Category: News

LeBron James has missed the last five games after aggravating his sprained right ankle that kept him out for more than a month in March and April. The Lakers have been able to tread water at 3-2 without James in this most recent absence, with all three wins being impressive ones over strong playoff teams in the Nuggets, Suns, and Knicks.

Anthony Davis is playing some of his best basketball of the season during this stretch, and the expectation was for James to make his return on Wednesday night for banner night at Staples Center against the Houston Rockets. However, word emerged on Wednesday afternoon that was unlikely to be the case, with LeBron confirming the news on his Twitter account shortly after Chris Haynes of Yahoo reported he wasn’t likely to play.

As LeBron notes, he’s going to be front and center to raise that banner, the 17th for the Lakers and first of James’ tenure in L.A. However, it does beg the question of just how severe James’ injury is and how much pain he’s still dealing with as the playoffs and the play-in are rapidly approaching. Anthony Davis had said LeBron looked great in practices and given that the Rockets are one of the league’s worst teams, there’s a good chance that L.A. can win this game without James and without too much stress. Still, given that it’s banner night, you know James wanted to be out there, but the chase for a fifth ring supersedes his desire to put on a show for the fans on their delayed celebration of last year’s title.

All that matters is that LeBron is able to be a full go come playoff time, and if that means he doesn’t return until Saturday against the Pacers (or later), the Lakers will be as cautious as possible to make sure he’s ready to give it 100 percent come the postseason.

Victor Oladipo’s 2020-21 season has come to an end. According to the Miami Heat, Oladipo, who the team acquired at the trade deadline from the Houston Rockets, needs to undergo surgery on his right quadriceps tendon, which will take place on Thursday in New York.

It is a heartbreaking turn of events for Oladipo, who tore the same quad back in Jan. 2019 when he was a member of the Indiana Pacers. In that time, the All-Star guard briefly returned to Indiana for a spell in the 2019-20 season before finding himself on the move several times this year. The Pacers sent him to Houston in the trade that netted them Caris LeVert, and after 20 games, the Rockets moved him to Miami. He suited up for the Heat for four games before getting sidelined with an injury.

Oladipo has not looked like the All-Star he was before his injury, averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in 32.7 minutes per game for those three teams while connecting on 40.8 percent of his attempts from the field. To make matters worse, Oladipo is getting this surgery right before he hits unrestricted free agency, and had reportedly turned down contract extensions in Indiana and Houston with an eye on getting a lucrative payday this summer.

After T-Pain found out that he missed out on dozens of conversations with fellow celebrities due to his unawareness of Instagram’s requested DMs folder, he decided to hold a town hall on Instagram Live, inviting Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to discuss ways to improve the app’s DM feature (Facebook is the parent company of Instagram). T-Pain also brought on many of those whose DMs he missed, finally responding to them on such topics as the various collaborations they’ve worked on and Usher’s upcoming Vegas residency, which had its own viral moment recently.

Explaining why Instagram instituted the request folder, Zuckerberg told T-Pain, “The reason we have the ‘request feature’ is to prevent bullying or spam and other unwanted interactions — to be able to filter that out. Ideally, we should be able to figure out who the other people who might be sending you messages are who should get into that. The feature isn’t quite as advanced today as hopefully, it [will be] in the future.” Pain agreed that it’s a good idea for a multitude of reasons but pointed out how his recent trouble highlighted how sorting out potential spam also caused him to miss messages from famous friends, fans, collaborators, and potential business partners like Diplo, Fergie, Viola Davis, and ESPN.

Over the course of the town hall, T-Pain also teased collaborations with Rich The Kid and Kehlani, playing the latter in entirety and announcing its release this Friday.

You can watch the full livestream via the embedded Instagram post above.

Oxygen (Netflix film) — Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D, Horns) brings this survival thriller to Netflix. Mélanie Laurent (6 Underground, Inglourious Basterds) stars as a woman who has no idea why she’s waking up in a cryogenic pod. She’s running out of oxygen, fast, all while attempting to find her way out of this awful situation.

The Upshaws (Netflix series) — Mike Epps and Kim Fields star in this sitcom about a Black working class family, but of course, family life is wayyy messier than it initially seems. Wanda Sykes not only co-created this show but stars as a sardonic sister-in-law, and hopefully, they’ll get through this together.

Kung Fu (CW, 8:00pm) — A mid-twenties Chinese-American woman takes a life-changing journey to an isolated Chinese monastery. Upon her return, she must banish crime and corruption in her hometown with newfound martial arts skills and Shaolin values. This week, Jin and Lei-Li go on a surprise date, and Nicky must change plans after her weapon-retrieval mission doesn’t go as planned.

