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☆ An Overlooked Championship Team’s Final Stop: The White House
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Remy Tumin | Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When Vice President Kamala Harris greeted Dick Barnett on Friday, he was concise in his response. “Finally.”At long last, six surviving members of the all-Black Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State University in Nashville visited the White House, the culmination of a decades-long effort, led by Mr. Barnett, for recognition. The Tennessee A&I Tigers were the first team from a historically Black college or university to win any national championship, and the first college team to win three back-to-back championships, in 1957, 1958 and 1959. The former teammates — Mr. Barnett, George Finley, Ernest Jones, Henry Carlton, Robert Clark and Ron Hamilton — took part in a private ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House with Ms. Harris, who paid tribute to the team during a round-table discussion.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Dick Barnett, Barnett, — Mr, George Finley, Ernest Jones, Henry Carlton, Robert Clark, Ron Hamilton —, Harris Organizations: ”, Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State University, White, Tennessee, Tigers Locations: Nashville

☆ Scottish Hate Crime Law Takes Effect as Critics Warn It Will Stifle Speech
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A sweeping law targeting hate speech went into effect in Scotland on Monday, promising protection against threats and abuse but drawing criticism that it could have a chilling effect on free speech. The protected classes as defined in the law include age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity. Racial hatred was omitted because it is already covered by a law from 1986. The new law also does not include women among the protected groups; a government task force has recommended that misogyny be addressed in separate legislation. J.K. Rowling, the “Harry Potter” author who has been criticized as transphobic for her comments on gender identity, said the law was “wide open to abuse by activists,” and took issue with its omission of women.

Persons: ”, Rowling, Harry Potter ”, transphobic Organizations: Scottish Locations: Scotland

☆ ‘Star Trek’ Fan Leaves Behind a Collection Like No One Has Done Before
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Troy Nelson and his younger brother Andrew were almost inseparable. Near their home, there is a park bench on which they carved their initials as young boys. The Nelson brothers never married or had children. On Feb. 28, Andrew Nelson, who had been treated for cancer for years, went to feed the chickens and ducks that were gifts from Ms. Browne to her brothers. Just hours later, Troy Nelson, who was stricken with grief, took his own life.

Persons: Troy Nelson, Andrew, Nelson, ” Evan Browne, Andrew Nelson, Browne Locations: Bremerton, Wash

☆ A Lead Scare Strikes Stanley Tumblers, but You Don’t Need to Worry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They’ve become a fashion accessory, especially since the company that makes the cups, Stanley 1913, has made use of influencer culture to target women and make the tumbler’s sales skyrocket. The reach of the bottles has been amplified by social media users. But social media giveth and social media taketh away. Some Stanley owners, hoping to check the claims, started to use home lead-testing kits, which experts say are not reliable. A sendup of the Stanley cup phenomenon on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend — a sketch called “Big Dumb Cups” — even mentioned the lead in passing.

Persons: Stanley tumbler, They’ve, Stanley, ” YouTubers, —

Years ago, New York Times Reporter Sopan Deb got an email that asked: “What’s the deal with the cookies that Cookie Monster eats?”At first, he laughed it off, but eventually he realized: He really wanted to know the answer. Are they real cookies? What are they made of? That sent Deb on an odyssey into the world of muppet cookies. Here’s what he found.

Persons: Sopan Deb, “, Deb Organizations: New York Times

☆ Gary Graham, ‘Alien Nation’ and ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ Actor, Dies at 73
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Gary Graham, a veteran actor best known for portraying Ambassador Soval on the television show “Star Trek: Enterprise” and the detective Matthew Sikes in the “Alien Nation” franchise, died on Monday at his home in Spokane Valley, Wash. His death was confirmed by his wife, Becky Graham, who said the cause was cardiac arrest. In 1989, Fox adapted it as a television show about extraterrestrials adjusting to life in Los Angeles and trying to blend in. Mr. Graham was cast as Matthew Sikes, the human detective that Mr. Caan had played in the film. He was paired with Eric Pierpoint as George Francisco, a “Newcomer,” as members of the alien species were called.

Persons: Gary Graham, Soval, Matthew Sikes, Becky Graham, Graham’s, Kurt Russell, Tim Matheson, “ Starsky, Hutch, ”, Dukes, Hazzard, Terence Stamp, Mandy Patinkin, James Caan, Fox, Graham, Caan, Eric Pierpoint, George Francisco Organizations: Trek, Enterprise, University of California Locations: Spokane Valley, Irvine, Los Angeles, Mr

☆ Someone Filled the Chicago Rat Hole. Residents Took Action.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Where have you gone, Chicago rat hole? But Schopenhauer could not account for the elation with which residents of Chicago embraced an unlikely attraction this month: a hole in a sidewalk shaped like a rat. The rat hole was dead. Long live the rat hole. NBC Chicago reported that the hole, which for weeks had attracted amused gawkers to a quiet residential area of the Roscoe Village neighborhood, had been filled in with “what appeared to be plaster or concrete.”“Someone did this,” Jonathan Howell told NBC Chicago.

