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The NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching, as we are less than three days away from the 3 p.m. ET cutoff for trades, and as has been the case for months, much of the focus on a national level is on what will happen with Ben Simmons and the 76ers.

Simmons has continued to refuse to play for the Sixers as he demands a trade, while Philly is still trying to extract a star-level player in return for him. To this point, they have not found a trade package that meets their demands, and many seem to believe they’ll drag this out into the summer in hopes of making a run at James Harden (who they’ve tried to talk about getting at the deadline, but Steve Nash squashed that publicly).

All of this stems from growing discontent from Simmons with the situation in Philadelphia, one in which he believes he got scapegoated by Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid for their playoff loss to the Hawks last season after already feeling pushed to the periphery by trade rumors involving him and Harden at last year’s deadline. Embiid spoke, again, about those comments on Monday in an interview with Mike Missanelli on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia, and detailed why he felt his comments weren’t out of line — noting all the other people he called out, including Matisse Thybulle and himself, for the end of Game 7 — and when asked if he felt Simmons’ reaction was unreasonable, he said “definitely.”

Embiid was later asked what could be done differently and defended Doc Rivers comments, noting the support he offered Simmons all season and saying that Rivers should be allowed to make mistakes in the heat of the moment too.

All told, it just continues to emphasize that there is no coming back from this for the Sixers and Simmons, despite the front office continually stating they want Simmons to return to the team this season. Embiid and the team seem to have completely moved on and it is clear that it’s best for all parties for Simmons to get a fresh start, it’s just a matter of when that happens. The good news for all of us is, no matter whether he’s traded by 3 p.m. Thursday or not, once that passes we can hopefully get a few months reprieve of Simmons reports as there’s nothing that can be done until the offseason once the deadline goes by.

It’s been a while since we got an American Pie entry, or at least one that played in an actual movie theater. The last proper entry, American Reunion, came out 10 years ago, so it’s probably for another. One of the many direct-to-video spin-offs, came out in 2020, but they’re not necessarily cannon, even if many of them actually feature Eugene Levy (though let’s assume he’s finally above them now). Long story short, the title, nicked from the Don McLean classic, is fair game.

Anyway, please don’t assume the newly announced Apple TV+ Mrs. American Pie has anything to do with the series about horny high schoolers (and later collegiates, and later grown-up adults). Because it doesn’t. It’s a 10-episode comedy starring no less than Kristen Wiig and, probably, pending a finalized deal, Laura Dern, and its set-up is decidedly different. As per the press release, it’s set “during the powderkeg era of the early 1970’s,” and it follows Wiig’s Maxine Simmons and her attempts to “secure her seat at America’s most exclusive table: Palm Beach high society.”

The press release also claims it will ask some big questions:

As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, “Mrs. American Pie” asks the same questions that still baffle us today: “Who gets a seat at the table?” “How do you get a seat at the table?” “What will you sacrifice to get there?”

Wiig is hot off one of last year’s most-liked films, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, as well as a memorable reunion with Will Forte on SNL. Dern, meanwhile, finally won her Oscar two years ago, on top of already being Laura Dern.

British pop singer Rita Ora has joined Disney+’s latest series, an untitled Beauty and the Beast prequel. Ora announced her excitement on Twitter, saying she would watch the classic Disney movie “over and over” as a child. She attached an adorably ’90s photo of herself dressed as Belle, as so many early aughts kids did. Clearly, she manifested this.

Ora added, “Lately I just feel like all my dreams are coming true! Life is feeling like a Disney movie!” Ora has been pursuing acting after her first role in 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey and last year’s Twist. She recently signed with a new record deal after releasing an EP last year.

Luke Evans and Josh Gad will reprise their roles as Gaston and LeFou from the 2017 live-action adaptation. Briana Middleton, Fra Fee and Jelani Alladin are also slated to star.

The story takes place well before the infamous ‘tale as old as time’ love story of Belle and The Beast, instead focusing on Gaston (played by Evans) and his sidekick LeFou setting out on an adventure with LeFou’s step-sister, Tilly, played by Middleton. Alan Menken, who scored both the 1991 and 2017 Beauty and the Beast movies, is set to soundtrack the series, along with lyrics from Glenn Slater, known for his work on Disney’s underrated classic, Tangled.

Production is expected to begin this spring.

Perhaps it was only a matter of time before Gerard Butler, onetime Phantom of the Opera-turned-action movie god, teamed up with the John Wick people. The star of the Olympus saga was born to work with Derek Kolstad, creator of the franchise that started with Keanu Reeves killing a ton of people because one of them killed his puppy. And so, as per Deadline, this dream is finally becoming a reality.

