Category: News

Midway through the third quarter of Wednesday’s game between the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, Grayson Allen barreled into and pushed DeMar DeRozan after making contact with Patrick Williams. DeRozan immediately took exception to Allen’s action and shot back up to confront the sharpshooting wing before Wesley Matthews restrained him. A number of other players on both teams, along with the officials and a handful of others, helped keep DeRozan and Allen separated and diffuse the situation a bit.

After the game, which Chicago won in overtime, 119-113, DeRozan explained that Allen’s history of questionable — at best — plays was the basis for his frustration.

“It’s his track record,” DeRozan said when asked why he had such a strong reaction to this play. “If it was Boban (Marjanovic), I wouldn’t have done nothing.”

Dating back to his tenure at Duke, Allen’s long been involved in these sorts of plays where his contact always seem more than necessary and/or brazen. In fact, last season, his flagrant 2 on Bulls guard Alex Caruso, which led to Caruso breaking his wrist, earned Allen a one-game suspension.

Given Allen’s resume, and the fact 11 months ago he played a role in DeRozan’s teammate’s injury, it’s entirely understandable the veteran scorer responded the way he did.

As the old saying goes, Father Time is undefeated. LeBron James is doing his best to try and push back against that, but the Los Angeles Lakers star will turn 38 on Friday, which begs the question: How much longer will James continue to play basketball?

James was asked about this after the Lakers fell, 112-98, to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. One of his teammates, Dennis Schröder, claimed that James said he wanted to play until he was 45, and while James pushed back against the notion that he has a number on how much longer he wants to play, he did say that “as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute.”

“I’m a winner, and I want to win,” James said. “I want to win and get myself a chance to win and still compete for championships, that has always been my passion, that’s always been my goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio. And I know it takes steps to get there, but once you get there and you know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA. It’s not in my DNA anymore. So, we’ll see how happens and see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple of years.”

The one thing James has said is that he’d like to play alongside his eldest son, Bronny, who cannot enter the NBA until 2024 at the earliest. James said this after a loss that knocked the Lakers to 14-21 on the season, just months after he signed an extension that keeps him with the team through at least 2023-24 — his extension includes a player option for 2024-25.

With fewer than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the New Orleans Pelicans were staring down a five-point deficit against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who held possession. Then, Anthony Edwards committed turnover and fouled Zion Williamson 10 seconds later. Williamson made both free throws, which kickstarted a personal 14-8 run to propel New Orleans to a 119-118 victory over Minnesota.

The fourth-year forward scored a career-high 43 points, including 33 in the second half and the last 14 of the game for the Pelicans. His final bucket gave New Orleans a 118-116 lead before Minnesota tied it up. His final point inched the Pelicans ahead for good, as Edwards misfired on his game-winning attempt shortly after. He drilled a long ball, lofted in a floater, scooped in a finish, converted around Rudy Gobert, and snagged a steal for a run-out jam. Every bucket occurred across an 100-second span. It ruled. He rules.

The win was the Pelicans’ 22nd of the year. At 22-12, they’re currently half a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the West’s top seed. In his fourth season, Williamson is delivering on all of the hype that surrounded him pre-draft, and then some. He’s averaging 25.8 points (65.1 percent true shooting), seven rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals. He’s a lock for the All-Star Game, a surefire All-NBA contender and someone who might even end up receiving some MVP votes come springtime. Virtually every game he plays is must-watch television, and Wednesday’s dominance, particularly down the stretch, was exactly that.

DeMar DeRozan is the latest NBA player to confront Grayson Allen for something he did on the court. During Wednesday night’s game between the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks, Allen ran into Chicago’s veteran wing and sent him to the ground. DeRozan promptly popped up and immediately ran over to confront Allen before a pair of Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Wesley Matthews, intervened.

Eventually, a number of Bulls teammates and the officials got between them, while DeRozan continued to jaw at Allen. Both members of the Bulls’ broadcast crew, Adam Amin and Stacey King, tore into Allen, too, with Amin saying “every time something like this happens, his go-to, default setting, is to do something a little extra.” While there was a shove by Patrick Williams that got called a foul and led to Allen shooting a pair of free throws after things simmered down, the extra contact really seemed to upset DeRozan here.

Dating back to his days at Duke, Allen has had a number of high-profile incidents where he has been overly physical with opponents. His most recent one came against the Bulls last year, when a hard foul on Alex Caruso caused Chicago’s guard to lose control in mid-air and break his wrist. Allen received a 1-game suspension for the foul.

Looking for a meaningful way to engage a new audience, employees at the majestic Milwaukee Public Library began posting TikTok videos filled with clever pop culture references that also highlighted everything the library has to offer.

Below is one of their most popular ones, featuring a 90-year-old woman proudly sticking her tongue out (and flipping the bird) when told she can’t read manga.

