Month: July 2021

For one of her final episodes of The View, Meghan McCain slipped in a jab at her co-hosts during an odd rant about the return of mask mandates. As has been widely reported, the COVID-19 Delta variant has caused a spike in cases that has almost exclusively been amongst the unvaccinated. In an effort to contain the spread, the CDC has reinstated its guidance on mask use, which caused a frustrated McCain to predict a dystopian future where Americans will flee to less restrictive states where they’ll be free to not follow health regulations in a middle of a pandemic.

“Look. I think this is stupid. I don’t want to wear a mask anymore,” McCain said after noting that Washington D.C., where she lives, has one of the best vaccination rates and lowest rate of cases, yet it’s still bringing back masks. That’s when she imagined a world where true patriots will flee to her home state of Arizona no matter what her The View panel might think of them.

You can see McCain’s comments at the 3:50 mark below:

Via Mediaite:

She then warned of a dystopian future of a “completely divided America where people who don’t want to live under these restrictions and are willing to take the risk no matter the judgment of people on this panel and people in politics, and they are willing to take the risk and live in a state that is freer and see people living more comfortable in places like D.C. that will continue to have mask mandates forever, and probably having some form of lockdowns going into the fall.”

This latest rant is yet another example of McCain’s conflicted opinions about the COVID vaccine that has popped up ever since she returned to The View from maternity leave. During her four year tenure on The View, McCain has been a vocal opponent of anti-vaxxers and notably called out Democratic primary candidate Marianne Williamson for pushing anti-vaccination conspiracy theories.

However, since Biden took office, the Republican party has aggressively adopted an anti-vaccine stance that’s no longer containing itself to just the COVID shot. While McCain has openly encouraged people to get the vaccine, that has put her odds with her fellow conservatives, and it’s repeatedly led to moments like Thursday’s rant where she’s both for and against science, but not a lick of it makes any sense.

(Via Mediaite)

More Brooklyn Nine-Nine is coming soon (title of your sex tape?).

The final season of the NBC sitcom was originally scheduled to premiere last year, but it was delayed due to the pandemic; the writers also scrapped four “all ready to go” episodes following the Black Lives Matter protests. Andy Samberg said the challenge of the 10 episodes is “being honest about what is going on in the world and not shying away from the fact that there are serious problems,” but he also cautioned that “it’s important for us and for anyone watching our show to keep in mind if we’re looking for a half-hour comedy show to be the ones to solve this problem, we’re in trouble.”

If it sounds like Brooklyn Nine-Nine will become too serious in the final season, the goofy trailer above should assuage those fears. There’s a room full of other district’s Hitchcocks and Scullys, Holt’s (Andre Braugher) beloved corgi Cheddar, Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) taking edibles, and the returns of Adrian Pimento (Jason Mantzoukas), Craig Robinson (Doug Judy), and Gina Linetti, played by Chelsea Peretti who left the show during season six. You had me at “beloved corgi,” B99.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns to NBC on August 12 with back-to-back episodes.

When Molly Reeser was a student at Michigan State University, she took a job mucking horse stalls to help pay for classes. While she was there, she met a 10-year-old girl named Casey, who was being treated for cancer, and — because both were animal lovers — they became fast friends.

Two years later, Casey died of cancer.

“Everyone at the barn wanted to do something to honor her memory,” Molly remembers. A lot of suggestions were thrown out, but Molly knew that there was a bigger, more enduring way to do it.

“I saw firsthand how horses helped Casey and her family escape from the difficult and terrifying times they were enduring. I knew that there must be other families who could benefit from horses in the way she and her family had.”

Molly approached the barn owners and asked if they would be open to letting her hold a one-day event. She wanted to bring pediatric cancer patients to the farm, where they could enjoy the horses and peaceful setting. They agreed, and with the help of her closest friends and the “emergency” credit card her parents had given her, Molly created her first Camp Casey. She worked with the local hospital where Casey had been a patient and invited 20 patients, their siblings and their parents.

The event was a huge success — and it was originally meant to be just that: a one-day thing. But, Molly says, “I believe Casey had other plans.”

One week after the event, Molly received a letter from a five-year-old boy who had brain cancer. He had been at Camp Casey and said it was “the best day of his life.”

