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Zack Snyder’s Reshoots For His ‘Justice League’ Director’s Cut Sound A Lot Smaller Than Expected

Back in October, reports started coming in that Zack Snyder was filming reshoots for his long-awaited director’s cut of Justice League a.k.a The Snyder Cut. The whole thing seemed like a big endeavor. Not only was Ben Affleck coming back as Batman after swearing off the character in the press, but Jared Leto was making an equally surprising return as the Joker despite Warner Bros. leaving him behind by rolling out a solo movie starring Joaquin Phoenix. Later reports revealed that Joe Mangianello would be returning as Deathstroke, so again, it’d be fair to have the impression that Snyder was adding a significant amount of new footage to Justice League.

Not so much. In a new interview with Beyond the Trailer, Snyder revealed just how much footage from the reshoots would appear in the final project, and it’s a surprisingly low amount. We’re talking a number that will make you say, “That’s it?” Via Heroic Hollywood:

“I will say that in the end it’s going to probably be about four minutes or five minutes of additional photography for the entire movie. In the four hours that is Justice League, maybe four minutes.”

Four minutes. Maybe five! As Snyder notes, his director’s cut will be broken up into four one-hour installments, so again, learning that he’s only using four minutes of new footage (though he’s still probably got a lot left over from years ago) does raise questions about exactly what was shot. It also takes the cake for the most unexpected thing Snyder has said this week, which is pretty impressive given his recent admission that he still hopes to make a live-adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns despite already trying to do exactly that with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. He already had a chance there, though who knows if he’ll see another one in the future.

(Via Beyond the Trailer)

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Weekend Preview: ‘The Crown,’ ‘Murder On Middle Beach,’ And A Greta Thunberg Documentary

The Crown: Season 4 (Netflix series, Sunday) — The jewel of Netflix finally sh*ts all over the fairy tale while the cracks begin to appear for the Windsor family and on Downing Street. In other words, welcome to the era of Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin) and Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson), neither of whom fit in with the long-standing, carefully-crafted veneer that they experience in their dealings with the royal family. Things get dark while remaining glitzy, and the show does not shy away from what made the Iron Lady such a deeply unpopular figure.

Murder On Middle Beach (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — First-time director Madison Hamburg (who we spoke with) reveals his nearly decade-long journey to investigate who murdered his mother, Barbara, in a still-unsolved case out of Connecticut. The four-part series takes many twists and turns, including an exploration of the “Gifting Tables” Ponzi scheme, as well as interviews with friends, family members, and the law enforcement figures who let the case go cold. It’s a heck of a watch that will keep you guessing.

I Am Greta (Hulu documentary film) — The story of teenage climate activist and expert Trump roaster Greta Thunberg gets an intimate documentary to chart her rise to global prominence, including her wind-powered voyage to NYC’s UN Climate Action Summit.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 11 (Disney+ series) — This week, the Baby Yoda star vehicle reveals why Pedro Pascal barely appears helmet-less, although the whole egg-genocide thing is still rattling fans to the core. For kicks, we ranked Cobb Vanth actor Timothy Olyphant in his lawman roles, including his turn as the galaxy’s coolest marshal.

Alex Rider (Amazon IMDb TV series) — The whole first season about this young espionage operative lands on Amazon and stars Alex Pettyfer, who ends up in the family spy business because why not? I wonder how he would stack up against Hanna, so let’s cross fingers for a crossover.

The Right Stuff: Episode 7 (NatGeo series on Disney+) – Weather delays, at-home problems, and hovering reporters bring Shepard and Glenn together while Trudy’s not thrilled with Gordo cracking a joke about female astronauts.

Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:

How To With John Wilson (Friday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — This week, the comedy docuseries explores the very important issue of how to cover and protect your furniture as a cat owner. Wilson also spoke with us about capturing the intimacy and absurdity of life in New York.

Supermarket Sweep (Sunday, ABC 8:00 p.m.) — Leslie Jones and every bit of her enthusiasm will host contestants in this revival of the grocery-shopping game show.

The Reagans (Sunday, Showtime 8:00 p.m.) — This four-part series launches by examining the rise of Ronald Reagan, liberal movie star, as he turned to conservative politics, first becoming the California governor before, eventually, taking the White House.

Good Lord Bird (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Ethan Hawke stars as violent abolitionist John Brown in this series that takes place in the Kansas territory in 1856. Tune in this week for the searing finale to Brown’s failed crusade that helped spark the Civil War. This week, Brown’s captured and awaiting execution, and Onion risks it all to say goodbye.