Persons: Arthur Schopenhauer, Schopenhauer, Long, gawkers, “, Jonathan Howell, Howell Organizations: NBC Chicago, NBC Locations: Chicago, German, Roscoe, Illinois

☆ Condé Nast Is Folding Pitchfork Into GQ, With Layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Pitchfork, once a cultural bastion for music criticism, will be merged with the men's magazine GQ, leading to layoffs within the online publication, according to a memo from Anna Wintour, the chief content officer of Condé Nast, their parent company. “This decision was made after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance, and what we believe is the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company,” Ms. Wintour wrote in her memo, which was issued to the staff on Wednesday. Among the casualties of the merger was Puja Patel, the site’s editor in chief since 2018, who had replaced Pitchfork’s founder, Ryan Schreiber. “Both Pitchfork and GQ have unique and valuable ways that they approach music journalism,” Ms. Wintour said, “and we are excited for the new possibilities together. With these organizational changes, some of our Pitchfork colleagues will be leaving the company today.”

Persons: Anna Wintour, Condé Nast, ” Ms, Wintour, Puja Patel, Ryan Schreiber, ” Organizations: Pitchfork, “, GQ

☆ At Sam’s Club, a Human Will No Longer Check Your Receipt at the Door
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But at other chains, where the practice is less consistently enforced, there have been accusations of racial bias. One response to this has been the addition of self-checkout lines. According to a video presented by Walmart executives, Sam’s Club will now have customers go through a gate-like portal rather than having an employee stand at the door and check individual receipts — an innovation that Ms. Crozier described as reimagining the future of retail. The portal is equipped with what Walmart said in a news release was “computer vision and digital technology” to verify purchases. The technology is currently at 10 locations, but Ms. Crozier told the audience that the company hoped to make the change at all of its roughly 600 locations by the end of the year.

Persons: Crozier Organizations: Costco, Walmart, Sam’s

☆ Nom Nom Nom. What’s the Deal With Cookie Monster’s Cookies?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Years ago, a reader wrote probing for details on a mystery that had vexed him: What’s the deal with the cookies that Cookie Monster eats? Cookie Monster, for those of you who skipped childhood, is a classic muppet on “Sesame Street.” He is a scraggly, blue fellow with bulging eyeballs, who has for decades been singularly obsessed with chaotically chowing down on cookies. The crumbs end up almost everywhere except his mouth, an effect that looks like a high-speed blender without a top. The character was created in the 1960s by Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets, for a General Foods Canada commercial. Cookie eventually moved to “Sesame Street,” where he presumably found a good rent-stabilized apartment.

Persons: chuckled, Cookie, chaotically, Jim Henson Organizations: General Foods Canada Locations: ”

☆ He Lived a Frugal Life. Then He Left Millions to His New Hampshire Town.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Smith, a 78-year-old lifelong Hinsdale resident, said in an interview that he met Mr. Holt sometime in the 1970s. Eventually, Mr. Holt moved into a mobile home on a tract of land that Mr. Smith owned, and lived there for a time with a widow who owned the home. Mr. Holt did odd jobs for Mr. Smith over the years, like clearing brush, plowing snow and other maintenance tasks. This left Mr. Holt with a small nest egg that he invested in several mutual funds with a broker in Keene, N.H. One was what Mr. Smith described as a communications fund. In 2000 or so, Mr. Holt revealed his wealth to Mr. Smith.

Persons: Edwin Smith, Holt’s, Smith, Holt, Lee Holt Organizations: Hinsdale, Navy, American International College, Mr, Agway Inc Locations: Smoky, Springfield ,, Hinsdale, English, Brattleboro , Vt, Keene, N.H, West Coast

☆ George Brown, Kool & the Gang Drummer, Dies at 74
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

George Brown, a founding member and drummer of the group Kool & the Gang, who played on funk, disco and pop hits that featured prominently in movies and have been sampled numerous times, died on Thursday in Long Beach, Calif. His death, at a hospital, was confirmed in a statement by the band’s publicist, who said the cause was cancer. Mr. Brown had said publicly that he had lung cancer. Mr. Brown, known as Funky, was a key contributor to several of the band’s biggest hits, including “Ladies Night,” “Jungle Boogie” and the party anthem “Celebration.”In a July interview with NPR, he described Kool & the Gang as “the sound of happiness.”In 1964, Mr. Brown linked up with Ricky Westfield and the brothers Ronald Khalis Bell and Robert “Kool” Bell, as well as other friends — Spike Mickens, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas and Charles Smith — to form a band that would combine jazz, funk, disco and R&B and create some of the most memorable pop songs of their era.

