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According to a new tell-all book, Melania Trump was reportedly prepared to leave Donald Trump in 2018 when a significant number of his top officials were threatening to resign. The revelation comes from former Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff Miles Taylor, who had previously revealed that Trump was routinely obsessed with his border wall, even going so far to suggest that cows should have to climb ladders to prevent it from having doors.

As Taylor writes in Blowback, the former president demanded that asylum seekers be hit with tear gas and/or shot at the Mexico border rankled so many administration officials, that a mass resignation was on the table. Melania was reportedly among those ready to bail.

Via Newsweek:

“A surprising name came up: First Lady Melania Trump,” Taylor writes. “I didn’t press for further details, but one attendee asserted that FLOTUS would actually consider leaving her husband if enough key officials quit.”

Specifically, Taylor mentions Trump’s wanting to turn away all asylum seekers, weighing the throwing of tear gas at migrants at border crossings “to make people feel like their skin was on fire,” and even shooting those illegally entering the United States. All were part of the family separation policy.

Taylor writes that he told officials that the mass resignations would send a message to Republicans that couldn’t be ignored, describing it as “the second burning of the White House.”

The former DHS official also spilled some tea about the Trumps.

“I don’t personally know what undergirds their relationship,” Taylor told Newsweek. “There were a lot of suggestions behind the scenes in the administration, not just outward commentary, but in the administration that there was some sort of contractual obligation Melania had to Trump — and when he got elected there was a renegotiation.”

(Via Newsweek)

Steph Curry has accomplished just about everything a player can accomplish in the NBA. He’s won multiple MVPs, scoring titles, NBA championships, and even that elusive Finals MVP. But even future Hall of Famers seek validation from their idols to truly know they have what it takes to make it in the NBA. Curry entered the league in 2009, soon after the late great Kobe Bryant won his fourth championship and the mythos around the Black Mamba was at its peak. An acknowledgement from Bryant meant more than any other player’s during that time. Curry recently went on the Hot Ones podcast and shared his favorite memories of playing Kobe, including the moment where Bryant validated his game as young player.

There’s always a reverence NBA players observe when they specifically reference to an acknowledgement from Bryant. Even as a youngster, Curry pulled out his most preposterous shot making when he needed to prove a point. In a way, Curry took the mantle from Bryant as the league’s best tough shotmaker. While Bryant created magic in the midrange, Steph expanded on that beyond the arc to make shots from all different angles and platforms. Curry continues to reign as the league’s best shot maker and this clip proves that Bryant was a bit ahead of the curve on seeing the greatness in a young Curry.

Imagine you’re getting ready to drop some bad news on someone. Say, breaking off a months-long relationship.

“I’m not sure how to say this,” you start. “This has been really great. Dating you has been a lot of fun. You’re really wonderful. And—” You roll out a string of platitudes and compliments, dreading and delaying the part that comes next, when you finally say “It’s over.”

You think you’re being nice. Protecting their feelings. You don’t want to be coldhearted, right?

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Science, however, says there might be a better way.

A study from 2017 finds that, in most cases, a much smaller “buffer” before the bad news is actually preferable. According to the people who matter most.

Alan Manning, a professor of linguistics at Brigham Young University, and Nicole Amare, his research partner, were interested in what he calls the “information design” of giving bad news. Quite literally, how much stuff should you say or write before just getting on with it?

The procedure was simple: 145 volunteers were shown two similar but differently worded versions of the same message, side by side, and asked to choose which they found the least objectionable. (Stuff in the vein of, “Your car is being recalled” all the way to “Let’s break up” or “You’re fired.”)

Manning says, in most cases, there was a clear preference for the more concise message.

Participants also mostly responded that clarity and directness were more important than how considerate the message was.

The findings contradict a lot of the previous research, Manning says, which stressed buffers and positivity and silver linings. He says when you just talk to people, you get a different story: “When you ask people if they want the bad news straight-up, they almost always say yes.”

If bad-news recipients just want it straight, why do we tend to draw it out?

Manning says it’s because we’re looking out for ourselves. It’s easier and makes us feel better to beat around the bush a little bit.

Turns out, the whole thing is a practical exercise in empathy.

