Month: October 2020

Jake Tapper continued his fierce criticism of Donald Trump’s failure to properly manage America’s response to the pandemic, which ultimately resulted in the president himself being hospitalized for COVID-19. In a tweet on Monday afternoon, Tapper took a selfie in the CNN coffee room where he was not only socially distanced, but wearing a mask. The anchor also took a page from the president’s playbook by placing the most important part of his message in all-caps.

“This is me alone in the CNN coffee room abiding by basic health regulations,” Tapper wrote. “BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT ADULTS DO”

The tweet came just a few days after Tapper went viral for a CNN segment where he eviscerated Trump’s dismissive attitude towards basic health regulations, which could’ve slowed the virus spread had people taken them seriously. Instead, many followed the president’s lead. However, that strategy clearly didn’t work for Trump who became a “symbol of his own failures” after being infected by the coronavirus along with 24 other people who attended an event at the White House last Saturday.

Americans who “don’t listen to science or medicine, who think masks are too intrusive, who pack bars, who willfully risk spreading the virus, you are making it worse for all of us. You are extending how long this pandemic will last,” Tapper said. “And it is tragic to say, many — if not most — of you are taking your cues from the leader of the free world.”

You can watch Tapper’s full remarks below:

In a classic 2020 move, shortly after Tapper posted his selfie, the president tweeted that he was leaving Walter Reed on Monday evening, and the message Trump included highlighted every criticism that Tapper made about not taking the virus seriously.

“Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump wrote. “We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”

Fortunately, Tapper’s CNN colleague, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, was quick to report that it’s “pretty obvious” that Trump should not be leaving the hospital this early. “I think this is his decision and basically him saying, ‘I’m going to do this,’” Gupta said. “I don’t think the doctors, if you’re just looking at his data, you’re paying attention to his risk factors, you’re paying attention to how sick he has been, you would advocate for this at all.”

(Via Jake Tapper on Twitter)

The Houston Texans have gotten off to a dreadful start to the 2020 season, falling to 0-4 with a 31-23 loss to the previously winless Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at home.

Head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien has been widely ridiculed for what he’s done both on the field and in constructing the Texans roster, most notably with his decision to trade away star receiver DeAndre Hopkins this offseason for a second round pick and highly paid running back David Johnson. Through four games, the Texans offense has struggled to get the ball in the end zone consistently, scoring no more than 23 points in a game thus far, and given O’Brien’s area of expertise is supposed to be on offense, those struggles, coupled with his roster moves, put him firmly on the hot seat.

On Monday, the Texans made the decision to fire O’Brien per numerous reports after 6 and a quarter seasons at the helm of a team that became a perennial playoff team — prior to this season — but was never able to get over the hump, going 2-4 in the postseason under O’Brien.

The team confirmed the news shortly after with a statement from team owner Cal McNair.

Romeo Crennel will reportedly take over as the interim head coach, as a new search for both a general manager and a head coach will begin.

O’Brien finishes his tenure in Houston with a 52-48 record, a near-perfect encapsulation of the general mediocrity the Texans exhibited under his guidance. The high points were two trips to the Divisional Round, including last year blowing an early lead to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Whoever comes in to take over the Texans, both coach and GM, will have some good pieces to work with, headlined by star quarterback Deshaun Watson, but also will have an uphill climb to add roster depth, particularly through the draft where the Texans do not have a first or second round pick in 2021 as they owe those to the Miami Dolphins.

Rihanna premiered her massive Savage X Fenty fashion show last week, inviting musicians like Rico Nasty, Lizzo, Willow Smith, and many more. Rihanna was praised by many for the show’s inclusivity, as she invited models of all sizes and gender identities. However, some fans were not so happy about some aspects of the performance. A handful of Rihanna’s Muslim fans voiced their anger over a certain song played during the catwalk.

Rihanna was accused of culturally appropriating a cornerstone of Islam after using a song called “Doom” during her show. The song featured a club-ready beat over a remixed vocal sample of a Hadith, or a reading of sacred texts.

Pointing out the use of the song on Twitter one fan said “there’s really no way we can let this slide.”

Another fan called out the singer, saying she should “know better.”

Others were dissapointed that Rihanna was using their religion as “an aesthetic.”

After seeing the outrage that ensued, the song’s producer Coucou Chloe apologized for using the vocal sample, saying they take “full responsibility” for failing to research the meaning. Chloe continued to say that they’re working to have the song removed from all streaming platforms amid the controversy.

