*swoons*
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The CW
World Red Eye
LOS ANGELES - Rapper Kanye West was released from hospital on Wednesday, according to media outlets citing unidentified sources, more than a week after he was admitted for exhaustion.
CNN and the Los Angeles Times said West left the UCLA Medical Center. People magazine quoted an unidentified source as saying West was “home, getting some rest.”
Representatives for West could not immediately be reached by Reuters for comment on West's health status or hospital release.
A spokeswoman for West's wife, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, said in an email there were no updates and referred queries to West's representatives.
The “Jesus Walks” rapper, 39, was taken to the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles, last week after police responded to a call for help, several media outlets reported.
Sources close to the rapper told People he was exhausted from a “spiritual crisis.”
West's hospitalization followed a series of public rants and the cancellation of the rest of his concert tour.
It came after a demanding couple of months for the rapper and his wife after she was robbed at gunpoint in Paris, forcing the family to reassess its security and public profile.
Kardashian, according to reports, has been by West's bedside during his hospitalization. Her E! Network reality show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” is “currently in production and has not been halted,” a network representative said in a statement.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter Cooney)
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Major League Baseball and its players union tentatively reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement Wednesday night, the league announced in a news release.
The new agreement would stretch for the next five years, extending baseball's period of labor peace through the end of the 2021 season. Players and owners had until just before midnight Wednesday to reach a deal or agree to extend negotiations before the old agreement expired.
MLB owners and the MLB Players Association, under the leadership of former player and current Executive Director Tony Clark, are still working to finalize terms of the new bargaining agreement, which will be subject to a vote from players and owners once it is complete.
But that should now be a formality. According to reports, the framework of the new deal largely resembles the old one, after the most controversial and contentious issues died at the bargaining table. There won't be, for instance, a new international draft for foreign-born prospects, as owners had wanted but players fought vehemently. Neither will the deal expand the size of regular season rosters.
Baseball's negotiation process dragged on longer than many thought it would, given the sport's financial health. Reports in recent weeks hinted at the possibility of a lockout if the two sides couldn't reach a new deal.
But in the end, the two sides avoided a work stoppage for the fourth consecutive time since players launched what became a 232-day strike that stretched across the 1994 and 1995 seasons, and baseball's unprecedented period of labor peace seems set to last for at least five more years.
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A court in the U.K. has cleared a college rugby player who was accused of breaking another student's eye socket after the student called him a “chink,” Court News UK reported this week.
Sidney Chan, a 20-year-old student athlete at London's Imperial College who is of Chinese and Welsh heritage, allegedly kicked Kingston University student Stephen Kent twice outside a bar, breaking Kent's nose and eye socket, according to Mirror.co.uk.
Chan claimed that he only pushed Kent in self-defense after Kent had called him a “chink.”
Prosecutor Paul Fairley argued that Chan provoked Kent by making fun of his mullet hairstyle, but Chan denied saying anything about Kent's hair and claimed Kent was injured when he fell.
“He quickly got back up and he charged at my group and started throwing punches at me,” Chan said, according to the Mirror.
Security camera footage shows Chan's friends trying to hold him back during the altercation, but Chan breaks free and runs back to Kent. The footage also shows Kent falling, but a parked car blocks the camera's view of Kent and Chan.
When asked why he ran back to Kent, Chan told Fairley that Kent was taunting him.
“He was persisting to get back up and continue the fight,” Chan said, according to the Mirror. “I guess at that point I was pretty angry and I wanted to make sure that he stops fighting me.”
Kent sustained a heavy concussion during the altercation, according to the Mirror. He said at the trial that he had no memory of the attack but admitted he racially harassed Chan, Court News UK reported.
The lack of clear video footage of the fight led the court to clear Chan of the charge of wounding with intent, Court News UK said.
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Images of Swastikas mysteriously appear on blackboards and etched into school furniture. Kids bully other students over their racial and ethnic backgrounds. Students as young as fourth grade use words like “pussy” and “slut.” This is what it is like to go to school in Donald Trump's America, according to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The report, based on an unscientific survey of educators all over the country, details what 10,000 school employees saw in the days following Trump's election. The dynamics relayed by the educators “are nothing short of a crisis and should be treated as such,” says the report. A vast majority of surveyed teachers report seeing increased rates of racially charged bullying, increased trauma and fear from targeted students, and less of a sense of community in diverse schools. Those who did not report these dynamics typically came from more racially homogeneous schools.
