The Minnesota Timberwolves entered Monday night’s game against the Celtics without four starters as they are dealing with a COVID outbreak that’s put Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Jarred Vanderbilt, among others, on the sideline (as well as some assistant coaches).
The Celtics were likewise shorthanded, with Jayson Tatum going into protocols on Monday, but did have Jaylen Brown and Al Horford, and seemed like they would simply outclass the Wolves’ cobbled together roster when they went up 11 after a gutsy start from Minnesota to keep things close. However, the Wolves’ reserves and replacement players refused to roll over and stormed back to a 108-103 win that was among the more stunning of the season.
Leading the way for the Wolves was Jaylen Nowell with a career-high 29 points, as well as 20 points from Nathan Knight (also a career-high) and 11 points, nine rebounds, and six assists from Greg Monroe, playing in his first NBA game in two years. After the game, Monroe reflected on the general insanity of just how thrown together the roster was on Monday by saying he had never even heard of Jaylen Nowell before the game.
Greg Monroe when asked if he knows who all of his teammates are:
“Not gonna lie, Jaylen Nowell played awesome tonight, but I had no idea who that was.”
It’s a pretty funny quote from Monroe, who also had a very McConaughey perspective on returning to the league two years later, “the game stays the same, just the players change.” Now, Nowell isn’t some first-timer in the NBA, he’s played three seasons in Minnesota and is averaging 6.3 points in 19 games this season, but he has certainly never taken a starring role like he had to on Monday and Monroe has been busy playing in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go before getting the call to return to the NBA and give Minnesota a needed boost on the inside. It was quite the introduction from Nowell, and seeing guys like him take advantage of opportunity and make an impression has, undoubtedly, been the biggest positive of what has been a dreadful month in the NBA with so many absences.
For almost two years, the rules have been the same: You test positive for COVID, you isolate for at least 10 days. Then came Omicron, new, far more transmissible variant (though, it appears, not as dangerous). Omicron has already led to cancelled or greatly modified events. (And, of course, Fox News was quick to spread misinformation about it, too.) Now the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made a big change, but it’s not one you’d expect: They’ve cut the recommended isolation time in half.
As per CNN, the CDC has lowered the time an infected person must hide away from the rest of humanity from 10 days to a mere five. There’s a couple caveats. One can flee back to the world only if they no longer have symptoms. If you still have a fever, give it some more time. A mask is also recommended for at least five days. (Though you probably want to wear one anyway, because you’re not a snowflake who gets mad about wearing a little protective covering over one’s mouth. Think of all the other diseases you may be avoid!)
And what if you’ve been exposed to someone you learn has testing positive for COVID? Well, you isolate for the same period of time: five measly days.
“Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to five days, if asymptomatic, followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others,” the organization said in a statement.
What prompted the change? Partly that SARS-CoV-2 transmission tends to occur early on in one’s illness, usually one to two days before symptoms kick in and then for 2 or three days after. That adds up to a charitable five days of removing one’s self from society, so as not to infect others.
The CDC loosened some of their other recommendations, too. If five days of quarantining are not possible, wearing a mask whenever one’s around others should do. However, if you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID and you’re vaccinated and boosted, you don’t need to quarantine at all. But you should still wear a mask. After all, you should probably get used to them for a while still.
One of the appealing things about “courtside” seats in the NBA is the simple proximity to the court. Fans are right on top of the action, and there is really nothing that compares to the experience of seeing a high-level professional basketball game with that vantage point. One of the potential hiccups of sitting close to the floor, though, is that fans often have to be wary of being part of the action if a player tumbles into the stands or the basketball is fired in an errant direction. While fans beyond the first row usually don’t have to worry that, there was an exception involving Houston Rockets big man Christian Wood and a local fan in Charlotte on Monday.
Late in the first half and with the Rockets trailing the Hornets, Wood gathered a defensive rebound and looked to make something happen with an aggressive outlet pass. That might have been a good idea if executed properly but, instead, Wood uncorked a pass that was nowhere close to its intended direction, and a fan was struck by the ball at a high speed, even as they were walking behind the second row.