“[After that], I knew that we had to pull it off again,” Molly says. And they did. Every month for the next few years, they threw a Camp Casey. And when Molly graduated, she did the most terrifying thing she had ever done and told her parents that she would be waitressing for a year to see if it might be possible to turn Camp Casey into an actual nonprofit organization. That year of waitressing turned into six, but in the end she was able to pull it off: by 2010, Camp Casey became a non-profit with a paid staff.

“I am grateful for all the ways I’ve experienced good luck in my life and, therefore, I believe I have a responsibility to give back. It brings me tremendous joy to see people, animals, or things coming together to create goodness in a world that can often be filled with hardships.”

Camp Casey serves 1500 children under the age of 18 each year in Michigan. “The organization looks different than when it started,” Molly says. “We now operate four cost-free programs that bring accessible horseback riding and recreational services to children with cancer, sickle cell disease, and other life-threatening illnesses.”

In addition to the day camp, they have also found ways to make horses accessible to immunocompromised, homebound patients through their Horsey House Call program. “[It] deploys 30 times a summer to knock on the doors of vulnerable children and surprise them with a horse for the afternoon,” she explains. “Our all-volunteer team and therapy horse stays for about 3 hours to provide rides, grooming lessons, games, crafts, pizza, music, and more.”

Other programs offered include Cowboy Camp Outs, an all-inclusive weekend getaway for families, and Lone Star Getaways, which provides a cost-free stay at a privately-owned rental property.

Camp Casey is also collaborating with other nonprofits to increase their impact in the community. They’re currently partnering with the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association, which spreads awareness of the first all-Black cavalry in the United States. Together, they’re deploying some of the Buffalo Soldiers’ horses to Horsey House Calls and inviting families to the Buffalo Soldiers stables.

Molly is being named one of Tory Burch’s Empowered Women of the year for her work with Camp Casey. The donation she receives as a nominee is being awarded to Camp Casey’s programs run at the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association.

“The ultimate goal for Camp Casey is to be able to offer year-round programs,” Molly says. “Michigan’s harsh winters make it difficult to conduct our outdoor programs but, sadly, many of the children who need our services pass away before the weather permits us to serve them.”

“We are actively working with the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Association and the city of Detroit to eventually erect an indoor horseback riding arena that would allow for year-round programs for both nonprofit organizations.”

Matt Berninger, of The National Fame, has made his collaborative nature more than obvious over the last few years. He’s worked with all sorts of artists, from Taylor Swift to Phoebe Bridgers to Julia Stone and Julien Baker, and his latest turn is contributing to a record that honors past greats.

I’ll Be Your Mirror is a tribute record devoted to The Velvet Underground and Nico, featuring contributions from Kurt Vile, St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten and Michael Stipe, and it will be released on September 24. In advance of that, Berninger’s take on “I’m Waiting For The Man” has debuted over at Consequence, and it ushers in the project with the perfect amount of levity and lightness.

I’ll Be Your Mirror full tracklist:
1. Michael Stipe, “Sunday Morning”
2. Matt Berninger, “Waiting For The Man”
3. Sharon Van Etten, “Femme Fatale”
4. Andrew Bird, Lucius, “Venus In Furs”
5. Kurt Vile, “Run Run Run”
6. St. Vincent, Thomas Bartlett, “All Tomorrow’s Parties”
7. Thurston Moore Feat. Bobby Gillespie, “Heroin”
8. King Princess, “There She Goes Again”
9. Courtney Barnett, “I’ll Be Your Mirror”
10. Fontaines D.C., “The Black Angel’s Death Song”
11. Iggy Pop, Matt Sweeney, “European Son”
12. Kurt Vile, “Run Run Run” (Radio Edit)

Berninger has also performed the song before, live on late night in 2020, which you can check out below.

Nas announced the follow-up to his last album, King’s Disease will be dropping in just a few days. The New York rapper let fans know that the second part of his Hit Boy-produced project would be dropping on August 6th, and astute fans of hip-hop will notice that’s the rumored date for Kanye to complete his new album, Donda, which may or may not be a hint of competitive energy in the air… or maybe synergy?

While Kanye is camped out in a stadium in Atlanta, nailing down the details of his latest work, an old diss tracks where Nas may or may not be dissing Tupac has surfaced. It’s unclear if that song is going to be a part of King’s Disease II, but considering the first installment won Nas a Grammy and functioned as a comeback album of sorts for the legendary MC, this follow up might be an equally impactful album.

