Category: News

It’s the dream of many veterans: a safe and swift return to the security of home – to a place where time can be spent with family while becoming part of a community and creating new memories. With the partnership of non-profit Operation Homefront, Pillsbury is helping give military families the opportunity to do just that.

For many of our American soldiers, the dream of making a comfortable return to civilian life is often dashed by harsh realities. Pew Research Center reports that 44% of veterans who have served since Sept 11, 2001 noted having a difficult time re-adjusting. From re-entering into the workforce to finding healthcare services, returning to civilian life can be a harrowing transition. While serving in the military is incredibly stressful, it also provides routine, structure and purpose that is not easily replicated in civilian life. Couple this with a lack of helpful resources for veterans, and the hope for a brighter future can be easily derailed.

However, some companies and organizations are stepping in to show support and provide resources. Operation Homefront, an organization dedicated to helping military families transition back to civilian life, launched its Transitional Homes for Veterans (THV) Program in 2018. The program places veteran families in safe, secure, rent-free single-family homes for a period of two-to-three years while providing financial coaching and training to reduce debt, increase savings, and prepare for independent home ownership. Since the THV’s inception, Operation Homefront has defrayed more than $500K in mortgage costs to military families.

To sweeten the deal, Operation Homefront partnered with Pillsbury in 2020 to help support the THV program. The company famous for its smile-inducing and festive cookie dough believes that what matters most is made at home and that every family deserves a place to make memories together. To put this belief into action, Pillsbury and Operation Homefront have joined forces to support military families in their return to civilian life by providing them with stable housing so they can build a foundation for their future.

You can almost smell freshly baked cookies right now, can’t you?

Since the partnership began, Pillsbury has donated more than $5.6 million towards the THV program. Each home will be in rotation among numerous military families for up to 20 years, providing rent-free living to these veterans and their families as they make the transition back to civilian life. Most recently, a home was built in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for a veteran family who was displaced after an unexpected medical discharge. Pillsbury and Operation Homefront organized a ceremony, which was attended by other THV recipients, to officially welcome the family into their new community.

And since nothing says “home, sweet home” quite like fresh baked cookies, Pillsbury has also created brand new Salute to Service cookies. Each sugar cookie has a patriotic flag design on top, celebrating the military families that Pillsbury is committed to supporting.

These cookies are ready to bake and ready to help

Are these beloved Pillsbury cookies tasty? Sure. Are they adorable? As always. Are they a hit for holiday gatherings? You betcha. But this time, these Pillsbury cookies also serve a cause.

This summer, you can help make the world a better place for veterans and eat cookies at the same time. From now until August 31, 2022, Pillsbury will donate $.10 for each code entered to Operation Homefront up to $150,000.* With this partnership, Pillsbury and Operation Homefront hope these men and women who have served truly feel like they’ve come back to the home of their dreams.

If you would like to learn more about this amazing collaboration – and participate yourself – you can find more info at: https://www.pillsbury.com/mission

*Pillsbury will donate 10 cents to Operation Homefront for each code entered by August 31, 2022. Maximum total donation up to $150,000 based on eligible codes submitted. Open to legal residents of the U.S. and D.C. who are 18+. For more information about the program, complete Terms and Conditions, and to enter the code, visit Pillsbury.com/mission. Limit of 5 codes may be entered per household.

Mxmtoon is letting her music speak for itself. Literally and figuratively. Ahead of the release of her second album, Rising, she is protecting her delicate, soft-tinged voice while on tour. But even if you’ve never spoken with her, you feel a connection with her by listening to her music.

Each track from Rising feels like a scene from the coming-of-age film that is the 21-year-old singer and instrumentalist’s life. From the introspective “Mona Lisa,” to the poignant “Victim Of Nostalgia,” to the bittersweet “Sad Disco,” and the appropriately-titled closing track, “Coming Of Age,” the album, largely recorded by Mxmtoon in the guestroom of her parents’ Oakland home, shares anecdotes of loss, grief, self-actualization, and queer joy.

