Author: Barbara T. Palmer

The Los Angeles Lakers secured a spot in the playoffs after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans in a thrilling play-in tournament game on Tuesday night. The win sets up an opening-round series with the Denver Nuggets, whom Lakers assistant coach Darvin Ham never considered intentionally losing to avoid. Lakers’ superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis put on impressive performances in the game, leading their team to victory. On the Pelicans’ side, star player Zion Williamson scored an impressive 40 points but unfortunately sustained a leg injury late in the game, ruling him out of the play-in game against the Kings.…

The NFL Draft kicks off with a bang as teams gear up for potential trades and top picks. The Chicago Bears are rumored to be eyeing Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, while the Washington Commanders are torn between Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye at No. 2. The New England Patriots are also in the mix for a quarterback in the top three picks. According to mock drafts, there could be up to eight trades in the first round, with two potential swaps in the top five. Teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots…

House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing backlash from fellow Republicans over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies. Despite calls for his resignation or a vote to oust him from office, Johnson, referring to himself as a “wartime speaker,” is determined to move forward with the aid package. After a meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Johnson received a nod of support from former President Donald Trump. The speaker plans to push the aid package through separate votes for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region, leaving White House officials waiting for more details before making a decision. Considering breaking…

YouTube Cracks Down on Third-Party Apps for Ad-Free Viewing on Mobile Devices YouTube, the popular video platform owned by Google, is taking a stand against third-party apps that enable ad-free viewing on mobile devices. In an effort to enforce its Terms of Service, YouTube is strengthening its enforcement on apps that violate its policies, particularly ad-blocking apps. According to YouTube’s terms, third-party apps that disable ads prevent creators from being rewarded for their viewership. As a result, the platform is cracking down on these apps to ensure that creators are able to benefit from the advertisements displayed on their content.…

A Severe Storm System Threatens Midwest and Mississippi Valley A powerful storm system is set to unleash damaging hail, powerful winds, and tornadoes across parts of the Mississippi Valley and Midwest on Tuesday. Tornado watches have already been issued in Oklahoma and Texas, with warnings remaining in place for Nebraska and Kansas. The most significant threat of hail and tornadoes is expected to hit southern Iowa, northern Missouri, and west-central Illinois. Additionally, pockets of heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding in areas of the northern Plains and Mississippi Valley. Gusty winds accompanying the storms are also posing a risk…

Excitement is building for the upcoming launch of the Google Pixel 8a, as support pages briefly appeared on US Cellular’s website, hinting at its imminent release. Renowned leaker Evan ‘evleaks’ Blass spotted the device on the pages, giving eager fans a sneak peek at its design. The highly anticipated phone is expected to be officially announced at Google I/O 2024 on May 14, 2024. Rumors suggest that the Pixel 8a will come in four colors and feature the powerful Tensor G3 processor. It is also speculated to have a similar camera setup as its predecessor, the Pixel 7a. One of…

Tesla, the popular electric vehicle manufacturer, has announced plans to lay off more than 10% of its global workforce in preparation for its next phase of growth. CEO Elon Musk revealed the decision in a memo to employees, citing the need for cost reductions and increased productivity. This news caused Tesla shares to fall 3% on Monday morning. The company currently has 140,473 employees worldwide, as of December 2023. Tesla has been facing challenges in recent months, including a 31% drop in shares year-to-date and increased competition in the electric vehicle market. Chinese companies like BYD and Xiaomi have presented…

Former President Donald Trump is gearing up to face trial for alleged crimes in Manhattan Criminal Court amidst a flurry of legal battles. Trump is currently facing multiple criminal prosecutions, including federal cases in Washington, D.C., and Florida, as well as a state case in Georgia. Despite the charges stacked against him, Trump has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all allegations, arguing that they are part of a conspiracy orchestrated by his political adversaries. The highly anticipated trial is expected to kick off with a showdown between Trump’s legal team and prosecutors over trial procedures. Over 500…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning about a concerning spike in measles cases that is posing a renewed threat to the disease’s elimination in the United States. According to a report released by the CDC on Thursday, there have been more than 120 cases of measles reported so far this year, which is double the number reported for all of last year. The increase in measles cases is largely attributed to people not getting vaccinated, leading to a decrease in vaccination coverage. In 2019, there were over 1,200 cases reported in 31 states, with…

Bitcoin showed resilience as it recovered from a recent selloff, indicating the high volatility across asset markets. The cryptocurrency rose by as much as 5.9% and was trading around $64,600, while smaller coins like Polkadot and Uniswap saw even larger rallies of more than 10%. Ether also advanced by 5% in response to the positive momentum. However, the market was not all smooth sailing as geopolitical tensions rose when Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel. This led to a spike in tension in the region, with crypto traders among the first to react to the major event. Approximately…