MON SIX

No. 19 Vanderbilt hosts in-state rival Tennessee on Saturday in Nashville for one of the most significant recent matchups in the 104-year history of the series.

Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 Southeastern Conference) enters the game looking up at the Vols (19-7, 9-4), in a three-way tie for second place. If the season ended now, Tennessee would have one of the four coveted double byes -- and the Commodores would not -- in the SEC tournament that takes place March 11-15, two miles from Vanderbilt's campus.

Vanderbilt stood 15th in Thursday's NCAA NET rankings -- four spots ahead of the Vols -- to make this a Quad 1 game for both teams. The Commodores are 7-4 in such games while the Vols are just 4-7.

Vanderbilt must recover from Wednesday's emotionally and physically draining 81-80 loss at Missouri.

Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt's only active point guard since Duke Miles hit the sidelines with a knee issue following an 88-56 win Jan. 24 at Mississippi State, played through the flu to compete for 38 minutes, score 27 points, dish out five assists, collect three steals and nearly deliver a miracle at the end.

Vanderbilt trailed by 21 with 8:43 left. Tanner, who contributed all over the floor in a late run, leaped for a steal with less than two seconds left, landed and launched a shot two steps behind the midcourt line that went halfway in before bouncing out.

"You could tell (Tanner) was sick in the first half; he wasn't as aggressive," Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said. "Then, he shook it off. I think he got caught in the competitiveness of the game. Then, he looked at the score and realized what we needed to do, and he almost brought us back."

Miles (16.6 points, 2.8 steals per game) could return at any time, but he was listed as "out" on the SEC's availability report before the Missouri game.

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The 175-pound Tanner, who averages 35.5 minutes in SEC games, has taken a physical beating from defenders lately. When Tanner picked up his fourth foul with more than 10 minutes left in last Saturday's win over Texas A&M, Tyler Nickel (14.7 points per game, 1.3 assists per game) and AK Okereke (9.3 ppg, 1.7 apg) uncharacteristically shared primary ball-handling duties for about a six-minute stretch.

Tennessee long has had a reputation for physical play under coach Rick Barnes. The Vols clobbered Oklahoma on the boards, 36-19, in Wednesday's 89-66 home win.

Size has given Vanderbilt fits and that makes Tennessee's 6-foot-10 freshman star Nate Ament, who leads the Vols in scoring (18.2 ppg), a concerning matchup. During Tennessee's 7-1 run over the last month, Ament has averaged 24.3 points.

The Vols also rely on a single point guard in Ja'Kobi Gillespie (18.1 ppg), who has played at least 34 minutes in each of the last five games.

Tennessee ranks as the country's top offensive rebounding team, grabbing 45.2% of its own misses per KenPom.com. The Vols are led by Jaylen Carey, who ranks sixth in the country at grabbing offensive boards (18.1%).

Carey played his first year at James Madison for Byington before following him to Vanderbilt last year. The junior minced no words after leaving Vanderbilt, something the Commodore crowd will likely remember on Saturday.

"I don't like (Vanderbilt)," Carey said last summer in one of several parting shots directed at his former team. "... Like I said, it was a great experience (playing against Tennessee). I love this place and can't wait to do big things in the Big Orange."

The teams will meet in Knoxville on March 7, the regular-season finale for each.

--Field Level Media

Second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference will be on the line Saturday afternoon when Miami visits No. 14 Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.

The Cavaliers (23-3, 11-2 ACC) and the Hurricanes (21-5, 10-3) trail only No. 3 Duke in the league standings.

Virginia is 12-1 at home and is riding a seven-game winning streak. The Cavaliers have won eight of the last nine meetings with Miami, which is 6-1 on the road and riding a four-game winning streak.

The teams extended their streaks in very different ways earlier this week. Miami held off Virginia Tech on Tuesday for its second consecutive one-point win, while Virginia reached 90 points for the sixth time this season in a 26-point blowout at Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

The Cavaliers cruised to a comfortable 94-68 win after running out to a 59-27 halftime lead against the Yellow Jackets. Thijs De Ridder scored 22 points and Malik Thomas added 17 as Virginia made 14 3-pointers and outrebounded Georgia Tech by a 51-34 margin, including 20 offensive boards.

"That start was something we've been looking for, for a couple games," Virginia guard Dallin Hall said. "Obviously, you don't know if it's going to be to that degree, but our intensity, our energy, the way we shared the ball, the pace we played with, and defensively we were dictating what they were doing offensively."

