Dustin Diamond‘s cancer diagnosis has been hard for him to deal with emotionally … and it has him questioning how this happened to him.
The “Saved by the Bell” star’s rep tells TMZ … Dustin’s struggling to come to terms with having the type of lung cancer he has — stage 4 small cell carcinoma — because it’s normally caused by smoking, and he’s never been a smoker.
So, we’re told Dustin can’t help but wonder if his cancer is the result of his frequent work travel over the past 20 years.
The rep says Dustin’s worked all over the country on film sets and at comedy clubs for meet-and-greets … and sometimes had to stay in pretty questionable hotels and motels, because there were no other options.
We’re told Dustin believes some of these spots might have had mold or asbestos … which he could have breathed in, causing his cancer.
As we reported … Dustin just completed his first round of chemo at a Florida hospital, and will start physical therapy soon while he awaits the second round of treatment.
We’re told his doctors have not determined what caused his cancer, but as we reported … he does have a history of it in his family. His mother died of breast cancer.
Dustin’s rep says they are awaiting more test results, and hoping to get some answers.
When Emma Roberts‘ baby boy arrived he was brought into this world by a doctor who did the same for Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner‘s kids.
Emma and actor Garrett Hedlund‘s son, Rhodes Robert Hedlund, was delivered by Dr. Thais Aliabadi … according to the birth certificate, which also shows he arrived at 5:07 PM on December 27.
The birth certificate, obtained by TMZ, says Dr. Aliabadi delivered Rhodes on familiar turf … L.A.’s famed Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. We say it’s familiar because it’s the same place where Stormi Webster was born.
You’ll recall … Dr. A flew from L.A. to Ohio to deliver True Thompson for Khloe and Tristan.
TMZ broke the story … Rhodes weighed in right around 9 lbs on the day he was born. It’s Emma and Garrett’s first child. During her pregnancy … Emma wasn’t shy about showing off her baby bump, as she was seen out and about town frequently.
A couple weeks after giving birth … Emma posted a pic of her holding her baby boy with the caption, “Thank you 2020 for getting one thing right. Our bright light Rhodes Robert Hedlund.”
Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler are keeping things friendly.
The famous pair announced in April 2020 that they had decided to go their separate ways after “10 years together.”
Now, nearly nine months after the announcement, Cavallari, 34, and Cutler, 37, are proving they can still be pals.
The two both took to Instagram on Friday night to share identical posts.
KRISTIN CAVALLARI IS ‘BACK’ TO HER ‘OLD SELF’ AMID JAY CUTLER DIVORCE: ‘IT FEELS REALLY DAMN GOOD’
In the pic, the former reality star cuddled up to the former NFL quarterback as they both wore small smirks.
“The world is full of users,” read their shared caption. “10 years. Can’t break that.”
Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari posed for a photo together almost nine months after announcing their split. (Getty Images)
The posts had followers wondering whether the cozy pic had a larger meaning.
“Are you guys not DUNZO?!” asked a follower.
“Alright sister break it down so you’re back on?” wrote another. “Bye bye comedian?”
A third added: “So we’re married or….”
Others felt that there wasn’t much subtext to the post, but rather that it served as a signifier of their ability to still work together.
KRISTIN CAVALLARI TALKS EXES AFTER THANKSGIVING, JAY CUTLER SPENDS HOLIDAY WITH CARRIE UNDERWOOD
“I think he’s saying they’re a team forever – after 10 years together and 3 kids,” one Instagram user wrote. “Not that they’re back together romantically.”
“Calm people,” urged another. “They are being great parents.”
Yet another echoed: “It means they are going to co-parent like rockstars…doubt they are back together. (…but secretly hopeful?)”
Others seemed confused altogether.
The “Very Cavallari” stars share three children together: Camden, 8, Jaxon, 6, and Saylor, 5. (Getty Images)
“And you get the award for most confusing caption,” a fan commented.
“Gotta crack this code,” wrote another.
Reps for the pair did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The “Laguna Beach” alum has been very open about her experience with divorce and revealed last year that she considered splitting from the athlete “every single day for over two years.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Various rumors of relationships have swirled over the last few months, with the star having been spotted giving a smooch to comedian Jeff Dye, and later had to shut down rumors of a relationship between herself and “Southern Charm” actor Austen Kroll.
The “Very Cavallari” stars share three children together: Camden, 8, Jaxon, 6, and Saylor, 5
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s health minister, who has faced criticism for consuming and endorsing a herbal syrup made by a sorcerer, has tested positive for COVID-19.
A Health Ministry official on Saturday confirmed that Pavithra Wanniarachchi became the highest-ranking official to be infected with the virus. She and her immediate contacts have been asked to self-quarantine.