Read fans react to Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty show above.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Four months ago, Jonathan Price wrote a post to Facebook explaining how he’d always had positive interactions with white police officers in and around his hometown of Wolfe City, Texas, and urged people to look at their own experiences to make judgments. On Saturday night, he was shot and killed by one of those officers.

Witnesses say the 31-year-old personal trainer intervened when a fight broke out between a couple at a gas station convenience store. When the altercation spilled outside into the parking lot, police arrived at the scene and one of them shot and killed Price. The officer who shot him has been placed on paid administrative leave, and Texas Rangers are investigating the killing that has rocked the town of 1500.

According to interviews with people who knew him, Price was loved by everyone and a “pillar in the community.” Price’s mother, Marcella Louis, said she went to the gas station when she heard her son had been shot. They wouldn’t let her hold his hand. “They took my son from me,” Louis told ABC affiliate WFAA in tears. “They took my baby.”

Former third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, Will Middlebrooks, was a childhood friend of Price. He expressed his grief in news interviews and in a post on Facebook, writing, “This was purely an act of racism. Period. So, for all of you that think this is all bullshit, you need to check yourselves.” In an interview with WFAA, he also urged calm in the town as those who knew and loved Price sought justice.

“What’s really sickening is that he was doing the right thing…” Middleton told WFAA. “He saw a man putting his hands on a woman and stepped in to stop the altercation. The man then fought him… then the police shot him. He was unarmed. I’m heartbroken.”

Price’s mother told WFAA she had taught him to be helpful. “He had a good heart. He always tried to help others. I taught him that all through the years,” Louis said.

Price had other mentors who had taught him the same thing. He had been an active athlete and his high school football coach, Dale Trompler, told WFAA that he had preached to Price to always do the right thing. “I never thought that doing so would cost him his life,” he said.

Middlebrooks created a GoFundMe to cover funeral and memorial expenses, which has already exceeded its $50,000 goal.

As of now, there are more questions than answers about the officer who killed Price and the details about exactly what prompted the shooting. But we do know that a town has lost a beloved community member and family member, and a Black man who harbored no ill will towards the police, and who was trying to help put a stop to violence, was killed by someone who was supposed to serve and protect.

This is why people across the country and around the world keep saying it and hoping it will sink in. Black. Lives. Matter.

Learn more about Jonathan Price from his friends and family here:

Who was Jonathan Price? Family, friends describe beloved man killed in police shooting

www.youtube.com

Despite plans for a fourth and final season of GLOW, Netflix apparently has reversed course and given the show an abrupt conclusion thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deadline reported on Monday that GLOW‘s fourth and final season won’t happen, apparently due to coronavirus. According to the report, GLOW had finished a single episode and was three weeks into shooting its final season before the mid-March COVID-19 shutdown hit. Citing difficulty in getting the show back up and running, Netflix decided to pull the plug:

Shot entirely in Los Angeles, which has proven to be one of the more challenging locations to get large scale productions back up and running, GLOW faced its own unique challenges with the physical requirements of wrestling — a focal point of the show — that make it high-risk to produce safely during COVID. That includes physical contact, heavy breathing and exertion, which are required for wrestling but should be avoided during a pandemic because of danger spreading the virus.

Already an expensive, high-end series. GLOW faced high additional, COVID-related costs for its large cast of 20. That, combined with the uncertainty around COVID-19, the inherent physicality of the series whose risk had to be mitigated, ultimately pushed the budget of the series too high for Netflix to proceed, sources said.

Another concern was apparently what would have been a long delay between the third and fourth season actually hitting Netflix. If the show were able to resume production, it reportedly wouldn’t get on air until at least 2022. Despite the bad news, the report indicated the cast was paid in full for what would have been Season 4. And even GLOW‘s creators gave a rather upbeat and introspective statement about its abrupt demise:

“COVID has killed actual humans. It’s a national tragedy and should be our focus. COVID also apparently took down our show. Netflix has decided not to finish filming the final season of GLOW,” series creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch said in a statement to Deadline. “We were handed the creative freedom to make a complicated comedy about women and tell their stories. And wrestle. And now that’s gone. There’s a lot of sh*tty things happening in the world that are much bigger than this right now. But it still sucks that we don’t get to see these 15 women in a frame together again.”

It’s a sobering statement about the current state of things, but it’s certainly another loss for fans who were hoping to see the show finish the way its showrunners had intended. Netflix had quietly trimmed some shows from its roster and even went back on other renewals as pandemic fallout hit the streaming giant, but GLOW seeing an abrupt end is certainly the biggest entertainment casualty from Netflix to date.

