If you’re a fan of Scotch whisky, you’re probably well aware of the popularity of aging and resting in sherry butts and sherry seasoned casks. The Macallan, Glenmorangie, The Balvenie, and GlenDronach are well-known for utilizing the sweet, dried fruit flavors imparted by remnant sherry during the secondary aging process. But as that trend has become commonplace, distilleries have searched to find the next big thing.

By most any measure, it seems they’ve found it — aging and resting their whiskies in barrels that formerly held rum. Rum cask finishing imparts a wide array of aromas and flavors (and a general “tropical vibe”) into Scotch. Molasses, vanilla essence, rich milk chocolate, and tropical fruits are only a few of the unique notes this process typically (but not always) adds to Scotch whisky expressions. These added flavor notes help to round out some of the rougher edges some drams might otherwise have, like tamping down the campfire smokiness of peated scotch, for example.

With spring putting us in a tropical mood, we decided to share eight of our favorite rum-centric Scotch whiskies on the market. Check them out below.

The Balvenie 14-Year-Old Caribbean Cask

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $85

The Story:

A favorite in the bartending community, The Balvenie 14-Year-Old Caribbean Cask begins its life like a regular 14-year-old single malt. It’s aged for 14 years in traditional oak casks. It’s then finished in casks that once held a blend of rum from the West Indies.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of dried cherries, brown sugar, molasses, and cinnamon. On the palate, you’ll be treated to flavors of buttery caramel, crisp apples, citrus zest, vanilla beans, and subtle spices. The finish is long, warming, very dry, and ends with a nice combination of sweet vanilla cream and cinnamon sugar.

Bottom Line:

If you’re only going to purchase one bottle of rum-finished scotch, make it this one. It’s my favorite on this list and one of the first to hit the market.

Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Reserva Rum Cask Finish

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $205

The Story:

When it was first released in 2002, it carried the name “Havana Reserve,” but due to an embargo with Cuba, the name had to be changed to “Gran Reserva.” It still consists of a Glenfiddich single malt that was aged for 21 years in traditional oak casks before spending the last four months of the aging process in Caribbean rum barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Take a moment to breathe in the aromas of clover honey, maple syrup, caramel apples, and spicy cinnamon. Sipping this whisky will immerse you in a world of caramelized sugar, charred oak, toasted vanilla beans, and citrus zest. It ends with a warming, mellow ride off into the sunset, flecked with toffee candy and spice.

Bottom Line:

This is a reasonably expensive bottle of scotch. It’s likely not a bottle you want to purchase the first time you dip your toe into the rum finishing world. Start with one of the cheaper bottles and work your way up to this complex pick.

Talisker 8 Year (2020 Special Release)

ABV: 57.9%

Average Price: $120

The Story:

Released as part of Diageo’s 2020 Special Release Collection, this whisky was first aged for eight years at the Talisker Distiller on the Isle of Skye before finishing in pot-still Caribbean rum barrels. While the final months spent in the rum cask impart extra, sweet, tropical fruit flavors, it’s also bottled at its natural cask strength of 57.9% to give it an added, bold kick.

Tasting Notes:

Give this whisky the nosing it deserves and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the craggy island on which it’s distilled and aged. The scents that swirl around your nostrils are those of ocean brine, iodine, smoked bacon, and sweet vanilla. The palate is where the rum comes on in full — with tropical fruit flavors and buttery caramel. The finish returns to Skye, with a nice combination of spicy pepper and woodsmoke at the very end.

Bottom Line:

If you prefer your rum-finished whisky to have just a kiss of smoke and salt air, this is a great choice for you. Enjoy a dram as you imagine sitting by the Scottish seaside on a surprisingly warm spring day.

Springbank 15 Rum Wood

ABV: 51%

Average Price: $200

The Story:

Springbank might not have the greatest looking labels, but it’s what’s inside that really matters. This non-chill filtered single malt expression spent all 15 years of its aging process in rum casks. This is slightly different than most of the whiskies on this list — most of which began their lives in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in rum barrels.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of charred wood, molasses, dried fruits, and just a hint of ocean brine. Take a sip and you’ll be greeted with sweet cane sugar, dried ginger, vanilla beans, and peat. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a nice combination of ocean salt and peat smoke.

Bottom Line:

You’ll find a few smoky, rum-centered whiskies on this list. But you won’t find one with a better ratio of smoke to sweet, rummy flavor.

