Month: January 2023

While we get excited to sip on some roasty, malty, chocolate-filled stouts during the winter months, we really get amped when it’s cold enough to crack open an imperial stout or two. You know, the bolder, richer, more robust, higher alcohol, even more extremely warming sibling of the classic stout. Yeah, that kind of stout.

The “imperial” which some take to mean “double stout” got its name from being the beverage of choice in the late 1700s in the Russian imperial court of Catherine the Great. While that was a long time ago, the title remains and now we know it as a warming, higher ABV style of stout.

Now that we got some of the history out of the way, it’s time to drink some of this rich, chocolate-filled craft brews. To find the best examples, we turned to the professionals for help. We asked a few of our favorite craft beer experts and brewers to tell us their absolute favorite imperial stouts for winter. Keep scrolling to see all of their indulgent selections.

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

George Hummel, grain master of My Local Brew Works in Philadelphia

ABV: 16-18%

Average Price: $30 for a four-pack

The Beer:

Dogfish Head’s World Wide Stout. Nothing takes the chill off like this uber Imperial from the mind of Sam Calagione. Bold, robust, sweet, and totally indulgent.

Tasting Notes:

Notes of espresso, licorice, and dark chocolate conceal the huge ABV this brew sneaks into your glass.

North Coast Old Rasputin

Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Beer Company in Richmond, California

ABV: 9%

Average Price: $8.99 for a four-pack

The Beer:

Although it’s available year-round, it’s not till the winter months that I really start jonesing for North Coast Brewing’s Old Rasputin. Nothing says ‘sip from a snifter by a roaring fire’ like this beer.

Tasting Notes:

The rum raisin in the aroma gives way to a rich mouthfeel of coffee and chocolate, leaving the palate with a hint of tobacco. An impressive balance between the sweet and the bitter.

Firestone Walker Parabola

Ryan Joy, lead brewer at Green Flash Brewery in San Diego

ABV: 14%

Average Price: $9.99 for a 12-ounce bottle

The Beer:

The proliferation of barrel-aged pastry stout over the past few years has really made me appreciate the simplicity and craftsmanship of a regular, bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout. A yearly go-to for me is Parabola from Firestone Walker.

Tasting Notes:

The charred oak and vanilla contribution from the barrel blend well with the rich, sweet notes of almond toffee and chocolate-covered raisins. Sip this one slowly to enjoy the high ABV and the flavor complexities as the beer warms.

The Alchemist Luscious

Rob Day, vice president of marketing at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Massachusetts

ABV: 9.2%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

The most impressive stout I have had in a while is The Alchemist Luscious. It’s a great name to indicate the flavor of this beer. The Vermont-based brewery is known for its IPAs, but beer fans should also seek out this imperial stout.

Tasting Notes:

It’s a big robust roast coffee and chocolate up front that you would expect, but there is this subtle berry flavor that comes through from the malts that pushes this over the edge.

Westbound & Down Opulence

Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak & Yeti Brewpub and Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado

ABV: 16.1%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

I’ll grab something from Westbound & Down. They’re flavor-forward, well-balanced imperial stouts that don’t take too many risks but also don’t fall into the ‘old school’ category of overly bitter, roasty, or slightly thin (relative to today’s leaders). I know whatever stout Westbound has canned is going to reliably be a winner. A great example is its Opulence, brewed with Madagascar vanilla beans.

Tasting Notes:

Chocolate, vanilla beans, roasted malts, this beer is like dipping a chocolate chip cookie in your favorite stout.

Firestone Walker No Ends, Only Beginnings

Dave Ziolkowski, head brewer at Arts District Brewing Company in Los Angeles

ABV: 12%

Average Price: $17.99 for a 500ml bottle

The Beer:

If I’m drinking an imperial stout this winter, it’s going to be Only Beginnings, a collaboration between Firestone Walker and Los Angeles’ Highland Park. This 12.5% ABV stout gets its flavor from vanilla and Amburana wood.

Tasting Notes:

Flavors include the aforementioned Amburana wood, cinnamon, cereal sweetness, chocolate, and roasted malts.

Perennial Maman

Zach Fowle, advanced Cicerone and head of marketing at Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, Arizona

ABV: 13.8%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

If I had to pick one imperial stout to drink this winter, it would be Maman from Perennial Artisan Ales. This rye-barrel aged imperial stout is thick and creamy as a milkshake and at 11% ABV winter warming is noticeable.

