With protests happening in all 50 states that aim to condemn police brutality and the murder of George Floyd, many musicians have vocalized their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Halsey detailed being shot by rubber bullets at a protest, Bon Iver offered audio equipment to aid demonstrators, and Kanye West gave an impressive $2 million donation. Now, Sleater-Kinney is doing what they can to raise money for the Black Lives Matter organization.

Sleater-Kinney, the now-duo consisting of Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, is raising money through merch sales. The band is donating all proceeds from the sales of their tour T-shirts and a rare “Animal” 7-inch, which was only available at a handful of shows.

Announcing their fundraiser on social media, the band wrote that they are committed to fighting injustice: “Like many of you, we are outraged, and we stand in solidarity with the fight against police brutality, systemic racism and white supremacy. We must not only show up for racial justice but also hold ourselves accountable, and engage in the work of being anti-racist.”

Along with offering financial donations to Black Lives Matter, Sleater-Kinney has compiled a list of other organizations to support, as well as ways to learn about and engage in fighting against white supremacy. The lengthy list includes national organizations as well as non-profit groups in Sleater-Kinney’s Portland hometown.

Check out Sleater-Kinney’s merch on their website here.

People cope with stress and tragedy in different ways. For Alicia Keys, one of the tools she has used lately is poetry, as she has shared a pair of poems related to the ongoing protests over the past few days.

Today, she posted photos of her son and wrote a poem about him, which reads:

“My beautiful baby boy ⁣
So curious and pure ⁣
Yet SO clear about what you don’t want ⁣
“NO!” you say with vigor ⁣
When you don’t like something going on in your small but powerful 5-year-old-world⁣
I hope that never changes⁣
I hope that inner strength and fire ⁣
Never extinguishes⁣
And you never feel the sway to fit in⁣
Or be silenced⁣
I have a STRONG feeling you won’t ⁣
That’s just not the fabric from which u came⁣
Look at you:⁣
Future architect, Builder, Mastermind, Wisdom keeper, Re-shaper, Change maker… ⁣
My Beautiful Baby Boy⁣
You are unstoppable!!!⁣”

A few days ago, she shared another poem on Instagram, and it reads, “Please place the light in the hearts that feel darkness. Place the wings on the back of those that feel hopeless. Place love in the souls of the ones that are heartless. There’s no stopping us. Ain’t no stopping us!” she captioned that post, “We need more than poems. We need deep systemic change. ⁣But when I wrote these words it was a little prayer that I personally needed. Maybe u do too.”

Check out Keys’ posts below.

The Portland Trail Blazers were the single NBA franchise to vote against the league’s 22-team proposal to resume play in Orlando this summer, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The vote needed three-fourths of NBA owners to support the plan in order for it to pass, and was widely expected to pass over the past several days. What came as more of a surprise is that the plan had just one detractor, and that it was Portland, a team that is actually included in the 22-team format.

This structure would include 13 teams from the Western Conference and nine from the Eastern Conference, all of whom are within six games of the playoffs. Portland is currently the ninth seed out west, 3.5 games behind Memphis. Under the proposed rules, if the Trail Blazers remained in the nine-spot within four games of the Grizzlies, they would be in position to compete in a play-in series to get into the playoffs.

However, Damian Lillard infamously said in recent weeks that he would not be interested in traveling to Orlando for the bubble if it were not worth the risk and energy on Portland’s part. Perhaps Lillard and his teammates are not satisfied with the league’s plan, or maybe it’s something entirely separate that the organization takes issue with.

Portland was fifth in attendance this year and an annual playoff mainstay, so it doesn’t seem like this vote would be financially motivated. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the issue Portland had was that they felt there were better formats out there that addressed other issues better, including using record in Orlando to impact lottery odds.

Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reports they wanted the 20-team format, not 22 teams, as it would’ve given them a better chance of making it back into the playoffs.

Sometimes a random encounter turns out to be not so random at all.

