10:11 AMWilliam Rhoden is great, and Thursday night at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention I was more than honored to moderate a panel for a great film, Olympic Pride, American Injustice, with him and director Deborah Riley Draper. Most fun I’ve had in a long while.

You want a real hardcore look at what our justice system is? Go no further than Dylann Roof. The white supremacist kid that walked into a Charleston, South Carolina, church and opened fire after a prayer meeting, then got to eat fast food courtesy of the police. Yeah, well, he’s trying to get off from the death penalty by arguing that it’s unconstitutional, as cruel and unusual punishment. You don’t say. Also, some guy assaulted Roof in jail Thursday and people are giving him money for it.

The Donald Trump circus continues into the weekend. For his latest trick, the Republican presidential nominee is now describing things he’s never seen to wide audiences, claiming to have a firm grasp on their belongings. If you weren’t aware, the United States of America occasionally drops straight-up cash payments on people to settle scores. It’s kind of obnoxious but also respectable at the same time, lest you divest yourself from the reasons why it’s happening, which is near impossible. Anyway, the last time it happened, Trump didn’t see a video of the transaction. But, he says he did. Or something.

Full disclosure: Watching bears eat fish is a favorite pastime of mine. Seriously, I’ve got these live cams on deck of these ursine creatures standing in moving water and trying to snag these salmon. It’s one of the most bizarrely therapeutic, circle of life type things you can do. (If you’re counting, this is day two of bear news on this blog.) ANYWAY, here’s a question for you, in the form of a riddle from FiveThirtyEight’s Oliver Roeder. Should the grizzly bear eat the salmon?

By the way, the Olympics “start” Friday. I say that in such a way because multiple events have already gotten underway, but the opening ceremonies aren’t until Friday night. This is the part where I remind you that the person who popularized the Olympic march is a guy who also thought that genocide made sense. Yes, it was Adolf Hitler and the Nazis who created this tradition, so just think about that when you’re watching your favorite athletes parade through Rio de Janeiro. Also, here’s a great story about what athletes do with their medals after winning.

Free Food

Coffee Break: This isn’t “news” in the truest sense of the word, but it’s worth noting that rapper Snoop Dogg is producing a new television series about two women who run a weed delivery service in California. Snoop, please never stop being you.

Snack Time: I’ve got a buddy who lives in Hong Kong. He’s the one who got married in Italy, which is why I was there. When I finally go visit him, I’ll stop at his place first. Then, I’m immediately going to this joint. Obviously.

Dessert: It’s the weekend. And Miguel’s got a new track out. You’re welcome.

11:22 AM

I played spades Wednesday night. I just need you to know that, because it’s the most fun card game on Earth. That is all.

When the headline reads “Family of Bears Enjoys Outing at California Lake,” then it leads. Let’s take this to its logical conclusion: A family of bears woke up in the morning, deciding that day, they were going to take a dip in the glorious waters of Tahoe, as you do. Mama Bear said, “Cubs, we’re going for a swim. Don’t forget your trunks.” Then, when they arrived they bathed graciously, unlike many of the rude humans around gawking and talking. Just kidding, this is quasi terrifying but also mega cute and why we shouldn’t encroach habitats, folks.

Ikea, for all its greatness, brings out the worst in people. The absolute worst. If you’ve ever been there with a significant other, never mind your parents, you know what I’m talking about. And because it’s all open plan and public, when you disagree with bae about which side table fits better in the guest room: everybody knows. My god, it’s awkward, but it’s part of the deal. You will watch people fight when you go to Ikea. VICE‘s Yasmin Jeffery asked a psychologist to break down what we’re looking at when we see these pre-Swedish meatball disagreements.

Have you ever seen the movie Minority Report? It’s a sci-fi “tech noir” movie about people who can see the future and thus predict crimes before they happen. Crazy, right? We wouldn’t want a society in which people were assumed to be committing crimes and thus throwing them in jail or killing them, as a result, would we? Oh wait, we have that. The next step to that is giving people longer sentences for one crime, based on another that they *might* commit. Check out FiveThirtyEight’s investigation into what Pennsylvania is trying to do next.

So, Tiger Woods just sunk Nike Golf. This is mind boggling. Back when he was at the height of his powers, every new school kid on the course was rocking whatever Eldrick had on. This was proverbial par. If he was the one that got you into the game, you were about this swoosh life. His influence was wide enough to hold up an entire golf equipment business. I’d like to think that Elin smashed that truck with a Nike 5-iron, too. Anyway, ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports that the Beaverton, Oregon, retail behemoth is now out of that business. Wow.

Free Food

Coffee Break: Old guy entry alert. Back in the day, I had a friend who was a subscriber to Nintendo Power. It was somehow better than him having an actual NES game system. It was the first magazine I remember genuinely being excited to read every time I saw it. And someone digitized an archive of it. Yessssssss.

Snack Time: The internet is telling me that Eminem has a beef with Drake over something said on a terrestrial radio station that may end up in a battle on Apple Music. Old guy rap sucks.

Dessert: This should be a fun show.