Tasting Notes:

Flavors of melted dark chocolate, woody maple syrup, and torched marshmallow start everything off nicely. It moves into oak, toasted coconut, and fruity rye whiskey.

18th Street Hunter

Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $15.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Hunter by 18th Street Brewery is my winter stout of choice. It has all the characteristics of a big boozy stout while staying at 8% ABV. You get vanilla and roast and a hint of caramel swirled in cocoa nib dark chocolate flavor.

Tasting Notes:

It might just be in my head, but there’s even a slight charred, oak barrel flavor (without actually being aged in barrels). It’s a great breakfast (you’ll get plenty of coffee notes) or dessert beer (you’ll get plenty of brownie flavor).

Great Divide Yeti

Kyle Warren, lead brewer at Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company in Framingham, Massachusetts

ABV: 9.5%

Average Price: $13.9 for a six-pack

The Beer:

I do not have much to offer in this category as it is not a style I regularly indulge in. Under attenuation, barrel-aged everything and pastry’s popularity have turned me off a bit in recent years. All that being said, I could use some stout in my life, so maybe 2023 is my year. If you were to twist my arm, I’d say Great Divide Yeti. This imperial stout is known for its rich, roasted malt flavors and gentle hops.

Tasting Notes:

It’s highlighted by roasted malts, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and lightly bitter hops at the finish.

Firestone Walker Paraboloid

Judy Neff, founder and brewer at Checkerspot Brewing Company in Baltimore

ABV: 15%

Average Price: $10.99 for a 12-ounce bottle

The Beer:

Oh, so many great ones. My favorite is Firestone Walker’s Paraboloid. Similar to its popular Parabola, if I’m going the imperial stout route, I want that thick, full-flavored, and bourbon barrel-aged style. It doesn’t get much more flavorful than that.

Tasting Notes:

Aging in a mixture of bourbon and rye barrels gives this beer a dynamic flavor profile filled with notes of chocolate, dried fruits, vanilla, and light peppery spice.

After deleting her Instagram page and shocking fans, Britney Spears has taken to Twitter to share updates.

Last week, fans allegedly called the cops to Spears’ home upon noticing that her Instagram was no longer active. Since then, she’s been fairly quiet on social media.

Today (January 28), Spears shared a video of herself smiling and grooving in a gym.

“Yep that’s me…I’m alive and well,” she said. “But not really convinced on these health juices, I mean there are SO MANY !!! Yoga and chest call me in. I do it inside, outside, wherever I fancy…this is me at a gym living my best life!!!”

In a series of follow-up tweets, she revealed why she disabled her Instagram, which ultimately led to fans calling the police.

“I shut down my Instagram because there were too many people saying I looked like an idiot dancing and that I looked crazy,” she said. “Honestly I was doing my best but it disturbed me to see people freely talk about it on TV … yep it hurt my feelings.”

She continued, saying, “I’m shocked as hell that when I took my Instagram down fans got worried and sent the cops to my house … it really was uncalled for … l adore my fans but for those who did that aren’t real fans and I honestly felt like it was a way to make me look bad !!!

Earlier this month, it was reported that Spears experienced a meltdown after being recorded by fans in a Los Angeles restaurant. Today, she revealed that fans attempted to speak with her in a restaurant last night, however, she quickly shut them down.

“three girls at a restaurant came up to me yesterday so drunk and loud and sat right beside me with that gross smell of alcohol and got right in my face,” she said…reminded me of my wedding…I was traumatized…”

She continued, saying, “This time I said please get the f*ck away from me…Yes…it’s Britney B*tch!!! I woke up and spoke up for myself…can you believe it ??? Honestly I couldn’t either… so with that said, please again know I’m doing the best I can…”

She concluded this series of updates expressing gratitude and offering benedictions to fans.

“l’m alive, fine, healthy, and ready to start a new day – a new morning anew!!! To my real fans, God bless you,” she said.

If you’re looking for a spirit to stock up on this winter, make it rum. Whether you prefer to sip it neat or on the rocks or mix it into a fruity, tropical cocktail to make you forget all about the winter weather outside — there’s a rum out there that’s perfect for you. White rum, aged rum, spiced rum, there might not be a more versatile winter spirit. You don’t even need to be a pirate to enjoy it.

