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said, “Registered Apprenticeships have opened the doors to so many good jobs across our economy, and Tennessee’s innovative teacher apprenticeship program now offers a new pathway to the classroom at a critical time for our children, schools and communities.”

This is not the first time Tennessee has implemented a program like this. In 2018, the same university partnered with Clarksville-Montgomery County School System to offer a free accelerated path to become teachers to teacher aides and recent high school graduates. Penny Schwinn, the Tennessee education commissioner, said that the state has been consistently around 2,000 teachers short over the past several years. The program is one of the things Tennessee is doing with its COVID-19 relief funds, bringing this apprenticeship to 63 school districts and partnering with 14 different colleges and universities.

It’s evident that states need help with the teacher shortage and this program could be a model used across the country to not only fill a need within the schools, but to improve people’s lives. Students’ lives would be improved due to the filled vacancies and teachers’ lives would be improved through being able to train for a job they’ve always wanted without taking on debt, thus allowing more financial freedom for their families. It seems like it could be a win-win for all involved.

Beginning with the final game before the All-Star Break, the Memphis Grizzlies endured a minor hiccup. Following a blistering 41-18 start that drew positive attention both locally and nationally, Memphis slipped up, losing four of seven games. In the grand scheme, a brief hiatus from dominance was understandable for a team that some believed was overachieving to that point but, in the days since, Memphis has bounced back to say the least.

The Grizzlies are 9-1 in the last ten games, including an active five-game winning streak. Memphis beat Brooklyn, Golden State, and Milwaukee by double digits during that run, bludgeoning the Warriors and Bucks by a total of 53 points. Though the rest of the schedule hasn’t been grueling, the Grizzlies continue to rack up victories at an impressive clip, entering the stretch run at 53-23 overall.

Because of the unbelievable performance of the Phoenix Suns, the Grizzlies will slide into the No. 2 seed in the West, even with a multi-game lead over the No. 1 seed in the East. Still, Memphis has proven to be resilient, effective, dominant and (especially) deep this season, including a stat that is making NBA observers shake their heads in late March.

Ja Morant, the unquestioned No. 1 option and offensive engine of the Grizzlies, is likely on his way to an All-NBA selection in his third season. Morant is averaging 27.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game, posting a 57.5 percent true shooting mark and a career-best turnover rate of 12.5 percent. Morant’s rise to superstardom has him in the mix for Most Improved Player honors, at least in the minds of some, and the Grizzlies are 35-21 when he takes the floor.

However, one of the craziest stats of the NBA season is that Memphis is 18-2 when Morant does not play. That extends to the on-off splits, with the Grizzlies out-scoring opponents by 8.1 points per 100 possessions with Morant off the court, compared to +3.7 when he plays. Make no mistake, it would be (quite) silly to argue that the Grizzlies are actually better off without Morant in the mix. It does indicate, though, that Memphis has made a lot of its regular season gains with incredible depth, utilizing 12 players for at least 600 minutes this season.

The Grizzlies got a brief taste of playoff life last season, but this year, real expectations accompany Memphis to the postseason. It remains to be seen how long Morant will be sidelined with his current knee issue, and it is difficult to calibrate the impact his absence, or potential limitations upon return, could affect the calculus. Regardless, Memphis has shown itself to be a real threat in the Western Conference, and they can spend the next two weeks tuning up for the playoffs, rather than leaving the pedal on the floor as other teams jockey for position.

Where do the Grizzlies stack up in this week’s DIME power rankings? Well, you won’t have to go far to find them.

1. Phoenix Suns (61-14, Last week — 1st)

A week ago, the Suns were already on a five-game winning streak, but the competition was middling at best. Phoenix decided to ramp it up even more, defeating the Wolves and Nuggets on the road before beating the Sixers at home. The Suns are 8.5 games clear of the field in the NBA with seven games remaining. What a season.

2. Memphis Grizzlies (53-23, Last week — 4th)

The Grizzlies don’t have much to play for, but they will be participating in important games over the next two weeks. Memphis faces Utah, Denver, New Orleans and Boston down the stretch after a tilt in San Antonio on Wednesday.

3. Boston Celtics (47-29, Last week — 2nd)

Over the last two months, no team has been better than the Celtics, including the Suns. Boston is 22-4 with a +14.9 net rating over that sample, and they’ve been great. Unfortunately, starting center Robert Williams is going to be out for a while, and that might derail things a bit for Boston. In the meantime, we’ll rank them for what they’ve accomplished.

