Uruguay andGremioforward Luis Suarez, 36, is set to joinInter Miamiin 2024 and reunite with formerBarcelonateammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.(El Pais - in Spanish)
ChelseaandArsenalare both interested in signing Ivan Toney afterBrentfordconfirmed they would sell the 27-year-old England forward for the right price.(Express)
The Bees value Toney at £100m but intend to keep him until the end of the season.(Sky Sports)
Manchester Unitedare continuing to send scouts to watch 24-year-old Portugal keeper Diogo Costa, who they were linked with before signing Cameroon international Andre Onana. But he will only leavePortoif United pay his 75m euros (£65m) release clause.(A Bola - in Portuguese)
Real Madridhave identified Canadian international Alphonso Davies, 22, as a key target and are confident of agreeing a deal with his current clubBayern Munichto bring him to La Liga next summer.(Relevo - in Spanish)
Real Madridwill compete withLiverpoolandManchester UnitedforSporting Lisbonand Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio, 22.(AS - in Spanish)
Newcastle Unitedare interested in 21-year-old Spanish midfielder Gabri Veiga, who joined Saudi Arabian clubAl-Ahlifrom Celta Vigo in the summer.(Fichajes - in Spanish)
Arsenalare lining up a move for Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, 20, who rejectedManchester Unitedlast summer and instead joinedRB Leipzig.(Mirror)
Inter Milansporting director Piero Ausilio has accused Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku of lacking "respect" by opening talks withJuventuswhile negotiations betweenChelseaand Inter were ongoing with the 30-year-old eventually joiningRomaon loan.(Mail)
Evertonare already keen to sign on-loanLeeds Unitedwinger Jack Harrison, 26, in a permanent deal.(Teamtalk)
Manchester Unitedare interested inGalatasarayand France right-back Sacha Boey, 23, withArsenal,BrightonandBurnleyalso interested.(Mail)
FormerBrightonboss Graham Potter could become the next Sweden manager after reports suggestedManchester Unitedwere interested in him replacing Erik ten Hag.(Mirror)
Real Madridhave 'no intention' of allowing France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni to leave the club amid interest fromArsenalandLiverpoolin the 23-year-old.(90min)
Manchester Cityand Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 32, says he will have a "major scan" on his hamstring injury next week which will show how his recovery is progressing.(VTM, via Mail)
1. 'Schitt's Creek' star Emily Hampshire sorry for Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Halloween costume
What the Schitt was she thinking? Emily Hampshire, who played Stevie on "Schitt's Creek," has apologized after dressing as Johnny Depp for Halloween, while her friend dressed as Amber Heard. In photos shared on Instagram, Hampshire was seen in the Depp costume and holding a bottle of wine. Her friend was seen crying to mock Heard's testimony accusing her ex-husband of abuse, and they also held fake poop, a reference to Depp's claim that Heard pooped in their bed. "I want to address what is one of the most thoughtless, insensitive, and ignorant things I've ever done," Hampshire shared on Instagram. "For Halloween, I stupidly thought it would be funny to dress as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. I am deeply sorry and ashamed for putting something that awful out in the universe." Hampshire also clarified that "domestic abuse is never, ever funny," adding, "I REALLY regret my actions." Next year, maybe stick to a simple ghost? Instagram
2. CBS taps comedian Taylor Tomlinson to fill James Corden’s slot
The world of late-night is getting some young blood. CBS has revealed who will fill the late-night slot vacated by James Corden: Taylor Tomlinson, a 29-year-old comic who has performed stand-up on Netflix. She won’t be hosting "The Late Late Show," though, as CBS has decided not to continue that program and instead fill the slot with a reboot of "@midnight" called "After Midnight." The original show was hosted by Chris Hardwick and involved a panel of comedians competing for points by riffing on topics typically related to the internet. With "After Midnight," Tomlinson will become the only current female host of a network late-night show. Stephen Colbert, who is producing "After Midnight," gave Tomlinson a warm welcome on "The Late Show." When he asked what excites her most about the job, she joked, "Just having a job. I've never had a real job!" The news was announced days before Tomlinson's 30th birthday. "Happy birthday," Colbert quipped. "I got you a network show." Paramount , The Late Show
3. HBO boss admits to trolling TV critics with fake tweets: 'Very dumb idea'
