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After months of nothing happening on the trade front, the Eastern Conference has seen some seismic shifts over the past week.

First, the Milwaukee Bucks traded Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, and picks and pick swaps to Portland for Damian Lillard, pairing the All-NBA guard with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Then on Sunday, Holiday was traded back East to the Boston Celtics for Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, and two first round picks, giving the Celtics a point guard upgrade and bringing in a high-level defender to deal with Dame and the Bucks.

With those moves, the Bucks and Celtics have cemented their status as the heavy favorites in the East, creating a clear separation from the rest of the conference. Teams like Philadelphia and Miami now face an uphill battle in challenging for the East crown, with the Heat failing to land Lillard (or Holiday) as hoped, while the Sixers are dealing with their own trade request from James Harden that leaves them without a clear direction as camp gets set to begin.

With all of that going on, Joel Embiid couldn’t help but fire off a tweet after Holiday’s trade to Boston laughing off how this offseason’s gone for him, as he’s seen his two top competitors get better while his co-star asked out.

Few NBA players are funnier on social media than Embiid, who isn’t afraid to chuckle at himself and the circumstances he finds himself in here. He knows the reality of the situation and is taking it in stride in the only way he can, with a laugh and then will try to get to work the next week to figure out how to close that gap with the teams up top.

Matt Gaetz has sure been in the news a lot lately. The Florida representative was one of the main characters in the recently averted government shutdown, duking it out with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, whom he absolutely does not like one bit. After McCarthy sided with Democrats to get a short-term extension, Gaetz was quick to vow he would formally introduce measures to oust him from his gig. But it turns out Gaetz may be the one expelled.

In a report by CNN (in a bit caught by Mediaite), an unnamed House Republican said the caucus was up to here with the meddlesome nuisance. The source pointed to the Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and other abuses, which was revived over the summer. Should investigators conclude that Gaetz is guilty, his colleagues may try to expel him for good.

“We want him out,” said the anonymous member.

They’re not the only one sick of Gaetz. Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich spoke to other House Republicans, one of whom said, “No one can stand him at this point. A smart guy without morals.”

Has this left Gaetz spooked? Of course not. Often priding himself on how unpopular he is among the chamber, he responded to these threats with a meme, superimposing his face upon Keanu Reeves’ in the poster for John Wick: Chapter 2, which features the actor surrounded by assassins wielding guns.

After all this mess has concluded, who will be out on the street: McCarthy? Gaetz? Both? For now, though, Americans don’t have to worry about the MAGA wing erasing the federal government again — at least for another month-and-a-half.

(Via CNN and Mediaite)

When the Portland Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks for a package featuring Jrue Holiday, the expectation was for the star guard to be on the move once again, with contenders lining up to land one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

Sure enough, on Sunday morning a deal got done to send Holiday back to the East to the Bucks’ top competition in Boston, as the Celtics made a big time offer to bring Holiday in. Boston will send two first round picks along with Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon to Portland in exchange for Holiday, who figures to serve as Marcus Smart’s replacement.

It’s a big swing from the Celtics, who now add an elite defender to try and deal with Dame and the other top guards in the East. In the process they do give up some frontcourt depth and an excellent rim protector in Williams, although Williams only played 35 games a year ago and durability has been a concern. Adding Holiday gives the Celtics a truly spectacular top six with Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis, but like the Bucks, they will have some depth questions. Even so, they’ll have plenty of lineup versatility with those six players, capable of playing big or small with tons of switchability throughout the roster on defense and lots of offensive firepower.

For Portland, they bring in two more first round picks, as well as a veteran guard to help provide some leadership for their backcourt and another very good frontcourt player for a robust center rotation along with the newly acquired Deandre Ayton. Williams and Brogdon both, health pending, figure to be movable at the deadline for more assets as they both should have value to other contenders, as the Blazers continue breaking the Dame trade into other potential deals.

Since semi-leaving the Royal Family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have had a bumpy ride. The pair quickly scooped up media deals, but so far they’ve only delivered part of what they promised. They’ve enraged some industry insiders and they’ve even broken up with Spotify. On the plus side, Suits, the USA Network legal drama on which Markle long appeared, has had a massive comeback on streamers. So what does her future look like? Perhaps she may segue into politics.

Per The Daily Mail (as caught by The Daily Beast), the Duchess of Sussex is among the names floated to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat. The longtime California lawmaker died last week, aged 90. That means someone has to sub in for the remaining 13 months of her term. The Daily Mail calls Markle a “long-shot replacement,” but states that “within 90 minutes” of Feinstein’s death her phones “lit up” with calls arguing that she should fill the spot.

