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Even Tucker Carlson Thought His Interview With Matt Gaetz About The Sex Trafficking Allegations Against Him Was ‘One Of The Weirdest’ He’s Ever Done

On Tuesday, word broke that Matt Gaetz, noted Trump loyalist, was thinking of leaving Congress to become a full-time Newsmax personality. Mere hours later, The New York Times reported that the Justice Department had spent months investigating his alleged sexual relationship with an underage girl, which may have involved sex trafficking across state lines. But Gaetz’s big day wasn’t over yet. He appeared that night on Tucker Carlson Tonight, where he proceeded to give an interview even his host found bizarre.

It went off the rails pretty quickly. Carlson, eternally sympathetic with conservatives explaining dodgy beliefs, asked him to tell his side, only to receive a suspiciously convoluted story. In it, he alleged he was being extorted by a former DOJ official, who sought $25 million in exchange for making “horrible sex trafficking allegations” disappear. There was some talk about connections to Biden, too.

All the while, Carlson quietly stared at him with his patented furrowed brow and mouth slightly slack-jawed. Eventually Gaetz tried to elicit sympathy from him, casually mentioned that someone once accused Carlson of a sex crime, too — 20 years ago, which were proven untrue. Carlson seemed genuinely taken aback by that reference, but tried to fight through it.

But Gaetz made it worse. He told Carlson about a time he and his wife had had dinner with him and a female “friend” of his, who he claimed was later threatened by the FBI over the same scheme he’s alleging. A genuinely confused Carlson responded, “I don’t remember this woman you’re speaking of in this context at all, honestly.”

There was also something about photos of him with child prostitutes.

Gaetz concluded by claiming he’s being targeted because he’s a “well-known, outspoken conservative, and I guess that’s out of style in a lot of parts of the country right now” — even though the investigation was actually begun by former Attorney General William Barr, in the last months of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Throughout it all, Carlson tried to let Gaetz explain himself, even trying to smooth over some clear concerns he had with what he was saying. But by the time he came back from commercial post-interview, he had to admit it was “one of the weirdest interviews I’ve ever conducted.” He said he didn’t think it “clarified much, even though, he said, “I don’t quite understand it.”

In other words, if even Tucker Carlson can’t help you spin your way out of a salacious story, that means this is only the beginning.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

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Young Dolph Announces His Retirement Just Days After Releasing ‘Dum & Dummer 2’ With Key Glock

Last summer, Young Dolph delivered his seventh album Rich Slave, a 16-track effort that increased to 24 when its deluxe reissue arrived at the beginning of 2021, and which bore contributions from Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, G Herbo, and Kenny Muney. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest-charting release of his career. Dolph continued to impress with Dum & Dummer 2, his joint album with fellow Memphis rapper Key Glock, which dropped last week. Unfortunately for fans of Dolph, the new project marks an end to his career, as he took to Instagram to announce his retirement from hip-hop.

“I hope y’all enjoying the new mixtape, it’s my last project putting out,” he revealed in the post’s caption. “I wasn’t gonna tell y’all but i thought y’all should know im done with music. ENJOY.”

While the timing of the news may be unexpected, it’s not the first time that Dolph has announced his retirement. In March 2020, he called it quits from the rap game in order to spend more time with his family. “I’m done doing music so I can go kick it with my son,” he said at the time. “Key Glock is already poised to be the new torchbearer.” The retirement didn’t last long, as he quickly returned to begin the rollout for Rich Slave, which arrived five months later.

Dum & Dummer 2 is out now via Paper Route Empire. Get it here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Young Dolph Announces His Retirement Just Days After Releasing ‘Dum & Dummer 2’ With Key Glock

Last summer, Young Dolph delivered his seventh album Rich Slave, a 16-track effort that increased to 24 when its deluxe reissue arrived at the beginning of 2021, and which bore contributions from Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, G Herbo, and Kenny Muney. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest-charting release of his career. Dolph continued to impress with Dum & Dummer 2, his joint album with fellow Memphis rapper Key Glock, which dropped last week. Unfortunately for fans of Dolph, the new project marks an end to his career, as he took to Instagram to announce his retirement from hip-hop.

“I hope y’all enjoying the new mixtape, it’s my last project putting out,” he revealed in the post’s caption. “I wasn’t gonna tell y’all but i thought y’all should know im done with music. ENJOY.”

While the timing of the news may be unexpected, it’s not the first time that Dolph has announced his retirement. In March 2020, he called it quits from the rap game in order to spend more time with his family. “I’m done doing music so I can go kick it with my son,” he said at the time. “Key Glock is already poised to be the new torchbearer.” The retirement didn’t last long, as he quickly returned to begin the rollout for Rich Slave, which arrived five months later.

