The NBA is in the midst of a gigantic COVID-19 outbreak, with a number of teams getting hit hard and plenty of high-profile players contracting the virus in recent days. Despite this, NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared on ESPN’s NBA Today on Tuesday afternoon and made clear that the league doesn’t intend on closing up shop for the second time due to the novel coronavirus any time soon.
As Silver explained to Malika Andrews, the NBA’s approach is that COVID is going to be something that is never fully eradicated, and at a certain point, people will have to learn to live with it. Between that and the number of people league-wide who are vaccinated and received a booster shot, Silver is comfortable with trudging forward in the face of rising cases.
.@NBA Commissioner Adam Silver: “No plans, right now, to pause the season … Frankly, we’re having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now.” pic.twitter.com/lJxXAGX5wY
“No plans right now to pause the season,” Silver said. “We’ve of course looked at all the options, but frankly, we’re having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now as we look through these cases literally ripping through this country right now, putting aside the rest of the world. I think we’re finding ourselves where we kind of knew we were going to get to for the past several months, which is this virus will not be eradicated and we’re going to have to learn to live with it.”
The commissioner went on to lay out the league’s current vaccination and case numbers, which includes some good (nearly all players are vaccinated and more than half of players who are eligible have been boosted) and some bad (the omicron variant of the virus has made up nine in ten cases that have popped up recently).
NBA commissioner Adam Silver in ESPN interview – “No plans right now to pause the season” – 97% of players vaccinated & 65% w/ boosters – “Only a very small number” of boosted players have had breakthrough cases – 90% of recent player positives have been Omicron variant
silver to @malika_andrews: “about 65%” of booster-eligible players have gotten them, and “a very small number of those people” have had breakthrough cases. (they’ve been asymptomatic.) “we’re also dealing with a large group that have one J&J shot or haven’t been boosted yet.”
Currently, the league intends on playing every game it has scheduled between now and Christmas Day. As for Christmas itself, while a report earlier on Tuesday indicated that the NBA plans on being nimble with regards to teams scheduled to play and COVID outbreaks, all five games are currently slated to go on.
Rucci and AzChike have both done individual UPROXX Sessions performances (“Believe In Me” and “Amiri,” respectively), but today, both return for a joint performance of their Kourtesy Of Us standout, “Get Back Gang.” The two LA rappers display the same chemistry from their joint album here, delivering their nonchalant verses with a well-timed give-and-go that would even make the Showtime Lakers stop and give props.
The newly-formed duo isn’t the first to grace the Sessions set, following their fellow LA undergrounders BlueBucksClan, who performed twice (“She Busy” and “Horace Grant“), and Blimes And Gab, who rocked the first-ever tandem Sessions with their fan-favorite hit “Shellys (It’s Chill).” Rucci and AzChike have more in common with the latter, despite being closely affiliated with BlueBucks; both sets of rappers had flourishing solo careers but found that their joint efforts drew enough attention to warrant recording full projects. “Get Back Gang” is a prime example of the strength of Rucci and AzChike’s bond, as they demonstrate complementary strengths both in the back-and-forth flow on the verses and the concurrent rhymes on the chorus.
Watch AzChike and Rucci’s “Get Back Gang” performance above.
UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.
Back in 2020, when livestream concerts were having their moment as the live music industry shut down thanks to COVID, Kevin Morby hosted a series of livestream concerts. During those shows, he performed one of his studio albums in full, culminating with his latest release, 2020’s Sundowner. That performance took place on October 16, 2020, the same day as the album’s release, and now Morby has decided to share the full video of the 46-minute broadcast.
The video features Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee), as she sings on a couple songs from the album, “Campfire” and “Don’t Underestimate Midwest American Sun.”
Morby posted on Instagram about the performance and his plans for the near future, writing, “Last October, on the release of Sundowner, we performed the album in its entirety inside a barn in Missouri synced up with the sun setting as a digital ticketed event. Today we have uploaded that footage and you can watch the performance in its entirety. This is our way of tying a nice little bow on the Sundowner album cycle (and just in time for the holidays). The cycle didn’t look like what cycles have in the past but I am forever grateful for these digital performances as well as the tour I just completed – and am forever in deep gratitude to all of you who keep listening. Gonna take a breather here on social media while the year comes to a close and I get to work on/finish up something new that I surely will alert you all on in the new year. Til then please enjoy this performance and stay safe out there xoxo.”
Post Malone apparently loves turn-of-the-millennium-era trading card games. Back in February, the “One Right Now” crooner teamed up with Nintendo’s monster-collecting juggernaut to celebrate Pokémon Day, the 25th anniversary of the release of the original video game turned card game turned name-an-industry-and-Pikachu-has-probably-dominated-it brand. Now, he’s shuffling in a new deck of cards alongside Wizards of the Coast to promote the return of Friday Night Magic, a program propagating the play of the popular game, Magic: The Gathering.