Another name out in the ether? Oprah Winfrey.

The Daily Mail lays out the dilemma faced by California governor Gavin Newsom:

“The problem he now faces is that all the best candidates have already announced they will be running for Feinstein’s seat in November 2024, the next election. Governor Newsom cannot elect any of those candidates to the position now as it would be seen as a huge, and very unfair, advantage. If he puts any of the very good Black women candidates in the job now he will be accused of favoritism. So he needs to find a woman of color who can do the job for 13 months and will agree to not stand against any of the seasoned politicians who have already thrown their hats into the ring. There are not that many women who fit the bill. Which is why Meghan’s name is being bandied about.”

Not that everyone is onboard with having the quasi-ex-Royal on Capitol Hill. One senior source told the publication, “I don’t think you can take Meghan seriously.”

In the meantime, nobody say a word of this to Piers Morgan.

(Via The Daily Mail and The Daily Beast)

Matt Gaetz does not like that Kevin McCarthy. There have been some theories about the genesis of his anger (maybe McCarthy allegedly insulting him in front of a young aide didn’t help), but whatever the case the Florida lawmaker has it out for him. At the top of the year, he’s gummed up the works of ascension to Speaker of the House. Throughout the battle to keep the federal government funded, he’s been a pain. And now that that crisis has been averted, he’s done the inevitable.

On Sunday Gaetz went on CNN, where he unloaded about McCarthy working with Democrats to avert another disastrous shutdown.

“Speaker McCarthy made an agreement with House conservatives in January and since then he’s been in brazen, repeated material breach of that agreement,” Gaetz explained. “This agreement that he made with Democrats to really blow past a lot of the spending guardrails we set up is a last straw.”

And so Gaetz made the most predictable move possible. “I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week,” he revealed. “I think we need to rip off the Band-Aid. I think we need to move on with new leadership that will be trustworthy.”

When McCarthy clinched the Speaker gig, he did so only after a humiliating 15 rounds of vote, spread over several days. Much of the delay was courtesy Gaetz, who so opposed him that a fight nearly broke out on the House floor. He’s continued being a thorn in his side, forcing him to kowtow to the extremist MAGA wing of the party. But as the deadline for shutdown loomed, McCarthy threw them under the bus.

“If somebody wants to make a motion against me, bring it,” McCarthy said during a press conference. “There has to be an adult in the room. I am going to govern with what’s best for this country.”

Naturally that only made Gaetz madder. “When you host this show next week, if Kevin McCarthy is still speaker of the House, he will be serving at the pleasure of the Democrats,” Gaetz told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “He will be working for the Democrats.”

Hours after the House finally passed a bipartisan bill to avert a government shutdown — for now, for 45 days — the Senate did the same. The crisis is over, but McCarthy’s headaches not only live on but will likely get worse.

(Via CNN)

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Bottoms (MGM film streaming on Amazon Prime)

If you like PEN15‘s cringe comedy, then you’ll adore this movie that will contribute to the Ayo Edebiri Supremacy that is inevitable. The Bear star appears alongside frequent supporting player Rachel Sennott, and together, their queer characters make a hellaciously awkward team as they launch a “Fight Club” of sorts, only in a quest to lose their respective virginities. One of the better parts of this movie is how the tables turn to make the pair multi-faceted and about much more than their sexual orientation, but the heterosexual characters end up falling into classic archetypes, almost as if they are stereotyped. This film is a conversation starter, so get on it.

TIE: 10. Blue Beetle (WBD film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)

Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña gave WBD a Latino superhero, Jamie Reyes, in a really fun movie that ended up being collateral box-office damage in the demise of the pre-James Gunn DCU transition. Reyes will be part of that universe going forward, so it’s worth catching up on this film, even if you want to wait for it to hit Max, because it deserves many more eyeballs than it received. Yet understandably, people were perhaps feeling exhausted by DC-focused superhero movies after Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and The Flash crashed and burned.

9. One Piece (Netflix series)

Netflix doesn’t greenlight second seasons like candy anymore, but this crowd pleaser earned the privilege. Fans of Monkey D. Luffy are thrilled with this adaptation of a a beloved anime/manga. Season 2 of the hopeful pirate king’s adventures can’t arrive too fast, and while viewers settle in for the wait, they can hop on the Japanese dub for a bonus from the voice cast of the anime series. This is a wonderful treat for anime fans after some live-action misses like Cowboy Bebop and Death Note.

