Welcome to this week’s Wednesday Night Wars open discussion thread. This week we’ve got an AEW Dynamite featuring Lance Archer’s televised murder of Colt Cabana going up against an episode of NXT featuring a Tag Team Championship match and just a ton of good will from today’s news.

On tonight’s cards:

AEW Dynamite

• No Holds Barred “Empty Arena Match” for the AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Jake Hager
• TNT Championship Tournament Semi-Finals Match: Colt Cabana vs. Lance Archer
• Kip Sabian vs. Chuck Taylor
• Sammy Guevara vs. Sugar “Pineapple Pete” Dunkerton
• Dr. Britt Baker DMD in action
• Shawn Spears in action, but not against Britt Baker

NXT

• NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Matt Riddle (c) and a mystery partner vs. Undisputed Era (Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish)
• Finn Bálor vs. Fabian Aichner
• the beginning of the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament
• Velveteen Dream “chats” with Adam Cole
• Charlotte Flair doing something, possibly

As always, +1 your favorite comments from tonight’s open thread and if we get enough comments, we’ll include 10 of the best in tomorrow’s Best and Worst of NXT and AEW reports. Make sure you flip the comments by selecting “newest” in the drop down menu under discussion, and enjoy the show!

First the pandemic brought us the hilarious entertainment of “Potato Boss.” Now we have people inviting farm animals to join corporate video conferences. Welcome to 2020, where literally anything is possible!

An animal sanctuary in the Silicon Valley came up with a clever way to make up for lost revenue during the country-wide shutdown. Sweet Farm launched a service last month that lets people pay to have one of their animals slide into their video calls, and frankly, it’s genius. How much joy would you get seeing a llama’s face alongside your coworkers during a video conference?

---

The best part? They call it Goat 2 Meeting—a play on the video conferencing software GoToMeeting.

The Goat 2 Meeting service is offered as either virtual tours or meeting cameos at several price points. Their website offers four options:

• 20 minute Virtual Private Tour is a $65 donation for up to 6 people. This tour will highlight a few of our animal ambassadors and areas of the farm.
• 10 minute Corporate Meeting Cameo is a $100 donation for unlimited guests. You send us your meeting link and we’ll call in to bring some smiles to your co-workers faces!
• 25 Min Corporate Meeting Virtual Tour is a $250 donation for unlimited guests. You send us your meeting link and we’ll call in to show you and your co-workers around the farm!
• 25 Min VIP Meeting is a $750 donation for unlimited guests. Due to incredible demand we’ve opened up some extra slots with one of our directors to give you a very special view of the farm.

Sweet Farms told Business Insider that they’ve fielded more than 300 requests since the service opened in mid-March. From Fortune 500 companies to tech startups to legal firms, people are taking advantage of the opportunity to bring farm animals into work meetings.

Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any weirder.

“I think we’re all a little stressed with what’s going on — many of us have been sitting inside,” Sweet Farm told Business Insider. “We’re just hoping to bring some smiles to people’s faces while bringing them out to the farm at the same time.”

Sweet Farm is also offering free virtual fieldtrips to schools and non-profits.

If you want to request a Goat 2 Meeting, visit the Sweet Farms scheduler here.

---

View Entire Post ›

While, eventually, we will run out of new Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune episodes with both game shows currently on a taping hiatus, the already taped shows are offering a bit of normalcy in a time where that is scarce.

Right now, the College Jeopardy tournament is in full swing with the second round of contests happening this week. It’s the first college tournament since the dominant run of James Holzhauer, and his influence on how this up and coming generation of Jeopardy! attacks the game board is interesting to watch.

On Tuesday night, Nibir from the University of Minnesota did a Holzhauer-esque hunting of the Daily Doubles and even employed James’ favorite “all-in” maneuver in a nod to the now-legendary competitor.

On Wednesday, Holzhauer gave Nibir’s move a solid rating of 8.5 out of 10, only docking him points for the relative ease of the Daily Double prompt but giving him a perfect 10 out of 10 for execution of the all-in wagering strategy and motion.

While Holzhauer didn’t emerge victorious in the GOAT Tournament, he’s likely going to be the most influential Jeopardy! contestant ever due to how radically he’s changed the approach of how players move around the board and play more aggressively. In this instance, his influence is obvious as Nibir — who went on to sweep all three Daily Doubles and win the game to advance in the tournament — went so far as to mimic his hand motions along with his wagering strategy.

