“SantaLand” led to an ongoing gig with NPR and some heavy breathing from Hollywood, including a call from actor Matthew Modine, who took a liking to another of Sedaris’s essays, a reflection on a lifelong association with cigarettes called “Diary of a Smoker.” (“Picturing [Mom] without a cigarette was like trying to imagine her on water skis.”) Modine has converted the essay into a 13-minute film that was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January and began playing on PBS last month....

Judging by the blog buzz and Beltway chatter, yesterday’s most significant and surprising election wasn’t the one in West Virginia–apparently, everyone expected Hillary Clinton to win–but the cagematch in Mississippi’s First Congressional District, where Democrat Travis Childers’ thumped Republican Greg Davis 54-46. The odds were in Davis’s favor. George W. Bush won this heavily red Deep South district by 45 points in 2004. Republican Roger Wicker had captured the seat with 63 to 79 percent of the vote every two years since 1994....

Vitale made the announcement on ESPN Front Row, and said after meeting with a throat specialist, he’ll need surgery, which will happen at a later date. The 82-year-old said his prognosis is good and that he’s encouraged by the progress. MORE: Gonzaga suspends John Stockton’s season tickets over defiance of mask mandate “While I’m heartbroken that I won’t appear on ESPN for the rest of this season, I’m encouraged by the progress,” he said....

Orwell wrote that nationalism is partly “the habit of assuming that human beings can be classified like insects.” He said it’s not to be confused with patriotism, which Orwell defined as “devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force upon other people.” July 4, I would argue, is a patriotic holiday in just that sense-a true celebration of so much that makes the United States of America unique....

“It might be a surprising choice for some,” said John Kelly, the website’s associate director of content and education. “In the past few decades, the term has evolved to take on a more nuanced and specific meaning. It is continuing to evolve and we saw that in many ways.” However, there is a key reason why “allyship” beat out more expected words, such as “vaccine” or “NFT.” One of the definitions given for the word on the website is “the status or role of a person who advocates and actively works for the inclusion of a marginalized or politicized group in all areas of society, not as a member of that group but in solidarity with its struggle and point of view and under its leadership....

In a tweet posted on Friday, the online dictionary service wrote that the noun means “peril or danger.” “Here it is in a sentence: ‘My job is in jeopardy because of my past comments,’” the post read. The tweet was posted shortly after Richards’s announcement that the show will revert to guest hosts for the time being. Richards, the executive producer of Jeopardy!, was made the new full-time host just last week....

The Powerball numbers on October 31 were 13, 19, 36, 39, 59, and the Powerball was 13. The Power Play was 3X. The jackpot rolled after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Monday night. The next estimated jackpot for November 3 is $1.2 billion, with a cash value of $596.7 million. Despite there being no jackpot winners on Monday, more than 5.4 million tickets won cash prizes totaling $59....

Given Adams’ history with the hapless Jets, victory cigars weren’t usually in his postgame or postseason agenda. With the Seahawks clinching the NFC West division crown on Sunday afternoon, Adams had an opportunity to celebrate in a unique way: Lighting up a victory dance while in his postgame press conference. The video lit some speculation, though: Taking a closer look, did Jamal Adams actually light the wrong end of the cigar?...

As this year’s Met Gala seems set to be no different, we’re pre-emptively debunking the perennial meme. So, Did Jason Derulo Actually Fall Down The Stairs? Unfortunately for meme lovers (but fortunately for Derulo), this now-iconic photograph of a man falling down a set of stairs is not the “Tip Toe” singer. According to Know Your Meme, the first instance of this picture being misidentified as Derulo was in May 2015....

Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the award for the fourth time after winning the Champions League and European Championship in 2016, beating the likes of Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez to the prestigious prize. Ronaldo wins 2016 Ballon d’Or But Lewandowski did not seem to be too happy with his 16th-place finish, which saw him come behind Jamie Vardy, Rui Patricio and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, among others. The Bayern Munich striker responded by sending a tweet to France Football with four ‘Face with Tears of Joy’ emojis shortly after the announcement was made....

This challenge has been made twice before in Maine federal court. Under then-governing Supreme Court precedent, the federal trial and appellate courts in Maine previously rejected the parents’ constitutional argument. But recent Supreme Court decisions—particularly, the 7-2 decision in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (2017)—expanded the scope of the Free Exercise Clause. The Roberts Court declared that the “religious character” of an institution, even a church, may not constitutionally disqualify it from receiving benefits available to comparable non-religious entities....

Who’s better: LeBron James or Michael Jordan? The debate that still echoes through every sports bar, grinds barbershop production to a halt and has carried sports talk shows to new heights may finally have its answer. On Tuesday, the NBA revealed five new trophies and renamed end-of-season awards after some of the league’s greatest players. The league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year awards all have been rebranded and named after members of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team....

The round fueled yet more speculation that not only is Woods on the back nine of his career – pardon the expression — but that the clubhouse is just around the corner. MORE: All-time U.S. Open winners | 2015 U.S. Open preview | Get to know Chambers Bay Fox Sports golf writer Robert Lusetich wrote Monday that Woods just doesn’t seem as motivated as in the past. That’s a thought shared by many others, including fellow PGA golfer, Notah Begay, a personal friend of Woods....

Chelsea picked up a point on a tricky away day at Turf Moor, but dominated much of the game as they drew 1-1 with Pedro’s counter-attack goal being cancelled out by Robbie Brady’s free-kick in the first half. Costa managed only two shots all game, which were both blocked, highlighting how he has been slightly less devastating in February as he has been for the rest of the season. REPORT: Burnley 1-1 Chelsea...

Founded in 1938, the city built up around the Volkswagen factory. The population is intrinsically linked with the automobile industry. Diesel is in their blood. Every family has someone working in the factory, either directly or indirectly. The city’s football team play at a stadium named after their owner, and are an exception to the 50+1 rule that governs most German football clubs due to their long standing history of financial support for VfL Wolfsburg....

With almost metronomic precision, this George Bush has navigated in politics by zigging where the first Bush zagged. Now the son is facing his biggest political challenge: to avoid becoming another winning Bush at War booted out for failing to convince voters that he cares about reviving a sputtering economy. The Bushes, said one top aide, are “fundamentally in two different places in the public’s mind” in terms of “caring about the economy and having the vision thing....

The tumor grows in the brainstem, which sits at the back of the neck where the brain meets the spinal cord. It’s made up of glial cells, which makes it a type of glioma. Glial cells act as supportive cells around neurons. With DIPG, glial cells grow out of control, eventually squeezing and damaging the healthy brain tissue. This resulting brain damage leads to serious and life-threatening consequences. DIPG Symptoms DIPG is a fast-growing tumor, with symptoms typically appearing suddenly and quickly becoming dramatically worse....

Whyte is the No. 1 contender for Deontay Wilder’s WBC title, the only belt in the top weight class not held by Joshua, who faces Andy Ruiz in his American debut Saturday. Join DAZN and watch Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1 An expected Joshua victory will likely reignite talk of a bout to determine the undisputed world champion between Joshua and Wilder, the American having delivered a brutal first-round stoppage of Dominic Breazeale in his last bout....

According to D’Amelio’s Instagram story, Francis Facetimed her on Thursday to confirm whether or not the song was still coming out. “I know you are a huge fan of snails but is the remix still coming out tomorrow?” she asked. Francis responded: “lol of course I’m coming over with Dino nuggies too #f***snails,” referring to the Dinner with the D’Amelios video that sparked all the drama. D’Amelio appeared to ask Francis for a remix of the song a week ago, and he shared a video of his process, giving the ballad new life as a pop song....