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A week ago, Polo G announced his fourth album, Hood Poet. At the moment, though, he’s got something else to deal with: TMZ reports that Los Angeles police raided Polo’s home today (August 23).

The publication has video and photos of the situation and notes that multiple vehicles and officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were at the rapper’s San Fernando Valley mansion (that he bought for $5 million in 2021). They were there carrying out a search warrant and they ordered multiple people (including Polo) out of the house and handcuffed them while they conducted their search.

Law enforcement sources reportedly told TMZ that the warrant was in connection to a robbery and that four suspects have been taken into custody, but have not yet been booked. A Polo G representative told the publication that the rapper has been detained as part of an active investigation, but that he is not the focus of the investigation. TMZ was reportedly told that “Polo will update his fans and supporters when the time is right.”

Hood Poet, Polo G’s first album since his No. 1 LP Hall Of Fame, is set for release on September 15. A few days after announcing the project, the rapper shared a video for “Barely Holdin’ On.”

Anthony Edwards is already an All-Star. Despite that, the Minnesota Timberwolves standout has been mentioned as a player who could use his time with USA Basketball at the 2023 FIBA World Cup as a springboard into a different stratosphere, and during the team’s pre-World Cup exhibitions, Edwards has been one of the best players to wear the red, white, and blue.

That was primarily on display earlier this week, when Edwards was one of the driving forces behind the Americans making a torrid comeback against the Germans to wrap up a perfect 5-0 record in their exhibition slate. It’s caught the eye of Erik Spoelstra, who is serving as an assistant coach for the United States and went right to Edwards when he was asked if anyone he’s coached this summer reminds him of the greatest player in Miami Heat history.

“We know who that is,” Spoelstra said with a laugh when asked who reminds him of Dwyane Wade. “It’s hard not to look at Anthony Edwards and not see Dwyane Wade. And I’m not a guy for comparisons, I’m not. But the way he moves, the way he competes, the way he electrifies a crowd, yes, that reminds me of number 3, and I have told Anthony that, and I feel like I’m going back in time. It’s making me younger again, I’m really enjoying it.”

This is incredibly high praise from Spoelstra, because one has to assume that even beyond his hesitancy to compare guys, it’s very rare for him to compare anyone to Wade. For the sake of Spoelstra and Team USA, hopefully Edwards is able to do something Wade never achieved and win a gold medal at the World Cup, as Wade was a member of the American team in 2006 that took home a bronze.

It sure is a busy day for Vladimir Putin-related updates. The Russian president spent part of the day blaming everyone else for his invasion of Ukraine, and now, we might be seeing an exaggerated version of those who are critical of Putin suddenly plunging from high-rise windows to their deaths.

The BBC is relaying word from Russia’s civil aviation authority about the fiery wreckage of a plane, which was reportedly owned by Coup Guy Yevgeny Prigozhin. He is, of course, the former Wagner Group chief who attempted to turn Putin’s private mercenary army against the Kremlin with the intent of ousting the Russian president. That didn’t happen, although it did leave Putin apparently sitting still, frozen. Coup Guy was subsequently exiled to Belarus, and it seemed like only a matter of time before something, you know, happened. Granted, Coup Guy’s death is not officially confirmed as of yet, although he is believed to have been one of 10 on board, as CNN notes:

On social media, footage is circulating of the plane spiraling down from he sky, after which it burst into flames upon impact. (As well, graphic footage purports to show dead bodies, so be warned before you go looking.)

The BBC further reports that the “Wagner-linked Telegram channel Grey Zone reported the Embraer aircraft was shot down by air defences in the Tver region, north of Moscow.” Additionally, “Tass news agency said the plane caught fire on hitting the ground, adding that four bodies had already been found.”

On social media, the general guess is that this will be called “just an accident” by the Kremlin.

Dan Rather is not shocked. “In a surprise to no one, a plane carrying the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a failed coup attempt against Putin, crashed in Russia killing all aboard,” tweeted the former CBS News anchor. “Apparently the Kremlin is ‘investigating.’”

And yes, people have thoughts. They are thinking of high-rise windows and vodka toasts at the Kremlin.

(Via BBC, CNN& The Recount on Twitter)

Doug Burgum may have just blown a much-needed opportunity to establish himself in the crowded Republican primary race. The North Dakota governor was set to take the stage at Wednesday night’s GOP debate hosted by Fox News, but instead, he may miss the event entirely after injuring himself playing basketball with his campaign staff.

