Madeleine Albright had a lot to say about Putin — and she didn't mince words

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  When Madeleine Albright met Russian President Vladimir Putin more than 20 years ago as the U.S. secretary of state, she said he was trying to ingratiate himself to then-President Clinton — but Putin also "had a view of how things were going to go."

Albright, the first woman to become U.S. secretary of state, has died at the age of 84, according to her family.

She served as secretary of state from 1997 to 2001 during the Clinton administration. Clinton appointed her ambassador to the United Nations in 1993.

Albright spoke with NPR last June ahead of a meeting in Geneva between Russian and U.S. leaders. The former secretary of state recalled the first time she met Putin, in 1999 — emphasizing that his agenda was clear from the beginning.

He was "trying very hard to ingratiate himself with President Clinton," she said during an interview on All Things Considered.

"But my impression in the second two meetings were that he very much liked the background of being in the Kremlin with all its history, that he was smart, that he was prepared and that he had a view about how things were going to go," Albright added.

Albright said Putin isn't "easy to manage," despite meeting four U.S. presidents since his first introduction with Clinton.

"I think he is somebody that is very competent in his capabilities generally. And he believes that he is the sole reason, in many ways, that Russia now is on the world stage and that he wants to make sure that Russia is always taken into consideration," Albright told NPR.

"But Russia is alone. And it's never been clearer than it will be this time because President Biden has just come from some remarkable meetings — the G7, NATO and the EU. And we have allies, and Putin is alone," she added.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been ongoing for a month, resulting in nearly 5,000 civilian casualties across the country, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of State.

Russian forces have hit spaces where Ukrainian civilians are present, such as schools, shopping centers, hospitals and apartment buildings.

READ MORE - Madeleine Albright had a lot to say about Putin — and she didn't mince words

The Miami Heat, currently in first place in the East, almost ripped each other to shreds Wednesday night

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  If you hadn't been following the NBA recently and just took one look at the top of the Eastern Conference standnings, you'd assume things were all hunky dory in Miami Heat-land. You'd be incorrect.

Yes, the Heat are alone atop the East, but their once comfortable lead has shrunk to 1.5 games, and it's not just one team in striking distance. The new-look Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics are all right there and ready to pounce, all thanks to the Heat dropping four of their last seven games.

In their most recent loss to the Golden State Warriors, who were without their big three of Steph, Klay and Draymond, frustrations boiled over. Things got extra hot for the Heat, if you will. Jimmy Butler, not surprisingly, was at the center of it all, which was great news for the "Jimmy Butler is a terrible teammate" truthers. The first clip to hit social media was from a member of the media sitting about 20 rows up, and it showed Butler jawing and finger-pointing with both head coach Erik Spoelstra and Heat legend/benchwarmer Udonis Haslem:

Then the second clip hit, giving us a much closer look at the chaos:

Then clips three, four and five hit, each one better than the last, featuring a Spoelstra clipboard smash, Kyle Lowry calling for a timeout (??) in the middle of it all, and a fascinating angle of Spoelstra incredulously asking if Butler actually wanted Spoelstra to fight him. Thank God for smartphones:

Absolute MADNESS! And boy, as an impartial observer, it sure does look like Butler and only Butler is in the wrong here. But, we should point out that this was immediately after a 19-0 Warriors run to start the third quarter, so it's fair to say everyone was running a little hot. Lowry chalked it up to passionate players frustrated with losing.

"Listen, our guys really want to win basketball games and we have guys that work extremely hard," Lowry said. "The passion comes out. The fire and the emotions come out sometimes. But like I said, to us it's nothing. We conversated and had a conversation and we continue to build."

Spoelstra echoed that sentiment, even going as far as to say it could help the team in the long run.

"You can use moments during the season to catapult you," Spoelstra said. "You can galvanize together over frustration and disappointment. Teams can also go the other way. I don't see that with our group. I don't see that with our locker room. But we have needed a kick in the butt."

The good news for Miami is the play the New York Knicks next. A get-right game if we've ever seen one.

READ MORE - The Miami Heat, currently in first place in the East, almost ripped each other to shreds Wednesday night

Grizzlies’ shocking record without Ja Morant set to make NBA history

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  The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the best teams in the NBA this season, and it’s not necessarily solely because of Ja Morant. In fact, they are playing way better without their superstar, which they proved once again during Wednesday’s contest against the Brooklyn Nets.

