Behind the Spotlight

06/04/2026

05/15/2026

💎 Comedian Michael Smith sparked controversy after a viral clip showed him explaining his expectations for a partner. "I can cook for myself. I don't want to. I want you to cook. I'll pay for the food. I'll take you out every week," he said. "The only thing I'm doing for myself is getting up for some cereal." Smith seemed to know his comments would not go over well with some, but he was undeterred.

💬 "If I have to do that, why do I need you? I understand it comes across as chauvinistic," he said. "I'll take you out. I'll buy the food. I'll take care of whatever you need me to take care of." Newton appeared to try to interject during Smith's rant, but true to form, Smith kept going. "But damn it, if I walk through my crib and you there? I better not smell Pine Sol," he said. "That's a problem. If I'm smelling Pine Sol, why are you there? Why?"

⚠️ The comments quickly drew backlash online. Critics called the remarks outdated, sexist, and dismissive of shared responsibilities in a partnership. Supporters argued that Smith was simply expressing his personal preference for a traditional relationship dynamic. The clip was shared thousands of times, with many debating whether his words were harmless humor or a reflection of deeper attitudes about gender roles.

🔥 Smith has not apologized. He has not walked back his statements. The internet, however, is still arguing. A comedian said what he believes. Some are laughing. Others are offended. Most are just listening. And wondering if he really meant it. 💎💬⚠️
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05/15/2026

💎 Wes, a fixture in the Tennessee sports scene, died in a car accident in Knoxville on February 19. He was 47 years old. Lauren released an emotional statement about Wes's death the following month, saying the loss "left a silence that I don't quite know how to explain." She wrote, "He was my best friend before anything else. The person I talked to about everything. The one who understood me without needing explanation."

💔 "What I find myself missing most are the small things that were just ours," Lauren continued. "The conversations that no one else heard, the routines that didn't seem important at the time but somehow meant everything. The way he could bring calm into a moment when I felt overwhelmed. The steadiness he carried so naturally. And the smartassery that was so unmistakably him." The couple shared a deep bond that words could not fully capture.

👨‍👦 "He was the most natural dad to Hank, steady, patient, sometimes playful, the kind of presence that made everything feel okay," Lauren wrote. "Watching them together was one of my greatest joys. And I was so looking forward to seeing him be a girl dad, to watching him love Rose the same way, with his quiet confidence and deep, unwavering care." Wes was looking forward to raising his daughter. He never got the chance.

🕊️ A husband. A father. A fixture in Tennessee sports. Gone in an instant. Lauren is left with memories, routines, and a silence she cannot explain. The small things matter most. The conversations no one else heard. The steadiness he carried. The love that remains. Rest in peace, Wes. 💎💔🕊️
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05/15/2026

💎 No. 1 seed Sabalenka vs. No. 4 seed Pegula will kick off proceedings in Arthur Ashe Stadium at 7 p.m. ET, with Osaka against Anisimova after that on the same court. The first women's semifinal is a rematch of last year's US Open final. It is also a battle between a dominant force in women's tennis against someone trying to get over the hump on the grand slam stage. Sabalenka is playing in her 13th grand slam semifinal. Pegula is playing in her second.

🎾 World No. 1 Sabalenka has enjoyed a successful year, winning two WTA 1000 titles. However, at the grand slams, she has fallen near the finish line. She reached the final of both the Australian and French Opens before losing both, and made the semifinals of Wimbledon. Her three defeats at the grand slams this year have come at the hands of American opponents. Pegula eased past two time grand slam winner Barbora Krejčíková to book her second straight spot in the US Open semifinals.

🇺🇸 Pegula has not dropped a single set on her way to the final four. "I feel like I'm just really comfortable," she said. "It's crazy to look now and think that I'm really comfortable coming out here, playing big matches on the best court in the world with the craziest crowd against the best players." Historically, Sabalenka has the edge, with a 9 and 2 record over Pegula. Their last three meetings have all been in finals in the US, with Sabalenka winning all of them in straight sets.

