Category: News

Trevor Noah is in shock that the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago, and kicked off Tuesday’s episode of The Daily Show saying as much. After calling the news “bigger than when the Feds investigated Bill Clinton for doing mouth stuff with that saxophone,” Noah made it clear that he wasn’t surprised that Donald Trump would commit a criminal act — he’s just sort of taken aback by how much time he is able to dedicate to so many different crimes.

As Noah went on to explain, the FBI’s swoop is totally separate from all the other wrongdoings the former president is currently embroiled in. “By the way, this raid — just so you know — has nothing to do with January 6th or tax fraud or giving the White House plumber PTSD,” Noah explained, then went on to marvel at the sheer prolificacy of his shenanigans:

Apparently, this investigation is about Trump taking classified documents from the White House. And honestly, I’m amazed that Trump has time for all of this crime. Like, at any moment — at any moment — Trump’s got a crime that he’s covering up, he’s got a crime that he’s doing now, he’s got a crime that he’s plotting for the future. He’s like the Steve Harvey, but of crimes, you know?

Every day, I’m like: Does he have the same hours in the day as me? He gets so much done!

Noah also reminded viewers that this isn’t the first time the Feds have paid a visit to Trump’s Palm Beach golf club. Earlier this year, they traveled to Florida in order to “take back 15 boxes of documents Trump wasn’t supposed to have. But apparently, they think there’s more hidden on the property. And I believe that.” Why? Because, as Noah explained, “Trump’s not going to keep records in a filing cabinet like a normal person. This is the same dude who buried his ex-wife on a golf course!”

And while Noah admitted that the move was indeed unprecedented, as no former president’s home has ever been raided in American history. He also pointed out that “Donald Trump has never happened in American history.” Which is something we can all be thankful for.

You can watch the full clip above.

For weeks now, the Boston Celtics have been linked as a suitor to acquire Kevin Durant, with star wing Jaylen Brown spearheading a return for the Brooklyn Nets. On Monday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania identified Boston, Toronto, and Miami as ” the most significant candidates” for Durant.

According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, though, Brooklyn initially “tried to pry” both Brown and Jayson Tatum in a trade for Durant.

“That deal went nowhere, of course,” Himmelsbach wrote.

The Nets angling to snag both All-Star wings from Boston feels like prime posturing. There is simply no way the Celtics would ever entertain such a deal, nor could Brooklyn even expect to make headway on that proposal. It seems like a starting point for negotiations from which to work and hope to find a middle ground satisfying each party. Boston isn’t trading Tatum on his own for Durant, let alone him and his co-star, regardless of how extremely gifted Durant remains at NBA basketball 15 years into his career.

“The source confirmed recent reports that Brooklyn later shifted its focus to a potential deal centered on Brown, Marcus Smart, and a massive haul of future first-round draft picks,” Himmelsbach continued. “But the Celtics were not interested.

“As of this week, when Durant reportedly reiterated his desire to be traded during a meeting with team owner Joe Tsai, the Celtics and Nets were not close to a deal.”

There’s been considerable noise linking Brooklyn and Boston the past few weeks. All these reports feel like a form of negotiating from the two sides. It’d hardly be surprising at this point to see Durant donning Celtics green and white next season, given all the smoke surrounding a potential trade sending him to Boston. But yeah, Tatum and Brown was never going to happen.

With Post Malone’s Runaway Tour documentary, Runaway, set to premiere on Friday on Freevee, an exclusive clip of the film has dropped on YouTube to promote its release. In the clip, Post meets rock idol Ozzy Osbourne for the first time after securing a feature from Ozzy on his third studio album, Hollywood’s Bleeding. Although Osbourne appeared on the single “Take What You Want,” the two didn’t actually meet until Post’s Los Angeles tour stop at The Forum, where Ozzy made a surprise appearance, delighting fans as he emerged sitting on a throne to sing the song’s intro.

