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That’s What I Do!!!
Snags Loose Ball at NBA All-Star Game

Published
February 15, 2026
4:11 PM PST

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The Wire is not only one of the best shows to ever air on television, but it’s also one of the most important pieces of pop culture in American history. Overlooked upon release, the Baltimore-set HBO crime drama by David Simon explores police procedure, the drug trade, politics, education, and journalism with the vigor of a riveting novel and the precision of a tell-all documentary.

What happens in The Wire, a series framed around the systemic failure and neglect of our most trusted institutions, represents America in the 21st century, where we’ve seemingly lost our way. Before aspiring to such lofty heights, Simon, a former Baltimore Sun crime reporter, cemented his journalistic voice for an HBO miniseries that aired two years before The Wire‘s premiere. Based on a book by Simon and Ed Burns, The Corner, which features various cast members and hallmarks of its spiritual successor, is every Wire obsessive’s next watch.

‘The Corner’ Laid the Groundwork for ‘The Wire’

From the outset, Simon aspired to forever alter the fabric of the television medium, which was then dominated by sensationalized police procedurals and lurid cop thrillers. His journalistic instincts first pushed the boundaries of network dramas on Homicide, also based on a book by Simon. He took things to an even grittier and unflinching scale with The Corner, a six-episode miniseries about the life of an impoverished family amid the rampant drug trade in West Baltimore that became the prototype for The Wire.

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Airing on HBO in 2000, The Corner follows Gary McCullough (the recently deceased T.K. Carter), his ex-wife Fran Boyd (Khandi Alexander), and their son DeAndre (Sean Nelson), whose lives have crumbled after his parents succumb to drug addiction. The street-wise and assured DeAndre must hold his own against the perils of the slums of Baltimore, as his quest for education and familial stability is compromised by the alluring pathway to dealing drugs — a quicker way to earn some much-needed cash for the family. Fans of The Wire will take delight in seeing familiar faces in the cast, including Clarke Peters, Lance Reddick, Corey Parker Robinson, Robert F. Chew, and Delaney Williams. Every episode is directed by prolific character actor Charles S. Dutton.

David Simon Revolutionized Gritty Television With HBO’s ‘The Corner’

Image via Will Hart / ©HBO / courtesy Everett Collection

As expected, The Corner, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries, raises the bar for grittiness, making The Wire look like a glossy Hollywood soundstage musical. Something with this much grain and visual grime making it to a mainstream platform on HBO spoke to the channel’s artistic fearlessness and curiosity. Sentimentality is nowhere to be found in the series, with Simon and Burns crafting this unforgiving world with the sobering authenticity it deserves. Showrunners tend to find some unseemly fetishization with neighborhoods hindered by poverty and crime, but the duo’s background in journalism and law enforcement allows Baltimore to appear mundane and a reflection of decades’ worth of government neglect. Simon and Burns exhibit restraint on their own end, as they limit their scope to the troubles of DeAndre and his run-ins with the drug trade, which makes this weighty treatise on the decay of urban America into an intimately constructed character drama.

With The Wire, David Simon, thanks to contributions from Hollywood directors like Ernest Dickerson and crime novelists like Richard Price, sharpened his abilities as a dramatist and narrative storyteller, attributes that eased the show into the good graces of casual TV audiences. The Corner is less engaging on an emotional level for the audience, as everything on screen is more or less a reflection of a pre-existing world. Thanks to Dutton’s narration and interviews with the subjects, the series never lets you gloss over the text’s nonfictional roots. In the shadow of the “hood” crime thrillers of the ’90s, drug-running and activity in the projects were lurid cinematic devices, but Simon urges the audience that this downtrodden lifestyle could happen to anyone, including Gary, who once lived an upstanding, healthy middle-class life.

Things that would’ve been marginalized or cheapened in other shows are treated with austerity in The Corner, particularly the characterization of DeAndre, a teenager who carries the burden of his entire family. Dabbling in illicit crime circles is a punishing, necessary evil for DeAndre, and not a proud demonstration of his independence and toughness. Sean Nelson’s performance retroactively works as a composite of some of The Wire‘s most conflicted characters, from the street’s Robin Hood, Omar Little (Michael K. Williams), to the matured corner veteran, Bodie (J.D. Williams). DeAndre is emblematic of the modern-day Greek tragedy that is the average urban neighborhood in America. He is forced to engage with the American Dream as a survival tactic.