The trolls were coming from inside HBO. HBO CEO Casey Bloys has apologized after Rolling Stone revealed he directed staffers to create fake social media accounts to troll television critics who gave the network's shows negative reviews. The Rolling Stone report found at least six instances between June 2020 and April 2021 of Bloys discussing using a so-called "secret army" to fire back at critics and even commenters on articles. During a press event on Thursday, Bloys admitted this reporting is true. "It's very important to me what you all think of the shows," he told the media, per Rolling Stone. "When you think about that, and then think of 2020 and 2021, I'm working from home and doing an unhealthy amount of time scrolling through Twitter. And I came up with a very, very dumb idea to vent my frustration." He apologized before promising that he has "progressed over the past couple of years to using DMs." Rolling Stone
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4. 'Succession' star Alan Ruck reportedly crashed into a pizza shop
Ruck's truck has run amok. Alan Ruck, who played Connor Roy in "Succession," crashed a truck into a pizza shop in Hollywood on Tuesday, according to TMZ. The local outlet KTLA obtained surveillance video that appeared to show the actor's vehicle crashing into a car that was stopped at an intersection before hitting another car and then crashing into the wall of the pizzeria. According to NBC Los Angeles, at least one person was hospitalized. The LAPD is reportedly investigating the crash, but TMZ reports there’s no indication of DUI. "The whole building shook and I thought a bomb or something had exploded," eyewitness Tim Ratcliff, who said he rushed to help Ruck after the accident, told KTLA. "I asked him, 'Are you okay?' And the first thing out of his mouth was, 'Is everyone [else] okay? I think I hit someone. Is he okay?'" TMZ, KTLA
5. Nicolas Cage doesn't 'know what happened' with his 'Flash' cameo
If you were surprised to see Nicolas Cage's Superman fighting a giant spider in "The Flash," so was he. The actor made a shock cameo as Superman in DC's "The Flash," but because he appeared so heavily de-aged, it wasn't clear whether Cage shot the scene or whether it was fully CGI. The actor has now cleared this up to Yahoo Entertainment. "First and foremost, I was on set," Cage said. "What I was supposed to do was literally just be standing in an alternate dimension, if you will, and witnessing the destruction of the universe." So Cage was confused when he saw the movie and the scene involved him fighting a giant spider. "I did not do that," he said. "That was not what I did. It was CGI. … So I don't know what happened there." Incidentally, "I don't know what happened there" is a good summary of how most critics felt about the third act of "The Flash." Yahoo Entertainment
CelticbossBrendan Rodgersis predicting a January clear out as he looks to trim back his squad of 32 to around 25.(Daily Record)
However,Brendan Rodgerssays he won't "throw guys to the garbage" following fans' grumbles about Celtic's squad depth in the wake of Saturday's goalless draw away to Hibs.(Scotsman)
Rangerswill have money to spend in January, reckons former skipperBarry Fergusonwho is urging the club to explore the possibility of signingHeartsstrikerLawrence Shankland. (Go Radio viaFootball Scotland)
Veteran goalkeeperDavid Marshallis a "real calm influence on the team", saysHibernianboss Nick Montgomery who praises the 38-year-old for adapting to a new method of playing.(Daily Record)
Manager Stuart Kettlewell admitsMotherwellare desperate to getLennon Millertied down on a new deal after opening talks with the 17-year-old.(Daily Record)
Former Celtic and Hibs managerNeil Lennonsays "probably not at the minute" when asked if he would be interested in taking over atSt Johnstone. (PLZ Soccer viaScottish Sun)
Former Scotland striker Kenny Miller reckonsSt Johnstoneshould targetNeil McCannas their next manager and saysScott Brownis "a good shout". (Clyde 1 viaScottish Sun)
St Johnstoneplayers must ensure no one can accuse them of "chucking it" again, says captainLiam Gordonafter the departure of manager Steven MacLean. (Courier- subscription required)
Albania midfielderYlber Ramadaniis being tracked by Inter Milan just months after leaving Aberdeen for Lecce. (PianetaLecce viaScottish Sun)
Since Jason Collins became the first openly gay active male athlete in a major US sports league in 2013, the public attitudes toward LGBTQ+ athletes have shifted significantly. We’ve lived through Obergefell v Hodges, the legalization of same-sex marriage, and a steady drumbeat of ‘firsts’ including Michael Sam, Collin Martin, Carl Nassib and Luke Prokop. But one thing hasn’t changed: how the NBA, its players and fans react when socially constructed ideas of masculinity, sexuality and sports are questioned.
