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CultureMonday 09.27.21

NBA Players Block COVID Shot

Capitol Hill enters its “week from hell.” The Merkel era has come to a close, but her influence on European politics remains. Facebook pauses production of “Instagram Kids” amid criticism from just about everyone. Plus, a different kind of shot blocking: Unvaccinated NBA players are getting very loud.

The Daily Recount

Friday 05.20.22

World Leaders Return to Davos

Sunday 05.15.22

GOP Primaries Are the Latest Display of Trump’s Ownership Over the Party

Saturday 05.14.22

How a Reversal of Roe v. Wade Could Impact the Midterms

Friday 05.13.22

The Crypto Crash, Explained

Thursday 05.12.22

One Million COVID Deaths - a Grim Milestone for the U.S.

Sunday 05.08.22

Bob Crawford on How Bono’s Humanitarianism Runs Deep

Sunday 05.08.22

How Billie Jean King’s Public Outing Set the Stage for Her Activism

Saturday 05.07.22

St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher Jack Flaherty on Baseball’s ‘Unwritten Rules’

Thursday 05.05.22

Bob Crawford on the Benefit Concerts That Changed the World

Monday 05.02.22

Gov. Ron DeSantis May Lose to Disney — But Win With Voters

Saturday 04.30.22

Boston Red Sox Organist Josh Kantor on Accompanying MLB

Friday 04.29.22

The NFL Draft Just Isn’t What It Used To Be

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In 1984, the NBA’s Chicago Bulls drafted a player by the name of Michael Jordan. The North Carolina Tar Heels alumnus was only picked third overall, an almost comical piece of trivia given the level of dominance he would impose on the game and the recognition he would gain on a global scale.

LeBron James, in contrast, was a first pick right out of high school in 2003.

But LZ and Will don’t want to retread a tired conversation about which athlete is better. Instead they discuss Jordan and James as men first and athletes second.

The biggest difference between Jordan and James is that LeBron generally looks happy. Rather, it's that Michael Jordan, according to many portraits drawn by sports reporters (and by the Jordan-approved miniseries, The Last Dance) appears miserable. LeBron is socially engaged with the world around him. Jordan is consumed by a never-ending desire to win.

LZ and Will talk about whether Michael Jordan may be the unhappiest superstar of them all.

The Real Jordan vs. LeBron Debate: Who's Happier?

John Heilemann talks with two-time Peabody Award-winning comedian Hasan Minhaj, best known for hosting six seasons of the Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj and his widely acclaimed Netflix special, Homecoming King. Heilemann and Minhaj discuss how being a debate kid changed his life and jump-started his comedy career, why making people laugh gave him a sense of agency and control, and how he decided to pursue political comedy professionally. Tune in to the full episode to hear about his breakout stint as a correspondent for The Daily Show and how it shaped his political and social commentary; his 2017 performance at the White House Correspondents dinner and his return to the capital two years later to testify before Congress on the student loan crisis; and the embrace of Homecoming King as a “calling card for a new brown America.”

How Hasan Minhaj Fell in Love with Comedy

The Worst People in Sports, Part 2: Jerry Jones

John Heilemann talks with two-time Peabody Award-winning comedian Hasan Minhaj, best known for hosting six seasons of the Netflix series Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj and his widely acclaimed Netflix special, Homecoming King. In the wake of the Supreme Court leak on Roe v. Wade, Heilemann and Minhaj discuss whether he misses being on The Daily Show and having a platform to discuss topical issues, as well as the role of comedy in weighty subjects like abortion. Tune in to the full episode to hear about his early career as a comic and the centrality of his background as a first-generation Indian- and Muslim-American to his work; his breakout stint as a correspondent for The Daily Show and how it shaped his political and social commentary; his 2017 performance at the White House Correspondents dinner and his return to the Capitol two years later to testify before Congress on the student loan crisis; and the embrace of Homecoming King as a “calling card for a new brown America.”

Hasan Minhaj on How Comedians Can Talk About Abortion

WNBA star Brittney Griner has been held in a Russian jail for three months, after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage at a Moscow airport. Last week, her lawyer said Griner's pretrial detention was being extended by another month, the latest development in a Kafkaesque ordeal with no certain resolution in sight.

Griner, who faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, appeared in handcuffs at a hearing last week, her hair covered in a hoodie and her face held low. Diplomats from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow were able to speak with her, and said “she is doing as well as can be expected in these circumstances.”

The Biden administration says the two-time Olympic gold medalist is being wrongfully detained. Since she was arrested, U.S. officials have been working toward her release, but without any visible progress.

Brittney Griner Still Isn’t Free — Why Aren’t We Paying Attention?

Seventeen U.S. cities are vying to host 2026 World Cup matches set to take place in North America.

Some teen babysitters are charging as much as $30/hour amid U.S. childcare shortage, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The FA issues statement on the increased incidents of fans running onto fields during soccer matches.