Saturday Night Live/YouTubeFlorida’s House of Representatives recently passed the Parental Rights in Education bill, commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and it’s believed it will soon pass the state senate and be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis.
The bill is seen as a huge step back for LGBTQ rights in the state because it prohibits “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels” in Florida’s primary schools.
The bill will stigmatize LGBTQ children and those who have LGBTQ parents in Florida’s schools. “So, it applies to K through 12 classrooms, and it grants the right for any parent who believes that a conversation is happening about our families to sue a school district. It’s an aggressive attack,” Equality Florida’s Senior Political Director Joe Saunders said according to CBS.
“If children are not feeling that they are accepted or who they are and the family they come from isn’t accepted, it will have an impact on them,” Todd Delmay told CBS News’ Manuel Bojorquez.
“Saturday Night Live” veteran Kate McKinnon, who happens to be gay, spoke out about the bill on last weekend’s “Weekend Update” segment. She opened the bit by jokingly misunderstanding the bill, believing it banned using the term “gay” as a pejorative, which was commonplace when McKinnon was in school.
“I heard about this law, and I think it’s amazing!” McKinnon said. “Because when I was in middle school in the ‘90s, I was kind of tortured by the constant use of the word ‘gay,’ like, ‘That’s so gay’ or ‘Ew, you’re gay,’ and it made me feel horrible. And to hear that (Florida Gov.) Ron DeSantis has taken a stand and said, ‘No, you cannot say gay in school anymore!’ I’m so jazzed. And in Florida, of all places!”
When learning that the bill forbids the word “gay” from being used in classroom settings, McKinnon suggested a different approach to the term. Why not sing it with pride?
“If you can’t say it, then you might as well sing it!” she said before singing the word “gay” repeatedly to the riff of “Smoke on the Water.”
McKinnon’s bit inspired keyboardist extraordinaire Money Mark Nishita to perform a cover of McKinnon’s version of “Smoke on the Water.”
We live in a unique time in human history, when most of us have absolutely no idea how we would feed ourselves if we didn’t have grocery stores or restaurants to rely on. Sure, some of us know how to garden and some people know how to farm, but most of us would either starve or kill ourselves eating something poisonous if we were left to our own devices to find food in the wild.
Sad, but true.
The art of foraging is totally unfamiliar to most of us, but there’s a lot we can learn from those who do it. Alexis Nikole Nelson has made her TikTok channel an educational—and entertaining—exploration of the abundance that’s all around us, if we know what to look for.
Nelson has gained a following of millions, making and sharing videos in which she reveals various wild plants and fungi she forages and how she eats them. And it is wild.
Ever heard of curly dock crackers? Or curly dock at all? Maybe you have, but I’d venture to guess most of us haven’t. But now we have, and now I want some.
WE LOVE A FREE SNACK #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner #curlydock
Nelson’s knowledge is vast. She grew up with parents who were outdoorsy and started learning about wild, edible plants at a young age. She forages in her own yard, in parks and in the woods, where she finds all different kinds of mushrooms.
“It’s like Disney World, but full of plants and much cheaper food,” Nelson told NPR. “You walk in and you see this very vibrant ecosystem that we are a part of. And there’s something so fulfilling about it, right? You’re just like, I pulled this out of the ground, and now it’s sustaining me! So I look into natural spaces and I just see wonder.”
Each of her videos is fascinating, full of free food finds from the forest. And they’re entertaining as heck.
“Don’t die!” she always jokes at the end of her videos. It’s a real warning, as eating wild plants and fungi can be a risky business if you don’t know what you’re doing.
My first time cooking the tender new growth of Resinous Polypore and it SMACKS!! #foraging #resinouspolypore
But there are plenty of books on wild edible plants that can help you distinguish between perfectly edible and deadly poisonous, and Nelson often explains the difference between certain lookalikes.
Nelson is a vegan, but she managed to make some “acorn bacon” that actually looks like bacon.
Apparently it doesn’t taste like bacon, though. C’est la vie.
Kelp is used in lots of cuisines around the world, but it’s not super clear how it gets from beach to brunch. Nelson shares some insights as she makes kelp chips.
Nelson’s bio says she’s a “Black forager” and she says that distinction matters.
“Any time you are moving through a space that is not yours, the color of your skin can very easily come into play,” she told Kitchn. She said she gets a lot more questions like “Where are you gathering? Whose land are you on? Is that a park?” than her white, male foraging counterparts. “I also get my knowledge questioned a whole lot more,” she said.
