Author: Shekari Philemon

AI tutoring is the education technology development that teachers have been watching with a combination of professional interest and existential concern since large language models became sufficiently capable to hold an instructional conversation. The question of whether an AI system could match or exceed human teaching quality in any meaningful dimension has been debated theoretically for years. New research is moving the conversation from theoretical to empirical in ways that make the debate considerably more urgent. A comprehensive education outcome study examining more than 30,000 students across grade levels and subject areas who used AI tutoring systems as their primary…

There are moments in live television that no producer plans for and no script could replicate. What unfolded on a recent episode of Gil’s Arena was one of them. Kenyon Martin, the former number one overall pick who has spent years building a reputation as one of the most unfiltered voices in basketball media, paused the broadcast mid-show to address something he said he could not let pass without a response. The target of his attention was a member of the show’s own staff. The reason was personal. A video had surfaced showing the staffer appearing to mock Martin’s stutter,…

The New England Patriots moved on from Stefon Diggs after just one season together, and the timing could not be more convenient for one of their closest division rivals. The Miami Dolphins are heading into a new era with a gutted receiver room, a first-time head coach and an unproven starter under center. Diggs, suddenly available, fits that picture in ways that are hard to ignore. Miami recently dealt Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos and cut ties with Tyreek Hill earlier in the offseason, leaving the team with a receiving corps that needs bodies, experience and leadership in a…

When conversations about the most gifted big men of the 1980s come up, the same names tend to surface. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Hakeem Olajuwon. Players who have been celebrated so thoroughly that their legacies feel untouchable. But somewhere in that discussion, a name that belongs right alongside them often goes unmentioned. Robert Parish was extraordinary. The longtime Boston Celtics center played a central role in three NBA championships and five Finals appearances across one of the most competitive decades in league history. And yet, decades later, he remains one of the most underappreciated players of his generation. A recent reflection from…

Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks was taken into custody in Scottsdale, Arizona in the early hours of Friday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence. The arrest added an unwanted off-court development to what has already been a difficult stretch for the veteran forward, who has been sidelined for nearly two weeks with a broken hand. Brooks was pulled over just south of Thunderbird Road on Scottsdale Road around 1 a.m. following reported traffic violations that included reckless driving and exceeding the speed limit. Officers placed him under arrest roughly 30 minutes after the initial stop and transported him…

Draymond Green has never been the type to hold back, and his latest take on the state of professional basketball is no exception. The Golden State Warriors forward is making a passionate push for the NBA to loosen its restrictions on physical defense, arguing that the league’s long-running love affair with high-scoring games has quietly drained the sport of what makes it great. It is not a new debate. For years, the NBA has leaned heavily into an offensive-first identity, betting that fans would show up for dazzling shooting displays, relentless fast breaks and an endless stream of three-pointers. And…

Terrence Howard did not name the woman. But Farrah Franklin figured out quickly enough that he was talking about her, and she was not going to let the story sit uncorrected. The actor, best known for his roles in Hustle and Flow and Empire, recently appeared on a podcast where he recalled a moment from his younger years involving Beyoncé and the members of Destiny’s Child. According to his account, he had the opportunity to pursue Beyoncé early in their acquaintance but instead gravitated toward another member of the group, whom he described as having blue eyes. Franklin, who served…

Hiking is the exercise that people who hate exercise will actually do. It does not feel like a workout in the way that a spin class or a weight room session announces itself as one. You are just walking, but on an incline, on uneven ground, through something that looks considerably better than a parking garage, with a view that occasionally justifies the entire experience. The gym has never offered a view that justified anything. Research published in early 2026 examining the physiological and psychological outcomes of regular hiking compared to matched indoor exercise is making a case that the…

Overconsumption has a marketing problem in the sense that the entire marketing industry exists to ensure it does not feel like a problem at all. Every purchase is framed as self-care, self-expression, self-improvement, or all three simultaneously. The algorithm knows what you looked at twice. The checkout button is one tap away. The package arrives before you have fully decided you wanted what is inside it. And somewhere in the middle of all this frictionless acquisition, a growing body of research is documenting that buying more is producing measurably less of what people actually want from it. Research published in…

Caffeine addiction is the only dependency that gets celebrated at brunch. Nobody brags about needing a cigarette to function in the morning, but needing three coffees before being capable of basic human interaction is practically a personality trait in 2026. It appears on mugs, in Instagram captions, and in the unspoken social contract of every early morning meeting. You are not addicted. You are simply someone who appreciates coffee deeply and happens to get a headache when you do not have it. Research published in early 2026 examining caffeine dependency across a sample of 45,000 adults found that approximately 7…