When Collins came out, he was met mostly with applause, including support from Kobe Bryant and the Obamas. The circumstances around another NBA star, Dwight Howard, are very different. While Collins was never more than a role player during his NBA career, Howard is a future Hall of Famer once put forth as a face of the league: a three-time defensive player of the year, an eight-time All-Star and an NBA champion with the LA Lakers in 2020. (The 37-year-old most recently played in the Taiwanese league.)
But Howard has received none of the praise that Collins did. The reason is fairly obvious. The longtime Orlando Magic star was named in a civil lawsuit this year that alleges he sexually assaulted a man at his Georgia home in July 2021. Howard, who is not facing criminal charges over the alleged incident, said that he engaged in “consensual sexual activity” with the man but denies assault. Howard has never technically come out: in text messages between the player and the alleged victim that were included as exhibits in the suit, Howard denies he is gay but says he enjoys a varied sex life. On Instagram Live, he said, “Whatever I’m doing in my bedroom is my damn business … Whatever you are doing in your bedroom is your damn business.” In any ensuing comments since the court documents leaked, he has remained ambiguous, simply denying the accusations of wrongdoing.
The media reaction has been to conflate something that is clearly troubling (allegations of sexual assault) with something that is clearly not (Howard’s sexuality).
The allegations in the lawsuit, like any case of sexual assault, are deeply disturbing. If the jury finds for the plaintiff, Howard should be punished heavily. But Howard is being tried for his alleged behavior, not his sexuality. And rather than talking about a troubling case of sexual assault involving a famous athlete, many in the media have been quick to use Howard’s sexuality as a punchline or as speculation to why he is no longer in the NBA. The pundits have already flooded the airwaves with their “ayooo’s” and “pauses”, including the It Is What It Is talkshow with rappers Cam’ron and Mase. Mase claimed that Howard’s sexuality is the reason he is no longer in the NBA.
“People will say, ‘It don’t matter.’ But as soon as they find out, it matters,” the former Bad Boy rapper said. “So they outing them. When it comes down to making money off the story, it matters. When it comes down to who dating you it’s gonna matter. When it comes down to if you’re gonna be in the locker room with them, it matters. Because there’s about 30 teams who didn’t sign Dwight Howard because it matters.”
While Cam’ron and Mase are entitled to speculate on whether Howard’s private life has affected his professional life, they approached it with the same, tired of mixture of amusement and discomfort that many in the media still take when discussing sexuality.
But perhaps that is to be expected of Cam’ron and Mase, who never claim to be mainstream journalists. The same cannot be said for ESPN’s Stephen A Smith, arguably the most high-profile voice in US sports. He detailed the allegations against Howard with barely disguised contempt at the thought of sex between men, while poking fun at the player’s predicament. Howard’s sexuality should have zero bearing on his capacity to play professional basketball – not least after rampant infidelity and scandal have rocked the NBA for decades and ensnared some of the greatest ever to play the game.
And what seems to offend many around the NBA, including Smith, isn’t that Howard is alleged to have committed sexual assault – it’s that his narrative involves sex between men. When Collins came out, he did so in a way that was easily digestible to the masses. He had no scandal or accusations. He was never even thought to be gay, and he didn’t have a partner when he came out. Nor was he involved in any scandals involving his sexuality. NBA fans could adopt a “see no evil, hear no evil” mentality.
Howard, on the other hand, has fought accusations for years by queer men and transgender women who have claimed they have hooked up with him. In 2018, Howard was accused of threatening a man who said the NBA star cheated on him. Howard spoke about the allegations with Fox Sports while denying he was gay.