4. Milwaukee Bucks (47-28, Last week — 5th)

Milwaukee got throttled by the Morant-less Grizzlies on Saturday, and that was a bit weird. On cue, the Bucks went to Philly and on Tuesday behind a ridiculous Giannis performance. Antetokounmpo is playing at an unreal level, and in general, everyone believes in Milwaukee.

5. Dallas Mavericks (47-29, Last week — 6th)

This might seem high for the Mavericks, but it really isn’t when you examine the numbers. Dallas is 12-4 in the last 16 games and 31-11 in the last 42 contests. With that performance coupled with struggles elsewhere, Luka Doncic and company feel dangerous.

6. Brooklyn Nets (40-36, Last week — 7th)

There is a lot of projection in having the Nets at No. 6, as one could see from the team’s record. Brooklyn didn’t eliminate all skepticism with a weird loss to the Hornets on Saturday, and the Nets are capable of a dud when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have an off night. On the flip side, there is open road for the Nets if they can find “it” down the stretch.

7. Miami Heat (48-28, Last week — 3rd)

Danger zone in Miami? The Heat did win a game on Monday over the Kings, but that was at home and against a team going through the motions. Miami lost four games in a row that, and the energy around the Heat isn’t great. They’re still well-coached and potent on defense, but there are more questions now than there were a few weeks ago.

8. Denver Nuggets (45-31, Last week — 9th)

There is a lot more discussion surrounding the MVP race than the Nuggets as a team right now, which is understandable. Denver is still 17-7 in the last 24 games, and Nikola Jokic’s individual brilliance is also fueling strong team performance. Since March 6, Jokic has led the team in scoring and rebounding in every single game and, hilariously, he has also led the team in assists in every game but one. Congratulations to Will Barton on his eight assists in a loss to Phoenix on March 24.

9. Philadelphia 76ers (46-29, Last week — 10th)

Obviously, there is no great shame in losing to the Suns and Bucks, which Philadelphia just did to end the week. It would’ve been nice to win one of those, but we’ll call it a break-even kind of week.

10. Toronto Raptors (43-32, Last week — 13th)

Monday’s overtime win over Boston wasn’t nearly as impressive as it looks, simply because the Celtics didn’t have their full roster in Canada. Toronto still won the game, though, and the Raptors are 9-2 in the last 11 games to climb into the No. 6 spot in the East.

11. Golden State Warriors (48-28, Last week — 8th)

The Warriors are tied for the third-best record in the league. The Warriors are 7-15 in the last 22 games. Both can be true, and that makes it hard to evaluate Golden State. Without Stephen Curry, they are worse than this. With him, they are better than this. Split the difference.

12. Minnesota Timberwolves (43-33, Last week — 11th)

After a wildly impressive 10-1 stretch, the Wolves have lost three of four. That isn’t a disaster when you consider they lost to the Mavs, Suns, and Celtics, but losses aren’t as fun as wins.

13. Utah Jazz (45-31, Last week — 12th)

Utah’s full-season statistical profile is fairly solid, but the Jazz are swooning again. They’ve lost five in a row, headlined by a total collapse in blowing a 25-point lead to the Clippers on Tuesday evening. Utah is tied for the No. 5 seed as a result, and the Jazz could slide as far as No. 7 if they aren’t careful.

14. Chicago Bulls (44-32, Last week — 15th)

It was only a 2-2 week for the Bulls, but there was progress given that Chicago was 3-8 before that. The Bulls are ahead of the Cavs on the strength of a road win in Cleveland, but they also lost to both New York and New Orleans this week. Fortunately, Chicago kicks off a five-game homestand on Thursday.

15. Cleveland Cavaliers (42-33, Last week — 14th)

The Cavs stopped the bleeding with a win over Orlando on Monday, but Evan Mobley had to leave the game with an ankle issue. It remains to be seen as to how much that might set the rookie back, but injuries are really taking a toll on the Cavaliers. Cleveland is currently in the play-in, which would be kind of brutal after the way this season began.

16. Atlanta Hawks (38-37, Last week — 17th)

Atlanta’s schedule has opened up considerably, and they’ve taken advantage with seven wins in ten games. Monday’s win over Indiana put the Hawks over .500 for the first time since December, and Atlanta can threaten the No. 8 seed with a strong close to the regular season.

