Month: September 2022

Hyperbole and Donald Trump go together as perfectly as McDonald’s burgers and Donald Trump. But in the case of a recent Twitter post about just how damning the potential charges the former president could be facing should he be prosecuted, Newsweek reports that you can believe the hype.

On Thursday, former Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor tweeted about the “monumental irony” that if legal action is taken against Trump for his hoarding of classified documents, he would essentially be facing the same charges as both WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden — two men who Trump has had lots to say about in the past, including that they both deserved to be executed.

But just how true is Taylor’s statement? According to Newsweek, it’s pretty damn accurate — especially as it relates to Assange and WikiLeaks, who Trump has both praised (“I love WIKILEAKS!!”) and deemed “disgraceful” and deserving of the “death penalty.” (Though it’s worth noting that several Trump insiders, including Don Jr., had ongoing correspondences with WikiLeaks leading up to the 2016 election.)

As we learned from the affidavit authorizing the raid on Mar-a-Lago — as well as accidentally, and hilariously, from Breitbart — Trump is under investigation for violating the Espionage Act, or U.S. Code 793, which is where both Assange and Snowden’s alleged crimes also fall, albeit with slight differences. As Tom Norton writes for Newsweek:

Julian Assange has been indicted on 17 charges under the Espionage Act and one charge of computer misuse for WikiLeaks’ publication of secret American military documents 10 years ago. He faces a potential 175-year prison sentence.

Assange’s indictment sheet states a potential violation of section 793(e) of the Espionage Act, the same section of the act, which the DOJ also mentions in its affidavit to search Mar-a-Lago.

In other words: If prosecuted, Trump could be looking at violating both the same act as Assange as well as the same section of the act — so, pretty much the same crime.

Snowden’s case, however, is slightly different. While he, too, is wanted in the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act, the section of the act is different. ​​”Broadly speaking, however, it is true that Trump could face charges under the same U.S. act as Snowden and Assange, if not for the exact number or type of indictments,” Norton writes.

Where the real irony comes in is in how hard Trump has publicly come down on both Assange — who some have claimed the Trump administration plotted to assassinate, which is a charge he denies — and Snowden, whom the former president repeatedly called a “traitor” and advocated for his execution:

Of course, Trump has (so far) not been charged with any crimes, so all of this is just food for thought.

(Via Newsweek)

The start of the NCAA college football season is an exciting time for many and having live music always enhances a sporting experience. Jack Harlow was tasked with hyping up the crowd on ESPN’s College Gameday broadcast on Saturday (September 3), and brought none other than his popular 2022 record “First Class.”

While the song itself is undeniable to the people, so is Harlow’s charisma and personality. Thus, the commentators had to bring him on set to make predictions for the weekend’s football games as well. In the case of Sunday’s (September 4) game featuring LSU versus Florida State, the Come Home The Kids Miss You rapper cited how he was hanging out with former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow the night before, thus he chose LSU to win on Sunday night.

As for Cincinnati versus Arkansas, he stated how he was previously involved with a woman from Cincinnati so it only made sense to select them. Predictably, the commentators flanking him could not get enough of his humorous, unconventional prediction strategies.

It has been an exciting summer for Jack Harlow, as his “former foe” Brandy joined him on stage during his BET Awards performance in June, Fergie joined him on stage at this past Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, and he left that same show with the Song of the Summer award for “First Class.”

Check out Jack Harlow’s ESPN College Gameday performance and predictions above.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

For months, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the New York Knicks would be able to put together a package to get Donovan Mitchell in a trade with the Utah Jazz. That did not happen, as the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to swoop in bring Mitchell to northeast Ohio without having to move and of Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, or Evan Mobley.

The package that Cleveland put together involved three unprotected first-round picks, a pair of pick swaps, and a trio of players: Lauri Markkanen, 2022 first-round pick Ochai Agbaji, and Collin Sexton, who agreed to a 4-year, $72 million contract extension to make the deal happen. In a new report by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, we learned that the Knicks find it curious their best deal was unable to beat that.

The Knicks, according to sources, feel like their proposals with RJ Barrett as the centerpiece with multiple first-round picks were better than the Cavs’ final offer, which is up to interpretation. Only Ainge knows if he negotiated in good faith. He’d never admit it if he didn’t. People who know Ainge say he’d never jeopardize a deal over something petty, whether it was that silly front-row display at the Jazz playoff game or issues with either the Knicks or CAA (the talent agency closely associated with the Knicks). But it’s worth noting Ainge only completed one trade with the Knicks during his 18 years in the Celtics’ front office. He was much more active with Cleveland while completing eight deals, including the blockbuster involving Kyrie Irving in 2017 when current Cavs GM Koby Altman was in his first year at that position.