In one of her videos, she explained more about why it’s important for her as a Black woman to be sharing her foraging experiences, from the history of trespass laws to the fear of lynching in outdoor spaces to the fact that she knows what it feels like to be the only person of color involved in an activity.
William Barr, attorney general under both George H.W. Bush and Donald J. Trump, is on a rehabilitation tour right now. It hasn’t been going so well. But he does have a forthcoming memoir, with a semi-profane title, in which he turns on the latter, a little over a year after resigning in disgust over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. He’s clearly trying to fix a reputation tarnished by his association with the most notorious president in American history. But there’s one catch: He’d vote for Trump again.
Bill Barr, after saying that Trump lied about the election and caused the attack on Congress, refuses to rule out supporting Trump in 2024 because Democrats are “the greatest threat to the country.” pic.twitter.com/2KFbz2c9cX
During an interview with NBC’s Today, Barr was asked what he’d do if the man he’s called “manic and unreasonable” as well as “off the rails” makes good on his endless teases to run for the highest office in the land a third time. Barr’s answer was surprising — well, not that surprising, honestly.
“I have made it clear that I don’t think he should be our nominee,” Barr told Today’s Savannah Guthrie. “I believe that the greatest threat to the country is the progressive agenda being pushed by the Democratic party.”
Guthrie pushed back. “So even if he lied about the election and threatened democracy,” she charged, “[he’s] better than a Democrat?”
“As of now, it’s hard for me to conceive that I wouldn’t vote for the Republican nominee,” Barr told her.
Trump, meanwhile, would almost certainly not re-hire Barr should he wind up back in the White House. Last week, the former president sent a strange letter to NBC News anchor Lester Holt, trashing his former AG, who, among other things, straight-up lied about the contents of the Mueller Report before a partially complete version was made public.
“Bill Barr cares more about being accepted by the corrupt Washington Media and Elite than serving the American people,” Trump wrote. “He was slow, lethargic, and I realized early on that he never had what it takes to make a great Attorney General.” He also provided a negative review of his new book, which he hasn’t read. “I would imagine that if the book is anything like [Barr], it will be long, slow, and very boring.”
But yes, it’s progressive politics that are worse than an uncontrollable madman with authoritarian leanings with a proven track record of despising free and fair elections, probably because he’s never won the popular vote.
There’s a reason they call Paris, France the city of love. From the countless proposals under the Eiffel Tower to the fanciful candlelit dinners (did you know escargot is commonly considered as an aphrodisiac?) to the beautiful and unique architecture that surrounds the city streets, romance flows endlessly through the City of Light. Spending even just a few days there breeds the hope of your life turning into an IRL romantic comedy.
Its dreamy atmosphere — along with its legendary food scene, intriguing history, and its appeal to partiers and cultural travelers alike — is what drew travel pro Kiersten Rich to the city. Rich is the founder of the award-winning travel blog, The Blonde Abroad, which specializes in solo travel for women. Ranked one of the Top 10 Travel Influencers by Forbes, The Blonde Abroad is a major online resource with thousands of curated travel guides for destinations around the world.
That means you can trust her judgment when it comes to which popular tourist destinations are actually worth a visit. And Paris? It’s 100 percent worth it. “No matter what budget you’re working with — whether you’re a student or on your honeymoon, you can find so many cool things to do in Paris,” Rich says.
Below, we asked Rich to share her guide for an unforgettable trip to Paris.
Paris can be so many things to so many different people. It’s one of the best destinations to travel solo, great for a mother-daughter trip, of course, a top romantic destination for a honeymoon or couples getaway, and perfect as a family holiday. From iconic sites to history to foodie delights, there’s really something for everyone.
What’s one thing that every first-time visitor should see or do in Paris?
That’s so hard to narrow down as there are so many quintessential Paris moments to have, but if I had to pick just a few, I’d say grab some cheeses, wine, and bread and go have a picnic on the Seine. Wake up early to walk around Montmartre before it gets busy — the old artist village is located just down the road from Sacré-Coeur (which is the highest spot in Paris), so you’ll get a fantastic view of the city and then wander the neighborhood. The bakers get in early, the cobblestone streets are empty, and it feels like you stepped back in time.
And then, of course, you’ve got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle! No matter how many times I’ve seen this, it’s equally as magical each and every time. There are tons of vantage points throughout the city, so take your pick. It sparkles every hour on the hour once the sun goes down.