Spey River Rum Cask Finish

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $38

The Story:

There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of the Spey River brand of whiskies. Named for the famous river located in Speyside, this brand is a collection of single malt whiskies from the region. They don’t disclose which distilleries they get their whisky from, but this offering was first aged in American oak barrels before spending a secondary maturation in former rum casks.

Tasting Notes:

Before sipping, take a moment to breathe in the scents of butter cookies, dried fruits, and spicy cinnamon sugar. Sip this whiskey and you’ll find flavors of charred oak, toffee, nougat, brown sugar, and dried fruits. It all ends with a nice, warming combination of caramel candy and subtle cinnamon spice.

Bottom Line:

If you can find this bottle, buy it. It’s a highly flavorful, easily sippable whisky that is way cheaper than it should be. Just don’t let the folks at Spey River in on this fact.

Dewar’s Caribbean Smooth

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Story:

Dewar’s is one of the biggest names in the blended scotch world (along with Chivas, Famous Grouse, and Johnnie Walker). Its fairly new Caribbean Smooth expression is a blend of 40 single malts and grain whiskies. All have been matured for at least eight years. The blend is finished in former Caribbean rum casks for six additional months.

Tasting Notes:

The nose makes you believe you’re definitely not imbibing a cheap blend. It’s ripe with molasses, vanilla beans, charred wood, and citrus. Your palate will be dancing with notes of candied orange peels, mint, buttery caramel, and dried fruits. The finish is sweet, warm, and ends with a nice dollop of creamy caramel.

Bottom Line:

Many scotch drinkers stick to single malts. But you’d really be missing out if you didn’t give this highly complex, sweet whisky a chance to shine.

Ardbeg Drum

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $150

The Story:

Released in 2019 to celebrate Ardbeg Day, this limited release single malt was created to bring a little bit of the tropics to the North Atlantic. This fully matured, peated single malt from the renowned Islay distillery is finished in casks the formerly held rum. What came out was a magical combination of vanilla, tropical fruits, and the peat smoke the distillery is known for.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll get aromas of tropical fruit flavor, sugar cane, dried fruits, and pleasing peat smoke. Take a sip and be greeted by notes of cinnamon sugar, ginger candy, buttery caramel, sweet vanilla, and more campfire smoke. The finish is warming and filled with a tad more peat smoke alongside milk chocolate notes.

Bottom Line:

Some of these whiskies appeal to fans of single malts or blends that appreciate extra sweet vanilla and caramel flavor. This is the whisky for drinkers who also appreciate bold smoke bombs. It’s on par with pairing a glass of rum with a fine cigar.

The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve

ABV: 42%

Average Price: $40

The Story:

This unique, tropical fruit-centric whisky comes from the folks at Glenlivet. It holds no age statement, but a portion (not all) of the single malt whisky included was finished in barrels that formerly matured Caribbean rum. The result is a subtly fruity, malty expression perfect for slow sipping or mixing into a cocktail.

Tasting Notes:

Give this whisky a nice nosing before taking a sip and you’ll find notes of juicy peach, ripe bananas, molasses, and toasted vanilla beans. The palate is swirling with dried fruits, cinnamon, sweet treacle, and butterscotch candy. It ends the way it began: with a mellow, fruity flourish.

Bottom Line:

This is the expression to try if you’re a fan of rum. It’s complex, rich, and filled with caramel, vanilla, and tropical fruit flavors that should appeal to the most ardent rum aficionados.

As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Brockhampton, CJ, and more.

The self-declared boy band called their latest release, Roadrunner, the first of two in 2021 and their penultimate release as a group. Meanwhile, Staten Island standout CJ capitalizes on the success of his breakout hit “Whoopty” with a deluxe version of his debut EP Loyalty Over Royalty. Lastly, Quality Control’s newest roster member Lakeyah brings the feminine energy this week to keep the wave of fresh voices in hip-hop building with a brand new full-length.

Friday saw the releases of Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More,” Polo G’s “Rapstar,” and Saweetie turning in a show-stealing feature verse on Gwen Stefani’s “Slow Clap” along with the releases listed below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending April 9, 2021.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Brockhampton — Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine

After taking the world by storm with their Saturation trilogy and a pair of strong follow-ups, it seems Brockhampton feels they’ve run out of road. Their penultimate release is more personal and less chaotic than their previous ones, so how you’ll feel about it depends on what you wanted from the band in the first place.