Having first built a following online by drawing cartoons on Instagram, then diving into music by sharing covers on YouTube, Mxmtoon’s music has evolved alongside these platforms, making her a voice of her generation. On the release week of Rising, we catch up with Mxmtoon (via email, of course. Gotta protect those vocals) to talk about the process of making the album and growing up in the age of the internet.

You first came to fame drawing cartoons, many for strangers, on Instagram. Do you still keep up with some of your OG followers?

I’m not sure if anyone from my early Instagram days still follows me. I was 11 then and only had 200 followers, so the odds are pretty low! I do keep up with listeners that started following me around 2017/2018 though.

How did you feel when you first went viral for your music?

It was honestly really scary. It’s terrifying when someone becomes so much bigger than you ever imagine, especially when you’re just a teenager. I felt so vulnerable having millions of people critiquing, complementing, or criticizing me for art I had just made in my own bedroom when I was 17. It was simultaneously very exciting and also scary.

Who would you say have been good mentors to you in music?

My middle school music teacher for sure. Teachers have always had some of the largest impact on me growing up, and my music teacher was no exception. He taught me the basics of ukulele and songwriting, and witnessing his genuine love and enthusiasm for making music was so inspiring to me when I was learning how to make my own.

Other than music and drawing, what would you say is beneficial to your mental health?

I love movies. I think I’m fascinated by storytelling in all forms, and TV or movies are a huge way that I understand the world. If I didn’t end up in music, I think I may have tried to do something in that field instead. I find myself rewatching shows I love when I’m anxious, taking myself to a movie when I’m struggling to motivate, and recommending shows or films to people I love constantly.

So, what shows are you currently streaming?

I loved Severance on Apple TV+, and I’ve been rewatching Community on Netflix. Both are so good!

Tell us about your writing process for Rising. How did it differ from that of your previous projects?

I think I really focused on making music that I loved first and foremost. In the past, I’ve been very conscious of not wanting to shock or disappoint my audience by trying something new. I feel like I’m at a place in my life now that I have enough confidence to prioritize my own creative curiosity, and I definitely did that with Rising.

I really love “Mona Lisa.” It’s a very raw, personal track. How did it come together?

It came together very naturally! I had the idea of wanting to make a song that could reference a bunch of famous artists and their art, and I took it and ran. I worked alongside producer Pom Pom and artist Rosie to make “Mona Lisa,” and we wanted it to be a power anthem for young women to see the power of self-love.

I think “Sad Disco” is a great song too. I feel a lot of people throw “Sad Discos” for themselves, but don’t really talk about them. What compelled you to bring these feelings to life in the form of a song?

I completely agree with you. Solo dance parties are probably one of the most common human occurrences that we may not talk about openly, but we all know and love them. I have always really enjoyed making music about seemingly mundane and private moments from my own life and shining light onto them. “Sad Disco” is about those midnight dance parties you have in your own room, with your headphones on, and your imagination making everything around you feel like a movie.

Which song on Rising was the toughest to write?

“Haze” for sure. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was writing about when I first made it, and usually I like having a very concrete idea and sentiment that I can solidify through lyrics. It was hard for me to find the core message in “Haze” when it was in its early stages, but I came to realize that uncertainty is really what the song is about. It’s about being lost, being unsure, and feeling foggy about who you are and who you will become.

You’re very well-versed in technology. The internet has been very instrumental in helping you build your following and fanbase. Does maintaining a constant online presence ever get exhausting?

Absolutely. I find myself burning out quite often when I’m constantly online every waking second of my day. Being online is something that is really positive for me but also has the potential of becoming too much! It’s like eating a piece of candy versus an entire bag. In moderation it’s great, but if you overload, that’s when it gets bad.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed by the internet and social media?

I try to step away for a while and focus my interactions on being with people in my physical day-to-day. I spend time with my partner, I watch movies with my friends, and I play video games with my brother. Having people that keep you grounded in your sense of self is really important.

What would you say is the most pressing issue independent artists are facing right now?

I definitely feel like there should be better tools for independent artists to advocate for support on DSPs! Things like editorial playlisting can be so much harder to achieve without the proper tools or team support, and even harder when you aren’t signed to a label. There are many things that can improve for independent artists, but leveling the playing field on DSPs for people who are working independently is definitely a start.

