Month: July 2022

The Supreme Court have opened the floodgates. In June, the right-leaning bench went on a tear, decimating, among other things, the federal right to a safe and legal abortion. But that wasn’t all they did. Justice Clarence Thomas speculated that they could use the same logic they employed to end Roe v. Wade to destroy other human rights, including same-sex marriage. And one key figure in the Biden administration made a calm, moving, yet forceful rebuke of his Republican colleagues.

Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg went on CNN on Sunday, where he addressed the House semi-narrowly passing a bill, called the Respect for Marriage Act, codifying marriage equality into law, lest the Supreme Court try to reverse it. Forty-seven Republicans voted for it; 157 did not. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces opposition from the likes of Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio, the latter who has called the bill a “waste of time.”

“If he’s got time to fight against Disney, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have time to help safeguard marriages like mine,” Buttigieg said, alluding to Florida Republicans who’ve supported a bill widely perceived as homophobic and transphobic. “Look, this is really, really important to a lot of people. It’s certainly important to me.”

Buttigieg then walked through a typical morning at home with his husband Chasten Glezman and their twin children. “That half-hour of my morning had me thinking about how much I depend on and count on my spouse every day,” he said. “And our marriage deserves to be treated equally.”

He also took aim at House Republicans, most of whom opposed the bill, which would help protect a federal law that went into effect in 2015. “I don’t know why this will be hard for a senator or a congressman,” Buttigieg said, “I don’t understand how such a majority of House Republicans voted no on our marriage as recently as Tuesday, hours after I was talking about transportation policy, having what I thought were perfectly normal conversations with many of them on that subject, only for them to go around the corner and say that my marriage doesn’t deserve to continue.

“If they don’t want to spend a lot of time on this, they can vote yes and move on. And that would be really reassuring for a lot of families around America, including mine.”

Buttigieg has become very good at delivering thoughtful, restrained yet passionate rebukes to conservative talking points. When a Fox News host tried to get him to denounce people peacefully protesting Justice Brett Kavanaugh at a restaurant, he reminded the far right network that citizens have every right to do so, long as they stay peaceful — which, unlike the Jan. 6 rioters, they did.

Concert cancellations are far from a rarity. In fact, it’s been less than a year since they’ve regularly been a thing after they were more or less nonexistent for the better part of two years thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Concerts get canceled for various reasons: an artist not feeling their best, maintenance issues at a venue, and weather — if the show is outdoors at least. The last reason is why a Kid Rock show in Minot, North Dakota was canceled, and while some might have expected fans to just head home, that was not at all what happened.

The announcement came about 90 minutes after Kid Rock’s opener, Night Ranger delivered a 2.5-hour performance. Once the news was shared, fans were clearly irritated about the unsuccessful wait for Kid Rock so they turned on the venue and took out their anger on the stage. Attendees completely trashed the concert stage as they threw beer cans on it despite multiple announcements blaming severe weather — and not the stage — for the cancellation. Kid Rock himself even spoke about the matter in a post to Twitter. “SO PISSED OFF we could not play for a sold out crowd tonight in Minot, ND (because of high winds),” he wrote. “I know it sucks but none of us can control mother nature. Please be safe leaving and take care of each other.”

At one point during the whole ordeal, a fan decided to make a run for it and jump onto the stage, but they were eventually tackled by security and taken out of the venue in handcuffs.

You can check out a video from the incident above

There’s little that Bad Bunny has accomplished in 2022. He body-slammed Brock Lesnar at the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble. He landed the role of a wrestling superhero in El Muerto, a new Spider-Man spinoff movie. He turn up in the New York City streets and somewhat had a wedding of his own. He even broke a Spotify record along the way. Altogether, it has made for a pretty impressive year that also featured the release of his fourth album Un Verano Sin Ti, which has absolutely dominated the album charts. For a fourth consecutive and sixth overall week, Un Verano Sin Ti is No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

For the July 30, 2022-dated Billboard 200, Un Verano Sin Ti reclaims its No. 1 crown thanks to 103,000 copies sold in the past week. That number is heavily comprised of streams thanks to 143.15 million on-demand official streams of the album’s tracks. With another week of 100,000 or more album sales (11 in total), Bad Bunny becomes the first to reach that number for this feat since Adele made it to 14 weeks six years ago with 25. Un Verano Sin Ti is also the first album to spend its first 11 weeks within the top two positions of the Billboard 200 since Drake’s Views did so for 17 weeks between May 21 — September 10, 2016.