🌟 In Thursday's second semifinal, No. 23 seed Osaka is enjoying a magical run at Flushing Meadows. The 27 year old will be playing in her first grand slam semifinal since she won the 2021 Australian Open. She is searching for her third US Open title, having previously won in 2018 and 2020. Two semifinals. Four champions. One trophy. New York is ready. 💎🎾🇺🇸

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05/14/2026

💎 Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are splitting up. The sports power couple announced Friday that they are ending their 10 year relationship and phasing out their popular podcast, "A Touch More." They dropped the news together on the podcast. "I hope you all know we put a lot of thought and care into this," said Rapinoe. "It's a decision that we made together. We're still going to be there for all of you and for each other. It's just going to look and feel a little bit different."

💔 Rapinoe rose to fame as a member of the US Women's World Cup team in 2011, 2015, and 2019. Bird is considered one of the greatest women's basketball players in history, winning four WNBA championships and earning 13 All Star selections over a 20 year career. "We have shared so much of our life, so much of our relationship with you, so that's why we wanted to come on here and share this, too," Bird said. "These past 10 years have given us so much, and launching this podcast and sharing this space has been one of our favorite things."

🎙️ Rapinoe is planning to start her own podcast, and Bird is committed to a second season of her own venture, "Bird's Eye View." "It's gonna look a little bit different moving forward," Rapinoe said. "Obviously, our relationship was such a huge part of this podcast for you guys, but also for us. We are both really sad to be losing this space. It's been so meaningful to us, especially post retirement, to be able to have this space to share, not just together, but with you as well."

🕊️ Bird said they will host six more special episodes of "A Touch More" as a farewell. A decade together. A joint announcement. Separate paths ahead. Two legends who found love in the spotlight are now choosing to evolve apart. The podcast ends. The respect remains. The fans will listen one last time. 💎💔🕊️

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05/14/2026

💎 The NBA regular season is in the rearview, the playoff bracket is set, and for the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the journey back to the mountaintop really begins. Shai Gilgeous Alexander will command much of the spotlight. The reigning NBA MVP is having another 31 point per game season. But as the old adage goes: offense wins games, defense wins championships. That is where Lu Dort steps in. The 6 foot 4 guard was selected to the NBA All Defensive First Team last season and placed fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

🏀 This season, the Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the third straight season with a league leading 64 and 18 record. They also had the No. 1 ranked defense yet again, with a rating of 106.5. Despite having a plethora of options on the defensive end, head coach Mark Daigneault still placed the toughest assignments on Dort's broad shoulders. The kid who sat in the crowd and did not hear his name called on draft night in 2019 has not done too bad for himself.

🇨🇦 "My journey wasn't easy," Dort told CNN Sports. "There's not a lot of kids that make it to the NBA from Montreal, so just that step was big. And the fact that this organization trusted in me when I went undrafted and gave me a chance. It's been a lot of blocks, and I'm trying to step over them every time. But if I had to talk back to the younger Lu as of right now, I'm real proud of him."

❤️ Dort was born and raised in Montreal to parents who immigrated from Haiti to Canada in their 20s. "Basketball was my way out," he wrote in The Players' Tribune. Now, he is using basketball to give back through The Maizon Dort Foundation, supporting underserved communities in Montreal, Oklahoma City, and central Arizona. "When I made it to the league, my biggest goal was to go back to my community and give back," he told CNN. From undrafted to champion. From Montreal to the NBA. Lu Dort has arrived. 💎🏀❤️

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05/14/2026

Old technology carries something modern devices often don’t: memories. A scratched iPod, a flip phone, an old gaming console, or even the sound of dial-up internet can instantly bring people back to specific moments in life. Technology from the past feels personal because people didn’t just use those devices — they built routines, friendships, and memories around them. Certain songs, messages, late-night gaming sessions, or blurry photos became emotionally attached to the objects themselves.

Psychologically, nostalgia becomes stronger when objects are connected to emotionally important periods of life. Older technology reminds people of simpler versions of themselves — school years, childhood bedrooms, internet cafés, family computers, or the excitement of discovering the internet for the first time. Modern devices are faster and more advanced, but they also feel temporary and constantly replaceable. Older technology, despite being less powerful, often felt more distinct and personal because every device had its own identity, sounds, limitations, and atmosphere.

Ironically, people are often not nostalgic for the technology itself. They’re nostalgic for the feeling of life during the era that technology belonged to. Before endless notifications, algorithms, and constant digital pressure, technology felt slower, quieter, and somehow more human. Sometimes an old device becomes emotional not because of what it could do — but because of who you were when you used it.