CJ — Loyalty Over Royalty (Deluxe Edition)

Talk about striking while the iron is hot. Not only is CJ forging ahead with a deluxe version of his debut EP, including new single “Lil Freak,” but he’s also stoking the flames that generated the buzz around his name in the first place, centralizing his multiple “Whoopty” remixes and showing that he’s even more versatile than anyone could have thought when he kicked in the door.

Lakeyah — In Due Time

Less than a year after making her debut with Time’s Up, the Milwaukee-born Atlanta transplant follows up with another fresh collection of songs showing off her Swiss precision flow. This time, she’s revealing a bit more about herself while still retaining that boastful edge, bringing along veteran trap pioneer Gucci Mane and burgeoning talent Yung Bleu along for the ride.

MO3 — Shottaz 4Eva

The Dallas rapper — who met his untimely demise last year after being shot and killed on Interstate 35 — was building an impressive collection of independently released mixtapes that saw him garnering attention and co-signs from the likes of Boosie Badazz and Moneybagg Yo. His posthumous release includes features from Boosie, Foogiano, and YFN Lucci.

Onyx — Onyx 4 Life

This is my Elder Millennial Nostalgia inclusion. Onyx hasn’t lost a step lyrically since their “Slam”-backed heyday, and while their gritty approach to menacing New York hip-hop has become less trendy, there’s still a granule of authenticity at the center of their threatening raps and a youthful glint to their delivery. It’s worth checking out, especially if DMX’s passing has you wondering where all the tough-guy rap has gone.

Singles/Videos

Angelo Mota — “First Gear”

A New Jersey rapper with a gift for catchy hooks and an ear for hypnotic beats, Angelo is well-worth keeping an eye on.

Bankroll Freddie — “Active”

Freddie’s latest is a glaring warning to enemies, with a trunk-ready beat and rapid-fire delivery from Freddie replete with detailed threats and boastful declarations of realness.

Shordie Shordie & Murda Beatz — “Seattle”

Captain Hook applies his gifts to a comparison between himself and a former lover’s new paramour.

TruCarr — “Bout Mine” feat. Sada Baby

Watts rapper TruCarr displays some intriguing chemistry with lyrical Michigan machine gun Sada Baby.

YXNG K.A — “Why Would I” feat. Lil Durk

Chi-Town vet lends some assistance to young Philadelphia upstart YXNG K.A on an upbeat track that sees them bragging with singsong flows.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Zachary Levi’s antagonists in the next Shazam! movie are certainly set to be formidable foes. The DC superhero will reportedly face off against a pair of mythological sisters in Shazam: Fury Of The Gods, with two delightfully sinister choices for the main villains in the sequel to the 2019 hit.

According to Variety, Lucy Liu has landed a role in the Shazam! sequel alongside Helen Mirren, as the two will team up to take down Levi.

The “Elementary” and “Why Women Kill” star has joined the DC Comics adaptation “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” as the villain Kalypso, the sister of Helen Mirren’s villainous character Hespera.

Along with Liu and Mirren, the core filmmaking team from 2019’s “Shazam!” is returning for the sequel, including Zachary Levi as the eponymous superhero Shazam!, and Asher Angel as his teenage alter ego Billy Batson. David F. Sandberg is returning to direct the film, from a screenplay by Henry Gayden. Peter Safran is producing with his shingle the Safran Company.

As Variety noted, Liu’s character doesn’t really have much to do with the DC Comics universe. Instead, she’s derived more directly from the Greek gods that Shazam bases his powers on. That would give the movie a bit more wiggle room to make the baddie what they want it to be, of course, while also getting people who earned a Classics minor in college something to look forward to.

As word broke on Monday, Shazam: Fury Of The Gods director David Sandberg shared a photoshop of Liu’s Kill Bill character holding the severed head of Levi.

That’s about as official as it gets for casting confirmations, honestly.

[via Variety]

Welcome to our weekly streetwear roundup! President Joe Biden — weird way to start an article about streetwear, we know, but just bear with us for a second — announced a few weeks back that by mid-April every adult in the U.S. would be eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine and it looks like we’re on track for that. Which means we will actually have a summer this year. We’re psyched for the parties and to see all of our friends again, but if we’re going to be re-entering public life, we better be coming out of quarantine dressed to impress.

We spent way too much time last year not being seen! This year, let’s make up for it in a big way.