Additionally, Bad Bunny’s fourth album could surpass the Encanto soundtrack for most weeks at No. 1 in 2022. The Encanto soundtrack spent nine weeks in total atop the Billboard 200 while Un Verano Sin Ti has registered six weeks in total.

After a two-year delay, Rage Against The Machine finally kicked off their long-awaited reunion tour earlier this month. It’s clear that many were and still are excited to see the band perform live, but during a show in Toronto, that excitement proved to be a little too much. During the concert on Saturday night, Rage Against The Machine was getting ready to close out the night with a performance of “Killing In The Name” when a fan decided to make a break for it and run onstage. Luckily, a prepared security guard was there to alter the fan’s plans, and while that happened, Tom Morello got caught up in the action.

The security guard pushed the fan offstage as they ran across it, but their momentum also caused them to push Morello which resulted in the guitarist falling off the stage. The moment brought a wavy of worry to the crowd and Morello’s bandmates, but he got up with some help, dusted himself off, and shared a wave to the audience to assure them that he was all good. This earned a cheer of approval from the crowd as it all proved to be a suspenseful end to the band’s concert.

The incident occurred after singer Zack de la Rocha injured his leg during the tour’s second stop, forcing him to be mostly seated during performances since then.

You can watch the video of the incident above.

Earlier this year, Red Hot Chili Peppers shared their twelfth album Unlimited Love, and it was a body of work that checked in with 17 songs for what was their first project since 2016’s The Getaway. Unlimited Love went on to become Red Hot Chili Peppers’ second No. 1 album following 2006’s Stadium Arcadium. It was also the band’s fifth consecutive top-two album dating back to 2002’s By The Way. For the first time ever, Red Hot Chili Peppers could achieve consecutive chart-topping albums as they just announced their upcoming thirteenth album Return Of The Dream Canteen.

The band shared the news about the upcoming project during a tour stop in Denver and singer Anthony Kiedis revealed that the album will arrive on October 14 with production from Rick Rubin, who also did work on Unlimited Love. Billboard also notes that bassist Flea said that the album’s first single is titled “Tippa My Tongue.” On Red Hot Chili Peppers’ website, they revealed how Return Of The Dream Canteen came together.

“We went in search of ourselves as the band that we have somehow always been. Just for the fun of it we jammed and learned some old songs. Before long we started the mysterious process of building new songs. A beautiful bit of chemistry meddling that had befriended us hundreds of times along the way. Once we found that slip stream of sound and vision, we just kept mining. With time turned into an elastic waistband of oversized underwear, we had no reason to stop writing and rocking. It felt like a dream. When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well we figured it out. 2 double albums released back to back. The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed. ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ is everything we are and ever dreamed of being. It’s packed. Made with the blood of our hearts.”

Elsewhere, Flea took to Instagram to share why the band is dropping a second album in 2022. “The creative process gives life meaning and purpose!” he wrote. “We put out a double album about four months ago, called Unlimited Love. I love that album, it felt so good to share it with y’all.” He continued, “Welp, now we are putting out another double album and this one is the absolute best of who we are, I’m am f*kking thrilled that we are releasing this sh*t on October 14. Power to the people. Hope it touches hearts.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Houston Texans will likely play the 2022 NFL season without their second round pick, former Alabama star receiver John Metchie III, after he was recently diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and is currently undergoing treatment.

Metchie released a statement through the team announcing he is in good spirits and expects to make a recovery, noting it is the most curable form of leukemia, thanking fans in advance for their well wishes while explaining he likely will not play this season and focusing fully on his health and recovery.