Rising is out 5/20 via AWAL. Stream it here.

As the entire video game industry continues its search for the next free-to-play mega hit, we’re starting to see a lot of developers get a little more creative. The Battle Royale craze is far from dead, but with games like Fortnite and Apex Legends at the forefront many devs are choosing to seek out different free-to-play genres to try and gain an audience with. It’s still competitive multiplayer, but there’s typically a twist to it. For Ubisoft, their latest attempt is a fun but also limited game in Roller Champions.

We got a chance to play Roller Champions ahead of its May 25 launch and while it likely isn’t going to change the free-to-play genre, there is the potential for a very dedicated niche audience if Ubisoft is willing to give it the support that it needs.

What Is Roller Champions?

Roller Champions was first revealed to the world during E3 2019 when a short cinematic trailer was played during the event. After that event though the game went silent and had for the most part faded off into obscurity until it was suddenly re-announced with an all-new trailer and release date. An odd strategy to create excitement around a relatively unknown free-to-play game, but sudden announcements and releases have worked for other IPs in the past.

As for the exact kind of game Roller Champions plays as it’s described as being one part roller derby, one part American Football, and another part hockey. The base of the game is two teams of three are put in a cylindrical arena with a single ball. Once a team takes possession of the ball they have to do a lap around the arena and only once that lap is complete will a goal open for the player to shoot at. Shoot the ball through the goal and your team has scored. First to five points or whoever has the most points at the end of the time-limit is declared the winner.

Competition Is The Key To Fun

With such a simple premise there were really only two directions the devs could have taken this. Either lean into a party game atmosphere and make sure it’s pure chaos at all times, or play it straight and turn this into a game with extremely competitive aspirations. Ubisoft went with the latter and it resulted in a game that is very fine tuned in what it does well but doesn’t do much outside of that core gameplay. Early on, this is not a game that is meant to offer a variety of gameplay features to players but instead expects them to really dive into the mechanics of the game and master them. To the game’s credit, when that competition aspect clicks and there are two very evenly matched teams there is something magical there. The competitive spirit comes out and every possession feels like it could decide the game.

It manages this through gameplay that is best described as tough to grasp and even tougher to master. This doesn’t mean that the game is difficult to control. Far from it, but the skill gap between a player that excels at its mechanics, such as movement, is blatant. If Roller Champions manages to build a strong and dedicated community then the players that are really good at it are going to be flying across the arena in ways that at the moment feel impossible. That is going to be great for people who fall in love with this game to a hardcore level, but reaching that level of fun may take some time.

Is Roller Champions Worth Your Time?

Roller Champions is a free-to-play game so it’s hard to tell anyone to not at least try playing it because the opportunity cost is so low. So instead let’s focus on if this is a game that is going to be worth putting the hours into getting good. Since it is a free-to-play game that means it’s going to have everything someone can expect from that kind of game such as a battle pass (Roller Pass), in-game currency (wheels), and plenty of microtransactions. On the plus side, everything was cosmetic so nobody has to spend any money they don’t want to spend.

Level ups in this game are based on how many “fans” the player character earns throughout their in-game career and as you get more fans you level up. When the player earns enough fans to reach level 10 they can enter ranked play and play competitive matches. This is where everyone’s teamwork and skill will be really put to the test and also where a group of friends are going to have the most fun playing this game. With friends is also the best way to try and play Roller Champions. I played with a designated team for most of my session and had a good time with them, but I don’t think it would have been as fun without voice comms to communicate with each other.

If you’re someone that really enjoys competitive multiplayer games, or have a group of friends seeking out a new game to play together, then this very well may be the game for you. Just be ready to fully commit to it if you want to see what Roller Champions has to offer.

Note: We played Roller Champions on PC through Ubisoft Connect. Our version of the game had a handful of technical limitations such as teammates experiencing frame drops, game crashes, and server disconnections. While we expect most if not all of these issues to be patched by launch day on May 25, we wanted to be completely transparent about our experience.

