Category: News

The Raptors and Knicks came into Wednesday as two teams going in opposite directions, with Toronto having lost six straight while New York was riding an eight-game winning streak into their matchup at the Garden.

Both of those streaks came to an end in a 113-106 Raptors win that was a back-and-forth affair that saw Toronto come out ahead thanks largely to the performance of Pascal Siakam. The All-NBA forward set a new career-high with 52 points, becoming the latest opposing player to have a monster night in Manhattan, while also pulling down nine rebounds and dishing out seven assists.

Siakam was in attack mode throughout the night, as the Knicks simply had no answers for his assault on the paint. Only Fred VanVleet (28 points) and OG Anunoby (15 points) joined Siakam in double figures for the Raptors, but that was still enough to out-duel a pair of 30-balls from Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to get Toronto a desperately needed win.

It’s the second straight big scoring night for Siakam, who had 38 in an overtime loss to the Sixers on Monday, and him getting going will be paramount to Toronto making a run back into the playoff picture in the East, as this win moved them back to 14-18. Even so, the lack of help beyond VanVleet and Anunoby is a recurring theme for the Raptors, and they have some decisions to make about whether they need to be active on the trade market as the deadline approaches and what direction they want to take this team. For tonight at least, the vibes were pristine in the Toronto locker room thanks to Siakam, and a glimmer of optimism is peeking back through for Raptors basketball.

Yung Miami is accustomed to playfully making her guests squirm on her Revolt TV talk show Caresha Please since it launched this summer. She’s flirted with Megan Thee Stallion and asked Saweetie about her messy split from Quavo. This month, fans began wondering whether Yung Miami would use her popular show to address the shocking news that Diddy, with whom she’s been in an open relationship since last year, had fathered his seventh child.

Today, December 21, Yung Miami shared a 45-second teaser of an upcoming Caresha Please episode featuring G Herbo. She didn’t take it easy on the Chicago rapper — pressing him on cheating rumors from 2019.

“Did your two baby mamas get it on?” she asked. “Did you cheat on Ari [Fletcher] with Taina [Williams]? Were y’all steady f*cking? Why was you there? Did you ever smoke an opp?”

After awkwardly laughing off the intense line of questioning, G Herbo flipped the script: “Did you know about that baby before October?” And then Yung Miami was the one uncomfortably laughing.

“Getting a little messy, man. Clean it up. Clean up on aisle Caresha!” G Herbo added.

On December 10, Diddy tweeted, “I’m so blessed to welcome my baby girl Love Sean Combs to the world. Mama Combs, Quincy, Justin, Christian, Chance, D’Lila, Jessie and myself all love you so much! God is the Greatest!” Two days later, TMZ reported that the baby had been born on October 15, and Diddy welcomed her with a 28-year-old woman named Dana Tran.

Simultaneously, DJ Akademiks took a veiled shot at Yung Miami by tweeting, “Diddy different… my N**** done f*cked around and had a side baby on his harem of side chicks. Brother Love a real 1.”

Diddy and Yung Miami each fired back. Miami advised DJ Akademiks to keep her name “out your mouth!!!” Diddy clarified that Yung Miami “never has been, never will be” his “side chick” and asserted that “she’s very important and special” to him.

The new episode of Caresha Please will drop Thursday, December 22, at 8 p.m. EST on Revolt TV.

The Bulls traveled to Atlanta on Wednesday night for a matchup between two of the East’s more disappointing teams thus far in the season. Chicago entered the game with reports swirling about turmoil in the locker room, with Zach LaVine at the center of it all, while the Hawks have had similar reports of internal tension come out recently, along with the sudden news that their president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk was stepping down to take an advisory role.

All of that served as the backdrop for a late December game that felt oddly important, as both are searching for something positive to lean on at the moment. Much like their last meeting, this one came down to a bucket inside the last second, but this time it was the Bulls getting the better of the Hawks on a buzzer-beater, as Ayo Dosunmu corralled a loose ball and put it up for the win after a DeMar DeRozan miss hit John Collins in the chest and fell to the floor.

The win lifts the Bulls to 13-18 on the season while the Hawks fall back to 16-16, as Chicago followed the lead of DeRozan and LaVine, who combined for 50 in the win (with Nikola Vucevic chipping in 20). Unfortunately the win wasn’t without some further injury concern for the Bulls, as Alex Caruso suffered a right shoulder sprain and potential concussion that knocked him out of the game, but for at least one night there’s something positive to talk about in the world of Chicago basketball.

For the Hawks its they type of loss that’s haunted them this season, as a reeling Bulls team should be a win they get as a team hoping to take a leap towards contention. Instead, they continue treading water at .500, with Trae Young putting forth a strong performance with 34 points, while Onyeka Okongwu filled in admirably for the injured Clint Capela with 18 points and 11 rebounds, but a tough shooting night prior to a fourth quarter rally proved to be too much to overcome in the end.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a passionate, even witty address to Congress, in which he asked for more aid for his nation in their fight against Russian forces. It was well-received by both sides of the aisle. But not everyone appreciated it. A smattering of MAGA Republicans spoke out against Zelensky even before his speech, among them Marjorie Taylor Greene. But at least she wasn’t caught acting like spoiled brats like her two former besties, Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz.