@theblondeabroad
Go-to French bakery for a morning coffee and croissant?
It truly depends on what neighborhood I’m staying in, and honestly, there are so many wonderful boulangeries and cafés around the city, you can’t really go wrong!
Fun fact: Did you know that there is an annual competition to find the best baguette in the city? They judge for things like density, crispiness, size; France takes their bread and pastries VERY seriously. I’m not sure who judges it or how one becomes a judge…but I definitely volunteer as tribute!
@theblondeabroad
The absolute best meal you’ve had in Paris?
Oh my goodness, you’re asking all the tough questions! Like I mentioned above, Paris is such a foodie city. I can’t say I have a favorite restaurant but I’m a sucker for quiche and salad. Oh, and a perfectly simple French omelette. *chef’s kiss*!
Food is one of the main reasons I travel — learning how the locals eat, sitting alone at a cafe to people watch, and, obviously, indulging in the flavors of the destination! Paris is one of the best cities to have a next-level foodie experience.
Best bar in Paris to enjoy a glass of champagne or a cocktail?
I love old historic bars and cafés and Paris is FULL of them! Café de la Paix, Café de Flore, and Les Deux Magots, for example, are all beautiful brasseries built in the 1800s and made popular by iconic artists in the 1920s (think “Midnight in Paris” vibes).
@theblondeabroad
Best way to take in the city’s iconic architecture?
I personally think walking around the city is the best way to experience it! Grab a pair of comfortable shoes (Parisians are known for their sneaker game), and go explore. Get a Metro pass so you can hop from neighborhood to neighborhood.
There are so many beautiful hotels in Paris, but definitely check what’s on offer on sites like Airbnb. I’ve rented some incredible apartments with Eiffel Tower views for much less than a hotel.
That said, I LOVED my stay at the Mandarin Oriental Paris! The location is amazing—walking distance to the Louvre.
@theblondeabroad
A must-visit museum in Paris?
So many! While the Louvre always tops the charts, it’s massive and can be very overwhelming. For a much more intimate experience, check out Musee de L’Orangerie where you can see Claude Monet’s famous water lily painting series “Les Nymphéas” — it’s massive and takes up the entire room. Another favorite is Musée d’Orsay, which is housed in a former railway station and has mainly French art from the 1800s.
For something that’s off-the-beaten-path, check out Musée de la Vie Romantique in the 9éme, just at the foot of Montmartre. It’s an old cream-colored building with light green shutters, complete with a greenhouse, garden, and paved courtyard…and it’s just as romantic as it sounds!
The spot was once the meeting ground of many 19th-century artists and writers like George Sand and Eugène Delacroix. Today, you’ll find everything from French literature to paintings, antiques, jewelry, and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back in time. As an added bonus, the greenhouse-turned-tea-room serves up delicious treats and is a lovely spot for lunch or tea.
@theblondeabroad
Best time of year to visit?
April or May are great! You always hear about people saying “Paris is so dreamy in the spring…” and they aren’t wrong! While April is still quite chilly, you’re greeted with gorgeous cherry blossoms all over the city. And, this might just be me, but it does kind of seem like people are happier as they’re shedding the big winter coats and daylight is getting a bit longer.
Another great time to visit is between September and October. The weather is relatively mild — not too hot, not too cold — and most of the tourists from the summer have left.
We live in a unique time in human history, when most of us have absolutely no idea how we would feed ourselves if we didn’t have grocery stores or restaurants to rely on. Sure, some of us know how to garden and some people know how to farm, but most of us would either starve or kill ourselves eating something poisonous if we were left to our own devices to find food in the wild.
Sad, but true.
The art of foraging is totally unfamiliar to most of us, but there’s a lot we can learn from those who do it. Alexis Nikole Nelson has made her TikTok channel an educational—and entertaining—exploration of the abundance that’s all around us, if we know what to look for.
Nelson has gained a following of millions, making and sharing videos in which she reveals various wild plants and fungi she forages and how she eats them. And it is wild.
Ever heard of curly dock crackers? Or curly dock at all? Maybe you have, but I’d venture to guess most of us haven’t. But now we have, and now I want some.
WE LOVE A FREE SNACK #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner #curlydock
Nelson’s knowledge is vast. She grew up with parents who were outdoorsy and started learning about wild, edible plants at a young age. She forages in her own yard, in parks and in the woods, where she finds all different kinds of mushrooms.