Persons: George Brown, Brown, . Brown, ”, Ricky Westfield, Ronald Khalis Bell, Robert “ Kool ” Bell, — Spike Mickens, Dennis “ Dee Tee ” Thomas, Charles Smith — Organizations: NPR, Mr Locations: Long Beach, Calif

☆ Is Homer Simpson a Good Dad Now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Homer Simpson may be maturing, or so he says. In the third episode of the current season, the show’s 35th, titled “McMansion & Wife,” Homer meets a neighbor who compliments the grip on his handshake. Strangling the boy has paid off,” Homer says to his wife in the episode, which aired on Oct. 22. Times have changed.”It was not clear whether this signaled a lasting shift in the show, which was renewed for a 36th season this year. A spokesman for Fox, the network that has long aired “The Simpsons,” declined to comment.

Persons: Homer Simpson, Dan Castellaneta, Bart, ” Homer, Marge, “, ” Organizations: Times, Fox

☆ It Is Not Dead Yet! ‘Spamalot’ Returns to Broadway. (Cue the Coconuts.)
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The terrifying knights still say “Ni!” The dead? Well, they are not quite dead yet. And King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table (not dawn, not dusk, not late afternoon, but knights) still trot around to the sounds of coconuts banging together. All that is to say: “Spamalot” is back on Broadway, and it is still quite silly. It’s a lousy thing to do to repeat it over and over again to a dead room,” Rhodes said.

Persons: King Arthur, David Josefsberg, Tim, ” Josh Rhodes, ” Rhodes Organizations: Knights, Gibney Studios Locations: Manhattan

☆ New Jersey Governor Joins School Halloween Fray: ‘Give Me a Break’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If you happen to attend one of the 10 schools in New Jersey’s South Orange and Maplewood school district, put away that Spiderman costume on Halloween. Or wait until after school. Earlier this month, Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, the superintendent of the district, sent a letter to parents saying that Halloween would not be celebrated during school hours. The announcement from Dr. Taylor divided families in the district. Some fully supported the decision, pointing out that some of the elementary schools had already stopped celebrating the holiday, whereas other parents saw this as liberal good intentions going off the rails.

Persons: Ronald G, Taylor Locations: New Jersey’s South Orange, Maplewood, South Orange

☆ How Often Do Women Think About … ?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

And because the internet is an endless expanse of Content, this has spurred a reverse trend, where women and nonbinary people have wanted to weigh in with their own Roman Empires, loosely defined as the topics one privately contemplates more than anyone realizes. forward: “I think about just so many different things all at once. Vaynblat has multiple Roman Empires, too — the alien one and then a more serious one: motherhood. A friend who will stay.”Min Jin Lee, author of the novel “Pachinko,” described her equivalent of the Roman Empire as “Colonial America,” a subject of her college thesis. In particular, Lee said she often sees “obsequiousness” to France and England as common throughout American institutions.

Persons: “, ’, Tom Holland, Diana, isn’t, Vaynblat, ”, I’m, Min Jin Lee, Lee, she’s Organizations: Twitter, Boston, Colonial, Indigenous Locations: Boston, Caribbean, Colonial America, France, England

☆ Dwyane Wade Was Destined for the Hall of Fame — and Politics?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I respect Dirk as one of the greatest players that ever played this game of basketball. We played totally different positions, but as I’ve always said, if I’m going to have any words with anyone, I want them to come in the finals. His team won once. My team won one. I have so many things that I’m focused on and there’s so many, so many battles to fight, in a sense.

Persons: Dirk, we’ve, I’ve, who’s, You’ve, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis Organizations: Orlando Magic, PAC, Gov, Republican, Florida Democrats, Senate Locations: Florida

☆ The N.B.A. and Its Owners Fight for Change. But Not Necessarily the Same Change.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In June 2022, on the same day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Adam Silver, the N.B.A. commissioner, released a statement jointly with the W.N.B.A.’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. The Magic are owned by the DeVos family, well-known conservatives. Betsy DeVos, the daughter-in-law of the former Magic chairman Richard DeVos, who died in 2018, was former president Donald J. Trump’s education secretary. The check was written on May 19, according to a team spokesman.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Adam Silver, ’, Cathy Engelbert, Silver, Engelbert, —, Ron DeSantis, Betsy DeVos, Richard DeVos, Donald J, DeSantis Organizations: Orlando Magic, Gov, Republican Locations: Florida

☆ Why Basketball Is So Popular Off Broadway
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In Inua Ellams’s new play, “The Half-God of Rainfall,” the gods play thunderous games of basketball in the heavens. Basketball hasn’t just been on the playgrounds of New York City this summer. While basketball is not as popular as, say, American football, its cultural reach surpasses that of other American team sports because its players are among the most publicly recognizable. “Watching a basketball game is the same excitement I get from watching great theater,” said Taibi Magar, the director of “The Half-God of Rainfall.” “It’s like embodied conflict. When you’re watching Broadway, you feel just like you’re watching N.B.A.