Some may argue that Nas’ real comeback began with the Kanye-produced Nasir, which dropped during Ye’s rushed run of releases from 2018, and Nas later admitted was a bit rushed. Check out the album artwork for the project below, and look for it out on Mass Appeal Records on August 6th.

Sometime around 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night, James Bouknight will hear his name called by Adam Silver and his NBA career will begin in earnest. When that happens, Bouknight will enter the league in a unique position, both because of the skill set he brings to the NBA and the valuation teams are putting on that particular ability today. Bucket-getters have always mattered, but Bouknight’s talent combined with the league’s increasing penchant for perimeter scoring has him in the fascinating position of being projected just outside the top-5 by many draft experts, which is unfamiliar territory for players like him.

Bouknight’s skill set — a combination of creativity, toughness, and raw skill — has to be alluring for any of the teams at the top of the Draft. He has the ability to score from all three levels, and having that type of scorer has become invaluable for teams in the postseason.

Dropping 40 points in a college game is enormously difficult, especially against a solid program like Creighton. That’s exactly what Bouknight did last December in a game that really put him on the map as a high-level prospect after he stayed in college rather than declaring for the 2020 Draft. The highlights from that game alone show what makes him such a dazzling talent.

There’s a little bit of everything going on there. Bouknight has a crossover pull-up move that is hard to guard, and he can pull it off going either direction. Few college defenders have feet quick enough to stay in front of him, and once he enters the paint, he has solid touch and is able to absorb contact nicely (he had a solid 37 percent free throw rate at UConn).

But like many college players on teams without a ton of pro-level talent, Bouknight was often allowed to freelance without structure around him. As a result, the framing of him as a modern NBA scorer gets more complicated. Bouknight typically got the ball at the top of the arc and then either isolated or used a high screen to go to work, at which point he could comfortably get to his pull-up three, leading to easy comparisons to Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson.

Hidden beneath Bouknight’s shiny scoring average is the fact that he posted just a 54.6 true shooting percentage, which took a dip in 2021 due to his 29.3 percent shooting from deep as a sophomore. Bouknight also had just 27 assists in 15 games compared to 42 turnovers, a poor ratio for someone who, ideally, has the ball in his hands as a creator at the next level. And despite standing 6’5, Bouknight ought not to be thought of as a wing physically, not when he weighs just 190 pounds with a solid-yet-unspectacular 6’8 wingspan.

That doesn’t necessarily bode well for a lead perimeter scoring option, but Mitchell is the perfect example of someone who became more polished when he landed in a smart NBA offense and was able to hone his craft. Many have criticized Bouknight’s passing, and while you might catch him picking up his dribble or missing open shooters from time to time, the 11-6 Huskies included just two other double-digit scorers and only one dynamic shooting threat (senior R.J. Cole, who led the team by hitting 38.6 percent of his threes). And considering Bouknight’s ability as a scorer, the baseline he needs to meet as a passer is relatively low.

As for the poor three-point shooting last year, because of his touch around the basket, 80 percent free-throw efficiency, and prolific pull-up shooting, teams seem willing to believe that was an aberration and he’ll be more effective from deep at the next level, which you have to if you’re considering him for a top-10 selection. A somewhat frequent refrain about his pre-Draft workouts hints at this, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN wrote that he was “shooting the lights out” as he went during his pro day.

While his on-ball prowess is his headlining skill, Bouknight showed plenty of flashes as a scorer in simple off-ball sets that NBA teams can rightly be excited about what he could become in a better scheme. His quickness and touch helped him as a cutter, and the same gravity he created as a driver exists when he comes off screens and is able to attack from the second side.

It would seem Bouknight might do well under the kind of coach who is big on initial action that creates advantages for players prior to receiving the ball. Young combo guards like Mitchell, Devin Booker, Zach LaVine, and Tyler Herro have thrived in this sort of situation in recent years, all players to whom Bouknight could be compared. But if we’re using those players as tentpoles in the NBA, we return to Bouknight’s physical profile. He is not as big and strong as Booker, nor is he as much of an athletic marvel as LaVine, one of the most explosive in the NBA. Those two already were billed as poor defenders early on, and though they have each improved (Booker more so), their tools were more refined. They also came into the league extremely young, whereas Bouknight will be 21 by opening night of the 2021-22 season. This also is true of Herro, a baby-faced killer as a rookie who played more physically and was a much better shooter and team offensive player than Bouknight.