Butler is reportedly eyeing the lead role in Just Watch Me, which will tackle the first in a book series by no less than Jeff Lindsay, creator of another beloved murderous sorta-hero: Dexter. The novels follow Riley Wolfe, described by as “a master thief and expert in disguise who targets the wealthiest 0.1 percent.” The film, like the first novel, shows him teaming up with a “master forger named Monique and a team of expert thieves on a job that will make history.” Will they rob Jeff Bezos blind and donate most of their unimaginable haul to charity? Only readers of the Riley Wolfe series know for sure!

Butler teaming with Kolstad is such a no-brainer that it’s kind of incredible that Kolstad teamed up with Bob Odenkirk, once a noted non-action star, first. Last year Odenkirk starred in Nobody, playing an everyman who snaps and starts taking no prisoners. That was inspired casting-against-type, while this is inspired casting-not-against-type.

(Via Deadline)

There are two teams that are clearly sellers as we near the February 10 trade deadline, as the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers have both already made trades in the last few days to move some key players to gain cap flexibility and draft assets moving forward.

The Pacers sent Caris LeVert to Cleveland for a package with the main prize being this year’s first round pick from the Cavs (lottery protected), and Indiana still has a number of players that teams will have interest in, starting with stars Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, but also including some lesser names in the rotation like Justin Holiday. That is likewise the case in Portland, where Norman Powell and Robert Covington were sent to the Clippers to get the Blazers under the tax line and it seems they still are open for business.

CJ McCollum has had his name brought up in trade rumors for years, but with Neil Olshey gone and a major retooling (if not rebuilding) under way in Portland, this deadline seems like a very real possibility he gets dealt. On Monday’s edition of NBA Today, Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Pelicans and Knicks have both been “fairly aggressive” in pursuing McCollum, and while Portland will likely take talks into Thursday’s deadline, it’s very likely the Blazers have a very different roster at the end of this week than they do now.

Matching McCollum’s $30.8 million salary this season is a trick, but New Orleans can package a group of Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, and Garrett Temple together and make the money work, with the Pelicans gaining $13 million in cap room going forward as Satoransky is an expiring. The Knicks likewise can piece together a few deals to make money work (i.e., Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker), but don’t have a bigger expiring like the Pelicans that would sweeten the deal for a Blazers team clearly looking to remake its cap sheet going forward. What New York does have is young players that might be more enticing to Portland, if they’re willing to part with them, and someone like Obi Toppin is what the Blazers would likely be pushing for.

While so much of the talk around this deadline has been about the Ben Simmons situation, which seems more likely than not to go unresolved by 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, there are some major moves that could be on the way and McCollum could be one of the big names changing teams this week.

This past January 24th, legendary musician Neil Young wrote an open letter threatening to remove his entire catalog from Spotify if the streaming service did not remove Joe Rogan and his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, from the platform. Young cited how Rogan continuously spreads COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on his show. “Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines — potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” he said.“They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.” This was the first domino to tip and quite a bit has happened since.

Why Are People Leaving Spotify? Inside The Controversy

Soon after Young’s statement, Spotify sided with Joe Rogan, their $100 million man who signed a very rich exclusive licensing deal in 2020. Young’s music was removed, but other artists began to follow his lead. Joni Mitchell joined Young in removing her music, then the rest of Young’s Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young bandmates announced that they were pulling their music as well. This led to numerous artists beginning to question their relationship with Spotify — who already pays artists a criminally low amount of money per song play — and then India.Arie took an even deeper stand against Rogan and Spotify. Arie announced that she was removing her catalog and her podcast, Songversation, citing not necessarily Rogan’s vaccine misinformation as the reason, but rather his problematic language around issues of race. “Neil Young opened a door that I MUST Walk Through,” she posted on Instagram. Rogan soon issued an apology for his misinformation and later for his language.

Arie later posted a video showing numerous instances of Rogan using the n-word on his show, called for a full-on Boycott, and Spotify, in turn, removed 70 episodes of the podcast from the streaming service. But why this issue isn’t going away anytime soon, and why people will likely continue to leave Spotify, is because of the platform’s tepid measures taken. A “content advisory” warning has been added to the platform and CEO Daniel Ek wrote a letter to all employees, which felt a bit more like damage control and a potential PR play.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Veterinarians Ericka and Jay Johnson met 20 years ago while doing a wild tortoise survey. So the couple decided that their ceremonial walk down the aisle wouldn’t be complete without their 20-year-old sulcata tortoise, Tom Shelleck, accompanying them as ring bearer. The couple was married last year at Tohono Chul Botanical Gardens in Arizona.