The first hope here is that the fan is okay, and that seems to be the case, at least on the initial television replay. Granting that, this is about as rough of a pass as you’ll see during an NBA game, and it was also extremely unlucky for the fan that the ball was heading in that particular direction. Wood was clearly not thrilled with himself, but perhaps this is also a reminder that everyone within 10 feet of the floor has to keep his or her head on a swivel at all times during live action.
Last week, Madison Cawthorn — the Trumpist lawmaker who thinks women are “earthen vessels” — surprised his conservative base by announcing he was getting divorced after about a year. But there was far, far more to the story. On Monday, people dug up an interview the North Carolina representative did with The Daily Caller in which he described how he and his soon-to-be-ex met cute. And it’s the kind of meet-cute you would see on an episode of The Americans.
In this video, Rep. Cawthorn claims he got married after a guy he met at a Russian casino scammed him into attending a CrossFit competition that didn’t actually exist, but “put me in the same room with the girl who would eventually become my fiancee.” pic.twitter.com/DqiNB4YXsf
As per Daily Kos, the interview hails from June, about six months after Cawthorn wed Cristina Bayardelle, so the lucky couple were likely still enjoying the salad days of their union. How did they meet? Well, the story, as told by Cawthorn, begins with the words “It all starts in a Russian casino,” and, well, it kind of gets weirder from there.
The story actually begins earlier than that, when Cawthorn and some friends went on a European trip before he underwent some intense reconstructive back surgery. They wound up in Sweden and Norway, and eventually Russia. There, they went to a St. Petersburg casino, where Cawthorn met “Todd,” an Army captain from Miami whom he quickly befriended.
The two later reconnected when Cawthorn was down in Miami. Todd texted the future politician, asking if he wanted to take part in a CrossFit competition. That’s where things get fishy.
“And so I laughed and said, ‘Well, Todd, I’m in a wheelchair. I obviously can’t do CrossFit.’ And he said, ‘Well, just do the pull-up section.’ And I was like, ‘OK, sounds good. And so I show up, but anyways it all was a sham. It was a fake CrossFit competition and he just wanted to put me in the same room with the girl who was eventually gonna become my fiancée. … And so we did and her and I hit it off and it’s been a magical relationship ever since.”
Few seemed to notice Cawthorn’s story when it aired over the summer, but when it belatedly made its way into the public consciousness, people found it pretty sketchy.
Madison Cawthorn’s divorce just went from boring information to national security concern in about 77 seconds of interview time with the Daily Caller.
This does not sound a normal meet-cute story whatsoever.
FWIW, Cawthorn is exactly the kind of person a hostile intelligence agency would target. He’s a known serial liar, so there’s plenty of blackmail opportunity just in the public record. He’s also young, decidedly *not* smart, and easy to manipulate.
There are no legitimate casinos in St Petersburg… none
There ARE “social clubs” that allow gambling to foreigners of interest who are given a opportunity to compromise themselves pic.twitter.com/K6sSbaOk0n
— Jason E. Dunlap, Valeyard (Ret.) (@Red_eyedjedi) December 27, 2021
To make things even more suspect, Cawthorn went on Fox News over the Christmas weekend, where he sang the praises of Russian military might.
Putin’s spokesman, Madison Cawthorn, delivered the Kremlin talking points on Ukraine today on Fox News: “We’ve been fighting in a sandbox and in caves for the last 20 years. Meanwhile, they’ve been creating hypersonic missiles that can sink our entire fleet in the Black Sea.” pic.twitter.com/McEF9Agk4B
His compliments did not go unnoticed by Russian forces, who aired them on national television.
Suddenly, Madison Cawthorn’s Fox News clips, praising Russia’s military might and deriding America’s capabilities, are being broadcast on #Russia‘s state TV. Perfect timing, in light of his St. Petersburg story being so widely discussed in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/WmZONshjT3
There are few teams as revered as the Showtime Lakers, as the Magic Johnson-led squad won five titles in the 80s and were known for the fun they had on and off the court.
A portrayal of Magic Johnson will feature heavily in the series, but the man himself isn’t particularly pleased about it, as Magic himself was asked for his thoughts on the upcoming series by TMZ and, after discussing Jeanie Buss’ series (on Showtime) and his own series in production, said, “I’m not looking forward to it. I’m going to leave it at that.”