As per The Daily Beast, Zelensky receiving warm applause for spending much of the last year lording over a war zone, giving the Russians a what-fer and turning what Vladimir Putin and gang thought would be a quick reclaiming of long-lost territory into an ever-increasing disaster. Most stood and rapturously applauded as Zelensky entered the chamber. Boebert and Gaetz did not. They stayed in their seats, even played around on their phones as Zelensky delivered his historic address.

At least they cleared one incredibly low bar: They didn’t heckle him, as some predicted. Boebert has a history of being a childish, immature brat during addresses by figures she doesn’t like. Both she and Greene heckled President Joe Biden during his State of the Union earlier this year, though only Boebert did so as he was speaking about his dead son, Beau.

Greene was not seen sitting with Boebert and Gaetz, with whom she used to be closely aligned. Right now Boebert and Greene are feuding, trading insults and further underlining how the GOP is in disarray in the wake of the “red wave” that failed to materialize during the midterms. Greene’s not only tussling with Boebert; she’s also come for Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, who has urged his party to continue to help Ukraine stave off Russian forces, whose defeat he sees as imperative for world peace.

During his speech, Zelensky said that while Ukraine was “alive and kicking,” the fight is far from over, and that they still need artiellery to fight against the “tyranny” of Russian forces. “Your money is not charity,” he told Congress. “It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”

(Via The Daily Beast)

The Warriors have unsurprisingly struggled with Stephen Curry out with a shoulder injury, losing three of their last four games (including the game Curry got injured) and entered Wednesday night on the second night of a back-to-back in Brooklyn coming off of a 132-94 blowout loss to the Knicks.

They managed to do themselves one worse against the Kyrie-less Nets, as Brooklyn ran up 91 points on the Warriors in the first half, taking a 40-point lead into the break in the process. The 91 points is a Nets franchise record and the third highest scoring half in NBA history, and they did so behind a startlingly balanced attack.

As a team, Brooklyn was 35-of-49 shooting the ball (71.4 percent), hitting 13-of-19 from three (68.4 percent), and were 8-of-10 from the free throw line. Some of that was simply Kevin Durant being unguardable, as he has been for much of this season, serving as the catalyst for the Nets climb in the standings to fourth in the East after a dreadful start, winning 9 of their last 10.

However, it wasn’t just KD getting his, as Royce O’Neale (14 points) and Nic Claxton (10 points) joined him in double figures, and the other seven Nets that entered the game all scored at least five points, including Cam Thomas who only appeared in the game for three minutes. It was startlingly easy for the Nets to get a good look at the bucket, taking advantage of some horrendous transition effort from Golden State and an equally porous halfcourt defense.

Brooklyn never seemed more than one pass away from a good look at the basket in the first half, and took advantage of that with 26 first half assists. On the other side, the Warriors had just one player in double figures — 17 points off the bench from James Wiseman — as they got the doors blown off for the second straight night in New York City, which should be unacceptable for them no matter if Steph is there or not.

Earlier this holiday season, Phoebe Bridgers released “So Much Wine,” a poignant cover of The Handsome Family’s emotional Christmas ballad. Her peer Christian Lee Hutson unveiled a melancholy rendition of “Silent Night.” Now, Mac DeMarco is here to lift our spirits with a pleasant cover of “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.”

The “Chamber Of Reflection” singer covered “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” last year and covers a different Christmas song every year as a part of his tradition. “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” comes with an entertaining video of DeMarco riding on a motorcycle dressed in a large blow-up of Santa alongside Dan McNeill in a blow-up gingerbread man.

Earlier this year, DeMarco teamed up with Snail Mail for the unserious release “A Cuckhold’s Refrain – Peppermint Patty”: “I got the beef / You got the cheese / I’ll be the cuck / You be the tease,” Lindsey Jordan kicked off the song singing.

DeMarco also joined Domi & JD Beck on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon at the beginning of this month to perform the song “Two Shrimps.” He was featured on their debut album Not Tight, which was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the 2023 Grammys.

Watch the video for “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” above.

After changing his mind on retirement in March and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 22nd NFL season, Tom Brady hasn’t had many reasons to smile in 2022. The seven-time Super Bowl champion finalized a divorce from Gisele Bündchen, his wife of 13 years, in October. The Bucs have stumbled to a 6-8 record, and Brady uncharacteristically accounted for four turnovers in a 34-23 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, December 18.

Who did Brady call to help him get in the holiday spirit? The same person I’d call if I could: Snoop Dogg.

Snoop appeared on the December 19 episode of Let’s Go, Brady’s SiriusXM podcast with fellow NFL great Larry Fitzgerald and sportscaster Jim Gray. He serenaded Brady and Gray, both beaming like children, with an original Christmas carol.