“One of the great challenges of growing up and being a fully functioning adult is being fully aware of other people’s needs around you and not just your own,” he says.

He hopes the study will help people become better deliverers of bad news, and, ultimately, take better care of each other. He urges us to think critically about how sensitive the message we’re delivering is and to respond appropriately. Don’t be callous, he says, and blurt out “I’m breaking up with you,” before even saying “Hi.” But a smaller buffer is almost always appreciated by the recipient.

It’s hard to break old habits. It’s even harder to be direct. But getting and giving bad news is part of our daily lives. It’ll be worth the effort to do it right.

This article originally appeared on 10.13.17

“Hey man, I know today was rough. I’m really sorry. I heard it was a doozy.

It started a lot earlier than it should have. I guess you could say the previous day never really ended.

You put your daughter down for bed around 8 p.m., like usual. You scarfed some food and chugged some NyQuil to try to knock out your throbbing cold, the one you caught from her (love those daycare germs!). Two hours later, you woke up to the sound of her coughing through the baby monitor. Then came the crying.

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You rolled out of bed in a glassy-eyed, cold medicine-induced fog. You stumbled your way up the stairs to soothe her. Nothing worked. She cried every time you tried to lay her back down. Your head was throbbing. Your eyes dry and heavy. Her cries like nails on a chalkboard. You got frustrated and had to just put her down, let her cry while you walked away to cool off. “I can’t do this,” you thought, exhausted, drained. It didn’t matter if you could do it or not because she kept crying, and she needed you.

The whole night went on like this before the sun mercifully came up.

Breakfast time. You sleepwalked your way through cooking an omelet (you burned one side, but does it really matter?). She threw it on the floor and wailed. Did she want a banana? More water? Crackers? Was something hurting? You didn’t know. You just kept handing her things.

This was your entire day.

After that, you carried her over to her toy bin and let her play. She was joyful, finally smiling and laughing. You sat, zombie-like, sipping your coffee and enjoying the brief moment of peace. Then she tripped over a wooden puzzle piece and hit the ground hard. More tears. And then more. Normally she wouldn’t cry this hard, but she was sick. She wasn’t herself. You picked her up and held her and kissed the boo-boo, but she wouldn’t stop crying.

You put her back down because the crying in your ear was like a power drill to your temple. Normally, you’d be so much more patient and nurturing. But you weren’t yourself either.

The whole day was like this. You took her to the store where she refused to stay in the cart. She wanted to run up and down the aisles, which was fine, but then she tripped and fell. Again. More tears. She threw her lunch on the floor and cried about it. You tried to put her down for a nap, but she kicked and flailed until you gave up.

It didn’t matter if you could do it or not because she kept crying, and she needed you.

There were things to be done around the house: chores, projects, cleaning. You had nothing in you but medicine and whatever food you were able to scarf down between tantrums. It was all you could do to muscle your way through bath time and get her into bed.

And you weren’t far behind her. You crawled into bed, drained, knowing she’d probably be up within a matter of hours, hacking and coughing and crying. Poor thing.

When it was finally quiet, you felt bad for her. She didn’t mean to be a pain; she’s just a baby. A baby with a cold, at that. You were so disappointed with yourself. Why couldn’t you have been more patient, more loving? She had a hard day too.

You have to be better than that.

You drifted off to sleep locked in on one single thought: Maybe I’m not cut out for this dad thing.

I know your day was bad. Really bad. But mine was great, and I’m sorry, but I just need to tell someone about it.

Get this: It started at 8 a.m. 8 a.m.!

I know, I know. My daughter slept great. It’s hard to believe she’s so grown up. It doesn’t seem that long ago that she was only sleeping a few hours here and there, then struggling through the night. Last night we put her down at 8.p.m. and didn’t hear a peep out of her for 12 hours. I slept gloriously.

So. Much. Better.

The baby monitor gently crackled to life with her quietly babbling to herself. But I was already up. I climbed the stairs and pushed the door open to her room. She jumped to her feet and saw me, and she smiled the biggest smile I’ve ever seen and bounced up and down in her crib. As I got closer, she shot her arms into the air so I could pick her up. I did, and she laid a sleepy head on my shoulder.