Nancy Drew (CW, 9:00pm) — Ace and Nancy are at odds, and then a stranger at The Claw starts looking for Nancy. It turns out that he’s a mysterious billionaire.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Senator Elizabeth Warren, David Boreanaz

Jimmy Kimmel Live — Wanda Sykes, Max Minghella, Mod Sun Ft. Avril Lavigne

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Dave Chappelle, Nikki Glaser, J.PERIOD Ft. Black Thought & Tiffani Gouché

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Sharon Stone, Matthew Rhys

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Aidy Bryant, Barry Jenkins

In case you missed this pick from last Wednesday:

The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness — (Netflix limited series) — Netflix continues to delve deeper into the true crime realm with new selections every month, from the ongoing Unsolved Mysteries revival to bingeworthy limited series like Murder Among The Mormons and Joe Berlinger’s haunting Crime Scene anthology show. Now, the streamer is taking on the case of serial killer David Berkowitz, a.k.a. “Son of Sam,” who was arrested and convicted after a stream of murders in the late 1970s. Upon Berkowitz’s capture, New Yorkers felt a sense of relief after Berkowitz could no longer stalk the streets, but journalist Maury Terry (author of Ultimate Evil) didn’t rest easy. He felt convinced that Berkowitz had a partner, at the very least, and this limited documentary series will dive down the rabbit hole with him. This might be a cautionary tale or the path to the elusive truth or both.

When it comes to the classic TGIF sitcom, Family Matters, the first character people think of is, of course, Steve Urkel. And that’s exactly what the cast was afraid of the first day Jaleel White showed up on set. In a new interview with TVOne Uncensored, the Urkel actor reveals that he wasn’t welcomed by the adult leads, who were all convinced (and told by the network) that they were the stars of the show. While Urkel clearly became the breakout star of Family Matters, he didn’t appear until late in the first season. But when audiences overwhelmingly loved the obnoxious, cheese-loving nerd from next door, he was hired full-time for the next season.

However, the decision to make White a permanent cast member did not sit well with Reginald DelJohnson (Carl Winslow), Jo Marie Payton (Harriette Winslow), and Telma Hopkins (Aunt Rachel) who believed Family Matters was their star vehicle. Payton’s character originally appeared in Perfect Strangers, so technically she was the source of the spinoff, DelJohnson was riding high from Die Hard, and Tompson was a well-known TV actor going all the way back to the 70s. So when White showed up as Urkel, they knew what was about to happen.

Via The AV Club:

“I didn’t see how I was stepping on anybody’s toes, I was taking anybody’s shine,” White said. “It’s very important that I say this: I was not very well welcomed to the cast at all, okay? And I don’t need to rehash that with the adults over and over again. They know what it is.”

Despite making it clear that his co-stars gave a child actor the cold shoulder, White ultimately puts the blame on ABC for creating the situation. “Networks play games, because networks a lot time always believe in the star power of any one person” he said. “They were like go get the cop from Die Hard to be the cop in our sitcom. We’ll tell the mom, she’s the star ‘technically.’”

(Via TVOne Uncensored)

Chrissy Teigen recently quit Twitter in late March while writing that the site “serves me negatively,” and “my life goal is to make people happy. The pain I feel when I don’t is too much for me. I’ve always been portrayed as the strong clap back girl but I’m just not.” A month later, Teigen returned to tweet again, writing that “it feels TERRIBLE to silence yourself.” Things have been moving along smoothly since then, although within that interval, TMZ noted Courtney Stodden’s remarks about Teigen bullying her on the platform a decade ago.

TMZ also published screencaps of several 2011 tweets by Teigen and directed at Stodden, including “my Friday fantasy: you. dirt nap. mmmmmm baby,” “i hate you,” and “what drug makes you do that with your mouth? asking for a friend who really wants to know how to look like an idiot.” It wasn’t a good look by any stretch, and this week, The Daily Beast interviewed Stodden and quizzed on her the Teigen business. That’s when Stodden revealed that Teigen also bullied her with Direct Messages, too:

“She wouldn’t just publicly tweet about wanting me to take ‘a dirt nap’ but would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself. Things like, ‘I can’t wait for you to die.’ … People came out of the woodwork to beat up on a kid because she was in a situation that she shouldn’t have been in. There were a lot of celebrities acting like playground bullies.”

Teigen’s Twitter account stayed silent for a few days, but now, an apology thread has spilled forth in Stodden’s direction:

“Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bulls*t in front of the entire world. I’m mortified and sad at who I used to be. I was an insecure, attention seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior but that… is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel. I have worked so hard to give you guys joy and be beloved and the feeling of letting you down is nearly unbearable, truly. These were not my only mistakes and surely won’t be my last as hard as I try but god I will try!!”