Hall recorded his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 assists.

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"That was fun," Hall said. "I love when the basketball is skipping around. That's exactly what it was. We were finding the open man, and getting stops really allowed us to get out and run to be in those positions."

Miami trailed the Hokies 34-31 at the half before rallying. Tre Donaldson scored the Hurricanes' final 15 points and finished with 32. He made the game-tying 3-pointer with 1:18 left and sank the decisive free throw with 12 seconds remaining.

"I was telling the guys -- he was unconscious," Miami coach Jai Lucas said of Donaldson's heroics. "... I'm blessed to be able to call him my point guard night in and night out. He's always in the gym, first one there, last one out, extra reps all the time. So him making that shot -- it's Tre."

Donaldson said the unranked Hurricanes still have more to prove.

"We're happy, but we're not satisfied," he said. "We have a chip on our shoulder. We're not going to talk about it. Just continue to push, get better as a team and prove everybody wrong and go hunting and get what we deserve."

De Ridder leads four Cavaliers scoring in double figures with 15.9 points plus a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game. Malik Reneau (19.7) and Donaldson (16.4) are the leading scorers for the Hurricanes.

Virginia forward Devin Tillis is questionable after leaving Wednesday's win with an apparent right knee injury. After missing the first four games of the season while recovering from knee surgery, the senior transfer from UC Irvine has averaged 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 39.2% from 3-point range in 22 games (one start).

--Field Level Media

No. 21 Louisville took just its second loss to an unranked team all season on Tuesday. It came at a costly time as the Cardinals are vying for position across a crowded top half of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Before finishing the season with three games against teams that are above them in the ACC standings, the Cardinals have a chance to lock in and bounce back when they host lowly Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Louisville (19-7, 8-5 ACC) had been on a hot streak, winning seven of eight before falling 95-85 to SMU on Tuesday in Dallas. The Cardinals had been able to subdue the second-highest scoring team in the ACC on Jan. 31 when they beat the visiting Mustangs 88-74.

This time SMU shot the lights out from the field, connecting on 58.5% while Louisville made just 44.8%. The Cardinals also committed a season-high 17 turnovers, including 12 in the second half.

The 95 points SMU scored were the most the Cardinals have allowed in two seasons under coach Pat Kelsey.

"We had 17 turnovers, which is uncharacteristic of our team," Kelsey said. "But you can't defend like that, turn the ball over like that, that's a recipe for losing a conference game on the road."

Louisville has the highest-scoring offense in the ACC at 86.8 points per game, led by Mikel Brown Jr.'s 18.6 points per contest. Brown is at 34.3 ppg over his past three games.

Brown is one of five double-digit scorers for the Cardinals, a group that includes Ryan Conwell (18.4 ppg) and sharpshooter J'Vonne Hadley (10.9 ppg, 43.6% from 3-point range).

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The Cardinals are 14th in the NCAA's NET rankings. With more Quad 1 win opportunities coming up, Louisville will have to regain its footing after the slip-up against SMU.

Luckily for the Cardinals, Georgia Tech (11-16, 2-12) has been one of the punching bags for the conference. The Yellow Jackets have lost eight straight games, and the margin was 14 or more points in six of those contests.

The latest setback for Georgia Tech was a 94-68 home loss to No. 14 Virginia on Wednesday. It didn't take long for the game to get out of reach as the Yellow Jackets found themselves down 42-9 with 6:36 left in the first half.

"After a while, it's not even about winning and losing ... I'm looking to see what we're made of," coach Damon Stoudamire said postgame. "I can't put the jersey on and run up and down no more. So, sometimes I just want to see a little bit more fight. That's all. And that for me is, at times, the disappointing thing."

It was the eighth time this season that Georgia Tech allowed its opponent to shoot at least 50% from the field.

If the Yellow Jackets want to pull off the upset, they likely will have to turn to leading scorers Kowacie Reeves Jr. and Baye Ndongo. Reeves is shooting 45.5% from the field while averaging 15.2 points, and Ndongo averages 12.5 points and leads the team in rebounding with 8.3 per game.

The Cardinals lost to Georgia Tech last season 77-70, but Louisville had won 14 of the previous 16 matchups.

--Field Level Media

FollowingEric Dane'sdeath at 53, tributes from across film and television began pouring in. Colleagues and collaborators, including Nina Dobrev and Ashton Kutcher, publicly remembered the actor and reflected on his life and career after news of his passing was confirmed.