She was a joy at breakfast. She sat in her chair and gulped down her banana while I cooked up an omelet (I nailed it, by the way, perfectly cooked, 10/10). I put on some music and she playfully shimmied her shoulders to the beat. When the eggs were ready, first she blew on them to cool them down, just like I taught her. She then showed off her fork skills and wolfed down the entire plate.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. There was the quick run to the store, where she helped put things in the cart and waved at every single person who passed by. Then, a trip to the park where she finally went down the big scary slide by herself. She came out the bottom giggling and ran to me.

I didn’t want the day to end.

And after I kissed her good night and mommy rocked her to sleep, I was left with just one thought: I am doing pretty OK at this dad thing.

It’s hard to believe sometimes that we are the same person, living the same life. But here’s what I know: Tomorrow is a new day.

I don’t know whether it’ll be good or bad. I really don’t. (I hope it’s good!)

But you know what? At some point, you’re going to look at that spot on the floor where your daughter tripped and face-planted, and you’re going to laugh. When you think about it, it was kind of funny, right? (She was totally fine.)

And eventually you’re going to find an old piece of omelet wedged under the kitchen table, covered in dust after she chucked it over her shoulder, and you’re going to roll your eyes lovingly as you scoop it up and throw it away.

Take it from me: You’re doing the best you can. You’re going to have those days where you wish you could keep it together better, where you wish you could be the perfect parent.

But if you can just hang in there, better days are ahead. I promise.

Trust me, I just had one. And it was totally worth the wait.”

This article originally appeared on 11.23.16

The Knicks had a very solid 2022-23 campaign, earning the 5-seed in the East and then comfortably taking down the Cavs in the first round before falling to the eventual Eastern Conference champs in Miami in the conference semis. Last season’s moves paid big dividends, as Jalen Brunson cemented himself as a star-caliber starting point guard in the league — and one who shines when the bright lights of the playoffs turn on — and Josh Hart, their big trade deadline acquisition, likewise became an integral part of their playoff run.

This summer the Knicks had few major decisions to make with free agents of their own, particularly after Josh Hart picked up his player option to return for another year. While they mostly remained patient, they did make a few moves to shuffle the roster around and bolster their chances of being back above the Play-In fray in the East next year.

Here we’ll hand out grades for their work this offseason in the Draft, free agency and contract extensions, and on the trade market.

Draft: INC

Despite holding a number of future picks, the Knicks entered the 2023 Draft without a single pick and chose not to make a trade to get one. Next year they have four first rounders, though, so they’ll make up for a lack of action this year with plenty of moves to come.

Free Agency/Contract Extensions: A-

The only free agent the Knicks had on the main roster (not a two-way) this summer was Derrick Rose, who wasn’t part of the rotation last year and is now headed to Memphis. In his place, the Knicks signed their latest Villanova product, as Donte DiVincenzo joins Hart and Brunson on a 4-year, $50 million deal to bring them another 3-and-D guard. DiVincenzo is coming off of a very solid season with the Warriors, shooting 39.5 percent from three and averaging 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 26 minutes per game. For a Knicks team that was dreadful shooting the ball in the playoffs — RJ Barrett’s 32.8 percent mark from distance was the team’s best in the postseason — adding a legit knockdown threat is huge. On top of that, being able to plug in a quality shooter without giving up much defensively is vital to a team that has built its identity on that end. For a team that wasn’t in a position to take any huge swings in free agency given how full their roster was and having just the mid-level at their disposal, DiVincenzo was a terrific get.

Trades: C

The Knicks also made just one trade this summer, flipping Obi Toppin to the Pacers for a pair of second round picks. With Toppin set to be a free agent next summer, it was clear they’d already made the decision they were not going to want to bring him back at what he would cost, and flipped him for at least something in return. Toppin never really fit what the Knicks needed, as he isn’t a knockdown shooter (although he did improve to be 34.4 percent from three last year) and isn’t a high-caliber defender. He’s at his best running the floor, cutting and slashing, but the Knicks had enough players cramping spacing as is. While there were times where he popped for New York that made you think maybe he could be a good rotation player, he clearly wasn’t a favorite of Tom Thibodeau and didn’t fit his ideal vision for the roster, fair or not. It’s always a bit disappointing to trade a former lottery pick for not much of anything while they’re still on their rookie deal, and you can wonder if they made this move too early considering they aren’t exactly bursting with frontcourt depth. The biggest issue this trade is going to run into is that the Pacers seem like a legitimately great fit for Toppin, and he’ll have a chance to shine there in a way he never did in New York. If that happens, the Knicks are going to get buried for it, but the truth is, that opportunity was never going to be there for him with the Knicks if they kept him.