The Undoing (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — Hugh Grant’s fascinating turn as a possibly shady dude (and it’s about time) returns with Jonathan Fraser’s case shaping as a narrative while Franklin opens his wallet.

Fear The Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — Fans agree that this season is crushing all expectations, and they’ll no doubt enjoy June and Virginia on a collision course following an explosion.

Fargo (Sunday, FX 10:00 p.m.) — The Chris Rock-led season continues with Rabbi and Satchel hitting the road, Jack. Doctor Senator, “Deafy” Wickware, and Swanee Capps are all gone now, and Brian Grubb is crossing fingers for Gaetano to stay whole.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond (Sunday, AMC 10:00 p.m.) — The newest spinoff in this universe has the teens digging for something that will aid them on their quest, hopefully while avoiding that dang tire fire.

Moonbase 8 (Sunday, Showtime 11:00 p.m. EST and streaming) — Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker, and John C. Reilly are here to make space funny as astronauts working toward a lunar mission. This week, homesickness on Rock’s behalf collides with Cap’s obsession with a prowler and Skip’s brainstorming on the subject of suiting up.

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix film) — The holiday spirit will surely try to get you with help from this cast, including Keegan-Michael Key to Forest Whitaker, Ricky Martin, and Phylicia Rashad, in a sort-of Willy Wonka-type adventure with villains who aim to prevent a toymaker from saving Christmas.

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A former ballerina with Alzheimer’s hears ‘Swan Lake’ and bursts into dance in her wheelchair

Sometimes a video comes along that yanks us right us out of the frustrating fray or mundane monotony of the moment and reminds us of the miraculous gift that life truly is. This is one of those.

Marta Cinta González Saldaña was an accomplished ballerina when she was young. Now, in her waning years, she suffers from Alzheimer’s. A viral video of González Saldaña shows how she reacts to hearing the music from Swan Lake—a ballet she had performed decades ago. Alternating scenes show her dancing from her wheelchair and a ballerina performing the dance on stage. (Some versions of the video have stated or implied that the young ballerina is González Saldaña herself. It’s not.)

The contrast of the stage performance and her memories clearly bursting forth in her face and body movements is incredibly moving. It’s amazing how music, dance, art—the universal language of humanity—can remain, even when other memories fade or get locked away.

Just watch, sound up:


Seriously though. Break out the tissues.

The video came about as part of a study being done by the Spanish organization “Music to Awaken,” which studies how music impacts patients with dementia. Pepe Olmedo, a psychologist and director of the organization, told Brut that she was selected for the study because of her background as a dancer. “We searched for the songs she’d danced on when she was young,” he said, “even songs where she was the prima ballerina. Luckily, we had writings of hers from the past where she recounted several songs. In the end, the day when we met her, she appeared sad, nervous at times, and we didn’t know how effective this would be. But as she listened to ‘Swan Lake’—that was the first song she listened to—she completely transformed, and it seems like part of her mind traveled to another moment of her life.”

Olmedo pointed out that science has proven that some areas of the brain related to musical memory are less damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer’s than other parts of the brain. “Our brain is wired to be receptive to music,” he says, and “music is totally linked to emotions.” It’s the emotion that Olmedo says is important for people with dementia to feel to help connect them with the moments in their lives.


Ballerina with Alzheimer’s Gets Back Memory of Her Swan Lake Dance Routine

www.youtube.com

Absolutely amazing. What a beautiful reminder of the magic of music and a hopeful study for people with loved ones who feel like they are slipping away. No matter how crazy our political chaos gets or how tedious our daily tasks feel, these examples of raw human beauty can help bring us back to what truly matters.

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The top U.S. military official makes loyalty clear: ‘We do not take an oath to a king…’

With President Trump still refusing to concede the election to Joe Biden, despite his own administration’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency saying,”The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history,” and “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised,the U.S. finds itself in an embarrassingly awkward position. It was predictable, of course—Trump is incapable of admitting defeat, even when it’s obvious—but the scenario we’re in raises questions about how far he’d be willing to go to cling to power.

One of those questions is “What if Trump tries to use the military to help him stay in power?” That question seems to have been answered by General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a speech he gave at the opening of the US Army’s museum. As the top ranking member of the military, Milley made it clear that the armed forces do not serve an individual, whether it be a king or a dictator. And though this may have been a run-of-the-mill reminder of where the military places its loyalty, his remarks feel almost as if they’re directed at President Trump himself.


