Category: News

Like all of us, President Joe Biden feels the weight of paying concert ticket processing fees, so he announced that he and his administration would get rid of them.

Biden called the processing fees “unfair and deceptive” in a tweet on Thursday. He wrote, “I know hidden junk fees – like processing fees on concert tickets – are a pain. They’re unfair, deceptive, and add up. That’s why, last week, I called on my Administration to crack down on these fees and put that money back in your pocket.”

While many are delighted with the move, others believe there are more critical issues that the president should focus on. “Oh, thank god, concert ticket fees are killing the poor and middle class. Finally, a focus on the big issues,” one person tweeted. Another user noted that people “are not worried about concert fees” but worried about necessities like rent, groceries, and more.

It’s unclear when this change will go into effect, and so far, the Biden administration has yet to release more details.

Recently, the Biden administration formally launched a student loan forgiveness program, which promises to forgive up to $10,000 (and up to $20,000 for those who received Pell grants). At least eight million people have signed up already, and the number is only expected to grow.

Election Day is less than a week away, but you don’t even need to own a calendar to know that. By watching just a few minutes of television, the onslaught of political attack ads is clearly signaling that the midterms are almost here. But if Trevor Noah had his way, we’d never have to bear witness to yet another sinister-sounding voiceover telling us everything that’s bad about each of this year’s candidates — awful or otherwise.

As The Daily Show continues airing from Atlanta, Noah shared his utter disdain for attack ads. “I watched TV for 10 minutes last night and I saw 30 minutes worth of ads,” he joked. But he wasn’t kidding when he said that “the thing that stuck out to me was how most of them were mean as sh*t.”

“If you only knew Stacey Abrams from attack ads in Georgia,” Noah said, by way of example, “you would think she was Darth Vader combined with Thanos combined with that a**hole who cuts you off in traffic. Pure evil!” It’s for that reason that The Daily Show host thinks that attack ads should be banned altogether, and he made a strong argument for why that might improve the strength of the candidates we see running around the country:

If you ask me, I say attack ads should be illegal. I mean it… Not campaign ads, attack ads. I’ll tell you why: First of all, I think it’s because they only drive up polarization and hate. That’s what they do, right? And secondly, politicians should be earning your vote by telling you what they’re going to do, not just by sh*tting on other candidates. Just tell me what you’ll do if you want me to vote; don’t tell me about the other person.

‘Cause you realize, they’re auditioning for the job. We don’t accept this sh*t in any other job. There’s no other job where you can apply for it and then your resume isn’t what you do, it’s just a list of other reasons that the other people suck. You can’t do that anywhere else. You can’t just be sitting there, like: ‘Oh, what are my strengths? Well I think you should be focusing on Anthony’s weaknesses. That guy types with his index fingers. So when do I start?’

As Noah sees it, attacking your opponent isn’t “campaigning,” nor is it how candidates should be winning votes. “It shouldn’t be a part of democracy,” he said, noting that attacking the opposition isn’t a savvy political move — “it’s basically the same strategy every R&B song from the ‘90s used.”

You can watch Noah’s full argument against attack ads above, beginning around the 2:30 mark.

Matthew Perry’s memoir, Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing, sounds like a lot, to be blunt. The book, which released on November 1, includes multiple controversial observations, including his apparent distaste for Keanu Reeves and a “mortifying” (to Valerie Bertinelli) account of a make-out session next to a passed-out Eddie Van Halen. Perry also recounted raw details about his health issues related to addiction. Those include his teeth falling right out (at a moment that should have been unlikely) and his heart-stopping circumstances while pulling out of an Adam McKay movie.

Still, could Matthew Perry’s revelation-filled memoir *be* any better timed? He thinks not. At this point, Perry has been sober for over 18 months, and via Hollywood Reporter, he opened up (during a NYC town hall event hosted by Jess Cagle) about why this was go-time for a memoir:

“I felt very secure in my sobriety,” the actor shared. “It took very hard work to get there. Because you can’t write a book like this and then, you know, you appear drunk at your local bar.”

There’s nothing quite like upping the stakes for personal accountability. It’s practically insurance. As well, Perry discussed his (slightly evil) new pickleball addiction and how his (wonderful) “sudden” obsession, writing, helps him stop “feeling uncomfortable and agitated.” The Chandler Bing actor spoke up about how he recently “sat in front of my laptop and 10 days later I had written a play,” so there’s that to anticipate. And let’s hope this won’t be a not-so-subtle tale about a supervillain named Reanu Keeves.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

Kyrie Irving met with the media on Thursday afternoon for the first time since his combative press conference where he refused to denounce an antisemitic film he posted to his Twitter account. While Irving has since deleted the tweet and pledged $500,000 alongside the Brooklyn Nets to organizations that look to eradicate hate, a big, lingering question that exists is whether or not Irving understands the gravity of the situation.

The answer appears to be no. Irving was asked, point blank, if he holds any antisemitic beliefs, and at no point did the word “no” leave his mouth.