With Morant sidelined for the second straight game because of a knee injury, Desmond Bane and company used a balanced attack to fend off Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Nets. Bane and De’Anthony Melton led the team in scoring with 23 points each, while Dillon Brooks had 21 points as a total of seven Grizzlies scored in double figures.

In the process, the Grizzlies improved to 15-2 without Morant this season. According to ESPN Stats & Info, it is the third-highest win percentage in a season by a team when playing without their All-Star. The only other teams to do it were the Boston Celtics in 1964-65 and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019-20.

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the best teams in the NBA this season, and it’s not necessarily solely because of Ja Morant. In fact, they are playing way better without their superstar, which they proved once again during Wednesday’s contest against the Brooklyn Nets.

With Morant sidelined for the second straight game because of a knee injury, Desmond Bane and company used a balanced attack to fend off Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Nets. Bane and De’Anthony Melton led the team in scoring with 23 points each, while Dillon Brooks had 21 points as a total of seven Grizzlies scored in double figures.

In the process, the Grizzlies improved to 15-2 without Morant this season. According to ESPN Stats & Info, it is the third-highest win percentage in a season by a team when playing without their All-Star. The only other teams to do it were the Boston Celtics in 1964-65 and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019-20.

It is worth noting, however, that both those squads have other All-Stars. For one, the 1964-65 Boston team had Bill Russell and Sam Jones, while the 2019-20 Bucks had Giannis Antetokounmpo. For their part, the Grizzlies only have one in Morant.

    The Grizzlies are 15-2 without Ja Morant this season.

That is the 3rd-highest win percentage in a season by a team when playing without its All-Star (min. 10 games). pic.twitter.com/sHUK6UnLec

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 24, 2022

This incredible stat speaks volumes on the great job head coach Taylor Jenkins and his staff have done in developing the young core of the team. It also shows how deep the squad is and the strong “next man up” mentality they have.

Of course it doesn’t mean they don’t need Ja Morant. After all, it is their young All-Star that strikes fear into the heart of their opponents, and he is their go-to guy when the going gets tough.

Nonetheless, it is definitely comforting for the whole franchise to know that they are not a team dependent on just their star player. They are filled with hungry and motivated individuals who want to win at the highest level, and that is showing with the way they approach the game.

The Grizzlies have nine games left on the season, and while it is unknown when Morant will be able to return, it doesn’t look like he has to rush back

and play. Surely, he can take his time and make sure he is 100 percent for the postseason when Memphis needs him the most.

READ MORE - Grizzlies’ shocking record without Ja Morant set to make NBA history

Hillsong founder resigns — again — following misconduct allegations

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  In a plea for forgiveness, this church leader has stepped down multiple times.

The founder and former head of Australia-born megachurch Hillsong has once again made a public show of stepping away from power, this time amid multiple misconduct allegations, in the form of resignation.

Pastor Brian Houston, 68, announced this January that he had made the decision to “step aside completely” from leadership of the multinational church that he and wife Bobbie founded in 1983.

The move followed months of Houston incrementally resigning from his various Hillsong positions amid numerous scandals and an ongoing court case accusing Houston of hiding his late father’s child sexual abuse.

Now, Houston has resigned following an internal misconduct investigation that found merit to two women’s years-old complaints that he committed “indiscretions” with them while under the influence of pills and alcohol.

“We would like to advise you that Pastor Brian Houston has resigned as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church and the board has accepted his resignation,” the multinational church told members in a website post on Wednesday.

“Hillsong Church was birthed out of Brian and Bobbie’s obedience and commitment to the call of God and we are extremely grateful for all that Brian and Bobbie have given to build His house. We ask that you continue to pray for them, and the entire Houston family, during this challenging time.”

In addition to Houston’s formal resignation from the church, Hillsong has purged his preaching from its website, the religion-focused news site Protestia reported.

Hillsong did not respond to The Post’s request for further comment.

In a statement released on March 18, the church said Houston had sent “inappropriate” text messages to a female staff member, leading to her resignation nearly a decade ago. The statement attributes Houston’s behavior to being “under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence.”

