Mike Tomlin Sets NFL Record With 17th Straight Non-Losing Season To Start Coaching Career
The amazing career of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has reached another pinnacle.
The amazing career of Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin has reached another pinnacle.
When the Steelers won Dec. 31, it guaranteed a winning season for the team, making it the 17th straight year that Tomlin has had a non-losing season since he started his coaching career. That is a record, according to NFL.com. Two coaches have had longer non-losing season streaks: Tom Landry (Dallas Cowboys) with 21 and Bill Belichick (New England Patriots) with 19.
With the team’s 30-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks, the Steelers kept their postseason hopes alive. At 9-7, Tomlin also guaranteed himself a 14th season with a winning record.
In 2009, when the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII, Tomlin, then 36, became the youngest NFL coach to take home the Lombardi Trophy. That record was broken when Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay won Super Bowl LVI in 2021.
Tomlin’s’ career record is 180-109-2, a .622 winning percentage.
Another stat that the Steelers can be proud of is having a 20th straight season of ending the season with a .500 or better won-loss record. That is the second-longest streak in the history of the NFL. The record, which can be tied next season, is 21, held by Landry’s Dallas Cowboys, which had 21 straight non-losing seasons from 1965-1985 on its way to becoming “America’s Team.”
The Steelers’ last game is a toughie: a road tilt against the AFC’s #1 seed, the Baltimore Ravens, on Saturday Jan. 6. For the Steelers to make the playoffs, the Tennessee Titans must beat the reeling Jacksonville Jaguars and/or the Miami Dolphins beat the resurgent Buffalo Bills, which have won four games in a row.
Burundi’s President Calls For Gay People To Be Stoned In Public
LGBTQ+ members need to be careful in these African nations.
Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye is not a fan of marriage equality.
During a press conference, the East African nation leader described gay marriage as an “abominable practice” and feels gay people should be stoned in public. The conservative Catholic politician is a strong opponent of LGBTQ+ rights.
“If you want to attract a curse to the country, accept homosexuality,” Ndayishimiye said. “For me, I think that if we find these people in Burundi, they should be taken to stadiums and be stoned, and doing so would not be a crime.”
Marriage equality doesn’t exist in the nation, along with minimal protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Same-sex marriages are banned and punishable by up to two years in jail.
The leader went as far as to say those who embrace homosexual lifestyles have “chosen Satan” and have no home in Burundi. “If you want to choose Satan, now go and live in those tolerant Western countries, and I think those who strive to go there want to acquire those habits, they should remain there and never bring them to us,” he said.
In February 2023, close to 25 people were arrested for suspicion of “homosexual practices.”
Activists spoke out anonymously about members of an HIV support group who were arrested while visiting Gitega. “They are accused of homosexual practices and of inciting homosexual practices among adolescent boys and girls to whom they give money,” the activist said.
Police allegedly found condoms and marketing collateral advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, which was used as evidence for their arrest.
Burundi’s laws against gay people are minimal compared to other African nations. According to Reuters, in May 2023, the Ugandan government passed legislation that carries the death sentence for some same-sex offenses and jail sentences for others. Ghana proposed legislation encouraging citizens to out members of the LGBTQ+ community, putting a person at risk of being attacked, kidnapped, or even lynched.
Philly’s First Female Mayor Commits To Public Safety In Inaugural Address
Parker and her administration will be busy this year as Philadelphia prepares for America's 250th anniversary and the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
In her inaugural speech, Philadelphia’s first female mayor, Cherelle Parker, doubled down on her commitment to achieving public safety and economic success.
Parker was formally sworn in January 2 as the 100th mayor to lead the city of Brotherly Love, Action News reported, but took the oath of office before the ceremony.
In addition to sharing her humble beginnings, the long-serving councilwoman discussed her plans to crack down on violence, theft, drugs and policing. In doing so, Parker hopes to establish order over the lawlessness in the city.
Parker’s signing of several executive orders, including improving city employment, reducing juvenile delinquency and government visibility. On Tuesday, she signed an order declaring a Public Safety Emergency to “expeditiously get every available resource into neighborhoods struggling with the scourges of crime, gun violence, drugs, and addiction,” as stated in her 100-Day Action Plan.
“If we don’t get our own house in order before company comes, and if we don’t address public safety, we won’t be ready to receive anybody in 2026,” Parker said during her inaugural address “We are going to bring together local, state, and federal officials—along with our business leaders who have a stake in the economic success of our city—so that we can tap into the intellectual resources of Philadelphia, and truly try to create economic opportunities for everyone.”