Alison Brie and Marc Maron have bid farewell to the show on social media.

(Via Deadline)

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

We Are Who We Are (HBO, 10:00pm EST) — So far, this show’s followed a dreamy narrative, but tonight, sh*t gets real, Euphoria-style. The entire episode is essentially a hedonistic party that follows a quickie marriage for a soldier on the fast-track to deployment. Sure, this relationship will last, right? Probably not, but it’s a party that no one will forget and helmed by Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino, who’s taking his first stab at a TV series with less nihilism than the Zendaya-starring series.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix documentary) — This doc follows the life of the man who’s seen more of this Earth’s national state than any other person over the course of 90 years. Challenges on every continent shall be addressed while the movie hopes to spread optimism to future generations.

Filthy Rich (FOX, 9:00pm EST) — Kim Cattrall returns to TV in a super-soapy turn, and this week, Ginger’s live, televised baptism is causing an uproar. Elsewhere, Jason’s lies that were also exposed on TV are causing troubles.

Manhunt: Deadly Games (CBS, 10:00pm EST) — This week, Richard Jewell fights back against both the FBI and the press that’s hounding him. As that’s ongoing, ATF Agent Embry discovers a crucial link to a serial bomber. You’ve heard the story of the fallout from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, now witness the TV dramatization (as opposed to the sensationalized movie version) of one of the most complex manhunts on U.S. soil.

The Third Day (HBO, 9:00pm EST) — Jude Law and Naomie Harris star in this series, which sees Helen surprising her daughter with a trip to Osea island. However, there’s a booking SNAFU that seems more than a little bit suspicious.

Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Jon Bon Jovi and the rest of Bon Jovi, Laura Benanti

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon — Daniel Craig, Billie Eilish, Finneas

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Jessica Chastain, John Slattery

Election 2020 is less than 30 days away and… not to go hyperbolic here, but it may go down as the most consequential election any of us will ever vote in. The political landscape is contentious, fraught, and genuinely dangerous for many Americans. Last week alone we saw one of the most insane televised debates in the history of American politics, we found out Melania hates Christmas, and the President of the United States contracted COVID-19 and had to be flown to Walter Reed Medical Center. So we don’t blame you for lagging on your voting plan for November 3rd.

But the days of lagging need to officially end today. In fact, if you’re not registered and live in Alaska, you’re already too late.

Assuming you live in one of the other 47 states, here’s a little checklist to help you out:

• Are you already registered to vote? CHECK HERE!
• Will you be voting in person or by mail? LEARN HOW HERE!
• Interested in early voting? SEE BELOW!
• Looking for other ways to help? LEARN HOW HERE!

Most of all…

• Do you live in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, or Texas? If so, you need to get registered this week (and in some cases today)!

This election is going to be a difficult one on every level. Poll closures, a lack of election volunteers, and different state rules on mail-in ballots are setting us up for an absolute sh*tshow, and whether you’re a longtime voter or a someone who is voting for the first time, you shouldn’t have any expectations about how the process will go down. Take time and go with the flow.

Here’s everything you need to do right now to prepare for the 2020 Election. Which is on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020, by the way. 11/3/2020. Lock it in.

STEP 1: Register to Vote/Check Your Voter Registration

Are you registered to vote? If not, what the hell are you waiting for?

It’s definitely time to register if you haven’t. If you are already registered to vote but for some reason have a sneaking suspicion that you’ve been removed from a voter roll or you’re just (reasonably) paranoid, head to Vote.org, which has links to check your voter registration for each state.

Please note that while several states allow you to register to vote in person on Election Day if you’ve missed your state’s deadline, we are living in pandemic times, so how available and convenient that process will be may vary on a county to county basis.

Here’s an easy, UPROXX-supported way to register online:

Or you can follow these instructions for your state below.

Voter registration is closed in the following states:

Alaska, Rhode Island (RI has in-person, day-of registration), South Carolina (online registration is closed, mail-in registration closes Oct. 5th)

Voter registration will close this week in the following states:

Arizona (Oct. 5th), Arkansas (Oct. 5th), Delaware (Oct. 10th), Florida (Oct. 5th), Georgia (Oct. 5th), Hawaii (Oct. 5th), Idaho (Oct. 9th), Indiana (Oct. 5th), Kentucky (Oct. 5th), Mississippi (Oct. 5th), Missouri (Oct. 7th), Montana (Oct. 5th), New York (Oct. 9th), Ohio (Oct. 5th), Oklahoma (Oct. 9th), Tennesse (Oct. 5th), Texas (Oct. 5th>)

Voters May Register To Vote In Person On Election Day In The Following States If They Missed The Voter Registration Deadline:

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Washington D.C., Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Voter Registration is still open in the following states:

Alabama — October 19th, 2020. Alabama voters register here.