Celebrities honor Eric Dane as he passes away at 53

Eric Dane died Thursday afternoon at age 53 after battling ALS. Audiences knew him for portraying Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan on Grey's Anatomy, Cal Jacobs on Euphoria, and Tom Chandler on The Last Ship. In April 2025, he publicly announced that doctors had diagnosed him with the rare degenerative disease.

His representatives said, "He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world." The statement added, "Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight." They also said, "The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time" (viaThe Hollywood Reporter).

Sam Levinson said, "I'm heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric. Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift. Eric's family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing."

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The official Instagram accounts for Euphoria and HBO Max posted, "We are deeply saddened by the news of Eric Dane's passing. He was incredibly talented and HBO was fortunate to have worked with him on three seasons of Euphoria."

Nina Dobrevwrote, "He led with kindness and made everyone on our set feel seen. ALS is a cruel and unforgiving disease." Alyssa Milanosaid, "He had a razor-sharp sense of humor. He loved the absurdity of things."

Kevin McKidd and James Pickens Jr. each wrote, "Rest in Peace."

Originally reported by Vritti Johar onMandatory.com.

The postEric Dane Passes Away at 53: Sam Levinson, Ashton Kutcher & More Pay Tributeappeared first onReality Tea.

Karol Ghas never been one to follow fashion rules. Instead, she chooses to go above and beyond to rewrite them. This is exactly why she recently shone in a bodycon dress, hugging her curves to perfection, and that too, with a daring slit on the side.

Further, she surprisingly elevated the backless dress with classic red Reebok sneakers, instead of her usual favorite red-bottomed heels from Christian Louboutin. She looked absolutely stunning here. Even her makeup look and hairstyle were on point.

Karol G poses in a backless high slit dress with Reebok classics for campaign

Karol G never steps away in the face of a challenge, and her latest look proved it. For this ensemble, she went with a backless dress, which perfectly hugged her curves at all the right places. The minimal yet sassy design of the dress was further elevated with a high slit on the side, giving a rather fiery twist to the whole look.  Karol G usually goes for classy Christian Louboutin's red-bottomed heels for her looks, but this time was clearly different. She went with comfortably stylish and red Reebok sneakers.

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These bright shoes ended up rounding out the diva's look perfectly. Karol's accessory game was also on. She did something special by going for a bold no-accessory look. This was quite a risk, but it clearly worked exceptionally for her Gen-Z-coded ensemble. This allowed her chic look to steal the spotlight and shine bright like a diamond. Karol's blonde locks were also styled with a wavy look, giving just the right kind of nod to her modern look.

Furthermore, even Karol's makeup was a total success, adding some panache to her look. She went with a light base of foundation, light concealer, and some bronzer, placed at all the right places. This combo accentuated and sharpened her features. She also added a dash of color to her face with pink blush on her cheeks. She further went with a dark red lip shade. This matte lipstick was bold and just beautiful!

Originally reported by Mehak Walia onThe Fashion Spot

The postKarol G Trades Red Bottoms for Reeboks With Backless High Slit Dressappeared first onReality Tea.

In a stretch of Louisiana with about 170 fossil fuel and petrochemical plants, premature death is a fact of life for people living nearby. The air is so polluted and the cancer rates so high it is known asCancer Alley.

Climate Trump Environmental Justice

"Most adults in the area are attending two to three funerals per month," said Gary C. Watson Jr., who was born and raised in St. John the Baptist Parish, a majority Black community in Cancer Alley about 30 miles outside of New Orleans. His father survived cancer, but in recent years, at least five relatives have died from it.

Cancer Alley is one of many patches of America — mostly minority and poor — that suffer higher levels ofair pollutionfrom fossil fuel facilities that emit tiny particles connected to higher death rates. When the federal government in 2009 targeted carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as a public health danger because of climate change, it led to tighter regulation of pollution and cleaner air in some communities. But this month, the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agencyoverturned that "endangerment finding."

Public health experts say the change will likelymean more illness and death for Americans, with communities like Watson's hit hardest. On Wednesday, a coalition of health and environmental groupssued the EPAover the revocation, calling it unlawful and harmful.

"Not having these protections, it's only going to make things worse," said Watson, with the environmental justice group Rise St. James Louisiana. He also worries that revoking the endangerment finding will increase emissions that will worsen the state's hurricanes.