The church also found that in 2019, Houston “became disoriented after a session at the Hillsong Conference, following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol,” which led to him “knocking on the door of a hotel room that was not his, entering this room and spending time” with an unidentified woman.
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Hillsong noted in the press release that Houston has since received “professional help to eliminate his dependency on this medication.”

At the time of his resignation in January, the former Hillsong pastor made no mention of the claims brought forward by the two women, citing his legal proceedings as the reason for his decision to step down. Representatives for Hillsong have repeatedly denied claims that Brian Houston covered it up to The Post.

“The court processes are likely to be drawn out and take up most of 2022 (especially considering the backlog in the courts, exacerbated by the COVID pandemic),” Houston explained.

“We have talked about the effects of the situation with my father, which go back many years up to the current legal case, and the impact this has had on me emotionally. The result is that the Hillsong Global Board feel it is in my and the church’s best interest for this to happen, so I have agreed to step aside from all ministry responsibilities until the end of the year.”

The disgraced global senior pastor was charged in August with failing to turn over evidence concerning the child sex offenses committed by his late father, the Pentecostal pastor and pedophile Frank Houston, whose ministry career was functionally terminated after Brian sacked him in 1999.

“Police will allege in court the man knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that information to the attention of police,” officials for Sydney’s Royal Commission on Institutional Leaders’ Handling of Sexual Abuse told publications upon charging Houston in August.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of up to five years behind bars and followed a two-year investigation of Brian’s father Frank Houston’s sexual abuse of Brett Sengstock, then 7 years old, in 1969 and 1970.

Frank — who died in 2004 at 82 — “raped, choked and brutalized” Sengstock, then attempted to bribe him with $10,000 (AUD) via a hand-scrawled contract on a McDonald’s napkin, Sengstock has stated. The payoff was allegedly sent as a check in the mail from Brian himself after Frank apparently failed to complete the agreed transaction, The Post previously reported.

In a statement received by The Post in August, Houston acknowledged, “These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I’ve always been about this matter. I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.”

Reps for Hillsong further elaborated, stating: “We are disappointed that Pastor Brian has been charged, and ask that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process as is his right. He has advised us that he will defend this and looks forward to clearing his name. Given that this matter is now before the court, neither Pastor Brian or Hillsong Church will be making further statements. We thank all who are a part of our church for their support and prayers at this time.”

The newest update on the Hillsong Church drama comes ahead of the Thursday premiere of the “Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed” three-part docuseries produced in collaboration with The Post and Discovery+/TLC.

READ MORE - Hillsong founder resigns — again — following misconduct allegations

Welcome to ‘Harry’s House’: New Styles album coming right after Coachella

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  Some pleasing news for Harry Styles fans: The English pop star is releasing a new album this spring — right after he plays Coachella.

On Wednesday, Styles and Sony Music announced that the 28-year-old performer’s third studio album, “Harry’s House,” will debut May 20. In a trailer for the forthcoming record, a montage of blooming flowers, busy city streets, hot-air balloons and fireworks culminates in Styles stepping onto a stage decorated with the facade of a giant yellow house.

“Harry’s House” is Styles’ latest solo effort, following the releases of his Grammy-nominated sophomore record, “Fine Line,” and his eponymous debut album. The singer previously released several albums as a standout member of the English-Irish boy band One Direction.

As of Wednesday, not much info is available about Styles’ upcoming album — except that it will consist of 13 tracks and is available to pre-save on Spotify and Apple Music.

The “Watermelon Sugar” hitmaker’s announcement comes shortly after he launched his new beauty and apparel brand, Pleasing, which recently named Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame as its official ambassador.

“Two factions from completely different worlds came together,” Fleetwood told Vogue of his collaboration with Styles.

“We really connected because it turned out Harry had been brought up around Fleetwood Mac’s music when he was a child. And so on and off for years we’ve had this passing-in-the-night relationship, which has included him doing Fleetwood Mac songs and doing countless little and big things with Stevie [Nicks].”

In addition to his music and fashion endeavors, Styles has also been busy pursuing a career in acting since making his big-screen debut in 2017’s “Dunkirk.” Premiering in September is Olivia Wilde’s psychological thriller “Don’t Worry Darling,” which stars Styles in his first lead role opposite Florence Pugh. After that, he’ll appear in Michael Grandage’s period drama “My Policeman” alongside Emma Corrin.

