Category: News

Nashville (by way of Naples, Florida) singer Terry Presume has been building a buzz with catchy singles like “Did Me Wrong” and “ZaZa And Some Runtz” and is gearing up to release a new EP titled What Box? on July 29. The latest single from the upcoming project is the encouraging “None Of This Alone,” for which he’s also released a video. The simple video features Terry singing the uplifting lyrics as they appear on the screen while he roams the streets of LA’s Chinatown and lies on train tracks.

The unabashedly joyful track follows “ZaZa and Some Runtz” in Presume’s string of genre-less, earnest songs, while the tracklist of What Box? also includes “Don’t Wait Forever,” “Personal,” and “Swimming.” Terry switches from exuberant raps to soulful rock to no-filter folk throughout his small but growing catalog, making him an interesting figure with a promising future as more fans catch on to his music thanks to his recent move to Los Angeles and willingness to push the boundaries of what’s expected of Black boys from South Florida — the very ethos of his What Box? project title.

Watch Terry Presume’s ‘None Of This Alone’ video above.

What Box? is due 7/29 via September Recordings.

One month into the season, the middle of the WNBA pack is (still) verty tight. Two games separate fourth place and a single-round bye in the playoffs from 11th place and missing the cut. Nearly every team (sorry, Indiana Fever) has to feel like it’s in range to make a deep run into October.

There’s good reason, too. Most franchises in this range have been playing without a significant contributor who’s due back. The Mystics are awaiting Elena Delle Donne’s return, the Liberty are nearing Natasha Howard’s clearance to play, Diana Taurasi could be back as soon as this weekend for the Mercury, and Nneka Ogwumike is in line to play before the Olympic break for the Sparks.

So with all that in consideration, let’s talk about all 12 teams ranked by their performance now, and what they could be when they’re at full strength.

1. Seattle Storm (12-3)

Despite the loss to the extremely short-handed Mystics, I’m not ready to bump Seattle down yet. Jewell Loyd is playing on another level this season averaging a career-high 19.1 points on 46.4 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 percent shooting from 3-point range. Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird have looked sharp, too. Two of the team’s three losses have come by a combined five points, and the third blowout loss to the Aces came one game after blowing Las Vegas out first. Their Sunday afternoon rematch in Vegas could move the needle.

2. Las Vegas Aces (10-3)

The Aces are on a five-game win-streak, and three have come by double-digits. The Aces are rolling now with A’ja Wilson, Liz Cambage, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Dearica Hamby, and Kelsey Plum all playing well together. They could claim the top spot with a win over Seattle this weekend.

3. Connecticut Sun (9-5)

It’s hard to read too much into Connecticut’s last four games (1-3) because Jonquel Jones didn’t play in any of them. She’s still dominating competition at EuroBasket for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hopefully, she returns soon, though. The Chicago Sky are creeping up.

4. Chicago Sky (8-7)

We didn’t need any more evidence that Candace Parker is one of the best ever, but the Sky’s sudden six-game win-streak since her return from a sprained ankle tells the story itself. Chicago missed her presence as a versatile defender, quick decision-maker, and relentless scorer when called upon. The panic for the Sky is over. They’re undefeated this season so long as the two-time MVP plays.

5. Washington Mystics (7-6)

It’s hard not to be excited about the Mystics’ win over the Storm on Tuesday. They were without the injured Natasha Cloud and Myisha Hines-Allen, while Delle Donne and Emma Meesseman remained sidelined as well. Yet it didn’t matter. Tina Charles was unbelievable in her second consecutive 30+ points, 15+ rebounds game, and newly-named Olympian Ariel Atkins co-starred with 10 points and six assists. Washington is a solid team now, and can be an even bigger threat when its roster gets healthy.

6. Phoenix Mercury (6-7)

They’re just 4-5 since Taurasi’s injury, but with the league’s all-time leading scorer likely to return on Sunday, things could turn around quickly for Phoenix. It’s worth noting that four of those five losses were by two possessions or less. Skylar Diggins-Smith (19.2 points and 5.5 assists per game) and Brittney Griner (19.6 points and 10.1 rebounds) are having tremendous seasons, and the floor could open up even more for them with Taurasi back out there.