“We are unique among armies,” Gen. Milley said. “We are unique among militaries. We do not take an oath to a king or a queen, a tyrant or a dictator. We do not take an oath to an individual.”

“We do not take an oath to a country, a tribe, or a religion,” he continued. “We take an oath to the Constitution. And every soldier that is represented in this museum—every sailor, every airman, marine, coast guardsman—each of us will protect and defend that document regardless of personal price.”

General Milley had recently expressed concern about the politicization of the military in the wake of President Trump complaining about leadership at the Pentagon and amid questions about the possibility of the president invoking the Insurrection Act in possible post-election unrest.

Milley had also distanced himself from Trump after the president’s photo stunt at St. John’s church during the country’s widespread racial justice protests. Milley had accompanied the president on his walk to the church, which was preceded by the National Guard being deployed to forcibly clear a path for the president, resulting in peaceful protesters and members of the press being hurt—a move that Milley later called “a mistake.”

“My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics,” the general said in his National Defense University commencement ceremony remarks. “As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it.”

Yes, being complicit in the U.S. government attacking its own citizens so that the president can get a photo of himself holding a bible in front of a church and create a North Korea-style propaganda video of the whole thing was definitely a mistake.

So yeah. It is good to hear the top military official in the country make it clear that our troops will not be used to satisfy the narcissistic whims of a wannabe autocrat who doesn’t know how to lose with grace and dignity. Especially as that wannabe autocrat is taking sledgehammer to leadership at the Pentagon as we speak, and to what end, no one knows. Somebody has to be willing to be the grown-up who tells the child that they can’t always get what they want. If the nation’s top Army general couldn’t or wouldn’t do that, the U.S. would be in a world of trouble.

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Danny Trejo Has A Great Explanation For Why He’s Not Interested In Kamala Harris’ Senate Seat

On Friday morning, L.A Times columnist Gustavo Arellano argued that beloved actor Danny Trejo should be on the short list of candidates for Kamala Harris‘ soon-to-be-vacated senate seat. “He’s the epitome of someone who pulled themselves up from their proverbial bootstraps and showed anything is possible if you just grind,” Arrelano wrote. While Trejo was flattered by the idea, he opened up to IndieWire about how he prefers being on the frontlines and that he’s an even bigger believer in not mixing celebrities and politics after Trump:

Listen, I leave all that stuff to the politicians. I’ve been asked a couple of times to run for councilman and stuff like that. I honestly believe that politicians have to be ‘A’ students in government. We’ve had so much problem in the United States by voting in celebrities. Look where we’re at right now! I’d rather be on the frontlines serving the police, serving the special needs, feeding the homeless, feeding the protestors, and kicking the looters in the ass. [laughs]

While Trejo has his issues with how the government runs and believes he can get more work done on the ground (the Machete star is very active in his community) he isn’t entirely apolitical. During the interview, he openly states that he’s a Democrat. “We’re working people,” Trejo says. “Most Democrats are working people.” The actor also believes in climate change initiatives and hopes that Joe Biden will do a better job managing the coronavirus. But when it comes to the fact that some of his fans might have voted for Trump, Trejo has his own special way of keeping things civil. “I tell my Republican friends, ‘Hey, we don’t discuss politics or I’ll beat you.’” Granted, he laughed after saying that, but we have a feeling he wasn’t joking.

(Via IndieWire)

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Robin Pecknold Says His ‘Casual Friend’ Post Malone Almost Featured On The New Fleet Foxes Album

While most of Post Malone’s material runs in hip-hop and pop circles, he has long been public about his love for indie and folk music. So, it’s only kind of surprising to learn that he and Fleet Foxes leader Robin Pecknold are friends and that Posty almost appeared on the band’s latest album, Shore.

Speaking to Bryce Segall on Radio.com’s New Arrivals show, Pecknold revealed that bit of trivia, saying that the timing didn’t work out for Malone to guest on the album: “He came by the studio for one day while we were working in LA and listened to stuff and was super supportive. We didn’t get together in time because I wanted to get the album out quickly, but I did ask him to be on it. He was down but we just didn’t end up having time.”