9:09 AMSuicide Squad is as much fun as I’ve had in a long time, trust me. And if you’re looking for other ways to do that, listening to our podcast will help. Trust me on that, too.

Just when we you think he couldn’t do worse, he does. In the immediate aftermath of the fallout regarding how he chose to treat the parents of a soldier killed in Iraq, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump continued to undermine the sacrifice involved with military service by saying that a man gave him a Purple Heart as a gift, something he always wanted. Dude has zero shame. Trump also yelled at a baby. I have a friend with a Purple Heart. It’s not something you want. ABC News reports on how Trump himself managed to avoid military service.

If you know me, you know how I feel about The Bachelor. It’s a great television product with multiple shows. The Bachelorette ended Monday night, leaving way for the best part of the franchise, Bachelor in Paradise. It’s easily the best show of the three, because the format is the most ridiculous and the show takes itself the least seriously. That also means that people tend to get the most crazy, which is why it rocks. If you know who Chad is, you could have bet that he went nuts on the first night. You would have collected, ABC’s Lesley Messer reports.

Doping, as a practice for professional athletes, doesn’t particularly bother me. That’s somewhat of a hot take in some worlds, but I’m of the feeling that if you want to destroy yourself for athletic glory, that’s on you. The larger problems come when these drugs get into the hands of high schoolers. They are correlated, yes, but still not one for one comparisons. Anyways, since it’s Olympics season (just two days away, kiddos!), steroids are top of mind. Many get popped, but here’s a question: Can anyone ever really make it back after that? VICE‘s Mary Pilon investigates.

Remember JaMarcus Russell? The No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft? Well, he was not only not very good, but also had major drug problems and flamed out of the league in what felt like an instant? Well, he might want to be dropping a phone call to Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain. My man is suspended for 10 games from the league for drinking too much codeine. As ESPN’s Todd Archera and Jean-Jacques Taylor detail, this is nothing to laugh at. The man has a substance abuse problem.

Free Food

Coffee Break: Playing NFL football in Los Angeles must be great. That lovely weather, laid-back lifestyle and you get to be a bit of a star, too. Except, since the team hasn’t had football in so long, people don’t even recognize Rams players. Their cheesy burger ads, though? Absolutely.

Snack Time: My man C.J. Wallis is an incredible filmmaker who makes music videos, too. His latest animated/motion graphics number for Currensy and Rick Ross’ Dope Boys is MEGA hot, though.

Dessert: Now, THIS is how you take someone down in an argument on television. Expert level.

9:00 AMIn our latest edition of Locker Room Laywer with Domonique Foxworth, we tackle the tricky subject of what’s going on with Draymond Green. Needless to say, Fox thinks he might have won himself a few fans in the Olympic Village.

Just because you’re in the Olympics doesn’t mean you’re a full-time athlete. Not everyone has the financial luxury of dropping everything in order to achieve their dreams on the medal stand. It’s part of the reason why competing to win is so important. Snagging fame at an Olympiad could mean endorsement deals that might not necessarily change your life, but certainly makes things a tad easier if you’re pushing a 9-to-5 job. ABC’s Catherine Thorbecke chronicles some of the Olympians who also have day jobs.

The desperation in Donald Trump’s campaign has become painstakingly evident. After the Republican presidential nominee’s entire camp nearly unraveled over his inability to cope with a Gold Star family criticizing him, a terrible interview with George Stephanopoulos and then saying any national election with him in it would be rigged, things have gone off the rails. He even went so far as to call Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton “the devil” on Monday, which is just truly bizarre. Shocker, people aren’t really into that tactic and the polls show it, too. ABC News’ Ryan Struyk reports.

Rich people do wild things with their money. Forget about exorbitant expenditures on everyday items that no one really needs, or throwing money at powerful political causes, but some things feel particularly egregious. Like when a gazillionaire decides to leave an outrageous sum of money to, say, his or her dog. We all love and respect pets, but it’s hard to understand why someone would do that when he or she could also help so many humans. VICE‘s Jules Suzdaltsev takes a look at how that actually works in real life.

When Yasiel Puig first broke into Major League Baseball, his story was fascinating. The tale of his humanly trafficked journey from Cuba instantly became the stuff of legend and his personality on and off the field was as outsized as that trek across the water from his island home nation. He was driving a different car to spring training every day wiling on the basepaths, hitting homers and throwing guys out all over the field. Well, those days are over and he might get demoted to the minors. As ESPN’s Doug Padilla notes, it’s never a dull moment with him.

Free Food

Coffee Break: Welp, Jordan Rodgers actually did it. He won The Bachelorette and is now engaged to be married to JoJo Fletcher. We’ve never really found out why he and his brother, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, don’t talk, but who cares? Bachelor in Paradise starts Tuesday night, which is the real gem program of this franchise, anyway.

Snack Time: If you’re not watching Stranger Things, you must be the only person in America with Netflix who isn’t. Check out this mixtape by DJ Yoda that features songs and music inspired by the show. (h/t @jackgoodson12)

Dessert: I’m not super into physical scare tactic comedy, but this is one very funny bit.