The Wall Street Journal went inside the studio behind “Chicken Run” to learn how its beloved clay almost disappeared for good.
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Bunnie Xo TikTok / Year One
Inside a Legendary Animation Studio’s Race to Save Its Clay
Heat’s Bam Adebayo on criticism of his 83-point game: ‘If you are mad, I don’t care’
Bam Adebayo knows that his 83-point performance has not been universally celebrated. Unsurprisingly, the Miami Heat big man doesn’t think there’s much merit to the criticism he’s received for stat-chasing.
After the Heat’s 112-105 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, Adebayo told reporters that angry “couch coaches” should direct their ire toward Washington Wizards coach Brian Keefe. If Washington didn’t want him to make history, it could have gotten the ball out of his hands at some point in the first three quarters.
“First of all, y’all are blaming me,” Adebayo said. “You should be blaming their head coach. Get that first. I was not the one letting me go one-on-one the whole game until I had 70 and then you started to send a double.”
Adebayo continued: “At that point, I got 70 with, like, what, nine minutes left to go in the game? You think I’m not going for it? And that’s the thing that’s crazy when they talk about the ‘unethical’ part of the basketball. I’m like, if I have 70 with nine minutes to go, who would just be like, ‘You know, Coach, just take me out.’ Yeah, right. Anybody in my shoes with nine minutes left? OK, a minute, alright. Nine? Yeah, I’m going for it. You can’t be mad at that. If you are mad, I don’t care.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra fires back at criticism of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point night: ‘I apologize to no one’
Brad Botkin
With 9:05 left in the fourth quarter of Miami’s 150-129 win against the Wizards on Tuesday, Adebayo scored his 70th point at the free-throw line, giving his team a 22-point lead. It was clear at that point that he had shot to top Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance and hit No. 2 on the single-game scoring list.
“A lot of people, they’re upset because, if they did play, they never had a chance to get that close to chasing greatness,” Adebayo said. “And then if you get that close to chasing greatness, that’s the point of chasing it. So you can surpass it. And some of the people have never played basketball. So, like, if you’ve been in the backyard and you and a couple of your homies have been playing 21 and you got 19, you’re not going to get an easy look off.”
En route to 83, Adebayo shot 36 for 43 from the foul line, including 14 for 16 in the fourth quarter. He dismissed the notion that this makes his accomplishment less legitimate.
“They’re going to talk about the free throws,” Adebayo said. “It’s not like I shoot 15 free throws a game. It’s not like I average 10 free throws a game. You can watch the film. I was legitimately getting fouled every time, so I went to the free throw line.”
He said that the previous 48 hours had been an “emotional rollercoaster,” and that it was not easy to “flip the page” and move on to the next game. “It’s still a pinch-me moment,” he said, and the game itself was exhausting.
“Like Kobe said, you gotta be in shape, you gotta have great endurance and be in shape to really catch that,” Adebayo said. “And I understand it now ’cause the next game is the one you gotta worry about.”
Bam Adebayo scores 83 points: Stop complaining about free throws and just enjoy the moment
Sam Quinn
Going into the game against the Bucks, he said, he was “surrounded with the eyes because everybody wants to see if you can do it again, which is crazy ’cause I don’t think anybody will ever do it again.” Adebayo was not particularly efficient against Milwaukee, finishing with 21 points on 6-for-20 shooting in 35 minutes.
“It wasn’t 83 tonight, it was 21,” he said. “If anybody’s upset, I don’t care. But we got the W, so that’s all that matters.”
Adebayo said that, as time went by, what he did on Tuesday was sinking in more and more. “I’m kind of in awe of myself,” he said, adding that having his name after Wilt Chamberlain’s and before Bryant’s “sounds insane, but it actually happened.” As for the heat he has taken, he’s not exactly surprised, but, just like his coach, he’s unbothered by it.