“Again, I’m gonna repeat, I don’t know how the label becomes justified, because you guys ask me the same questions over and over again, but this is not gonna turn into a spin around cycle, questions upon questions,” Irving said. “Told you guys how I felt, I respect all walks of life and embrace all walks of life. That’s where I sit.”

When asked, point blank, if he would say yes or no to that question, Irving said, “I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from.” Irving was asked about meeting with the Anti-Defamation League, something the Nets indicated he would do in a statement the team released a day prior, and he did not say if he has. And when he was asked about how NBA commissioner Adam Silver wanted to see him explicitly apologize, Irving once again sidestepped the question.

There is no word on when Irving will speak to the media next. Silver said in his statement that he will meet with Irving next week.

Stranger Things co-stars Sadie Sink and Millie Bobby Brown both have movies coming out soon. Sink plays Brendan Fraser’s daughter in The Whale, the first film in five years from director Darren Aronofsky, while Bobby Brown is reprising her role as Sherlock Holmes’ sister in Enola Holmes 2. They barely shared any screentime during season four of the Netflix series that made them famous, but the two are close friends in real life.

“Having each and every kid on the show — I think we’d be so lost without each other,” Sink told Access (via People). “We really depend on each other when things get absolutely nuts, or when you need to talk to someone who understands exactly what you’re going through. We have each other.” She singled out Bobby Brown, as “she was the only girl at first. So, I think, it was nice that we had that connection.” Stranger Things has added more female characters along the way, like Maya Hawke’s Robin and Priah Ferguson’s Erica, but Millie and Sadie are closest in age. And Taylor Swift fandom.

Sink called the “Anti-Hero” singer “amazing,” and Sink memorably appeared in the 10-minute “All Too Well: The Short Film.” Maybe season five can take place in 1989?

(Via People)

Following Elon Musk announcing that Twitter will begin charging $8 a month for users to keep their verified accounts, there has been intense discussion over the controversial plan that would change the very nature of the blue checkmark on top of being rife for abuse. While right wing Twitter users have cheered on Musk for seemingly sticking it to “media elites” by leveraging the playing field to acquire a blue check, the new social media CEO earned himself some surprising critics over at Fox News.

While discussing Musk’s latest tiff with AOC, Fox News anchors Dana Perino and Kat Timpf both said that there’s no way they’re paying for a blue checkmark. In fact, Perino is hoping the whole ordeal will finally make her quit Twitter for good.

Via Mediaite:

“Would you pay $8 for it?” asked Perino.

“I think it’s embarrassing to pay $8 for it,” shot back Timpf.

“I do too. I don’t think I’m going to do it,” added Perino, concluding, “I’ve been looking for a reason to get off Twitter.”

“I mean, maybe this could be it,” Perino quipped.

“I don’t think I would pay for it,” replied Timpf. “If someone you know, if this company paid for it for me, then sure. But I think that’s like it’s embarrassing to be like. Yes, yes. It’s so important to me that I spent this money.”

However, co-anchor Bill Hemmer revealed that their Fox News colleague Jesse Watters still plans to keep his blue check but expense it to the company. Watters’ stance would be more in line with Fox News’ coverage of Musk since he purchased Twitter. Both Ainsley Earhardt and Greg Gutfeld have defended Musk for spreading a baseless conspiracy theory about Nancy Pelosi’s husband being attacked. Although, it should be noted that Gutfeld’s The Five co-stars pushed back on his defense of Musk.

With at least Fox News two anchors literally laughing at Musk’s plan to charge for blue checks, it definitely seems like there’s some division in the ranks over whether his purchase of Twitter is a genius move to “own the libs” or a comical train wreck.

(Via Mediaite)

Takeoff (real name Kirshnik Khari Ball) tragically died in the early hours of November 1. The 28-year-old Atlanta rapper best known as a member of Migos was fatally shot outside of 810 Billiards & Bowling in Houston, where he was at a private party with Quavo, when an altercation broke out during a dice game, according to Houston Police’s press conference held later in the day. The heavy-hearted tributes have been pouring out since the news broke.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner started Tuesday’s press conference by giving voice to “the human element,” saying he’d met with Takeoff’s mother and empathizing with her grief. “I told her, as we stand with any victim of violence or any homicide victim, their family, we stand with them,” he said.

Finner stated that Takeoff was pronounced dead at the scene. Sgt. Michael Arrington laid out the full sequence of events and provided an update on whether a suspect had been identified.

“A lot of people that were there fled the scene and did not stick around to give us statements, so we’re asking them to either call us at the homicide division at 713-308-3600 or if they would like remain anonymous, they can call Crime Stoppers,” Arrington said. “We’re looking for any information at this time — any videos, any information.”

Arrington urged the public to send everything directly to him and his investigative team “so we can solve this case” rather than calling the media or posting potential evidence on social media. He added, “We want to find justice for this family. They’re going through a lot right now, and the only thing that we can do is hope that y’all reach out and assist us in any way to lead to evidence that will help us to apprehend and get charges and arrest on the person responsible for the death of Takeoff.”

