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After years of controversy over players kneeling during the national anthem before sporting events, an NBA team has done something unique. They simply stopped playing the anthem altogether.

They didn’t make an announcement. No one on the team or in management or ownership mentioned it. The 13 games that the Dallas Mavericks have played at home this preseason and regular season did not start with the national anthem, and pretty much no one even noticed.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed today that he had nixed playing the anthem at the American Airlines Center games and had no plans to play it in the future. He told ESPN that he had made the decision after consulting NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Cuban has expressed support for and solidarity with players who knelt during the anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality in recent years, after saying in 2017 that he hoped players would stand.

After news broke about Cuban not playing the anthem at games, the NBA issued the following statement:

“With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy.”

Welp, that puts Mark Cuban in a bit of a pickle. Cuban has reportedly said they will abide by the NBA’s rule and begin playing the anthem tonight. He also responded issued a statement of his own:

“We respect and have always respected the passion people have for the anthem and our county. But we also loudly hear the voices of those who feel that the anthem does not represent them. We feel that their voices need to be respected and heard, because they have not been.

Going forward, our hope is that people will take the same passion they have for this issue and apply the same amount of energy to listen to those who feel differently from them. Only then can we move forward and have courageous conversations that move this county forward and find what unites us.”

So here we are in another debate about the anthem, this time about whether or not teams should be forced to play it if they don’t want to. But the question remains: Why do we even play it at sporting events in the first place?

Playing the national anthem makes sense in international competitions because nationality is inherent in the matchup. But when an American team is playing an American team, playing the anthem feels like nationalism for the sake of nationalism. And when people playing those sports share that conditions in the country make them feel like the anthem doesn’t fully represent them, forcing a display of patriotism starts to feel gross.

The fact that the Mavericks didn’t play the anthem before 13 games and no one cared until it was pointed out is a sign that the controversy isn’t really about the anthem at all. People are welcome to sing the national anthem any time they want. What exactly is the point of doing it before every professional sporting event? What do sports have to do with patriotism in the first place?

Some will say the anthem is played to bring people together, to share a sense of national unity. But if that’s really what the purpose is, it’s obviously not working. Until we make the country what we’re supposed to be and what we claim to be—one in which liberty and justice truly exist for all—forcing the anthem at every game feels wrong.

As Shannon Sharpe pointed out, the national anthem is not the law of the land. There’s no law that stipulates that the anthem be played at sporting events—it’s a choice. And the anthem means different things to different people. “We have to stop with this notion that gestures and symbols are a sign of patriotism,” he said. “Actions and deeds make you a patriot…Sporting events will be just fine.”

If the anthem means a lot to you, you have every right to sing it whenever and wherever your heart desires. But the idea that playing it ahead of every sporting event is some kind of sacrosanct thing that can’t be changed is simply wrong, and denying a team the right to choose for themselves whether or not they play it feels awfully unAmerican.

American freedom means we don’t do forced patriotic displays. And the fact that the Mavericks haven’t played the anthem for 13 games and the world hasn’t come to a crashing halt means that we’d surely survive not playing it before every sporting event. Save the anthem for international competitions when it serves a clearer purpose, and let teams decide for themselves if they want it played on their home turf.

Education is one of the most reliable ways for people to climb the economic ladder. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that in 2018, college graduates earned weekly wages that were 80% higher than those of high school graduates.

Americans with a bachelor’s degree have median weekly earnings of $1,173, compared to just $712 a week for those who have a high school diploma.

One of the most affordable ways for people to get a college degree is to first start at community college. However, only 42% of first-time college students who attend a community college eventually complete a degree within eight years.

One of the major reasons these students fall through the cracks is the cost of their education. Studies show that graduation rates increase dramatically at community colleges with better public funding.

That’s why the Biden Administration is pushing for free community college as a way to improve America’s economic standing after the COVID-19 pandemic.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, a longtime community college professor, reiterated the Biden Administration’s goal of free community college in taped remarks aired Tuesday during a virtual legislative summit hosted by the Association of Community College Trustees and the American Association of Community Colleges.

FLOTUS: “We’re going to make sure that everyone has access to free community college”

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“We have to get this done. And we have to do it now,” Dr. Biden said. “That’s why we’re going to make sure that everyone has access to free community college and training programs.”

“We’re going to make sure students have the support they need to cross that finish line,” she said. “We’re going to invest in programs that prepare our workers for jobs of the future.”

Dr. Biden continues to teach virtually during the pandemic. She is the first first lady to have a paying job outside of the White House.

Last December, then-President-elect Joe Biden shared his pledge to make community and public colleges free. “That’s why under the Biden-Harris plan, community college will be free — and public colleges and universities will be tuition-free for families earning less than $125,000 a year,” he tweeted.