Dum & Dummer 2 is out now via Paper Route Empire. Get it here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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A Fox News Contributor Went Nuclear On A Former Trump Staffer When She Claimed Tucker Carlson Wasn’t A Conspiracy Theorist

The vaccination rollout had a rough start, but it’s been going well. Millions are getting dosed a day, and the director of the CDC recently said those who’ve received both should not only be immune but shouldn’t be able to spread it to others who haven’t. There are still people standing in its way. Others in conservative media, such as Tucker Carlson, have been sowing doubt in the rollout. But while most on the network won’t call him out, on Tuesday one emphatically did.

On Tuesday, token liberal contributor Christopher Hahn — who occasionally loses it over his colleagues — had a nuclear meltdown when a guest tried to defend Carlson’s antics. Earlier in the day on Fox & Friends, Carlson called the “passports” — the Biden administration’s proposed way to verify whether or not people have received both doses and won’t infect others — “Orwellian,” suggesting that people should be free to make others sick with a highly contagious disease.

Anchor Gillian Turner floated the topic to her guests, Hahn and former Trump White House adviser Mercedes Schlapp. The former agreed with Carlson. Hahn did not, and how.

“Republicans, like everything else they’ve done during this horrible crisis we’ve been through, are pushing these conspiracy theories that the government is trying to control you, which is causing some of their followers not to get vaccinated,” Hahn said. “People like Tucker Carlson, like Jim Jordan, like Mercedes right here now casting doubt on the fact that the government—or trying to convince people that the government is somehow watching you. That is very irresponsible!”

After Hahn accused Republicans of “spreading lies,” Schlapp jumped in. “You are not going to call me a liar!” she shouted. “You are not going to call me a conspiracy theorist! You are not going to call Tucker Carlson a conspiracy theorist.”

Hahn snapped back: “He is! He is and you are!”

“I’m not going to put up with this!” Shlapp retorted. “I stand for freedom! I stand for the freedom of the American people every single day.”

“No, you don’t. You’re a grifter!” Hahn replied.

Their host eventually got them to calm down, but not before Hahn accused Republicans, Carlson and Schlapp included, of “damaging the effort to get this under control.”

You can watch their tête-à-tête in the tweet embedded above.

(Via The Daily Beast)

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COVID vaccine misinformation is out of hand. Let’s examine some of the most common myths.

As the U.S. ramps up its vaccine production and distribution, misinformation and myths about the vaccines are ramping up as well. There are the whackadoodle conspiracy theories, of course, but there’s also a lot of genuine confusion out there. Some confusion is due to the constant deluge of rapidly evolving (and sometimes changing) information, some of it’s due to how scientists communicate what they know and don’t know, and some of it is because people don’t know who to trust for reliable information.

For example, some of the myths below originated from people with “Dr.” before their names. And there will assuredly be people in the comments sharing screenshots and Bitchute links to talks from scientists, doctors, and nurses who have been booted from social media for spreading misinformation. It’s an epidemic at this point.

While an individual’s credentials matter, they’re not enough to make someone a trustworthy source of information. There are people with multiple degrees from elite institutions who are steeped in conspiracy thinking, addicted to attention, grifting for profit, or just genuinely kooky. Scientific skepticism is healthy, to a point. But if a medical professional makes a claim and 100 medical professionals refute it, the majority consensus is the logical way to go. (I know, I know. Galileo. But we aren’t living in the 17th century anymore and discredited findings are a real thing.)

Rather than relying on individual doctors or scientists, I look to well-respected medical institutions and professional medical associations for the most accurate information. That’s where most of the information here comes from. Everything in blue text is a link to a source, which I recommend clicking and reading.

This list is by no means exhaustive. And I’m not even going to address the super whackadoodle stuff. If you really think Bill Gates is injecting you with a microchip, or that these vaccines have anything to do with 5G or the mark of the beast, facts probably aren’t going to help you.

That said, here we go:


MYTH #1: “The vaccine isn’t really a vaccine.”

This myth appears to trace back to a man named Dr. David E. Martin who said this on a podcast. He’s not a medical doctor; he’s CEO of a financial analyst firm. He doesn’t specify what his Ph.D. is in, but it’s clearly not in any field related to immunology.

According to the CDC, a vaccine is “a product that stimulates a person’s immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease.” That’s exactly what all three of the COVID vaccines in use in the U.S. do. The mRNA vaccines do so with a different mechanism than traditional vaccines, but the basic premise—getting the immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease—still stands. That’s why every professional medical institution uses the word “vaccine” to describe these injections.

MYTH #2: “The mRNA vaccine is gene therapy” and/or “The mRNA vaccine changes your DNA.”