A Knicks contingent famously sat courtside at a Jazz-Mavericks playoff game in a move that apparently upset both teams — the theory was that this was an attempt by the Knicks to show their interest in both Mitchell and former Dallas guard Jalen Brunson. Of course, as Bondy went on to note, it’s plausible that the Jazz just did not want to pay Barrett what would have been required if he went to Utah, as he agreed to a $120 million extension with the Knicks earlier in the week.

This article originally appeared on 03.10.22

A few weeks ago I came across an article about a kid who watches television at 1.5x speed so he can cram as much viewing in as he can. It seemed that his unquenchable desire to get through shows in the Golden Age of television meant he’d sacrifice the entertainment value of the show just to get to the end.

“Man, this guy would have been crucified in 1993,” I thought.

As a 45-year-old card-carrying member of Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1979), I remembered a time when nobody bragged about the amount of TV they watched. In fact, they bragged about not owning a TV. “I don’t watch TV, man,” people would say. “It only exists to sell you stuff.”

This complete reversal on the social acceptance of gluttonous TV viewing made me wonder what happened to the values we were raised on as Gen Xers? We were taught that sincerity was for simpletons, everything corporate is evil, old school is always better than the latest and greatest, authenticity is king, conformity is death and there is nothing worse than being a sell-out or a poser.

Nobody would have ever referred to themselves as an “influencer” in 1991—that’s the definition of a sell-out.

“After writing this book, I’m back in the mindset of ’90s thinking, which is that nothing is worse than selling out,” Chuck Klosterman, author of “The Nineties: A Book,” told Esquire. “Nothing was more embarrassing in the ’90s than trying to convince people to like the thing you made.”

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Deep inside the heart of almost every Gen Xer is a deep-seated feeling of nihilism. We didn’t trust the corporations that laid off our parents or gutted their pensions in the ’80s. In fact, everything corporate was predatory. We didn’t have a lot of faith in family values because we were the first generation raised by single parents or in daycare. We didn’t care much about politics either. Back in the ’90s, Gen X’s aversion to politics was historic.

Of course, these are all generalities about a generation of nearly about 65 million people, but studies show that there are some definite hallmarks of being a Gen Xer.

According to a generational differences document circulated through the business community, Gen X’s core values are “skepticism,” “fun” and “informality.” They’re described as “self-reliant,” “independent,” “unimpressed with authority” and motivated by “freedom.”

In the young Gen Xer, the culture of the era “instilled a wariness and skepticism, and a kind of ‘figure it out for yourself’ mindset,” Paul Taylor, author of “The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown” told The Washington Post. And with that came a sense “that you don’t have to shine a light on yourself. You’re not the center of the universe.”

But things have changed since the ’90s when Gen X was coming of age. We live in an American culture that is fractured by political partisanship, fueled by a constant culture of outrage, crippled by a preoccupation with technology, plundered by greedy boomers and annoyed by overly sensitive millennials. All of this is happening while we face the greatest challenge of our times, climate change.

The answer to all of these problems is simple: admit that Gen X at one point had it right and if we followed its lead, we could reverse these terrible trends. OK, it might not fix all of our woes, but the way things are going now surely aren’t working. Plus, weren’t the ’90s great?

Also, with hat in hand, I must admit that this message is for Gen Xers as well. Many of us have lost our way by forgetting our disdain for authority and skepticism toward institutions. This is a call for us to remember what we once stood for and to fight back by doing what we do best—staying above the fray.

Gen X, it’s time to strap on your Dr. Martens boots and get back to fighting the “Battle of Who Could Care Less.” It’s time we collectively got our “whatever” back and showed the other generations how powerful dismissiveness can be.

Here are the top five Gen X values that we need to embrace again.

5.  Buying vintage items

Nothing was less hip in the early ’90s than wearing mall clothes. If you had any style you shopped at a thrift store and bought used duds from the ’70s and early ’80s and remixed them into something awesome. If you were into hip-hop or skating you shopped at the surplus store and rocked some super-durable Dickies or Carhartt gear. The mood of the times was totally anti-fashion. These days, we live in a world where fast fashion is killing the environment. By embracing the Gen X value of old-school cool, we can help the planet while looking much more fashionable in the process.