Luckily, the big apparel brands are now comfortably unloading their spring and summer 2021 collections, so we’ve got options on the table. This week, we’ve got new looks from Supreme, Nike, and Cactus Plant Flea Market, Melody Ehsani, Levi’s, and Daniëlle Cathari. After diving into this week’s apparel, be sure to hit up our weekly sneaker article to complete your fit.

Supreme Spring/Summer 2021 Clayton Patterson Collection

The latest notable collection out of this week’s Supreme Spring/Summer drop is this collaboration with NYC artist Clayton Patterson, aka the father of streetwear embroidery. Patterson made a name for himself in the late ‘80s streetwear scene thanks to his Clayton Caps, which used traditional embroidery techniques to customize baseball caps.

This collaboration with Supreme includes, unsurprisingly, embroidered caps, as well as tops, bottoms, bomber jackets, and long sleeves, all decked out with unique embroidered designs, which extends into Supreme’s minimal branding.

The Supreme Spring/Summer 2021 Clayton Patterson collection is out now. Shop the full collection at the Supreme webstore.

Daniëlle Cathari A Summer State of Mind Collection

Amsterdam streetwear label Daniëlle Cathari has just dropped a spring and summer collection at online retailer HBX that features casual warm-weather staples like loose cardigans, shorts, and activewear. A Summer State of Mind works off a color palette centered around purples, reds, and blue, with light and loose silhouettes that will fit along nicely in your late spring wardrobe. Rounding out the collection is a selection of bags as well as the label’s first bikini, ensuring you’re all geared up for our rapidly approaching summer.

The Daniëlle Cathari A Summer State Of Mind collection is set to drop on April 9th exclusively at HBX.

Levi’s x Disney x Keith Haring Mickey Mouse Collection

We’re not one for beating the drum for Disney’s dabbling in the streetwear space, but this triple brand collaboration between Levi’s, Disney, and Keith Haring is actually pretty damn fresh. Disney’s involvement is more of a technicality here, and that’s a good thing. The collection utilizes Haring’s take on Mickey Mouse, which is a lot more angular and rat-like than the way Disney depicts the famous mouse.

Haring’s art is featured on jackets, hoodies, t-shirts, and jeans, and the collection even allows some light customer customization. Those shopping the collection via Levi’s Tailor Shop will be able to choose one of Haring’s designs and rearrange the location and size of the printing on Levi’s Classic Trucker Jacket, letting your Haring-infused look be as subtle or loud as you want them to be.

Levi’s didn’t need to go the extra mile and make this collaboration this fun, but they did and we appreciate that, especially because generally Levi’s is a tad boring. (Sorry, Levi’s.)

The Levi’s x Disney x Keith Haring Mickey Mouse collection is available now at the Levi’s webstore.

Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Go Flea Collection

Cynthia Lu’s Cactus Plant Flea Market and Nike have just dropped a small six-piece capsule collection consisting of some wild reimaginings of a few of Nike’s sportswear staples. The collection features long sleeve polo shirts, hoodies, shorts, reflective rave pants, and jerseys in Cactus Plant Flea Market’s loud graphic-heavy aesthetic, with boxier modern silhouettes, and playful interpretations of Nike’s famous iconography and branding.

The Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Go Flea collection is out now with a retail range of $100-$400. Shop the collection via the Nike SNKRS app.

Patta x Tommy Hilfiger

Taking inspiration from the Pan-African flag, this collaboration between streetwear label Patta and Tommy Hilfiger sees the Amsterdam-based label remixing Tommy Hilfiger’s classic flag iconography across a collection of streetwear staples like hoodies, t-shirts, sweats, jeans, and accessories. The collection consists of unisex silhouettes with boxy loose fitting cuts that utilize some of Tommy Hilfiger’s more racing-centric designs, which explains all the flags and workwear-inspired logos.

It’s a dope remixed collection from Patta, who have been consistently killing it. The Patta x Tommy Hilfiger collection is set to drop on April 9th, shoe the collection at the Patta webstore.

Melody Ehsani Casanova Set

Los Angeles-based label Melody Ehsani (from the designer of the same name) just keeps dropping fire this season, and this elegant Casanova set is the label’s best yet. Featuring embroidered floral graphics throughout this spring-friendly matching vest and trouser set, the Casanova was inspired by power suits and “red carpet rule-breakers.” The Melody Ehsani shop Instagram has a cool post that outlines the direct inspirations behind the look, which include vintage Julia Roberts, AOC, and the suffragettes. The vest is fully lined and the pants feature straight-leg construction, but the whole thing is 100% polyester, so this is definitely a mid-to-late spring look and not fit for the hottest days of summer.