Y’all! Travis Hunter is making the most of his first NFL off-season — and he’s doing it somewhere sunny with his family in tow. Between the stunning beach views, some serious ink flexing, and sweet moments with his wife Leanna Lenee and their baby boy, it’s clear there’s more to this trip than just a vacation. Now, fans are already zooming in on what they’re seeing, and trust us, the details have left them shook!

RELATED: Too Cute! Travis Hunter & Leanna Lenee Melt Hearts With Adorable Beachside Flicks Of Their Baby Boy (PHOTOS)

Hunter’s Love Is Literally On His Chest

Travis Hunter isn’t holding back when it comes to showing love — literally. The NFL rookie had fans doing a double take when photos surfaced of his frest chest tattoo featuring his wife Leanna’s smiling face on one side and their baby boy on the other. The viral moment came after Leanna shared a carousel of beach photos on Instagram on Valentine’s Day, captioning them simply, “Exactly.” Clearly, Hunter’s showing that his family isn’t just close to his heart — they’re on his chest too. Click here to see the spicy pic.

The Comment Section Is Still Going Off

Fans ran straight to TSR’s Instagram comment section as soon as the pics dropped, and you already know the timeline was buzzing. Some joked that they hope to find someone who goes hard for them like Travis does for Leanna. While others gushed over how much they actually love the couple. Of course, a few couldn’t resist chiming in with the classic, “If they like it, I love it.”

This Instagram user @blognae.__ commented, “He love that woman ❤️ PERIOD“

Then Instagram user @dantelee__ said, “I really don’t be seeing nothing wrong with what he doing.. dude living life 🙂‍↕️ blessing to him and his family“

And, Instagram user @obavita added, “If he like it I love it!👏🏾”

However, Instagram user @sherlines__ shared, “Ngl i love them idgaf. Through all the backlash they stood tall beside each other“

While, Instagram user @lazadiaaaaaa wrote, “Damn He would’ve loved me“

Lastly, Instagram user @therealkay_kg1 said, “I wish somebody was this delusional over me 😩”

The Hunter Crew Stays Living Their Best Life

Leanna Lenee and Travis Hunter often share some of the cutest family moments. The couple’s baby boy may only be a few months old, but he’s already living his best life, as seen in recent Instagram photos of the trio enjoying the beach together. One shot even shows his tiny footprints in the sand, while Leanna’s sweet caption, “When 2 became 3…🤍,” perfectly sums up the family vibes.

RELATED: Cuteness Overload! Travis Hunter & Leanna Lenee Give Glimpse Of Their Baby Boy In Adorable Family Flick (PHOTO)

Roommates… sometimes family drama goes way too far — and this latest situation out of Florida is a heartbreaking reminder of that. What reportedly started as a tense disagreement inside a shared home quickly spiraled into something no one could take back. Now, 21-year-old Jawan McBride is at the center of a tragedy that has left one family shattered.

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Family Feud Over Funds Turns Fatal

According to Miami-Dade County court records, Jawan McBride has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of his brother. Authorities say the incident happened on January 21 at their home on Northwest Fifth Court, just north of Miami. Additionally, reports state that the brothers were arguing over money from a joint CashApp account. Also, the victim allegedly believed McBride had taken funds that belonged to him and confronted him about it.

Authorities Detail Moments Before Tragedy

Police say the disagreement escalated inside the home after the victim demanded money he felt was owed to him and allegedly threatened to take McBride’s paycheck as repayment. Investigators claim there were prior messages that suggested tensions had been building before the confrontation took place.

Authorities allege that during the dispute, McBride armed himself and a physical altercation followed in the living room area. Emergency responders transported the brother to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Additionally, the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by sharp force injuries.

McBride Denied Bond, Remains In Custody

Officials say McBride admitted to the stabbing during questioning. An autopsy discovered the victim suffered a perforated lung, stomach, diaphragm, and small intestine, and his lower left rib was chipped, according to McClatchy News. McBride allegedly admitted that the stabbing stemmed from the feud over money.

