Siblings TJ and Megan McConnell Hit Career Highs in Same Week as He Makes First NBA Final and She Signs WNBA Contract

Siblings TJ and Megan McConnell Hit Career Highs in Same Week as He Makes First NBA Final and She Signs WNBA Contract

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty; Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty TJ McConnell advanced to his first NBA Finals on May 31 with the Indiana Pacers His sister Megan McConnell signed her first WNBA contract a few days later on June 3 Megan made her debut on Tuesday with the Phoenix Mercury It was a big week for the McConnell siblings! Just three days after TJ McConnell advanced tohis first NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacerson May 31, the point guard's sister Megan McConnell signed herfirst contract in the WNBA. The Phoenix Mercury signed Megan, 23, to a contract on Tuesday, June 3, and the former Duquesne women's basketball guard made her debut in a game against the Minnesota Lynx later that night. In a statement announcing the signing, Mercury head coach Dan Burt said, "Meg had worked incredibly hard to play in the WNBA. This roster spot is well earned. So happy for such an awesome young woman." Megan was drafted by the Mercury in April and played in training camp, but was initially released from the team. TJ, 33, celebrated his sister's big news on social media. The Pacers guard reposted a graphic from the Mercury announcing Megan's new contract and wrote, "Let's goooooo Meg," on hisInstagram Story. In a second Story on Tuesday, he shared a highlight of Megan's debut with the team and added a heart emoji. The siblings have another brother, Matty, who also played basketball in college for Robert Morris University. Matty, 28, posted a celebratoryInstagram Storyafter Megan was signed, writing, "PROVE THEM WRONG" over a graphic of his sister on the court. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In the Pacers' series-winning victory on May 31 over the New York Knicks — crushing the dreams ofKnicks' diehard celeb fans like Ben StillerandTimothèe Chalamet— TJ posted three points, four rebounds and two assists. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Megan played for Duquesne University, in their hometown of Pittsburgh, for five years. She was named the 2025 Atlantic 10 defensive player of the year and is a two-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team member. She is the school's second all-time leading scorer. TJ also played for the Duquesne Dukes before transferring to Arizona in 2012 to play for the Wildcats. The Pennsylvania native went undrafted before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2015. He signed with Indiana in 2019. Read the original article onPeople

byAlpha World

in

June 04, 2025

Siblings TJ and Megan McConnell Hit Career Highs in Same Week as He Makes First NBA Final and She Signs WNBA Contract

Siblings TJ and Megan McConnell Hit Career Highs in Same Week as He Makes First NBA Final and She Signs WNBA Contract Nathaniel S. Butler/NB...

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Justin Bieber Shares Cryptic Post About Unnamed Person Choosing "Loyalty" Over "Love"

Justin Bieber Shares Cryptic Post About Unnamed Person Choosing "Loyalty" Over "Love"

Justin Bieber has fans speculating thanks to three back-to-back Instagram posts that are cryptic to say the least. Justin first hopped online early in the morning on June 3, writing "Telling other humans they deserve something is like raising someone else's kids. Who are you to tell someone what someone should or shouldn't have. The audacity. That's not your place. God decides what we deserve." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) He didn't clarify what or who he was referring to, but returned to Instagram later in the day to say "'LOYALTY' is manipulative language. Loyalty is duty, it's an obligation. THATS NOT FREE WILL. Love is NOT a duty. LOVE IS A DELIGHT. Please stop using loyalty to keep people around you out of your own fear its hurting us. Mafia members use loyalty to keep people in their gangs. Lets not perpetuate this manipulative language. LOVE OVER LOYALTY FOREVER." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) He then posted a selfie featuring some slippers, and wrote a simple "U DONT GET TO DECIDE WHOS WORTHY. OR WHO DESERVES WHAT. GOD DOES 💪🏼" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) Again, Justin didn't clarify who his messages were aimed at—and it's fully possible that he was speaking generally. Either way, the singer's messages come amid a lot of speculation about his relationship with Hailey Bieber and people in the comments are definitely jumping to some conclusions. Which is why it feels relevant to note that Hailey liked his first post out of these three! You Might Also Like Here's What NOT to Wear to a Wedding Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You'll Ever Try

byAlpha World

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June 04, 2025

Justin Bieber Shares Cryptic Post About Unnamed Person Choosing "Loyalty" Over "Love"

Justin Bieber Shares Cryptic Post About Unnamed Person Choosing "Loyalty" Over "Love" Justin Bieber has fans speculating...

