On-duty Boston cop gets hurt barreling down massive slide, while his equipment flies: 'Oh f***'



An on-duty Boston Police officer injured himself while taking a tumble down a giant metal slide at Boston's City Hall Plaza.

The new slide is a popular spot for kids, according to the Boston Globe, where children have to climb three levels of obstacles in order to get to the steep, metallic contraption.

This endeavor was not too difficult for a local Boston cop, however, but it did reveal that the slide is indeed dangerous for adults. Signs at the playground reportedly say that the slide is “not intended for adult use” and should only be used by kids ages 5-12, according to the New York Post.

In the video posted to Twitter and TikTok, loud banging is heard from inside the tube slide, later revealed to be the officer flying down the metal slide face-down. The officer makes contact with the bottom of the slide before skidding to a stop on the rubber playground surface below.

What appeared to be the cop's pepper spray, handcuffs, and radio fly off of his body, although the radio remained attached by its cord. He is then heard saying "Oh f***" while he gathers himself to his feet.

— (@)

A Boston Police spokesman confirmed the video as well as the reported minor injuries that followed from the incident.

"He was on duty, he used his own private insurance, and he didn't miss any time," the spokesman told TheBlaze.

Online reactions ranged from laughter to disappointment that the officer was partaking in stunts while on duty.

"Good to see them hard at work," said one viewer.

"What was he doing there?" asked another woman.

Former NHL player and podcaster Ryan Whitney reportedly had posted the video, but said he took it down after he was begged to remove it.

"I just deleted what I think is one of the funniest videos of all time. I was begged to take it down. Sad," Whitney wrote.

— (@)

Other adults have been injured trying to complete the feat of the children's slide. One woman posted a TikTok video of her coming out of the tube face-first as well, resulting in a head injury of her own.


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'The university wanted us to be quiet': Another Lia Thomas teammate comes forward — promises to stand up to 'radical views'



A University of Pennsylvania student athlete shared her story publicly after months of remaining anonymous about being on the same team as the infamous transgender swimmer "Lia" Thomas.

Paula Scanlan, who was listed as a senior on Penn Athletics' Women's Swimming and Diving Roster, swam with the aforementioned Thomas, as well as fellow swimmer-turned activist Riley Gaines, according to the Daily Wire.

Thomas is a male athlete who joined the women's swim team in 2021 after he began hormone replacement therapy in May 2019. Thomas went on to win the women's NCAA Division I national championship in the 500-yard freestyle, completely dominating his competition in state and regional competitions leading up to winning the women's title.

Scanlan had previously spoken anonymously about the ordeal, appearing as an unnamed teammate in the Daily Wire's "What Is a Woman?" documentary but has since chosen to speak out publicly about Thomas joining the women's team.

"One of the girls [was] very upset. She went crying to the athletic department, I don't know what they said to her but she then was completely on board and thought Lia swimming was this magical, beautiful thing," Scanlan told Matt Walsh in an interview. "Is there something wrong with me for thinking this was wrong? It worked. The university wanted us to be quiet, and they did it in a very effective way," she described.

"There was something going on in that athletic department that wanted to keep us quiet, and I was like, this is getting scary," she added.

"The universities need to be held accountable. They have made these radical views endemic in America," Scanlan said in a Twitter response to Walsh, who claimed the University of Pennsylvania manipulated its athletes.

\u201c@MattWalshBlog The universities need to be held accountable. They have made these radical views endemic in America.\u201d
— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1686007175

In a post to her own page, Scanlan also urged Americans to stand up and "do the right thing," adding, "Now more than ever it is important as Americans we stand up for the truth. The whole world depends on us to do so."

\u201cAs a Taiwanese citizen as well as a US citizen. I\u2019m able to see first hand the impact the decisions we make in America have on the world. Americans we need to step up and do the right thing.\u201d
— Paula Scanlan (@Paula Scanlan) 1686052121

Scanlan detailed that Will "Lia" Thomas himself was the one who explained to female athletes at the university that he would be competing against them in women's swimming. "We were told that next season Will Thomas would be joining the women's team," Scanlan said. "I felt shocked, I felt a little uncomfortable, but everyone around me looked really happy and excited for this member of the men's team to be living their true self."

When Thomas joined the team during the pre-season, Scanlan said it happened "really quick," taking about 10 minutes from Thomas addressing the team, directly to the coach announcing "okay, everybody get in the pool."

As well, Thomas allegedly became much "more talkative" and "more vocal" when joining the women's team, according to Scanlan, who said she never thought Thomas would be the kind of person to be involved in such a "public scandal."

"I'm not sure how much of it was change of personality ... or how much of it was because there was so much media attention," she explained.

\u201cA teammate of Lia Thomas appeared in What Is A Woman anonymously. A few days ago she came to us and said she is ready to come out publicly and tell her story. I had a longer conversation with Paula where she revealed a number of details that weren't covered in the film. Watch:\u201d
— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1686007175
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'Homophobia' and 'anti-Semitism': playwright condemns cancellation of high school musical with lesbian sexual encounter

'Homophobia' and 'anti-Semitism': playwright condemns cancellation of high school musical with lesbian sexual encounter



A Jacksonville, Florida, high school cancelled a play written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright due to overtly sexual content in the play's script, according to the Florida Standard. The play's author, Paula Vogel, called the cancellation a "perfect collision between homophobia" and "Anti-Semitism."