“I knew it’s a two-way street,” Adebayo said. “Some people are going to praise you ’cause they’re going to be like ’83 is 83 no matter how you get it.’ And it’s other people that’s going to say, ‘Well, it wasn’t the way Kobe did it.’ And you start throwing that around and I’m like, ‘Listen, I’m a Kobe fan, I got close to his record. What do you think I’m going to do? Try to break it.’ I’m pretty sure, if I had 81 and Kobe was on his way, he was not being like, ‘You know what, I’m going to check myself out with nine minutes left and I got 70.’ Be serious.”
Tourists, expats and influencers detained in UAE over digital content showing Iran war impacts, activist says
A growing number of social media users, including foreigners, are facing charges in the United Arab Emirates under the Gulf state’s broad cybercrime laws for sharing or possessing digital content that depicts or comments on the impact of ongoing Iranian attacks, the advocacy group Detained in Dubai has warned.
The arrests highlight the strict regulations around online content in the UAE, which has expressly forbidden anyone from taking or sharing imagery that shows Iranian drone or missile impacts or efforts to intercept the weapons.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International, and an expert on legal and extradition issues in the Gulf region, warned in a social media post that even minor posts, reshares, commentary, photos and opinions can lead to detention in the UAE, “even if it was made outside the UAE.”
Stirling said 21 people were facing charges under the UAE’s cybercrime laws as of Thursday, including a 60-year-old British tourist who deleted his video immediately when authorities asked him to, but was still charged.
An influencer with 300,000 views was just told to delete a video and post a correction, Stirling said, highlighting what she called “an interesting contrast,” as others filming the same street events were apparently arrested.
“Celebrities have long been afforded protected status in the UAE,” she said.
A Filipina domestic worker was detained near the Burj Al Arab tower after taking a photo while waiting for work, Stirling said, giving another example. Officers reportedly checked her phone, found an image, and arrested her.
And a Vietnamese sailor from a cargo vessel was detained in Fujairah after allegedly sharing video of missile activity that he filmed while outside UAE territory. He was taken ashore by the coast guard and was still detained as of Thursday, Stirling said.
AP 
The UAE is among the Gulf Arab countries that have faced retaliatory fire from Iran since the U.S. and Israel launched a campaign against it in late February.
The country’s defense ministry said Friday that the Gulf state’s air defenses were “currently dealing with missile attacks and incoming drones originating from Iran.” It said in a social media post that “sounds heard in scattered areas of the country are the result of air defense systems intercepting ballistic missiles, as well as fighter jets intercepting drones and loitering munitions.”
New photo released in search for William McCasland missing from Albuquerque foothills
A wallet, hiking boots, and a .38 revolver are missing from McCasland’s home as volunteer teams search with K-9s, horses, drones and air support.
You’ll Never Guess Who Bunnie Xo Wants To Play Her In Her Movie
Bunnie Xo named who she wants to play her in a newly-announced biopic. If you’re real creative and you squint —and maybe you’ve had a few beers — you can see the resemblance.
- Bunnie Xo’s Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic became a New York Times bestseller after its release last month.
- The podcast host and social media influencer shared her story, including details about her troubled childhood, early-life trauma, addiction, sex work and arrests.
- On Thursday (March 12), she learned the rights to the book were purchased by 101 Studios, who plan to fast-track a movie.
Related: 8 Bombshell Revelations From Bunnie Xo’s Book
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the TV host asked the most important question first. The exchange was informative.
Who Will Play Bunnie Xo In Her Movie?
Officially there are no actors attached to the movie based on Bunnie Xo’s book. In fact, there are no details at all aside from it’s happening. Here is how the conversation went with Kimmel:
Jimmy Kimmel: Have you thought about who you want to play you in this film?
Bunnie Xo: Jack Black.
Kimmel: Jack Black?
Bunnie: Yeah.
Kimmel: That’s a great idea. Now he’s gonna have to shave. I think if you pitched that to Jack he might like it a lot.
Bunnie: Listen, Jack Black is daddy, OK?
Just for grins, we made this side-by-side of one of Bunnie’s mugshots and Black from his movie Year One:
Of course this begs the question. Who is going to play Jelly Roll in Bunnie Xo’s movie? We don’t even know where to begin!