No, it’s not gene therapy and it does nothing to your DNA. mRNA doesn’t go inside your cells, where your genes actually exist. “Unlike gene editing and gene therapy, mRNA technology does not change the genetic information of the cell, and is intended to be short-acting,” reads the Moderna website. In fact, mRNA research was launched decades ago as an alternative to DNA-based gene therapy, precisely because it doesn’t change your DNA.

Though super simplistic, this video depicting how mRNA vaccines work earned high praise from immunologists for showing what the vaccine is actually doing in your body. The mRNA goes in, gives your body instructions for making the spike protein that exists on the outside of the coronavirus, prompting your immune system to create the weapons needed to destroy it. The mRNA itself gets destroyed by your own body shortly thereafter. No genes altered. No genetic material left in you. Just nice, shiny immunity.

MYTH #3: “The vaccines were rushed and haven’t been around long enough to know they’re safe.”

Yes, these are new vaccines. Yes, they went through the development and testing processes in record time. It’s understandable that people would be hesitant for this reason. But there are two issues at play here.

1) People are assuming that fast = rushed = skipped steps. But does the evidence bear that out? No. The University of Nebraska Medical Center has a well-laid-out, concise explanation of the various phases of normal vaccine development and how they were able to safely speed them up with these vaccines. (In a long nutshell, our knowledge about vaccines, decades of mRNA research, a decade of mRNA vaccine research specifically, and base knowledge about coronaviruses gave us a solid foundation to start from. Then, having thousands of volunteers sign up quickly, building facilities ahead of time, combining phases—which is not the same as cutting corners—having enough viral spread to get the necessary results quickly, and having all hands on deck at every level combined to give us these vaccines in record time.)

Do we know the long-term effects of the vaccines? No. Is there any scientific or biological reason to anticipate that there will be any, based on the decades of research we have under our belts? No.

2) The risk ratio heavily favors the vaccine, even without long-term data.

One thing people don’t seem to realize is that these vaccines have been around almost as long as the virus itself has—just a few months less. (The first Moderna vaccines were injected into trial volunteers on 3/16/20—over a year ago.) So we’ve had almost the same amount of time to observe the effects of both.

We know the risks with COVID are real, both short-term and long-term. Obviously, death is a big one. Severe illness is another. But even recovered people who initially had mild symptoms can have ongoing health problems. Some people with more severe COVID may have permanent organ damage. And those are just the health effects we know about so far.

We know that the risks with the vaccine so far are teeny tiny. More Americans have gotten the vaccine than have gotten the virus at this point, and what have we seen? A small number of severe allergic reactions, out of tens of millions of doses. Lots of expected temporary side effects shortly after injection as the body’s immune system does its thing. That’s it. And while we don’t know if there are any long-term side effects, there does not appear to be any scientific reason to believe there will be.

Everything carries some risk. The risk ratio here for the vast majority of us is clearly in favor of vaccination.

MYTH #4: “The vaccine doesn’t keep you from transmitting the virus, it just lessens symptoms.”

This myth began because scientists simply didn’t have the evidence to show whether or not the vaccine prevented infection and transmission, and they said so. But “we don’t have evidence at this point” doesn’t mean “doesn’t.” It just means there wasn’t enough data to know yet, and scientists (thankfully) try not to speculate, but rather go by what the data shows.

As of this week, we’ve seen enough real-world evidence to be able to say that yes, at least the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do prevent infection—including asymptomatic infection—by 90%. The CDC officially announced it. That’s amazing news. Shout-it-from-the-rooftops kind of news.

MYTH #5: “The vaccine isn’t even approved by the FDA.”

Technically, this is true—the FDA has not approved the vaccines for licensure per their normal processes. However, the FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization, which is the best they can do in the limited time frame of an out-of-control global pandemic. It’s not like the FDA is hesitant about these vaccines. You can go right to the FDA website and read all about their recommendations and the authorization process, including all of the documentation from the three authorized vaccines here.

MYTH #6: “The vaccine could make you infertile.”

This one’s easy. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: “Unfounded claims linking COVID-19 vaccines to infertility have been scientifically disproven. ACOG recommends vaccination for all eligible people who may consider future pregnancy.”

Considering the fact that OBs are the main medical professionals who actually want women to be able to get pregnant so they can continue to have a job, I trust their professional take on this.

MYTH #7: “The vaccine is messing with women’s menstruation.”

As far as menstruation goes, there is some evidence that COVID-19 infection can mess with the volume and duration of a woman’s menstrual cycle. So it’s not like there aren’t questions about how the coronavirus itself might impact your reproductive system.