Teigen also explained that she tried to apologize privately but realized that a public statement was also necessary: “I’m so sorry, Courtney. I hope you can heal now knowing how deeply sorry I am.” Chrissy also explained that she will “forever work on being better than I was 10 years ago, 1 year ago, 6 months ago.”

Stodden has not yet tweeted in response to Teigen’s apology. It’s worth noting that Stodden also told The Daily Beast that Teigen wasn’t the only famous person sending hate her way. “Joy Behar had a field day with calling me a ‘slut,’” Stodden claimed, and “Courtney Love told me I was a ‘whore.’”

(Via TMZ, The Daily Beast, and Chrissy Teigen on Twitter)

Alice Saisha was raised in the Luapula Province of Zambia with 10 brothers and sisters. She always had big dreams for when she grew up. However, she almost didn’t achieve them. “I nearly had to drop out of school because of poverty,” she says. She also almost became a child bride to a much older man.

“If CAMFED did not step in, my story would have been different.”

CAMFED is a pan-African movement revolutionizing and supporting girls’ education — which is exactly what it did for Saisha. Not only did she finish school with their support, she also got her undergraduate degree in Sociology and her Master’s degree in Development Studies. She’s currently looking to get her Ph.D.

And she didn’t stop there. “All of the knowledge I obtained was applied right in the community where I grew up,” she explains. Saisha is a trainer and facilitator in leadership and enterprise, financial education and psychosocial counseling — and an activist, philanthropist and advocate of women’s rights.

“We speak out for the voiceless, create leaders along the way, and amplify the importance of children’s welfare in school and at home.”

Today, Saisha is a CAMFED ambassador, using her education to benefit her community and make sure that other girls, just like her, find a way out of poverty through education. Her work creates a bridge between the young women, children, youths and all the existing opportunities, information, and aid they can access. She provides mentorship and financial aid to those in need. “I come up with innovative ways to reach out to other young women or girls through media, calls, and one-on-one or group meetings,” she explains. “To share knowledge, use my experience and give room to lend a listening ear whenever need be.”

“I am very passionate about seeing women progress in all areas of life.”

Without a doubt, she says her life story helps drive her work, not only because it is the motivation behind what she does, but also because it helps her relate to the girls she supports. Saisha is currently supporting 11 orphans and vulnerable children by directly funding their education. She is also fostering two of the children. “[They] come from similar backgrounds,” she says. “They were at the verge of dropping out due to early marriage.” She met them during her volunteer work in district communities and noticed a reflection of her own experiences. “I instantly connected with them and I believed they had brighter futures.”

“Seeing them transform is priceless, and hearing them dream big is so touching. Their achievements speak to it all.”

Courtesy of CAMFED/Eliza Powell

Saisha is one of Tory Burch’s Empowered Women this year. The donation she receives as a nominee is being awarded to CAMFED — the very organization that helped get her where she is today.

“I want girls to be heard. It does not matter where they are in the world, what race they were born into or the type of background they came from,” Saisha says. “Girls should be supported to escape unsafe environments. They need to always have a safe space which allows them to grow, and to nurture the great visions they possess.”

To learn more about Tory Burch and Upworthy’s Empowered Women program visit https://www.toryburch.com/empoweredwomen/. Nominate an inspiring woman in your community today.

The Biden administration was prevented from inserting a $15 per-hour federal minimum wage in its $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package in February due to a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian. It was the closest the federal government has come to raising the minimum wage to a level that activists have been fighting for over the past decade.

However, an unusual set of circumstances have aligned that could push the private sector into creating a de facto $15 minimum wage without any government mandate.

The restaurant business was shaken on Monday when Chipotle announced it was raising its current average wage of $13 an hour by another two dollars, bringing it to around $15. The change should be in full effect by June.

The Newport Beach, California-based company currently has 2,800 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada and employs nearly 100,000 people. The chain is looking to expand by another 200 restaurants this year.

Chipotle made the move to get a competitive advantage over its fast-food rivals at a time when there is a labor shortage in the restaurant business. Many people in the industry lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and a lot of them aren’t returning due to low wages, childcare conflicts, closed schools, and an increase in unemployment benefits.

The restaurant chain believes that it can pay for the increase in labor costs by raising the prices of its food by a modest 3%.

Chipotle hopes that a pay raise along with new programs that put employees on track to become store managers within four years, earning an attractive $100,000 a year salary, will lure the best employees away from other chains.

“Wage inflation is real and employee availability is very tough and Chipotle is trying to stay ahead of the curve and maintain its human capital advantage by moving average wages to $15/hour by June,” explained Jefferies restaurant analyst Andy Barish in a research note to clients.

