The Toronto Raptors have been a team to watch on the trade market for years now, as there have always been questions about whether or not Toronto would try to move players who could leave in free agency at the end of the season. The answer has usually been no, but the team decided to change that perception over the weekend, when the Raptors traded OG Anunoby (along with Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn) to the New York Knicks for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a pick.
Now, all eyes are on whether Toronto will do something with its other big name that can walk this summer: Pascal Siakam. A frequent name in trade rumors, Siakam is on an expiring deal and could help a whole lot of teams right now. And according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, a team to watch here are the Indiana Pacers, which have snapped out of their post-In Season Tournament malaise to win four in a row and put themselves in the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference. Now, if you have push notifications on for Woj’s Twitter account, you would not have seen this, as he dropped this bit of intel on … Threads.
Threads
Woj actually does this more than you might think, as he has a weekly Q+A over on Facebook’s attempted response to Twitter. Here, he dropped some nuggets about the Atlanta Hawks and Mikal Bridges, too.
ThreadsThreads
If anything, this is teaching me that I really should turn on push notifications for Woj over there.
Usually, it’s singing, dancing and magic acts that take the lion’s share of applause on “America’s Got Talent.” But every once in a while, more out-of-the-box performances take the spotlight.
Kseniya Simonova, a Ukrainian sand animation artist, makes it onto that list.
Simonova, who won the title for “Ukraine’s Got Talent” in 2009 and was a finalist for other “Got Talent” seasons, returned for the first ever “America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League,” where fan favorite contestants form teams under each of the judges: Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell.
For this performance, titled “Follow your Dreams,” Simonova told a sweeping, poignant and heartfelt story honoring the love between a mother and her son—using only the sand in her hands.
In only a couple of minutes, a phone turns into a house, then into two faces, then into two figures, then into a boy looking out of the window and into the sky, then a rocket and finally an astronaut in space. It’s pretty unreal.
Watch:
Not only did Simonova receive a standing ovation from the audience, but praises from three of the four judges, with Howie Mandel calling her work “an amazing, emotional work of artistry.” Simon Cowell also commended her, saying, “no one else in the world can do what you can do.”
Online viewers seemed to agree and found Simonova to be one-of-a-kind.
“I always love these types of acts. Something unique that you don’t often see but can clearly see the talent and skill that it takes to perform,” one person wrote on YouTube.
Another added, “An incredible talent. Such an original and unique form of artistry!”
Not only is sand animation a rare art form, it’s also a fairly new one. According to the site Animation Explainers, it’s only been around since 1968, when artist Caroline Leaf manipulated beach sand on a lightbox for each frame of her film, “Sand or Peter and the Wolf.”
Animation Explainers also has a great passage about why sand animation is intriguing, saying, “The beauty of sand animation lies in that it only lasts for a short moment. It is a fragile form and often evokes very impassioned responses in viewers.”
If that doesn’t sum up the raw beauty of Simonova’s art, I don’t know what does.
By the way, if you’d like to see even more of Simonova’s sand animations, check out her website. You can also find a full length version of “Follow Your Dreams” here.
The Indianapolis Colts have a chance to make the playoffs on Saturday night if they can beat the Texans, as a win would guarantee them a Wild Card berth (either the 6 or 7 seed in the AFC). A win and a Jaguars loss to the Titans would hand Indianapolis the AFC South title and give them a home game in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
That’s quite the rise for a team that went 4-12-1 a year ago and saw its top pick and hopeful franchise quarterback, Anthony Richardson, suffer a season-ending shoulder injury. New Colts head coach Shane Steichen has been given a lot of the credit for their turnaround, as they just seem like a team that’s well-coached, on the same page, and does the little things necessary to give themselves a chance in games. Last season that was not particularly the case, but they also were pretty clearly tanking for much of the second half of the season.