There have also been some anecdotes from Israel of a small number of women reporting irregular menstrual bleeding after receiving the vaccine, which the health ministry is monitoring. However, it’s a handful of reports out of millions of vaccinations, and women’s cycles can be impacted by all kinds of things, which makes the causal connection not particularly convincing.

Which leads us to the next myth…

MYTH #8: “There are reports of people dying not long after they get the vaccine, which means they’re risky.”

It’s true that some people are going to die after they get the vaccine, but that doesn’t mean they’re dying from the vaccine. We are administering 2 to 3 million vaccine doses per day. One in 45,000 Americans die each day. Statistically, that means 40 to 60 people will die the day they get their vaccine, no matter what. And naturally, some of those deaths will be random heart attacks, brain aneurysms, and other unexpected and sudden causes of death.

“These medical events occur every single day, including unexplained illnesses,” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center told ABC News. “The question really is, do they occur at a greater rate in the vaccinated population than they do in the general population?”

It’s not like doctors just assume someone’s death wasn’t caused by the vaccine. They investigate it each time it happens. And so far, no evidence that the vaccines are killing people.

MYTH #9: “The virus has a 99% survival rate so a vaccine isn’t necessary.”

There are lots of percentages floating around about survival rates, but there is no official number because we don’t truly know how many people have been infected. Case fatality rates—meaning how many have died out of confirmed cases—are all over the place, ranging from 0.1% in Mongolia to 21% in Yemen. (In the U.S. it’s 1.8%. In Mexico, 9.1%. Seriously, all over the map.)

However, even if we go with a 99% survival rate estimate, that sounds low until you calculate what that would mean if every American got infected with the virus. Are we ready to see more than 3.5 million Americans die from a disease we have an effective vaccine for? That seems cruel.

Not to mention, the longer we let the virus spread, the more chance it has to mutate into more contagious and deadlier variants. Widespread vaccination is the only way we’re going to mitigate the pandemic without millions of deaths and prolonged economic and social hardship.

MYTH #10: The vaccines use aborted fetal tissue.

Here’s where we get into some confusing science, but the short answer is no. No fetal tissue is used in the making of these vaccines.

What is used are what’s called fetal cell lines, which are basically cellular descendants of fetal tissue taken from elective abortions in the 1970s. They are not fetal tissue now, and no fetal tissue is used in any of these vaccines. The North Dakota Department of Health has a clear explanation of what role fetal cell lines play in COVID-19 vaccines.

Worth noting that the famously anti-abortion U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has given their approval of the vaccines, stating: “receiving a COVID-19 vaccine ought to be understood as an act of charity toward the other members of our community. In this way, being vaccinated safely against COVID-19 should be considered an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good…Given the urgency of this crisis, the lack of available alternative vaccines, and the fact that the connection between an abortion that occurred decades ago and receiving a vaccine produced today is remote, inoculation with the new COVID-19 vaccines in these circumstances can be morally justified.”

MYTH #11: “Once you’re vaccinated you can go about life as you did pre-pandemic.”

Not yet. Now at least we know that the mRNA vaccines drastically reduce transmission, which should give us some peace of mind. But drastically reduced doesn’t mean eliminated, and most Americans still aren’t vaccinated. In public, we still need to observe pandemic protocols until our numbers really drop for a while.

If you’re vaccinated and the people you’re with are vaccinated, have a ball. But around the general public, keep the distancing and the masks up for a while longer.

MYTH #12: “The vaccine will trigger autoimmune diseases in the body.”

There has been speculation about vaccines causing autoimmune diseases for many years, with no evidence to show that the concerns are founded. The same goes for the COVID vaccines. This myth may originate from a viral video from a nurse practitioner claiming that the mRNA vaccine could make the immune system attack the body, but that has been debunked by experts.

Again, I like to go to professional medical associations for this kind of thing, as non-profit organizations dedicated to maintaining high standards in their fields. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recently released this recommendation on COVID vaccines for people with autoimmune conditions:

“Although there is limited data from large population-based studies, it appears that patients with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions are at a higher risk for developing hospitalized COVID-19 compared to the general population and have worse outcomes associated with infection,” said Dr. Jeffrey Curtis, chair of the ACR COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance Task Force. “Based on this concern, the benefit of COVID-19 vaccination outweighs any small, possible risks for new autoimmune reactions or disease flare after vaccination.”

MYTH #13: “We don’t even know what’s in these vaccines.”

We actually know a ton about these vaccines, including what’s in them. The FDA has all of that information available on their website, though it does take wading through some long documents to find them. But the reality is that the ingredients list won’t be all that meaningful to the average person. Here’s the list for Pfizer:

“The vaccine contains a nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (modRNA) encoding the viral spike glycoprotein (S) of SARS-CoV-2. The vaccine also includes the following ingredients: lipids ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2- hexyldecanoate), 2-[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide, 1,2-distearoyl-snglycero-3-phosphocholine, and cholesterol), potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and sucrose.”