7. Dallas Wings (6-8)

There are nights when the Wings look like the WNBA’s next big thing, and others where their inexperience shows. That’s to be expected with a roster of young 20-somethings. Still, Dallas’s plethora of scoring weapons should scare the rest of the league. They have a pair of wins over the Mercury and another over the Storm, and I wouldn’t want to see them in a single-elimination game.

8. Minnesota Lynx (6-7)

The Lynx have left a lot to desire still, but injuries and late arrivals haven’t helped. Aerial Powers (thumb) and Natalie Achonwa (knee) are still sidelined indefinitely. A comeback win against the Dream was needed on Wednesday, and Sylvia Fowles’ dominant 26-point, 19-rebound showing is reason enough to buy into Minnesota’s potential.

9. New York Liberty (7-7)

With Sabrina Ionescu slumping as she returns from her ankle injury, and Howard still days from returning from her knee sprain, the Liberty aren’t in the place they once were. Their 5-1 start always felt a bit fluky, but it’s still tough to judge where exactly New York falls into the playoff race. Remember, this was a 2-20 team last season, and should have growing pains. We’ll see if they can fight through them.

10. Atlanta Dream (5-8)

It’s a shame we’ve hardly seen Chennedy Carter and Tiffany Hayes on the floor together. Health has also played a part in Atlanta’s so-so start to the year. Carter is only just returning from an elbow injury. If Atlanta is able to stay in the playoff mix, Courtney Williams is likely the main reason why. She is probably weeks away from her first All-Star game.

11. Los Angeles Sparks (5-7)

With Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike sidelined and Jasmine Walker out for the year, it’s been a tough start to the season for L.A. The bright side of the injury situation is that others have had to step up, and Erica Wheeler has been tremendous. In her last three games, she’s scored 55 points on 22-of-46 shooting with 22 assists and just eight turnovers. When the Ogwumike sisters return, maybe the Sparks have a run in them.

12. Indiana Fever (1-14)

Yeah. There’s a lot of work to be done here. Please, Indy, start playing your first- and second-year players more.

Strange Planet creator Nathan Pyle is teaming up with comedy-legend Dan Harmon (Community, Rick and Morty) to bring his quirky and poignant webcomic to Apple TV+. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple has issued a 10-episode, straight-to-series order for an animated series based on Pyle’s webcomic turned best-selling graphic novel. As of right now, no release date has been announced.

In addition to Pyle and Harmon, Amalia Levari (Over the Garden Wall, Bravest Warriors) will be working on Strange Planet as its showrunner. The animated series will be produced by Apple’s in-house studio, with ShadowMachine — the studio behind Netflix’s BoJack Horseman — providing animation. Strange Planet marks the second animated series to get the green light over at Apple TV+, following the musical comedy series Central Park, the second season of which is scheduled to premiere on June 25.

Created in 2019, Nathan Pyle’s Strange Planet is a webcomic that follows vaguely-humanoid, blue aliens that aren’t so different from us. The series draws attention to the bizarre and wholesome things humans do through clever observation and has garnered countless laughs and over 6.1 million followers of the comic on Instagram. Whether the animated series will follow one of these aliens in particular, or be vignettes of different individuals and their stories, has yet to be confirmed.

LFG (HBO Max film) — This documentary film presents an unflinching look at the fight by U.S. women’s soccer team members (Megan Rapinoe, Jessica McDonald, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara, Sam Mewis, and more) for equal pay. This battle takes a look behind the curtain of the 2019 class-action, gender discrimination lawsuit (filed against the U.S. Soccer Federation) mere months before the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Expect to see the legal fight coverage interspersed with transcendent athleticism while the documentary highlights how these women’s courage will hopefully lead to society-wide change that hasn’t been seen since Title IX.

Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell (Peacock Limited Series) — The alleged ringleader of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking exploits gets the docuseries treatment here. Once a powerful heiress and socialite, this series will explore her world of power, sex, and money (the story is told through unseen Maxwell family footage and dozens of candid interviews) that culminated in her arrest and impending trial on sex trafficking charges.

Holey Moley 3D in 2D (ABC, 9:00pm) — This new season of holes (yes, that’s right) includes a Corny Hole, a North Pole on the Ho Ho Hole, and Holey Matrimony. These puns never get old for the contestants or the audience.

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Season 6 (Paramount+) — The global phenomenon is streaming in full-force tonight as 13 contestants return after making a mark across 10 seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The $100,000 top prize will be up for grabs by Chad Michaels, Alaska Thunderf*ck 5000, Trixie Mattel, Trinity the Tuck, and more.

Godzilla Singular Point (Netflix anime series) — A grad student and an engineer team up to battle an unimaginable and ominous force that could very well bring down the globe. This Godzilla design arrives courtesy of legendary Ghibli animator Eiji Yamamori, and more character designs come from Blue Exorcist‘s Kazue Kato.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Robert Duvall, JP Saxe, John Mayer

Late Night With Seth Meyers — John Cena, Kristen Schaal, Kristina Schiano

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Liam Neeson, Anthony Ramos

In case you missed this streaming pick from last Thursday:

iCarly (Paramount+ series) — This revival series picks up a decade following the beloved Nickelodeon classic with Miranda Cosgrove returning as the title character, who happens to be the O.G. webcast influencer. She’s accompanied by returning stars Jerry Trainor and Nathan Kress, so the whole gang’s getting back together for more comedic mishaps and adventures while fans can enjoy seeing where these characters ended up for a new chapter.

Ben Simmons has become a leading topic around the sports world for the past week after he became the focal point of the Sixers’ collapse against the Hawks. Simmons is an easy target, as his shortcomings are the most obvious of any in basketball, because his greatest weakness is that he can’t (and won’t) shoot the ball.

That came into focus with him posting four straight fourth quarters without a single field goal attempt, with his refusal to take a wide open dunk in Game 7 serving as the shining example of his issues. Many have pointed out that Simmons seems to have a mental block, but Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, as he so often is, was extremely direct in pointing out what he sees as what is holding Simmons back in a way that others who struggle shooting are able to move past — citing Giannis Antetokounmpo as an example — in a recent interview with Tyler R. Tynes of GQ.

You guys have been looking at Ben Simmons for five years now? And you can say this to Stephen A. Smith, too: Y’all know he can’t shoot. Y’all know he don’t look to shoot in the fourth quarter. You know he’s afraid to go to the foul line, he don’t wanna be humiliated, so what are you asking me? I’m not against Ben Simmons. But I think he is who he is.

I watched a lot of games that Doc [Rivers] shouldn’t have had him in, in the fourth quarter. If I give you a deck of cards and I give you a deuce of heart and a deuce of diamond, and we playing Spades, why you keep grabbing those cards when you know you’re gonna lose in that category? This kid been this way the whole time and Doc brought him in and set him up for failure. He been like this! And you guys know he been like this. And Doc kept putting him in the game, he kept letting that team do fouls on him. Take him out the game! The Lakers did it with Shaq, and he’s bigger and more dominant and probably more fearless than Ben Simmons. Doc made him be a failure.

He’s still a good basketball player. That’s his weakness: shooting the basketball. If you take that away from Ben Simmons, he got no weakness. That’s Giannis’ weakness, too. But, Giannis don’t mind being humiliated. That’s the difference between him and Ben Simmons. Giannis will go to the free throw line and shoot two fucking airballs and come right down the court the next time and try and dunk on you. If Ben Simmons miss a free throw, he gonna start passing it before he get to the free throw line on the other end. He didn’t even wanna cross half court with the basketball because he was so afraid of being humiliated going to that foul line. That’s why he didn’t try to make that dunk at the end of the game. He’s been doing it all year, bro.

