These are the top maybe-not headlines from the past 36-hours presented by The Conversation Project from raw engagement data from our social media to the headlines posted over the past day.
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The 8 topics that our followers ranked as the most conversational are:
JASON WHITLOCK OUT AT FOX SPORTS
After four years, Jason Whitlock is out at Fox Sports 1 as co-host of “Speak for Yourself.” Whitlock was not on the air on Monday and had been removed from the channel guide. Whitlock’s contract expired over the weekend. Whitlock joined Fox Sports 1 in 2016 and has been co-hosting “Speak for Yourself” since its debut. Initially, Colin Cowherd was his co-host until 2018, when he was replaced by Marcellus Wiley. Whitlock has primarily gone back and forth between Fox Sports and ESPN during his career. He first began at ESPN in 2002 as a writer for Page 2 and frequent guest host on “Pardon the Interruption,” before leaving for Fox Sports in 2007, where he was then hired back at ESPN in 2013 to launch the company’s “The Undefeated,” though he was replaced as the site’s editor-in-chief before it launched in 2016.
COMMENTARY: Jason Whitlock is a polarizing figure in sports commentary, and the spin on what comes next was heavy coming out of his camp. Ironically, people who work on this level usually don’t have a problem finding some new job, and he did not leave because of a overt scandal, so we should see and hear Whitlock back on commentary sooner than some would like.
[ SOURCE: thewrap.com ]
NASCAR: BRAD KESELOWSKI WINS AT BRISTOL AFTER CHASE ELLIOTT AND JOEY LOGANO WRECK WHILE RACING FOR THE LEAD
Brad Keselowski simply stole a win at Bristol on Sunday. Keselowski took advantage of two crashes as drivers were racing for the lead ahead of him to win for the second time in three races. The second crash happened between Chase Elliott and Joey Logano with less than three laps to go. Elliott got to the inside of Logano but his car snapped loose in the corner. Elliott slid into Logano and the two went into the wall as Keselowski drove on past. Elliott and Logano’s crash was preceded by a restart for a caution caused by Denny Hamlin’s spin while racing for the lead. Hamlin spun after he was racing with Elliott and Logano for the lead. Keselowski was fifth when Hamlin spun after working his way into the top five on fresher tires than the cars ahead of him. But he wasn’t going to be in a position to get the win without some help. And boy, did he get some help. Clint Bowyer finished second. Keselowski got the win thanks to a, uh, patient call by NASCAR race control. After throwing quick cautions earlier in the race for mild wall hits by Austin Dillon and Kevin Harvick, NASCAR chose to let the race finish under green after Elliott and Logano hit the wall.
COMMENTARY: This is story is a holdover from yesterday, which basically giantess it will show up in the Weekly Warp-Up podcast this weekend. It is also the only sports story in today’s newsletter that covers live sports. Because there isn’t much going on in live sports.
[ SOURCE: sports.yahoo.com ]
GREGG POPOVICH RIPPED ‘DERANGED IDIOT’ DONALD TRUMP’S PROTEST RESPONSE
The NBA Coaches Association became the latest to issue a forceful statement regarding the nationwide protests of police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, calling police brutality “shameful, inhumane and intolerable” while promising its members will use their power and platform to affect change in their communities. This came on the heels of an NBA internal memo from Adam Silver calling for team leadership and ownership to listen to players on the issue and praised players for speaking out over the past few days. A number of current and former players have organized or participated in protests, with even more speaking out on social media, along with teams issuing statements as well as a few owners speaking out and using their platform, like Michael Jordan. Doc Rivers and some other coaches have likewise issued their own statements outside the NBCA statement, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich chose to do the same late Sunday night when he called Dave Zirin of The Nation to deliver a lengthy and scathing critique of the response of Donald Trump to the protests: “He’s not just divisive. He’s a destroyer. To be in his presence makes you die. He will eat you alive for his own purposes. I’m appalled that we have a leader who can’t say ‘Black Lives Matter.’ That’s why he hides in the White House basement. He is a coward. He creates a situation and runs away like a grade-schooler. Actually, I think it’s best to ignore him. There is nothing he can do to make this better because of who he is: a deranged idiot.”
COMMENTARY: Gregg Popovich has earned a platform that allows him to say what he wants to say and say it in the exact manner he wants to say it. We are lucky that he offers his commentary in very clearn and sober terms. You don’t have to agree with the words he says, but you have to respect the man for being consistent in his words and commentary.
[ SOURCE: uproxx.com ]
FAMED DC MONUMENTS DEFACED AFTER NIGHT OF PROTESTS
As protests swept the nation following the death of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department last week, some of the most iconic monuments in Washington, D.C. were vandalized Saturday night. The affected monuments, photos of which were posted in a tweet by the National Mall National Park Service (NPS), included the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the statue of General Casimir Pulaski. It is not clear to what extent any other monuments might have been vandalized. Saturday night’s demonstrations were reprised on Sunday night as Washington, D.C. Mayor Murial Bowser ordered a curfew for city residents beginning at 11 p.m. A tweet from Bowser’s account said that “[s]he has also activated the DC National Guard to support the Metropolitan Police Department.”
COMMENTARY: The right thing to say is that the defacing of this property is horrendous and sad. The underlying context reminds us of the weirdness of this time in our lives and the build up to these actions. Still wrong, but a indicator of something much bigger going on.