…Unless you like sweating all over yourself.

The Melody Ehsani Casanova set is available now at the Melody Ehsani webstore.

Pray, Obey, Kill (HBO, 9:00 & 10:00pm) — Tonight will see a double-dose installment of a five-part documentary series from investigative journalists Anton Berg and Martin Johnson in a project directed by The Bridge‘s Henrik Georgsson. Follow along while Berg and Johnson retrace what happened on a frigid night when a small Swedish village saw a woman murdered and a neighbor shot before a nanny confessed to the acts of violence while citing a strange motivation. This led to a scandalous tale of a love triangle and a link to a prior suspicious death. Yet is the whole mess tied to the local tight-knit Pentecostal congregation and its charismatic leader, who referred to herself as “The Bride of Christ”? Get ready for an unpredictable true-crime ride.

Running Wild With Bear Grylls (Nat Geo, 9:00pm) — Bear Grylls is still doing his daredevil-in-nature thing, and this week’s he’s with Danica Patrick in the Moab Desert.

Black Lightning (CW, 9:00pm) — Painkiller is on the scene, and he’s a super-enhanced killing machine that’s actually Khalil Payne, who’s a guilt-ridden young man who’s troubled over the past.

Debris (NBC, 10:00pm) — Maddox is onto Anson’s secrets while Bryan and Finola head to Maine to follow a lead, but they walk into a volatile situation.

Breeders (FX, 10:00pm) — Martin Freeman’s starring turn in this comedy enters the sophomore season with new parenting challenges. This week, Ally receives new information while mulling over her pregnancy, and Ava’s attempting to help her mom.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Snopp Dogg, H.E.R

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — John Boehner, Shelley FKA DRAM

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Rainn Wilson, Tom Odell

Late Night With Seth Meyers — John Oliver, Chloé Zhao

In case you missed these picks from the weekend:

The Nevers (HBO series streaming on HBO Max) — This Joss Whedon-created show offers an intriguing setup about a group of “orphans” (almost exclusively women) who find themselves “gifted” with supernaturally-powered abilities. Although there’s far too many plot lines (and some plot holes), there’s also a fair amount of butt-kicking, and the atmosphere is killer. The embattled Buffy and Firefly creator officially exited the series last year, but you won’t be able to forget his presence. Whether that hurts or helps the show remains to be seen.

Them (Amazon Prime limited series) — This story’s sure to remind horror fans of Jordan Peele’s Us in more ways than a few, and for good reason. This show promises to explore American-bred terror with an anthologized approach, so the first season is all about the 1950s. Allison Pill’s reliably frightening, and here, she’s terrorizing a Black family, who moves into an all-white LA neighborhood and the welcome committee isn’t there for them, that’s for sure. Soon enough, the horror show begins; and both from a reality-based and a supernatural standpoint, this is pure nightmare fuel.

Weronika Jachimowicz, 17, is getting a lot of attention for subverting people’s expectations of who excels in high school. And that’s exactly what she wants.

Jachimowicz was named New York’s Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District’s 2021 salutatorian. Her yearbook photo next to valedictorian Luke Altman is going viral because of her dramatic Goth makeup and attire.

It all started when assistant professor and writer Dr. Jules Lipoff tweeted out a photo of the valedictorian and salutatorian he saw in a newspaper and it went viral. How many salutatorians have you seen that wear pentagram hoop earrings, a choker, and black devil horns?

The juxtaposition of her next to the bowtie-wearing Altman, makes the photo even more amusing.

Jachimowicz wants the world to know that just because a high school kid looks like an outsider, doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in academics or sports.

In fact, it’s completely normal for kids who are interested in the Goth subculture to be good students.

“The scene has quiet middle-class values — education, highbrow culture, theatre, museums, romantic literature, poetry, philosophy, Gothic architecture,” Dr. Dunja Bril, who studies Goth culture in England, told The Independent.

“Many Goths like classical music. It’s a status symbol to have a good collection of classical pieces — mostly requiems and darker pieces,” she added.

“Going to do a university degree is encouraged,” Bril continued. “It doesn’t encourage people to drop out of school. Whereas in the Punk scene you turn down the normal educational values, in Goth you gain status if you’re perceived as being educated. You get people who are in it for the shock value, but they are usually the ones who grow out of it.”