Doctors have said there is no scientific basis for the syrup as remedy for the coronavirus. It’s said to contain honey and nutmeg.
Thousands of people gathered in long queues in December in the town of Kegalle, northeast of the capital Colombo, to obtain the syrup, just days after Wanniarachchi and several other government officials publicly consumed it.
The maker of the syrup said he got the formula through his divine powers. In local media, he claimed the Hindu goddess Kaali appeared to him in a dream and gave the recipe to save humanity from the coronavirus.
Sri Lankans are used to taking both the regular medicine and indigenous alternative drugs to cure ailments.
Meanwhile on Saturday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced that Sri Lanka will receive the first stock of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India on Jan. 27.
He said India is giving this stock free of charge and his government is making arrangements to purchase more vaccines from India, China and Russia.
On Friday, Sri Lanka approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine amid warnings from doctors that front-line health workers should be quickly inoculated to prevent the medical system from collapsing. The vaccine was the first to be approved for emergency use in Sri Lanka.
The Health Ministry says the inoculation will begin by mid-February.
Sri Lanka has witnessed a fresh outbreak of the disease in October when two clusters — one centered on a garment factory and the other on the main fish market — emerged in Colombo and its suburbs.
Sri Lanka has reported 52,964 cases with 278 fatalities.
___
This story has been corrected to show that the town where people lined up for the syrup was Kegalle.
___
Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
The frozen desert serves as a scientific haven for more than 1,000 researchers around the year, who monitor climate change and study Earth’s history. Its barren landscape gives them access to an unspoilt world, where they can complete their research, despite temperatures dropping to as low as -90C. The conditions in parts of the region are so harsh that scientists rarely visit them, instead using satellite data to complete their work.
However, the Science Channel revealed in its ‘What on Earth?’ series how one image – appearing to show something had crash-landed – left experts scratching their heads.
Aviation journalist Joe Pappalardo said: “To me, it looks like something landed there extremely quickly and skated to a halt.
“Maybe something had crashed.
“When you think about something crashing in that part of the world you think about the worst air disaster in New Zealand’s history.”
The series detailed the devastating events of the Mount Erebus disaster.
The narrator said: “The crash theory gains traction when investigators discover the image was taken close to the site of the world’s most catastrophic aviation accidents.
“At 7.21am on November 28, 1979, Air New Zealand flight 901 takes off from Auckland Airport on a sightseeing tour of Antarctica.
“The crew report clear weather and good visibility.
“But as the plane nears Mount Erebus a strange and terrifying optical illusion known as a whiteout deceives the two pilots.”
READ MORE: Antarctica bombshell: Satellite snapped 400ft ‘manmade’ formation in ‘untouched’ region
“But if we look at this object over here, this little rock shows the shadow – it is an elevated feature.”
And the narrator detailed how this theory was soon supported by NASA.
He added in 2017: “The shadow indicates it not a depression in the ice, but something rising above it.
“NASA scientists Dr Kelly Brunt travels to the remote feature.
“She finds a seven-mile-long wall of jagged ice protruding from the frozen seas of McMurdo Sound.
“It is a rare type of glacier feature created by millions of tonnes of ice flowing from the base of Mount Erebus into the frozen seas.”
A 25-year-old Minnesota man pleaded guilty Friday after authorities accused him of helping set fire to the Third Precinct headquarters of the Minneapolis Police Department last May.
The May 28 fire occurred during a night of rioting three days after George Floyd died in police custody in the city, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
The blaze caused around $12 million in damage and forced police to work out of temporary space, prosecutors have said, according to FOX 9 in Minneapolis.
The defendant, identified as Devon De-Andre Turner, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit arson. He admitted to district Judge Patrick J. Schiltz that he and another rioter lit an incendiary device that he took inside the precinct to start the fire.
EX-MINNEAPOLIS COP DEREK CHAUVIN TO BE TRIED SEPARATELY IN GEORGE FLOYD CASE
A large crowd had gathered around the building chanting, “Burn it down! Burn it down!”
Turner is one of four defendants who have pleaded guilty to involvement in connection to the fire.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He is scheduled to be sentenced in May and faces 41 to 51 months in prison, according to FOX 9.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — There’s an argument to be made that the Cleveland Cavaliers never should have traded Kyrie Irving, who sent a reminder of his brilliance this week with 75 points in two combined games against his old team Wednesday and Friday.
The Cavs should have called his bluff, let him undergo the threatened knee surgery and accepted the nagging headaches and potential chemistry issues that often come with a disgruntled star who was not only checked out mentally but didn’t want to play another second with teammate LeBron James. The revamped front office could’ve banked on winning as the remedy for the combustible setup. Could have held onto the hope that moody Irving would’ve snapped out of his funk in time for the Cavs to chase one final championship. The last hurrah.