Last October, Styles joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a surprise appearance at the end of Chloé Zhao’s “Eternals.” His character, Eros, is expected to return in future Marvel projects.

But first: Styles, Billie Eilish and Kanye West are set to headline this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The live music event will mark Styles’ Coachella debut and take place over two weekends, April 15-17 and April 22-24, at the Empire Polo club in Indio.

READ MORE - Welcome to ‘Harry’s House’: New Styles album coming right after Coachella

Stimulus checks for high gas prices? Here’s how it could happen

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  A group of Democratic lawmakers are looking to ease the burden on American motorists who are saddled with higher gas prices by offering another round of stimulus checks.

House Reps. Mike Thompson of California, John Larson of Connecticut and Lauren Underwood of Illinois are co-sponsoring a bill that would authorize $100 monthly energy rebates for any month this year in which the national average gas price exceeded $4 per gallon.

The average national gas price stood recently at $4.24 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

The Gas Rebate Act of 2022 would also offer the same monthly rebate for each dependent.

The bill would work similarly to the stimulus checks that were sent to Americans during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

Single people earning less than $75,000 annually would receive the full $100 rebate, while checks for those earning up to $80,000 would be phased out. Joint filers who earn less than $150,000 would qualify for the rebate, which would be phased out at up to $160,000.

“Americans are feeling the impact at the pump of Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and right now we must work together on commonsense policy solutions to ease the financial burden that my constituents are feeling,” Thompson said.

Republicans have also proposed ways of putting money back into Americans’ pockets, including gas tax holidays. Two GOP-run states — Maryland and Georgia — have temporarily suspended their gas tax.

Drivers in Georgia and Maryland were granted the much-needed relief after lawmakers in those states halted the taxes last Friday.

Maryland acted first, pausing its gas tax for 30 days through April 16, Gov. Larry Hogan said on Twitter.

Drivers in the Old Line State will temporarily save $0.36 per gallon of gas and $0.37 on diesel after prices rose by more than $0.40 in one week to an average of $3.85, CNN reported.

In Georgia, the gas tax was waived through May 31, saving drivers $0.29 per gallon on gas and $0.32 per gallon on diesel, the governor’s office said.

Two other Democratic lawmakers — Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island — have proposed a quarterly rebate to customers based on a tax levied on gas and oil companies.

The Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax would impose a levy equal to 50% of the difference between the current price of a barrel of oil and its pre-pandemic average price between 2015 and 2019, according to a statement.

The surge in energy prices that has been exacerbated by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has cost Americans more at the pump.

A month ago, the national average was $3.54 per gallon. A year ago, Americans were paying an average of $2.88 a gallon. Gas prices recently averaged $4.24 a gallon at stations across the US, the AAA said.

Gas prices in high-tax states like New York and California have exceeded $6 a gallon in some areas.

Surging energy prices and rampant inflation have stoked fears of a recession, though some have warned that stimulus checks could help stoke inflation, which already is running at 40-year highs.

US crude was selling at more than $113 a barrel on Wednesday while Brent crude cost $120 a barrel.

READ MORE - Stimulus checks for high gas prices? Here’s how it could happen

Mary Jane Thomas, wife of Hank Williams Jr., dies in Jupiter

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  Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country music legend Hank Williams Jr., died Tuesday in Jupiter.

Diovanni Chapman, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County medical examiner's office, confirmed the death Thursday.

Jupiter police told People magazine that officers received a call about a medical emergency at the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa. Thomas was then taken to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

"My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her," son Sam Williams told People in a statement. "She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn't befriend. Her spirit was gentle and giving. She could take down a ten-point buck and fix dinner for her grandchildren at the same time! Now she gets to radiate from above with my sister Katherine Diana right by her side."

Sam Williams' sister, Katherine Williams-Dunning, died in a 2020 automobile accident in Tennessee. She was 27.

Thomas met the 72-year-old "All My Rowdy Friends" crooner at one of his concerts in 1985. They were married in 1990.

It was not immediately known what Thomas was doing in Jupiter or if Williams was with her at the time of the incident.

Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2020.

READ MORE - Mary Jane Thomas, wife of Hank Williams Jr., dies in Jupiter