JacqueRae Hill, a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines, shared one such encounter on Facebook. She said that her heart has been heavy with everything going on, which is especially hard hard when your job is to put a smile on people’s face. But something happened on a recent flight that lifted her spirits.

She wrote:

“As we are boarding my first flight of the day I smile and I greet people when they come on and a man was holding a book that has been on my to read list. The book is entitled White Fragility. I was so happy to see that book in his grasp that I knew after I finished my duties I was going to make a point to ask him about it. I go sit next to him as he was sitting in a row all by himself (That was God). I said Hey How are you? I see you are reading that book .. So how is it? He replies oh I’m half way through it’s really good. It really points out how important these conversations on race are. As I began to respond the tears just start falling . I have been so sad every day and I just want to understand and be understood so we can began to fix it.

I’m pretty sure I startled him by seemingly dumping all my emotions on him but his reply was “I’m so sorry. And it’s our fault that this is like this. We continued to talk and when I tell you it was everything I needed. I was happy ( even tho I was crying ). I went on to tell him about my prayer on my way to work today and that he Answered that prayer for me with this conversation. As our conversation came to an end he asks me my name I told him JacqueRae and then he said well I’m Doug Parker the CEO of American Airlines. I told him my mother works for him in DC and then I reached over and gave him a BIG HUG ! I HAD TO!! (yes we were both masked) I thanked him for being open and allowing this conversation to happen because I just needed to hear it and I walked off. I thanked God for his LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS the rest of the Flight. On his way off the plane he hands me a handwritten note and I thank him again and ask for this pic. This encounter is Only A Holy Spirit thing!!!!

There are so many different ways to affect change in the world. I stand with anyone who wants to make a difference no matter if it is how I would do it or not. I believe that God answered my prayer so perfectly that I want to be apart of an answered prayer for someone else. I’m following behind my sister Audresha Lynn by saying LETS TALK !! Doug Parker said that the premise of the book is that we need to have these conversations so here I am. My heart is open and my ears are open as well. BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING.”

The note Parker wrote to her said:

“Thank you so much for coming back to speak with me. It was a gift from God and an inspiration to me. I am saddened that we as a society have progressed so slowly on an issue that has such a clear right v.s wrong. Much of the problem is we don’t talk about it enough. Thank you for talking to me and sharing your emotion. That took courage. The book, White Fragility, is great. But it’s more for people like me than you (a black friend recommended it to me). I really appreciate you. If you’d like to continue the conversation, my email is [blacked out]. Thank you! Doug

P.S. Say hello to your mother for me.”

Hill’s also shared a message from her mother, Patti Anderson, to Doug Anderson, and the beautiful exchanges just keep on going.

JacqueRae S. Hill/Facebook

Hill shared that CNN Travel picked up her story and interviewed her via video call, so we can hear some of the story in her own voice.

[facebook https://www.facebook.com/jacquerae.hill/videos/10156166752157706/?__xts__[0]=68.ARAzZqYx6Xi3WGu5xbAv8eyAnfPyap4JRvzfD5Ic0o4OWoEtB-Pd4mCBkEvFoZ3x66R59k9G81HP4OJ_U8m-zhV0Pd8irEaPMSFbymaqeAgr8c6pbudv5cCIbjgy2LC2BEUiZOAmJWzoAxW1aeN-vTKR2BedUJD9aE1FuhuJ6i7alKHMXmC1YXIPIY9QQDDHSt01jJN_axJXjpPCdOrJJ6IAyfUMMw&__tn__=-R expand=1]

You never know when a seemingly small action—like reading a book to better understand the realities of race and racism in our society—might made a big difference to someone who sees it. Knowing that someone in charge of an enormous company is doing that personal work—and not just for a photo op or PR display—is heartening to see, as the lessons learned will hopefully trickle down through that business and beyond.