4. Corporate skepticism

In the early 2000s, people fell head-over-heels in love with smartphone technology and social media so quickly that nobody stopped and said, “Hey, wait a minute!” Now, we have a world where kids are depressed, the culture has become divided and nobody talks to each other in public anymore, they just stare at their phones. I can totally understand why young millennials and Luddite boomers would fall for the big-tech ruse, but sadly, Gen X was asleep at the wheel and fell victim, too. The generation that embraced the notion that TV rotted your brain needs to remind everyone to go outside and play in the sunshine or read a book. And if you read a book it should be by Bret Easton Ellis.

3. Just say “whatever”

Two of the most popular Gen X phrases were “whatever” and “talk to the hand (because the face don’t give a damn).” These may seem to be flippant responses but they are the correct way to deal with other people’s nonsense and in 2022, we have to deal with a constant barrage of it.

Somewhere along the way, people forgot that it’s even more powerful to ignore someone than to admit they got under your skin. In the world of social media, we unintentionally amplify the most wretched voices by subtweeting, commenting and liking the posts from the army of grifters fighting for our attention.

We also live in an era where many seem to be addicted to outrage. The quickest way to stop fanning the flames of outrage is with a simple, “whatever.” Like dogs distracted by squirrels, we’ve got our heads on outrage swivels these days. Throwing around the occasional “whatever” gives us the time and energy to focus on the problems that really matter and take action.

These days “whatever” matters more than ever.

2. Bring back snobbery

Good taste used to matter. In the 2000s, millennials decided that people have the right to like what they like and that it’s worse to judge someone’s personal taste than to have bad taste. Gen Xers based their entire personalities on taste and demanded integrity from artists and were rewarded by living in a time of superior films and music. These days, no one listens to new music and we’re stuck in a world dominated by comic book movies because no one stood up and shamed people for liking low-effort culture.

1. ​Political apathy

America’s political divide has calcified over the past decade because more and more people are basing their personal identities on their politics. This has created a culture where the dialog between liberals and conservatives has become a shouting match that only makes people dig their heels in further. It’s also created a culture in Washington, D.C. that has attracted a more debased form of politician and led to the gridlock that has halted any sense of progress. Sadly, Gen X has also been sucked into this vortex.

Things were a lot different in the ’90s. Back in 1999, Ted Halstead at The Atlantic noted that Xers “appear to have enshrined political apathy as a way of life.” He added that Gen Xers “exhibit less social trust or confidence in government, have a weaker allegiance to their country or to either political party.”

Compared to what’s going on in America in 2022, this type of apathy seems welcome. Back in the ’90s, taking a “chill pill” could solve everything. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone took one, and then we could open our ears and hearts and have some constructive discussions?

There was a common lament in the 1980s that the boomer hippies had sold out and became boomer yuppies. They went from being concerned with peace, love and the planet to stocks, bonds and conspicuous consumption. Gen X is now in its 40s and 50s and it’s fair to say that we’ve moved from being the outsiders to creating technological and political machines that are generating the type of conformity that we once railed against.

Now that Xers are at the age where we get to run the world for a few decades, it’s time to recommit to the core values that make us well … us. The great news is that as Gen Xers, it’ll be easy to get back to our roots because we were raised to ironically love the past.

This article originally appeared on 02.07.22

There’s no shortage of advice for getting through difficult times. Unfortunately, most of that advice is either painfully unrealistic or reeks of toxic positivity. Solid advice that is both helpful and comforting is hard to come by, which is why this advice is going viral for all the right reasons.

The advice comes from Elena Mikhalkova—or rather her Mikhalkova’s grandmother—and it goes like this:

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My grandmother once gave me a tip:

In difficult times, you move forward in small steps.

Do what you have to do, but little by little.

Don’t think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow.

Wash the dishes.

Remove the dust.

Write a letter.

Make a soup.

You see?

You are advancing step by step.

Take a step and stop.

Rest a little.

Praise yourself.

Take another step.

Then another.

You won’t notice, but your steps will grow more and more.

And the time will come when you can think about the future without crying.

Can we all just pause for a minute to take a deep breath and maybe wipe the tears from our eyes? Because I don’t know about you, but this advice is just what I’ve needed to read almost every day lately.

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I suspect I’m not alone in this either because Mikhalkova’s advice is being shared all over the internet.

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With COVID-19 raging again and many of us (dare I say, all of us?) struggling with one thing or another, this quote hits. Unlike the clichéd “one foot in front of another” advice that can seem both demeaning and overwhelming, this advice offers concrete steps to take.

Wash the dishes. Make soup. Rest, and praise yourself.

These are things I can do. Well, maybe not soup, per se. But cookies. I can make cookies. And maybe you can make soup. Or knit a scarf. Or sweep the kitchen floor. This is enough.