“It’s like Disney World, but full of plants and much cheaper food,” Nelson told NPR. “You walk in and you see this very vibrant ecosystem that we are a part of. And there’s something so fulfilling about it, right? You’re just like, I pulled this out of the ground, and now it’s sustaining me! So I look into natural spaces and I just see wonder.”
Each of her videos is fascinating, full of free food finds from the forest. And they’re entertaining as heck.
“Don’t die!” she always jokes at the end of her videos. It’s a real warning, as eating wild plants and fungi can be a risky business if you don’t know what you’re doing.
My first time cooking the tender new growth of Resinous Polypore and it SMACKS!! #foraging #resinouspolypore
But there are plenty of books on wild edible plants that can help you distinguish between perfectly edible and deadly poisonous, and Nelson often explains the difference between certain lookalikes.
Nelson is a vegan, but she managed to make some “acorn bacon” that actually looks like bacon.
Apparently it doesn’t taste like bacon, though. C’est la vie.
Kelp is used in lots of cuisines around the world, but it’s not super clear how it gets from beach to brunch. Nelson shares some insights as she makes kelp chips.
Nelson’s bio says she’s a “Black forager” and she says that distinction matters.
“Any time you are moving through a space that is not yours, the color of your skin can very easily come into play,” she told Kitchn. She said she gets a lot more questions like “Where are you gathering? Whose land are you on? Is that a park?” than her white, male foraging counterparts. “I also get my knowledge questioned a whole lot more,” she said.
In one of her videos, she explained more about why it’s important for her as a Black woman to be sharing her foraging experiences, from the history of trespass laws to the fear of lynching in outdoor spaces to the fact that she knows what it feels like to be the only person of color involved in an activity.
Meanwhile, over at Newsmax, they’re having trouble with their guests. The issue? They keep saying mean things about Putin. On Monday, the Trumpist network brought on Alexey Goncharenko, a Ukrainian MP who’s appeared on the channel many times, one of them while brandishing an AK-47. Host Eric Bolling asked Goncharenko about Putin’s list of demands for ending the invasion, among them changing its constitution and surrendering Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia. Goncharenko was not for it, to put it lightly.
Ukrainian MP on Newsmax: “I just want to say to Putin what our soldiers told his Russian military ship – I’m sorry, go fuck yourself” pic.twitter.com/TaNyH5cljU
“I want to say some bad words,” Goncharenko told Bolling. “Blank you, Putin, you know? I don’t know how to say this is–not to offend your viewers. I just want to say to Putin… what our soldiers told to his Russian military ship. I’m sorry, go f*ck yourself with all this.”
Goncharenko did elaborate, saying he doubts the sincerity of Putin’s offer. “In half [a] year he will start another war and say, ‘I want another part of Ukraine, then another part of Ukraine,’” he said. “We will never accept this. This is our territory. Crimea is Ukraine. Donbas is Ukraine, and he’s the aggressor, and he cannot demand from us anything.”
Despite repeatedly inviting on a rabidly anti-Putin Ukrainian politician, Newsmax is far from pro-Ukraine. Indeed, in December’s issue of their magazine (yes, there’s a Newsmax magazine), the cover was devoted to Putin, with the headline, “Vlad the Great: Putin’s War on the West.” The current issue, meanwhile, gives the same real estate to Dr. Oz.
People react differently to receiving their first Oscar nomination. For Kirsten Dunst, it involved a lot of screaming. Kristen Stewart, meanwhile, responded a little differently. When the Twilight alum scored a Best Actress nom for Spencer, in which she plays out a few stressful days in the life of the late Princess Di, she didn’t go hog-wild. Instead, she hit the golf course.
While attending the weekend’s Independent Spirit Awards, Stewart spoke to Variety (as caught by People) about how she celebrated her first Oscar nod. Instead of freaking out or partying, she simply rounded up some colleagues, plus her fiancée Dylan Meyer, and broke out the clubs.
“I went with my girls at Neon [the distributors of Spencer] and played nine holes in Los Feliz,” Stewart revealed. “We all became really good friends, so we were just like, ‘Let’s go hit some balls into small holes.’ ”
Stewart has been a critics’ darling for ages now. And she’s won plenty of awards. She even has a César, the French Oscar, which she nabbed playing opposite Juliette Binoche in Clouds of Sils Maria. So perhaps getting Oscar-nominated isn’t as big a deal as it would be otherwise. Or maybe she just likes golf.