8. Barbie (Warner Bros. movie on VOD and Amazon Prime)

This film will undoubtedly climb the charts again once it’s streaming as part of the Max library, but for now, you can enjoy all the Kens and one Allan in your living room for rent or purchase. This film will likely launch a buffet of subpar imitators at the box office because Hollywood can’t help itself, but for now, enjoy that this magic came together by the combined powers of Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling. Oh, and don’t forget about Michael Cera as Allan, which is arguably his finest role. Too much? I don’t think so.

7. The Continental (Peacock series)

This three-part series needs 100% more Keanu Reeves as John Wick, but people are still enjoying this story that takes the assassin-welcoming hotel back to 1970s New York City. That era’s Winston is portrayed by Colin Woodell here, and observing how he was then as opposed to in the movies is part of the charm of this special-event series. Granted, Mel Gibson isn’t the biggest selling point, but the casting does make sense once you dive in and watch. Katie McGrath completists should also make time to see her as The Adjudicator.

6. The Wheel Of Time (Amazon Prime series)

This series might feel even more satisfying to fantasy lit fans than Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power does. Rosamund Pike dives into more morally grey territory than usual to portray the magic-wielding Moraine of the Aes Sedai organization in support of the prophesied Dragon. This series is closing in on a second-season finale, and then, there will be a dearth of fantasy on streaming TV for a bit. However, there’s no time like always to go rewatch The Sandman.

5. Gran Turismo (Sony Pictures film available on VOD and Amazon Prime)

Archie Madekwe (See) and David Harbour (Stranger Things) star in this racing film directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9) that takes more than mere inspiration from the same-named racing simulation video game. This also happens to be a biographical film about Jann Mardenborough’s transition from being a sim racer to a full-on professional race-car driver. Come for the high adrenaline and stay for former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

4. Sex Education (Netflix series)

The final season is upon us, and still, Gillian Anderson remains a long way from both The X-Files and The Crown. She portrays a sex therapist who also happens to mortify her own son, Otis (Asa Butterfield), with her profession. Still, he manages to funnel that energy into a useful purpose as he navigates his own coming-of-age journey under more scrutiny than most.

3. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC series streaming on AMC+)

Norman Reedus’ most famous character is carrying the hell out of this only “solo” spinoff in AMC’s zombie franchise. Still, there are a handful of other characters to really warm up to, and that includes his traveling companions, Laurent and Isabelle. Speaking of which, Daryl finally learned last week that Isabelle had a completely different life than before she became a nun, and his reaction was *chef’s kiss.* We are fortunate enough to know that a second season is coming, so it’s safe to assume that Daryl will not make his way back to The Commonwealth anytime soon, but that’s alright. He’s got a lot going on in France, and the change of scenery is a welcome one for more reasons than one, including seeing Paris at the beginning of the apocalypse. (I have a feeling that Emily Cooper would not have fared well.)

2. No One Will Save You (20th Century Studios film streaming on Hulu)

Kaitlyn Dever’s Justified fanbase (Team Loretta) has been thrilled to see her career take underrated flight in Dopesick, Unbelievable, and Booksmart. Here, she’s truly made her way into the living rooms of the masses in a movie that would have done incredibly well in theaters, especially heading into October. Nearly no dialogue will be heard in this film, which only adds to the suspense of this story that delivers home-invasion horror with an extraterrestrial twist.

1. Gen V (Amazon Prime series)

Come for the dong jokes, and stay for the dong jokes. This spinoff makes The Boys proud with a whole new roster of prospective The Seven members. Many of them harbor Supe powers that are highly individualized and inform us about the traumas that they have experienced in life. In short order, you will become attached to one more of these characters and want to fiercely guard them, even as they would be the ones capable of physically protecting you. This series seemingly pulls off the impossible by managing to be as appealing as The Boys even without the presence of its most shining and degraded beacon, Homelander. This franchise shows no signs of fatigue, thank goodness.

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Bottoms (MGM film streaming on Amazon Prime)

If you like PEN15‘s cringe comedy, then you’ll adore this movie that will contribute to the Ayo Edebiri Supremacy that is inevitable. The Bear star appears alongside frequent supporting player Rachel Sennott, and together, their queer characters make a hellaciously awkward team as they launch a “Fight Club” of sorts, only in a quest to lose their respective virginities. One of the better parts of this movie is how the tables turn to make the pair multi-faceted and about much more than their sexual orientation, but the heterosexual characters end up falling into classic archetypes, almost as if they are stereotyped. This film is a conversation starter, so get on it.