Pecknold also spoke about about his relationship with Malone, calling it a “casual friendship” by which he is blown away:

“He’ll text me every once in a while and it’s always a really fun thing to receive. To have that pop up in my iMessages, it always feels like a glitch in the Matrix or something. […] He’s a super sweet guy, he’s a real gentleman, and he’s probably the best melody writer in the business right now, I think. And by some glitch in the Matrix, we have a casual friendship.”

Malone’s Twitter followers know that he has been a big Fleet Foxes fan for years. He has tweeted about them on multiple occasions, like when he wrote in April 2015, “if you don’t like flee foxes then f*ck you.” That October, he added, “fleet foxes is the only group that i love every single song of,” and he also tweeted in December 2016, “please….. if you haven’t listened to any fleet or FJM i don’t know if i can talk to you.” There’s also this clip of him singing along to “The Shrine/An Argument” last year:

Listen to the full interview here and revisit our own interview with Pecknold here.

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Every Bottle Of The Core Jack Daniel’s Line, Ranked

Jack Daniel’s is the best selling whiskey in the world. Not the best selling bourbon or the best selling scotch. No, it’s the undisputed champion of them all when it comes to the sales numbers around this blue-green marble. Chalk a win up for Tennesse whiskey.

So we have to ask, what’s the best bottle of Jack Daniel’s to drink? Where does the line shine its brightest?

To find that answer, we’re breaking down the eight bottles in the core line of the Jack Daniel’s portfolio. We’re not ranking limited editions, one-offs, or flavored spirits. Though, Jack Daniel’s Honey and Jack Daniel’s Apple definitely have their place in our hearts. These are yearly releases that have withstood the test of time.

Before we dive in, there’s really no science here. We’re simply going on taste. We did think about the price, but it ended up not being a factor. Jack Daniel’s is very affordable, even at their highest-end. There’s only one bottle on this list that we’d deem “expensive” and it’s still a killer expression.

Okay, let’s get to it.

8. Gentleman Jack

Jack Daniel

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This bottle was introduced (in its current iteration) in 1990. The key to this expression is that it’s good ol’ Old No. 7 Jack Daniel’s that is passed through sugar maple charcoal — the famed Lincoln County Process that defines Tennessee whiskey — twice.

Tasting Notes:

Jack is known for banana and it’s here in spades. There’s a clear sense of banana cream pie with a buttery crust and plenty of creamy vanilla pudding in the base. There’s a twinge of spice and oak on the backend but not a lot. The finish has a caramel sweetness that plays second fiddle to the banana and vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This really feels like it was calibrated for a different generation’s palate. It’s very pleasant, but too much of the oak and spice have been stripped away in that second filtration.

7. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select

Jack Daniel

ABV: 47%
Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

This was first introduced in 1997. The juice is hand-selected from barrels on the upper floors of Jack’s vast rickhouses. The whisky is bottled at a slightly higher proof to allow the nuance of the juice to shine.

Tasting Notes:

The banana notes are drawn way back here and replaced by a clear sense of toasted oak. That oak is the underpinning for notes of caramel corn, mild spice, and plenty of oily vanilla beans. The sweet banana fruit is there and marries well to a peppery spice that amps up as the end draws near with plenty of that toasted wood lingering the longest.

Bottom Line:

This is really nice. I keep a bottle of this on my shelf for after-dinner drams with a rock. It can get a little too oaky for some though, hence it’s spot on the list.

6. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7

Jack Daniel

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

Nathan “Nearest” Green and Jack Daniel’s created this Tennessee whiskey after the Civil War, thanks in part to Green utilizing the Lincoln County Process when making his whiskey. The low-rye (eight percent) sour mash is made with that iconic soft limestone water and then filtered, drop by drop, through ten-feet of sugar maple charcoal. The juice is then aged for at least four years in new oak.

Tasting Notes:

Vanilla wafers, sweet corn, and butter roasted banana greet you. The palate delivers on those promises while adding in a subtle charred oak bitterness with a touch of spicy warmth. The end is short, sweet, and full of that buttery banana.

Bottom Line:

This is probably one of the most iconic whiskeys on the planet over the past 100 years. It’s the perfect shooter, works in a highball, and makes a hell of a cocktail. It’s available literally everywhere booze is sold and it’s cheap. You really can’t ask for more.

Maybe we should have put it at number one, given all of that…

5. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye

Jack Daniel

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This fairly new release (2017) from Jack asks “what would straight rye whiskey taste like if it was given the ol’ Lincoln County treatment?” Jack’s mash bill utilizes a 70 percent rye and cave water from the nearby Tennessee mountains. They then treat the hot distillate as they would a standard Tennessee whiskey, with sugar maple charcoal filtration and new oak barreling.