What this advice taps into that other tidbits lose sight of is that when we’re in the midst of a calamity, even the most simple and everyday tasks are more difficult. Making lunch can seem monumental and the mere thought of doing virtual school for another few weeks can make us take to our beds, sobbing in the fetal position. Advice to “look on the bright side” can be patronizing and counterproductive. This advice does none of those things but, instead, acknowledges that even a small step matters. It doesn’t dismiss the pain, but recognizes that even thinking about the future can be painful and that progress sometimes looks like making it through the day without crying

This advice also goes beyond the “sun will come out tomorrow” reminders and acknowledges that things might not be better tomorrow or the day after that. It will take time for wounds to heal and difficult times to pass, but we need not passively wait for this time to come. We can make soup, rest and be kind to ourselves.

In the early days of the pandemic, I remember feeling like there was so much more I should be doing with all this extra “at home” time. Yet I found even the most basic tasks to be more difficult. In turn, I felt guilty for not being more productive. But what I’ve learned—or rather am learning—is that allostatic load and decision fatigue are very real. Productivity looks different on different days, and sometimes being patient with ourselves is the most productive thing we can do.

Mikhalkova’s advice taps into a mantra that I often recite when I’m struggling: Just do one good thing. Unload the dishwasher. Return an email. Fold the laundry. Hug my kids. Then do the next good thing. Eventually these things add up. Time passes and small steps turn into something bigger.

What I love most about Mikhalkova’s advice—and what is easy to forget in difficult times—is the reminder to praise ourselves along the way. Because sometimes that pat on the back we need the most is our own.

Christine Organ is a writer who lives in the Chicago area with her husband, two sons, and rescue dog. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Most kids who play a sport have a favorite player they look up to, but most kids don’t get the chance to meet their idol face to face, much less have the gumption to challenge them to a competition.

In 2017, a 6-year-old boy named Izyan Ahmad (better known by his nickname, Zizou) had the opportunity to talk to tennis great Roger Federer at a press conference at the U.S. Open. Zizou asked the tennis great the cutest question: “Hi, Mr. Federer. Can you please continue to play for eight, nine years so that I can play you when I go pro?” Federer said yes. “Is that a promise?” Zizou prodded. “Pinky promise,” Roger responded with a huge grin.

It was a sweet encounter, but one most wouldn’t expect to go beyond a cute viral moment.

Fast forward to 2022. Zizou is now 11 years old and has ranked as the No. 1 player under age 12 in the U.S in both singles and doubles. He serves as Eastern ambassador for the U.S. Tennis Association and is clearly on his way to a successful tennis career.

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In a special surprise orchestrated by Federer and his sponsor Barilla, Zizou had the best day of his life (so far) in Zurich, Switzerland. Zizou’s coach accompanied him to Europe, allegedly for a training event. As they sat down to eat together, the waiter told them his boss was a huge fan of his and wanted to meet him.

Zizou was surprised but thrilled when the woman came to the table to take a picture with him and revealed a T-shirt with his face on it. Meanwhile, Roger Federer watched giddily from behind the scenes, grinning from ear to ear at Zizou getting the star treatment.

Suddenly, voices start chanting “Zizou! Zizou!” and the young man turns toward them. “What the…” he says, confused about what’s happening.

The chanting and clapping were coming from the tennis court, where Zizou was led to receive the surprise of a lifetime.

Watch:

How delightful is that?

Zizou shared the video and his thoughts about the day on Instagram while wishing Federer a happy birthday on August 8.

“When the GOAT makes a promise, he keeps it! That’s what makes him such an idol! We spent half a day with him, but his humility, grace, smiling personality, ability to make everyone around him instantly comfortable, magnifies his persona and shows me that you cannot be a great sportsman unless you are a great person first. Thank you Mr. Federer, for the best day of my life, for these memories and I am forever grateful that you kept your pinky promise!” HAPPY BIRTHDAY G.O.A.T!”

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Definitely a day this young man will never forget. He may not have gone pro just yet, but with this kind of dedication and support, he’s surely on his way.

One of the funniest things that happens every single college football season is a team getting into a goal-to-go situation and, due to a collection of misfortunes, find themselves punting on fourth down. It did not take long for that to happen on the first full college football Saturday of the 2022 campaign, as Rutgers needed to do that in the first quarter of their season opener against Boston College.

The Scarlet Knights got the ball on their own 25 and quickly got into Eagles territory. Five plays into the drive, they managed to get a first-and-goal from the Boston College 10. They gained two yards on their next play, at which points a series of penalties happened that backed them way up. In all, Rutgers was penalized five times, leading to them setting up shop at the 38. On third-and-goal, signal caller Gavin Wimsatt got sacked, which meant the punt team had to come out.