To make sure they made it to the altar, a floral basket containing the rings was attached to the top of Tom’s shell.

“Jay and I are both exotic animal veterinarians and tortoises have always been at the center of what brought us together,” Ericka said according to The Metro.

The couple encouraged Tom to walk down the aisle by lining the walkway with strawberries, a sulcata’s favorite treat.

Having Tom accompany them during their big moment was adorable but it also allowed them to really savor the moment. It took the bride, groom and Tom three minutes to walk down the aisle, where it takes most people just a few seconds.

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“We were timing him when we’d practice to see how long it would take and we ended up having to have two songs played so that we’d have enough time, and we still almost ran out of songs,” Ericka said.

“When it was time for him to go down the aisle I had my twin nephews place strawberries down for him to follow,” Ericka added. “He’s very outgoing and always hungry.”

Tom is clearly an important part of the couple’s life and it makes sense. A sulcata tortoise, much like a marriage, is a lifetime commitment. A sulcata can live more than 70 years and an adult can weigh anywhere from 79 to 200 pounds.

The only tortoises that are larger than a sulcata are the Galapagos tortoise and the Aldabra giant tortoise. The Aldabra giant tortoise can weigh up to 550 pounds and live for up to 150 years.

Ericka was a little worried that Tom would get distracted by mistaking some of their guests’ freshly painted toenails for fruit. But he made it all the way to his destination without veering off course. “Fortunately that didn’t happen,” she said.

After the big day was over, Tom stood out as one of the most memorable parts of the wedding. “A lot of people were talking about it and we made some funny jokes like ‘the bride is supposed to be the center of attention but it’s the ring bearer,’” Ericka said.

“The day after the wedding I had several people text me like ‘Hey, do you have any pictures of Tom?’” Ericka joked.

Ericka and Jay are a great example of how a couple can make a wedding truly an expression of their love by sharing what’s important to them. Tortoises brought them together and now their dearest Tom Shelleck was able to lead them to the altar where they could make the ultimate commitment to one another.

Plus, let’s face it, it’s important that Tom agreed to the marriage because he’s going to be right by their side for another 50-plus years, so he better approve of the arrangement.

When we think of Black Wall Street, we are often struck with the devastating images of the Tulsa Massacre. But Tulsa’s colony town of Greenwood forged by visionary business pioneers, has such a richer history.

The following is a very nonexhaustive list of why Black Wall Street should be celebrated, and how it defied the odds.

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It all started from 40 acres and a grocery store.

Ottawa “O.W.” Gurley purchased the oil-rich land in 1905, where he built the People’s Grocery store. From there, it became a thriving empire, one that contributed to Tulsa’s booming population.

According to Forbes, “between 1910 and 1920, Tulsa’s population nearly quadrupled to more than 72,000 and the Black population rose from below 2,000 to almost 9,000.”

This small plot of land soon advanced to rival even New York City. Can you imagine a small town in Oklahoma matching the Big Apple?!

It wasn’t just in Tulsa.

Besides Greenwood in Oklahoma, there were thriving Black Wall Streets in Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi and Virginia, to name a few.

Just how wealthy were the residents? REALLY wealthy.

We’re talking stylish multi-millionaires driving around in luxury cars kind of wealthy.

To put it in perspective: In the entire state of Oklahoma, there were only two airports, yet six families in Greenwood owned private planes.

If it stood today, Greenwood’s worth is estimated to be somewhere in the billions.

It was completely self-contained.

With its own hospital, school and bank, along with hundreds of businesses, dozens of restaurants, and two movie theatres, the town really wanted for nothing.

The dollar circulated almost a year before leaving the district, which is pretty astounding. To this day, no other community has accomplished that. The longest is somewhere around 45 days.

In fact, many residents earned their money entirely within the city, rather than working in white neighborhoods, helping the city become more affluent.

Greenwood’s Little Rose Beauty Salon helped pave the way for black beauty influencers.

Before there were the multimillion dollar brands like Carol’s Daughter, Shea Moisture and Fenty Beauty, there was the Little Rose Beauty Salon, owned by Greenwood’s Mabel B. Little.

Located right in the heart of Greenwood’s business district, the beloved beauty parlor was filled with customers on Thursdays for “Maid’s Night Out.” Young women who worked in white homes would come to receive the magic of self-care, then strut their stuff down Greenwood Avenue. Washing, setting and waving hair was a particularly strong skill Little possessed, having learned it from her aunt.