Burgum was taken to the emergency room on Tuesday where it was learned a suffered a “high-grade tear of his Achilles tendon.” The North Dakota governor is reportedly required to use crutches, which could prevent him from participating in the GOP debate.

Via CNN:

Burgum is focused on the debate, the Republican Party’s first of this primary season, and understands that as much as he’d like to participate, he would have to walk on stage and stand behind a podium for two hours, the source said.

“He is a total cowboy and isn’t phased by injuries and pain. His disposition is focused and tough. We’re going to see what happens at the walk-through and throughout the day,” the source told CNN. The governor is a lifelong athlete and is familiar with sports injuries, the source added.

Burgum lacks the name-recognition of the other GOP candidates and only made the cutoff to participate in Wednesday’s night debate through a controversial strategy of offering donors $20 gift cards in exchange for donations. Introducing himself to voters at an event where Donald Trump won’t be present to steal the oxygen from the room is crucial for Burgum to gain any sort of momentum in primary race. However, the governor’s injury may have cost him just that.

(Via CNN)

The internet has turned people into an act now kind of society. When something is shared on the internet, people are quick to judge and want swift and severe consequences…as long as they’re not on the receiving end. It’s interesting to see how the “rules for thee, not for me” fallacy plays out consistently in real-time on social media.

Humans make mistakes and no single person is infallible, yet when someone shares something that others don’t agree with, the public shaming commences. Since social media interaction is near-instantaneous, reserving judgment until one gains clarification isn’t unreasonable, yet that choice is rarely ever utilized.

With everyone reacting quickly without much context, some people wind up being shamed or “punished” by the court of public opinion unjustly. Jourdan Kehr from West Virginia found herself at the center of the internet’s wrath of shame after a video of her explaining that she had her husband close his eyes during sex scenes while watching Oppenheimer started circulating.

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The video led to some confusion and a whole lot of judgment. Kehr was responding to a comment about Oppenheimer and how to prepare for the sex scene with Florence Pugh. It was then that she revealed what she and her husband did after devising a plan upon researching everything she could about the movie.

“What we did was, when the scene came up, when things were happening, he literally closed his eyes and laid his head on my shoulder,” Kehr says before demonstrating what it looked like.

After receiving a lot of comments shaming her about her need to have her husband look away from the screen during a sex scene, Kehr disabled comments. But the wife made several follow-up videos, including one that gave greater context into why her husband not watching sex scenes on screen was a hard boundary for her.

@thatsanaddiction

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Kehr says she suffers from betrayal trauma, which is a term used when “the people or institutions on which a person depends on for survival significantly violate that person’s trust or well-being,” according to Freyd Dynamics Lab. In the video, she explains that she felt deeply betrayed by her spouse when she discovered he was watching pornography without her knowledge.

“After nine years of marriage, 10 years of being in a completely monogamous relationship, in a relationship where I was fully under the belief that he didn’t look at other women, he didn’t self-pleasure to other women,” Kehr says, “[porn] was the furthest thing from my mind.”

@thatsnotlove

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Trauma is not a one-size-fits-all thing. What may traumatize one person may not have the same effect on someone else. So, while people are attempting to shame Kehr for her requiring her husband to avert his eyes in the presence of naked women on screen, her reasons are valid because her trauma is valid.

We can’t judge what other people choose to do in their relationships as long as everyone involved in the relationship is of age and giving consent. The additional context helps put things into perspective, even if it’s not what others would choose for their own relationships.

While porn addiction isn’t an official diagnosis, consumption of pornography can cause problems within a relationship. But it’s up to the participating parties of the relationship to set boundaries around what they find unacceptable in order to keep their relationship healthy.

A few months ago, Jennifer Lawrence dropped by What What Happens Live to promote the R-rated comedy No Hard Feelings. She discussed her friendship with Adele and how she “passionately threw up” from eating spicy chicken wings on Hot Ones (I never thought I would be nostalgic for celebrity talk show interviews, but here we are). Lawrence also teased host Andy Cohen because “I just feel like you’ve kissed John Mayer, but you’ve never kissed me,” she said. Cohen replied, “I am attracted to you. I mean, I’d love to kiss you.”

Then they kissed.

On this week’s Watch What Happens Live, Cohen was asked about the smooch by an audience member. “You know what? I was so nervous to kiss her. I think she’s so hot. Yeah, it was nice. It was really nice,” he said.