Biden’s Twitter announcement echoed pledges listed on his campaign website, which spoke to “invest[ing] in community colleges and training to improve student success” for the benefit of the middle class.

“All of these proposals will be implemented in partnership with states as well as school faculty and staff. Educators must play a key role in decisions affecting teaching and learning,” read a statement on his webpage.

The announcement comes as community college enrollment is on a steady rise. Between 2000 and 2017 undergraduate enrollment in community colleges grew from $13.2 million to $16.8 million. It’s expected to rise another 3% over the next seven years.

When the free college debate comes around, cost will no doubt be at the forefront of the discussion. But that assumes we can attach a price tag to the benefit of living in a society that places a higher value on education. A better-educated populace is one with greater opportunities and can allow for greater aspirations.

The bigger question should be, what’s the cost of living in a society where many don’t have access to a quality education?

Following a whirlwind run on GameStop stocks that saw prices surge by over 1,000%, Reddit traders have turned their attention towards a different industry: weed. Prices for three cannabis companies skyrocketed on Wednesday, due to the WallStreetBets subreddit, which sees the marijuana stocks as their next moneymaker thanks to the Biden administration’s plans for decriminalization. Like the GameStop situation, the Reddit traders also noticed the companies were being short sold, which has given them an opportunity to potentially pull another pump and dump that could pay off big time. Via CNBC:

The group of cannabis companies are garnering attention from the same WallStreetBets Reddit army that contributed to the epic short squeeze in GameStop last month. Several posts on the social media forum show users expressing optimism about the stocks’ upside.

″$TLRY $APHA calls since 1/5/2021 got me to over $500k today. Still think it has much upside,” one Reddit post said.

“Weed about to make me a millionaire in 2021,” another post, with more than 107,000 likes, said.

While the Reddit traders continues to stay focused on taking advantage of short stocks like GameStop, AMC, Nokia, and at one point, Blockbuster Video, one of their biggest backers, Elon Musk, has moved on to a different target: cryptocurrency. Following his championing of the Reddit subgroup and demanding answers from the CEO of Robinhood after the trading app temporarily blocked the purchase of GameStop stocks, Musk’s Tesla company shook the markets by making a massive $1.5 billion Bitcoin buy. Although, the eccentric CEO is still here for the memes, and he continues to make that clear with his non-stop Dogecoin posting, which he has admitted is a joke in case the $1.5 billion purchase of actual Bitcoin wasn’t evidence enough.

(Via CNBC)

When it comes to power couples, few have as much juice as DMV rapper Cordae and tennis champion Naomi Osaka. Both in their early 20s, the pair has already become “goals,” even for fans decades their seniors. And why not? Cordae was nominated for a Best Rap Album Grammy for his debut album after exploding onto the public stage in 2018 with the YBN crew. Meanwhile, Naomi made her presence known on one of tennis’ grandest stages, defeating her hero Serena Williams at the 2018 US Open in a controversial match that made her an instant star.

So it makes perfect sense for GQ to tap the couple for its “Modern Lovers” issue this month, complete with a feature profiling their prolific accomplishments, as well as putting them through the requisite couples quiz challenge, just like Rihanna and ASAP Rocky a few months ago. The questions here remain surface level, but it’s still fun to watch the duo compliment and side-eye each other all through the video as Cordae buries his face in his hoodie and tries to charm his athletically inclined girlfriend.

As far as the profile goes, Naomi addresses the controversy surrounding her US Open win over Williams, as well as her relationship with the late, great Kobe Bryant, who she counted as a mentor. Meanwhile, Cordae talks about going to a majority Black school all his life and the culture shock of the new world in which he finds himself.

Aside from collecting corporate sponsorships like Pokemon cards — Cordae appeared in a Beats ad, while Naomi has her own line with Nike — the two were also involved in activism last year, with Naomi sporting face masks bearing the names of victims of police brutality and Cordae participating in a sit-in at Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s home to protest his inaction in the Breonna Taylor shooting by Louisville police.

Watch Cordae and Naomi take GQ‘s couples quiz above.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Netflix series) — Director Joe Berlinger (Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the Ted Bundy movie starring Zac Efron and Paradise Lost, the HBO documentary trilogy about the West Memphis Three) launches this new anthology series that explores why some notorious crime locales gain their reputations. This season’s all about L.A.’s so-called “hotel death” and what happened when a young woman named Elisa Lam disappeared without a trace and after behaving bizarrely. Along the way, Berlinger seeks to crush conspiracy theories and vanquish ghost stories, although the whole affair is still a spooky ride.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00pm) — Archie’s been at war, and it’s been seven years since he’s been to Riverdale. When he returns, pretty much everyone (including him) looks the same, but the town itself is on the verge of desertion.