COMMUNITY POLICING
Parker begins her term as the city’s homicides decline compared to the over 500 murders in 2020 and 2021. Theft, however, is becoming a growing issue. The number of reported vehicle thefts increased by 72%. Retail theft rose to 28% last year.
Philadelphia has been experiencing higher than normal levels of violent crime. https://t.co/45P1gaoEbi
Parker plans to hire more police officers, focusing on community policing, a policy she advocated for on the city council. The U.S. Department of Justice defines community policing as a “philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues…”
“Officers there as guardians and not warriors, getting to know the people they are sworn to protect and serve,” Parker said, adding that she will be collaborating with new police commissioner Kevin Bethel.
DRUG CLEAN UP
Philadelphia is struggling to tackle the surge in the use of xylazine, fentanyl and tranq, especially in the drug-ravaged neighborhood of Kensington. Parker plans to clean up the open drug market in Kensington.
Parker and her administration will be busy this year as the city prepares for America’s 250th anniversary and the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
RZA To Be Honored With The 2024 NAMM Innovation Award
Rza is kicking off 2024 on a high note as the hip-hop icon will receive the Innovation Award at The NAMM Show’s 2024 TEC Awards.
RZA is kicking off 2024 on a high note as the hip-hop veteran will receive the Innovation Award at The NAMM Show’s 2024 TEC Awards.
The Wu-Tang founder and hip-hop producer will receive the award which “honors individuals that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of recording technology,” Billboard reported. The TEC Awards takes place on Jan. 27 in Anaheim, CA. The nearly four-decade-old ceremony celebrates the best in professional audio and sound production and coincides with The NAMM Show, the world’s largest music trade show.
RZA will be the first hip-hop act to receive the award formerly known as the NAMM TEC Les Paul Innovation Award, after the late guitarist and inventor who passed away in 2009. Former recipients of the award include Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and jazz legend Herbie Hancock.
“RZA’s formidable body of work and talent is unquestionable,” John Mlynczak, NAMM president and CEO said. “His legacy of accomplishments and lasting power on music inspires many music makers beyond Hip-Hop and he deserves this high recognition.”
An icon in hip-hop, RZA, born Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, is credited with being the leader of Wu-Tang and producer of almost all of the legendary group’s albums, including the various solo projects from its members. Regarded as one of the best hip-hop producers of all time, the Grammy-winning producer has also released solo albums under his alter ego Bobby Digital, via Hip Hop Scriptures.
As an actor, RZA has appeared in a variety of films and television shows including American Gangster, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Snowfall, and Coffee and Cigarettes, among many others. He’s accredited his success to remaining true to his core, a Brooklyn native with a passion for the arts.
“The most important rule is just keeping it 100 percent with myself, preparing myself for what’s in front of me and making sure that I complete my goals,” he toldRolling Stone in 2019.
“First you set your goal, right? Identify what it is, envision it and then I prepare. If my goal was simply to climb a tree, I’m gonna study a tree-climbing book, understand the tools and equipment that I need to do it, understand that if I gotta go up, you know, that may be easy. But what about coming back down, right?”
The award comes weeks before RZA joins his group mates for the Wu-Tang’s first-ever residency in Las Vegas. “Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues… The Las Vegas Residency” will run from Feb. 9-10 and pick up again from March 22-23 at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Marvel Fans Are On Board With Colman Domingo Replacing Jonathan Majors As ‘Kang The Conqueror’
There are growing rumors that Marvel is considering replacing Jonathan Majors with Colman Domingo as Kang The Conqueror.
There are growing rumors that Marvel is considering replacing Jonathan Majors with another actor as Kang The Conqueror and many fans are favor of Colman Domingo securing the role.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe streets are talking after industry insider Daniel Richtman teased the strong possibility of Marvel opting out of cutting Kang from upcoming films entirely and instead replacing the villain with another actor.
With Majors losing the role in the wake of being found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, Marvel fans were disappointed at the likelihood of a Kang movie and appearances in upcoming Avengers films ceasing to exist. But according to Richtman, not only is Marvel considering a replacement, they might already have their eyes on an actor who’s coming out of a pinnacle year with breakout roles in Netflix’s Rustin and Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple musical.