If I were to guess at the reason Magic’s not exactly thrilled about the new series is that it will certainly take a look at the off-court exploits of Johnson and the Lakers, who had quite the time in L.A. in the 1980s, which Johnson has understandably tried his best not to glamorize for much of his post-playing career.
Despite heavy scrutiny on him as the case against him for shooting Megan Thee Stallion looms, Canadian rapper Tory Lanez has continued with business as usual, releasing his sixth studio album Alone At Prom under his One Umbrella Records imprint earlier this month. However, it now looks like he might be in hot water with another female music star as a result, with his song “Pluto’s Last Comet” coming under scrutiny by Madonna for illegally sampling her 1985 Desperately Seeking Susan soundtrack cut, “Into The Groove.”
As noted by Pop Crave, Madonna commented on Tory’s recent Instagram post, warning him to check his DMs. “Read your messages for illegal usage of my song get into the groove,” she wrote.
Madonna calls out Tory Lanez on Instagram for illegal use of her song, “Into the Groove.” pic.twitter.com/vxUg1pX9au
“Into The Groove,” which was written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray for the film Desperately Seeking Susan, appeared on the 1985 worldwide re-issue of Madonna’s second studio album, Like a Virgin. Meanwhile, “Pluto’s Last Comet,” which was produced by Chaz Jackson and Orlando Tha Great, interpolates the intro and instrumental loop from the upbeat dance song for Tory to deliver his take on a track you might find in The Weeknd’s sessions for After Party. Lanez hasn’t responded to Madonna’s comment, and Madonna herself has yet to release any official statement on whether or not she’s taking legal action. Historically, Madonna has been amenable to hip-hop samples of her hits, but usually artists and their producers have the good sense to clear the samples first.
Fresh off his performance on The Late Show as part of Stephen Colbert’s hip-hop ode to the Lord Of The Rings, Killer Mike shared some sobering news on Instagram: His downtown Atlanta barbershop, Swag Shop, was vandalized with spraypaint across its storefront. While he said he is “angry and beyond upset” about the graffiti, rather than demanding revenge, he’s instead asking fans to help get the culprit treatment for a mental illness.
“A mentally disturbed White Man who Calls himself “Druce Wayne” did this to our Shop downtown,” he wrote. “He lives in the delusion he is Kurt Cobain and somehow I am involved in a conspiracy to keep him silenced. I am angry and beyond upset. With that said, I know I can fix this physical damage BUT this man’s mind is terribly broken. If u are from OKC and know his family or friends please DM so u can get him some help. I will for sure make sure we get this fixed and I encourage all to check on your mentally ill loved ones because the world may not be as understanding as me. Love and Respect.”
It’s the second time this year one of Mike’s shops has suffered damage. In February, he delayed reopening the downtown shop — which had been closed due to COVID — due to the windows being shot out. Here’s us hoping that he can avoid future damage and have a successful and safe 2022.
Living through 20 months of a worldwide pandemic has definitely taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. It’s also had a significant effect on marriages and families.
A recent group of studies cited by PBS found that the pandemic has created a range of parental stressors, such as school closures, job losses and interruptions in care for children with chronic diseases.
Parents are also dealing with higher levels of stress, clinical anxiety and depression.
A study out of Canada found that 44.3% of parents with children reported worse mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 35.6% of respondents without children.
On Sunday, Pope Francis released a letter aimed at families called, “Christmas present to married couples,” with some advice for those trying to keep their families healthy in troubled times.
Dear married couples throughout the world! In this u201cAmoris Laetitia Familyu201d Year, I am writing to express my deep affection and closeness to you at this very special time. #LetterToMarriedCouples https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2021/documents/20211226-lettera-sposi-anno-famiglia-amorislaetitia.htmlu00a0u2026
“For some couples, the enforced living conditions during the quarantine were particularly difficult. Pre-existing problems were aggravated, creating conflicts that in some cases became almost unbearable,” the pope wrote. “Many even experienced the breakup of a relationship that had to deal with a crisis that they found hard or impossible to manage. I would like them, too, to sense my closeness and my affection.”
The pope provided some hope in the letter by reminding his followers of three simple words that can work miracles in marriages.
“May every family be a place of acceptance and understanding,” he wrote. “Think about the advice I gave you on the importance of those three little words: ‘please, thanks, sorry.’”