17. Charlotte Hornets (39-37, Last week — 16th)

There is a rather large gap between No. 17 and No. 18, which perhaps softens the blow for the Hornets. Charlotte is 9-4 in the last 13 games and, if not for a bad home loss to the Knicks last week, the Hornets would be higher. They still hold a narrow lead over the Hawks for the No. 9 spot, and home-court could be valuable in that potential matchup.

18. L.A. Clippers (37-39, Last week — 21st)

Paul George is back, and the Clippers made a statement in his return. L.A. came from 25 points down to beat Utah on Tuesday, stopping a losing streak in the process. George may not make L.A. a title contender on his own, but he strengthens a team that has done credible work without its stars.

19. San Antonio Spurs (31-44, Last week — 23rd)

It’s a great time for a four-game winning streak, and the Spurs have one. All four victories came on the road, including a meaningful win over New Orleans. Some of the competition (Rockets, Blazers) was not fantastic, but the wins count the same. San Antonio is firmly in the mix and playing well.

20. New York Knicks (34-42, Last week — 20th)

The vibes aren’t necessarily fantastic, but the Knicks have won four games in a row and six of the last eight. That keeps New York within 4.5 games of Atlanta, even if the Knicks have a (very) small chance of closing that gap with less than two weeks remaining in the season.

21. New Orleans Pelicans (32-43, Last week — 19th)

It was a winning week for the Pelicans, though New Orleans lost a home game to San Antonio that stung. The Pels have a full-game edge on the Spurs and Lakers, and New Orleans is above .500 since a 3-16 start.

22. Washington Wizards (32-43, Last week — 22nd)

Washington is technically alive in the playoff race, but they are functionally dead. A 9-22 record in the last 31 games will do that.

23. Los Angeles Lakers (31-44, Last week — 18th)

The Lakers were once 24-24. They are 7-20 since. Tuesday’s loss to Dallas was an annihilation, even if you extend some grace for the absence of LeBron James. Regardless, the Lakers are currently on the outside looking in at the play-in tournament. At least Anthony Davis seems to be close.

24. Sacramento Kings (27-49, Last week — 25th)

Given the hideousness of the race for the No. 10 seed, the door was actually open for the Kings to hang around in the playoff hunt. Sacramento is 3-8 in the last 11 games. They did not hang around.

25. Detroit Pistons (20-56, Last week — 28th)

Detroit is just 2-9 in the last 11 games, but the flashes have been notably better than the teams below them on this list. Tuesday’s loss to Brooklyn was a notable example, with the Pistons leading at times behind 34 points from Cade Cunningham. It helps to have a future franchise player on the roster.

26. Indiana Pacers (25-51, Last week — 24th)

Indiana has been quite bad for a while, but things crested this week. The Pacers went 0-4 in the last seven days and, in the last three losses, Indiana was out-scored by 27.8 points per 100 possessions. Indiana’s available roster is not exactly suited to competitiveness, but it’s been gross lately.

27. Oklahoma City Thunder (22-53, Last week — 30th)

After slipping to the basement a week ago, the Thunder went 2-1 this week. Granted, the wins came against Orlando and Portland (see below), but they happened nonetheless. Oklahoma City’s injury report is incomprehensible, but they still have recognizable faces in the middle of the long rebuild.

28. Houston Rockets (20-56, Last week — 29th)

We’ll get to the Blazers in a moment, but Houston did win back-to-back games this week. Both wins came over Portland, but they had to rise a little bit after that. Jalen Green is averaging 19.8 points per game since mid-February, shooting 48 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three-point distance in the process.

29. Orlando Magic (20-56, Last week — 26th)

The tank is certainly on in Orlando, even if they have a couple of solid wins in the last couple of weeks. The Magic have lost to the Pistons, Thunder, and Kings in the last 13 days, and Orlando crumbled in amusing fashion against Cleveland on Monday to stick in the runner-up position.

30. Portland Trail Blazers (27-48, Last week — 27th)

If you examine the active roster for the Blazers in any recent game, it won’t be a surprise that Portland is struggling. In this case, struggling isn’t a harsh enough description, as Portland is in its own tier of disaster at the moment. Since the All-Star Break, the Blazers are 2-14, the worst record in the NBA. That doesn’t do it justice, though, as Portland has a -20.6 net rating that seems impossible over a 16-game sample.