You’d be hard pressed to make a real argument against Pippen’s point here, as Simmons certainly seems to want nothing to do with the possibility of free throws in late game situations. The Giannis point is a really interesting one, because it is the closest thing we have to similar star-level player in the NBA. Giannis can be stubborn and defiant to the point of being a detriment to the Bucks with his shooting, but that’s a better problem to have than someone who won’t even attack the rim for fear of getting fouled. As Pippen notes, Simmons is an excellent player, but there are going to be situations where he just might not be able to be out there if he’s not going to push through the possibility of being humiliated at the free throw line.

That’s an understandable thing to want to avoid — no person wants to be embarrassed — but figuring out how to push past it and not let it take you out of your game completely is a necessary step for Simmons to ever break through this current ceiling that seems to be on him. Pippen uses more colorful language and is more direct about it than most would be, but that’s kind of the beauty of having him speak on things. The entire interview is great, as they dive into his relationship with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and much more.

Could the cold case of the Zodiac Killer finally be solved? If French engineer Fayçal Ziraoui is to be believed, the identity of the infamous serial killer who terrorized Northern California throughout the late ‘60s and into the early ‘70s—and whose story made one hell of a David Fincher movie—has been hiding in plain sight for more than half a century.

Ziraoui, according to The New York Times, has never met a challenge he didn’t want to conquer. “I’ve never set limits on what I can learn,” the Argenteuil, France-based business consultant told the Times. So when he learned, back in December, that there were still two ciphers from the Zodiac that had yet to be solved, he decided that he would be the man to do it. Sounds easy enough…

Fast forward two weeks—yes, two weeks—and Ziraoui claims to have accomplished what he set out to do using an encryption key and some innovative codebreaking skills.

But what exactly does one do when they believe they’ve identified one of the world’s most notorious serial killers, who eluded authorities for decades? Post about it on the internet, obviously. And post he did—to lots of online groups full of armchair detectives just like him and crime websites. The response, however, was not exactly what Ziraoui was expecting. As SFGate reports:

In January, Fayçal Ziraoui began posting on a popular forum where sleuths dissect theories about the Zodiac Killer, who murdered five people in the Bay Area from 1968-69. Ziraoui’s long, detailed posts describe the process by which he says he cracked two of Zodiac’s unsolved ciphers, known as Z13 and Z32. Z13 was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1970 and says “My name is” followed by 13 letters and symbols. Z32 was also received by the Chronicle in 1970, along with a letter threatening to “wipe out a school bus” and an annotated map of Mount Diablo.

Ziraoui used the key that finally unlocked Zodiac’s 340 cipher last December and made a number of substitutions. He says the results came to him in just two weeks. He claims the longer code reads, “LABOR DAY FIND 45.069 NORT 58.719 WEST,” and the shorter one is the name “KAYR,” which Ziraoui deduced is similar to Kane, the name of longtime Zodiac suspect Lawrence Kane.

(KAYR is also kind of close to CRUZ, too, no?)

Though Ziraoui now realizes the err of his ways in attempting to infiltrate a tight-knit community of crime solvers, and brazenly claim that it took him just a few days to solve a puzzle they’ve been attempting to figure out for years, he’s still convinced that he has successfully put the case to rest.

Kane’s name is a familiar one to both police and to those who have followed the case closely. Though he was never officially named as a suspect, one detective—the late Harvey Hines—was convinced of Kane’s guilt, but couldn’t get his bosses to buy it.

Kane, meanwhile, passed away in 2010.

As for Ziraoui: He has determined that cracking the case was the easy part. “The most difficult thing is to convince people.” We’ll raise an Aqua Velva to that!

(Via The New York Times)

Matt Martin, 28, of Dallas, Texas has created a bit of a stir on the internet for writing a piece on marriage published by Love What Matters. Martin is a performer who wrote, directed, and starred in a 2016 version of “Little Mermaid” and wrote 2018’s “Inhumane” starring Michelle Money.

In his piece, the father of young twin boys, stresses that a marriage is between two people (possibly three) and that children should not come first. Martin starts the article by claiming that a marriage is between two people and God and that their relationship should take precedence over all others.