Finner echoed Arrington’s call to action: “There were 40 people, at least, at this event. And people left, possibly out of fear. I ask you one thing, and I want this to resonate with everybody: What if it was your brother? What if it was your son? You would want somebody to step up. So, please, step up. Get the information to us so we can bring some closure to this family who’s hurting right now.”

TMZ additionally reported this morning (November 4) that Joshua “Wash” Washington, Quavo’s assistant, was one of two other people who suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting.

Things have been a little tough for Saturday Night Live alum Chris Redd as of late. The comedian was quickly and quietly let go from the latest season of the late-night sketch show for undisclosed reasons, though rumors began swirling after Redd was seen out and about with Kenan Thompson‘s ex-wife. Then, just last week, Redd was attacked outside of The Comedy Cellar and he was rushed to the hospital with three fractures that the comedian knew couldn’t have been the result of only a fist.

“This man hit me in the face with something metal,” Redd said in a preview for an upcoming The Last Laugh podcast episode. “I thought it was brass knuckles because of the way it cut my nose to the bone.” Redd was scheduled to perform a stand-up set but spent the night in the hospital instead. “A fist don’t normally do all of that at one time,” Redd said. “So it was safe to assume I was hit with something…But the dude just hit me and ran off. I fell down so fast. I didn’t even know I fell until I looked at the [surveillance] footage.”

Despite the hit, Redd (who was a boxer for years) was more worried about the amount of blood that was rushing down his face. “It wasn’t really about the pain at that point, it was just so much blood. [It wasn’t a good idea to] to chase him down the street with blood gushing out of my face.”

The incident took place on October 26th and the culprit still hasn’t been found. It may or may not be a random incident, as whoever attacked him may have known that he would be at The Comedy Cellar. Who’s to say?

(Via The Daily Beast)

The San Antonio Spurs abruptly waived Joshua Primo last week. It was eventually revealed that the decision to part ways with Primo, who the team selected 12th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, revolved around multiple allegations of exposing himself to women during his time as a member of the organization.

On Thursday morning, Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee filed a lawsuit in Bexar County that was obtained by Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Per the lawsuit, which is filed against both Primo and the Spurs, former team psychologist Hillary Cauthen alleges that she lost her “dream job” due to the team repeatedly ignoring complaints that were made against Primo for his actions.

Cauthen alleges that she first filed a complaint in January of 2022, met with current Spurs general manager Brian Wright in March of that year, and was told in May that, despite her complaints over his behavior, Primo would continue with the team. In all, Primo is alleged to have exposed himself to Cauthen nine times.

The Spurs’ handling of the situation came under further scrutiny as Cauthen alleged she was told she could not attend Summer League by the team, with the lawsuit saying she was told “she was unable to do her job in a professional manner due to what was now a lack of trust between her and the team.” Buzbee went on to say that, even though Cauthen was told San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was made aware of this back in June, they do not think he was ever told what was going on.

In a statement, Primo’s lawyer, William J. Briggs II, repeated what Primo said on his Instagram following his release, saying he “has suffered a lifetime of trauma and challenges.” He went on to deny the allegations Primo is facing.

Competing on Jeopardy! is a stressful experience to say the least. Even if you’re a returning champion, the pace of the game’s filming session puts the pressure on to perform against a never-ending gauntlet of smart people who want to take your place. But being a challenger has its own bundle of nerves as well.

That doesn’t change much for returning players in competitions like the Tournament of Champions, of course. The competition is even more intense, but the familiarity with how the show operates and what’s asked of competitors has made for some interesting behind-the-scenes content this year. One returning contestant, seven-time regular season champion Zach Newkirk, shared a number of backstage photos on Twitter and explained a few things that viewers at home have never seen on set. For starters, he showed the impressive lighting setup the show has. It’s no Wheel of Fortune laser-powered big board, but it’s pretty cool to see.

One of the most coveted images Newkirk shared is a close-up of the show’s signaling device. It’s key to the competition: quickly figuring out the right pressure and timing on that device is the key to beating competitors who likely know just as many of the answers as you do. Some have even gone to great lengths to recreate their own version at home to practice, so a close-up of what it actually looks like will help some of the more obsessive players perfect their model.

Another fascinatingly retro backstage image is the screen setup players use to write answers in Final Jeopardy, as well as their names. Newkirk said the show makes everyone around the same height with special risers, which probably ups the anxiety a bit if you’re standing on a box unable to nervously shuffle your feet.

The images definitely give you a better feel for what contestants are looking at while trying their best to compete. Jeopardy! is posting highlights of the tournament on its YouTube page if you’ve missed it so far. Newkirk promised on Twitter that the “incredible” tournament has “amazing moments of smarts, strategy, and fun,” so we’re likely in for a treat these next few days.