Travis Scott, already facing hundreds of lawsuits for the Astroworld Festival disaster in November 2021, now faces even more legal trouble over his wild performances. According to TMZ, the Houston rapper has been named in a new lawsuit accusing him of causing a stampede during his set at Rolling Loud Miami in 2019. Marchelle Love, the plaintiff, says that she was injured after Travis whipped up fans at his set into a frenzy despite the advice of the police, who spoke to him either before or during his set.

According to Love’s lawsuit, Travis could see people being hurt but continued his set as normal, ignoring warnings from security to slow things down. Love claims that her leg was broken during the mayhem — something that could have been avoided if the rapper had listened to security. Meanwhile, because his shows had previously resulted in injuries — such as a 2017 show in New York where a fan ended up paralyzed after being encouraged to jump from a balcony — Love argues that the rapper should know better than to goad fans the way he does.

A spokesperson for Travis Scott told TMZ, “This is another blatant, cynical attempt to attack Travis, in this instance for a 3-year-old incident that is deliberately misrepresented… This cheap opportunism is based on a blatant lie that’s easy to detect. And it is particularly telling that this plaintiff’s lawyer didn’t even assert a claim against Travis when he originally filed the complaint on behalf of his client more than two years ago or in four prior VERSIONS of that complaint.”

Unfortunately for Travis, the issue is a bit murkier when it comes to Astroworld Festival, where 10 people died and hundreds were injured. That case still has yet to proceed to trial but carries huge potential implications for the rapper — and others. Meanwhile, his return to performing at Primavera Sound in Brazil later this year will undoubtedly be under increased scrutiny as a result of all that attention.

With the NBA Draft Lottery complete and the playoff teams dwindling to the final four, it’s now officially rumor season in the Association, as teams are having exploratory conversations about Draft night deals and what’s to come when free agency opens on July 1.

We’re starting to get a feel for the teams that are going to be the most active this summer, headlined by those that felt they underachieved this season and need to make that leap back into contention in 2023. Among lottery teams, the Portland Trail Blazers, holding the 7th overall pick, lead that list (that also possibly includes the Sacramento Kings at No. 4), as the expectation around the NBA is that they will be dealing their pick for a veteran that can provide Damian Lillard with immediate help.

Among playoff teams, there’s no one getting more chatter than the Atlanta Hawks, who fell from an Eastern Conference Finals run a year ago to the 9-seed in the East, having to play their way to the 8-seed through the play-in tournament, only to be swiftly bounced in five games by the Miami Heat. Atlanta’s desire to shake things up is well known, but Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report offered some insight into just how willing they are to make moves on Tuesday, reporting that anyone other than Trae Young is available — and providing a couple big names they might try to get in on via trade.

Behind the scenes, league insiders consistently mention Atlanta as a team willing to make wholesale changes. Rival executives view all Hawks players aside from Trae Young as eligible for trade.

Would a package surrounding Clint Capela help facilitate a sign-and-trade to bring DeAndre Ayton to Atlanta? Ayton has been a popular rumored target for Schlenk’s front office, but multiple league sources with knowledge of the Hawks’ thinking have also pointed to various wing scorers as Atlanta’s prioritized endgame.

…

Atlanta has also been mentioned by multiple league sources as a potential destination for Zach LaVine.

Fischer also mentions Detroit, Portland, Charlotte, and San Antonio as other suitors for Ayton, but the Hawks are certainly a fascinating destination, as a swap centered on Capela for Ayton would make sense for both teams and would seemingly come down to what Atlanta was willing to attach in terms of additional assets. Whether that would provide them what they need — someone to alleviate pressure from Young — is a valid question, but they have plenty of other players that could be swung in other trades if they wanted to completely overhaul the roster.

LaVine’s availability has become a hot topic recently as the rest of the league apparently believes he could walk away from Chicago, who would certainly prefer a sign-and-trade over seeing him leave for nothing. Fischer’s report is the first to connect the Hawks to LaVine, but that makes sense in terms of finding a high quality secondary scorer next to Young who can ensure teams can’t mimic the Heat’s swarming attack that forced Young into the worst output of his young career in the first round.