The Trump administration said the finding — a cornerstone for many regulations aimed at fighting climate change — hurts industry and the economy. President Donald Trump has called the idea "a scam" despiterepeated studiesshowing the opposite.

Growing evidenceshows that poor and Black, Latino and other racial and ethnic groups are typically more vulnerable than white people to pollution and climate-driven floods, hurricanes, extreme heat and more because they tend to have less resources to protect against and recover from them. The EPA, in a 2021 report no longer on its website, concluded the same.

The finding's reversal will affect everyone, but "overburdened communities, which are typically communities of color, Indigenous communities and low-income communities, they will, again, suffer most from these actions," said Matthew Tejada, senior vice president for environmental health at the Natural Resources Defense Council and a former deputy with the EPA's office for environmental justice.

Hilda Berganza, climate program manager with the Hispanic Access Foundation, said: "Communities that are the front lines are going to feel it the most. And we can see that the Latino population is one of those communities that is going feel it even more than others because of where we live, where we work."

Research shows the unequal harms of pollution, climate change

A studypublished in November found more than 46 million people in the U.S. live within a mile of at least one type of energy supply infrastructure, such as an oil well, a power plant or an oil refinery. But the study found that "persistently marginalized" racial and ethnic groups were more likely to live near multiple such sites. Latinos had the highest exposure.

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The EPA,in that 2021 report, estimated that with a 2-degree Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) rise in global warming, Black people were 40% more likely to live in places with the highest projected rise in deaths because of extreme heat. Latinos, who are overrepresented in outdoor industries suchas agricultureand construction, were 43% more likely to live where labor hour losses were expected to be the highest because of heat.

Julia Silver, a senior research analyst at the University of California, Los Angeles' Latino Policy and Politics Institute, found in her own research that California Latino communities had 23 more days of extreme heat annually than non-Latino white neighborhoods. Her team also found those areas have poor air quality at about double the rate, with twice as many asthma-related emergency room visits. Other research shows that Latino children are 40%more likely to diefrom asthma than white children in part because many lack consistent health care access.

"What we're risking with a rollback like this at the federal level is really human health and well-being in these marginalized groups," Silver said.

Experts say the disparate impacts will be significant

Armando Carpio, a longtime pastor in Los Angeles, has seen firsthand how vulnerable his mostly Latino parishioners are. Many are construction workers and gardeners who work outside, often in extreme heat. Others live and work near polluting freeways. He sees children with asthma and elders with dementia, both linked to exposure to air pollution.

"We're regressing," he said. "I don't know how many years back, but all of this really affects us."

It is difficult to quantify how much more communities of color could be impacted by the finding's revocation, but experts who spoke with The Associated Press all said it would be significant.

"You will see statistically significant increases in excess morbidity and mortality when it comes to climate impacts and health impacts associated with co-pollutants" in communities of color, said Sacoby Wilson, a University of Maryland professor and executive director of the nonprofit Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health INpowering Communities.

Beverly Wright, founding director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice in New Orleans, said at least four Black communities in Cancer Alley no longer exist because of the expansion of industrial facilities. The repeal will bring more pollution, higher cancer rates, more extreme weather and the disappearance of more historic communities, she said.

"It has us going in the wrong direction, and our communities are now at greater risk," she said.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visithttps://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

BANGKOK, Feb 20 (Reuters) - A Thai court has sentenced a jailed activist lawyer ‌to an additional two years and eight ‌months in prison for insulting the monarchy at a ​rally in November 2020, a rights group said on Friday, bringing his combined sentence to more than 30 years.

Arnon Nampa, 41, was a ‌prominent figure ⁠during unprecedented youth-led democracy movement protests in Bangkok in 2020 that openly called for ⁠the monarchy to be reformed.

Thailand's lese-majeste law protects the palace from criticism and carries a ​maximum jail ​sentence of up ​to 15 years for ‌each perceived royal insult, a punishment widely condemned by international human rights groups as extreme.

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Arnon has been in prison since September 2023 for violating the royal insult law stemming ‌from his speeches at political ​rallies and social media ​posts between 2020 ​and 2021.

Friday's verdict was the 11th ‌of 14 royal insult ​cases he ​faces.

According to legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, at least 291 people ​have been ‌charged with lese majeste offences since 2020.

(Reporting ​by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; ​Editing by David Stanway)