In the Runaway clip above, it is a few hours before that moment, when the two performers are introduced for the first time. “Good to see you,” Post says. “How are you? You look great. You excited? You ready to party?” Ozzy cackles a bit in return, obviously amused at the thought of the standout performance to come. The clip picks up after the performance with Post admitting, “I was nervous meeting him. Not as much performing, but meeting him is terrifying because what the f*ck do you say to Ozzy Osbourne, ‘I like your pants?’ I don’t know. You have no idea what the fuck to say to him.”

You can check out the clip above and catch Runaway in full on Freevee on 8/12.

Rosalía had a hit with her album from earlier this year, Motomami: It was her second No. 1 album in her native Spain and her first to crack the Billboard 200 here in the US. Already, though, she’s moving on from the LP, as last month yielded her first post-Motomami single, “Despechá.”

She’s not done with that song yet, as she dropped a new video for it today. The clip was filmed on location on the Spanish island of Mallorca and it’s a slice-of-life look at a day at the beach, complete with sunbathing, dancing, games, and smiles galore.

Rosalía previously said of the song, “There are many ways to be Despechá, in this theme it is from the freeness or the craziness, moving without reservations or regrets,” she said. “This is the place from where I make music, from where I did it when I first started and where I will continue to until God says so. I’m grateful for having been able to travel in recent years and have learned from music from other places including the DR, where artists like Fefita La Grande, Juan Luis Guerra and Omega have inspired me and without them this song would not exist.”

Watch the “Despechá” video above.

Everyone wants another taste of those famous Casa Bonita sopapillas.

That’s the ongoing vibe from fans who are clamoring in the wake of last year’s news from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who decided to resurrect one of the eatertainment venue’s locations in the Denver, Colorado area. They even declared that they’d do so with good food (from a chef and everything), which means that it wouldn’t actually be like the O.G. Casa Bonita but maybe like another company packaged inside of a gaudy pink castle?

In a display of devotion, Parker even bought a house close to the soon-to-be-resurrected Casa Bonita (on South Park avenue), but construction is proving to be a challenge. The restaurant’s beloved fountain had to be demolished in the interest of safety, and Parker and Stone realized that they were living a bit of a “nightmare” in that a childhood-sourcing dream was proving to be a major stressor. The pair told The Denver Post how their dream of doing something “cool” with the iconic location turned into putting “all our money” into something that they “hope” will create many more wonderful memories.

Parker added that “[w]e absolutely should bail and stop spending money, but we’re committed now.” And as it turns out, the location’s Instagram page surfaced last fall with an “under new management” post, and that’s where fans are now congregating to communicate their impatience.

Now, every time the account posts, whether it has to do with snow or a charity event people are piling on the interrogations. Here’s a mere sampling of comments:

“Ok, great, is Casa Bonita ever going to re-open?????”

“When is opening day!! I need some Casa Bonita!”

“When can I make reservations??”

“Are you open now?”

“GOOD LORD! Open already!”

“I’m so excited, I’ll be there the second it re-opens.”

“People are so impatient and expect casa Bonita to improve from before holy sh*t.”

There’s no projected opening date as of yet, but rest assured that Parker and Stone are as ready to communicate progress as people are to hear about it. Because even though the food of the original restaurant chain sucked, those sopapillas ruled.

(Via The Denver Post)

Blinks, rejoice! We finally have a release date for Blackpink‘s sophomore album, Born Pink. The ladies announced today via social media that Born Pink will arrive September 16.

Ahead of their album, the group will drop their single, “Pink Venom” this Friday.

As of now, not much is known about the album. However, songwriter and OneRepublic lead vocalist Ryan Tedder revealed that he wrote a few tracks that may end up on the album in a recent interview with Good Morning America.

In a May interview with Rolling Stone, Blackpink member Lisa says the band has no plans to slow down any time soon.