Bruce Springsteen is one of the most esteemed performers in music history, so today brings good news: Springsteen and his E Street Band are going on a world tour in 2023. These will be Springsteen’s first shows with the E Street Band since 2017.

So far, the only dates that have been confirmed are European shows from April to July. However, The Boss and company start the year with a run of US arena shows in February, although specific dates and venues have yet to be announced. A second North American tour is also set to follow in August. Furthermore, shows for the UK and Belgium are set to be announced at a later date.

Springsteen said in a statement, “After six years, I’m looking forward to seeing our great and loyal fans next year. And I’m looking forward to once again sharing the stage with the legendary E Street Band. See you out there, next year — and beyond.”

Check out the full list of announced tour dates below.

04/28/2023 — Barcelona, Spain @ Estadi Olímpic
05/05/2023 — Dublin, Ireland @ RDS Arena
05/07/2023 — Dublin, Ireland @ RDS Arena
05/13/2023 — Paris, France @ La Défense Arena
05/18/2023 — Ferrara, Italy @ Parco Urbano G. Bassani
05/21/2023 — Rome, Italy @ Circo Massimo
05/25/2023 — Amsterdam, The Netherlands @ Johan Cruijff Arena
06/11/2023 — Landgraaf, The Netherlands @ Megaland
06/13/2023 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Stadion Letzigrund
06/21/2023 — Düsseldorf, Germany @ Merkur Spiel Arena
06/24/2023 — Gothenburg, Sweden @ Ullevi Stadium
06/26/2023 — Gothenburg, Sweden @ Ullevi Stadium
06/30/2023 — Oslo, Norway @ Voldsløkka Stadion
07/11/2023 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium
07/13/2023 — Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium
07/15/2023 — Hamburg, Germany @ Volksparkstadion
07/18/2023 — Vienna, Austria @ Ernst Happel Stadion
07/23/2023 — Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion
07/25/2023 — Monza, Italy @ Prato della Gerascia, Autodromo di Monza

The Duffer Brothers have referred to Stranger Things 4 as “our Game of Thrones season” due to its epic scope, but star Millie Bobby Brown apparently would like them to take that comparison even further by killing off cast members. Brown made the comments to The Wrap shortly after being with the cast, which has gotten considerably bigger since the first season. “Way too big” if you ask Brown, and she even offered herself up as a sacrifice.

“Last night we couldn’t even take one group picture because there were like 50 of us. I was like, you need to start killing people off,” Brown said via IndieWire. “Kill me off! They tried killing David [Harbour] off and they brought him back! It’s ridiculous… The Duffer Brothers are sensitive Sallies who don’t want to kill anybody off.”

Brown then walked backed her remarks (just a little bit) before roping in co-star Noah Schapp, who agreed that people gotta start dying:

“I am scared to vocalize anything that I want, because it always turns into ‘Millie Bobby Brown demands this storyline.’ I’m just going to say I trust the Duffer Brothers and their creative process,” before looking to Schnapp, who plays Will, saying, “You want Will to die.”

Schnapp said Will shouldn’t be on the chopping block but admitted that “one of us will die…or more.” Agreeing with Brown, Schnapp said, “They need to kill off some people. [The cast] is so big.”

Well, apparently, Will and Eleven make it out of Stranger Things 4 alive (and presumably a whole bunch of cast members), but then again, maybe the Hawkins Gang are taking a page out of the Marvel book and honing up their misdirection skills as the Netflix juggernaut prepares for its epic ending.

Stranger Things 4 Volume 1 starts streaming May 27.

(Via The Wrap)

Rico Nasty is not here for any intrusive thoughts. On her latest single, “Intrusive,” she calls out her haters, shouting, “you b*tches suck,” and proclaiming, “I’m your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper,” over a fast, drum-driven, punk-inspired beat.

The song’s video, directed by Marco Alexander, appears to have been made on the fly. The clip opens with a disclaimer, reading, “This music video was made with zero to no budget. Zero f*cks and zero expectation,” and thanks Alexander for “always being ready to shoot at any given moment, even if it’s one day before.”