If there is a silver lining, it is that this the punt got downed at the BC 3 and the Scarlet Knight defense was able to intercept Eagles quarterback Phil Jurkovec on the ensuing drive, which led to good field position and a touchdown. Still, between that and the fact that the team’s first drive saw three separate quarterbacks each take a snap before a three-and-out, it’s safe to say the offense has some things to iron out.

As Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows also served as the former president’s de facto buffer — as evidenced by the fact that it was Meadows, not Trump, who was being inundated with texts on January 6th, begging him to convince his boss to make a statement and stop the violence. But Meadows hasn’t wanted to play along with the January 6th Committee — or, anyone, really — when it comes to spilling the tea on the Trump Administration (unless he’s being paid to write about it in his “f**king stupid” book). The raid on Mar-a-Lago, however, may have brought about a change in heart for Meadows. Gee, we can’t imagine why…

On Friday night, CNN broke the news that Meadows seems to have suddenly become Mr. Cooperative with the National Archives. Within a week of the FBI’s raid on Trump’s Palm Beach home and golf club, Meadows reportedly turned over several emails and texts that previously must have been stuck in his junk folder, as they were not included in any other batches of information he has shared with authorities previously.

In fact, it was only because of the communications Meadows eventually handed over to the January 6th Committee that the National Archives realized they did not have all of the former chief of staff’s electronic communications. This latest batch was in response to a request for all materials covered under the Presidential Records Act.

“It could be a coincidence, but within a week of the August 8 search on Mar-a-Lago, much more started coming in,” a source close to the situation told CNN.

Yet another source insisted that the timing really was coincidental, with both confirming that the National Archives considered Meadows to be cooperative. “While he was at Mar-a-Lago last summer, Meadows talked with Trump about the documents that the Archives was seeking to have returned, sources said,” according to CNN. “Meadows has continued to work with the Archives in its efforts to recover documents since then, according to the sources.”

Still, considering that Meadows has straight-out stood up the January 6th Committee in the past, and been held in contempt because of it, his sudden burst of generosity does seem slightly out of character. In August, The Washington Post was the first outlet to report that Meadows had shared information with the National Archives, though one of CNN’s sources noted that Meadows has been working with the Archives for several months now.

(Via CNN)

Continuing to drop the accompanying visuals for the tracks from his 13th album, God Did, DJ Khaled and Jadakiss have shared the video for their collaboration, “Jadakiss Interlude.”

On the track, Jada reminds us that he’s New York royalty, delivering fiery bars over a soulful, James Brown-sampling instrumental. Jada finds himself in several landmarks and items symbolic of New York City throughout the song.

“I’m the bullet that struct your limbs / I’m white Air Force Ones, I’m construction Timbs / I’ma do whatever it takes, just enough to win / I’m the one that your man told you not to fuck with him /I’m the single-parent household with nothin’ in the ‘frigerator / Pissy staircases, smell like the incinerator / Grandma in the back hooked up to the ventilator / Tryna chip in and see if we can get some dinner later,” raps Jada.

In the video, Khaled and Jada are seen taking over Yonkers, from where Jada hails. Khaled is seen hyping Jada up as he spits rhymes in front of a food mart, and shoots dice in the street corners.

Earlier this week, Khaled also dropped videos for “Beautiful” with Future and SZA and “Big Time” with Future and Lil Baby.

Check out the video for “Jadakiss Interlude” above.

Perhaps the greatest to ever set foot onto a tennis court’s career is over. Serena Williams, who announced before the tournament that she would retire once her time at Arthur Ashe Stadium came to an end, fell in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1.

After battling valiantly in the first set and taking the second, Williams found herself behind in the third set, 5-1, at which point she repeatedly fended off match point after match point for Tomljanović during the seventh game of the set. Ultimately, Tomljanović was able to get her sixth match point and Williams sent her volley into the net. In the aftermath, Williams congratulated her opponent before walking onto the court, thanking the fans, and receiving a raucous ovation.

“I’m going to be honest. There is no happiness in this topic for me,” Williams wrote in Vogue while announcing her decision. “I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate it. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads. I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not. I’m torn: I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to look at this magazine when it comes out, knowing that this is it, the end of a story that started in Compton, California, with a little Black girl who just wanted to play tennis.”

Williams’ list of accomplishments is unimpeachable, as she’s won 23 Grand Slam singles titles with another 14 as a doubles competitor and two in mixed doubles. In all, she recorded 858 wins in her career with 73 singles titles.