If that makes you feel better, more power to you.

MYTH #14: “We just need to eat well and take care of our health and our immune systems will save us.”

I am100% in favor of optimal health, so by all means, eat well, exercise, take vitamins, and reduce stress. But the idea that a strong immune system is sufficient for battling the novel coronavirus simply isn’t true.

One thing that makes COVID-19 such a problem is that it’s new so no one’s immune system knows how to fight it. Yes, a robust immune system can be helpful—but it can also backfire. A healthy immune system can go into overdrive, causing what’s known as a cytokine storm. It’s what kills young and healthy people with the flu sometimes as well. Not super common, but it happens.

The vaccines are like a personal trainer getting your body ready for the COVID battle. If you were going to compete in a decathlon, you’d hone the skills and strength you need for those 10 specific events. You wouldn’t just rely on being in great shape in general. Same idea.

MYTH #15: “The vaccine only lasts three months.”

We don’t actually know how long immunity will last with the vaccines yet. That’s one of the things researchers are observing in the ongoing studies. The initial vaccine trials indicate that immunity lasts at minimum three months. A new study from the U.S. military indicates that vaccine immunity remains strong for at least seven to nine months. It could be that it ends up lasting a year or 10 years. We just don’t know yet. We may end up having to get a booster, or a yearly shot like the flu shot. But there’s no evidence that it only lasts three months.

Hope that helps.

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Mother of boy with autism raises $35,000 for school custodian who helped her son

Raymond Brown has been working as a custodian at White Oak Elementary School in Edenton, North Carolina for the past 15 years. He is a beloved figure at the school and Adrian Wood perfectly explained why.

“I’ve witnessed the way Mr. Brown speaks to visitors and teachers. The way he’s never in a hurry or too busy to talk to the children,” said the mother of four whose children have all attended White Oak Elementary. “The way he’s willing to clean up bathroom accidents or help me post stuff on the walls or set up for PTA events.”

According to Wood, Brown and his wife have been married for 38 years and have four kids, but unfortunately, they lost one in a motorcycle accident.


Wood also has a very personal reason why she thinks Brown is so special. He has become a good friend to her youngest child, Amos, a seven-year-old boy with autism.

“Sending three typical kids to school — you’re sad, but you’re excited for them,” Wood explained. “Sending Amos to school was such a different path. He was three when he started school. He was in diapers and he didn’t speak. But after Mr. Brown started saying ‘hello’ to him and calling him ‘Famous Amos,’ Amos started saying, ‘Hey Brown,” when he saw him. He wasn’t even saying ‘Daddy’ at that point, so it was really something.”

Amos’s relationship with Brown has made it easier for him to get along with other children, too.

“You have this man that everybody loves suddenly paying attention to this little boy,” Wood added, “Amos is a hard friend to have. He takes a lot more than he gives and that’s tough for children. But those kids saw that he was popular and loved and they started fighting over who would get to hold Amos’ hand on the way to the classroom. It meant so much to me for him to be so favored by the other children at school, and Mr. Brown had a big hand in that.”

Brown was nominated to win a $10,000 prize in the North Carolina Schools Heroes contest, but sadly he didn’t win. The loss affected Wood so deeply, she decided to create her own award for the custodian.

Wood has a popular blog called Tales of the Educated Debutante and when she told her followers about the award for Brown, the community stepped up, raising $35,000 for him.

On March 20, Brown dressed up in a tuxedo to take anniversary photos with his family at a local waterfront. When he arrived, he was surprised by Wood and members of the community with the award.


Mr. Brown’s Surprise

www.youtube.com

“I was very surprised,” said Mr. Brown. ” To see all those people shouting and hollering ‘Mr. Brown, congratulations,’ it was beautiful and it’s hard to explain, but I know this community loves Mr. Brown.”

Michelle Newsome, the principal at White Oak, says her staff is just as fond of Brown as the students and parents.

“Mr. Brown is really, truly so deserving of all of this and then some,” said Newsome. “He’s our rock-steady fella here at White Oak… he’s just a gem and we are so lucky to have him here. There isn’t a child in this building that doesn’t know who Mr. Brown is and that Mr. Brown cares for them and loves them.”

So now, the big question is, what’s Brown going to do with his gift?

“My wife has a little bit of plans for it,” Brown explained. “We’ll probably travel and see some of our family that we haven’t seen since COVID. And she wants to do some work on the house — pull some carpet out and get a bigger porch. I just want a used work truck for myself.”