“I mean, won’t Blackpink last at least 10 more years? We’ll be nearly 40 by then,” Lisa said. “Someday we’ll get married and things like that. But then I see the Spice Girls, how they got together for a reunion concert. Can we do that too someday? Will I be able to dance then, like I do now?”

In addition to their new album, Blackpink will embark on an international tour, the largest ever for a K-pop girl group.

Check out the tour dates below. Venues and ticket information will be available at a later date.

10/15 — Seoul
10/16 — Seoul
10/25 — Dallas, TX
10/29 — Houston, TX
11/02 — Atlanta, GA
11/06 — Hamilton, OH
11/07 — Hamilton, OH
11/10 — Chicago, IL
11/11 — Chicago, IL
11/14 — Newark, NJ
11/15 — Newark, NJ
11/19 — Los Angeles, CA
11/30 — London
12/01 — London
12/05 — Barcelona
12/08 — Cologne
12/11 — Paris
12/12 — Paris
12/18 — Berlin
12/22 — Amsterdam
01/07 — Bangkok
01/08 — Bangkok
01/13 — Hong Kong
01/14 — Hong Kong
01/20 — Riyadh
01/28 — Abu Dhabi
03/04 — Kuala Lumpur
03/11 — Jakarta
03/18 — Kaohsiung
03/25 — Manila
05/13 — Singapore
06/10 — Melbourne
06/11 — Melbourne
06/16 — Sydney
06/17 — Sydney
06/21 — Auckland

Born Pink is out 9/16 via YG Entertainment and Interscope.

It’s been a year and a half since disturbing allegations against actor Armie Hammer surfaced, and it seems like more is about to be revealed in a shocking docuseries from Discovery+.

Last month, reports surfaced that the disgraced actor was laying low and selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands after being booted from nearly every project he had in the works. Hammer was one of Hollywood’s most promising leading men until several women spoke out against his alleged violent tendencies and even alluded to cannibalism. Now, Discovery+ has released a trailer for their long-awaited doc about not only Hammer but his family legacy.

House Of Hammer is a three-part series that features interviews, texts, voice memos, and other evidence from Hammer’s alleged victims. There are shocking messages that are seemingly from Hammer describing his various violent fantasies. The doc even has commentary from Hammer’s own aunt, Casey Hammer, who promises to reveal “the dark, twisted secrets of the Hammer family.”

Jason Sarlanis, Discovery’s President of Crime and Investigative Content, Linear and Streaming, explained that the doc will dive even deeper into the world of the Hammer family and their longstanding legacy. “The accusations of rape and abuse brought against Armie Hammer in the last few years are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Hammer family. With HOUSE OF HAMMER, we witness truly disturbing details and sinister secrets that money and power couldn’t hide forever,” Sarlanis explained in a press release.

He added, “This documentary provides an important platform for the incredibly courageous women who came forward to share their stories, and we hope their courage inspires others to continue meaningful conversations around abuse in our society.”

House Of Hammer premieres on September 2nd on Discovery+. Check out the trailer above.

Avocados — once the poster child of overpriced food, lambasted as the reason spendthrift millennials can’t afford houses — aren’t as expensive (at least in a lot of places). Australia is actually currently in the midst of an avocado glut. Closer to home, the Mexican state of Jalisco has reportedly been approved to export the creamy fruit to the good old US of A.

While I don’t purport to be an expert on the global supply chain, I can tell you that I bought my most recent avocadoes for 97 cents and a buck a piece (they tend to range from $1.50 to $3 each normally). Whether that’s due to some larger economic force (or organized crime) or just what happens when they’re in season, I’m not sure of the why of it all. Point is, avocados are cheaper than peaches now, and as my grandpappy once told me “don’t look a gift fruit in the mouth” (he was senile).