The Douglas Anderson School of the Arts had planned to run a performance of the play called "Indecent." The musical is in reference to a controversial play from the early 1900s called "God of Vengeance." Upon its release, "The cast and producers were found guilty of performing ‘immoral' drama on the Broadway stage,” according to a review of the play's content.

The play involves a Jewish brothel owner whose daughter falls in love with one of the resident prostitutes, a rather controversial plot for the time.

“A closer review of the mature content of ‘Indecent’ led us to the conclusion that [a different play] is better suited for a school production,” the school's principle wrote in an email to parents.

In a statement to the Florida Standard, a spokesperson for the school district said the musical "contains adult sexual dialog that is inappropriate for student cast members and student audiences. It’s that simple.”

A scene from the play involves two women standing in the rain before retreating into a brothel and then getting into a bed:

"You let me wash your breasts in the rain," the play reads.

"Your breasts are so pale. So Soft," it continues.

"I want you to take me."

"I want to taste you."

The characters, who would be played by high school students, kiss and then discuss sharing a bed for the night.

Screen shot of a scene from the musical "Indecent"Image Courtesy The Florida Standard

Author Paula Vogel spoke out on Twitter, calling the cancellation homophobic and anti-Semitic, asking, "What part of your decision is from homophobia when you censored your high school students performing in INDECENT? What part is anti-semitism? I fear the 2nd is also possible."

Vogel also reportedly told Florida outlet Action News Jax, “I do think this is the perfect collision between homophobia, Anti-Semitism and the notion we police our students in a move towards a totalitarianism."

The playwright also asked followers to write to the school board regarding the cancellation.

One of the students alleged to be in the play posted a TikTok video to express her disappointment, with a caption that read "Jewish, Queer, young voices will not be silenced and censored."

The student blamed Florida's Parental Rights in Education law as the basis for the halting of the musical and called the cancellation "ironic" while appearing on a local newscast.

\u201cA question for the Duval School board: what part of your decision is from homophobia when you censored your high school students performing in INDECENT? What part is anti-semitism? I fear the 2nd is also possible.\u201d
— Paula Vogel (@Paula Vogel) 1673053854


\u201chttps://t.co/wE5YYLt0vR\n\nDear companies of INDECENT: please write Diana Green to support the students and faculty at Douglas Andersen whose production was shut down in Jacksonville Florida.\u201d
— Paula Vogel (@Paula Vogel) 1673283785


\u201c@VogelPaula This just came up on my TikTok feed. An emotional and articulate response from a member of the Douglas Anderson cast. \n\nTikTok user: @/racoonfeet24\u201d
— Paula Vogel (@Paula Vogel) 1673283785



Raccoon accused — without evidence — of attacking members of White House press corps



An unidentified raccoon has been accused — without evidence — by a White House correspondent of attacking "multiple" members of the press corps, in a case that has sparked calls to federal authorities.

What are the details?

CBS News White House correspondent Paula Reid claimed in a tweet that a raccoon "allegedly grabbed pant leg of a photographer & then a corespondent (sic) before being fended off" on the North Lawn of the White House on Monday morning.

Reid accused the perpetrator of attacking "multiple crews," but did not present any evidence of the purported assaults. She did present photos of several other unidentified raccoons without their consent, acknowledging that the subjects who appeared to be tampering with property were pictured from "more peaceful times."

Strong Pawnee vibes at White House this morning as a raccoon attacked multiple news crews on North Lawn. 🦝 allegedl… https://t.co/9fxOJDJDSO
— Paula Reid (@Paula Reid)1601302632.0

The Hill pointed out that Reid joked about "strong Pawnee vibes" from the encounter, a reference "to the fictional town of Pawnee, Ind. from the sitcom 'Parks and Recreation,' where raccoons are a frequent nuisance."

What was the reaction on social media?

Reid's post garnered significant attention on the social media platform, with several followers repeating the stereotype that raccoons active during daylight hours likely carry rabies. Others spoke of their fondness for the nocturnal animals, and dismissed the allegations.

Citing the photos from "more peaceful times," one Twitter user responded, "THESE RACCOON LOOK INNOCENT TO ME PAULA JUST A ROUTINE SNACK INSPECTION NOTHING TO SEE HERE CASE CLOSE."

But Reid kept on the case, providing an update that "Sources tell @CBSNews White House reaching out to [U.S. General Services Administration] about aggressive (raccoon) who allegedly attacked crews this am."

UPDATE: Sources tell @CBSNews White House reaching out to @USGSA about aggressive 🦝 who allegedly attacked crews this AM. #MondayMorning
— Paula Reid (@Paula Reid)1601303515.0

The Hill also noted that "the raccoons could not be reached for comment," and confirmed that "no evidence has emerged to suggest the raccoons were politically motivated."