Nancy Drew (CW, 8:00pm) — Nancy and the gang are working to take out the Aglaeca before it’s too late, and the opposite happens. Elsewhere, Carson receives a favor request from Ace.

Resident Alien (SyFy, 10:30pm) — Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Rogue One) is an alien. Alan plays Harry, an alien who crash-landed on Earth, who’s beginning finding it difficult to keep his secret safe, and Asta is confronting her own history.

C.B. Strike (HBO, 10:00pm) — This series is adapted from the novels of Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) and follows a London-based private detective who investigates the most complex cases with the help of his military training. This week, Robin admits something difficult to Strike, and they must just solve their current case.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Kristen Wiig, Rebecca Breeds

Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Mila Kunis, KJ Apa, Sam Dew

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Dwayne Johnson, Daniel Kaluuya, Chris Stapleton

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Noah Centineo, Madison Cunningham

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Allison Janney, Rep. Cori Bush

In case you missed these recent picks:

Modern Family: All Seasons (Peacock and Hulu) — The enormously popular series that ran for eleven seasons left the airwaves in 2020 will now be available for streaming in its entirety. In addition, Peacock is adding curated collections, bonus content and more goodies to create a “fan experience,” This show has more Emmys than anyone could possibly count, so perhaps that exercise can be part of the bonus content? Do it.

Firefly Lane (Netflix series) — Katherine Heigl returns to TV with Sarah Chalke as co-star, as the duo portrays two women over three-to-four decades of best friendship. Expect laughs and sentimentality, all based upon the New York Times bestselling book of the same name, and a brunette Heigl.

Tacoma FD: Season 2 (HBO) — The Broken Lizard comedy troupe returns with this hit TruTV comedy series about a true mess of a firefighting group with outlandish exploits that rival that of Reno 911 and Super Troopers.

The big news networks have been covering Trump’s second impeachment trial all day, which might be why CNN anchor Jake Tapper seems fed up with the childish behavior of some of the GOP senators disrupting the prosecution’s arguments.

Tapper — along with co-hosts Abby Phillip and Dana Bash — was recapping the house manager’s presentation of evidence that places the blame for the Jan. 6th insurrection squarely on Trump’s shoulders when talk turned to why the public wouldn’t be seeing leaders like Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Lindsey Graham on camera during the trial. Apparently, the heads of both parties agreed that the reactions of lawmakers wouldn’t be filmed during the hearing. That lack of media scrutiny has emboldened some politicians to behave like, well, bratty teenagers. Mediate has video of the moment; Phillip, Bash, and Tapper did not tread lightly.

“Some of them are explicitly not listening,” Phillip said after detailing how Graham, Hawley, and Cruz might be implicated in the house manager’s arguments. “Feet up on desks, they’re reading books, they’re reading briefing papers on other topics. And they’re doing it intentionally because I guess it gives them plausible deniability with their supporters, that they weren’t even going to take in the information that’s coming to them today.”

That kind of willful ignorance must be a pet peeve for Tapper because he refused to hold back when criticizing these men who, in a way, helped us get here.

“They’re really tough and defiant about the fact that they’re not participating, except that they won’t allow cameras there to show that,” Tapper said. “It’s real easy to be defiant when no one’s looking.”

In fairness, it’s got to be embarrassing to have supported a “Stop The Steal” campaign that ended with your own supporters sacking your place of work. We’re pretty sure that’s what the kids call an “epic fail.”

(Via Mediaite)

Tom Brady had quite the time on Wednesday as he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrated their Super Bowl victory with a boat parade, in which Brady rode around on a $2 million boat and got progressively more and more hammered as the day went on.

At one point, Brady launched the Lombardi Trophy to another boat, our first indication that the GOAT was feeling loose, but we got confirmation of Drunk Brady when he was propped up by his backup and ushered off the dock in a very familiar fashion to anyone who has had to escort a friend out of the bar after a few too many. It’s not a surprise, really, I mean this is a 43-year-old who has a strict diet and nutrition system who just let loose on a boat in the Tampa sun, which is like, expert level drinking conditions. It’s a minor miracle he could function at all by the end, and his social media team went almost full Weekend at Bernie’s for their celebration video, posted minutes after he stumbled through the docks.

Just a real savvy decision not to have Brady have to speak, opting for the silent shrug with the Lombardi Trophy and flashing seven fingers for his seven rings. Playing Eminem’s “Without Me” for this video is a very “white guy who entered the league in 2000” thing to do, but it’s on brand and it confirms that he’s not going anywhere and will look to run it back next year in Tampa. Ending the video with him heaving the Lombardi Trophy is a great touch and it remains borderline upsetting how good Brady’s social media team is.