More than 8,000 stores will participate worldwide as Wizards promises more events, promotions, partnerships, and online experiences coming in 2022. While details remain relatively sparse at the moment, a press release quoted Posty, who said, “I’m obsessed with Magic: The Gathering. This is really a dream come true. We’ll be doing some cool stuff so keep an eye out.”
Meanwhile, Wizards of the Coast Head of Franchise Marketing Nathan Stewart said, “You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of Magic: The Gathering than Post Malone. As a fan for years, he knows just how much Friday Night Magic means to players. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Posty in ways that will allow his signature style, talent, and love of the game to combine in ways fans will never forget.”
It looks like all Post needs to complete the trifecta will be a similar collaboration with the makers of Yu-Gi-Oh! For now, we look forward to seeing what he and Wizards of the Coast come up with for 2022 as we brush up on the latest card releases in anticipation.
Talk about pushing the creative envelope. The Weeknd continues to expand the limits of possibility with his many endeavors. While he says his next album is essentially “complete,” there’s been a ton of other unpredictable marquee projects that he’s been putting out in the meantime. It starts with collaborations with Swedish House Mafia, Rosalía, and FKA Twigs, but goes on to feature a series of NFT collectibles on Tom Brady’s platform, and shifting his next tour from arenas to stadiums. Heck, he’s even become The United Nations’ World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador and claimed the “No. 1 song of all time.”
So what’s left? Plenty. Keeping in line with the 10th anniversary re-release of the 2011 Trilogy mixtape series (House Of Balloons, Echoes Of Silence, and Thursday) that dropped earlier this year, a video for the title track to Echoes Of Silence has just been released. It feels like a post-apocalyptic Romeo and Juliet story featuring robots yearning to connect in a world that’s crumbling around them, with a visual aesthetic that’s like I, Robot in the world of Wall-E. It’s directed by Kurando Furuya, with creative direction from noted “superrealist” Hajime Sorayama, who has worked with everyone from George Lucas to Tyga, and also collaborated with The Weeknd on the Echoes Of Silence merch line.
Notoriously offline pop star Lorde stepped back into the limelight last summer with her latest album Solar Power. She’s now gearing up to take the album on the road next year with a lengthy tour. But before she leaves, Lorde expands on her Solar Power world with a video shortest song on her album, “Leader Of A New Regime,” which clocks in at just over a minute and a half.
All of the singer’s previously released videos exist in the same imagined universe, and this one is no different. As she previously explained, her “Solar Power” visual was set in a utopia filled with sunny beaches while her “Fallen Fruit” follow up showed a more destructive side of human nature. “In the ‘Solar Power’ video, you were introduced to the island as a lush paradise — glistening water, blue skies, not a grain of sand out of place (barring that pesky beach trash…),” she said. “Cut to: humans doing as they do, getting greedy, treating the land with disrespect and stripping it of its beauty. There’ll always another pristine place to start again, right?” However, Lorde’s “Leader Of A New Regime” video is a bit more ambiguous.
Most of the video shows Lorde looking wistfully out over the water on a sunny day. She walks up to the water’s edge and runs her hands in the water as a mother and a daughter ride on horses along the shore.
Watch Lorde’s “Leader Of A New Regime” video above.
Solar Power (Deluxe) is out now via Universal. Get it here.
Following Kyle Rittenhouse‘s appearance at Turning Point USA’s winter conference on Monday night, Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren took an uncharacteristically nuanced stance on Rittenhouse’s rise to celebrity status in conservative circles. The acquitted Wisconsin shooter was greeted with a wild standing ovation when he took the stage, and the whole thing did not sit well with Lahren even though she fully backs the not guilty verdict and thinks Rittenhouse is a “victim” of the media. According to Lahren, lionizing Rittenhouse is “not necessarily a good look for the conservative movement.”
“He did what he had to do. He was defending himself. Let’s talk about self-defense. Let’s talk about the riots. Let’s talk about how everything went horribly, horribly wrong that day,” she said. “But we should take a step back and maybe not make the man Bon Jovi. But that is just my take.”
Surprisingly, Lahren’s fellow Fox News host Kennedy agreed. “No one wants to be in this situation and it’s not something that should be celebrated and that’s a really good point.”
Lahren and Kennedy’s remarks arrive on the heels of right-wing journalist Elaad Eliahu getting booted out of the Turning Points USA event for asking Rittenhouse why he supports Black Lives Matter. A spokesman for the event said Eliahu was escorted out not because of his question, but because he “rushed Kyle a little too aggressively.”