Someone else can make that argument.
The Cavs — who moved their record to 8-7 Friday after beating Irving’s high-powered and title-hopeful Brooklyn Nets for the second time in three nights — aren’t where they are today without the gutsy deal that was once considered a lopsided laugher. Turns out, it was lopsided. Still is. Just not the way most originally believed.
The showpiece of that 2017 summer blockbuster that sent Irving to Boston — and gave him the chance to be the “focal point” — was Collin Sexton. Well, technically the “Brooklyn pick” that the Celtics were clutching tight. Many around the league didn’t think the Cavs could pry it away. It was expected to be a golden ticket to one of the top spots in the 2018 NBA Draft before the Nets went on a Spencer Dinwiddie-led surge at the end of the season, causing the Cavs to drop to eighth. No Luka Doncic. No Trae Young. No Deandre Ayton. Not even Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Cavs ended up with Sexton, now the cultural backbone and cornerstone of this rebuild. Sexton, alone, helps twist the perception of the maligned Irving trade.
One game after Sexton’s career night — causing everyone around the league to take notice with a 42-point masterpiece, outdueling Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden — the 22-year-old guard poured in 25 points to go with nine assists in the 125-113 win.
It’s Sexton’s 14th straight game with at least 20 points — a streak that goes back to the 2019-20 season. He became the first player in Cavs history to open a season with 20-plus points in his first 10 games. He keeps reaching franchise marks that put him in the company of James and Irving.
This is becoming an every-night occurrence, with glimmers of star potential that go back to last December, when Sexton began his launch as one of the Eastern Conference’s best.
His backcourt mate, Darius Garland, who returned from an eight-game absence because of a sprained right shoulder Friday, cast an early vote for his buddy to get some All-Star recognition.
“He deserves it,” Garland said while nodding his head. “He comes in every night with the mindset that you can’t stop him. And that’s what he shows the league, that’s what he shows the world and everybody that’s watching this basketball game. He’s getting wherever he wants. Getting teammates involved. I mean, a lot of people don’t do that. When you come off a 42-point game, you expect them to probably go for another 40-ball. He’s still getting his buckets, but he’s making everybody else better around him. That’s what I love about Bull right now. He’s just locked in. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all behind him.”
In his third season, typically when youngsters make “the leap,” Sexton is averaging 26.8 points on 52.3% from the field and 46.8% from 3-point range to go with 4.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. His scoring average would rank 10th, tied with MVP candidate Doncic, if Sexton had enough games to qualify.
A low-maintenance player who embodies the Cavaliers credo is a heck of a starting point when reassessing the Irving trade.
The Cavs also received Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and broken-down Isaiah Thomas. Not great — until you start tracking further.
Without Thomas, there’s no Larry Nance Jr. The Cavs acquired Nance from the Los Angeles Lakers along with Jordan Clarkson midway through the 2017-18 season. It cost Thomas, Channing Frye and a first-round pick. Thomas’ salary number allowed the Lakers to dump Clarkson — a sticking point for them to give up budding Nance.
Now in his third full season with the Cavs — and sixth overall — Nance is a key piece of this nucleus. He’s the do-everything forward in the midst of a career year, averaging 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals.
An analytical darling, some of Cleveland’s tracking metrics point to him being one of the team’s most impactful players. Nance, who is under contract through the 2022-23 season, has a developing 3-point shot, hitting 42.9% from beyond the arc this season. He also looks more comfortable as a playmaker, a role he was never granted in Los Angeles. But the other end is where he shines, taking pride in his on-off rating and always peering at plus-minus. Integral to the team’s defensive turnaround, Nance is leading the league in steals and ranks sixth in defensive win shares.
“There isn’t anyone who personifies the type of person we want in this organization more than Larry,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He continues to be the motor that helps this thing keep churning on both ends of the ball.”
Crowder didn’t mesh well in Cleveland. He was flipped in a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings. The Cavs received George Hill and Rodney Hood.
About a year later, with Cleveland shifting its priorities, Hill was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks for John Henson, Matthew Dellavedova and a future first-round pick. Without Crowder and his valuable contract — a secondary reason the Cavs targeted him in the Irving deal — they don’t get Hill. Without Hill, the Cavs don’t have Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen.
This past February, the Cavs used Henson’s expiring contract along with Brandon Knight to get Drummond, giving the Detroit Pistons salary relief they needed to rejigger the roster. Going back to last season, the Cavs are 11-11 with Drummond in the lineup, much more competitive than when he arrived.