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Referee Bert Smith Collapsed During The Elite 8 Game Between Gonzaga And USC

The attention of the country is on Indianapolis during the month of March as the 2021 NCAA Tournament occurs in a central location for the first time. While much of the focus is on the players and coaches on the floor during game action, the referees play a pivotal role in the process. On Tuesday evening, veteran referee Bert Smith came into the limelight for scary reasons when he collapsed to the floor early in the first half of an Elite 8 game between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the USC Trojans.

Play was immediately halted at the 15:44 mark, with trainers and medical professionals surrounding Smith in a hurry. It was quite a scary scene, however, as he seemingly hit his head on the floor while falling backwards.

Eventually, Smith was able to sit up and he seemed to be breathing and talking throughout the process. A stretcher was brought out to transport him from the floor but, by the time Smith exited the floor, he was alert and sitting up in what appeared to be good spirits.

Following the incident, Gene Steratore, working as part of the TBS broadcast, indicated that Smith was “feeling light-headed” and “he is stable.”

As far as the game is concerned, there was a replacement official in the building at Lucas Oil Stadium, and he was able to step in. Still, the far more important thing is Smith’s health, and we wish him the best as he is evaluated and hopefully feels better in short order.

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The Director Of FKA Twigs’ Video For ‘Cellophane’ Responds To Claims That Lil Nas X Ripped Them Off

Lil Nas X has pretty much had the entertainment world in the palm of his hands since he released his video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” last week. Think pieces from all over were written, but the singer is taking it all in stride, trolling his critics in response. Things worsened when he unveiled the footwear line “Satan Shoes” mere days after the song arrived, but even a lawsuit from Nike didn’t faze him.

There was one other piece of criticism: Some said the new video bore similarities to FKA Twigs’ 2019 video for “Cellophane,” namely the part where he descends to hell on a stripper pole. However, the director of FKA Twigs’ video, Andrew Thomas Huang, wasn’t so quick to accuse the “Old Town Road” singer of theft.

“I’m a fan of @LilNasX. “Old Town Road” is iconic,” Huang wrote over Twitter. “Sharing collaborators is common. Seeing the ‘Cellophane’ choreographer collab with Lil Nas X is awesome (love a Satan dance). Sharing aesthetics and paying homage is part of the creative process. Collective consciousness exists.” He added, “Images are also expensive to make. Years of work went into the creation of ‘Cellophane,’ from physical training to the emotional labor of unpacking Twigs’ life to construct images told her story of trauma and recovery. ‘Cellophane’ was a confession in the most vulnerable sense.”

Huang then discussed the work that was put into the “Cellophane” video. “Images are also expensive to make. Years of work went into the creation of ‘Cellophane,’ from physical training to the emotional labor of unpacking Twigs’ life to construct images told her story of trauma and recovery. ‘Cellophane’ was a confession in the most vulnerable sense,” he said. “When an artist is in a position of power (amplified with the help of major record labels, social media, PR, etc) and repurposes someone’s labor and ideas to serve their brand image, they cause harm by displacing the efforts of the artists who did the original leg work.”

Huang then shifted his attention to major records labels like Columbia, to which Lil Nas is signed, and asked that they do a better job of enforcing artistic integrity with their creatives. “I urge the music community, particularly major record labels like @ColumbiaRecords to respect directors, uphold artistic accountability and honor the ingenuity of artists dedicating their blood sweat and tears to imagine better futures amidst a broken industry,” he said, adding, “We can do better.”

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Our Favorite Session Beers For Spring 2021

As the weather starts to warm up, we find ourselves craving crisp, fresh, light beers. We’re talking IPAs, pale ales, bocks, wheat beers, pilsners, and lagers. But with the days getting longer and hangouts becoming a thing again, it’s nice to sip something that doesn’t knock you on your butt.

That’s where session beers come in. For the unaware, a session beer is defined as a beer that has an alcohol content in the lower range — meaning you can drink multiple cans or bottles in a single session. While there’s no official cutoff, most people would agree that any beer that sits below 5% ABV fits the criteria.

Session IPAs are one of the most common versions of this genre. Loaded with bright flavor notes, juicy on the palate, and often possessing a piney (vs. overly dank) hop presence, these beers are well suited for warm-weather imbibing. But Session IPAs aren’t the only sessionable brews out there — there are plenty of styles that fit this descriptor. Check out our favorite session beers to drink this spring (and well into the summer) below!