Thank you for sharing, Ms. Hill. Seeing this kind of encounter play out offers us all a taste of hope in a time of difficult, but necessary, upheaval and change.

More than 1200 public health experts, infectious disease professionals, and community stakeholders have signed onto an open letter explaining why they support anti-racism protests happening across the country despite the potential risk of coronavirus spread.

According to Slate, the letter, written by infectious disease experts at University of Washington with input from other colleagues, comes after an avalanche of media requests asking them to comment on the COVID-19 risks associated with public gatherings.

The letter opens with describing the differences between the largely white anti-stay-at-home-order protests we saw last month and the protests against racial injustice and police brutality we are seeing now, stating that the response “must be wholly different” and that “infectious disease experts must be clear and consistent in prioritizing an anti-racist message.”

The letter is clear on why these protests must be supported. “White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19,” it states. “In addressing demonstrations against white supremacy, our first statement must be one of unwavering support for those who would dismantle, uproot, or reform racist institutions.”

But what about social distancing? The letter addresses that question too:

“Staying at home, social distancing, and public masking are effective at minimizing the spread of COVID-19. To the extent possible, we support the application of these public health best practices during demonstrations that call attention to the pervasive lethal force of white supremacy. However, as public health advocates, we do not condemn these gatherings as risky for COVID-19 transmission. We support them as vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of Black people in the United States. We can show that support by facilitating safest protesting practices without detracting from demonstrators’ ability to gather and demand change. This should not be confused with a permissive stance on all gatherings, particularly protests against stay-home orders. Those actions not only oppose public health interventions, but are also rooted in white nationalism and run contrary to respect for Black lives. Protests against systemic racism, which fosters the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on Black communities and also perpetuates police violence, must be supported.”

After listing public health recommendations for police handling of protesters—which includes opposing the arrest of peaceful protester, the use of “tear gas, smoke, or other respiratory irritants” and disbanding protests under the guise of protecting people from COVID-19—the letter offers “harm reduction strategies” for keeping protests as safe as possible. These suggestions include using face coverings, keeping six feet between protesters where possible, moving in groups you are already in close contact with, and staying home if sick.

Further, guidelines were given for allies to help facilitate safe protests, including providing masks and hand-washing stations, providing eye protection or face shields, offering single-serving food or beverages, offering ways to mark 6-foot distancing, and donating bail money for protesters.

And then the final suggestion: “Listen, and prioritize the needs of Black people as expressed by Black voices.”

The letter acknowledges that ideal social distancing measure may not be possible in all circumstances, but that these public health professionals would advocate for the protesters anyway. “We express solidarity and gratitude toward demonstrators who have already taken on enormous personal risk to advocate for their own health, the health of their communities, and the public health of the United States. We pledge our services as allies who share this goal.”

Racism is a public health issue, period. And considering that the current prevailing public health issue—the coronavirus pandemic—is disproportionately impacting Black Americans, the two cannot be treated and addressed separately. How heartening to see public health officials speaking directly to the connection between them and advocating for a remedy for the root cause of racial health disparities.

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Vine was, overall, a good thing, providing hours of entertainment in seven-second videos. I still regularly watch Vine compilations on YouTube, if only to remember the good ol’ days (2014) of Squidward dabbing, the duck army, and everything Demi Adejuyigbe made. But I had to include that “overall” earlier, because while most of Vine rocked, it was almost where Jake Paul got his “big break.” The same Jake Paul who used the n-word during a freestyle rap in 2018, and who’s now in trouble with the authorities for “allegedly participating in weekend looting” at a mall in Arizona.

Variety reports that Paul was “charged by police in Scottsdale, Arizona, with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly after he was identified among the crowd of looters at a local mall Sunday.” In response, Paul, brother of Logan, tweeted, “Gimme my charges and let’s put the focus back on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.” For sure, he definitely wasn’t there to “profit off human suffering.” Both charges are misdemeanors:

On Sunday, Paul posted videos to his Instagram story showing him protesting outside the Fashion Square mall in Scottsdale and police officers who threw tear gas in his direction. He captioned the video “america is in ruins” and “what can we do,” then posted a photo of his face saying “I’m tear gassed my eyes bleeding.” Subsequent videos posted on Twitter from the scene showed Paul watching others damage the outside of a P.F. Chang’s restaurant.