“These nuts roasting on an open fire / Jack Frost nipping at the night,” Snoop sang while lighting a blunt. “It’s time for Jim Grady and TB to get away / But before they do / Roasting on a blunt, on an open fire / Jack Frost nipping at the smoke / Oh, Jim, oh, Tom / What a time that we had / Happy holidays from the D.O. Double G.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Brady asked Snoop to name the time he was most stoned in his life. “With Willie f*cking Nelson,” the new Death Row Records boss said. “We was in Amsterdam on 4/20.”

Watch clips from their conversation below.

Justin Bieber and The Kid Laroi have become close friends since taking over the charts with their July 2021 collaboration “Stay,” and it appears Bieber’s Canadian interests are rubbing off on his Australian protégé.

Bieber’s Drew House, co-founded alongside Ryan Good in 2019, unveiled a limited-edition collection with the Toronto Maple Leafs in September 2021, which put Bieber “on cloud 9.” The NHL team donned the Drew House reversible jersey for a March game against the New Jersey Devils — a 3-2 win, to sweeten the moment — where pieces where available to purchase at the team store inside Scotiabank Arena.

And even though it was billed as limited edition, the collection is the gift that keeps on giving. Drew House and the Leafs shared photos of Laroi posing as a hockey player at the physical Drew House, located in California’s San Fernando Valley, for photos taken by Bieber on Wednesday, December 21.

Laroi is sporting the grey logo tee with gloves and a helmet in most of the photos, with one photo featuring the 19-year-old in his signature sunglasses and an all-denim fit.

Last month, Bieber surprised fans at a Drew House pop-up in Tokyo. The groundbreaking artist disguised as Theodore, Drew House’s teddy bear mascot, and was all smiles after revealing his identity. Bieber has generally seemed to be in good spirits since postponing his Justice World Tour until at least March 25, 2023 to “rest and get better” after suffering from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome in June.

Remember when Ana de Armas was in Yesterday, the movie set in a grim post-apocalypse where The Beatles never made it big? If you don’t, you have a good excuse: She wasn’t in it. She was, however, in the trailer, prompting fans of the Knives Out and then-future Blonde star to rush out to see it — only to find that, much like the Fab Four in the film, she’d been mysteriously removed. To most, that wouldn’t be that big a deal; the trailer suggested her role would be supporting at best. But some, who only rented the film to see her, were so appalled they sued the distributor for false advertising. Now the suit is moving forward, which lawyers argue may make the makers of trailers extra paranoid about what footage they use.

As per Variety, a federal judge ruled that the lawsuit, filed by two de Armas fans — one from California, the other from Maryland — could move forward after Universal sought to get it thrown out. Universal lawyers argued two main points: that a trailer is an “artistic, expressive work,” and therefore protected by the First Amendment; and that trailers have long used footage that didn’t ultimately wind up in the movie. The original Jurassic Park teaser, for instance, featured no footage that made the final cut.

Lawyers also argued that classifying trailers as “commercial speech” could open the door to all manner of litigations, especially if audiences felt the trailer oversold the movie. (Some viewers in 2011 got litigious over the ads for Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn’s brooding art film thriller with Ryan Gosling, which they said made it look like a Fast and the Furious entry.)

Alas, the federal judge rejected those arguments and the case can now head for courts.

If you’re looking for someone to blame for having the stones to cut Ana de Armas out of any movie, don’t blame the filmmakers or the studio. Blame test screening audiences. The actress was supposed to play a celebrity (possibly herself) who’s serenaded by our hero (Himesh Patel), who’s found himself to be one of the only people on the planet who remember that The Beatles existed. Those viewers hated that Patel’s character would fall for someone who wasn’t the main love interest (Lily James) — but evidently had no problem with him fobbing off Beatles songs as his own.

And now they’ve not only gotten de Armas cut from a movie, they’ve also made movie trailer makers’ jobs harder.

You can watch the offending Yesterday trailer below. Ana de Armas’ bit starts around the 1:53 mark.

(Via Variety)

There’s an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

There’s no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

A team of researchers at UCI had been experimenting with nanowires for potential use in batteries, but found that over time the thin, fragile wires would break down and crack after too many charging cycles. A charge cycle is when a battery goes from completely full to completely empty and back to full again.

But one day, on a whim, Thai coated a set of gold nanowires in manganese dioxide and a Plexiglas-like electrolyte gel.

“She started to cycle these gel capacitors, and that’s when we got the surprise,” said Reginald Penner, chair of the university’s chemistry department. “She said, ‘this thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going.’ She came back a few days later and said ‘it’s been cycling for 30,000 cycles.’ That kept going on for a month.”

This discovery is mind-blowing because the average laptop battery lasts 300 to 500 charge cycles. The nanobattery developed at UCI made it though 200,000 cycles in three months. That would extend the life of the average laptop battery by about 400 years. The rest of the device would have probably gone kaput decades before the battery, but the implications for a battery that that lasts hundreds of years are pretty startling.

“The big picture is that there may be a very simple way to stabilize nanowires of the type that we studied,” Penner said. “If this turns out to be generally true, it would be a great advance for the community.” Not bad for just fooling around in the laboratory.