Drummond can get out of control every now and then. Bickerstaff went a different direction to close Wednesday’s game. But Drummond rebounded Friday, recording another double-double with 19 points and 16 boards. The two-time All-Star has been a force at both ends, bullying opponents around the rim and anchoring the team’s defense the way he promised.
“The potential for this team is endless,” Drummond said. “We have all the tools to be a great team. There’s no reason why we can’t beat the best teams in the NBA. We have the heart, we have the drive.
“When I got here, my message to these guys was, we should never be afraid of anybody, we don’t care who’s on the court. It could be Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Doesn’t matter. We’re gonna play them the same way each and every night, we’re going to stick to our scheme and what works for us. We don’t want any cute games. Want to make it as ugly as possible and may the better team win. Night in and night out, it ends up being us.”
That first-rounder from the Bucks was the linchpin of last week’s Allen theft. The Nets didn’t want to part with the up-and-coming center. They shopped sharpshooter Landry Shamet instead, hoping he could fetch the final first-round pick the Nets needed to land Harden. When those attempts failed, they reached out to the Cavs who were delighted to jump in the deal.
Cleveland also got Taurean Prince, who looks to be much more than a throw-in piece. While the Cavs need to pay Allen, a restricted free agent this summer, they believe he’s the long-term answer in the middle — a 22-year-old shot-blocking pick-and-roll partner for Sexton and Garland.
Back to Clarkson for a minute. He was sent to Utah last December for Dante Exum and two second-round picks. The Cavs also got a trade exception. Not only did Clarkson’s departure coincide with Sexton’s rise, but it brought Exum, who was used in the Harden blockbuster — the salary needed to match Prince. The trade exception allowed the Cavs to absorb Allen’s contract.
Hood was tossed to Portland nearly two years ago in a package that included Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin and two future second-round picks.
Trading is a lengthy, complex game of chess. It’s not just one move, but rather a series of them that require short- and long-term thinking.
Cleveland’s rebuild plan — jumpstarted by Irving’s trade demand — has started to come into focus. Because of that one move, and a string of others that spawned from it, the Cavs now have Sexton, Nance, Drummond, Allen, Prince and more draft capital to potentially use in future deals.
Checkmate.
Irving, meanwhile, had two frustrating years in Boston and bolted on bad terms. He’s in Brooklyn now, hoping the Harden addition will allow the Nets to rise to the top of the league. Irving’s greatness can’t be argued. The Cavs honored him in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game, as Irving saluted the crowd and pointed to his ring finger — a recognition of the role this organization played in him becoming a champion.
The hatred has quelled. The Cavs have moved on. They’re in a good place, one of the NBA’s surprise teams in the first month, with a bright future and an exciting young core. There’s hope again. It wouldn’t have been possible without the Irving trade more than three years ago.
Lopsided indeed. In Cleveland’s favor.
–
New Cavs face masks for sale:Here’s where you can buy Cleveland Cavaliers-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All NBA proceeds donated to charity.
More Cavaliers coverage
Collin Sexton’s incredible night, Cavaliers move on from Kevin Porter Jr. and welcome Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince: Wine and Gold Talk Podcast
Where Collin Sexton’s 42-point game vs. Nets ranks on the Cavaliers’ all-time scoring list
Collin Sexton drops career-high 42 points against Nets: See how social media reacted to Sexton’s big night
Collin Sexton changing narrative, becoming cornerstone of Cleveland Cavaliers’ rebuild: ‘He’s not a regular NBA player’
Cavaliers’ past meets present and future as Collin Sexton bests Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets 147-135 in 2OT
One lucky lottery player in Michigan has won the Mega Millions $1 billion jackpot.
The Mega Millions pot rose to $1 billion late Friday, and a winner was announced around 1 a.m. Saturday.
The winning numbers were 4, 26, 42, 50, 60, and 24.
Officials said the jackpot — which works out to $739.6 million as a lump-sum, before taxes — was the third-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.
The winner’s identity has not been revealed.
The Mega Millions drawing comes two days after a person in Maryland found themselves holding the winning ticket for the $731.1 million Powerball jackpot.
One ticket that matched the six numbers for the $1 billion prize was sold in the state, according to a Mega Millions news release on Saturday.
The winning numbers were 4-26-42-50-60 and a Mega Ball number of 24, the lottery said. The identity of the ticket owner was not disclosed.
The odds of scoring the jackpot are one in 1 in 302,575,350.
The payout for Friday night’s drawing was the second largest in Mega Millions history and the third largest in US lottery history, according to lottery spokesperson Carole Bober Gentry.
The lump-sum cash option for the jackpot was an estimated $739.6 million.
The jackpot now resets to $20 million for the next drawing scheduled for Tuesday.