[ SOURCE: msn.com ]
ALABAMA, CALIFORNIA, WISCONSIN AND ARKANSAS EMERGE AS THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS HOTSPOTS
New coronavirus hotspots are emerging in Alabama, California, Wisconsin and Arkansas as 22 states continue to see a surge in cases despite the easing of lockdowns and the reopening of businesses. Alabama has seen a 60 percent increase in coronavirus cases in the past 14 days, according to data compiled by COVID Exit Strategy, with a 40 percent increase in cases in Arkansas and North Carolina. Wisconsin has also seen a 47 percent increase after its stay-at-home orders were deemed ‘unconstitutional’ by the state Supreme Court on May 13. States that were former hotspots, including U.S. outbreak epicenter New York, have had drastic dips in their number of cases with New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut all down over 30 percent in the past 14 days. It comes as more areas begin to ease their coronavirus lockdowns and confirmed cases nationwide reach over 1.7 million.
COMMENTARY: This sobering write up of the newest numbers of coronavirus cases comes sourced from news outlets right here in the states, but remixed for a world audience by a paper in the UK. It is often hard to process the information you are living through without outside interpretation, and the fact that the small state economy of Arkansas, where I live, is getting this much attention is troubling.
[ SOURCE: dailymail.co.uk ]
LOUIS VUITTON CREATIVE DIRECTOR VIRGIL ABLOH DONATES JUST $50 TO BAIL FUND FOR ARRESTED PROTESTERS
Virgil Abloh, the artistic director at Louis Vuitton menswear, has come under fire after a screenshot was posted on his Instagram stories of his contribution to the police brutality protests happening across America. According to the widely circulated image, Abloh donated $50 to a fund which helps cover the bail costs for people arrested during the protests. It appears to be part of a trend to “match” donations by others, who then tag people on social media as a way to encourage them to donate. However, many have pointed out that it’s a pretty measly sum on money, when you consider that the designer is reportedly worth millions. People were not impressed.
COMMENTARY: With all that is going on in the world right now, cancel-culture is the last thing I want to deal with for the Conversation Project, and it took this story trending for days for me to post. And you are responded. I’m not sure if there is real disgust or odd curiosity, and it likely will just be a blip rather than a real point we’ll have to address. But at least we now know who the Creative Director of Louis Vuitton is should he be an answer on Jeopardy!
[ SOURCE: indy100.com ]
NYC MAYOR DE BLASIO’S DAUGHTER ARRESTED DURING SATURDAY NIGHT PROTESTS
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daughter, Chiara de Blasio, was arrested Saturday night during the citywide protests over the death of George Floyd, a senior NYPD law enforcement official told NBC News. Chiara de Blasio was arrested Saturday night at East 12th Street and Broadway in Manhattan for “unlawful assembly.” The official said Chiara de Blasio was taken into custody at 10:30 p.m. She has been released. The news was first reported by the New York Post. The Post reported that de Blasio had been blocking traffic and was arrested after she refused to move. Her arrest came roughly one hour before the mayor held a late night news conference Saturday, telling protesters that “it’s time to go home.” NBC New York reported that the NYPD made at least 345 arrests during Saturday’s protests and that 33 officers were injured over the course of the day. The protests also saw two incidents of NYPD vehicles driving directly into crowds of protesters.
COMMENTARY: Chiara de Blasio has the right to protest as a citizen and a young black woman, regardless of her pedigree. Her name being a part of the protests (not really fair to call what we are seeing a ‘movement’) doesn’t really add weight, but she can say that she was a part of this historical moment, for whatever it is worth.
[ SOURCE: msn.com ]
GILEAD SCIENCES STOCK DROPS AS LATEST DATA ON CORONAVIRUS DRUG NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Gilead Sciences stock is falling following the latest data from its trials of remdesivir in patients with Covid-19. Gilead said that in its late-stage clinical trials of remdesivir in patients who were moderately ill with Covid-19, those taking the broad-spectrum antiviral medication for five days were 65% more likely to show clinical improvement, compared with those receiving standard care. However, no statistically significant improvement showed in patients taking a 10-day course of the medicine. At the end of April, Gilead released a report showing improvement in patients taking remdesivir in a government-funded trial, although a different study in China did not yield similar results. A day later, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the drug for Covid-19. It’s been a wild ride for Gilead stock, as hopes for remdesivir, created to fight ebola, wax and wane. Although the shares, up nearly 20% year-to-date through Friday’s close, jumped on hopes that it could deliver an effective coronavirus treatment regimen, many analysts warned that bulls had gotten ahead of themselves, especially as the company wasn’t profiting from the drug yet. Yet others balanced estimates of what Gilead might charge for a treatment against potential supply shortages.
COMMENTARY: The sad part of this news is that money, specifically speculation of money from stock market performance, is the real catalyst for progress. I am pro-business and want every business entity to get what they are owed plus a little more, but the rush to get a viable vaccine is not being pushed for reason or safety, but profit.
[ SOURCE: barrons.com ]
Eight Things To Talk About uses the raw engagement data from the social media engagement from The Conversation Project to generate the top-ranking headlines over the course of the past day.
A full weeks’ data (from Friday to Friday) is compiled, weighed, and sorted to produce the content for the Weekly Wrap-Up with J Cleveland Payne, published every Saturday as a podcast available at ThisIsTheConversation.com or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.
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