“This raises bigger questions as demand is surging and some people have left the industry and/or are on the ‘sidelines,’ given the current Federal unemployment supplements that run until September,” Barish added.

Chipotle’s move to stay ahead of the curve could prompt other businesses to raise their minimum wage to the $15 an hour range just to stay competitive.

A similar change is happening in the world of big-box retailers. Target and Amazon both upped their minimum wage to $15 an hour, pressuring Walmart to do so for about a third of its employees.

Chipotle’s decision shows how giving workers a raise can create a win-win situation for both owners and employees. Chipotle will now get to hire the cream of the crop when it comes to restaurant workers, and by implementing new programs that put workers on a management track, will also benefit from lower turnover.

It’s also a great business move because there are a lot of consumers who want to spend their money at businesses that take good care of their employees. The wage increase gives consumers another reason — besides the awesome guac —for people to choose Chipotle over other fast-casual Mexican restaurants.

Tuesday night could have seen 11 of the 12 playoff spots secured, but the Mavs and Knicks failing to win left things still open in both the East and West with just a few days left in the regular season. The only team that locked themselves into the postseason on Tuesday was the Miami Heat, who took down the Celtics to ensure a top-6 seed and move into a tie with the Hawks and Knicks, who lost to the Lakers, at 38-31.

That sets up some more playoff clinching scenario drama for Wednesday night, with four teams with the chance to lock themselves into the playoffs and set all 12 spots.

Atlanta Hawks: Clinch with a WIN over Washington OR a Celtics LOSS to Cleveland

New York Knicks: Clinch with a Celtics LOSS to Cleveland

Dallas Mavericks: Clinch with a WIN over New Orleans AND a Lakers LOSS to Houston

Portland Trail Blazers: Clinch with a WIN over Utah AND a Lakers LOSS to Houston

Given that LeBron James is returning for L.A. against the woeful Rockets, the Mavs and Blazers seem unlikely to clinch, but they both need wins to stay a game ahead of the Lakers.

There are also two teams that can guarantee themselves play-in spots with wins.

Washington Wizards: Clinch play-in spot with a WIN over Atlanta

San Antonio Spurs: Clinch play-in spot with a WIN over Brooklyn

A Wizards win would eliminate the Bulls from the play-in, while a Spurs win would eliminate the Kings and Pelicans (New Orleans also is eliminated by a loss to Dallas). On top of that, there is some seeding drama at play.

In the West:

• Blazers and Mavericks, currently tied for fifth with Portland owning the head-to-head tiebreaker, can remain tied with two wins, or see either team move one game clear of the other with a win and a loss.
• Lakers can move into a three-way tie for 5th with a win over Houston and losses by both Dallas and Portland, which would move Dallas to 5th, Portland to 6th, and the Lakers still in 7th by way of tiebreakers (Dallas divisional winner, Portland H2H with L.A.).
• Lakers can move into a tie for 6th with Dallas or Portland should they beat Houston and one of the Blazers or Mavs lose. They would remain in 7th due to H2H tiebreakers with either.

In the East:

• A Nets loss guarantees the Sixers the 1-seed in the East.
• A Hawks win moves them into 4th, a half-game ahead of the Knicks and Heat.
• A Hawks loss moves them to 6th, a half-game behind the Knicks and Heat.

When J. Cole popped up on the LA Leakers radio show to promote his new album The Off-Season with a fiery freestyle, fans were mostly impressed by his polished flow and clever punchlines. However, one line, in particular, seems to have captured much of the attention, eliciting a wide range of reactions.

After switching the beat from Souls Of Mischief’s mid-’90s standard “93 Til Infinity” to Mike Jones’s 2005 game-changer “Still Tippin,” Cole adopts a breathless, machine-gun cadence and after picking up some steam, barks this line: “No Bill Cosby sh*t, if they’re sleeping then f*ck em.” The double entendre sent fans swarming to Twitter to post their impressions and while some were impressed, others thought the bar was in poor taste. “Bill Cosby” entered Twitter’s top ten trending topics within an hour of the freestyle dropping as fans debated whether the line was an example of dazzling wordplay or deplorable rape culture (or perhaps a little of both).

https://twitter.com/MaskedGorilla/status/1392551947593420800

If nothing else, the freestyle certainly did its job: Generating buzz for Cole’s upcoming album. The rollout for The Off-Season, which is due this Friday, May 14, has included a Slam cover, a documentary, and even the announcement that the North Carolina rapper was set to play pro basketball in Africa. However the album is received by fans, its release week will be one of hip-hop’s most memorable for long, long time.

Watch J. Cole’s LA Leakers freestyle above.