Evan Rachel Wood came forward one week ago to name ex-partner Marilyn Manson as her alleged abuser, and in the aftermath, several other women have accused the singer of abusive treatment as well. Phoebe Bridgers then followed with a sickening story while former Manson collaborator Trent Reznor issued his own statement of condemnation. Importantly, Wood made her statement after years of advocacy for abuse survivors, including testimony in front of Congress and California lawmakers to help lengthen the statute of limitations for crimes involving domestic violence. Last September, Game Of Thrones actress Esme Bianco (who played Ros during the show’s first three seasons) revealed that she, like Wood, testified in support of California’s Phoenix Bill.

New York Magazine has now published a lengthy profile of Bianco, in which she alleges that Marilyn Manson abused her during a 2011 relationship. Bianco provided photos to the publication and gave her harrowing account of physical abuse by Manson, who she claims terrorized her (with both emotional and physical abuse that included whipping, cutting, and bruising her) during the two months that she lived with him. Her claims were corroborated to New York by Manson’s former assistant, Jessica Walters, who went on record with the publication. A former member of Manson’s inner circle also spoke up (under the pseudonym of Alex) to reveal that he’d spotted bruises on Bianco’s back and arms, but he was too afraid to speak up out of fear of retaliation:

Alex remembers seeing bruises on her arms and back. He didn’t know if they came from consensual sexual experiences and was too afraid of Manson to ask. In retrospect, Bianco doubts she would have accepted any help. “I think I would have made excuses for him,” she says. “I was in survival mode at that point, and my brain had taught me to be small and agreeable.”

Bianco spent roughly two months living with Manson, drinking heavily to cope. She was often in a dissociative state, “hovering above life like I was looking at it through a net curtain,” she says, raising her hands in front of her face. Once, she remembers, he repeatedly cut her torso with a knife. “I just remember laying there, and I didn’t fight it,” she says. “It was kind of this final-straw moment where I had lost all sense of hope and safety.” He sent a photo of her cuts to Walters and one of his bandmates at the time, with the subject line “See what happens?”

The rest of Bianco’s account is an equally harrowing one (she says he would play her GoT sex scenes in front of people while berating and humiliating her) and can be read here. Throughout the course of the piece, it becomes clear that a 2019 Twitter photo of whip marks on her back was posted by Bianco in reference to Manson. “This is my back,” she wrote at the time. “The injuries you see are real. The whipping that I got here was filmed in the name of ‘art.’ Despite the many years that have passed since this happened my night terrors and PTSD symptoms continue to get worse. I am a domestic violence survivor and #IAmNotOk.”

(Via New York Magazine)

The same day that Pedro Pascal publicly supported his sister after she came out as trans, his The Mandalorian co-star Gina Carano shared some very bad posts on social media. Again.

The MMA fighter-turned-actress previously tweeted anti-mask memes and “made light of people including their preferred pronouns on social media by adding ‘beep/bop/boop’ to her Twitter bio, which many fans called out as transphobic,” according to Variety. This time, Carano compared present-day Republicans to… Jews during the Holocaust?

“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors… even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views,” the post, which originally appeared on another account, read. She also shared a photo of a person wearing multiple masks on their head. The caption: “Meanwhile in California.” That’s the kind of humor the alt-right is so famous for. Those posts have since disappeared from Instagram, but “other posts, including a quote saying ‘Expecting everyone you encounter to agree with every belief or view you hold is f*cking wild’ and one saying ‘Jeff Epstein didn’t kill himself,’ remained.”

Disney has yet to respond to a star from the company’s most-watched streaming show sharing conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic images and making transphobic jokes, but #FireGinaCarano has been trending for much of today.

(Via Variety)

Back in January of 2020, Porter Robinson returned to music with his first new single since the release of his 2014 album Worlds. The musicians has been teasing his upcoming album Nurture ever since, most recently sharing “Look At The Sky” as his first song of the new year. On the heels of the single’s release, Robinson has now followed up with a surreal visual.

Directed by Samuel Burgess-Johnson, the “Look At The Sky” video opens with Robinson seated at a piano in an indoor meadow. Robinson isn’t alone, however, as he’s shortly joined by a group of friendly ghosts who offer him their assistance.

Speaking about the visual in a statement, Robinson explained his concept:

“I wanted to represent the things we all contribute to this world, and how they last even after we’re gone,” he said. “When I make music in a room by myself, I’m not truly working alone–someone else invented the piano, the computer, the software, even the ideas of melody, chord, harmony and scale. We’re always collaborating with a limitless number of people we don’t know, most of whom aren’t around anymore. We’re all contributing something to the world with our every action, for better or for worse. When we’re gone, let’s hope that the things we leave behind will be useful and beautiful.”

Watch Robinson’s “Look At The Sky” video above.

Nurture is out 4/23 via Mom+Pop. Pre-order it here.