In the video, Nasty sits in a chair, ready to be made-up by her glam team. As they are putting on make up, she runs out of her chair and into a neighborhood. One of the stops is a bodega, where she munches on Takis and a Spider-Man popsicle.

Nasty will play a series of festivals this summer and join Kehlani on the North America dates of their Blue Water Road Trip tour, which kicks off in July. During these slots, she expects the crowds to be rowdy, especially for the women in the mosh pits.

“[F]or the most part, I think my music is for the girls,” said Nasty in an interview with Billboard. “So a lot of times the guys kind of step back and are like, ‘Oh sh*t, look at these b*tches go!”

Check out “Intrusive” above.

Rico Nasty and Kehlani are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently thought he could send his troops marching into Ukraine and have everything be over in a matter of days or weeks. That obviously didn’t happen, and not only are there very frivolous outcomes involving Putin’s Botox supply, but the conflict has caused an untold amount of lost lives so far. All the while, an infuriated Putin has reportedly blamed those around him for his dismal war failures, and that’s led to him firing over 100 FSB Secret Agents. Hackers also ruined Putin’s silly parade to celebrate war victory (although Russia is losing), and let’s just say that Putin’s inner circle has a lot of reasons to worry.

To that end, independent news outlet Meduza (which operates under the slogan “The Real Russia”) reports that there’s plenty of talk (from “officials [who] are increasingly fed up with Putin personally”) on how to push Putin out and install a successor. Via The Daily Beast, those around Putin are maneuvering carefully, and “[i]t’s not about them wanting to prepare a plot and overthrow Putin right now. But there is an understanding, or a desire, that in the fairly foreseeable future he will not run the country.”

The situation is obviously a complicated one, given that Russia’s in economic tatters due to levied sanctions and nations around the globe refusing to do business with them, given what Putin’s doing in Ukraine. Still, as The Daily Beast relates, “Putin himself is still willfully blind, insisting that the country’s growing economic problems have nothing to do with the war.” There’s also the matter of his rumored health issues and possible terminal illness, all of which could provide an entry point to give Putin the heave out of office.

Again, it’s clear that no immediate action is planned from Putin’s inner circle. Yet the conversations do provide an interesting window on how Russian officials are viewing the ongoing disaster unfolding around them, and how the struggling nation wants to position itself in the months and years to come.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Regardless of how the jury decides in Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, at least Heard can rest easy knowing she has one Hollywood heavyweight on her side: Jason Momoa.

As the New York Post reported, entertainment industry consultant Kathryn Arnold took the stand on Monday in the ongoing legal battle between Depp and Heard, and spoke to the damage both actors’ careers have seen in the wake of the various ugly stories to emerge about their toxic relationship and short-lived marriage. Arnold also likely set a record for the number of times she was forced to say “poop,” or some variation of the term, in a professional setting in one day.

“Every time she appears anywhere, the social media negativity campaign starts up again,” Arnold said, before stating that Heard’s endorsement deal with L’Oreal has been put on hold and that even though she was one of the leads in the billion-dollar Aquaman, Heard was excluded from several major press events for the movie, as well as its marketing materials. “Her work stopped,” according to Arnold. And when DC began developing plans for a sequel, there was apparently a lot of discussion around dumping Heard altogether.

While Heard’s agent claimed that there were major concerns about the lack of chemistry between Heard and Momoa, Arnold said that it was because of Momoa and Aquaman director James Wan remaining “committed to” Heard and being “adamant” that she be part of the sequel that she retained her role in the superhero series, even if the role was severely “diminished.”

In an attempt to quantify how much Heard’s very public relationship and divorce from Depp has cost her, Arnold claimed that 2018’s blockbuster hit Aquaman should have been the kind of “Star is Born moment” to bring the actress much more lucrative roles and endorsements. Instead, purportedly because Depp and his lawyer deemed Heard’s domestic abuse allegations against the Pirates of the Caribbean star a “hoax,” the mention of Heard’s name often brings about a storm of negative publicity, particularly on social media, which has caused much of the industry to turn her back on her. Good thing she’s got Aquaman on her side.

According to the Post, Depp’s former girlfriend Kate Moss is expected to take the stand in his defense this week.

(Via New York Post)