Before we jump into this week’s best sneaker and apparel releases we thought it might be helpful to note that the highly anticipated YEEZY Slides are set to drop tomorrow in three different barf-like colorways. The Slides are one of the most polarizing YEEZY releases of the year and it’s likely you feel one of three ways about them. Either you love them, loathe them, or are completely indifferent. Not much middle ground.

I’m in the latter camp personally, but I’m not a “wear slides everywhere!” guy, in general. Anyway, let’s dive into this week’s best sneaker and apparel releases, featuring a sleek pair of Jordans, the only notable YEEZY drop of the week, and fresh Supreme.

Air Jordan 6 DMP

The Air Jordan DMP has been due for a refresh for quite some time. First released in 2006 as part of the Defining Moments Pack, the Jordan 6 DMP’s sleek black and gold colorway is meant to pay homage to Jordan’s first championship ring and features a suede upper accented by gold highlights, and midsole lines designed by Tinker Hatfield. A must-have for Jordan-heads!

The Air Jordan 6 DMP is set to drop on April 18th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app or through Foot Locker.

Adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 Linen

YEEZY brand is on a back-and-forth rhythm this season, switching it up between dropping something out there and different, like last week’s 700 V3 Alvah, only to follow up by returning to something familiar and consistent, like this week’s latest “Linen” colorway of the 350 V2. The Linen features soft gray and tans across its prime knit upper for a butter-like appearance that matches Kanye’s Sunday Service aesthetic. A simple spring sneaker that would look great… if only you could go outside while wearing it.

The Adidas YEEZY Boost 350 V2 Linen is set to drop on April 18th for a retail price of $220. Pick up a pair exclusively through YEEZY Supply.

Converse GLF Gianno OX

Two new iterations of Tyler the Creator’s hiking-inspired Gianno OX are dropping this weekend at END and sees Tyler’s first-ever original silhouette wrapped in a spring-appropriate Parfait Pink or Skylight colorway. Featuring a layered mesh, suede, and leather upper, the Gianno OX sits atop a shock-absorbing EVA midsole with chunky high-traction tread for a design that merges trail hiking and BMX aesthetics for a sneaker as stylistically fluid as the man behind the design.

The Converse GLF Gianno OX is set to drop on April 18th for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair exclusively through END.

Above The Clouds x ASICS Gel-1090

Australian retailer Above The Clouds is putting their spin on the newly revived ASICS Gel-1090 silhouette by giving the sneaker some easy-to-miss modern updates that are obfuscated by the sneaker’s low-key 90’s dad design. Featuring a mesh upper with translucent side-stripe accents, GEL cushioning, and a rubber outsole, this collaboration is dressed in a birch-white colorway and sports dual-branding on the heel and tongue.

Above The Cloud’s iteration of the ASICS Gel-1090 are out now for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair through END.

Casablanca x New Balance 327

We first shouted out this sneaker two weeks ago on SNX DLX but the release date was subsequently delayed and they’ll now be releasing this week. Considering that this is another pretty slow week in terms of fire sneaker releases, talking about Casablanca’s New Balance 327 again will have to do.

The two colorways — a green/orange combo and a green-on-green — are sure to be a visual reminder of what the outside world is like, and the elegant design is sure to stay in pristine quality until the summer when you’ll finally be able to rock them in public. Hopefully.

The Casablanca x New Balance 327 is set to drop on April 18th for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair through New Balance, Casablanca, or END.

Supreme Spring Graphic T-Shirt Collection

Supreme is keeping things simple with their latest drop of spring-ready graphic t-shirts that sees the label ignoring big-name collaborations for a collection that sticks close to the skatewear brand’s roots. The full collection consists of just seven graphic t-shirts featuring designs that run the gamut from extreme and out there, like the Metallic Dragon and UFO tees, to simple and playful, like the logo and portrait tees.

We picked out our favorites from the collection but head over to Supreme’s site to check out the full seven shirt collection in detail. The Supreme Spring Graphic T-Shirt collection is set to drop on April 16th exclusively through the Supreme online store.

UNIQLO UT Evangelion Collection

Since Evangelion’s Netflix re-release, the already massively popular anime has scooped up a fresh new crop of fans and UNIQLO is wisely capitalizing on the series’ resurgence in the cultural zeitgeist with their latest graphic t-shirt collection. If what draws you to Evangelion is the characters, you’ll be slightly disappointed with this collection which puts more emphasis on the giant mech-suits and alien-like angels that are responsible for all the action in the series.