“My Aunt Steph, one of the smartest, most blunt people I know, told me before I got married, ‘People say you marry the family too. That’s not true. Your marriage is between you two.’ I’m not saying your family isn’t important. I value my family a lot (not as much as my wife does, but still…). You need them to lean on when life gets hard and to lift you guys up, but I didn’t marry her mom and she didn’t marry my dad. We had to learn to go to each other first when life threw us curveballs, instead of instinctually going to our parents. We’re a family now, and that family comes first.”

Martin believes that being married and having children shouldn’t prevent you from achieving your personal goals. In fact, our partners are here to support us in achieving them.

Personally, I think this is a very important point in a relationship. If your spouse is a hindrance to you achieving your personal goals instead of a source of support, there may be serious troubles in your relationship.

Our pastor told us in a pre-marital counseling session, that as a couple we’d have goals, and as individuals we would have goals. To succeed as a couple, we would both tackle those goals. Sometimes I would be the captain (like when tackling mine) and sometimes Sara would be. But we’d both be working towards that goal. That’s the beauty of marriage. You’ve got this life partner to raise you up. Like Kim and Kanye.

This is the part that has people talking:

A big humongous monstrosity of a lesson I’ve learned that I PRAY that all of you will strongly take into consideration, is that your kids do not come first. Our kids are sooo important and are the future and all that fun jazz, but what’s best for them is a beautiful example of two people who love each other (and God). Another great thing for them to know is that they are not the center of the universe. Sorry if you’re reading this in the future, Jack and Cam and any other children we may have had, but you’re not the center of my universe. Sometimes I’ve wanted you to be really badly, but that’s not going to do you any favors, and it won’t do me any favors when you leave home (please leave home). You can’t put your spouse on the back burner for eighteen years and then say ‘Oh, hey, you can be my number one again.’

Here, Martin makes an important point about parenting. He believes that raising children who believe they are the center of the universe is bad for them in the long run. It’s true. Children who are raised thinking they should be catered to are going to learn some very hard lessons when they become an adult.

When parents cater to a child’s every whim it leads to a sense of entitlement that, as an adult, can result in depression and poor relationships.

The piece stirred up a passionate discussion on the Batdad Facebook page where some agreed that marriage should be the primary relationship in a family, while others think that a child’s needs come first.

Some believe that putting your marriage first creates a better environment where children can thrive.

“A marriage needs to come first. An unstable home is detrimental to children’s psychological and emotional wellbeing. My spouse and I will make our children wait for our attention of we are having a discussion that is important … I prioritize my marriage and my children flourish and thrive because of it,” — Natalie

“I feel like you should put yourself first before your kids. If you aren’t in a good place, it will reflect onto everything else,” — Christine

While others believe that adults should put their needs second to those of their kids.

“Sanctimonious at best…. my wife and I have always put our children first…. we have love and mutual respect for each other and that will never change! But raising our children will always be a priority because it’s a job that transcends anything else…. if you’re married to someone who insists that they are a priority over the children you both brought into this world…. is basically selfish … self absorbed and self centered!” — Jeff

“My kids will always be first. My husband is an adult who can take care of himself and who understands when my kids need me. We still make time to watch movies together and be with each other,” — Olivia

You can read Martin’s entire piece at Love What Matters.

Earlier this month, former president of the National Rifle Association David Keene and pro-gun writer John Lott gave prepared speeches for the graduating class of James Madison Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada. In what they understood to be a dress rehearsal, they spoke to empty chairs about Madison’s writing of the second amendment and encouraged students to push back on gun control legislation.

They didn’t know they were speaking to students at a school that doesn’t exist. And they didn’t know that they would ultimately be giving their speeches to 3,044 empty chairs, representing the students who would have been graduating this year if they hadn’t been killed in acts of gun violence.

Parents of Joaquin Oliver, a student killed in the Parkland school shooting in 2018, orchestrated the dupe to create a series of PSAs about gun violence and the gun lobby. Oliver’s father, Manuel, told Buzzfeed News, “We lost Joaquin three months before his graduation. We know exactly the feeling of being there and receiving the diploma without your kid being there. Because we understand that, we know there are a lot of people going through that same experience right now.”