The study follows a similar report from the organization released several months ago, which also provided anecdotal evidence of increased rates of bullying in school as a result of Trump's campaign. Educators said the new dynamics are unlike anything they'd ever seen before.
Ninety percent of educators who participated in the new survey said the president-elect has had a negative impact on their students. Eighty percent reported seeing heightened levels of anxiety from students who come from groups that have been targeted in Trump's speeches, like immigrants, Muslims and students of color. Over 2,500 surveyed teachers said they have seen specific acts of bigotry since the election, like threats of violence, offensive graffiti and property damage.
“White males have been overheard saying, 'screw women's rights, fag lover liberal, build the wall, lock her up.' The rebel flag is draped on the truck of a popular student, and the p-word has been used very casually, citing Trump as the excuse,” said one high school teacher from Michigan cited in the report.
Teachers reported seeing ugliness not typically seen after an election.
“Words that I have not heard in the past - racist, bigot, pussy, slut - are now used by my fourth-graders,” relayed an elementary school teacher from Minnesota.
Schools where most students come from minority groups reported fewer instances of overt bigotry. Still, teachers in these schools have seen signs of trauma in their students, who are nervous about what the next four years hold.
“A kindergartener asked me 'Why did the bully win?'” said an elementary school teacher from Arizona. “Other kids who have been awarded student of the month and considered great examples for our school hid in a classroom after school and drew pokemon fireballs attacking the man. This is a serious issue that we have not clearly addressed.”
The report recommends that schools double down on anti-bullying strategies and work to support students who have been wounded by the election's aftermath.
“Every school should have a crisis plan to respond to hate and bias incidents,” says the report.
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Rebecca Klein covers the challenges faced in school discipline, school segregation and the achievement gap in K-12 education. In particular, she is drilling down into the programs and innovations that are trying to solve these problems. Tips? Email: Rebecca.Klein@huffingtonpost.
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Related stories:
What School Segregation Has To Do With The Rise Of Donald Trump
Teachers Struggle To Reassure Kids About Living In Trump's America
With Trump's Win, Teachers Worry About Emboldened Classroom Bullies
These Teachers Think Trump Can Make America Great For Kids Again
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Most people go to superhero movies to escape reality, but for Chris Pratt, working on “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” actually helped him deal with the loss of his father.
Dan Pratt, the actor's late father, died in 2014, while Pratt was filming “Jurassic World,” after years of living with multiple sclerosis. But Pratt wasn't truly able to process his passing until he started shooting the sequel to the hugely popular Marvel space epic.
“The truth is I ripped open some wounds that had been healing for some time. And I didn't want to. But I knew it was right for the moment,” he said in a new interview with British GQ. “There are wounds that are never going to be totally healed. It would probably make for a better story if it was some emotional thing that I hadn't dealt with ... When we face the death of a parent, you sometimes feel regret that you didn't fully embrace what you had.”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.” follows Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord (Pratt), and his merry band of intergalactic misfits as they traverse the solar system in search of Ego, Quill's father. Back in July, director James Gunn confirmed that Kurt Russell will play Ego, after months of secrecy surrounding the casting.
The “Passengers” star paid tribute to his father on Twitter last year with a heartbreaking post and throwback photo of a young Pratt and his family.
“Your to do list: 1) have kids 2) play outside 3) teach them to fish 4) take pictures Thanks Dad. Miss you man,” he captioned the pic.
Pratt has certainly passed on these lessons to his own son, 4-year-old Jack, who frequently makes appearances on Pratt's and mom Anna Faris' social media accounts. Just last week the actor shared a video of Jack out in the wild with a sweet caption about his son's journey from being a premature baby to healthy toddler.
To hear more from Pratt, head over to British GQ.
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There's nothing wrong with vanilla sex ― but there's also nothing wrong with spicing things up in the bedroom.
In the surprisingly cute (possibly NSFW) BuzzFeed video above, real couples experiment with bondage for the first time.