Emmy award-winning Euphoria actor Colman Domingo is receiving swarms of support from fans as his name fills media headlines as the possible new Kang, Forbes reported. A tweet announcing the news has ignited growing petitions for Domingo to secure the role.
Colman Domingo is reportedly among the actors being considered to replace Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror in the MCU.
“Actually love this choice, especially since his character in The Walking Dead seems to be finished,” one fan wrote.
“He’s actually a really good choice,” added someone else.
Domingo has even shared his desire to play a supervillain with the MCU or for DC Comics. Old interview clips have started to surface online showing Domingo saying he would “jump in” if offered a villain role.
“I just want to be the villain. I don’t want to be the good guy,” Domingo told one interviewer. “I just want to be really nasty and dirty.”
This was 2 years ago. Yea sign Colman Domingo up for Kang expeditiously.
The Major League Pickleball’s Brooklyn Aces announced its newest group of investors which includes a five-time Grammy-winning rapper, a celebrated actor, and UnitedMasters and Translation founder/CEO, Boardroom reports. The team’s majority owner applauded the new group of “savvy” co-owners.
“We’re thrilled to have this incredible group of investors join the Brooklyn Aces as we continue to grow the team and raise the profile of Major League Pickleball as a whole,” Boardroom and 35V co-founder/CEO and Aces majority owner Rich Kleiman said.
“It’s the idea of bringing people in that we could share in this with and utilize resources as the Aces evolve. Our investor group includes some of the savviest entrepreneurs in the business, and having this network on our cap table positions us to be successful.”
Securing investment from Drake came through personal relationships with Kleiman being good friends with Drake’s manager Adel “Future the Prince” Nur.
“Just having their ear and their support is really incredible,” Kleiman said of his new co-owners.
It also expands Jordan’s growing list of sports team investments with the Creed star recently buying into the Alpine Formula 1 team and English soccer’s AFC Bournemouth. Jordan and Kleiman’s 35V are also stakeholders in New York City-based esports organization NYXL.
Joining Drake, Jordan, and Stoute on the Brooklyn Aces investors team are CityPickle co-founders Mary Cannon and Erica Desai; LionTree Chairman and CEO Aryeh Bourkoff and Managing Director Alex Michael; Baby2Baby Co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof; producer and Hunting Lane founder Jamie Patricof; Status Labs CEO Darius Fisher and CMO Jesse Boskoff; Winible.com CEO Noah Traisman; and Dynamic DNA Labs founder and CEO Austin O’Reilly.
The investments come as pickleball continues to boom in the sports world with Major League Pickleball gaining prominence and recognition.
Major Studios Fell Short Of Hiring Women And People Of Color Despite Promises In 2020
A new study found how "performative" major studios were when they promised to hire more women and people of color in 2020.
A new study has found how “performative” major studios were in 2020 during the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder when they promised to hire more women and people of color.
Nearly four years later, research from USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative shows that major studios’ pledges to support inclusion were just “performative acts” and “not real steps towards fostering change,” Variety reported. Findings show that the entertainment industry is still male-dominated, as a look at the 100 top-grossing domestic films in 2023 had 116 directors attached to them with just 14, or 12.1%, being women.
While it’s a slight improvement from the 9% of films directed by women in 2022, it highlights how women directors are still lagging behind men. All the while, the women of color to helm top films in 2023 remained unchanged from the year prior. There were only four women of color, or 3.4%, who helmed one of the 100 top-grossing films of 2023. Three were Asian — Adele Lim (Joy Ride), Celine Song (Past Lives) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (Wish), and the other was Nia DaCosta with The Marvels.
The study found that in the last 17 years, only 27 women have been hired by Universal Pictures to direct a film. Research also showed that 26 directors (22.4%) of the top 100 grossing movies in 2023 were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups with 14 being Asian (53.8%), eight being Black (30.8%), two being Hispanic/Latino (7.7%), and two other filmmakers of multiracial/multiethnic race (7.7%). It was just a slight jump from 2022’s percentage of 20.7%.
While 2023 saw the box office success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear, women and people of color still have a long way to go when it comes to being represented at the top level of the entertainment industry.
“This report offers a contrast to those who might celebrate the dawning of change in Hollywood after a year in which ‘Barbie’ topped the box office,” the study’s authors write.