Perhaps the most hopeful comparison for Bouknight’s upper range as he develops is someone like C.J. McCollum. Neither guy is particularly big (McCollum has added strength as all players do in an NBA conditioning program), and though Bouknight has a few inches on Portland’s high-scoring No. 2 option, they have similar games in that their games are predicated on toughness and shot-making on the offensive end. It should be mentioned that Bouknight competes on defense, can make the occasional turnover-creating play while rotating or helping his teammates, and locks in when he’s feeling good as a scorer. Still, like McCollum, Bouknight would be best in a situation with other wing defenders around him in addition to a perimeter ball-handler who can initiate the offense.

Historically, players that have profiles like Bouknight rarely get drafted in the top-7 or so, where he is being projected. All of the players we’ve mentioned were drafted 10th or lower — Booker, Herro, Mitchell and LaVine were all the 13th overall selections in their Drafts. While Bouknight is indeed interesting as a backcourt mate for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City, he is consistently projected over wings with fewer question marks.

Bouknight is set to benefit from the success of those young score-first guards who have blossomed in recent years, as the league’s perception of that archetype has shifted to giving a player like Bouknight the benefit of the doubt for his strengths rather than looking at his weaknesses as a reason to push him further down in the Draft. NBA teams rightly feel confident they can get the most out of a player like Bouknight, especially one who is known for hard work as he is, because many of the offensive systems in place now have such a tremendous need for someone with his scoring abilities.

Going to the right situation is critical for all players in the Draft, but Bouknight in particular seems like he’ll need to land in a comfortable fit in order to have a chance at reaching his full potential. The right system and roster fit can sometimes be the difference in a player shining or underwhelming, and it’s not just with young players entering the league. The differences in how a player is used and who they play with can create a situation where Lou Williams is cast aside from the Clippers after seeming unplayable and then morph back into a key bench scorer for the Hawks when he gets to play with better space and structure around him.

The intricacies of how you use the gravity your scoring creates to make teammates better, what context is most comfortable for you as a shooter, and whether you have the skill to consistently take advantage of what the defense gives you are where scouting and team-building philosophy become vital. Bouknight will score wherever he goes, but being more than that and becoming a great player is likely to depend on the situation. Oklahoma City is intriguing, as is Golden State, but a team like Orlando or Sacramento that might look to him as a go-to scoring option immediately would be putting Bouknight in a bad position.

As he enters the NBA, Bouknight faces the same development challenges as the other combo guards who came before him in that he must improve as a playmaker and off-ball scorer while also adjusting to the size and strength of NBA perimeter talent. More than many of the other players at the top of this draft, Bouknight’s ultimate success in the pros will hinge largely on the situation he lands in early in his career. Should his shooting prove to be real in spot-up situations and his hard work and energy can be channeled into improved defense and team ball, NBA teams’ excitement about him will be well-founded — and could continue to lead to more faith in young scoring guards going forward.

Lorde is gearing up to release her new album, Solar Power, which means she’s been on a press blitz of late. After the release of the first two singles, “Solar Power,” and later, “Stoned At The Nail Salon,” she’s spoken with Vogue, she explained why she takes such long breaks between her albums, and also let people know that she’s very interested in collaborating with Harry Styles.

Now, she’s headed to the wing-eating-show Hot Ones, where along with a discussion about what makes the best onion rings, she answered the host’s great question about what makes pop music sacred to her. “Ever since I was a kid even before I made anything, I had a sneaking suspicion it was more difficult to speak to a lot of people than it was to speak to a small amount,” she began. “There’s something really special about that. And I love writing a pop melody, there’s nothing better. For it to be simple but secretly complex and to kind of trick the brain. You can’t fake it, it’s a real experience. That’s kind of what it is for me, that feeling of being able to talk to a lot of people, and to make something that’s kind of highbrow but can be enjoyed in really simple ways.

Watch her full interview above.