“I'm not putting these on my nipples,” one women tells her boyfriend while holding up nipple clamps. “It's not happening... maybe.”
Watch the clip to see how it all unfolds.
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Kehlani bares all and makes a statement.
After announcing the title of her debut album SweetSexySavage, the singer has revealed its cover art and release date.
The artwork is definitely attention-grabbing. Backed by a purple, pink, and orange sky, a topless Lani stares confidently at the camera. The album title SweetSexySavage is written above her in cursive.
SWEETSEXYSAVAGE out 1.27.17 available for pre-order drops tomorrow. Thank you for believing in me. pic.twitter.com/K0P5qxY5UG
- kehlani (@Kehlani) November 30, 2016
Speaking of the title, Lani says it's symbolic for women.
“As women we are told that we cannot be multi layered.. we are put in boxes.. we can't be all the above.. reclaim yourself…The name is supposed to challenge you. The name is supposed to make you question… only to let u find your own answer.”
“But really,” she added. “it's me reclaiming myself. Me accepting myself. Good & bad. All the way around. It's me. Thank you for loving me. #SSS”
As women we are told that we cannot be multi layered.. we are put in boxes.. we can't be all the above.. reclaim yourself. #SWEETSEXYSAVAGE
- kehlani (@Kehlani) November 30, 2016
The name is supposed to challenge you. The name is supposed to make you question… only to let u find your own answer. #SWEETSEXYSAVAGE
- kehlani (@Kehlani) November 30, 2016
But really.. it's me reclaiming myself. Me accepting myself. Good & bad. All the way around. It's me. Thank you for loving me. #SSS
- kehlani (@Kehlani) November 30, 2016
SSS arrives Jan. 27, 2017 and will be available for pre-order starting Friday (Dec. 2).
The project, her first since 2015's Grammy-nominated mixtape You Should Be Here, has already spawned the singles “CRZY” and “Distraction.”
AT&T launched its new internet TV streaming service, DirecTV Now, on Wednesday - and traditional cable providers should be worried.
All DirecTV Now requires is an internet connection to stream live TV to a computer, smartphone, tablet and streaming devices.
A clear advantage of the service, at first glance, is that it kicks cable's ass when it comes to pricing. Currently the new service offers four tiers of channel bundles ranging from $35 to $70/month (there's currently a limited-time $35 promo offer for its second largest plan, Go Big, with more than 100 channels that will eventually run for $60/month). HBO and Cinemax are offered as add-ons for $5 each.
DirecTV Now has a lot to offer, but some of the service's offerings might make one say, “Hmm.”
Live TV programing from ABC, FOX and NBC is included in all four plans, but it's only available in select markets. There are some conditions for watching NBC in particular - subscribers can only watch it from a browser, not on “streaming devices or Apple TV.” Again, “Hmm.”
Less perplexing, but also notable, is the fact that the service doesn't offer programing from CBS (or Showtime), so if “The Big Bang Theory” or “NCIS” is your thing ― well, sorry about that.
It feels a little like AT&T rolled the service out prematurely. While it works, it definitely feels unfinished. For instance, though there are some on-demand shows and movies available, there are no DVR capabilities to record favorite shows.
AT&T says that feature will come in 2017, but DirecTV Now's closest rival, Sony's PlayStation Vue, already offers recording options. Customers would have to catch a program live, or wait until an episode is available in the on-demand library. Judging by the library's current selection, that doesn't seem to be a quick process. For example, “Westworld” is available on-demand, but Episode 6 is the newest episode listed - the show is about to air the 10th and final episode on Sunday night.
If you want to stream to a television, the service works with Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Chromecast ― for Android only ― which means iOS and Roku users are out of luck for now.
Other issues:
DirecTV Now is not perfect ― in fact, it's far from it - but the prices are good and it seems like its poised to get better. Plus, it's the only place you'll find an all-Taylor Swift channel, so that might swing you either way.
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The story about Bob Dylan and his Nobel Prize is never-ending.
Many thought the songwriter, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, would be in attendance at President Obama's Wednesday meet-and-greet for American Nobel Prize winners at the White House, but instead he was a no-show.