“One film or one director are simply not enough to create the sea change that is still needed behind the camera. Until studios, executives and producers alter the way they make decisions about who is qualified and available to work as a director on top-grossing films, there is little reason to believe that optimism is warranted.”
Angela White, Formerly Known As Blac Chyna, Suffers Side Effects Of Breast Reduction Surgery
Reformed model Blac Chyna recently opened up about the complications she suffered from her breast reduction surgery.
Blac Chyna’s transformation back to Angela White by way of removing her body enhancements isn’t coming along so easily. The reformed model recently opened up about the complications she suffered from her breast reduction surgery.
It was early last year when Chyna took to social media to share a candid video of her breast reduction procedure. Now, one year later, Chyna is revealing the complications that came from her second reduction operation.
“Hello everyone, Happy New Year’s,” she said in a black and white video testimonial posted on New Year’s Day “Yep, I did it again.”
The 35-year-old mother of two had already reduced her breasts from size 585cc to 385cc in early 2023. But that surgery resulted in a rare complication where one of her breasts became encapsulated. Chyna described the painful experience involving her left breast that contracted around the implant.
As a result, Chyna decided to close out the year with a second breast reduction on December 21 to further reduce her breast size to 190cc. During this procedure, her doctor recommended that she get an implant to prevent her breasts from becoming mushy.
But after getting through the painful complications, Chyna is proud to announce that she is part of the “Itty Bitty Tittie Committee” and looks forward to the new year. This is the latest of the entrepreneur’s series of surgical procedures to reverse the enhancements she’s received over the years.
In addition to reducing her breast size, Chyna has reduced her butt augmentation and facial fillers. She also closed down her OnlyFans account and has since joined the subscription-based creator platform Passes, where no sexual content or nudity is allowed.
In August, she told ET her part of her decision to remove her augmentations and fillers was to show a more natural side of herself.
“My thing is, before you start talking to me or give me the chance, I want you to see this is a well-rounded woman,” she said.
FAFSA Portal Debuts With Bugs And Delays, Frustrating Parents And Students Across The Country
FAFSA has opened but, with so many difficulties, not many seem to be benefiting.
Over the New Year weekend, the long-awaited Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) portal opened, revealing a new simplified form. However, despite some improvements, there are still many bugs that need to be fixed, to the frustration of parents and students across the country, CNBC reported.
As part of a “soft launch,” the Department of Education has only made FAFSA available periodically, which means that most applicants for the 2024-25 academic year have not even been able to access the form. Mark Kantrowitz, an expert in higher education, spoke to CNBCabout the delays.
“I am convinced that nobody has been able to submit the form. Congress required the FAFSA to be available before Jan. 1, 2024. They missed that deadline,” he said. The Department of Education reports that more than 400,000 students have successfully started or submitted their forms since the beginning this soft launch. However, millions of applicants are still struggling.
According to Kantrowitz, if the Department of Education manages to fix these complications soon, universities may still be able to administer financial aid packages by late March or early April. However, if these problems are not immediately addressed, the consequences could be substantial.
“Families will not be able to get financial aid offers in a timely manner. Already, students who applied early action or early decision do not have award offers,” he said. “It is a pretty big deal. We are talking about thousands of additional dollars that families will have to pay for college.”
The Department of Education has advised families to wait rather than panic about the ongoing situation, saying, “You will have ample time to fill out the form and do not need to rush to complete the form during the soft launch.” According to CNBC, even if students manage to submit the FAFSA form, schools won’t receive the necessary information until late January. Still, this has done little to quell applicants’ concerns.
The delay is not the only complication with FAFSA this year. FAFSA’s newest model is based on outdated consumer price index figures from 2020. Because of this, the Department of Education has failed to adjust for increased inflation rates, which could cause families to lose out on assistance. “In prior years, it wouldn’t matter all that much because inflation was low,” Kalman Chany, financial aid consultant and author of The Princeton Review’s Paying for College, toldCNBC. “Given the high inflation in the past few years, the tables should be adjusted by a tad more than 18%.”
FAFSA has undergone a significant redesign following years of complaints and difficulties with functionality. The Department of Education has reduced the number of questions on the application from 108 to only 46. It has also altered how financial aid is distributed. Rather than rely on the expected family contribution (EFC) metric, FAFSA has instead adopted a new method – the Student Aid Index (SAI). With SAI, dependent students with separated parents must report the income of the parent who offers the most financial support, as opposed to the parent they live with the majority of the time. Furthermore, universities will determine aid eligibility using a case-by-case basis, meaning that families with multiple children in college will not automatically receive additional aid.