Arizona — October 5th, 2020. Arizona voters register here.

Arkansas — October 5th, 2020. Arkansas does not offer online registration. Fill out an application to vote in Arkansas here.

California — California voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered by October 19th, 2020. California voters register here.

Colorado — Colorado voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered by October 26th, 2020. Colorado voters register here.

Connecticut — Connecticut voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered by October 27th, 2020. Connecticut voters register here.

Delaware — October 10th. Delaware voters register here.

Florida — October 5th. Florida voters register here.

Georgia — October 5th, Georgia voters register here.

Hawaii — Hawaii voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered by October 5th, 2020. Hawaii voters register here.

Idaho — Idaho voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t register by October 9th, 2020. Idaho voters register here.

Illinois — Illinois voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 6th, 2020 for mail-in applications, and October 18th, 2020 for online applications. Illinois voters register here.

Indiana — October 5th, 2020. Indiana voters register here.

Iowa — Iowa voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 24th, 2020. Iowa voters register here.

Kansas — October 13th. Kansas voters register here.

Kentucky — October 5th, 2020. Kentucky voters register here.

Louisiana — October 5th, 2020 if registering in person or by mail. October 13th to register online. Louisiana voters register here.

Maine — Maine voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 13th, 2020. Maine does not offer online voter registration, voters must register at their town hall. For more information on register to vote in Maine, click here.

Maryland — Maryland voters can register to vote on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 13, 2020. Maryland voters register here.

Massachusetts — October 24th, 2020. Massachusetts voters register here.

Michigan — Michigan voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 19th, 2020. Michigan voters register here.

Minnesota — Minnesota voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote in person by October 13th, 2020. Minnesota voters register here.

Mississippi — October 5th, 2020. Mississippi does not offer online voter registration and voters must register to vote 30 days prior to Election Day either in person or by mail. To learn more about registering to vote in Missippi click here.

Missouri — October 7th, 2020. Missouri voters register here.

Montana — Montana voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 5th, 2020. Montana does not offer online voter registration. To learn more about register to vote in Montana, click here.

Nebraska — October 16th, 2020 for voters registering by mail on online, October 23rd, 2020 for voters voting in person. Nebraska voters register here.

Nevada — Nevada voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 6th, 2020 by mail or in person, or October 29th, 2020 online. Nevada voters register here.

New Hampshire — New Hampshire voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 21st, 2020. New Hampshire does not offer online voter registration, voters must register in person or via mail. To find out more information about voting in New Hampshire, click here.

New Jersey — October 13th, 2020. New Jersey voters register here.

New Mexico — October 6th, 2020 online, or October 31, 2020, if registering in person. New Mexico voters register here.

New York — October 9th, 2020. New York voters register here.

North Carolina — October 9th, 2020, or October 15th-31st to register in person. North Carolina voters register here.

North Dakota — North Dakota is doing it right. You do not need to register to vote in the state of North Dakota, just bring valid ID and proof of residency to vote. North Dakota voters find your polling place here.

Ohio — October 5th, 2020. Ohio voters register here.

Oklahoma — October 9th, 2020. Oklahoma does not allow online voter registration, voters must print-out an application and mail it to their local election office. To print out an application, click here.

Oregon — October 13th, 2020. Oregon voters register here.

Pennsylvania — October 19th, 2020. Pennsylvania voters register here.

South Dakota — October 19th, 2020. South Dakota does not allow online voter registration. Voters must print-out an application and mail it to their local election office. To print out an application, click here.

Tennesse — October 5th, 2020. Tennessee voters register here.

Texas — October 5th, 2020. Texas does not offer online voter registration. Voters must print out an application and send it to their local election office. To print out an application, click here.

Utah — Utah voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 23rd, 2020. Utah voters register here.

Vermont — Vermont voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by November 3rd, 2020. Vermont voters register here.

Virginia — October 13th, 2020. Virginia voters register here.

Washington — Washington voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 26th, 2020. Washington voters register here.

Washington D.C. — D.C. voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 13th, 2020. Washington D.C. does not allow for online registration, voters must register by mail or in person. For more information on voting in Washington D.C. click here.