You can see video of Eliahu getting bounced below:
Asked Kyle Rittenhouse why he supports BLM before Turning Point USA security wrapped me up and removed me from the conference pic.twitter.com/4FaC1PaIHz
Sure, you could celebrate the holidays with a traditional advent calendar filled with chocolates. Maybe if you want to indulge, you can splurge on one from Godiva (yes, they have one).
But what if you want the ultimate advent calendar experience? After all, who needs tradition when you can have luxury.
As it turns out, several high-end brands are offering this option, including an $825 first-time edition Chanel No. 5 advent calendar. Shaped like a giant perfume bottle, it does give off an exuberant air of class and sophistication.
Elise Harmon (@eliseharmon) excitedly purchased her premium calendar in store. Though Chanel’s website shares what waits inside, Harmon had no idea what to expect.
Impressed by the initial impression of the product’s “10 out of 10” packaging, Harmon decided to document her unboxing on TikTok. That video soon went viral, mostly for Harmon’s hilarious underwhelm. But also roasting Chanel’s questionable quality control.
For one thing, it didn’t even have a full calendar.
“It starts on day number five…I guess for Chanel No. 5…” Harmon says. Red flag number one.
But hey, all in the name of marketing, right? Remaining optimistic, Harmon opened up day number nine, which had, drumroll please … stickers.
“This has to be a joke, this is a joke. Stickers?! Stickers?!” she says in shock.
On a positive note, she did seem happy about the tiny hand cream that followed.
Plus the video was teeming with hilarious comments:
“Those stickers better keep my life together.”
“It’s giving me white elephant gift exchange when u finally get the biggest present but inside it’s just a toilet plunger.”
“Say Chanel is going broke without saying they’re going broke.”
Sure, Harmon might have received some nice lipstick and a tree ornament (yay!), but she also now has to figure out what to do with an empty dust bag, a magnet, some temporary tattoos and a flipbook.
Oh and let’s not forget the keychain.
“I’m really not sure how I’m supposed to live-laugh-love under these conditions,” Harmon jokes, which I might steal as my new catchphrase.
The real controversy happened after Diet Prada shared Harmon’s story on their company Instagram, revealing that some items were previously given away for free with other purchases.
Still, Harmon remains in good spirits about it, sharing her misfortune with a sense of humor.
Though the whole debacle was hilariously documented, and yes, points to some flawed logic we have about expectation versus reality, it also sheds light on a new cultural shift as well.
Chanel is not the only company to offer these holiday items at exorbitant prices. You can get one from Neiman Marcus ($300), Acqua di Parma ($600) or even Tiffany’s ($150,000). And even if those other brands didn’t include something as egregious as a flipbook, odds are at least some of those items aren’t exactly worth the overall price.
Why? Because now more than ever, luxury needs to elicit a genuine feeling through quality experience. Simply pasting a logo onto a piece of plastic isn’t going to do it.
What’s more, Harmon has unboxed a whole new level of responsibility and accountability belonging to high-end companies. Simply put, if companies slack, the betrayal consumers experience will be made public. And virally followed.
Since then, Harmon has become something of an advent calendar influencer, as several companies sent her samples, which have gotten positive reviews. So there’s no need to “bah humbug” all the advent calendars out there.
And it goes without saying, but quality experiences don’t have to be bought. Even during the most overspending inducing season of the year.
Following Dr. Fauci‘s call for Fox News to fire Jesse Watters after the conservative commentary encouraged people to take a “kill shot” at the infectious disease specialist, the network has, predictably, come to Watters’ defense. During a speech at the Turning Point USA summit over the weekend, Watters used violent rhetoric while discussing Fauci, who has very publicly spoken about the threats to him and his family since the very beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. According to Fox News, Watters was speaking “metaphorically” and was simply talking about reporters asking Fauci tough questions that he can’t answer. As if that’s ever happened.
“Based on watching the full clip and reading the entire transcript, it’s more than clear that Jesse Watters was using a metaphor for asking hard-hitting questions to Dr. Fauci about gain-of-function research and his words have been twisted completely out of context,” Fox News said, in its statement.
Watters also used the term “ambush” — you starting to see the problem here? — which he also didn’t mean literally. It was a reference to guerilla-style reporting like James O’Keefe and his Project Veritas. The same Project Veritas that’s currently under federal investigation for allegedly using Ashley Biden’s stolen diary to blackmail Joe Biden into an on-camera interview. So, again, really great stuff all around.
In Fauci’s defense, Watters was talking to the same crowd that supports the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building and is very big on gun ownership, so it’s hard not to see the problem with Watters’ purposeful rhetoric. Especially considering, again, that Fauci has had a security team since the start of the pandemic thanks to right-wing figures smearing him with conspiracy theories when they’re not comparing him to Nazi doctors.