Long story short, now’s a perfect time to enjoy some avocado toast and I’ve got the perfect recipe for you. What do I know about avocados? Well, I’m glad you asked. I’ve been finding ways to “just throw some avocado on stuff” (the logic underpinning avocado toast) since I was just a teen. My best friend growing up had big avocado tree in his back yard, and there was many a night that we came home famished from a long night of drinking next to canals and tried to slake our hunger with any avocado preparation that could be accomplished using 60% or less of brain cells. Sometimes that was just salt and a spoon, which is still pretty good, honestly.

I’ve come a long way since then (sort of), but the same basic rules hold true: avocados need very few accoutrements to be delicious. And frankly, a lot of the additions I see at restaurants and in recipes online detract more than they enhance. Side note, stop cooking your damned avocados. 99.99% of the time they taste better raw.

Anyway, the following recipe is the result of synthesizing some techniques I learned cooking other things, plus my years of avocado toast trial and error, put in service of the simplest but best avocado toast recipe possible. To put it in slightly different terms, I think you could use fewer ingredients than this and have reasonably good avocado toast, and you could use more ingredients than this and it would also be pretty good, but neither would be quite as good this avocado toast. That, to me, is what we mean when we say “refined.” Everything here is here for good reason.

Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of bread
• About 1/2 a medium-sized, ripe-but-not-too-ripe avocado
• 1 garlic clove
• A wedge of lime
• Parmigiano Reggiano (preferably aged longer than a year)
• Extra virgin olive oil (not pictured) for grilling
• Salt and black pepper (not pictured)

I think any bread will do here, but I prefer the “artisan” type loaves from my local supermarket bakery — something a touch bigger and denser than a baguette, so that it can stand up to the spread, and ideally will get a crunchy on the outside while staying slightly gooey on the inside when grilled, which is what we’re going to do here. Sourdough works great too.

As for the avocado itself, hopefully you know what a ripe avocado feels like by now, but my preference is one that has some give when you squeeze it but not too many softer spots. When you cut it into cubes, the cubes should melt in your mouth but they shouldn’t completely mush down flat when you spread them — that’s the ideal texture, to me. Doesn’t have to be perfect though, slightly sub-perfect will still be delicious.

Tools:

• Bread knife
• Spreader knife
• Microplane grater
• Cast iron pan (not pictured) — or any other pan, really.

Do you need a special spreader knife like I have? Could you get by with a spoon and a butter knife instead? Sure, but when you make as much avocado toast as I do, these spreader knife thingies are pretty nice to have. You can do your cutting and scooping with a single utensil. You don’t need a microplane either, but they also simplify the process.

Directions:

Heat up that pan on medium heat and get a few glugs of oil in there, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Having done this a few times, my preference is olive oil, both because it tastes pretty good with the other ingredients and because it gives a nice consistent fry. I’ve also used butter (spread on the bread), which tastes good but doesn’t fry quite as crisp, and avocado oil, which is flavor-consistent but for some reason the bread sucks up more of it than with olive oil so you end up having to add more halfway through. I don’t know the science behind that but I’ve seen it happen.

Your pan/oil should be hot enough that the bread sizzles when it hits it. If the oil is smoking, it’s too hot. You can usually tell when the bread is toasted enough by smell. This is gonna sound dumb but it’s true: the toast is done when it starts to smell like toast.

Once your toast is done, slice a little piece off your garlic clove so that it’s flat on one end.

Now, take your garlic and rub that flat side all over the bread just like you’re grating some cheese. You might not think this would add much garlic flavor, but trust me, it does.

See how much garlic came off that clove? Also you might notice the bread getting a noticeable sheen from the oils in the garlic. Good times. I rub my bread on *both* sides because I’m a Big Time Garlic Daddy but you can only do one side if you want. (I also grew this particular garlic myself, are you impressed yet?).

Now for the avocado.

I realize there are different ways to do this. For instance, I’ve seen people scoop out the avocado with a spoon and then cut thin vertical slices almost to the end of the avo and then fan it out on the toast, which does look pretty. That’s fine, this is my standard technique, which is easy, functional, and guarantees the maximum avocado-per-square-millimeter of toast. I tend to think that’s a little more important than aesthetics alone, plus you don’t have to be as fussy with it.