West Virginia — October 13th, 2020. West Virginia voters register here.

Wisconsin — Wisconsin voters can register to vote in person on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 14th, 2020 online or by mail, or October 30th, 2020 in person. Wisconsin voters register here.

Wyoming — Wyoming voters can register in-person to vote on Election Day if they haven’t registered to vote by October 19th, 2020 by mail. Wyoming voters must register to vote via mail in the presence of a notary or in person. For more information on voting in Wyoming, click here.

Decide If You Want To Vote By Mail

Like registering to vote, the rules for voting by mail differ from state to state. The rules can get so complicated, that an entire article is needed just to cover each rule. Luckily for you, we already put that one together.

If you’d like to learn how to register to vote by mail for your state, go here.

Research Your State’s Propositions, Local Politicians, And Sheriffs

There is a very good chance that if you’re voting for the first time or don’t often engage in the political process, you’re heading to the polls (or voting by mail) for the sole reason of voting for who you believe should be our president. That’s fair — but since you’re heading to the polls, you might as well vote for everything you can. That means state propositions, local offices, and, on some occasions, who you believe the sheriff of your county, the mayor of your town, or the governor of your state should be. Do you have a bone to pick with how your mayor or governor has handled the pandemic? Let them know at the polls. Not happy with the police response to the ongoing protests in your area this spring and summer? Definitely check in on if someone is running for sheriff and whether they have a record of conduct or an opinion on law enforcement you don’t agree with.

Think your state should legalize weed, raise taxes, lower taxes, provide more benefits for people working in the gig economy? Your state has at least one or two propositions that you probably feel very strongly about. Let your opinion be known, decisions that happen on the state and local level are the type of governance that you can truly feel and see.

It’s really not enough to blindly vote along party lines. Don’t vote for that judge or official just because they have Republican or Democratic affiliation, look into their record, and decide if this is someone you feel good about voting for. You might find yourself skipping out on certain positions because you don’t agree with either candidate, that’s totally okay too!

Volunteer To Be A Poll Worker (If You Can)

In a perfect world, we would’ve all been registered to vote by mail automatically. But we’d also like to remind you that in a perfect world, we wouldn’t be living through a pandemic. We have no real choice but to play the cards we were dealt — and if we want this election to go down as smoothly as possible, we need to seriously consider becoming poll workers this year. If you’ve ever voted before, you may have noticed that a vast majority of the smiling faces you see at the polls who are there to give you a ballot and that coveted “I Voted” sticker are old. Grandmas, grandpas, swinging seniors… over half of all poll workers in the 2016 election were over the age of 60.

That’s not great, especially considering older people, and people with compromised immune systems are particularly susceptible to COVID-19. Which means this election needs healthy young people to put themselves at risk. So if you’re young and healthy and aren’t terrified of the possibility of catching COVID-19 (or have a preexisting condition), you should volunteer to be a poll worker (if you can).

After Election Day, you should limit your contact with people until you can get tested for COVID-19. It’s going to suck and be an inconvenience, but as we mentioned before — this election is pretty damn important. If you’re interested, Crooked Media has an easy portal for registering to be trained as a poll worker at your local polling place.

A disturbing video out of Quebec has brought attention to the issue of systemic racism against Indigenous people in Canada’s healthcare system.

Joyce Echaquan, a 37-year-old Atikamekw woman and mother of seven, was admitted to a hospital in the Quebec city of Joliette for severe stomach pain on September 26. Two days after being admitted, she posted a live video on Facebook of the nurses taunting her with racial jibes.

In the video, nurses can be heard calling her “stupid as hell” in French and asking “What are your children going to think, seeing you like this?”

“She’s good at having sex, more than anything else,” another nurse says.

The comments are heard while Echaquan moans in pain. She died shortly after posting the live video.

The actions of the staff were condemned by Quebec premier, François Legault. At least one of the nurses has been fired for their behavior and the province has launched an investigation into the circumstances of Echaquan’s death.

Marc Miller, federal Indigenous services minister, has called the video “gut-wrenching” and gave his condolences to the victim’s family.

“This is the worst face of racism,” Miller told reporters. “This is someone who is at their most vulnerable. And they are dying, having heard racist words expressed towards them.”

“Discrimination against First Nations people remains prevalent in the healthcare system and this needs to stop,” the Assembly of First Nations national chief, Perry Bellegarde, said in a statement.

Lorraine Whitman, the president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, also spoke out against the horrifying incident.