Tasting Notes:

This opens up with a mellow-yet-sharp spice next to rich vanilla and a hint of orchard fruit. The sip leans into the spice while pairing a creamy mouthfeel with an oaky richness. The end lingers in the spice and vanilla while quickly fading, with hints of that oak popping back in.

Bottom Line:

This has no business being as good as it is, especially at this price point. I really dig it in highballs, but also use it for cocktails.

Sazerac, Manhattan, boulevardier, old fashioned … it’s all good.

4. Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select

Jack Daniel

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $170 (1-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

Frank Sinatra was one of Jack’s biggest fans. The crooner was buried with a bottle. The actual juice in this expression is a throwback of sorts to how Jack was made in Sinatra’s day. They use special “Sinatra Barrels” that have concentric grooves carved into the newly charred oak, giving the whiskey more surface area to do its thing. Once that’s aged, it’s blended with traditional Old No. 7 and proofed at 45 percent, as it also would have been back in the Rat Pack days.

Tasting Notes:

Stonefruit, caramel apples, vanilla pods, and a hint of that toasted oak pull you in. The sip leans into the fruit with a rich and buttery vanilla-laden caramel, plenty of peppery spice, and more of that oak, along with a very distant echo of tobacco smoke. The fruit leans back towards a mild banana as the caramel, spice, vanilla, and oak slowly fades out and warms your senses, leaving you with one final puff of that smoke.

Bottom Line:

This feels like Jack Daniel’s dialed up to eleven. It’s super easy-drinking and works wonders as a sipper with a little water or ice.

3. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel 100 Proof

Jack Daniel

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

This is Jack’s bottled-in-bond expression. It started out as a yearly release for the travel market, meaning it’ll be a little harder to find outside of duty-free shops — though not impossible anymore. The juice is classic Jack from a single distilling season that’s then aged in a bonded rickhouse for at least four years under the government’s watchful eye.

Tasting Notes:

The oak really comes through with hints of vanilla, fruit, and buttery and sweet toffee. The palate leans into the vanilla and adds in plenty more oak with a full billow of pipe tobacco smoke cut by mild fruit. The end is enriched by spice, orange zest, and more of that toffee as the oak and vanilla fade through the tobacco smoke on the long end.

Bottom Line:

There’s a reason folks colloquially call bottled-in-bond whiskeys “the good stuff.” This is just really f*cking solid in every way. It’s a great sipper and really blooms with a little water or a rock. It’s also inexpensive enough to work into a Manhattan cocktail.

2. Jack Daniels’ Single Barrel Rye

Jack Daniel

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

This expression is the same process as the Tennessee rye above — 70 percent rye mash bill, cave water, sugar maple filtration, new charred oak barrels. The difference is that these bottles are pulled from barrels that were deemed perfect just the way they are.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a rich marrying of bright fruit (mildly banana and tropical) with rye spice that greets you. The vanilla is there to support the peppery rye as toasted oak edges in. The spice leans into a Christmas cake spicy matrix with more of that subtle tropical fruit and vanilla. The end is warming, peppery, and has just enough fruit to sweeten your senses.

Bottom Line:

This is almost too-easy of a sipper. A little water really helps open up the Christmas spices and orange zest. While you can sip this, it’s also a killer cocktail base given the relatively low price for a single barrel expression.

1. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof

Jack Daniel

ABV: Varies
Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

Where the Single Barrel Select is cut with soft limestone water to bring it down to proof, this is the straight juice from the barrel. These barrels are all hand-selected from the rickhouses. What’s left from the angel’s share then goes straight into the bottle.

That means the ABVs and tasting notes for this bottle will vary depending on which bottle you snag.

Tasting Notes:

Expect an experience that’s full of rich vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak, next to a rush of spice. The sip should have a mix of that vanilla, oak, and spice with a nice dose of bright fruits and a texture that’s more velvet than liquid. The end really holds onto that vibe as the mild spice, toasted oak, rich vanilla, and almost maple syrup sweetness slowly fade across your senses.

Bottom Line:

This will be shockingly smooth. You really don’t need water or ice, but a little water does let it bloom — with more spice, orange peel bitterness, and richer vanilla. Frankly, there are bottles of single barrel bourbons out there that cost twice what this does and are far less satisfying (or easy to drink).