Hopefully Metchie is indeed able to make a full recovery and eventually return to the football field to begin what should be a promising professional career in the NFL, as he was one of the most electrifying receivers in college football. For now, however, all of the focus and concern is rightfully on his treatment and beating this disease. If Metchie is in need of any inspiration for how he can fight cancer and return to a football career, Steelers running back James Conner and former Chiefs safety Eric Berry are two of the best-known examples, as they each were able to successfully undergo treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma and return to football at a high level.

The Chicago Bears have a rather iconic look in the world of football, as the franchise hasn’t changed their look in decades, particularly their helmet which has been pretty much the same since the 1973, when they took on the orange and blue look with their famous C logo.

Their helmet in particular has been a constant over the past five decades, but like the Cincinnati Bengals with their new icy white helmet, this year will feature a new alternate helmet in Chicago for the first time in franchise history. On Sunday, the Bears unveiled an orange look that they will debut on October 11 against the Washington Commanders, with a flip turning their traditional navy helmet with an orange C into an orange helmet with a navy C to pair with their orange jersey and white pants.

The reaction was mixed on social media — although just about everyone met the news with shock given how traditional the franchise has remained over the years with their look — as some fans were big fans of the new look while others weren’t quite as sold on it. As a non-Bears fan, I’m not a huge fan of the look, as it’s just too much orange for a team where the orange has never been the primary color. I think the orange helmets would look better with the navy uniforms than with the orange ones, because they look upsettingly like a weird Browns alternate someone on Reddit came up with.

In any case, these will be worn twice this season by the Bears, first in that Commanders game and later on October 30 against the Dallas Cowboys.

More than a half-century after its inception back in 1970, San Diego Comic-Con is still going strong. The comic book convention made its annual return this weekend, and per usual, it has taken over San Diego’s convention center and downtown area to welcome comic book lovers from all over for an exciting weekend. To the surprise of no one, plenty of eyes were on Marvel at Comic-Con 2022 as many wondered what movies and new directions the platform would announce for its future. That news was shared on day three of Comic-Con and here’s what to expect from Marvel over the next couple of years.

What Did Marvel Announce At Comic-Con 2022?

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The sequel to 2018’s beloved Black Panther film finally has a release date. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will arrive on November 11, 2022, and the first teaser for it was revealed at SDCC 2022. It was a moving and bittersweet clip that was anchored in grief as it took a moment to honor its late star Chadwick Boseman who died in the summer of 2020 following a bout with stage four colon cancer.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty And Avengers: Secret Wars

There are not only, but two (!!) Avengers films en route. Marvel announced that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars will both arrive in 2025. It’s certainly a long way from now and that’s because both films will close out Phase 6 of the MCU (for reference, the aforementioned Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will close out Phase 4). Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will arrive in theaters on May 2, 2025 while Avengers: Secret Wars will make its premiere six months later on November 7, 2025.

From One Phase To Another

As mentioned, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will conclude Phase 4, but what about Phase 5 and 6? Well, Phase 5 will begin with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which hits theaters on February 17, 2023, and it will end with Thunderbolts on July 26, 2024. Just a few months later, Phase 6 will get underway with Fantastic Four which will premiere on November 8, 2024, and that phase will conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, said that Phase 4 was “about resetting the MCU and meeting all these new characters.” Phases 4, 5, and 6 have also been dubbed “The Multiverse Saga.”

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

The third and final Guardians Of The Galaxy movie will make its arrival in theaters on May 5, 2023. The last installation is directed by James Gunn and it will be the first movie in the series since 2017. Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana will reprise their roles in the series while Vol. 3 will debut a new character, Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter. The upcoming film will also dive into the backstory of Bradley Cooper’s Rocket. “He’s got to be the saddest creature in the universe,” Gunn said about Rocket. “And that’s what this is partly about.”

Captain America: New World Order

The first Captain America film since Civil War in 2016 has been announced. On May 3, 2024, Captain America: New World Order will hit theaters. The film features Anthony Mackie at the helm as it picks up where The Falcon and the Winter Soldier left off.

Blade

Three years ago, it was announced that Mahershala Ali would be the new Blade for the MCU. Ali already received support from the old Blade, Wesley Snipes, for the upcoming role, and at long last, we now know when the movie will debut in theaters. Blade will make its premiere on November 3, 2023.