Bunnie Xo’s Real Name and Age
Bunnie Xo is Alisa DeFord. She is 46 years old and was raised in Las Vegas. Her new memoir talks about growing up in an unstable household and how she ran away early to live a life that included multiple arrests, drug use, prostitution and more.
Over the last decade she’s transformed her life but not shied away from her backstory. Instead she’s used her platforms to inspire people to make big change in their personal lives.
Portions of Stripped Down are shocking. Here are eight of the most notable revelations from the autobiography:
8 Bombshell Revelations We Learned From Bunnie Xo’s Book
Bunnie Xo’s memoir, ‘Stripped Down: Unfiltered and Unapologetic,’ lays out a full timeline of her life and answers burning questions that fans have been asking for years. Below, we’ve rounded up the most shocking anecdotes and revelations from the book. Consider this your spoiler alert!
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
Jelly Roll’s Stunning Weight Loss Journey in 29 Pictures
Jelly Roll once weighed over 500 pounds, but as of January 2026, he’s close to 250. His weight loss journey wasn’t linear, however. These 29 pictures show how he put weight on and dropped in at various stages of his life, dating back to 2011.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Starbucks Union Proposes New Contract Terms, Looks to Reopen Negotiations
Starbucks Workers United said that it is requesting a contract with a minimum starting wage of $17 an hour, plus 4% annual raises.
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Luka Doncic drops 51 as Lakers explode in LeBron’s return
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Dave McMenamin
Multiple Authors
LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic scored 51 points Thursday, his highest-scoring game with the Lakers, and L.A. rolled over the Chicago Bulls 142-130 in LeBron James‘ return from a three-game absence.
“It feels special,” said Doncic, who checked out late in the fourth quarter to a standing ovation, with James imploring the crowd to cheer louder. “Obviously, to have a 50-point game in here, it feels very special.”
James scored 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting with seven rebounds and seven assists, and all five Lakers starters scored in double digits as L.A.’s first unit scored 137 points, the most by a starting lineup in a regulation game since the 1970-71 season, according to ESPN Research. Austin Reaves (30 points), Deandre Ayton (23 points) and Rui Hachimura (15 points) also poured it on.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said it was an intentionally team-first approach and an example of sacrifice by James, who saw L.A. rip off a three-game winning streak while the 41-year-old was sidelined with foot, elbow and hip injuries.
“LeBron and I, we talked, we had a great conversation over the last couple days,” Redick said. “He wants to do everything possible to help his team win, and he understands the importance of making sure Luka and AR can be at their best. And you know, that’s incredible with him.
“It speaks a lot to just how much he cares about this team and his teammates, and how much he wants to win.”
Did James consider it a sacrifice to play that way?
“I mean, if it benefits others, it benefits the team. The team is most important,” he said. “Everybody’s successful when we win. So yeah, it is a sacrifice. I know what I’m capable of still doing as an individual, but what’s important for this team, I’m able to adapt to. … And that’s the only thing that matters. And the win is the only thing that matters.”
L.A. is 8-3 this season when James is not one of the team’s top two players in field goal attempts, according to ESPN Research.
It was the Lakers’ seventh win in their past eight games, as they’ve shot up to No. 3 in the Western Conference standings with 16 games remaining in the regular season.
As solid as James was against Chicago, that surge has largely been because of Doncic and Reaves reaching another level.
“AR and Luka,” James said, “offensively, have been magical and dynamic.”
Doncic, who barely missed a triple-double with 10 rebounds and nine assists, said the spell he cast on the Bulls was thanks to Chicago’s 21-year-old forward Matas Buzelis.
“Somebody started talking to me, so that woke me up,” Doncic said of Buzelis. “I’m not going to say what he said, but if I said that, I would definitely get a tech.”