“Unfortunately, Bob Dylan will not be at the White House today. So everyone can relax,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters, according to The Hill. The outlet notes Earnest did not provide a reason for his absence.
Since winning the award, Dylan has stayed pretty quiet. At first, he failed to acknowledge the award and The Swedish Academy (the organization that chooses the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature) admitted he wasn't answering their phone calls. Then, the bio on Dylan's website was updated to include a note about the prize, but was since taken down. When Dylan did finally respond to the accolade, the 75-year-old musician told The Telegraph he would “absolutely” attend the ceremony “if it's at all possible.”
“It's hard to believe,” Dylan said about receiving the award, adding it was “amazing, incredible. Whoever dreams about something like that?”
After plenty of speculation about whether or not he'd actually show up to the Dec. 10 ceremony in Sweden where the prizes are awarded, the Swedish Academy confirmed the songwriter had “pre-existing commitments” and would be unable to attend.
Dylan must still give a Nobel lecture, though, within six months counting from the date of the ceremony.
Don't think twice, Bob, just do it.
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For more than eight years, Judy Gelles has photographed and interviewed more than 300 fourth-graders around the world. With three questions, she's gotten a peek inside their worlds.
Gelles started her photo project in 2008 after volunteering with a fourth-grade class in Philadelphia. She asked the students various questions including three that would create the foundation of her project: “Who do you live with?” “What do you wish for?” and “What do you worry about?”
She then photographed them facing backwards (because of the school's policy). Gelles has since been to China, England, India, Nicaragua, St. Lucia, Italy, South Korea and South Africa to repeat the process and learn about fourth-graders around the world.
Gelles, who has a master's degree in counseling, interviews each student for 20 to 30 minutes, making sure to include the same three questions as before, and takes a photo of their backs. While some students expressed that they were content with their lives, others opened up about their struggles at home. The photographer told The Huffington Post that the age range of the fourth-graders is “perfect” for her project.
“They're right on the cusp of adolescence, but they haven't hit it yet,” she said. “They're very sophisticated, but they don't censor yet so they're very honest with their answers.”
When asked if a particular student, school or country stuck out to her, Gelles said every school presents her with something unexpected. She credits this to going to the schools with “a blank slate.”
“I don't have any preconceived ideas and I actually don't do a lot of research on the schools,” she said, later adding, “You learn everything from the kids. You learn about their fears and their attitudes toward the world and their world views.”
In March, Gelles will travel to Israel to continue her project and interview more students. She has no plans to repeat the series with older or younger students, but she does want to expand her current project with fourth-graders. She has formed an advisory board to help her create a curriculum for the project so it can be used in the classroom. She hopes that once it makes its way to more students, it will help them learn about fellow fourth-graders miles away.
“By sharing the lives of other fourth-graders, we are taking the advantaged and disadvantaged children out of their bubbles and exposing them to what life is like for fourth-graders and their families around the world,” she said.
See more of Gelles' fourth-grader photos series below. For more of her work, head to her site or Philadelphia's Pentimenti Gallery site.
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With precursor awards starting to roll out, the Oscar race is sharpening. Two weeks ago, I ranked the heated Best Actress standings. Now it's the gentlemen's turn.
What's the word on Best Actor? It's a snooze fest. Mostly a two-hander between Casey Affleck and Denzel Washington, this contest has a few potential spoilers and a herd of wannabes. Nominations aren't announced until Jan. 24, allowing plenty of time for temperatures to change as studios' campaigns intensify. For now, here's your Best Actor overview.
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*swoons*
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Although she's been busy wrapping up “Pretty Little Liars” and moving to New York City, Ashley Benson took some time this week to support Giving Tuesday, a day that encourages people to donate money and time in the spirit of the holidays.
“Everyone knows about Black Friday, Cyber Monday ― I was kind of brand new to the Giving Tuesday thing and I think it's so important now in the holiday season,” said Benson in a brief phone interview with The Huffington Post.
Recently, Benson has supported the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and ShareTheMeal (which provides food to children in need). “I'm a huge animal lover and I love kids,” said Benson. “Both of them mean a lot to me and any time I find a charity that's close to my heart, I want to do everything I can to get the word out.”