Founders All Day IPA

Founders

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

It’s right there in the name. This beer is lower in ABV so you can enjoy it all day long without fear of getting overly tipsy. This highly-rated 4.7% session IPA is known for its well-balanced, subtly hoppy features.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of earthy grass, lemon zest, and pine needles. The palate is filled with rich malts, ripe oranges, zesty grapefruit, and subtle, floral hops. The finish is crisp, clean, and ends with a pleasing hint of hop bitterness.

Bottom Line:

When it comes to session IPAs, Founders All Day IPA is the gold standard that every other session beer compares itself to.

Anchor Steam

Anchor

ABV: 4.9%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Recently, Anchor made some major packaging changes. This means that you might not immediately recognize the iconic Anchor Steam on shelves. This 4.9 brew is brewed with pale and caramel malts before being fermented with lager yeast. This gives its flavors of both caramel and crisp, fresh cereal.

Tasting Notes:

Take a moment to breathe in the aromas of sweet malts, fresh-baked bread, and subtle citrus hops. On the palate, you’ll find flavors of resinous pine, ripe tangerine, and a nice floral kick. It all ends with a nice combination of caramel malts and piney hops.

Bottom Line:

There’s a reason this is one of the longest-standing beer recipes in the US — it’s refreshing, malty, and a perfect session beer for the spring months.

Lagunitas Daytime IPA

Lagunitas

ABV: 4%

Average Price: $9 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This 4% session IPA proves that you can make a low alcohol, low-calorie IPA that actually has a strong, refreshing hop flavor. It’s light, thirst-quenching, and highly crushable on a warm evening.

Tasting Notes:

The aromas of ripe pineapple, fresh-cut flowers, and bright pine fill your nostrils. Take a sip and you’ll enter a world of tropical fruits, citrus zest, and sweet malts — with a nice kick of floral hops. The finish is clean, bright, and highly drinkable.

Bottom Line:

When it comes to IPAs, this is about as light as they come. But unlike a session pilsner or pale ale, Daytime IPA still has a nice hoppy backbone that should appeal to IPA drinkers.

Firestone Walker Easy Jack

Firestone Walker

ABV: 4.5%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Firestone Walker Union Jack might be the most well-respected West Coast IPA ever made, but at 7% it’s definitely not a session beer. To make Easy Jack, the brewers lowered the ABV to 4.5%, but kept the major hop presence with Amarillo, CTZ, Simcoe hops and dry-hopped the brew with Mandarina, Melon, Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo hops, too.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find scents of grass, baked bread, sweet malts, and floral and piney hops. The palate is filled with hints of lemon zest, clover honey, ripe oranges, and features a nice malt throughline. The finish is crisp and fresh with a strong, subtly bitter hop presence.

Bottom Line:

When it comes to session IPAs for hop heads, it’s really hard to beat the pleasingly bitter flavor of Firestone Walker Easy Jack.

Jack’s Abby Post Shift Pilsner

Jack

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Jack’s Abby is well-known for its refreshing, crisp lagers. When it comes to session offerings, its Post Shift Pilsner with its Bavarian hops and malts, and easy-drinking, fresh flavor is a real winner. It’s 4.7% ABV and full of bright, light, refreshing flavors.

Tasting Notes:

The noticeable aromas are those of sweet corn, lemon zest, and resinous pine. The flavor profile is filled with sweet German malts, ripe pineapple, juicy tangerine, and subtle floral hops. The finish is clean and dry.

Bottom Line:

We can’t think of a better beer to drink after a long day of work. Take off your boots, kick up your feet and take a moment for yourself.

Harpoon Rec. League

Harpoon

ABV: 4%

Average Price: $9 for a six-pack

The Beer:

If you’re anything like us, you probably played beer league slow-pitch softball, kickball, or even horseshoes at some point. You probably also drank a low-ABV macro brew in the process. Harpoon realized this was an untapped market, so the Boston-based brewery created a light, refreshing, low alcohol beer to be enjoyed while playing in a rec league.

Tasting Notes:

Nose this beer and you’ll be struck by the tropical flavors of mango and guava as well as slight citrus and crisp pine. On the sip, you’ll find yourself immersed in a world of citrus zest, orange peels, and ripe grapefruit — with just a hint of juicy papaya. The finish is crisp, light, and mellow.

Bottom Line:

Even if you aren’t currently (or never have) participated in a beer league, that shouldn’t stop you from imbibing this thirst-quenching, session brew.

Bell’s Light Hearted

Bell

ABV: 3.7%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

There are session beers and then there are beers that are so low in alcohol, you feel like you could drink ten cans (although we strongly discourage this). Bell’s Light Hearted is the low-ABV, low-calorie version of Bell’s popular Two Hearted Ale. It’s also only 110 calories per can, but the addition of Galaxy and Centennial hops give this beer the bright, citrus aromas IPA drinkers expect.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of caramel malt, fresh pineapple, and bright lime zest. The palate is brimming with notes of tangerine, lemon, juicy orange, and bright, spicy pine. The finish is crisp, clean, and ends with a nice hint of bitter hops.