As with many spirits, many big names seem to dominate the rum marketplace. While there’s nothing wrong with grabbing Captain Morgan, Bacardi, or Sailor Jerry for your home bartending needs, there are countless lesser-known brands that deserve a spot in your next dark ‘n’ stormy, daiquiri, or rum runner.

Instead of walking into your local liquor store and wandering aimlessly in hopes that you’ll stumble into a great, less-popular rum. We decided to help you on your sugarcane-soaked quest by finding them for you. We asked some well-known bartenders to tell us the best lesser-known rums for winter mixing. Keep scrolling to see them all.

Don Pancho Reserva 8 Year

Jorge Centeno, bartender at The Bar at Deerpath Inn in Lake Forest, Illinois

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $45

The Rum:

Don Pancho Reserva 8 years it’s a great mixing rum to cure the winter blues. With the right amount of heat and full of flavors, Don Pancho stands up in any mixed cocktail.

Tasting Notes:

Vanilla, caramel, citrus. This rum has it all. It’s a versatile rum for your favorite winter cocktail, but it also shines as a sipper.

English Harbour 5 Year Rum

Nat Harry, USBG bartender in San Francisco

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $30

The Rum:

English Harbour 5 year Rum. This is a fantastic mixing rum made in Antigua, a rum-producing Caribbean Island that seems to get very little attention.

Tasting Notes:

A light-bodied, column still rum with notes of raw cane sugar, allspice, and Crème brûlée.

East London Rum

Max Stampa-Brown, beverage director and partner at The Garret Group in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Rum:

East London Liquor Company is known for making gin, but they have a marvelous white rum that is super applicable for all your classics.

Tasting Notes:

It’s clean, citrusy, has a lot of nuances, and somehow leans more tropical than you’d expect. It’s really well-priced too.

KOKOLEKA Cacao + Honey Hawaiian Agricole Rum

Greg Coll, food and beverage director at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville, California

ABV: 30%

Average Price: $45

The Rum:

Ko Hana Rum’s Kokoleka Cacao + Honey Agricole Rum is made from Hawaiian heirloom sugar cane. Perfect for creating new spins on classics like an espresso martini or a white Russian. Count on a Hawaiian distilled rum to warm you up when you’re cold.

Tasting Notes:

Lesser known and lesser utilized, it brings a wonderful honey sweetness and rich cacao notes to a drink.

Rhum J.M Agricole 100 Proof

Melissa Chaney, bartender at Agua Caliente Casino in Cathedral City, California

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $38

The Rum:

Rhum J.M Agricole 100 Proof. This rum packs a punch, but since it is Agricole, is something completely different. It’s 100-proof and will add a nice, complex kick to your favorite rum cocktails.

Tasting Notes:

This has a ton of grass aromas but is also a bit floral. It is meant to be mixed, so a Hemingway daiquiri or rum punch is my recommendation. I promise you. One will do the trick.

Foursquare Probitas White Rum

Sean Pantazi, director of beverage at The Ritz-Carlton in Lake Tahoe, California

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $37

The Rum:

This one is easy. Probitas White Blended Rum. It’s a blend of column and pot still distilled rums from Foursquare in Barbados and Hampden Estate in Jamaica.

Tasting Notes:

With notes of banana, allspice, and pineapple and being bottled at 47% ABV it holds up nicely in any cocktail. Try making a cranberry mojito and you’ll see what I mean. Superb.

Flor de Caña 4 Year Extra Seco

Raul Ayala, lead bartender at Shelby’s Rooftop in San Francisco

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $18

The Rum:

Flor de Caña 4 Year Extra Seco is one of the best rums to mix with from refreshing to straightforward cocktails because of its versatility. This sustainably produced white rum is known for its herbal, sugarcane-forward flavor profile well-suited for mixing.

Tasting Notes:

With hints of grass and honeysuckle this dry rum pairs well with almost anything from flowers to fruit to chocolate to coffee. Seriously a strong contender for best winter mixing rum.

Camazotz Oaxacan Rum

Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $40

The Rum:

Camazotz Oaxacan rum. Yes, I love Mexican rums. 100% sugarcane, vegetal, and sweet, great to sip on or in any cocktail, especially a Mojito. Fermented in open-air barrels with native yeasts, a true terroir-driven rum.

Tasting Notes:

Its unique flavor profile featuring herbal, grassy notes, vegetal sweetness, caramel, and vanilla make it a great base for any cocktail.