When she joked that [Mayer] was “more [Cohen’s] type,” he clarified his attraction to the Hunger Games star. “I’d love to kiss you — consensually,” Cohen said. After he planted a peck on Lawrence, the Oscar winner asked whether his penis “moved” or “[did] anything.” Cohen replied, “I’m hard as a rock. I’m bone hard.”

The feelings weren’t hard, but something else was.

You can watch Cohen discuss the kiss in the video above.

(Via Page Six)

Jhene Aiko and her longtime partner Big Sean are reportedly seeking legal protection against an overzealous fan, according to TMZ.

According to the outlet, the fan, who is reportedly named Ian Craig Lees, has shown up at several concerts of Sean’s and Aiko’s, as well as events where either of the two have appeared on the bill, and even at Aiko’s Pacific Palisades home.

In documents obtained by TMZ, Aiko claims that the 29-year-old Lees is a stranger to her, but is apparently determined to meet and make contact with her. Aiko also noted that she fears for her life, as Lees has become more and more relentless.

In another incident, Aiko claims Lee had breached security within her gated community and allegedly got into a physical altercation with a security officer in the neighborhood. He also allegedly entered Aiko’s home, which she shares with Sean and her two children.

Aiko reportedly attempted to obtain a temporary restraining order against Lees, which would keep him from coming within 100 yards of her, Sean, and her children. However, the request was reportedly denied by a judge.

The aforementioned judge has reportedly scheduled a court hearing on the matter to take place on September 14.

A. Savage has announced his second solo album is on the way, outside of his work in Parquet Courts. Fans can expect to hear the new record, Several Songs About Fire, later this fall.

Until then, the rocking lead single “Elvis In The Army” is available to listen to now, complete with a dreamy B&W music video that was shot in Paris by director Emile Moutaud.

“We often describe ourselves in geographic terms. American, New Yorker — two terms that I’ve used to identify myself that have to do with being from or of a certain place,” he shared in a statement. “So ‘Elvis in the Army’ is a bit of an inventory of those labels. They have less to do with geography than we realize. Really we’re just talking about ourselves, then framing certain characteristics geographically.”

“No matter where I live I’ll have an American psyche until the day I die, for better or for worse,” he added. “I’ll always be of America. And I can’t imagine a time where New York doesn’t feel like home. But despite that, I’d rather not be associated with a place, at least for now.”

Check out A. Savage’s “Elvis In The Army” above. Below, find the complete tracklist and cover art for the album.

1. “Hurtin’ Or Healed”
2. “Elvis In The Army”
3. “Le Grande Balloon”
4. “My My, My Dear”
5. “Riding Cobbles”
6. “Mountain Time”
7. “David’s Dead”
8. “Thanksgiving Prayer”
9. “My New Green Coat”
10. “Out Of Focus”

Several Songs About Fire is out 10/6 via Rough Trade Records. Find more information here.

Vladimir Putin’s 2023 is probably not as fun as he imagined that it would be. He likely planned on instantly winning after invading Ukraine and then retiring to his pickle hideout for a little R&R after a whirl on his cosmetology train. Instead, this war has dragged forth with Ukraine putting up a remarkable and protracted display of resistance.

What really might be the losing battle, however, is that Russia’s ruble tanked hard in recent weeks, and Putin might very well lose his longtime position when all is said and done. In the meantime, however, the Russian president has decided that he would really like to tie up this war, which he is somehow blaming on the West due to NATO expansion. He really said that to the BRICS summit, via CNBC:

“Our actions in Ukraine are dictated by only one thing — to end the war that was unleashed by the West and its satellites against the people who live in the Donbas,” Putin said, referring to the eastern part of Ukraine where Russian proxies have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014.

“I want to note that it was the desire to maintain their hegemony in the world, the desire of some countries to maintain this hegemony that led to the severe crisis in Ukraine,” he added.

This happened shortly after a drone attack hit Moscow skyscrapers, and from the BBC, Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelensky has declared that his nation will reclaim Crimea, nearly a decade after Russian annexation. It sounds like, as the kids say, Putin has f*cked around, and maybe, just maybe, he’s finding out.

(Via CNBC & BBC)

The 2023 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup will get underway this Friday, August 25, with games being played in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia for this year’s event. As is the case at most every international basketball event, Team USA is the heavy favorite at -125 to win it all, but the Americans finished seventh at the 2019 World Cup (where Spain beat Argentina in the finals) and are bringing a young team without much of any international experience, meaning the outcome of this year’s tournament is far from a certainty.