It had an elite school.

The Booker T. Washington school prepared its students to succeed in college with a rigorous, well-rounded curriculum.

Freshman year was dedicated to a core program of English, science, art and music, with an emphasis on algebra, Latin and ancient history. In their second year, sophomores studied economics and geometry, followed by chemistry and trade-oriented subjects in junior year. The final year had seniors learning physics and trigonometry, vocal music, art and bookkeeping.

And talk about an appreciation for education: Greenwood teachers were among the town’s highest paid workers.

(Oddly enough, as a native Texan I know there’s an arts high school by the same name in Dallas county.)

Black Wall Street produced the country’s first African American female bank owner.

Though she didn’t live in Oklahoma, I’m not sure if you can talk about Black Wall Street without mentioning Maggie Walker.

Formerly a teacher, Walker started her career at Richmond, Virginia’s Independent Order of Saint Luke, a society that aimed to help freed slaves gain economic independence. Steadily rising through the ranks, she eventually chartered the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in Richmond, Virginia.

The bank was completely staffed by African American employees, and offered a safe space for residents to manage their money without mistreatment. I mean, when the choice is either to cover up your hair with wax paper to enter a white-owned store or be welcomed as an equal, it’s kind of a no-brainer.

A bronze statue of Maggie Walker currently honors her legacy in downtown Richmond near the city’s own Black Wall Street.

There’s a Black Wall street app.

The digital platform, inspired by the prosperity Black Wall Street achieved, aims to provide financial education and empowerment to Black and Latinx users. Using the slogan “Black Cash Matters,” the app has adapted the concept of Black Wall Street, and aims to end Black Americans being “systematically refused access to the financial system and the victims of institutionalized predators,” according to its website.

When it first launched on June 1, 2021, creator Hill Harper told CNBC that the app’s ultimate goal is to “create a whole ecosystem, and eventually a marketplace where the recirculation, the circulation of dollars through this digital wallet, allows job creation, business creation and job growth.”

John W. Rogers, great grandson of Greenwood’s real estate mogul J.B Stradford, eloquently said, “Greenwood shows that when we are left to our own devices and don’t have a knee to our neck, we can achieve extraordinary things.”

Though the tragedy of the Tulsa Massacre is one part of the story, and an important one, this sentiment is equally invaluable. The legacy left behind by Black Wall Street is one of achievement, and its residents proved what can be done when people are indeed able to pursue their happiness.

Black History Month is here and at Upworthy, we embrace inclusivity and diversity. We want to highlight some local artisans and celebrate their work and culture. Supporting artisans not only helps them financially but it also helps promote equality and strengthens our economic diversity. At Upworthy Market, you can be assured that your purchases directly supports local artisans who craft their own products. Read personal stories by the creators and view their artisan collections below.

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1. Rita Addo’s Story

“I am a designer by profession. I do my designing with African concepts in mind. Growing up, I loved to sketch things on paper. It was a natural talent, I guess. The carvers who collaborate with me use traditional tools. As the demand grows, I’m able to give work to more carvers, which generates more income for them and their families. It is possible one or two carvers who show a keen interest can make a career out of this. The workshop also provides local women with a constant supply of wood scraps for cooking. With the sale of my jewelry, women in the neighborhood who enjoy stringing beads also get to earn some money when there is an increase in demand. We use mainly wood, recycled aluminum sheets and recycled plastic beads.” – Rita Addo

View Artisan Collection

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2. Ila Suleyman’s Story

“I was born into a family of artists who have carved and crafted wood and leather products for several family generations. I have been told the crafts that we do date back to more than a century ago, but it was my great-grandfather who took on the craft and made a real venture out of it. I have since introduced new materials in my collection by exploring the use of other natural materials such as wood and some recycled materials. These are designed and crafted by me with assistance from my childhood friend Deri, who has become my partner in the workshop, along with a staff of five.” – Ila Suleyman

Ila’s West African jewelry traces its roots deep into the past. Exquisite beadwork harkens back to an ancient form of currency. Cowrie shells carry with them symbolic value. Religious, spiritual and nature-inspired motifs are featured in the handiwork of West African jewelry artisans, who now infuse new techniques and materials into their creations.

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3. Akwele Suma’s Story

Akwele Suma Glory is a multi-award-winning and dynamic mixed media artist. She developed her trademark style, which includes her choice of materials, concept and techniques that allow her audience to see beyond her physical works. Akwele has also distinguished herself in ethnic jewelry design for more than a decade. Her work with mixed media has made art lovers admire her flair and profound perception, which are rooted in her strong faith in God. Akwele’s work is a continuous process of experimentation, research and development, and this has earned her a number of awards nationally and internationally for both her paintings and jewelry collections.