Persons: Rajiv Joseph’s “ King James, ”, LeBron James, Basketball hasn’t, Taibi Magar, “, It’s, you’re Organizations: Forbes Locations: Arkansas, New York City

☆ After Midnight at the N.B.A. Draft, Dreams Still Come True
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Sopan Deb | Hiroko Masuike | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Mark Tatum, the deputy commissioner of the N.B.A., had an important job — though not a glamorous one — on Thursday night. Shortly after 11 p.m., Tatum clocked in to begin announcing the names of the players who had been selected in the second round of the N.B.A. By then, the crowd had thinned, leaving just dozens of scattered fans — and sharply dressed but tired family members — as his audience. There might have been tumbleweeds somewhere. Commissioner Adam Silver had received prime billing at 8 p.m., calling the names and shaking the hands of the most-hyped prospects in the first round, such as Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson — the top three picks.

Persons: Mark Tatum, Tatum, —, Adam Silver, Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson Organizations: Barclays Center

☆ Chris Paul Headed to Golden State in Trade From Wizards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Washington Wizards plan to trade Chris Paul to Golden State for guard Jordan Poole after reaching an agreement to acquire Paul from the Phoenix Suns earlier this week, according to a person familiar with the deals who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. draft, continues a chaotic off-season for Paul, a 12-time All-Star guard who has spent the past three seasons in Phoenix. Paul, 38, said he was caught off guard on Sunday when he learned that the Suns planned to trade him. The Wizards’ deal with the Suns is expected to send Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star guard, to Phoenix, according to the person. “No matter how you are with them or what you do, you realize that in this business, nobody owes you anything, as it should be.”

Persons: Chris Paul, Jordan Poole, Paul, Bradley Beal, ” Paul, ” Organizations: Washington Wizards, Golden State, Phoenix Suns, ESPN, Suns, Wizards, The New York Times Locations: Phoenix, Paul

☆ The Boot Camp for N.B.A. Hot Takes and Analysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He even stomped his feet a few times. Smith said he has been inspired by the many players who have started podcasts and especially by LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who have used their fame to create production companies. “It influences me a lot because I feel like we have a real voice and I feel like we have power that comes with it, being that we’re more than just ‘shut up and dribble’ players,” Smith said. Parker said no, and that he and Broussard discuss topics before their show. They use the ones they disagree on.

Persons: Smith, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, ” Smith, “, Rob Parker, ” Parker, Chris Broussard, ” Williams, Parker, Broussard Organizations: Fox Sports Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Chris Paul Found Out About the Suns’ Trade From His Son
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chris Paul was on a plane to New York on Sunday, to promote his new book, when he heard the news in a text from his 14-year-old son, Chris II: He had been traded. Paul, a 12-time All-Star, is one of the most accomplished point guards in N.B.A. He had recently finished his third season with the Phoenix Suns, a run that included a trip to the N.B.A. But the Suns preliminarily agreed on Sunday to a trade with the Washington Wizards for guard Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star who will turn 30 next week. Representatives for the Suns and Thomas did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Chris Paul, Chris II, Paul, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Mat Ishbia, Isiah Thomas, “, ”, Ishbia, Thomas Organizations: Phoenix Suns, Suns, Washington Wizards, The New York Times, of Fame Locations: New York, N.B.A

☆ Michael Jordan to Sell Majority Stake in Charlotte Hornets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Michael Jordan, the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and one of the most storied athletes in sports history, has agreed to sell his majority share in the team to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, two private equity investors. The team, in its announcement of the sale, did not disclose what percentage of his stake Jordan would sell, but said he would remain a minority investor. Jordan, a North Carolina native, first purchased the team in 2010 for $275 million, when it was known as the Bobcats. The acquiring group also includes the country music star Eric Church and the rapper J. Cole, both of whom are from North Carolina. Jordan won six championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s and is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player ever.

Persons: Michael Jordan, Gabe Plotkin, Rick Schnall, Jordan, Eric Church, J, Cole Organizations: Charlotte Hornets, Bobcats, Chicago Bulls Locations: North Carolina

☆ N.B.A. Suspends Ja Morant for 25 Games After Second Gun Video
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sopan Deb | Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

suspended Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant for 25 games without pay to start the 2023-24 season after a league investigation found that he had posed with a gun in a video streamed on social media for the second time in just over two months. After the first video, in March, the N.B.A. suspended Morant for eight games, and he apologized. He apologized again after the second video, in May. “Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”

Persons: Ja Morant, Morant, Adam Silver, ” Silver, ” Organizations: Memphis Grizzlies, “

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