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Cologne evacuation order lifted after three World War II bombs defused

Cologne evacuation order lifted after three World War II bombs defused

The German city of Cologne has finished evacuating 20,500 people, its largest evacuation order since World War II, after officials defused three massive, unexploded bombs. The American bombs – two 20-ton weapons and another that weighs 10 tons – were found in a shipyard on Monday, the city said, causing a huge "danger zone" to be sealed off on Wednesday morning. A hospital, two retirement centers and the city's second largest train station were among the facilities emptied out. Schools, churches, museums and two of the city's cultural landmarks – the Musical Dome theater and the Philharmonic Hall – also fell within the evacuation zone. The discovery of unexploded weapons is a frequent phenomenon in Cologne, which was decimated by Allied bombing during World War II, but no operation of this size has been carried out since the end of the war, the city said. "At 7:19 p.m., the three unexploded bombs that had paralyzed large parts of the city were defused. Experts from the ordnance disposal service Rheinland of the Düsseldorf district government rendered them harmless," city authorities said in a statement. Streets and buildings are being gradually reopened, and residents can return to their homes and apartments, the authorities added. Allied nations conducted 262 air raids of Cologne during World War II, killing approximately 20,000 residents and leaving the city in ruins. Nearly all of the buildings in the Old Town were destroyed, as were 91 of the city's 150 churches. A massive reconstruction effort took place after the war, with the Old Town rebuilt and major landmarks restored. But small evacuations still take place on a regular basis when unexploded ordnances are found. Around10,000 residentshad to leave their homes in October when another American bomb was found, andin December,3,000 people were asked to evacuate. CNN's Stephanie Halasz contributed reporting For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

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June 04, 2025

Cologne evacuation order lifted after three World War II bombs defused

Cologne evacuation order lifted after three World War II bombs defused The German city of Cologne has finished evacuating 20,500 people, its...

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2 arrested with arsenal and Nazi paraphernalia after base robbery were ex-military, prosecutors say

2 arrested with arsenal and Nazi paraphernalia after base robbery were ex-military, prosecutors say

SEATTLE (AP) — Two men arrested in Washington state with an arsenal that included grenade launchers and body armor, along with Nazi paraphernalia, were former military members who attacked a soldier with a hammer while stealing gear from Joint Base Lewis-McChord last weekend, investigators say. Levi Austin Frakes and Charles Ethan Fields were arrested Monday night at their home in Lacey, near Olympia, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. Federal court records did not list an attorney for either man. One of the defendants told investigators they had been stealing equipment from the base for the past two years to sell or trade, and agents found about $24,000 in cash at the home, wrote Special Agent Christopher J. Raguse of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. The federal complaint charges them with robbery, assault and theft of government property. They also face investigation on state charges of unlawful possession of incendiary devices, short-barreled rifles and a machine gun. Each was being held at the Pierce County Jail on $500,000 bail. According to the complaint, a soldier entered a building at the Army Ranger compound at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Sunday night and found two men, partially masked, with a cluster of U.S. Army property around them. The soldier questioned them about what they were doing and told them to pull down their masks, which they did. A fight ensued, and one of the men brandished a hammer and struck the soldier in the head. The soldier continued to fight despite losing a large amount of blood and managed to get control of the hammer — at which point, one of the men pulled a knife. The soldier then let them go, the complaint said. During the fight, one of the men dropped his hat. It said "Fields" on the inside. Using base entry logs and surveillance video, investigators determined that Fields and Frakes had entered Lewis-McChord together about an hour before the attack, investigators said. Additionally, the wounded soldier, who required hospital treatment, told investigators that he asked around his unit about the name Fields after finding it on the hat. The soldier learned that Fields had been assigned to the Ranger Battalion around 2021, and he was able to identify him as one of the attackers based on photos shown to him by others in his unit, the complaint said. The complaint did not include details of Frakes' military service. The FBI executed a search warrant at a home shared by the defendants on Monday and arrested them. Agents found rifles positioned at the upstairs windows, the complaint said. Authorities said agents seized about 35 firearms at the home, including short barrel rifles and an MG42 machine gun — a type typically supported with a bipod and which was used by German troops during World War II. Other seized gear included grenade launchers, Army-issued explosives, body armor, ammunition and ballistic helmets, authorities said. Photos from inside the home showed Nazi paraphernalia, including a red Nazi flag emblazoned with a black swastika.