That said, Stewart did admit she was “stunned” when she found out, and that even now she’s still “sort of floating around” about the whole thing. “Little kids have little fantasies in their heads … but, obviously, I didn’t start making movies to be an Oscar nominee,” Stewart added. “I bet as a little guy, I was probably like, ‘Yeah, if you’re going to do something, you should do it right.’ But now, I can’t believe it.”
Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson are continuing their quest for world domination as they have been killing it during their press cycle for The Batmanover the past few weeks. The two have such amazing chemistry, it’s kind of hard to imagine Catwoman and The Batman being played by anyone else in any other movie. But, in a recent interview, Kravitz mentioned this wasn’t the first time she had wanted a part in the DC universe — but she wasn’t even offered an audition because of her skin color.
The actress initially wanted a role in Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy, but was told she looked too ‘urban.’
“I don’t know if it came directly from Chris Nolan. I think it was probably a casting director of some kind or a casting director’s assistant.” Kravtiz told The Guardian. “Being a woman of color and being an actor and being told at that time that I wasn’t able to read because of the color of my skin, and the word urban being thrown around like that, that was what was really hard about that moment”
Kravtiz went on to mention that she didn’t realize how much it affected her until years later. “Even though it’s sometimes hard to see that in the moment, usually a few years later, you’re like, ‘Okay, this is why this didn’t happen.’” Still, Kravtiz is receiving praise for her portrayal of Catwoman in Matt Reeve’s Batman film, which just proves that the best is yet to come for Kravitz.
In the same interview, Kravtiz said she received nothing but love from friends and fans when she was cast: “My phone was blowing up more than any birthday I’ve ever had.”
The Muppets are headed to Disney+, though, unfortunately, not for a new Star Wars show. The lovable group of puppets will have their own show called The Muppets Mayhem which will follow their musical journey to record their debut album as The Electic Mayhem Band.
Real-life human Lilly Singh will play Nora, who will manage the puppet-fronted band as they break out into the music scene. The Electric Mayhem Band consists of Dr. Teeth on vocals (obviously) and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Lips on trumpet (also an obvious choice), and Zoot on saxophone. Hopefully, Elmo will guest star as their overly assertive PR manager. Singh most recently wrapped up her role as a host of her own late-night show and starred on the second season of Hulu’s Dollface.
The show comes from Adam F. Goldberg, creator of the hit ABC show The Goldbergs, along with Muppets veteran Bill Barretta and Jeff Yorkes. Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, welcomes the little furry monster puppets to the Disney+ family with open arms. “The Muppets are renowned for quality, creativity, and unrivaled, fun storytelling for the whole family. We are thrilled to have Adam, Bill and Jeff at the helm to bring all of these iconic and great new characters to life in fresh and dynamic ways.” The show is expected to air later this year.
Death Cab For Cutie already had a a handful of festival dates on the docket in 2022, but now they’ve added a full slate of July tour dates in the midwest and Northeastern US.
The prolific rock band from Seattle has nine studio albums under their belt and last year, released an impressive 20th anniversary edition of The Photo Album. What stands out about these newly announced dates (where Illuminati Hotties will be on board as direct support) is how Ben Gibbard and company are playing many cities that don’t typically get the major tour love. While the tour begins in Cincinnati, the final stops include Harrisburg, PA, Uncasville, CT, and Poughkeepsie, NY. Because who says fans are only in major cities, amiright? Props to Death Cab for showing love to cities surrounding America’s bustling metropolitan centers as well.
Excited to announce some July tour dates! @illuminatihotts will be opening these new shows. Also looking forward to @minitreesband supporting in April!
Check out Death Cab For Cutie’s full upcoming tour dates below and sign up for the July tour ticketing pre-sale code/get tickets here.
04/27/2022 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
04/28/2022 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
04/29/2022 — New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
04/30/2022 — Memphis, TN @ Beale Street Music Festival
05/01/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Music Festival
05/21/2022 — Guadalajara, MX @ Corona Capital Festival
07/07/2022 — Cincinnati, OH @ PromoWest Pavilion At Ovation
07/08/2022 — Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
07/11/2022 — Buffalo, NY @ Artpark
07/12/2022 — Lafayette, NY @ Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards
07/14/2022 — Harrisburg, PA @ Harrisburg University At Riverfront Park
07/15/2022 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
07/16/2022 — Poughkeepsie, NY @ MJN Convention Center
Death Cab For Cutie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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