So you take your spreader knife (or butter knife, as the case may be) and make a little cross hatch on the avocado, being careful not to pierce the rind. Then you scoop that out and just spread it on the toast. Granted, this method doesn’t work as well for the smooth-skinned avocado varieties (which also taste delicious) that you have to peel with a fruit peeler. But that’s a digression for another day.

I call this “pretty enough.”

Now take your lime wedge and squirt a little lime on there. Doesn’t have to be a ton, four or five drops works just fine, just enough to brighten it up. If you don’t have limes, lemon works fine too.

Salt after lime. How much salt? This part is more art than science, but I would say the ideal amount of salt for avocado toast is more than you’d put on an egg, but less than you’d put on a steak.

Now cracked black pepper on top of the lime and salt. I feel like there are a lot of dishes where people add black pepper more out of habit than for any noticeable flavor benefit, but I swear by black pepper on avocado toast. Black pepper and avocado are a great combination. (I have not tried this with white pepper, please respect my privacy at this time).

And now for the coup de grace, motherf*ckin 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano. If you want to shave it on there instead of microplaning? Go nuts. That would probably look baller as hell, but for me personally I couldn’t make my shaved cheese look as good as my microplaned cheese.

Cheese is probably my most controversial addition here, but like I said up top, I truly don’t believe avocado toast with any fewer or more ingredients than this will be better than this. Aged parmesan has that slightly nutty, umami quality that pairs beautifully with slightly nutty, citrus-brightened avocado with just a hint of peppery heat from the black pepper. I make this for guests all the time and I’ve never not had one say, “Holy shit, this is good!”

I’m not staunchly against adding more ingredients when they’re in season and makes sense. Thinly sliced hot peppers, like jalapeño or serrano? Sure, why not. Thinly sliced, pickled radish and/or onion? Hey, that could be good. I still have some super ripe tomatoes and tiny serranos from my garden lying around, and I’ll throw those in there from time to time, just for a little something different, like so:

That’s a fun variation, but at its heart it’s a change up. Throwing a change-up only works when you surround it with fastballs. Grilled toast-garlic-lime-salt-pepper-parmesan is my avocado toast fastball. I dare you to try it and disagree.

Vince Mancini is on Twitter.

As long as he’s been in the rap business, Russ has been about sharing the secrets of his success with fans and other aspiring artists. While that sometimes takes the form of preachy-sounding lectures on social media or interviews that can rub his intended audience the right way, he’s been getting better at softening his delivery, making sure that the message isn’t getting lost in the tone. In addition to starting his own, artist-friendly label, he seems to have found his niche thanks to TikTok, where he can speak directly to his fans, answering their questions in videos that offer more context.

A great example recently found its way to Twitter. In the video, Russ responds to a fan’s comment in a previous video asking how and why he spent $1 million on his new single, “Are You Entertained” with Ed Sheeran. In typical Russ fashion, he goes into detail, but this time, he’s sure he’s giving the right information to the right people, sounding confident instead of condescending. Offering a disclaimer, he made sure to note that “I’ve had songs go multi-platinum that I’ve spent zero dollars on and I’ve had songs do nothing that I’ve spent hundreds of thousands on. It’s not as simple as, ‘Oh, if you just spend money, the song does well.’ If that was the case, then there would be no flops.”

But on to the nitty-gritty: “Basically, I spent about $300K on the music video,” he recalls. “We shot it in London, [so] it was a whole big production. Then, I spent a little over $700K on marketing, which is like: I did Spotify marquee campaigns, radio, social media ads, [and] billboards overseas.” So, there you have it, an explanation of how much it costs to promote a new song, and a warning: It takes a lot more than money. Russ knows this, but luckily for his fans, he wants them to know it too. Check out the video below.