Old Forester/Buffalo Trace/Jim Beam/Willett/istock/Uproxx
If you’ve ever sipped whiskey while standing in a parking lot before a December football game in the frigid north, you know all about the warming feeling a nice swallow of Wild Turkey or Jim Beam can give you. While we all understand that this feeling doesn’t actually stave off hypothermia (that’s what heavy coats, hats, and gloves are for), it doesn’t take away from the appeal of the famous “Kentucky hug.”
To find the best “warming bourbons” — often expressions that run a little “hot” either because of a high proof or a warm finish — we asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us their favorite bottles that drink this winter. Keep scrolling to see all of their picks.
Garrison Brothers Balmorhea limited release bourbon is my pick. It’s a warm whiskey and makes you think of visiting the legendary Balmorhea State Park for a swim in the summer.
Old Elk Bourbon is my go-to winter warmer. The rich round flavors and spiced finish is a nice touch for a winter night. Sipped neat, on the rocks, or as the base of your favorite cocktail, you can’t go wrong with Old Elk.
Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace
Josh Curtis, bar director at the Malibu Beach Inn in Malibu, California
Buffalo Trace is the perfect winter sipper. It has a smooth complexity with notes of cedar and mint that never let me down. It’s warming, mellow, and always reasonably priced for its quality.
Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond
Evan Williams
Mark Phelan, beverage director at 16″ On Center in Chicago
When I need to put on the liquid coat, I’m reaching for Evan Williams Bonded. It’s aged five years, so it has the depth to balance the higher proof and remains one of the best value bourbons on the market.
Four Roses Small Batch
Four Roses
Jamie Shaw, beverage manager at Stella of New Hope in New Hope, Pennsylvania
I’m a really big fan of the Four Roses Small Batch. It gives the flavors of a select single-barrel experience. The mouthfeel is really nice and creamy with some vanilla and oak spice. It’s definitely a unique and warming sipping bourbon.
My choice would be Woodinville Straight Bourbon Port Finished. The reason is that the aging in ruby port casks gives this liquid a sweet gentle and rounded finish, perfect for a winter chocolate pairing. It’s warming, sweet, perfect.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
Woodford Reserve
Lee Noble, lead mixologist at Art in the Age in Philadelphia
Woodford Double Oaked is a high-rye bourbon that brings a lot to the table. The extended maturation from the additional barrel treatment and spice notes from the rye gives it a deeper flavor that I like on a cold winter night.
If you’re looking for bourbon to warm you up, nearly any of them will work with their “Kentucky hug.” But one that really stands out is Booker’s. This whiskey is a ton of fun because each release has its unique notes and proof. For the most part, it’s over 120 proof. So there is some heat to this spirit. The flavors of vanilla, nuts, and oak will warm anyone up on a cold winter night.
I’m a huge Wild Turkey fan and their Russell’s Reserve whiskeys are outstanding. The 13-year-old that was released this year could quite possibly go down as the best bourbon release of 2021. That being said, the 10-year is my daily drinker. It has huge vanilla and caramel notes that make it a great winter sipper with just enough oak and leather to brink everything together.
I had the chance to visit Willet distillery and was fascinated with their Noah’s Mill. It has the characteristics of a great peated scotch but with the full punch of an oaked bourbon. There’s toffee, caramel, vanilla, and it’s effortlessly warming.
Maker’s 46 Cask Strength
Maker
Samantha Montgomery, beverage specialist and national brand ambassador Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown, Kentucky
There’s something about Maker’s 46’s finishing method that creates this remarkably pleasant aromatic experience. The extra oomph the cask strength provides just warms your belly on the first sip without too much burn on the palate.
I love Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrel bourbon from West Virginia. It is definitely one to sip on with warm spice up-front and lingering notes of cocoa and caramel. If I had a fireplace, I would have a glass of this in front of it.
Knob Creek 9 is my favorite bourbon to warm me up because it’s very smoky and oaky. It reminds me of a log cabin. What could be more warming than sitting in front of a fire, sipping a glass of 100 proof Knob Creek?
Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve
My Nguyen, general manager at I|O Rooftop in Los Angeles
My favorite bourbon is Woodford Reserve. I love the toffee and caramel flavors. Its classic Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a high-quality, highly sippable, warming whiskey in a crowded bourbon market.
I personally go with Stagg Jr. to warm me up on a cold winter night. Just one sip instantly sends warmth throughout your whole body. I recommend enjoying Stagg Jr. over a large sphere of ice, this will help open up the rich, sweet, chocolate, and brown sugar notes that balance so well with the bold smoky finish.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