Part of that tank was firing Frank Reich and bringing in franchise legend Jeff Saturday fresh off of the ESPN set with no coaching experience beyond the high school level to be the interim head coach. That experiment didn’t go particularly well, with the Colts moving on and Saturday returning to his role with ESPN this season. On Wednesday morning, Saturday was on Get Up! and, unsurprisingly, made his bold declaration that the Colts would win the AFC South this weekend. Mike Greenberg then unleashed a quip that I’m sure he’s been sitting on all season, waiting for the right time to prod his colleague, saying they’re “so well coached this year.”
Mike Greenberg after Jeff Saturday picked the Colts to win the AFC South this weekend: “They’re well coached this year” pic.twitter.com/tnOK3LF59y
It’s a very good line delivery from Greenberg, who I have no doubt has been waiting patiently for a chance to make that comment to Saturday on air. Saturday, for his part, found it very funny and gave a hearty laugh, as I think he even knows his turn as an NFL head coach last year was truly wild — even if he really did want to succeed at it and do it long-term.
In today’s GOP, one can seem like a brave do-gooder by clearing the lowest bar imaginable: admitting that Donald Trump lost re-election. Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw clears that bar, but he’s still a guy who gets mad when beer companies are nice to trans people. So when he picked a scorched earth fight with Fox News host Jesse Watters, it was really more a case of “let them fight.”
Per Mediaite, on his Tuesday night show, Watters did a segment on lawmakers who are allegedly involved in insider trading. Crenshaw made the cut. Crenshaw was not happy about this. In a series of Instagram Stories posts, he confirmed that he has “$10,000 invested in stocks” but hasn’t made any trades in “over a year.” He claimed he “never had more than $20k invested,” adding, “Fox knows this but they’re desperate for fake controversy to get clicks.”
Crenshaw also singled out Watters for scorn:
Hey you f*cking hack, if you’re gonna accuse me of literal corruption, get your facts straight and man up and come accuse me to my face. You’re a fucking clown desperate for clickbait. …
Watters is a tool, making millions to push conspiracies on tv and bash veterans like me who are barely a fraction of his net worth. Wake up America. The political entertainment industry is almost always lying to you.
He then implored to Republicans (and anyone else): “Stop watching these mediocre entertainers.” He continued, “Stop letting wealthy elitists like [Jesse] Watters claim to be ‘fighting for you.’ They live in Manhattan and can’t stand normal people who live in red states. They think you’re stupid and feed you bullsh*t to rile you up.”
Crenshaw wasn’t done with Watters:
Losers like Watters grew up with a silver spoon. His family is made up of well connected journalists and politicians. And for some reason, people are fooled into believing he’s some genuine blue collar conservative. Yeah, he’s such a “conservative” he cheated on his wife and then left her with twins while he went off with another Fox producer.
Okay, after this one he was done:
And let’s be honest, Jesse Watters seems like the type of dude who pees sitting down.
Will Watters take a break from disparaging homeless people to take on the guy who once made a dorky action video in which he went Marvel superhero on Black Lives Matter? Again, let them fight.
What brings a sense of home? Is it a place? Is it being around certain people? Or is it some other ineffable feeling? That’s the question melodic Aussie indie rockers Vacations are trying to get to the heart of on their upcoming album No Place Like Home.
If you’re not already, Vacations are a band any indie fan should be acquainted with. After finding sizable streaming success and touring last year behind their 2020 sophomore album Forever In Bloom, the band became struck with the concept of home. Not only does the act of touring inevitably ignite some longing for comfort and stability, but lead singer Campbell Burns also came to terms a mental health diagnosis. “I had to find a way to fall back in love with music and so much else in my life, or I knew I would simply cease to exist,” Burns said in a statement.
There are a lot of elements that create a sense of home on this album. The band’s signature shimmering synth chords combined with Burns’ mediative vocals manage to capture a sense of nostalgia throughout No Place Like Home‘s 10 earworm tracks, surely certifying Vacations as a playlist staple for fans of dreamy, sun-drenched indie rock.