Bottom Line:

Fans of Bell’s Two Hearted who are looking for a lighter, sessionable beer should definitely grab a sixer of Light Hearted for the warm days to come.

Drake’s Kick Back IPA

Drake

ABV: 4.3%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Drake’s didn’t want anyone to be confused when they crack open one of these bad boys. It’s called kick back because this session IPA — brewed with a smattering of Cascade, Simcoe, Mosaic, Chinook, Pekko, and El Dorado hops — was literally made to be enjoyed after a long day of work.

Kick back and sip on this hoppy, sessionable brew.

Tasting Notes:

Breathe in the aromas of sweet malts, grapefruit, and tropical fruit flavors. Take a sip and you’ll find flavors of orange peel, juicy lime, bright orange, and light hop resin. It all ends with a nice, pleasing bitter kick at the finish.

Bottom Line:

This is the kind of beer that session IPA fans love. It’s so loaded with hops that you wouldn’t even know it’s under 5% alcohol.

Notch Session Pils

Notch

ABV: 4%

Average Price: $17 for a 12-pack

The Beer:

There are many popular session IPAs. This because you can make up for low alcohol content by adding a ton of fresh, floral hop flavors. Notch’s Session Pils might not have the giant hop background of many sessionable IPAs, but it makes up for it with pils malts, lager yeast, and a nice dose of Saaz hops.

Tasting Notes:

This Czech-style pilsner starts with bold, crisp, herbal, and slight corn aromas. Take a sip and you’ll be transported to a world of earthy grass fields, bright lime, lemon zest, and rich, toasted malts. The finish is herbal, sweet, and ends with a nice kick of spicy hops.

Bottom Line:

The best thing about pilsners is that many of them are already (or close to) sessionable. This makes the style (and this pilsner in particular) perfectly suited for warm, spring-day drinking.

Maine Post Ride Snack

Maine Beer

ABV: 4.9%

Average Price: $6.99 for a 16-ounce bottle

The Beer:

The Maine Beer Company is well known for its Lunch IPA. But that beer is 7% alcohol. If you’re in the mood for a session beer from the brewery, you can’t go wrong with this session IPA. It’s loaded with Citra, Amarillo, Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin, and Hallertau Blanc hops, as well as Carahell, Maris Otter, 2-Row malts, and flaked oats.

Tasting Notes:

This vibrant, hazy IPA is loaded with the aromas of mango, grapefruit, pineapple, and resinous pine. The flavor profile is highlighted by hints of passionfruit, grass, lemon zest, guava, and an underlying floral, hoppy flavor. It all ends with a nice mix of juicy tropical fruits and bright, zesty hops.

Bottom Line:

The Maine Beer Company is known for its award-winning, high-quality beers. This extends to the highly sessional Post Ride Snack. The best beer to enjoy after a long bike ride on a hot day.

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News Trending Viral Worldwide

In The Wake Of News He May Leave Congress To Pursue A Newsmax Gig, Matt Gaetz Is Reportedly Being Investigated For Having Sex With A Minor

Life moves pretty fast. For Matt Gaetz, one of the biggest Trump loyalists in Congress, Tuesday began with word that he may be considering leaving the House, pursuing a full-time gig at the far-right station Newsmax. (Previously he threatened to quit his job to defend Trump’s second impeachment trial. He didn’t do that.) It ended with The New York Times revealing that he’s being investigated over a possible sexual relationship with a minor.

As per the Times, the Justice Department has been looking into the situation since the final months of the Trump presidency, under former Attorney General William Barr. Gaetz has been suspected of paying a young woman to travel with him across state lines. The alleged relations occurred two years ago, when she was 17. If true, that’s a violation of numerous statutes, which make it illegal to induce someone under 18 to cross state lines to engage in sexual relations for pay. No charges have yet been brought up against the politician.

Gaetz told NYT that his lawyers had been in touch with the Justice Department, but that he was only a subject, not the target, of the investigation. Said target appears to be one of his political allies, a Florida official named Joel Greenberg, who was indicted last summer on a barrage of charges, among them sex trafficking of a child.

“I only know that it has to do with women,” Mr. Gaetz told the Times. “I have a suspicion that someone is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward.”

Gatez has risen to notoriety as a close associate of Trump, and is regularly dragged on social media for some of his defenses of the disgraced former president. So when news broke about the investigation, mere hours after word that he may be transitioning into a TV personality full-time, there were jokes.

And some people wondering if the two stories have any kind of relation to each other.

(Via NYT)