The Marvels

In addition to the aforementioned films that will be a part of Phase, The Marvels will hit theaters as a part of the Phase on July 28, 2023. It’s led by Brie Larson and serves as a continuation of Captain Marvel (2019) and the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel.

Marvel And Disney+

A plethora of films and TV shows are making their way to Disney+ from the MCU. Disney+’s revival of Daredevil, titled Daredevil: Born Again, has finally been confirmed as it’s set to be a part of Phase 5 when it debuts on the platform in spring 2024. Marvel also unveiled the trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and confirmed that Charlie Cox’s Daredevil will appear in the show as an attorney. That series arrives on Disney+ on August 17. Secret Invasion will be available in spring 2023 and it features Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders’ Nick Fury and Maria Hill as well as additional appearances from Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, and more. Other films and shows coming to Disney+ include season two of What If (early 2023), Echo (summer 2023), season two of Loki (summer 2023), Ironheart (fall 2023), and Agatha: Coven of Chaos (winter 2023).

Elon Musk is not only the richest man in the world; he’s also (probably) the most eccentric billionaire. His colorful, unpredictable life has made him regular tabloid fodder, with wild stories about his business dealings and his personal life (and even his dad’s). Speaking of, not only do journalists keep discovering his secret children, but now they’re unearthing news of how his sex life has damaged his relationship with another billionaire.

As per The Wall Street Journal, last fall Musk had an affair with Nichole Shanahan, the then-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, albeit while they were separated but still living together. Brin filed for divorce in January. The tryst seems to have damaged the longtime friendship between him and the man who cuckolded him. Things got so bad that Musk attempted a semi-public apology, albeit in a predictably chaotic way:

At a party earlier this year, Mr. Musk dropped to one knee in front of Mr. Brin and apologized profusely for the transgression, begging for forgiveness, according to people with knowledge of the incident.

Mr. Brin acknowledged the apology, but still isn’t speaking regularly to Mr. Musk, those people said.

Musk and Brin go way back. In 2008, when Tesla was struggling through the financial crisis, Brin provided him with half a million dollars. Years later, Musk gifted Brin with one of his company’s first all-electric sport-utility vehicles. Jump some 14 years later, and sources have told WSJ that Brin has even ordered his financial advisers to sell off his personal investments in Musk companies. Time — and affairs with friend’s spouses — destroy everything.

(Via WSJ)

Donald Trump is out there on the road, holding his rallies, speaking at far right conferences, acting as though everything is normal. But nothing is normal. His main business is under investigation. He’s the subject of explosive hearings. And now this: One of his closest allies has appeared to formally turn on him.

As per CNN, two papers controlled by Rupert Murdoch — The New York Post, one of Trump’s favorite papers, and The Wall Street Journal — each published lacerating editorials slamming the former president. The Post, attributed to the paper’s editorial board, went with the headline “Trump’s silence on Jan. 6 is damning,” and it roasts him for the 187 minutes when he did nothing as the Capitol building was besieged by his supporters.

“To his eternal shame, as appalled aides implored him to publicly call on his followers to go home, he instead further fanned the flames by tweeting: “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution,” the Post piece reads. “It’s up to the Justice Department to decide if this is a crime. But as a matter of principle, as a matter of character, Trump has proven himself unworthy to be this country’s chief executive again.”

The Journal, meanwhile, in a piece entitled “The President Who Stood Still on Jan. 6” (and also attributed to the paper’s editorial board), concluded, “Character is revealed in a crisis, and Mr. Pence passed his Jan. 6 trial. Mr. Trump utterly failed his.”

For months, it’s been pretty clear that the most popular part of the Murdoch empire, Fox News, was phasing Trump out, putting their money on Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Could this be the end of Trump? Maybe. But if so, he’ll be replaced by someone who’s just as ruthless, just as much of a bully, but also a lot smarter. After all, DeSantis doesn’t seem like the guy who would throw food at a wall. Or maybe he does.

(Via CNN)