Doechii has proven to be one of the most promising new musical acts (like with her breakout Coachella performance, for example). Although she incorporates inspiration from several genres, her love for hip-hop always shines through the brightest. The musician’s latest partnership with Google Pixel, Doechii, was able to showcase that admiration on a new single, “Universal Swamp Anthem.”

With the genre’s 50th anniversary among us, the self-proclaimed Swamp Princess was sure to honor one of rap’s most impactful duos, UGK (comprised of Bun B and Pimp C). As a Florida native, Doechii didn’t leave the southern region for inspiration as she reimagined the group’s 2007 “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You).” Just like she did on her freestyle to Beyoncé’s “America Has A Problem,” Doechii flexed her lyrical ability. As fans wait for the release of Doechii’s Pix Tape EP, due out next month, the record allows the recording artist to cut loose creatively.

The track is the latest of Google’s Pixel RePresents series of songs with Mass Appeal. Other artists — such as Flo Milli, Bia, and Lola Brooke — have all dropped a remake of their favorite hip-hop songs, including Too Short’s “Blow The Whistle,” Clipse’s “Grindin’,” and Petey Pablo’s “Raise Up.”

Listen to “Universal Swamp Anthem” above.

Despite reaching their fifth Eastern Conference Finals in seven years, the Boston Celtics entered this offseason feeling disappointed at the way things played out against the Miami Heat. Falling behind 3-0 with a particularly listless performance in Game 3 left them no margin for error going forward, and they eventually ran out of gas in Game 7 to see their season come to an end.

There was an expectation that changes were coming in Boston after such a performance, and they did just that with a blockbuster three-team trade to bring in Kristaps Porzingis and send out Marcus Smart. It’s a big swing but one with high upside as the Celtics try to figure out what they need to do to finally breakthrough for a championship.

Here we’ll look at that trade and the rest of their offseason moves and hand out grades for the Draft, free agency and contract extensions, and work on the trade market.

Draft: C

The Celtics made just one pick in this year’s draft, as they came in with just the 35th overall pick and actually moved back in the second round, taking Jordan Walsh out of Arkansas at No. 38 overall. Walsh is a strong athlete and defender, with a ways to go on offense if he’s going to be a genuine rotation player. There is some real upside here given his defensive abilities and physical tools, but there’s some serious development needed with his shooting to make a significant impact.

Free Agency/Contract Extensions: B

How you feel about the Celtics summer really depends on two things. One is what you think of Jaylen Brown getting a 5-year, $304 million extension, as he is now in possession of the largest contract in NBA history (albeit one that will soon be dwarfed by other supermax deals to come). Brown is coming off of the most productive season of his career, scoring 26.6 points per game to go along with 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals each night. He posted a career-best 57.6 shooting percentage from two-point range (and a career worst 33.5 percent from three). He’s a plus-defender on top of that scoring ability, and he and Jayson Tatum make up the best wing tandem in the NBA. That said, they do have a lot of overlapping skills and aren’t perfectly complementary in the sense that they can’t mask each other’s weaknesses. There are times where the Celtics late-game offense feels very “your turn, my turn” as they try to create on the ball — a problem that’s been apparent for a few years. Brown is turnover prone, particularly in the playoffs, with a particularly loose handle opposing defenses have been able to pick apart in key moments — he had nine games with 4+ turnovers in Boston’s 20 playoff games a year ago, including eight in the Game 7 loss to Miami.