Ahead of the release of No Place Like Home, Burns sits down with Uproxx to talk sleeping at a skate park, a fear of spiders, and Cillian Murphy in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Crying in the shower.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
With dignity, integrity, honor, courage, and respect.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
My Mum and Dad, I wouldn’t be here talking to you right now if it wasn’t for their love and enthusiasm to pursue something I’m so passionate about. So many parents would be terrified at their child wanting to take up my music, but my parents supported me every step of the way.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?
Probably some kind of fish somewhere in Japan or Europe. I know that’s vague, but if I had to take a guess in the 28 years I’ve been on this earth.
Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.
When I saw Weezer in Sydney years and years ago. They performed the Blue Album in its entirety from start to finish.
What song never fails to make you emotional?
“Oh Honey” by Delegation. I think it’s a perfect song; it’s timeless.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
Clube da Esquina.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
A skate park during our first tour in a small regional tour in Victoria, Australia. I slept well.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?
New York is always a favorite for me, I adore that city so much. I’d love to perform somewhere in Japan one day; anywhere would be fine.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Don’t over think it.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
I can make a sound like a pterodactyl or a clicker from the Last of Us. I have this issue with acid reflux, and so when I hiccup, I make this incredibly loud shriek.
If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?
There are so many causes to support, and sadly, so many charities that aren’t transparent in their process. I think I’d make an effort to do something on my own terms with the community I’ve got around me to make a difference. What that cause would be, though, I’m just not sure.
What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?
I don’t think AI belongs anywhere near music. Creativity is something that is so human.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.
Sade
Blood Orange
Glen Campbell
Tyler, The Creator
Caroline Polachek
Somewhere high in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
My first tattoo is “No-Fi” on my left thigh. I got it as a stick and poke with one of my best friends in someone’s kitchen. No-Fi was a DIY arts collective that me and my close friends worked on. We threw house parties, warehouse shows, art exhibitions, and so much more. I owe so much to those early years where we had no idea what we were doing and we felt like we could conquer the world.
What is your pre-show ritual?
I don’t actually have one, and it’s kind of a running gag at this point. Before every tour, I always say I’ll start doing vocal warm-ups, and I never do, but I’ll definitely do them starting the next tour.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
I think it was the Russian secret agent from Command & Conquer. That or Cillian Murphy.
You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?
I can’t even remember the last time I took a genuine holiday, it’s always a tour. I think I’d like to take myself to Japan, or bring all my American friends to the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia.
What is your biggest fear?
Spiders, f*ck spiders.
No Place Like Home is out 1/12 via No Fun/Nettwerk Music Group. Find more information here.
Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. We’ve finally closed the door on 2023 and what a year it was. Fire drop after fire drop all the way until the final week of December. But now we’re in 2024 and as is always the case with sneaker drops at this time of year, the great releases have come to a grinding halt.
We wouldn’t go as far as saying that nothing worth your time and money is coming out this week, but nothing from the first week of January is going to land on any year-end lists in December 2024. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, now is a great time of year to stock up on stylish winter-ready beaters that you can get a lot of mileage out of until spring. Here are our five favorites dropping this week.
This GoreTex-equipped Jordan 1 was released quietly at the top of the week and is probably our favorite drop of this roundup. The sneaker features a waterproof Gore-Tex lining with a textile upper and nubuck overlays, 3M reflective details, and a warm colorway combination of brown, beige, and olive.
The Air Jordan 1 Element GTX Legend Coffee is out now for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair at your favorite aftermarket site.
Adidas’ current most popular silhouette is getting a sustainable refresh with this Samba which is constructed from 20% recycled materials. The sneaker features a nylon build with a textile lining, reflective details, and a classic gum sole in a beautiful olive green colorway. We love the way the olive green is contrasted by muted white three stripes and branding.
The Adidas Samba OG Focus Olive is set to drop on January 3rd at 12:00 AM PST for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Adidas webstore.
The Pump is back! Reebok has teamed up with MARKET for a collision of 90’s sneaker tech and modern aesthetics. Utilizing the Reebok Classic silhouette, this sneaker features a full rubber upper with textile lining with an EVA midsole, rubber outsole, and customizable fit via the Pump system.