The pope’s advice may seem just like common sense, but it works. According to Positive Psychology, research has found that forgiveness among married couples improves their commitment, conflict resolution skills and overall relationship quality.
It’s important to remember that forgiveness works both ways. It’s great for those who have been forgiven but it also improves the mental well-being of those who are able to accept an apology. According to Psychology Today, “An apology actually affects the bodily functions of the person receiving it—blood pressure decreases, heart rate slows and breathing becomes steadier.”
He also repeated an oft-cited piece of marriage advice, don’t go to bed angry. “After every argument, ‘don’t let the day end without making peace,’” the pope urged.
The pope says that the failure to make peace before bedtime can cause resentments to ferment. “How many times, unfortunately, conflicts originate within the domestic walls due to prolonged periods of silence and from unchecked selfishness!” he wrote. “Sometimes it even ends up in physical and moral violence. This lacerates harmony and kills the family.”
He also urged people to put down their phones and talk to one another. “It’s sad to see a family at lunch, each one with his or her own cell phone not speaking to one another, everyone talking to the mobile phone,” he wrote.
The pope’s advice may not have been world-shattering but at a time when many people are at their wit’s end, it’s important to be reminded that one of the most important gifts that we can give to one another is grace.
Issa Rae, fresh off the series finale of her acclaimed HBO show Insecure, has a variety of endeavors in front of her, including more television, some movies, and her Atlantic Records label, Raedio, with which she’s trying to change a system that she sees as corrupt and toxic. In a new interview with Los Angeles Times excerpted by Variety, the multitalented creator called music “probably the worst industry I’ve ever come across.”
Comparing it to her experiences in film and television, she pointed out many of the issues she has with the music business that she likely hopes to change with her work with Raedio. “I thought Hollywood was crazy,” she said. “The music industry, it has to start all over again. There are lots of conflicts of interest. Archaic mentalities. Villains and criminals! It’s an addiction industry, and I really feel for artists who need to get into it.” She called it “shocking” to learn how the business works from the inside.
Indicating how her approach with Raedio contrasts this status quo, she explained, “I do not want to be too specific, but even with making our own appointments [for soundtracks] with labels or artists, it would be so intricate. And to find out how artists were treated on other labels … When I myself am a creator and know what I want in relation to a relationship with a production company or a producer, I would like to think that we are more artist-friendly than much of other brands and companies out there. I want to renew things.”
Issa also talked about the music for Insecure, which she curated, and which fans said they’d miss as much as the show. Of curating the vibes for the show with new and rising talents, she said, “As a music lover, nothing excites me more than feeling like you’re on to an artist first.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
We completely understand if the reason you haven’t gotten into Scotch whisky is that you feel overwhelmed. Sure, there are myriad great bottles on the market well-suited for palates accustomed to bourbon, rye, or various other whisk(e)ys. But diving into a whole new type of whiskey demands some commitment — both financially speaking and time-wise.
What better season to experiment with Scotch than winter break? And, as always, we’re here to help with suggestions. Samantha Montgomery, beverage specialist at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown Kentucky believes there’s one specific region perfect for Scotch whisky beginners.
“Any Highland Scotch is a great place to start,” she notes, “as the style uses less peat than others — which is what most people are afraid of.”
Nick du Mortier, lead mixologist at Bar Pendry in Chicago prefers to point drinkers toward Scotch whiskies that have similar flavor profiles to their favorite spirits.
“A lot of recommending drinks to folks, as far as I’ve experienced behind the bar, is getting a feel for what they already like and building upon that,” he says. “If I had someone tell me they really loved mezcal, I would be more inclined to offer them a small sample of some peaty-smoky Islay Scotch.”
Not having that sort of info on hand, we asked bartenders to tell us the one Scotch whisky they like to pour for novices sight unseen. Keep scrolling to see their picks.
Monkey Shoulder blended Scotch is my pick. The vanilla and smoky notes lend themselves to a great intro Scotch. It’s best served on the rocks or neat. It’s also a great base for your favorite cocktails.