Sigh. Remember the Squidward dabbing video? That was fun. Let’s watch that again.

(Via Variety)

Through all the unrest that has been going on in the US over the past week or so, people online have noticed that Kanye West hasn’t been vocal about the situation, despite the fact that most of his celebrity peers have been. Now, though, it looks like Kanye is stepping up with some big-time financial contributions.

Variety reports that, according to a Kanye representative, the rapper has launched a college fund to cover tuition costs for Gianna, Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter. Additionally, he has so far donated $2 million to charities associated with Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and has vowed to cover legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families. On top of that, he will also be donating money to black-owned businesses.

Gianna spoke about her father in a recent interview on Good Morning America, saying, “I miss him.” She also said, “I know what I want to be when I grow up: I want to be a doctor. I want to take care of people.”

Kanye can certainly afford all of these efforts, as Forbes just named him the highest-earning musician of 2020.

This story is being updated.

I May Destroy You promised to be provocative, given that it springs from the mind of Michaela Coel (the creator, writer, and star of the hit Britcom, Chewing Gum, now on Netflix). Since the show revolves around sexual consent, I also expected it to be tonally different than her relatively lighthearted series, and yes, that’s the case. Yet the show is not a fully harrowing watch despite tackling difficult issues. It’s true that Coel brings a brazenly witty reputation to the table, although I still did not anticipate any humor and guessed wrong there. What I did expect is a sort-of blend of Unbelievable and Euphoria, yet this effort feels less clinical and exudes more warmth, respectively, than these recent treatments of sexual assault and violence. All three shows are very good in their own way, but I May Destroy You cements Coel as a fearless creative force, not to be ignored.

Coel’s multi-hyphenating again here as creator, writer, and star while adding executive producer and co-director to her existing mix for the BBC One series that will also air on HBO and HBO Max. It’s dizzying, what she’s accomplished, with this disorienting and uncomfortable and tragic and triumphantly real series. As noted, there’s a darkly funny streak that tears through the 12-episode season of half-hour episodes, although this was neither engineered nor avoided (Coel even told the BBC, “I didn’t add humour, humour is always there; at every party, funeral and war, although often uninvited, she’s always there”). Well, this uninvited party “spikes” the show, akin to the drug slipped to Coel’s character (Arabella) by a rapist.

Here’s the thing, though: we’re not supposed to laugh during stories of sexual assault. For a reason: rape is absolutely no joke, but Coel’s navigating the post-#MeToo era, and she’s not afraid to make her audience feel uncomfortable. She’s also stunningly adept at weaving textured stories, where a survivor is not singularly defined by their own trauma. This is an authentic portrayal of her character’s experience, not only as a woman but as a Black woman and artist and fully-dimensional human, against an expansive backdrop, and yes, humor tiptoes into the space.

The setup: The London-based, 20-something Arabella is a carefree soul with a lively social life and a writing career-on-the-rise (she’s celebrated as a “voice of her generation”). One night while desiring a break from deadline pressure, she hits a bar with friends and wakes up feeling “off.” An hours-long gap in her memory turns troublesome, and it’s quite apparent that something is wrong, but she’s only snapped into awareness by a fleeing memory flash. The rest of the series sees her piecing together the mystery of who raped her and how to take action on said perpetrator. The show could be triggering to some viewers, but Coel so deftly handles the subject matter that there’s an overwhelming sense of catharsis by season’s end.

This setup is also is notable for a few reasons:

(1) The rape is based upon her own experience while writing Chewing Gum.
(2) Arabella’s a flawed and “imperfect” victim, and said portrayal will be controversial.