The sneaker drops in two colorways, a loud mix of burgundy and yellow tones, and a more subdued army green rendition with MARKET branding in place of the usual Reebok insignia.
The Reebok x MARKET Classic Leather Pump is set to drop on January 4th at 9:00 PM PST for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair at Reebok.
The much anticipated Nike Alphafly 3 Prototype is set to drop this week, giving fans of running sneakers a new obsession to froth over. The Alphafly 3 was built with distance running in mind, the sneaker is one of Nike’s lightest shoes thanks to the new Fast Shot outsole which is heavy on grip but light on weight.
The sneaker also sports a molded sockliner, Flyknit heel pods, and a breathable Flyknit upper with a simple white, black, and sail colorway with orange accents at the midsole. Rounding out the design are production number etchings on the midsole, which tie into the “prototype” theme.
The Nike Alphafly 3 Prototype is set to drop on January 4th for a retail price of $285. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Looking for the ultimate snowshoe that’ll keep you comfortable and secure all while looking like the most stylish person on the slopes? Look no further than New Balance’s latest from the TOKYO DESIGN STUDIO.
The Niobium Concept 3 is a winter-ready snow boot with a breathable white waterproof outer shell that is detachable and houses a stylish blue inner nylon bootie and is equipped with a Vibram XS Trek Evo outsole that promises durability and grip on slick surfaces.
The boot is equipped with a ROLLBAR stability post system that is designed to increase rear-foot movement.
The New Balance Snow Peak x New Balance Niobium C_3 is set to drop on January 5th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $299.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.
New BalanceNew Balance
Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.
How was your New Year’s Eve? Did you see Vanilla Ice and some Ninja Turtles play Mar-a-Lago? Did you somehow, through no fault of your own, get involved in a knock-down, drag-out biker brawl? If it was the latter, chances are you’re Ian Ziering. In a video obtained by TMZ, the Beverly Hills, 90210 and Sharknado alum can be seen duking it out with wheeled hooligan, only to incur the wrath of their compadres. Ziering, and his 12-year-old daughter, who was with him, were, he said, left “completely unscathed.” Still, the alarming video has attracted much attention, including from Ziering’s old Fox colleagues, who were happy to rally around him.
Per Entertainment Weekly, Ziering’s Instagram post about the incident scored likes from the likes of Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestley, and Brian Austin Green. Green went one further, posting his own Instagram Story video response to how Ziering handled the pickle.
“Hey, so I didn’t get a chance to get into this at all,” Green said from the driver’s seat of his car. “My boy Ian Ziering got into a fistfight on Hollywood Boulevard with like five dudes, and f*cking like beat them, did it, did his thing.”
Green wasn’t done. “He’s a monster. He’s f—ing incredibly fit, obviously. I would not suggest to anyone to fight people, especially not now in this climate,” he said. “But you know what? All turned out well. Z, I love you, brother. You’re a f—ing beast. Good on you.”
In his own Instagram post, Ziering wasn’t happy with the muted way law enforcement dealt with the scruffle.
“As a citizen and a parent, I find it unacceptable that groups can freely engage in this kind of behavior, causing fear and chaos, while the response from authorities seems insufficient,” Ziering said. “We must address the underlying issues that lead to such disruptive behavior and ensure that our streets are safe for everyone. I urge city officials and law enforcement to take decisive action against such lawlessness and provide the necessary resources to prevent future occurrences.”
Last year was an eventful year for the Love Island world. It began with series 9 which kicked off at the beginning of the year and ended with fan favorites Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan, both 24, as the winners. Series 10 began three months later and ended in surprising fashion with Jess Harding and Sammy Root, both 22, crowned as winners. Love Island Games, a spin-off of Love Island, launched in November as it gave past members in the Love Island world “another shot at love” through a new format that included both team and couples challenges as well as recouplings, bombshells, and eliminations. In the end, Justine Ndiba (30) and Jack Fowler (27) left the island as winners. Now it’s on to 2024 for Love Island.
Similar to Love Island Games, ITV’s new series Love Island: All-Stars will welcome back fan favorites from past seasons of Love Island for its inaugural season. Thanks to a new announcement from ITV, there’s finally a release date for the first season of Love Island: All-Stars.