The Department of Education, meanwhile, has assured that this year’s FAFSA cycle has been effective and that students across the country will benefit from this improved version. According to the Department, the revised FAFSA application will make college more affordable, helping an additional 610,000 low-income students receive Pell and assist another 1.5 million students to receive the maximum Pell grant. This would bring the total number of students eligible for the maximum Pell Grant to more than 5 million. And, for some applicants, the number of questions has even dwindled to as little as 18 questions.
“It is the vision and commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration to make higher education more accessible and attainable—and that includes making applying for financial aid faster and easier than ever before,” said a spokesperson for the Department.
Critics Praise Ncuti Gatwa’s Performance As Doctor Who
Critics rave about Ncuti Gatwa's performance in Doctor Who as newest season kicks off.
Sex Education alum Ncuti Gatwa is the new Doctor in town, and Black fans everywhere are rejoicing.
In May 2022, Gatwa was announcedas fan-favorite David Tennant’s successor in the long-running show, making him the first Black queer Doctor in the ‘Whoniverse.’ Now, fans worldwide are praising his performance as the larger-than-life 15th Doctor and his undeniable chemistry with his companion Ruby Sunday, played by relative newcomer Mellie Gibson.
Gatwa made his full-episode debut in the fourth Christmas special, titled “Church on Ruby Road.” Equipped with a time-traveling spacecraft shaped like a British police box and a sonic screwdriver, the humanoid alien Doctor travels across space-time continuums, warding off evil and often finding himself and his companion in sticky situations. Since the show’s inception in 1963, there have been 15 incarnations of the titular character, whose “regeneration” predisposes a new era. Gatwa’s character is the latest reincarnation, and his introduction has brought a level of suaveness and charisma unlike any other Doctor before.
The Daily Beast described Gatwa’s acting in the 2023 Christmas special as nothing short of phenomenal. “The episode’s standout performance belongs not to the goblins but to Gatwa, a massively charismatic actor with a glowing, million-watt smile, who quickly sets his incarnation of the Time Lord apart with chic sartorial instincts and an epic, almost otherworldly confidence,” it wrote. The Guardian also hailed the Barbie star, saying he “oozes charisma” and “flits from charming to serious in the blink of an eye.”
Gatwa’s casting is monumental for Black fans of the British show, which until now had only featured white Doctors in the series. “Some of us may look at a British show that has starred almost exclusively white men with thick accents over its sixty-year history and wonder what it could have to offer,” wroteAnoa Changa, an author at Newsone. “For my family of Blerds, Doctor Who is both an experience and an opportunity for intergenerational bonding. My dad has been a ‘Doctor Who’ fan since his teens, and like any parent, he sat us down and had us watch along.
“For us, ‘Doctor Who’ isn’t simply a fandom or an escape. But sci-fi and fantasy help expand our understanding of the world around us and even maybe help us see the potential in ourselves. Three generations of our family have eagerly awaited the new ‘Doctor Who’ era with Gatwa at the helm.”
Gatwa’s casting isn’t the only significant first of the season. Yasmin Finney, who stars alongside Gatwa and Gibson in the series, is the first transgender character to appear on the show. She plays Shaun and Donna’s teenage daughter, Rose.
Finney spoke about this achievement in an interview with Movie Web in November 2023. “I think representation is so important, and if I had Rose growing up, it would be a completely different story, I think,” she said. “I think representation is what we need and what the younger generation needs to feel like they can do it too.”
Both Gatwa and Finney found fame through their Netflix series. Gatwa played the enigmatic Eric Effiong on Sex Education, and his magnetic personality captivated viewers and made him one of the most beloved characters on the show. Likewise, Finney has become a starlet in the eyes of Heartstopper fans, where she currently plays Elle Argent, a sympathetic aspiring artist.
With their talents, there’s no doubt that both actors will continue to take the acting industry by storm.
Update: On Jan. 2, the BBC issued a response to critics following an influx of hate regarding Yasmin Finney’s casting in the newest season. “We have received complaints from viewers who object to the inclusion of a transgender character in the programme and from others who feel there are too few transgender people represented,” the statement reads. “As regular viewers of Doctor Who will be aware, the show has and will always continue to proudly celebrate diversity and reflect the world we live in. We are always mindful of the content within our episodes.”