As such, a number of teams have hopes of making a run at the World Cup crown, while plenty of others are looking to take a stride forward with the best result in their country’s recent basketball history. For USA Basketball, their road to redemption starts in Group C, where they are the prohibitive favorites to win the group ahead of Greece, Jordan, and New Zealand (odds via DraftKings).

USA -2500
Greece +900
New Zealand +3500
Jordan +10000

Still, this is a young American team that is still trying to find a rhythm, and will look to use the three group games to get on the same page and try to create more flow for the knockout stage. Behind them in the group is a Greece team without its top superstar, as Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking this World Cup off, and New Zealand and Jordan battling for a knockout stage berth.

Here we’ll look at some players to watch, the biggest game, and the full schedule for Group B.

Players to Watch

Georgios Papagiannis (Greece): Most American basketball fans will remember Papagiannis as having a very brief and unspectacular NBA career with the Sacramento Kings, but since returning to Greece he’s regained the form that made him an intriguing prospect years ago. In three games with the national squad in qualifiers, Papagiannis averaged 16.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game on 71 percent shooting. Against Team USA in tune-up play, Papagiannis had 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting and figures to play a prominent role for the Greek side, with the other familiar name on the roster to NBA fans being Thanasis Antetokounmpo.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Jordan): Like Kyle Anderson on China, not many would’ve expected to find Hollis-Jefferson on Jordan’s national team, but he will be the most (and probably only) recognizable name for NBA fans tuning in to the World Cup and watching Jordan. Hollis-Jefferson has played all over since last appearing in the NBA in 2021, but was not part of the roster for qualifiers. Still, one would think he will be a focal point for the team and will look to help Jordan to a stunning run to the knockout round.

Finn Delany (New Zealand): Delany has led New Zealand in scoring in three of their four tune-up games against China, Canada, and Italy. The 6’7 forward gives the Tall Blacks (which, as an aside is an incredible nickname for a national team) some floor-spacing from the frontcourt, having shot 37.6 percent from three last season in his first year playing in Germany’s top league. There aren’t any NBA names on New Zealand’s squad for the World Cup, but Delany is among the names you’re likely to hear most when the Tall Blacks are in action.

Jalen Brunson (USA): Early on it’s looked like the top two players for Team USA are going to be Anthony Edwards and Jaren Jackson Jr., with Edwards taking on the role of lead scorer and Jackson as the defensive anchor. However, if the Americans are going to avoid a similar fate to a few years ago, they’re going to need others to step up around them. It is clear that Steve Kerr holds Jalen Brunson in high regard, talking about him being a natural leader and, thus, handing him the keys as the starting point guard for Team USA. However, Brunson has some serious competition for that spot with Tyrese Haliburton playing very well in exhibition play and there will be plenty of eyes on how Kerr handles the point guard rotation. In their tune-up against Spain, Brunson was terrific, scoring 23 points and leading the offense, but we saw against Germany how the starting unit could get bogged down at times in the halfcourt. It’ll be incumbent on Brunson to keep things humming along with that group, because if not, there will be plenty of pressure from the outside for there to be a lineup change.

Brandon Ingram (USA): On the wing, Brandon Ingram is the player who could be another dynamic scoring option alongside Edwards, but to this point he hasn’t quite found his stride in tune-up play. Given there’s not a ton of competition in Group C, group play should provide an opportunity to try and get guys like Ingram going and help them find their comfort level on the team. His skillset as a shot-maker is something they’ll want to be able to lean on down the road against stiffer competition, but they need him in rhythm to be able to do so. If he can’t find that level of comfort, we might see Kerr have to shake up the lineups to go with some of the more complementary wings who don’t need the ball in their hands as much to get a bit more flow into the offense.

Schedule/TV Info (all times EST)

Aug. 26
Jordan vs. Greece, 4:00 a.m., ESPN+
USA vs. New Zealand, 8:00 a.m., ESPN2

Aug. 28
New Zealand vs. Jordan, 4:30 a.m., ESPN+
Greece vs. USA, 8:00 a.m., ESPN2

Aug. 30
USA vs. Jordan, 4:30 a.m., ESPN2
Greece vs. New Zealand, 8:30 a.m., ESPN+

Game to Watch

Greece vs. New Zealand: There isn’t supposed to be a real stern test for the Americans in this group considering they beat Greece by 22 in exhibition play this month, but the final game of the group figures to be a play-in opportunity to the knockout rounds. Greece will be favored as the bigger squad and with New Zealand having some defensive woes in their tune-up action, but if the Tall Blacks can find it from three-point range on August 30 they can make things interesting.