In that spirit, Benson also made herself available to talk about the upcoming final season of “PLL” in order to spread awareness about the charities she supports.
Talking about the elusive “A,” who has been haunting Benson's character and the other protagonists during the entire series' run, the actress confirmed the show will finally make the big reveal in the finale.
Benson only found out the mysterious identity of “A” about “six months ago, maybe a little less,” but that was still before she received the script detailing the reveal.
“I think everyone kind of knew who 'A' was before we shot the finale,” explained Benson. “I think everyone kind of asked around and found out ... I'm very impatient and I love to know everything so, I had to figure it out.”
Well, fans will finally uncover the truth when the final episodes of “Pretty Little Liars” begin airing on Freeform April 18.
Benson is also supporting PayPal's fundraising page, which is adding 1% to charitable donations.
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Vic Mensa is standing with Standing Rock.
The Roc Nation MC released a video on Facebook, explaining why he's been protesting in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the wake of controversy surrounding a potential dangerous pipeline on Native American soil.
“An oil company wants to build the Dakota Access Pipeline and put it through their water source to potentially and most likely contaminate water that services millions of people,” said Mensa.
“Originally,” he added. “The pipeline was supposed to be over by Bismarck, in a different area that's not Indian country and it's a white area. What they said was, 'That's too risky for their water source so we're gonna switch it to Indian country.' We're not having that. We can't have that.”
The ongoing protests have not been in vain. President Barack Obama recently commended Native tribes for uniting on this cause.
“I know many of you have come together, across tribes and across the country, to support the community at Standing Rock and together you're making your voices heard,” he said (via ABC News). “And in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, we've made a lot of progress for Indian country over the past eight years, and this moment highlights why it's so important that we re-double our efforts to make sure that every federal agency truly consults and listens, and works with you, sovereign-to-sovereign.”
For Mensa, the Standing Rock issue falls in line with the Flint water crisis that he's also fought against. Now, he is encouraging fans to join him in that plight.
“If you believe in the inalienable rights of people,” he wrote. “The right to clean drinking water, the right to food & shelter and the right to freedom then you have to support standing rock. Get on a plane, drive, take a bus do whatever you have to do.
“December 5th the Army Corps has set an ultimatum for the people camped at standing rock, saying that they will forcibly remove the water protectors,” he added. “When one of our freedom is on the line all of our freedom is on the line. Fight for freedom.”
It's the most cliche breakup advice in the book: “Just forget about your ex. You have to move on.”
But as an adorable new illustrated story from breakup coach Cherlyn Chong shows, forgetting is easier said than done when you're stuck reminiscing about the relationship.
“The illustrations are a visualization that I did to clear off all that old energy and leave my former relationship firmly in the past,” Chong says in the intro of the comic, which she released along with a new breakup e-course.
Read it below to shake off those breakup blues:
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Although she's been busy wrapping up “Pretty Little Liars” and moving to New York City, Ashley Benson took some time this week to support Giving Tuesday, a day that encourages people to donate money and time in the spirit of the holidays.
“Everyone knows about Black Friday, Cyber Monday ― I was kind of brand new to the Giving Tuesday thing and I think it's so important now in the holiday season,” said Benson in a brief phone interview with The Huffington Post.
Recently, Benson has supported the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and ShareTheMeal (which provides food to children in need). “I'm a huge animal lover and I love kids,” said Benson. “Both of them mean a lot to me and any time I find a charity that's close to my heart, I want to do everything I can to get the word out.”
In that spirit, Benson also made herself available to talk about the upcoming final season of “PLL” in order to spread awareness about the charities she supports.
Talking about the elusive “A,” who has been haunting Benson's character and the other protagonists during the entire series' run, the actress confirmed the show will finally make the big reveal in the finale.
Benson only found out the mysterious identity of “A” about “six months ago, maybe a little less,” but that was still before she received the script detailing the reveal.
“I think everyone kind of knew who 'A' was before we shot the finale,” explained Benson. “I think everyone kind of asked around and found out ... I'm very impatient and I love to know everything so, I had to figure it out.”
Well, fans will finally uncover the truth when the final episodes of “Pretty Little Liars” begin airing on Freeform April 18.
Benson is also supporting PayPal's fundraising page, which is adding 1% to charitable donations.