“It was with disgust that we heard a nurse, a woman who was supposed to care for her, utter racial slurs rather than come to her aid,” she said. Whitman also wondered whether other Indigenous women have suffered the same treatment but didn’t have the “courage or ability to film their own distress.”

A study from 2015 called “First Peoples, Second Class Treatment” by the Wellesley Institute found there is a deep-seeded racial bias in Canada’s healthcare system and much of it stems from country’s colonial past.

The inequity faced by indigenous people is rooted in government policies that encouraged segregation. Further, negative stereotypes about Indigenous people have created an “unconscious, pro-white bias” among healthcare workers.

The study also found that Indigenous people experience racism in healthcare settings so regularly they often strategize about how to deal with it before admitting themselves to the hospital. The prejudice has also forced some to avoid the healthcare system altogether.

via GoFundMe

This isn’t the first incident of its kind to make headlines in Canada this year.

Staff at a hospital in British Columbia allegedly bet on the blood alcohol content of the Indigenous people admitted to the hospital.

“The allegation is that a game was being played to investigate the blood alcohol level of patients in the emergency rooms, in particular with Indigenous people and perhaps others,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a statement.

“And if true, it is intolerable and racist and of course (has) affected profoundly patient care,” Dix continued.

Echaquan’s death has inspired people to join the Justice Pour Joyce moment which seeks to end systemic racism in Canada’s healthcare system.

Nakuset, the executive director of the Native Women’s Shelter and organizer of a Justice Pour Joyce march in downtown Montreal, is hopeful that Echaquan’s death will inspire systemic change in healthcare.

However, that’ll only happen if Canadians from all backgrounds come together to support Indigenous people.

“The only way that we can make changes as a society is to show up,” she said, “because actions speak louder than words.”

Along with Free Guy, Soul, and Wonder Woman 1984, Dune was among the few (overly-optimistic) blockbusters still scheduled to be released in theaters in 2020.

That changed on Monday: Variety reports that Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel, starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Oscar Isaac, has been pushed back to October 1, 2021. Dune had been scheduled to come out on December 18, 2020, making for an unlikely Christmas movie, but Warner Bros. wouldn’t want to compete with its own WW84 (Dec. 25). There is another scheduling issue, however.

The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, also comes out on October 1 of next year, so unless Warner Bros wants to see who the internet’s one true boyfriend is — Timmy or R-Pattz? — expect the Matt Reeves film to be delayed until later in 2021:

Also accelerating the news: James Bond sequel No Time to Die, which was originally set to launch at the end of November, was pushed back to 2021. That decision prompted Regal, the second-biggest U.S. theater chain, to close down its venues after reopening in August. If major movies continue to vacate their release dates, other circuits may be forced to shut down again.

Not a great time for movie-goers. But it could be worse.

At least we don’t have to deal with that (only this).

(Via Variety)

A pretty famous piece of Britney Spears trivia is that one of her biggest hits, “Toxic,” was originally offered to Kylie Minogue. Minogue has confirmed that story and commented on the song’s success, saying, “I wasn’t at all angry when it worked for her. It’s like the fish that got away. You just have to accept it.” However, it turns out Minogue wasn’t the artist for whom songwriter Cathy Dennis initially created the track.

In a recently shared interview, Dennis told the story of how she and the song’s co-writers penned the track for Janet Jackson:

“That was written in Sweden with Bloodshy & Avant [Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg] and Henrik Jonback. I went over there to write with Janet Jackson in mind. I was there for about ten days in total. I’d had a meeting with Janet, I think in London, but it may have been in New York. I thought I’d have a go at writing something that would work for her and it didn’t come out at the time. We did have this song ‘Toxic,’ though. It was started on day one of seven… then took part of day two to try to finish it. And because I couldn’t quite finish it, I said, ‘Look, let’s start on something else.’ So we wrote another three songs that week and in my spare time while I was in my hotel room I was very busy editing my lyrics on ‘Toxic.’ Eventually on day seven, which was the day I was flying back to England, I had run out of time. I knew that it was D-Day and I had to sing and that was what I came up with after a lot of editing.”

Spears previously shared her take on the song in 2003, telling MTV, “It’s basically about a girl addicted to a guy. I really like ‘Toxic.’ It’s an upbeat song. It’s really different, that’s why I like it so much. This villain girl, she’ll do anything to get what she wants. She goes through different obstacles.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Dennis discusses a track that she actually wrote for Minogue and that Minogue ended up releasing, so read more here.