There is another element to this: Howard’s conservative, Christian upbringing in Atlanta. Much was made about his squeaky-clean image coming out of the private Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. Then, when he was picked No 1 overall in 2004 by the Magic, he tried fast and hard to live up to the expectations of a publicly Christian celebrity. He often struggled to live up to those expectations – he has five children with five women, none of whom he has married. Of course, many Christians are accepting of different sexualities, but Howard’s admission he has had same-sex relations will hardly have endeared him further to many of his religious fans.
“My mission was to preach God’s Word in the NBA, use the NBA as a platform for God,” Howard said in 2016. “There’s times where it was very overwhelming. It was like, man, this is so much that everything is at my disposal. All I got to do was just go reach, and it’s mine.”
Everything wrong with the reaction to Howard’s situation can be found in the media’s response. The conversations online aren’t around justice or equality or victims of sexual assault. Instead, we’ve only gotten memes, jokes and roasts about Howard’s sexuality (something which the player himself has not helped by making posts of his own). Whether Howard is gay or bisexual or experimenting is meaningless and should have no bearing on his career opportunities and legacy. The grave allegations against him should be thoroughly investigated. The details of his sexuality should not.
I'm a huge history buff, and I'm learning new fun facts all the time. I mean, all the time. I find that history is the best place to learn interesting facts...and also where you find the best gossip. Without further ado, here are 10 facts I've learned that I absolutely had to share.
1.Apparently, sharks are older than Polaris, aka the North Star, which is about 70 million years old. Sharks, on the other hand, go back to about 450 million years ago (although animals that we would look at and think "that's a shark" only evolved about 380 million years ago. Youthful!).
Caligula had the ships built in the lake as party barges, on which he would host wild parties and orgies, which were, unfortunately, definitely awful to attend (see part 36 of Caligula's chapter of The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, linked here, but also know that you should take Suetonius's writing with a grain of salt). Also unfortunate is that the boats were destroyed in World War II.
it's hard to truly feel how profoundly old civilization really is but a fact that leaves me breathless is princess ennigaldi-nanna of the neo-babylonian empire was an archeologist who founded a musuem 2500 years ago and most of the artifacts in it were 1500 years older than that
4.In 897, Pope Stephen VI ordered that the body of the last pope, Pope Formosus, be exhumed and his corpse put on trial in what became known as the Cadaver Synod. Formosus was Stephen's "hated enemy," and when his body was exhumed, it was dressed in his full pontifical vestments and stood trial for perjury and for being pope illegally, among other things.
Historian John W. O'Malley writes (a little bit humorously) that "Formosus replied to the charges as best he could through the mouth of a deacon standing beside his rotting corpse. His defense was, not surprisingly, judged inadequate, and he was convicted." Poor Formosus.
Don't worry, though: Stephen was soon thrown into jail himself, and then strangled to death. It was not a good time to be pope.
6.You might know Hedy Lamarr from movies she starred in during the Hollywood Golden Age, but she invented something that's part of your life every day: Wi-Fi. According to the Smithsonian, she revolutionized radio technology helping the Allies in World War II: The Smithsonian says that Hedy did this by "[theorizing] that varying radio frequencies at irregular intervals would prevent interception or jamming of transmissions." She's responsible for the technology behind almost all the wireless communication we use today, including, yes, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. Incredible.
Clarence Sinclair Bull / Getty Images
7.The (potential) reason the US doesn't use the metric system is because of pirates. In the late 1700s, the young USA considered adopting the metric system, because we didn't actually have a standard unit of measurement yet!
Thomas Jefferson, having learned about it in France, wanted the US to use metric; and after he wrote to France, they sent a scientist named Joseph Dombey off to help us get started.
Unfortunately, his ship was blown off course and intercepted by Caribbean pirates; he died in captivity (sad), and the US never did get their metric system (sadder. Just kidding).
Getty Images
You guys know about my fondness for Napoleon. "Yes, Julia!" you're doubtlessly saying. "Tell us more obscure Napoleon facts!" Okay, fine! I acquiesce!