TIE: 10. Blue Beetle (WBD film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)

Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña gave WBD a Latino superhero, Jamie Reyes, in a really fun movie that ended up being collateral box-office damage in the demise of the pre-James Gunn DCU transition. Reyes will be part of that universe going forward, so it’s worth catching up on this film, even if you want to wait for it to hit Max, because it deserves many more eyeballs than it received. Yet understandably, people were perhaps feeling exhausted by DC-focused superhero movies after Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and The Flash crashed and burned.

9. One Piece (Netflix series)

Netflix doesn’t greenlight second seasons like candy anymore, but this crowd pleaser earned the privilege. Fans of Monkey D. Luffy are thrilled with this adaptation of a a beloved anime/manga. Season 2 of the hopeful pirate king’s adventures can’t arrive too fast, and while viewers settle in for the wait, they can hop on the Japanese dub for a bonus from the voice cast of the anime series. This is a wonderful treat for anime fans after some live-action misses like Cowboy Bebop and Death Note.

8. Barbie (Warner Bros. movie on VOD and Amazon Prime)

This film will undoubtedly climb the charts again once it’s streaming as part of the Max library, but for now, you can enjoy all the Kens and one Allan in your living room for rent or purchase. This film will likely launch a buffet of subpar imitators at the box office because Hollywood can’t help itself, but for now, enjoy that this magic came together by the combined powers of Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling. Oh, and don’t forget about Michael Cera as Allan, which is arguably his finest role. Too much? I don’t think so.

7. The Continental (Peacock series)

This three-part series needs 100% more Keanu Reeves as John Wick, but people are still enjoying this story that takes the assassin-welcoming hotel back to 1970s New York City. That era’s Winston is portrayed by Colin Woodell here, and observing how he was then as opposed to in the movies is part of the charm of this special-event series. Granted, Mel Gibson isn’t the biggest selling point, but the casting does make sense once you dive in and watch. Katie McGrath completists should also make time to see her as The Adjudicator.

6. The Wheel Of Time (Amazon Prime series)

This series might feel even more satisfying to fantasy lit fans than Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power does. Rosamund Pike dives into more morally grey territory than usual to portray the magic-wielding Moraine of the Aes Sedai organization in support of the prophesied Dragon. This series is closing in on a second-season finale, and then, there will be a dearth of fantasy on streaming TV for a bit. However, there’s no time like always to go rewatch The Sandman.

5. Gran Turismo (Sony Pictures film available on VOD and Amazon Prime)

Archie Madekwe (See) and David Harbour (Stranger Things) star in this racing film directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9) that takes more than mere inspiration from the same-named racing simulation video game. This also happens to be a biographical film about Jann Mardenborough’s transition from being a sim racer to a full-on professional race-car driver. Come for the high adrenaline and stay for former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

4. Sex Education (Netflix series)

The final season is upon us, and still, Gillian Anderson remains a long way from both The X-Files and The Crown. She portrays a sex therapist who also happens to mortify her own son, Otis (Asa Butterfield), with her profession. Still, he manages to funnel that energy into a useful purpose as he navigates his own coming-of-age journey under more scrutiny than most.

3. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC series streaming on AMC+)

Norman Reedus’ most famous character is carrying the hell out of this only “solo” spinoff in AMC’s zombie franchise. Still, there are a handful of other characters to really warm up to, and that includes his traveling companions, Laurent and Isabelle. Speaking of which, Daryl finally learned last week that Isabelle had a completely different life than before she became a nun, and his reaction was *chef’s kiss.* We are fortunate enough to know that a second season is coming, so it’s safe to assume that Daryl will not make his way back to The Commonwealth anytime soon, but that’s alright. He’s got a lot going on in France, and the change of scenery is a welcome one for more reasons than one, including seeing Paris at the beginning of the apocalypse. (I have a feeling that Emily Cooper would not have fared well.)

2. No One Will Save You (20th Century Studios film streaming on Hulu)

Kaitlyn Dever’s Justified fanbase (Team Loretta) has been thrilled to see her career take underrated flight in Dopesick, Unbelievable, and Booksmart. Here, she’s truly made her way into the living rooms of the masses in a movie that would have done incredibly well in theaters, especially heading into October. Nearly no dialogue will be heard in this film, which only adds to the suspense of this story that delivers home-invasion horror with an extraterrestrial twist.