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It's no surprise that, like D.B. Weiss and David Benioff of “Game of Thrones,” Shonda Rhimes is a showrunner who loves to kill off her main characters. (R.I.P. Wes!)
But who knew she went so far as to joke with her cast members about their fates on her shows? Well, Bellamy Young, who plays Mellie Grant on “Scandal,” told The Huffington Post during a Build Series interview on Tuesday that Rhimes once tricked Josh Malina (who plays David Rosen) into thinking he was a goner.
“Our table reads are so cold, they never tell us anything,” Young said, explaining that they read the final script for an episode the day before they start shooting it.
“Josh Malina always sits down, turns to the last page, and he's like, 'If I'm talking, I'm breathing,''' Young recalled. So Rhimes ― who wants the actors' “honest reactions” to her intricate storylines during the table reads ― decided to play a trick on him, and she got the whole cast involved, too.
“She wrote us all an email, she's like, 'Do you think I'm a terrible person if I ...' And we're like, 'You should totally do that.' And she wrote a fake last scene that killed Josh,” Young explained. “But she didn't think to put it in everybody's script, so she only put it in Josh's. So, he sat down and did his thing and you see his whole body drop. And he turned to Scott [Foley], who was next to him, and he's like, 'Man, I think I die.' And Scott was like, 'That's rough, man.' No compassion at all! And then I was on the other side of him and he grabbed my script and he looked in the back and it wasn't in there and he knew it was a joke.”
In Rhimes' defense, Young said, “Josh is the most relentless practical joker alive, so it was completely fair.” Still, it's never a good feeling to always be on the edge of your seat.
“[My mom] is always afraid they're kicking me off the show,” Young joked. “To a degree that it makes me afraid, like, she knows something. She's like, 'They're not writing you off, are they?' It makes me so worried, because she's so worried. I'm like, 'Don't manifest that!'”
For now, Young will surely be sticking around as she's set to run for president in the upcoming sixth season, which, she said, will be “explosive.” Hell yes!
“Scandal” returns on TGIT on ABC Jan. 19 at 9 p.m. ET.
Watch the full interview with Bellamy Young below:
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Queen Bey slays again. After topping Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums of 2016 with LEMONADE, Beyoncé is also No. 1 on the magazine's 50 Best Songs list.
“Formation” takes the crown for being “omnipresent all year long” while being 'Yoncé's “most lyrically defiant and musically militant statement about who she is, where she's from, and where she's going,” according to the mag.
“Formation” is followed by Frank Ocean's “Ivy” and Drake's Wizkid and Kyla-assisted “One Dance.” Elsewhere in the top 10 are Kanye West (“Ultralight Beam,” No. 5), Solange (“Cranes in the Sky,” No. 7), Fifth Harmony and Ty Dolla $ign (“Work from Home,” No. 8), and Rae Sremmurd (“Black Beatles,” No. 10).
More rappers made the top 20, including Young M.A.'s “Ooouuu” at No. 11, Kendrick Lamar's Punch, Jay Rock, and Anna Wise-assisted “untitled 05 | 09.21.2014.” at No. 15, Chance the Rapper and Saba's “Angels” at No. 16, and Danny Brown's “Really Doe” at No. 19 with support from K-Dot, Ab-Soul, and Earl Sweatshirt.
Other notable spots on the top 30 include 21 Savage, Future, and Metro Boomin's “X” (21), Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj's “Side to Side” (22), Vince Staples' “War Ready” (26), Lady Gaga's “Perfect Illusion” (28), and A Tribe Called Quest's “The Space Program” (30).
From there, Kodak Black's “Everything 1K” made a splash at No. 32 and Lil Uzi Vert's “Original Uzi (4 of Us)” landed at No. 40. Desiigner's “Tiimmy Turner” burned its way to No. 44, D.R.A.M. and Lil Yachty sailed into 47 with “Broccoli,” and Nicki Minaj made a statement with “Black Barbies” at 49.
Rolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of 2016 – Top 10
1. Beyoncé – “Formation”
2. Frank Ocean – “Ivy”
3. Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla – “One Dance”
4. David Bowie – “No Plan”
5. Kanye West feat. Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, The-Dream, & Kelly Price – “Ultralight Beam”
6. Pwr Bttm – “Projection”
7. Solange – “Cranes in the Sky”
8. Fifth Harmony feat. Ty Dolla $ign – “Work from Home”
9. Lvl Up – “Pain”
10. Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane – “Black Beatles”
For the second time this season, Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson has been suspended by the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, the team announced on Tuesday.
“The league has notified us of the suspension and we are moving forward with our preparations to play the Oakland Raiders this Sunday,” the team said in a statement. Per league policy, the exact violation was not publicly disclosed.
Because it is his second violation this year, Henderson must deal with a 10-game suspension without pay, after already sitting through a four-game suspension earlier this season. Should be fail one more drug test, he will be banned from the league for life, barring a successful attempt at reinstatement down the line.
But Henderson's story is not a typical one. In the middle of last season, the 24-year-old learned he had Crohn's disease, defined by the Mayo Clinic as “an inflammatory bowel disease ... [that] causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract.” Crohn's disease can cause “abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition,” and while there is no known cure for it, one thing in particular can help ease the pain, according to medial studies: weed.
“I've got doctors telling me this is the No. 1 medicine that would help your disease,” Henderson said in October, according to The Buffalo News. “You try to tell that to the league and it seems like they didn't care too much.”
Henderson has had multiple surgeries since the discovery of his disease. Once he had two-and-a-half feet of his colon removed; another time surgeons had to reattach his intestines, according to Yahoo. In the intervening months, he had to wear an ileostomy bag while he dropped approximately 50 lbs.
To deal with the pain, Henderson smoked marijuana. As one source told NFL.com, “He needs cannabis. You can't take pain killers with the way his intestines are.” The issue is, while the NFL allows medical exemptions for some banned substances, like Adderall, marijuana is not one of them.
“There is zero allowable medical exemption for this per the NFL; however, there clearly should be,” Brian Fettner, Henderson's agent, said earlier this season.
Henderson appealed his suspension but was clearly denied by the league. Reportedly, litigation could be next.
H/T Deadspin
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It's no surprise that, like D.B. Weiss and David Benioff of “Game of Thrones,” Shonda Rhimes is a showrunner who loves to kill off her main characters. (R.I.P. Wes!)
But who knew she went so far as to joke with her cast members about their fates on her shows? Well, Bellamy Young, who plays Mellie Grant on “Scandal,” told The Huffington Post during a Build Series interview on Tuesday that Rhimes once tricked Josh Malina (who plays David Rosen) into thinking he was a goner.
“Our table reads are so cold, they never tell us anything,” Young said, explaining that they read the final script for an episode the day before they start shooting it.
“Josh Malina always sits down, turns to the last page, and he's like, 'If I'm talking, I'm breathing,''' Young recalled. So Rhimes ― who wants the actors' “honest reactions” to her intricate storylines during the table reads ― decided to play a trick on him, and she got the whole cast involved, too.
“She wrote us all an email, she's like, 'Do you think I'm a terrible person if I ...' And we're like, 'You should totally do that.' And she wrote a fake last scene that killed Josh,” Young explained. “But she didn't think to put it in everybody's script, so she only put it in Josh's. So, he sat down and did his thing and you see his whole body drop. And he turned to Scott [Foley], who was next to him, and he's like, 'Man, I think I die.' And Scott was like, 'That's rough, man.' No compassion at all! And then I was on the other side of him and he grabbed my script and he looked in the back and it wasn't in there and he knew it was a joke.”
In Rhimes' defense, Young said, “Josh is the most relentless practical joker alive, so it was completely fair.” Still, it's never a good feeling to always be on the edge of your seat.
“[My mom] is always afraid they're kicking me off the show,” Young joked. “To a degree that it makes me afraid, like, she knows something. She's like, 'They're not writing you off, are they?' It makes me so worried, because she's so worried. I'm like, 'Don't manifest that!'”
For now, Young will surely be sticking around as she's set to run for president in the upcoming sixth season, which, she said, will be “explosive.” Hell yes!
“Scandal” returns on TGIT on ABC Jan. 19 at 9 p.m. ET.
Watch the full interview with Bellamy Young below:
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