8.In 1807, after the war between France and Russia had been ended, Napoleon's chief of staff ordered a celebratory rabbit hunt. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you are a rabbit), these were not wild rabbits, but domestic. When the cages of the thousand-odd rabbits were opened, instead of running, the rabbits apparently swarmed Napoleon and his party, forcing him to retreat to his carriage. Iconic.
mikroman6 / Getty Images
9.Vikings are the reason we have cats...kind of. At least, they're a big reason that they're so widespread. Apparently, Vikings would take cats aboard ships, presumably as rodent control; the DNA of an Egyptian cat was even found to be the same as that of a Viking cat found in Germany. In the Prose Edda, it's told that the goddess Freyja's chariot is pulled by two cats, and she has a special connection with the animal. Vikings famously got around, and presumably spread cats everywhere they went!
...I had to put in this picture I found.
Alexey Konovalenko / Getty Images
10.And, finally... The oldest Egyptian pyramid, the Djoser pyramid, is about 4,700 years old. It was built for King Djoser, who ruled for 19 years, but was built by architect Imhotep. The Djoser pyramid, a step pyramid, looks a little different than the pyramids at Giza; the Egyptians hadn't quite figured out the smooth sides yet. Without Imhotep, the first steps (haha) toward the iconic pyramids we know today might never have been taken.
George Pachantouris / Getty Images
If there's any dramatic/interesting/cool stuff from history that you think I would love, please, please, please drop stories in the comments! I love to learn about this stuff, and I'm sure other people do, too.
Real Madridwill not pay more than £17.5m for 26-year-old on-loan Spain goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who costChelseaa record £72m five years ago.(Sun)
Juventuscould use the wages saved on 30-year-old France midfielder Paul Pogba, who faces a lengthy ban over a failed drugs test, to signArsenal's30-year-old Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey on loan in January.(Mirror)
Saudi Pro League officials wantManchester City's32-year-old Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who would cost about £50m, to join the league.(Football Insider)
Arsenalmanager Mikel Arteta has addedReal Sociedad's24-year-old Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi andReal Madrid'sFrance midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, 23, to his list of transfer targets.(Calciomercato - in Spanish)
Fluminense's22-year-old Brazil midfielder Andre would be open to a January transfer, withLiverpoolstill interested despite having a previous bid rejected.(Mirror)
Liverpoolwill not sell Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 31, in January regardless of any offers from the Saudi Pro League.(Football Insider)
England forward Marcus Rashford, 26, may have upsetManchester Unitedmanager Erik ten Hag by going to a nightclub after Sunday's derby defeat by Manchester City.(Mail)
Chelseamanager Mauricio Pochettino is interested inAthletic Bilbao's26-year-old Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.(Fichajes - in Spanish)
Napoliare open to negotiating a new contract with 24-year-old Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, who has been linked withLiverpool.(Fichajes - in Spanish)
Chelseaand England defender Trevor Chalobah, 24, has been offered a move toBorussia Dortmund.(Sun)
English forward Divin Mubama, 19, has turned down a contract extension atWest Hamwith one year left on his current deal.(Athletic - subscription)
I don’t know about you but today has been a lot. And my costume isn’t even all that involved. But when you work in television, Halloween means extra shoots. We’re shooting solos in costume, couple shots in costume, group shots in costume. This, in part, is why I’m a Halloween Grinch – it’s so much extra work!
Let me lighten the mood though because I don’t want my Halloween bitch to infect you, if Halloween is what you’re into. Here’s someone we can all agree on: Keanu Reeves.
Keanu was out with friends last night for dinner. He was making headlines yesterday because there was a non-update updateon the Constantine sequel - he’s agreed to do it, they want to make it truly R-rated, but no script is in place yet. And Francis Lawrence will be directing. So the intention is there but we’re nowhere near being close to even starting production, even without the strike it’ll be a few years yet.
In the meantime, Keanu Reeves is spending his time during the labour action not being a scab, probably supporting other actors and people in the industry in his own quiet, unproblematic way, even though he’s one of those actors who has the money to ride this out forever if he had to. This is not a celebrity who puts his own needs and interests above others who are less fortunate, we can be confident in that.
My favourite part of these photos is that after dinner, as he’s preparing to ride home, he’s just getting on all his gear on the street, with his belongings on the ground. I’m not a superstar, nowhere close to one, and even I would be like… um… someone find me a very nice washroom so I can change! This is why he’s Keanu and we love him so much, especially on a day I hate so much.