Brown is unquestionably a star-caliber player, and the fact that Boston has made five conference finals (and one Finals) in seven years with him is a testament to how good he is and how well he and Tatum can work together. At the same time, their inability to crest that final hurdle raises questions about whether they can get the job done, and the more times you come up short, the louder those concerns become. I land somewhere in the middle of the debate, where I think the deal is fine for Brown’s abilities but do understand how it could inhibit the Celtics in the future. There’s plenty of reason for the Celtics to believe they can win with Tatum and Brown as their leading stars, especially noting they’re still approaching their primes, and they took a swing this summer to change their roster structure to try and alleviate some of the scoring imbalance they’ve had. If that doesn’t work, even at a $60 million annual value, Brown would probably be movable in the future once the cap increases again with the new TV deal. As such, I don’t think the Celtics got some incredible value here but also don’t view it as an outrageous overpay like some others do.

Beyond the Brown extension, the Celtics made two other signings by bringing in Oshae Brissett and Dalano Banton on minimum deals. They’ll hope Brissett can bounce back from a down year in Indiana to provide them some back end rotation minutes at the forward spots. Banton, meanwhile, is a big guard to add to the roster and while he likely won’t be part of the main rotation he’s emergency depth with NBA experience. Boston was never going to be a primary destination for vet minimum guys given most of their rotation minutes are set, so I can’t knock them for not landing a real impact guy with a minimum deal.

Trades: B+

The aforementioned swing taken by the Celtics was making a blockbuster deal to send Marcus Smart to Memphis for a pair of first round picks and acquire Kristaps Porzingis from Washington for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in a reworked three-team deal after one sending Malcolm Brogdon to the Clippers fell apart. From a value standpoint, the Celtics did very well, which is why I’m more than comfortable giving this a solid B+ grade. Porzingis was terrific for the Wizards a year ago, averaging 23.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while knocking down 38.5 percent of his threes. Adding another legitimate scoring threat to this offense should be huge in taking some of the pressure off Tatum and Brown to create everything, and the Celtics hope that will help their offense run more smoothly in crunch time. Given Joe Mazzulla’s philosophy is to hoist as many threes as possible, adding an elite shooting big makes a ton of sense.

At the same time, I also understand why Celtics fans were blindsided and upset by the sudden trade of Smart, who has been the emotional core of this Boston team since he arrived. Defensively, he was a tone-setter at the point of attack and they don’t have an immediate replacement for that — although Derrick White’s presence certainly made him more expendable as White was an All-Defensive guard a year ago. Whenever a team makes a trade that sends a player like Smart out whose impact goes so far beyond just what he produces in the box score, we can never fully judge what that will do to a team. Jaylen Brown even noted that without Smart the challenge is on them not to lose their defensive edge, which is easier said than done. Porzingis will certainly not be filling that void, and there is a real chance Boston takes a step back defensively even with Porzingis adding some more rim protection alongside Robert Williams.

On top of all of that, there is the ever-present concern about whether Porzingis can stay healthy. He did so last year, playing in 65 games last year in Washington. However, that’s the most games he’s played in a season since 2016-17, when he played in 66 games as a sophomore for the Knicks. If healthy, he represents a legitimate upgrade, but if he’s sidelined and they’ve given up such an important piece to their defense and culture as a whole in Smart, that won’t be easily overcome. Still, for a team that hasn’t been able to get over the hump relying on a defensive identity yet, it’s understandable why they’d take this swing to hope that a revitalized offense would make up for any slid on the defensive end. Adding a couple first round picks that can be ammunition to further bolster the roster in the future doesn’t hurt.

The Porzingis trade also made Grant Williams expendable in the eyes of the Celtics, as he got moved to the Mavericks in a sign-and-trade for some future second round picks. Williams’ versatility as a defender will be missed, but by adding Porzingis, the Celtics are hoping they can move Al Horford into a bench role and be able to navigate their frontcourt rotation without needing Williams, particularly once they shorten their rotation for the playoffs. Again, that only works out if Porzingis stays healthy, but given the price tag on Williams, it’s understandable why they’d move him rather than keeping him as a fourth big.

Overall, the Celtics had a perfectly fine offseason and, maybe most importantly, they didn’t see a bunch of teams in the East make a huge leap forward around them. The Heat landing Damian Lillard would obviously place them back in the favorites tier, but otherwise the Bucks are running it back (with a couple small departures) and the Sixers are dealing with the James Harden trade request. The Cavs and Knicks made solid additions but still appear to be in the tier below, and all that makes this a pretty good offseason for Boston as they took the biggest swing among contenders outside of Miami (which is still TBD).