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4. Abdul Aziz Mohamadu’s Story

“In 2000, I went into carving and since then I have never regretted it. I am now self-employed and there are five assistants working with me. In addition, I have taught seven other people how to carve, and they are also on their own now and doing well. When I get large orders, I call on them for their assistance. I look forward to training more people in this craft and also to continuing with my paintings.” – Abdul Aziz Mohamadu

Today, Abdul spreads love to the five assistants who work with him, as well as the seven other individuals he has trained in the craft of carving. Even as his work has attained incredible success—being featured in exhibits in Ghana, Nigeria, and Benin—his journey is far from over.

View Artisan Collection

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5. Robert Aidoo-Taylor’s Story

“I am a self-taught artist. I never took any classes or attended courses. I use manual tools to carve my pieces from wood and then I paint them myself. I enjoy working alone, and my inspiration comes from nature. In 2012, however, I started experimenting with various materials including wood, waxed linen and synthetic cords to add diversify to my products. From these and other media, I now make bangles, bracelets and necklaces.” – Robert Aidoo-Taylor

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Welcome to Tokyo, where street cleaning meets street art, thanks to the litter-collecting Gomi Hiroi Samurai.

If you happen to be roaming the streets in Japan, you might find this group sporting ceremonial kimonos and dishing out some amazing moves as they gracefully pick up cans, cigarettes and any other piece of trash along their path, collecting it all in stylish wicker baskets.

The ancient Samurai were once known for their deadly yet beautiful fighting skills, used for justified defense. That same principle applies … this time with a modern-day, conservationalist twist.

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Wielding tongs instead of swords (most of the time, anyway) and shouting “moral no nai kokoro wo seibai!” (“punish hearts with no morals!”), the Gomi Hiroi Samurai know only one enemy: rubbish.

@gomihiroisamurai テーブルクロス引きかッ✋💥#ゴミ拾い侍 #ゴミ拾い #pickuptrash #ポイ捨て ♬ なにをやってもあかんわ (WM night out mix) – 岡崎体育

The epic way of shooting makes these TikTok videos feel more like something out of a Kurosawa film. Everything from the dramatic profile angles delivered by professionally trained actors, to the percussive battle drum music, to the ULTRA ultra closeups, it’s pure grade entertainment.

@gomihiroisamurai もしかして、スパイダー〇〇❓#ゴミ拾い侍 #ゴミ拾い #pickuptrash #スパイダーマン #spiderman ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – 【公式】ゴミ拾い侍（一世一代時代組）

Someone was clearly channeling their inner Scorpion from Mortal Kombat here. And it was indeed a flawless victory.

@gomihiroisamurai なんでこんなに酷いのぉ。#ゴミ拾い侍 #ゴミ拾い #pickuptrash #ポイ捨て ♬ なにをやってもあかんわ (WM night out mix) – 岡崎体育

As one person commented, “to quote a famous philosopher (Little Richard), ‘it ain’t what you do. It’s the way how you do it.’”

Though their stylish out-of-this-world performances certainly do raise environmental awareness, for these ecosamurai, the main intention is simply to uplift people’s spirits.

Group promoter Rikiya Takahashi said in an interview that “we hope to make people smile, and believe this will cleanse both their minds and their cities.”

@gomihiroisamurai 2年前の動画。#ゴミ拾い侍 #ゴミ拾い #pickuptrash #ポイ捨て #鬼滅の刃 #kimetsunoyaiba ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – 【公式】ゴミ拾い侍（一世一代時代組）

However, Takahashi added, “we hope to create an environment where having morals can be thought of as cool. We perform only with the hope that people will think the act of picking up trash is cool. At the root of that is a quintessential Japanese stylishness.”

The Samurai moral code, otherwise known as bushido, upholds the virtues of righteousness, courage, benevolence, respect, sincerity, honor, loyalty and self-control. It might have not been the group’s original mission, but it seems like these environmental warriors give bushido new life.

@gomihiroisamurai 子連れゴミ拾い侍。LAメンバーのカズ@kazkobayashi1 #ゴミ拾い侍 #ゴミ拾い #pickuptrash #ポイ捨て #子連れゴミ拾い侍 #LA ♬ We Will Rock You – Remastered 2011 – Queen

Thanks to their huge following on social media, what started out as a small group has rapidly expanded. You’ll now see the litter-collecting samurai all around the country. It goes to show that when you get creative, doing what’s right can actually be really fun.