Each t-shirt in the collection features a back and front design and utilizes Uniqlo’s classic t-shirt and pocket t-shirt framework for a simple and small eight shirt collection.

The UNIQLO Evangelion T-Shirt Collection is set to drop on April 17th. Shop the collection exclusively through the Japanese UNIQLO webstore.

Palace Spring 2020 Drop 10

Palace’s Spring 2020 release schedule is starting to feel pretty grueling. This may be a result of the coronavirus lockdowns bringing the spring season to a crawl, but at this point, we’d rather Palace just drop the whole collection rather than drip-feeding us their Spring looks on a weekly basis. This is likely the last time we’ll cover a Palace drop this season, as some of their fits just aren’t making sense for the weather anymore.

Spring is fast approaching, so this is the last time we’ll be able to reasonably recommend outerwear, which Palace’s 10th drop is largely centered around. Featuring shell jackets, windbreakers, hoodies, and long sleeves, Palace’s latest drop is a graphics-heavy mix of mostly blue, black, and grey pieces geared toward Spring’s cooler days.

The tenth Palace Spring 2020 drop is set for April 17th. Shop the full collection at Palace’s website.

Michael Jordan very well may be the most ruthless competitor in the history of sports. Jordan’s competitive streak is legendary — you can probably think of a few stories that prove this — but he wasn’t just competitive about basketball. He, of course, tried his hand at baseball and has not exactly been shy about how much he enjoys gambling on any number of things.

One such story got confirmed by Scottie Pippen in a sit-down with Rachel Nichols of ESPN. Nichols asked about the rumor that Jordan used to find out the results of jumbotron games from the Bulls game ops staff, then when they’d air during time outs, he would wager with teammates on the outcome knowing full well what was going to happen. Unsurprisingly, Pippen revealed that Jordan indeed used to do this, but clarified he didn’t often do it with other members of the Bulls’ roster.

“That is a true story, but he never bet at me, I don’t think he bet at … Steve’s not betting anybody,” Pippen said, pointing to former teammate Steve Kerr. “He did bet, we had a security guy sit at the head of our bench — his name was John Capps, he’s now passed away, but Capps would bet Michael every game. The only way Capps would win (was) if he was able to pick the right one, because if Michael picked, obviously he knew he was gonna win. But yeah, he probably beat the guy out of $4,100.”

This wasn’t exactly the kindest gesture Jordan could have pulled, but Michael Jeffrey Jordan did not win six championships by being a nice guy. The moral of this story is that if MJ ever tries to bet on something with you: 1. Please tell me so I can talk to you about it and, 2. Don’t.

If you see school buses parked around your city and get confused because schools are closed, no worries. It’s likely that those buses are pumping out wifi for students who otherwise struggle for internet access.

With schools shut down across the country, school districts have had to scramble to figure out how to provide online schooling quickly. That’s no simple task, and the transition has been a rocky one for administrators, teachers, parents, and kids. For families without the technology that enables that transition, it’s been even harder.

---

Since online learning is the only way students can stay connected to schools and teachers, internet is a vital service. But despite the ubiquity of internet providers, not all families can afford internet. Even in places where internet providers are offering free wifi to families who can’t afford it, some still can’t afford the hardware—modems, routers—that enable them to take advantage of it.

School districts across the nation are addressing part of this issue by transforming their now-empty school buses into mobile wifi hotspots to bring online access to students. School bus hotspots fill a gap for families that aren’t able to get wifi in their homes, for whatever reason. And though the idea isn’t new—some districts have been using wifi-enabled buses as hotspots for years—it is becoming widespread during the pandemic.

In Montgomery, Alabama, 11 wifi-enabled buses already have rolled out, six more will go out today, and more will come next week. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed told WSFA News why the buses are important.

“Because we understand there’s a digital divide,” he said. “And the coronavirus pandemic that we’re into right now has only heightened the chasm that exists between those who can access high-speed internet service and those who can’t.”

“The idea is that any parent, any child in any neighborhood where they see that yellow school bus, they can access the WiFi hotspot,” said MPS Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore. “They don’t have to be right down the street from their home. If they’re at home, it’s fine, but if they’re at their grandma’s house and there’s a bus down the road, they can also access from that location.”

The largest school district in Austin, Texas has deployed more than 100 wifi buses around the city through a $600,000 grant from Kajeet, an education technology provider.