byAlpha World

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June 04, 2025

2 arrested with arsenal and Nazi paraphernalia after base robbery were ex-military, prosecutors say

2 arrested with arsenal and Nazi paraphernalia after base robbery were ex-military, prosecutors say SEATTLE (AP) — Two men arrested in Washi...

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Judge dismisses multiple claims in Vin Diesel sex abuse lawsuit from ex-assistant

Judge dismisses multiple claims in Vin Diesel sex abuse lawsuit from ex-assistant

Over a year afterVin Dieselwas sued by a former assistant, who accused him of wrongful termination and sexual assault, the judge in the case is dismissing some of its most potent claims. In a tentative ruling on June 3, Judge Daniel M. Crowley agreed to dismiss four different claims of harassment made byDiesel'sformer employee Asta Jonasson. Jonasson, whooriginally sued the actor in December 2023, has alleged he sexually assaulted her in the fall of 2010 during the filming of "Fast Five," the fifth installment of his brand-making"Fast and Furious" franchise.She was then unceremoniously fired, she alleges, a claim that lies at the center of the parts of the lawsuit Crowley opted to dismiss. USA TODAY has reached out to lawyers for both Diesel and Jonasson for comment. 'The Fast and the Furious' turns 20:Vin Diesel recalls fixing Paul Walker's 'goofy lines' A technical rather than substantive error, Crowley ruled that because Jonasson levied her claims under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, she would have been required to file a complaint with the state's Civil Rights Division within a certain time frame. She would have had to file the complaint within a year of the incident, a deadline which came and went in 2011, Crowley wrote, calling it an "incurable procedural defect" that required he dismiss Jonasson's claims of a hostile work environment, discrimination, retaliation and a failure to prevent harassment on the part ofDiesel and his company. While this week's ruling notches a small win for the action star, he will continue to face Jonasson's six other allegations, which include accusations of sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Vin Diesel to stay with'Fast and Furious' franchise after sexual assault lawsuit According to the original lawsuit, Jonasson was hired by Diesel'sproduction company, One Race (also named in the suit), to work for him in various capacities, including accompanying the actor to parties and ensuring she was nearby in photos if the actor attended events without his longtime girlfriend. After a late night in September 2010, Jonasson's lawyers allege she was asked to wait forDieselin his suite at the St. Regis hotel while he entertained hostesses from a club. When the women left, Diesel grabbed Jonasson's wrists and pulled her onto the bed, according to the lawsuit. She escaped and askedDieselto leave, but he allegedly began to grope her breasts, kiss her chest and run his hands along her waist and upper legs, including her inner thighs. Jonasson was afraid to "forcibly refuse her superior" for her personal safety and job security, but after Diesel moved to pull down her underwear, Jonasson screamed and ran down a hallway. According to the lawsuit,Dieselpinned her to the wall and placed her hand on his genitals and then masturbated, while "terrified, Ms. Jonasson closed her eyes, trying to dissociate from the sexual assault and avoid angering him," according to the suit. Hours later,Diesel'ssister and president of One Race, Samantha Vincent, called Jonasson to fire her after fewer than two weeks on the job, the suit says. Though Jonasson signed a nondisclosure agreement when she accepted the position, she was able to file the claimsbecause of the Speak Out Act, which prevents the enforcement of nondisclosure agreements in instances of sexual assault and assault and harassment, and California's AB2777, which temporarily waives statutes of limitations for sexual abuse allegations occurring in 2009 or later. Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Vin Diesel sexual assault lawsuit: Several assistant claims dismissed

byAlpha World

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June 04, 2025

Judge dismisses multiple claims in Vin Diesel sex abuse lawsuit from ex-assistant

Judge dismisses multiple claims in Vin Diesel sex abuse lawsuit from ex-assistant Over a year afterVin Dieselwas sued by a former assistant,...

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