The first characteristic is what helps Coel grind her heels deep into an authentic portrayal of the potentially dicey second aspect. It’s an inherently risky approach, for sure. Yet Coel toys with the notion that sexual assault victims must behave in certain ways, lest they not be believed, almost as if to challenge the system that’s actually set up to make prosecution of rapists exceedingly difficult. Adding to her ways of f*cking with expectations: some disorienting aspects of the show. Some moments don’t seem real — but the rape sure as hell is real — and this appears to be subversive commentary on how survivors are often made to question their own versions of events.

Here’s where I come back to the notion that this show is provocative. It is that, but more than simply looking to provoke reaction, I May Destroy You is seeking to provoke a thought process. Other arcs intersect with Arabella’s main story, with other players and flashbacks and various iterations of the sexual assault theme. The central sexual assault is the most generally accepted definition of rape: Arabella was drugged by a stranger, who forcibly had sex with her. Other scenarios are at play, like a non-consensual encounter between two people who previously had consensual sex, or the removal of a condom in an otherwise consensual encounter. There are even more permutations to consider on this series, but underneath it all, there’s a collection of achingly human friends, who support each other as these questions (unfortunately) must be asked.

What this distills to the core, for me, is that Arabella, as a character, is multi-dimensional and resilient and triumphant through all she endures. She’s not drawn through a particularly sensitive lens, and that might be off-putting to some. Arabella seeks to avoid but must reckon with her trauma, but where I May Destroy You differs from other survival portrayals is this: this show does not brand survivors with their trauma. Yes, there’s an added layer to Arabella’s post-sexual assault existence, but it’s not something that other characters view as her defining characteristic. That’s how many sexual assault survivors are written, but Coel’s too crafty to let that happen to Arabella. Or to herself.

Coel, underneath it all, is a firestarter, and that brings me to one of the most striking scenes of the season. This takes place very late in the story, so I will not supply much context for the surrounding scene, but it involves Arabella dancing in a drinking establishment to one of The Prodigy’s most notorious tunes. She’s tearing through lyrics, limbs flying everywhere in controlled chaos and shouting, “I’m a firestarter, twisted firestarter!” almost as a dare. A dare to another character? Perhaps. A dare to the audience? Definitely. This leads to a complicated, sure-to-be-controversial flourish for the show, one that conquers trauma, but might start some fires in the process. Yet as with the rest of the season, Coel — who is a voice of her generation — undertakes her character’s actions with a fearlessness that’s almost breathtaking.

BBC1’s ‘I May Destroy You’ makes its HBO debut at 10:30pm EST on Sunday.

The effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, including bans on international travel, have gone on a lot longer than I think most of us were really expecting when the whole thing got started. That may have something to do with a change in WWE’s official rhetoric we saw on last night’s episode of NXT.

If you watched the show, you know that El Hijo del Fantasma beat Drake Maverick in the tournament finals to become the new NXT Cruiserweight Champion. That’s great for him, but when this tournament started it was only going to crown an Interim Cruiserweight Champion, because Jordan Devlin is still the official champion but is currently stuck in Ireland. You didn’t hear that word “Interim” as the tournament ended, however.

So what changed? According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE has quietly stripped Jordan Devlin of the title since he’s been unable to defend it or even appear on WWE TV in so long, which makes Fantasma the sole champion. As for why this wasn’t explained on the show, Dave said they just expected fans to come up with their own explanations, which does sound like typical WWE behavior.

On the other hand, as of today, the roster page on WWE.com shows both El Hijo del Fantasma and Jordan Devlin sharing the Cruiserweight Champion slot. So it’s possible that Meltzer is wrong on this one, and all that’s happened is a change in rhetoric. Either way, it seems likely that an angry Jordan Devlin will return to wrestle Fantasma just as soon as he’s able, and the winner of that match will be Cruiserweight Champ going forward.