@milwaukeepubliclibrary When you’re around I got arrhythmia (literally). I’m on multiple medications for it. #Girlfriend #HemlockeSprings #OldPeople #Elderly #Manga #Comics #Anime #fyp #FlippingOff #Birdie #MiddleFinger #FlipTheBird ♬ girlfriend – Hemlocke Springs

Because obviously mangas are cool to read at any age.

Another great one—grown-up Matilda, one of children literature’s most beloved bookworms, working her magic with library items.

@milwaukeepubliclibrary #Matilda #RoaldDahl #Trunchbull #MissHoney #MaraWilson #DannyDevito #ThurstonHarris #LittleBittyPrettyOne #BookTok #Librarian #Book #MatildaChallenge #SpecialCollections #Archives #fyp ♬ Little Bitty Pretty One – Thurston Harris

Seriously, kudos to the use of practical effects in this one.

And can you even have a TikTok without at least one Wednesday Addams dance video?

@milwaukeepubliclibrary I cruise though the city and I roam the street looking for this nice librarian. I need a book recommendation. #WednesdayAddams #Wednesday #TheAddamsFamily #JennaOrtega #WednesdayEdit #WednesdayVibes #TheRealPussinBoots#fypシシ#fyp ♬ Goo Goo Muck – The Cramps

With content this fresh and fun, it’s no wonder that Milwaukee Public Library’s TikTok has become an instant hit. Derek Reilly, the library’s data analyst and main camera man, told TODAY that within the first month alone, the page racked up a collective 5 million views. And now, it has close to 9 million followers. The once imposing building has become a welcoming and enticing destination for people, many of whom would travel to Milwaukee simply to visit its library. Other libraries from across the country have even reached out for tips on how to generate their own buzz.

Libraries everywhere, including Milwaukee, struggle with a decline in visitations, physical book checkouts and funding. These videos are a lighthearted way of encouraging much needed support.

@milwaukeepubliclibrary Try one or try them all #AEHolidayCard #LetsGo #IntuitTouchdownDance #LibraryTok #LibraryToks #LibraryTikTok #LibrariesForAll #LibrariesRock #BeautifulLibraries #BlackFriday #BlackFridayDeals #fypシ #fyp ♬ LETS GO – LevitatingOnTheMoonWithDulaPee

Besides nailing TV and movie nods, Milwaukee Public Library’s TikTok page really captures the type of experience visitors are in for the moment they step through those doors—everything from interactions with a lively, vibrant staff to the feeling of that first library card in the palm of your hand, and all of the possibilities that come with it.

These are all things that the internet, even with its many attributes, simply cannot provide. That’s why these spaces need to live on. Until we really do become a society of cyborgs, human beings will crave visceral experiences. We’ll crave fun. Despite what you might initially think, libraries offer this and so much more. And what’s more, they do it for free.

If you’d like to follow along with Milwaukee Public Library’s shenanigans, you can find them on Instagram and Tiktok.

Late in the second quarter of Wednesday’s game between the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons, Orlando was seconds away from committing a turnover. With Moe Wagner presumably shielding the ball to prevent any Pistons from scooping it up and starting a fast break, Killian Hayes was in hot pursuit. As Hayes caught up to Wagner, the 6’11 big man dealt out quite the blow with his forearm, which sent Hayes stumbling into Detroit’s bench.

Hayes immediately took exception to Wagner’s actions and leaped off his seat for retaliation, clubbing Wagner in the back of the head with the side of his fist, despite his coaches trying to restrain him. From there, Hayes’ teammates trickled in, followed by Wagner’s Magic teammates. It was a mess, full of pushing, shoving, and many people trying to separate others and avoid further conflict. The benches cleared and tempers flared. More than just Hayes and Wagner were animated with one another. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley was held back at one point as well.

One angle shows how cleanly Hayes connected with the back of Wagner’s head, which sent the Magic big man tumbling into Detroit’s bench.

After a few minutes of deliberation from officials, a flagrant 2 was issued to Wagner, who was also ejected. Hayes and Hamidou Diallo — the latter of whom pushed Wagner before Hayes reached him — are also done for the night.

Given the NBA’s precedent on incidents like this, one would imagine some suspensions will be announced in the coming days, perhaps for both sides involved.

When GOP candidate George Santos won a right-leaning-ish area of eastern New York City and Long Island, no one much batted an eye. But over the last week and change, he’s become a household name. The incoming representative was accused of lying about his job history, his livelihood, his heritage, and much else. He even admitted as such. Now, mere weeks before he’s set to be sworn into Congress, he’s under federal investigation.

As per Mediaite, investigators in Nassau County, New York have launched an investigation into Santos’ false statements and dodgy allegations. Among his tall tales was that he worked at the financial groups Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. (He didn’t.) He also lied about his education, his residences, even that he’s Jewish. (He later stated that he meant he’s “Jew-ish.”)

Santos’ attempts to clear his name, or at least spin his dishonesty, have not gone well so far. Even when he made an appearance by a presumably friendly Fox News, he wound up being grilled by Tucker Carlson sit-in (and former Democrat) Tulsi Gabbard. She did not hurl softballs his way, instead holding his feet over the fire. Her merciless interview didn’t prompt much GOP backlash, apart from some predictably aggro words from Marjorie Taylor Greene, who seems less angry Santos lied than that he was held accountable.