While attending an official engagement on Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson struggled to maintain control of his umbrella to the amusement of Prince Charles, who was sitting next to him. The comedic moment was caught on video, which prompted numerous reactions on social media comparing Johnson’s blunder to a Mr. Bean sketch. There were also some pointed quips about how his umbrella handling skills are almost as bad as his attempts to run a country. The blunder also brought back memories of America’s own bumbling politician, former president Donald Trump, who was often prone to umbrella mishaps.

While Johnson’s umbrella antics were seemingly hilarious on the surface, some people (unlike Prince Charles) were not so keen on it happening in the middle of a solemn event. Namely the “unveiling of a memorial to police officers who have died in the line of duty,” according to Reuters. Awkward.

To anyone familiar with Johnson, the umbrella incident is just one in a long line of publicly humiliating events. Just last month, the prime minister was roasted by the Queen herself for being the only one looking lifeless and sullen in a photo of world leaders at the G7 summit. “Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourself?” the Queen asked Johnson in a solid royal dunk.

Johnson even got smacked down by the Hulk one time. After attempting to use the angry Avenger as a metaphor for Brexit, Mark Ruffalo stepped in and schooled Johnson on how the Hulk really rolls.

“Boris Johnson forgets that the Hulk only fights for the good of the whole,” Ruffalo tweeted. “Mad and strong can also be dense and destructive. The Hulk works best when he is in unison with a team, and is a disaster when he is alone.”

This article originally appeared on 01.12.18

It’s not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids’ homework.

Sometimes, it’s just been too long since they’ve done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.

And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.

Trameka Brown-Berry was looking over her 4th-grade son Jerome’s homework when her jaw hit the floor.

“Give 3 ‘good’ reasons for slavery and 3 bad reasons,” the prompt began.

You read that right. Good reasons … FOR SLAVERY.

Lest anyone think there’s no way a school would actually give an assignment like this, Brown-Berry posted photo proof to Facebook.

The assignment was real. In the year 2018. Unbelievable.

The shockingly offensive assignment deserved to be thrown in the trash. But young Jerome dutifully filled it out anyway.

His response was pretty much perfect.

In the section reserved for “good reasons,” (again, for slavery), Jerome wrote, “I feel there is no good reason for slavery thats why I did not write.”

Yep. That about covers it.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn’t that part of the problem?

We’re a country founded on freedom of speech and debating ideas, which often leads us into situations where “both sides” are represented. But it can only go so far.

There’s no meaningful dialogue to be had about the perceived merits of stripping human beings of their basic living rights. No one is required to make an effort to “understand the other side,” when the other side is bigoted and hateful.

In a follow-up post, Brown-Berry writes that the school has since apologized for the assignment and committed to offering better diversity and sensitivity training for its teachers.

But what’s done is done, and the incident illuminates the remarkable racial inequalities that still exist in our country. After all, Brown-Berry told the Chicago Tribune, “You wouldn’t ask someone to list three good reasons for rape or three good reasons for the Holocaust.”

At the very end of the assignment, Jerome brought it home with a bang: “I am proud to be black because we are strong and brave … “

Good for Jerome for shutting down the thoughtless assignment with strength and amazing eloquence.

Just before the pandemic started, one of the most anticipated festivals of the 2020 season was Lovers & Friends, a new but nostalgic festival that popped up out of nowhere and caused mass havoc and confusion on Twitter as fans clamored to figure out if the stacked lineup was real. Furthering the confusion, some of the billed acts, like Lil Kim, claimed to have not been booked, adding a layer of intrigue and attention that had anticipation sky-high when they finally confirmed.

Unfortunately, as we all know, Corona came through hating and we all missed out on seeing every elder Millennial’s favorite artists return to the stage alongside contemporary artists like Jhene Aiko, Megan Thee Stallion, Saweetie, and Summer Walker (all heavily influenced by 2000s-era sounds and aesthetics). It looked like Lovers & Friends was a wrap, a fever dream we all shared for a bit before the world collectively went to hell.

But apparently, Live Nation, Snoop Dogg, and Bobby Dee had to do it again (see what I did there?), bringing the festival back for a new date, May 14, 2022. The venue has changed as well; while the original was scheduled for Carson, CA (a smaller venue that prompted the show’s organizers to add a second day) the 2022 iteration will take place in Las Vegas. Presale begins August 2 at 10 am PT. For more information, check out loversandfriendsfest.com.