The dominant conversation about the NBA seemingly every summer since 2010 has been about superteams and star trade requests. There is a very defined difference in how players from the past and current players view a star’s relationship with a team and city, as many of the stars of yesteryear feel loyalty is something of a lost trait in this generation.

There’s also the reality that in today’s NBA there is far more money on the line for everyone, and the conversation about players has shifted further and further towards only caring about championships. As such, players think much earlier about their legacy and know winning a title sits above all else, and are less willing to be patient with a team that’s struggling to build a contender around them. The truth is there’s lots of nuance that tends to get lost in these conversations, but it is fascinating to see the disgust some of the game’s all-time greats have for players pushing their way out. The latest to voice those opinions is Julius Erving, who said the trend has “not helped the game.”

In a recent conversation with Joy De’Angela, Dr. J made clear that he isn’t a fan of the trend of star players asking out at the first sign of trouble. Erving noted he understands Damian Lillard’s request after being in Portland for years, but takes more of an issue with guys like Kevin Durant “hopping around” throughout his career.

Durant in particular tends to be a lightning rod for these conversations, as his move to Golden State in particular irked many. He’s gone back-and-forth with Charles Barkley about this for years over Chuck’s “bus rider” comments about his championships in the Bay, and now he’s got Dr. J calling out his constant movement from team to team. Durant has remained defiant about his choices, making clear he doesn’t feel the need to explain his decisions to anyone. As for the generational divide among NBA stars past and present, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to ever really get resolved when it comes to the issue of trade requests and stars teaming up in a constant pursuit of a title.

Every time a new Mission: Impossible movie comes out, director and writer Christopher McQuarrie sits down for a lengthy chat with Empire. The first episode in the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One episode (all 3.5 hours of it) just dropped, and there’s a lot of good stuff, including how the cast risked their lives for a scene that was ultimately cut from the film.

“It was supposed to be something we did with a resettable rig where everything could be very predictable, and nothing we did worked, and ultimately the actors had to risk their lives and do it practically,” McQuarrie said. He didn’t reveal what the stunt entailed, other than it was going to be during the thrilling third-act train sequence:

“With the train, I kept thinking, ‘Is this the shot?’ And we kept pulling and we kept getting the note, and eventually we identified what it was… The work that went into what was holding back the sequence was extraordinary – it was days, and it was a struggle, and it was very, very risky. We took it out, and the scene just sang.”

Tom Cruise would have fought for the scene to be kept in, but it was only “very, very risky,” not “very, very, very risky.” That’s more his style.

You can listen to the podcast (which requires a subscription) here.

(Via Empire)

As director Justin Simien started to promote Haunted Mansion, based on the popular Disney World theme park attraction, he was inevitably asked about the status of Lando. Simien was attached to develop the Disney+ series, which would see the return of Donald Glover‘s take on the character from Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Unfortunately, Simien didn’t have much to offer in the way of an update for Lando. He cited the widespread industry delays caused by the COVID pandemic as an understandable reason.

“I certainly poured my heart and spent a lot of time working with them to put together a really great show,” Simien told The Direct earlier in the month. “It feels like everybody loves it. And, you know, I was told we had to put a pause on it because of scheduling, and the next update I got [was in 2020], some years ago. So I don’t know, I have no idea what’s going on with it.”

Simien also made similar remarks to Uproxx, but a new report paints a different picture of what’s been happening behind the scenes. According to Above the Line (via Hollywood Reporter), Simien left Lando last summer, which prompted Lucasfilm to reach out to Glover and his brother Stephen, who have both taken over writing duties for the show:

The siblings agreed to board the project together, and their take is said to have Lucasfilm brass excited.

It’s worth noting that the Glovers’ involvement has been top-secret for months, as they signed on well before the WGA strike and haven’t performed any work on the project since writers took to the picket lines on May 2.

Above the Line writes that Simien’s diplomatic answers about the status of Lando was “likely” the director “not wanting to make waves on the eve of his new film’s premiere in theaters.”

(Via The Direct, Above The Line)