(Via Mediaite)

TikTok is an ever-changing platform with trends that are impossible to keep up with. It’s hard to tell who started what because trends spread so rapidly. However, in a new interview with Kick Game, Jason Derulo is trying to take credit for not just a TikTok trend, but the entire transformation of the app.

Derulo discusses how it started off as a dancing app, and it wasn’t until he “started to introduce other things” that it changed. He explained that he noticed young people were using the app, and he wanted to check it out, but he didn’t start until the pandemic when he had time on his hands. He currently boasts 56.8 million TikTok followers.

“I had fun with it, honestly. It was a dance app at first. It being a dance app, I felt like, I don’t know if this is gonna work. Everybody doesn’t like to dance,” he said. “So I was like, ‘Let me start posting other sh*t.’ I tried to post a photo, that didn’t work. People was like, ‘What the f*ck is this?’ Then I started to post random story-like videos. That didn’t work.”

He continued, “What worked was when I was posting things that was more fun. Things that showed another side of me, you know what I’m saying? I was like, ‘Okay, this is a moment where I can be a leader and do something that’s totally different on the app.’ I think it changed the app forever because TikTok used to be just a dance app, and it wasn’t until I started to introduce other things that it became the app that it is today. And to this day, TikTok pays me…” He was about to share a dollar amount, but instead said, “Let me not say that.”

When pressed for specific tips for going viral on TikTok, Derulo emphasized that “lighting is everything” and “be organic to yourself.”

Watch the interview above. The TikTok talk begins around the 14-minute mark.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Teachers deserve all the kudos, high fives, raises, accolades, prizes and thanks for everything they do. Even if they just stuck to academics alone, they’d be worth far more than they get, but so many teachers go above and beyond to teach the whole child, from balancing equations to building character qualities.

One way dedicated educators do that is by developing relationships and building rapport with their students. And one surefire way to build rapport is to dance with them.

A viral video shared by an assistant principal at Sumner High School & Academy in Riverview, Florida shows a group of students gathered around one student as he challenges a teacher to a dance-off.

“Our 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break,” wrote assistant principal Natalie McClain. “Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win.”

The teacher, Ms. Yolanda Turner, took the challenge—and the students went wild.

Watch:

u201cOur 8th grade Stingrays having a well deserved exam dance break. Of course our teachers are ending 2022 with a win. Love my Stingrays ud83dudc99ud83dudc9a Happy Holidays @HCPS_SumnerHSu201d

— Natalie.McClain (@Natalie.McClain)
1671796331

The student really thought he had her, didn’t he? It looked as if his soul left his body when he tapped her shoulders and then realized what he’d done. But to her credit, she took it in stride and took him out with her dance moves.

“The music was on, all the kids were pumped,” Turner told Fox 13. “So it was like, let’s have a dance challenge. So I’m like, okay, all right, so everybody’s having fun. And I said, ‘I’m going to tap in. I’m going to tap into the dance.'”

“I really try to emphasize for kids to be their authentic selves and to really never be afraid to express who they are no matter who’s watching,” she told the outlet.

This dance-off video is a prime example of how schools can be places of joyful connection in addition to academic achievement. Gaining students’ respect doesn’t require being a stuffy authoritarian hard nose, and students generally respond better to teachers they genuinely care for. Meeting them where they are is one of the best ways to reach kids and creating experiences that include for silliness and fun is one of the best ways to keep them engaged.

Plus, who doesn’t need to blow off a little steam in between exams? What a lovely example of striking a balance between academic rigor and modeling healthy stress relief. Well done, Ms. Turner.

The Weeknd owned the first major drop of 2022 — a year marked by A-list album releases — with Dawn FM on January 7. He ended 2022 on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences Best Original Song shortlist for “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” his contribution to the Avatar: The Way Of Water soundtrack.

The Weeknd squeezed plenty of other notable things in the intervening months, such as embarking on his After Hours Til Dawn Tour and hyping up The Idol, but it appears he will start 2023 by looping back to how he started 2022.

Over the last 24 hours, the diamond-certified artist has posted a 2022 collage and an After Hours Til Dawn Tour hype video with the caption, “xo bout to F*ck up 2023.” In response to the video, one fan tweeted, “dawn fm almost a year old, how do you feel?” The Weeknd responded, “i feel istheresomeoneelsemusicvideo-ish.”

“Is There Someone Else?” is the 10th of 16 Dawn FM tracks. The lovesick, paranoid slow-burner received a lyric video upon Dawn FM‘s release, and The Weeknd performed it as part of his “The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience” Amazon special in March. But it’s safe to assume that “Is There Someone Else?” will soon get the full cinematic treatment. The Jim Carrey- and Hoyeon Jung-assisted “Out Of Time” video set the bar high, but The Weeknd never has trouble exceeding the standard.