Here’s the first PSA of “The Lost Class,” showing David Keene speaking interspersed with recordings of 911 calls from people seeking emergency help during school shootings:

Lost Class 1/3

www.youtube.com

The effect is haunting. Knowing that the “students” Keene is speaking to about achieving their dreams will never have the chance because they were shot and killed hits home as we hear the terror in the voices of those 911 callers.

The second PSA, featuring John Lott:

The Lost Class 2/3

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And the third, featuring Patricia and Manual Oliver, the parents of a school shooting victim, explaining the purpose in putting together the hoax.

The Lost Class 3/3

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“We are here representing every single kid that is not able to finish high school,” Manuel said.

“People deny the actual reality,” Patricia added. “And we cannot allow them to deny it because this is real. This is happening.”

The powerful PSAs were shared by Change the Ref, the organization the Olivers founded after the Parkland shooting to empower and inspire future leaders to speak out and take action.

“We need to call them out, we need to show everyone — this is how they process the logic behind the gun industry,” Manuel Oliver told Buzzfeed. “We need to show we’re brave and we’re not afraid of these guys. We’ve already felt the worst possible situation. There’s no threat that can make me feel different.”

The Olivers encourage people to sign the petition at thelostclass.com to demand that lawmakers pass laws requiring universal background check laws.

If Keene and Lott had done their own basic background checks when asked to speak to students at James Madison Academy, they could have saved themselves some embarrassment. If implemented properly, universal firearm background checks might actually save lives. It’s gun legislation that the vast majority Americans already support, so hopefully this powerful message will get through to lawmakers, even if it does nothing to convince the gun lobby that their time has passed.

At one point, the 2021 NBA free agent class looked like it was going to be immense, but due to a number of players signing contract extensions, that isn’t necessarily the case. Still, there are some pretty good players who are free to change teams in the coming months, with Spencer Dinwiddie among the names on that list.

Dinwiddie is slated to hit free agency after declining to pick up his player option for the 2021-22 campaign with the Brooklyn Nets. He’d be a good fit for a number of teams that could use a lead ball-handler/playmaker, although according to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, Dinwiddie would like one of two things to happen.

Dinwiddie, however, is unlikely to return to the Nets after taking a below-market-value three-year deal worth $34 million. A source told The Daily News the combo guard wants to go home, or “wants the bag.”

“Home is the preferred destination,” the source told The Daily News. “But he wants to secure his financial future, too.”

A native of Los Angeles, it’s not hard to imagine how Dinwiddie would be a great fit on either the Clippers or Lakers, as both teams could use someone who can either initiate the offense or play next to their collections of stars, should he opt to go to one of those teams. Dinwiddie is coming off of a torn ACL that forced him to miss all but three games this season.

Skrillex fans have had to wait six years since the producer’s last official album, though he has shared a number of remixes and collaborations in that time with the likes of Justin Bieber, Diplo, Ty Dolla Sign, Kanye West, FKA Twigs, and more. But the acclaimed beatmaker has recently begun to tease the beginning of a new era of music with a handful of recent singles. Following up on his Four Tet and Starrah collaboration “Butterflies,” Skrillex returns with a haunting visual to accompany the track.

The thumping single provides an eerie atmosphere for the “Butterflies” visual as it follows a close-knit group of ghosts joyfully reuniting and making their way through city streets. Towards the visual’s close, the music cuts out to focus on dialogue between two of the main characters. In the heated exchange, one individual reprimands the other for being unresponsive over text, while the other defends themselves by explaining that they’re struggling with mental health. After a heartwarming embrace, the duo return to moving through their emotive choreography.

The “Butterflies” visual marks Skrillex’s second-released video of the year. It follows his raucous “Too Bizarre” video, which saw the producer returning to his emo roots by throwing a rowdy DIY show featuring Swae Lee and Siiickbrain.

Watch Skrillex’s “Butterflies” video above.

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