He was denied bond and remains detained in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. The victim’s name has not yet been publicly released. Furthermore, the tragic situation has sparked conversations online about money disputes between family members and how quickly conflicts can escalate.

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Coldplay Couple’s Kristin Cabot
From Kiss Cam to Beach Glam!!!

Published
February 15, 2026
3:03 PM PST

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 22 seconds ago

Recently, beloved actor James Van Der Beek passed away at the heartbreaking age of 48. He leaves behind a rich, creative legacy, full of projects that have moved and inspired millions of fans. Understandably, most of those fans have been reminiscing about his performance in Dawson’s Creek, the popular teen drama that transformed Van Der Beek into a household name.

However, I would argue that his best performance was in Don’t Trust the B— In Apartment 23, an overlooked sitcom featuring future Marvel icon Krysten Ritter. In this show, he played a hilarious, fictionalized version of himself, one that Ritter’s character playfully dubbed “the Beek from the Creek.” Sadly, this show is not currently available to stream outside of buying individual episodes, which is a shame because it is one of the funniest series ever made.

Never Afraid To Poke Fun At Himself

The premise of Don’t Trust the B— In Apartment 23 is that Krysten Ritter plays a party girl engaged in a constant scheme: she finds new roommates, gets rent money upfront, and then drives them away with her increasingly weird antics. Eventually, she lands a roommate (played by Gossip Girl supporting actor Dreama Walker) who refuses to leave. The two ladies soon settle into a life of wacky television shenanigans, which also involve James Van Der Beek, who plays a cynical, darkly comedic version of himself.

Even though Don’t Trust the B— In Apartment 23 was a lighthearted TV comedy, James Van Der Beek gives a performance that can only be described as fearless. He is never afraid to be the butt of the joke, and he’s always in on the show’s raucous sense of humor. In an age where countless celebs are afraid they’ll be mocked by fans, Van Der Beek cheerfully laughed at himself across two seasons of unhinged sitcom entertainment.

A big part of his self-parodying performance involved poking fun at Dawson’s Creek and his former status as a ‘90s teen icon. It helps that he had such a great comic partner in the form of Krysten Ritter, who imbues the show with her trademark brand of acidic, playfully sarcastic humor. Her character isn’t impressed by being BFFs with a major celeb, and Van Der Beek’s character isn’t all that impressed at being a major celeb; together, these two craft a shocking amount of comedy gold.

Shamelessly Stealing Every Scene

While he’s a regular in the cast of Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23, James Van Der Beek isn’t the focus of the show; that honor goes to Krysten Ritter and Dreama Walker, who were basically doing their own version of the successful Two Broke Girls formula. This makes it all the more notable that Van Der Beek manages to steal almost every scene he’s in. Sure, the writing for the show is great, but it can’t be overstated how the Dawson’s Creek legend can turn even the simplest glimpse or line delivery into something jaw-droppingly hilarious.

This was what startled fans most about Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23: that James Van Der Beek is an almost shockingly good comic actor. He has often been written as a kind of generic leading man, and his career suffered for it; personally, I found his character the worst in the cast of Dawson’s Creek, despite him being the titular main character. In this later, much more cynical sitcom, he is unleashed from the burden of being a leading man, and he quickly reveals himself to be the funniest member of the entire cast.

The Best Way To Process James Van Der Beek’s Death

Fans of James Van Der Beek have been returning to his earlier performance in Dawson’s Creek as a way to honor his memory, but this arguably isn’t the best way to grieve the actor’s death. Many viewers watched that teen drama when they were youngsters, so returning to the Creek is a surefire way to stir up your own traumatic memories even as you process the loss of a Hollywood icon. This is why I’m so sad that Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23 isn’t available on streaming: watching this show is the best way to both honor Van Der Beek and unpack your feelings regarding his untimely death.

That’s because this is a show where Van Der Beek himself has moved on from the show that made him famous and is willing to constantly poke fun at something he once took so seriously as an actor. There’s a lesson in here for his legion of fans that instead of dwelling on the loss of such a talented performer, we should find joy in how many great performances he had to offer. And by watching Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23, you can stop crying about Van Der Beek’s death and do what the actor would have wanted you to do instead: laugh like there is no tomorrow.

Nancy Guthrie
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Published
February 15, 2026
1:17 PM PST