Reaves, meanwhile, scored more than 25 points for the third straight game, his longest such streak since late November before he suffered a left calf strain that sidelined him for more than a month from late December through early February. Reaves also topped 5,000 points for his career Thursday, becoming the 46th undrafted player in league history to reach that plateau.
“I obviously have delusional confidence in myself when it comes to basketball,” Reaves said. “But when the game’s over and I’ve got to go home and think about it, I don’t really think of myself in the category of some of these other guys. But I just enjoy playing basketball, playing the right way and continuing to get better.”
And it would appear that the Lakers are improving as a group at the perfect time.
“Every game matters and the way that you approach the game matters,” James said. “I mean, it’s mid-March. The postseason is in a month, so it has to be 1773416217.”
Said Doncic: “It’s definitely the right moment [to play better]. But, obviously, we got to continue to do that. If we relax now, it’s not going to be worth [anything]. So we got to keep doing that same thing.”
Cuban president says talks were recently held with the US to resolve differences
HAVANA — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday that his government has held recent talks with the U.S., marking the first time the Caribbean country confirms such speculation.
He said the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges.”
He did not elaborate on those factors.
Díaz-Canel said no petroleum shipments have arrived on the island in the past three months, which he blamed on a U.S. energy blockade.
Cuba ’s western region was hit by a massive blackout last week, leaving millions without power.
He said that Cuba, which produces 40% of its petroleum, has been generating its own power but that it hasn’t been sufficient to meet demand.
He said the lack of power has affected communications, education and transportation, and that the government has had to postpone surgeries for tens of thousands of people as a result.
“The impact is tremendous,” he said.
Díaz-Canel said that the purpose of the talks was to identify “bilateral problems that require solutions based on their severity and impact” and find solutions to them.
The president added that the aim was “to determine the willingness of both parties to take concrete actions for the benefit of the people of both countries. And in addition, to identify areas of cooperation to confront threats and guarantee the security and peace of both nations, as well as in the region.”
Díaz-Canel called it a “highly sensitive process” because it affects bilateral relations of both countries and “demands enormous and significant efforts to find solutions and create spaces for understanding that will allow us to move away from confrontation.”
He noted that Cuba is willing to carry out the process on the basis of equality and respect for the countries’ political systems and for Cuba’s “sovereignty and self-determination.”
Critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. attacked the South American country and arrested its leader.
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Coto reported form San José, Costa Rica.
Enjoy Wordle? Its creator has a new, 'tricky' word game
The new game is trickier than guessing a five-letter word in six attempts.
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Ex-OBSCURA & VALE OF PNATH Members Form VOID SECTOR ZERO
A new supergroup in the technical metal world has emerged with the formation of Void Sector Zero, a project featuring musicians known for their work across several prominent extreme metal bands.
The lineup includes guitarist Gabe Seeber (Vale of Pnath, Abigail Williams, Decrepit Birth), drummer Christian Muenzner (ex-Obscura, Eternity’s End, Retromorphosis), and bassist Alex Weber (Revocation, Exist, ex-Obscura).
According to the band, their debut album is already finished, with more announcements expected soon. In their first message to fans, the band shared: “First post. Welcome everyone. This page is a bit naked right now, but our debut album is finished and a lot is happening behind the scenes.”
Void Sector Zero describe their sound as technical/progressive thrash metal, drawing influence from a wide range of classic and progressive metal artists. Among the bands cited as inspirations are Coroner, Holy Moses, Nocturnus, Atheist, Cynic, Death, Toxik, Watchtower, Sadus, and Forbidden.
They also point to progressive and fusion guitar influences like Allan Holdsworth, Tony MacAlpine, and Greg Howe, hinting at a style that blends complex musicianship with aggressive thrash foundations.
Further explaining the band, Muenzner stated in 2025: “The Void Sector Zero album is mixed and wrapped up and I could not be happier with how it all turned out.
“Technical Thrash/Death Metal hybrid with elements of neoclassical metal, progressive metal, jazz/fusion and Shrapnel era style solos. I have no idea yet where or when this is coming out. I am excited to share this album with the world but it still may take a minute.”
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