When Does Love Island: All-Stars Come Out?
Confirmed: Love Island: All Stars starts Monday 15 January, 9pm simulcast on ITV1, ITV2 and ITVX. pic.twitter.com/TqwNiRO4UV
Love Island: All-Stars begins Monday, January 15 with the first episode premiere at 9 pm BST via simulcast on ITV1, ITV2, and ITVX. The news was shared through a post on Twitter/X from the ITV Press team. That means if you’re in the United States, you’ll have to tune into the simulcast on ITV1, ITV2 and ITVX at 4 pm EST/1 pm PST to watch the season premiere.
Mike Spencer, Creative Director of Lifted Entertainment, spoke about Love Island: All Stars in a press release. “It’s set to be a must watch series, as some of fans’ favourite Islanders from across the years heading back to the stunning South African villa to once again ‘graft’ as their search for love continues,” he said. “I simply can’t wait!”
You can watch the trailer for Love Island: All-Stars season one above and stay tuned for more on the upcoming show.
‘Love Island: All Stars’ premieres on Monday, January 15 at 9 pm BST/4 pm EST/1 pm PST via simulcast on ITV1, ITV2, and ITVX.
Over the summer, America Ferrera wasn’t able to promote Barbiedue to the ongoing strikes, she she did what we all do when we are feeling left out: take to the internet and see what’s happening and try not to feel bad about it. Luckily, Fererra’s popular long-winded speech at the climax of the movie resonated with people of all ages, even little tweens who were going viral over reenacting the scene.
Even though she called TikTok reenactments “hilarious,” the actress added that it was “also super sad that 11-year-old girls resonate with that monologue and already feel like they know what it’s saying.” She then said she became a “bit obsessive” about scouring the internet and finding reactions. Some of those reactions were not as positive and sparked an online debate about modern feminism.
Ferrera told The New York Times that even though the speech felt too on the nose, there were people who needed to actually have the concept of feminism broken down for them. She explained:
We can know things and still need to hear them out loud. It can still be a cathartic. There are a lot of people who need Feminism 101, whole generations of girls who are just coming up now and who don’t have words for the culture that they’re being raised in. Also, boys and men who may have never spent any time thinking about feminist theory.
If you are well-versed in feminism, then it might seem like an oversimplification, but there are entire countries that banned this film for a reason. To say that something that is maybe foundational, or, in some people’s view, basic feminism isn’t needed is an oversimplification. Assuming that everybody is on the same level of knowing and understanding the experience of womanhood is an oversimplification.
Yes, it might have been “simplified” but that doesn’t make it not true! If people thought the speech was too entry-level then congrats! You already know what feminism is. A lot of people still don’t, and that’s who should be hearing it.
Are you having a hard time falling asleep? Dr. Andrew Weil has shared the “most powerful” relaxation technique he knows, and it doesn’t require any equipment or cost a dime. It’s known as the 4-7-8 method and it’s backed up by science.
Dr. Weil is an expert in integrative medicine and the founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.
The technique is simple:
Breathe in through your nose while you count to 4.
Hold your breath while you count to 7.
Exhale while you count to 8.
Dr. Weil says the method creates a “very pleasant, altered state of consciousness” that you may not experience the first time but will come as a “reward” of regular practice. Dr. Weil insists that the 4-7-8 technique is a practice, and you must do four breath cycles at least twice a day to get the benefits. “After a month, you can increase to 8 breath cycles if you’re comfortable with it,” adding that’s the “absolute maximum.”
Dr. Weil says that 4 to 6 weeks of doing the practice can lower heart rate, improve blood pressure, digestion and circulation and can promote sleep. A study published in Physiological Reports agrees, saying that practicing the 4-7-8 technique reduces heart rate and blood pressure for several minutes.
It’s also an easy way to help you fall asleep. “If you get up in the middle of the night for any reason, it is the most effective anti-anxiety technique that I’ve found,” Dr. Weil says.
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