Laphroaig 10
Laphroaig
Jeffrey Sacchet, food and beverage director at South Seas Island Resort in Captiva Island, Florida
The richness and diversity in Scotch varieties demand that the novice tippler commits to educating themselves. So, I suggest stepping out of the shallows and diving into the deep end with Laphroaig 10. True to Scotches from the Islay region, this distillation has intense peat smoke flavors with a hint of salty sweetness.
The best Scotch for a beginner would have to be Oban 14. This Scotch is the perfect single malt Scotch that turned me from a typical tequila drinker into a Scotch lover. The dark fruit flavor and sweet aromas opened the door for me to choose Scotch as my spirit of choice.
Glenmorangie La Santa
Glenmorangie
Christopher Devern, lead bartender of Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia
Glenmorangie La Santa is my pick. A sherry cask finished Highland Scotch that is aged for 12 years. This finish lends the Scotch a unique sweetness along with notes of raisins and dark fruit. It’s a smooth drinking Scotch that doesn’t have the peat and smoke that Islays do, these flavors can be a bit overwhelming for a novice drinker.
The Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak Cask
The Macallan
Mark Phelan, beverage director at 16″ On Center in Chicago
The Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak Cask has a soft, balanced profile with a subtle sweetness from the sherry finish that is a great example of the category for a novice drinker. There’s a reason it’s one of the most popular beginner bottles.
The Balvenie DoubleWood 12
The Balvenie
Nicholas Bennett, beverage director at Porchlight in New York City
My pick for whisky novices is The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year. This is a wonderfully rich and complex whisky that really exemplifies the best of both worlds. It is first matured in refill American oak casks, so you get some bourbon characteristics like spice and a little vanilla followed by dried fruit and some nuttiness from the European oak Oloroso sherry butts they use to finish the aging.
This is the whisky my brother Henry and I have been gifting each other for years.
Aberfeldy 12
Aberfeldy
Robert Kidd, bar manager at Le Cavalier in Wilmington, Delaware
Aberfeldy 12 Year is great for the novice Scotch drinker. I love to try people out on Highland Scotches when they are new to spirits. I think way too many people get tasted on some super peaty Scotch for the first time. That smokiness can be too aggressive and turn people off from trying other Scotches in the future. Scotch is one of the best spirits with incredible range and complexity and the soft dried fruits and caramel in Aberfeldy 12 Year are a great jumping-off point in my opinion.
Plus, the price is very approachable.
Glenmorangie The Original
Glenmorangie
Lee Noble, lead mixologist at Art in the Age in Philadelphia
Glenmorangie The Original is a good intro to Scotch whisky. As it’s lighter and not peated, so it won’t turn up too many noses. Aged to perfection for ten years. Great as a mixer or in a dram.
Compass Box Whisky Artist Blend is hard to bear for a beginner Scotch whisky. This whisky is complex and works for even the experienced drinker but it’s still very approachable with fruit notes and no peat.
Scotch whisky varies so much from one region to the next, so if I was trying to introduce someone to single malt Scotch, I would probably start them with something that tasted a bit familiar to them, I would likely start them with a whisky from the Highlands region as these whiskies tend to drink a bit sweet, fruity, and rich and taste similar to bourbons. Especially whiskeys from the northern highlands.
If this was a guest at my bar, I’d most definitely be reaching for a bottle of The Dalmore 12. It ticks all of those boxes.
Aberlour 12-Year-Old Scotch is a wonderfully approachable and balanced spirit that has enough softness and fruit to balance its spice. I recommend adding a splash of water to it, which actually opens up the flavors beautifully.
The Balvenie 14-year-old Caribbean Cask would be my first suggestion for novice Scotch whisky drinkers. This Scotch is finished in former rum casks, which gives it a sweeter taste. Even at first smell, you get scents of baked oatmeal raisin cookies.
Glenmorangie X has to be my pick. This is a great mixing whisky, but you can also drink this single malt whisky on its own. A bottle is around 30 dollars and will never put you down.
For friends that have never had a Scotch, I would recommend anything from Speyside or Lowlands. They tend to drink easier, with little to no peat or smoke and more notes of dried fruit and vanilla. Auchentoshan American Oak might be a great entry. It drinks almost as soft and easy as Irish whiskey.
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an invite to a fake CrossFit competition 
(@NataliaAntonova) 
(@master_deli) 