1. Gen V (Amazon Prime series)

Come for the dong jokes, and stay for the dong jokes. This spinoff makes The Boys proud with a whole new roster of prospective The Seven members. Many of them harbor Supe powers that are highly individualized and inform us about the traumas that they have experienced in life. In short order, you will become attached to one more of these characters and want to fiercely guard them, even as they would be the ones capable of physically protecting you. This series seemingly pulls off the impossible by managing to be as appealing as The Boys even without the presence of its most shining and degraded beacon, Homelander. This franchise shows no signs of fatigue, thank goodness.

Donald Trump says a lot of dodgy things, but, as Blur once sang, no matter how low there’s always somewhere to go. Last October, Paul Pelosi, the husband of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was viciously attacked by a home intruder. The gravity of the situation — the fact that an 82-year-old man was beat with a hammer and almost died — didn’t stop the Trump team from making jokes. Nearly a year later the former president is still at it.

During a wild-even-for-him speech in Anaheim, California Friday, Trump took a moment to slam someone who’s no longer even in office.

“We’ll stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi, who ruined San Francisco,” he promised the crowd. Then he smiled a Cheshire Cat grin and said, “How’s her husband doing, anybody know?”

The crowd ate it up — “it,” again, being a joke about a senior citizen who underwent surgery for a fractured skull, perpetrated by one of his fans.

Perhaps sensing that his fans were loving the jokes about a violent attack, he double dipped. “And she’s against building a wall at our border, even though she has a wall around her house — which obviously didn’t do a very good job,” he jeered.

Trump’s comments were met with widespread condemnation, but that’s not likely to stop him from making similar comments in the future, nor his supporters for cheering them on.

On a much lighter, more bizarre note, Trump — whose brain is definitely not broken — went on a strange tirade about non-existent water restrictions in California, which he says makes wealthy Beverly Hills residents stink. You can’t make any of this stuff up and, besides, who would want to?

(Via Politico)

Nicki Minaj‘s fifth studio album Pink Friday 2 is on the way. As a new era is upon us, the album rollout has been an exciting one for the Barbz. She pulled in double duty as the host of this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, and as a performer. During her performance, she performed her hit single, “Last Time I Saw You,” along with a new song, “Big Difference,” which has not yet received an official release.

Both of these songs are set to appear on Pink Friday 2, as well as the Diwali Riddim-sampling “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” and her No. 1 hit single, “Super Freaky Girl.”

While the song “Big Difference” hasn’t gotten a streaming release yet, parts of the song played at a stop on Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour.

Minaj has been keeping much of the details under wraps, however, she has revealed the album’s November release date. She also revealed one of two cover arts for the album on her social pages.

Today (September 30), Minaj took to TikTok to reveal that she will share an album-related surprise every Friday until Pink Friday 2 drops. What these surprises will entail, she can’t reveal just quite yet. But after a five-year wait for this album era, we’re certain it will all be worth the wait.

Pink Friday 2 is out 11/17 via Republic. Find more information here.

Saturday was a tense one on Capitol Hill. It was the final day Congress had to avert a government shutdown — the 15th time it would have happened in the last 40-some years. Spoiler: The House passed an 11th hour bipartisan bill, which was to then head to the Senate. It was a wild day, made all the wilder by one Democrat pulling a fire alarm during a key vote for some reason.

Per CBS News, Jamaal Bowman, a progressive member of the House Democrats, admitted to pulling the alarm, which came as the chamber was voting on a stopgap spending bill that would delay a potential shutdown for another 45 days. House members were quick to spread discord about it, claiming it was an intentional — and illegal — attempt to delay the vote.

Among them were Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said Bowman should be treated just like the Jan. 6 protesters (whose actions she’s defended).

Republican representative Nicole Malliotakis vowed to draw up a resolution to have Bowman expelled.

Some simply called for him to resign

As for Bowman, Emma Simon, a spokesperson for him, claimed that it was an accident. “Congressman Bowman did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote,” Simon said. “The Congressman regrets any confusion.”

Bowman himself told reporters that he “thought the alarm would open the door”

Bowman has been a critic of some of the shadier Republican House members, such as George Santos. Santos was one of the Republicans who dragged him over the incident.

An investigation is underway, which should be fun. In the meantime, at least it now seems unlikely that the MAGA crowd is going to shut down the government.

(Via CBS News)