Dakabend Rum

Mike Donaldson, bar manager at ChoLon Restaurant Concepts in Denver

ABV: 49%

Average Price: $45

The Rum:

I fell hard for the super interesting flavor profile and aromatics of a rum made in northern Oaxaca Mexico called Dakabend. It is a beautiful rhum agricole from local high-mountain sugar cane. It is fermented with native yeasts and distilled in tiny pot stills.

Tasting Notes:

The result is a funky, black olive, briny-smelling rum that hits your palate and makes you wonder what you just put in your mouth. But in a really good way.

Copalli Cacao Rum

Linda Garcia, bartender at Tiki Chick in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $28

The Rum:

Copalli Cacao infuses and distills roasted cacao nibs from Belize without adding artificial flavors or added sugars. It starts with the brand’s original white rum. It’s added to a tank to rest with 100% organic cacao nibs. After sitting for weeks, the rum is imparted with a rich, natural chocolate flavor.

Tasting Notes:

It has a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, with notes of chocolate and berries. It can make a delicious espresso or chocolate martini which is tasty all year round. It is also delicious to spike your hot cocoa with.

Hilton Head Toasted Coconut Rum

Ryan Christensen, bartender at Lucky Rooster Kitchen + Bar in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $30

The Rum:

One of my favorites is a local rum from Hilton Head Distillery, their Toasted Coconut Rum. They take their Platinum White Rum and infuse it with fresh toasted coconut flavor. It’s a real treat.

Tasting Notes:

Vanilla, sugarcane, caramel, chocolate, and toasted coconut. This flavorful rum will add a unique, tropical taste to your favorite cocktails.

One of the best things about the Royal Rumble is the way it sets itself up for surprises. Whether it’s professional wrestlers returning from injuries or retired wrestlers heading down to the ring for a huge pop and an ultimately brief cameo, the Rumble is one of the best tools WWE has to get people back into the fold. And on Saturday night in San Antonio, there were a number of surprises and highly-anticipated returns in this year’s event.

The first big surprise of the evening came before the Rumble even began. Pat McAfee, who left WWE last year to join ESPN’s College GameDay, made his return to the company to join Michael Cole and Corey Graves at the announce table.

It took 21 entrants for a surprise entrant. While the Rumble was business as usual for a long, long time, the first surprise came when the 57-year-old Booker T made his way to the ring after previously being on the pre-show. The Texas native came down the ramp, flattened a few other superstars, and did his iconic Spinaroonie … which marked the last thing he got to do in the match before Gunther tossed him over the top rope.

While he’s a member of the active roster, Edge was the next surprise in the Rumble at number 24. The Rated R Superstar had not appeared on television since October, and he immediately came to the ring and took out two-thirds of Judgement Day, sending Damian Priest and Finn Balor over the top. But he, too, was eliminated quickly — while trying to toss Dominik Mysterio over the top rope, Priest and Balor hopped up onto the apron and pulled Edge to the floor.

Edge’s elimination led to another return, because while Rhea Ripley joined Judgement Day in a skirmish after Edge’s elimination, Beth Phoenix — who likewise has not been on television since October — took Ripley down with a spear of her own.

The penultimate entray in the Rumble doubled as the penultimate surprise surprise, as Logan Paul entered the ring and immediately got beaten down.

And at 30, the most highly-anticipated “surprise” of the Rumble happened, as Cody Rhodes, who previously announced that he would compete in the event, made his long-awaited return from a torn pectoral muscle that he suffered in June.

Rhodes and Paul ended up being two of the final three participants. Ultimately, Rhodes was able to win the event by eliminating Paul and, eventually, Gunther.

Cody Rhodes is the winner of the 2023 Royal Rumble and is now guaranteed a championship match at WrestleMania 39.

Pat McAfee opened the Royal Rumble with his surprise return from ESPN’s College GameDay duty before Gunther and Sheamus made their way to the ring to kick things off. About a third of the way through the Rumble and only Miz and Karrion Kross were eliminated as the ring began to fill up. Kofi Kingston tried to hit one of his famous Rumble spots, but as he was knocked out of the ring and attempted to land in a desk chair, the chair tipped over and Kingston smashed into the announce table.

Brock Lesnar picked a perfect time to hit the ring, quickly eliminating Santos Escobar, Angelo Dawkins, and Chad Gable. Lesnar lasted a whole three minutes before Bobby Lashley tossed him over the top rope. Lesnar then tore apart the announce table, F-5’d Corbin before he could enter the ring, and attacked a referee.