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2 Chainz Plays Every Member Of His Own Band In The Funk-Flavored ‘Can’t Go For That’ Video

Lauded Atlanta video director Bryan Barber returns to guide the tongue-in-cheek video for 2 Chainz’s new So Help Me God single, “Can’t Go For That.” The Hall & Oates-sampling song takes its title from the yacht-rock duo’s 1981 Private Eyes single “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” while the video finds Chainz using the Barber go-to of having him play every member of a glitzy funk band, a la Andre 3000’s 2003 video for “Hey Ya!

However, Chainz embraces even more of the camp inherent in the video’s concept, utilizing some grainy green screen effects and setting the whole shebang on a low-budget set that really references the 1970s/late-80s aesthetic implied by the song’s sample. Each character’s name is some variation on the name Toni, with the only non-2 Chainz character in the video played by Atlanta comedian Lil Duval. The song’s guest vocalist Ty Dolla Sign missed the video shoot but Chainz’s “Toné” character is a reliable stand-in.

So Help Me God appeared today after a rollout that included a pushback and the singles “Quarantine Thick” featuring Mulatto and “Money Maker” with Lil Wayne.

Watch the “Can’t Go For That” video above.

So Help Me God is out now via Def Jam. Get it here.

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The Hawks Had Nearly 40,000 People Vote At Their Arena In The 2020 Election

When the NBA decided to briefly stop play in Orlando, it was an effort to put the onus on the league and the owners to come up with a concrete plan to combat social injustice in America. It was partly a response to the police shootings of unarmed Black people, but it also spoke to the larger issue of widespread systemic disenfranchisement among minorities.

Part of the league’s multi-tiered plan involved using team-owned sports arenas around the country as voting sights for the 2020 elections. As officials continue to count ballots, it’s become apparent that those locations may have had a significant impact on the outcome of several key races.

According to data compiled by USA TODAY, just under 300,000 people voted at 40 sports arenas around the country. Among those, the Hawks’ State Farm Arena in Atlanta had the largest turnout, with approximately 40,000 local residents casting their ballots in person there.

Via Josh Peter, Tom Schad, and Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports:

No professional sports arena, however, welcomed more voters than the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena, according to USA TODAY Sports’ data.

Nearly 40,000 Fulton County residents voted at the arena during early voting in Georgia, a key state in which Joe Biden holds a narrow lead over Donald Trump. The team wanted to provide a non-partisan site without long waiting times. With 302 voting machines at physically-distanced locations, poll workers kept lines moving even when there were 3,000 people per day during the first week of early voting.

The Hawks’ arena was one of the first stadium to activate its early voting in the elections and could signal a trend for future elections. However, this particular election cycle was unique and at the use of stadiums was partly a response to the social distancing requirements during the ongoing pandemic, while in a normal year, many of those arenas would’ve been hosting regular events during that time of year.

Regardless, the massive efforts to educate voters and give them fair and ample opportunities to take part in the democratic process is a crucial endeavor in its own right, and the numbers suggest that it’s much more than just a small gesture.

(USA TODAY Sports)

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Bodega Cats In ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ Take A Pet Like No Problem

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is one of the most anticipated games of the fall release calendar, and not just because you get to pet cats in it. There are plenty of games in which you can pet cats, including another new release in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. But in the new Spider-Man, which on Thursday helped Sony kickstart its PlayStation 5 console era, you get to pet cats and also reference a very funny internet meme along the way.

Miles Morales has gotten considerable buzz amid the new console launch, and as fans have dug into the game they noticed something particular about a scene where Miles gets to pet a cat. Namely, that he says the cat he encounters in a bodega “takes a pet like no problem.” Fans noticed that and shared it online on launch day.

The reason? It’s eerily similar to a video of a man petting a cat in a bodega that went viral because he said the same phrase in praise of that cat’s willingness to be petted.

There was a lot of speculation about whether the scene was a direct reference to the video or, you know, just something that people say when they encounter good cats in bodegas. But Ben Arfmann, the lead writer on Miles Morales, noticed some folks talking about that particular scene and confirmed that, yes, that was a reference to a very good video about an equally good cat.

He then shared the video, calling it a “career highlight.”

It’s very fun to see something that’s popular on the internet get replicated in real life. And if this kind of attention to detail exists throughout all of Miles Morales, gamers are in for a lot of fun these next few weeks.