“As we prepare for the possibility of extended school closures, we know that an Internet connection is a lifeline and a learning link for our students,” Kevin Schwartz, chief technology officer for Austin ISD, said in a news release.

“Austin ISD will be deploying many of our 500+ Kajeet Wi-Fi/Internet enabled school buses to locations around our school district so that students can connect using our district Chromebooks.”

The buses do have some limitations, however. The buses in Austin broadcast about 300 feet, so some students may have to go outside of their homes to catch a signal. They are not allowed to board the bus, so inclement weather can make accessing the wifi tricky for some, but it’s definitely better than nothing.

One thing the COVID-19 pandemic has succeeded in doing is shining a spotlight on existing inequities in our country. School districts in low-income areas that already struggle with funding suddenly have to figure out how to provide computers and internet to students, while many wealthier districts already had laptops or tablets for every student. Thankfully, donors and organizations are stepping up to assist, but addressing the economic inequality underlying the problem will need longer-lasting institutional solutions.

In the meantime, wifi buses are an innovative temporary stopgap for families who can’t access the internet otherwise.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted just about every aspect of American life. But there have been a few unintentional positive consequences from the nationwide lockdown.

Air pollution in the U.S. has dropped significantly, giving us a glimpse at what a post-carbon world may look like. NASA revealed that NO₂ pollution over New York and other major metropolitan areas in northeastern USA was 30% lower in March 2020.

Americans are also adopting shelter dogs and cats like never before. Since coronavirus first landed in the U.S. there have been countless stories of shelters running out of pets.

---

There is also one massive unintended consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic: March 2020 was the first March since 2002 that there wasn’t a school shooting in the United States.

Most schools in the U.S. were shut down in early March to stop the spread of the virus.

Benny Lin / Flickr

In March 2002, a 13-year-old student brought a gun to school along with a hit list, but was subdued by a school resource offer before he had the chance to pull the trigger.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization that tracks gun violence in the U.S., there were seven shootings on school campuses in March 2020. However, four were accidental discharges, one took place between adults on high school football field, and two occurred on college campuses, but involved no students.

It’s a chilling fact that to have a school-shooting-free March in the U.S. every school in the nation has to be shut down.

According to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. right after car crashes.

Everytown Research reports that there have been at least 33 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2020, resulting in ten deaths and 15 injuries. In 2019, there were at least 130 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 32 deaths and 77 injuries.

born1945 / flickr

Gun sales have skyrocketed in the U.S. since the first cases of COVID-19 appeared in the U.S. The FBI conducted 3.7 million background checks in March 2020, the highest total since the instant background check program began in 1998.

Over 2 million guns were sold in March alone.

The figures are the largest since December 2015 when the Obama Administration raised the possibility of restricting assault rifles after a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.

The rise in gun sales raises fears of an increase in shootings down the road.

“When this pandemic ends and we emerge from this physical distancing reality, the guns will remain,” said Guns Down America executive director Igor Volsky. “Will there be increased mass shootings, school shootings, shootings at home, at work, at concerts?”

The unintended consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have given us a vision of the future that we may not have had otherwise. A future where children aren’t gunned down in school and our air is clean to breathe.

Hopefully, these realizations will result in a new path forward where we can all breathe a little more easily — especially our kids.

High school seniors set to graduate in 2020 have got to feel massively let down. After years of work, their last year in high school will end with a whimper instead of a bang.

California has already announced that all the traditional end of the year ceremonies will not take place. No prom. No sports banquets. No senior ditch day. No baccalaureate. No graduation ceremony.

Sure the diploma will come in the mail but that’s no match for being able to confidently walk on stage in front of one’s family and peers to prove you did it.

---

That means there also won’t be any inspiring commencement speaker to share some inspiring advice on how to take the next steps in life.

Twitter user Lincoln, the son of Emmy nominated comedy writer Cassie St. Onge, suggested that Barack Obama give a speech to the nation’s 2020 graduating class to make up for the lost ceremony.

“I’m saddened by the loss of milestone events, prom & graduation,” Lincoln wrote. “In an unprecedented time, it would give us great comfort to hear your voice. We ask you to consider giving a national commencement speech to the class of 2020.”

Then he started the hashtag #ObamaCommencement2020 .

Some people tried to make the movement political, but Lincoln says it’s not about politics. It’s about being able to hear from the voice that inspired his generation.

---

View Entire Post ›