Edge made his return to the ring for the first time since Extreme Rules, taking apart Judgement Day. After getting eliminated, Edge, Bálor, and Priest brawled up the entrance area until Rhea Ripley attacked Edge. Beth Phoenix also made her return, taking out Ripley with a spear before being separated by the referees.

The last two entrants were a returning Logan Paul and Cody Rhodes.

Paul and Ricochet challenged each other to a mid-Rumble jump off and met in the middle of the ring.

After Rhodes eliminated Braun Strowman, Ricochet, and Austin Theory, he joined Seth Rollins, Gunther, and Paul (who had slid underneath the rope) in the final four. Rollins set Rhodes up for a pedigree, but Paul ran back into the ring and tossed him over the top rope. Rhodes tossed Paul over the top and met the first entrant of the event, Gunther, for a spot in the WrestleMania main event. Gunther landed chest slap after chest slap on Rhodes and his surgically-repaired torn pec, but Rhodes eventually fought Gunther off, landing a Cross Rhodes and eliminating him to win the Rumble.

Order Entered

1. Gunther
2. Sheamus
3. The Miz
4. Kofi Kingston
5. Johnny Garagano
6. Xavier Woods
7. Karrion Kross
8. Chad Gable
9. Drew McIntyre
10. Santos Escobar
11. Angelo Dawkins
12. Brock Lesnar
13. Bobby Lashley
14. Happy Corbin
15. Seth Rollins
16. Otis
17. Rey Mysterio (never entered)
18. Dominik Mysterio
19. Elias
20. Finn Bálor
21. Booker T
22. Damian Priest
23. Montez Ford
24. Edge
25. Austin Theory
26. Omos
27. Braun Strowman
28. Ricochet
29. Logan Paul
30. Cody Rhodes

Order Eliminated

1. The Miz
2. Karrion Kross
3. Xavier Woods
4. Kofi Kingston
5. Santos Escobar
6. Chad Gable
7. Angelo Dawkins
8. Brock Lesnar
9. Happy Corbin
10. Bobby Lashley
11. Rey Mysterio (never entered)
12. Otis
13. Elias
14. Johnny Gargano
15. Booker T
16. Montez Ford
17. Damian Priest
18. Finn Bálor
19. Edge (pulled over by Bálor and Priest)
20. Omos
21. Sheamus
22. Drew McIntyre
23. Dominik Mysterio
24. Braun Strowman
25. Ricochet
26. Austin Theory
27. Seth Rollins
28. Logan Paul
29. Gunther

Lil Yachty‘s new album, Let’s Start Here is already proving to be a buzzy project. Yachty’s latest effort features him taking on a psychedelic rock sound, a departure from his signature rap sound. On the heels of Let’s Start Here, which was released yesterday (January 27), Lil Yachty has shared the trippy new visual for “Say Something.”

On the song, Yachty croons, reeling over an unrequited love.

“We can live the dream life, wild / Got me feeling like a teen again / It’s feeling like it’s teenage love / If you feel the same way, then say something,” he sings in the song’s chorus.

It’s hard to explain exactly what’s going on in the “Say Something” video. In the clip, Yachty is seen sitting in a diner with a woman played by model Anok Yai. He professes his love for her, then imagines driving away with her and having a baby. In other scenes, Yachty is seen in a hallway as people pop up and laugh at him, and the baby suddenly explodes. When Yachty drifts out of his bizarre fantasy, he is brutally rejected by the woman, then literally drags his heart across the parking lot.

You can check out the video for “Say Something” above.

Let’s Start Here is out now via Capitol and Motown. You can stream it here.

Warning: Lil Yachty’s video for “Say Something” contains depictions of suicidal ideation which some may find triggering. Viewer discretion is advised.

Ice Spice‘s debut EP, Like…? has garnered much buzz since its surprise release last week. On the EP is the standout track “In Ha Mood,” which, like its predecessors “Munch (Feelin’ U)” and “Bikini Bottom” have become viral hits on TikTok.

On the track, Spice embraces her status as rap’s newest princess, saying, “I’m proud that I’m still gettin’ bigger / Goin’ viral is gettin’ ’em sicker / Let’s keep it a buck / B*tches too borin’, got ’em stuck in a rut.”

In the song’s accompanying video, Ice is seen looking fly while walking through a bodega, spitting rhymes surrounded by her clique, and getting styled up in a mirror.

The video was filmed earlier this month, on the day Ice was planning to shoot the video for her Lil Tjay-assisted track, “Gangsta Boo.” Tjay, however, was arrested that day, prompting Spice and her team to shoot the “In Ha Mood” video on the fly.

Over the past year, Ice has become one of the most recognizable names and faces in Bronx drill. In a recent interview with NME, she said she only anticipates for drill music to grow in popularity.

“I feel that it’s only gonna keep getting bigger and it’s just the start of a huge era,” Ice said. “You know when trap was really big and it became this movement? People thought it was gonna die down over time but it just became stronger and stronger. I feel like drill will become mainstream music at some point, and it won’t be so categorized. It’s already changing hip-hop, but we won’t notice until we look back.”

Check out the video for “In Ha Mood” video above.

Tom Verlaine, the singer and guitarist who founded the legendary New York punk band Television, has died at 73.

Television was a staple in the 1970s New York punk era, and their album Marquee Moon was one of the defining records of that time. The band formed in 1972, and broke up in 1978, before briefly reforming in 1992.

According to New York Times, Verlaine’s “death was announced by Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Mr. Verlaine’s fellow musician Patti Smith. She did not specify a cause, saying that he died ‘after a brief illness.’”

Since news of Verlaine’s death broke, several musicians have taken to social media to express their condolences.

“Most nights we walk onstage to Marquee Moon- RIP to Tom Verlaine, the realest deal,” said Jason Isbell

Blondie guitarist Chris Stein recalled one of his early meetings of Verlaine, saying, “He had long hair and came to my apartment with an acoustic guitar and played some songs he’d written. Both Tom and Richard Hell have told me that I auditioned for the Neon Boys but I don’t remember.”

Michael Stipe of R.E.M. shared a tribute on Instagram, expressing gratitude for the impact Verlaine has on music.

“Bless you Tom Verlaine and thank you for the songs, the lyrics, the voice,” he said. “And later the laughs, the inspiration, the stories, and the rigorous belief that music and art can alter and change matter, lives, experience. You introduced me to a world that flipped my life upside down.”

Candace Parker is heading to the Las Vegas Aces. Parker, the 7-time All-Star and 2-time WNBA MVP, announced in a post on her Instagram account that she will sign with the defending WNBA champions.

Parker said her family drove her decision to head to Vegas, writing in the caption that while she is a Chicago native, “my family’s home is on the west coast.”

“I need to be there for my daughter, for my son, for my wife,” Parker wrote. “I can’t be without them for parts of the season when Lailaa is in school and I won’t miss her volleyball games or school dances simply because of distance. Lailaa starts high school in August and I need to be there for her, just as she’s been there for me.”

Parker was an All-WNBA First Team selection last season, and helped lead the Chicago Sky to an Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Connecticut Sun, where they lost in five games. The Sun would go on to fall to the Aces in four games in the WNBA Finals.

After spending the first 13 seasons of her career with the Los Angeles Sparks, Parker has played for her hometown Sky in each of the last two seasons. Last year, Parker averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 28.3 minutes per game.

Last season, the Aces went 26-10 and won the WNBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Remember how Donald Trump is running for president again? The big guy announced his third campaign in November and it’s somehow taken him two-and-a-half months to make his first stop. On Saturday, he made up for lost time by scheduling not one but two appearances. The first stop wasn’t some arena. It was a high school auditorium. But if you thought that was small for such a once-powerful guy, then know that at least he’s still furious.

As per AP News, Trump’s soft-launched his campaign in New Hampshire, where he lost in both 2016 and 2020. The occasion was an annual meeting for the state’s GOP, and while formally announcing he was starting his latest campaign he allayed fears that he’d lost his mojo, telling the crowd, “I’m more angry now and I’m more committed now than I ever was.”

Great! If it’s one thing moderates love is the former president’s famously volatile and unpredictable temper. He’ll have to keep that ire going, as he had scheduled a rally in South Carolina — not a huge one, like the ones he was used to in the good old days, but a smaller one, without much in the way of GOP stars. Indeed, his team were stunned to find how difficult it was to get some of the party’s big wigs to care. Surely few are stoked to hear him rant about the many, many problems he’s faced since announcing he wanted to be back in the White House. But at least he can brag about winning a golf championship last weekend, sort of.

(Via AP News)