Since her photo went viral, Jachimowicz has received countless messages of thanks from young people who say she’s inspired them to express themselves.

“In all honesty, that’s all I wanted. I wanted to help anyone I could who is struggling with expressing themselves because I’ve been in the exact same position,” Jachimowicz told Yahoo. “When people message me telling me how I have given them the confidence to be who they truly are, I almost cry from happiness.”

Jachimowicz says that she was able to be herself because she was encouraged by others, so this is her chance to pay it forward.

“I was always trying to please others and be like what everyone else wanted me to be, or at least try to fit into what was ‘normal.’ However, I did slowly start to realize that it’s OK to be different,” she said.

“I’ve met people in my life who gave me the confidence to fully be myself,” she added.

In addition to having an unweighted GPA of 97.27%, Jachimowicz was on the fencing, ping pong, and winter track teams. She was also a member of the National Honor Society, Students Against Drunk Driving, and the Unity Club.

She plans to major in biology/forensics in college.

Jachimowicz’s accomplishments are another reason to never judge someone for how they look or their interests. Just because someone is wearing satanic earrings doesn’t mean they aren’t highly intelligent or athletic.

She believes the most important thing is to be yourself, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

“Even if others don’t really like my style, it’s what makes me happy and I’ve worked hard to finally come to that conclusion,” she said.

In all sports, competition can get fierce, especially at the professional level. But two young baseball fans showed us this weekend that sports are really all about fun and connection first with a beautiful show of sportsmanship, kindness, and gratitude.

It happened at a game between division rivals, the Philadephia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves, at Truist Park in Atlanta Saturday night. Joshua, a young Phillies fan, happened to be sitting near the spot where Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman landed a home run in the top of the ninth. Joshua didn’t quite manage to catch the ball in his glove, and it fell down into the bullpen. When someone grabbed it and tossed it up to him, he missed that catch, too—twice. Cameras caught him and his dad in a funny exchange, as Joshua got some light, good-natured ribbing from his old man.

But that wasn’t the moment that really caught people’s attention. Instead of keeping the home run ball for himself, Joshua took it over to a young Braves fan who was wearing a Freeman jersey and gave it to him. After excitedly showing the prized ball to his dad, the boy went over to thank Joshua and his dad.

Watch:

The whole exchange was just so wholesome, encapsulating how sports can—and should—bring people together. Even though they were rooting for opposite teams, the mutual respect and sportsmanship shown by these two boys is a lesson for all of us.

People loved seeing all of this play out on film, including the Phillies and Braves themselves. In fact, Freddie Freeman surprised Johsua before the following night’s game by personally giving him a baseball signed by him and Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper.

Both teams shared their admiration for Joshua’s generosity on social media.

Many commenters remarked that Joshua’s father is clearly raising his son right, as is the dad of the kid who came over to say think you. Joshua’s dad, James Scott, said that the action of his son was in “the DNA” of the family—to “pay it forward in love,” as he wrote on Twitter. He referred to the exchange as “a great moment of humanity.”

When we are immersed daily in stories of division, and as humanity works through the very real issues of all kinds that we have to fix to get past those divisions, it’s wonderful to be reminded of the beautiful ways people can touch one another’s lives in ways big and small. In this case, a mutual love of baseball, despite the on-field rivalry of the two teams, and the basic act of a kid brightening a stranger’s day reassure us that the ills of society are not all that we are.

It’s so easy to focus on the negative news, and it’s so easy to get bogged down by the vast amount of work to be done to help us get to a place of true unity, equality, and justice. Seeing these small moments, these seemingly minor gestures, these glimpses of human connection help sustain us through that work.

It may have been a simple act, but the impact of it is profound. Thanks to these gentlemen for filling our hearts for a moment and reminding us what the best of us look like.

Unlike fellow Oscar nominees Nomadland and Mank, Promising Young Woman is not available on one of the major streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. It is accessible through on-demand for a worthwhile six bucks, but if you’re a broke college student (which is to say, every college student), there’s a way to see it for free.

Focus Features has partnered with the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN) for a free virtual screening of Promising Young Woman for anyone in college. The dark-comedy thriller is about a woman, played by Carey Mulligan, seeking out vengeance on the “nice guys” of the world after her best friend is raped. “By bringing the film to students, both Focus and RAINN hope to continue the conversation against sexual assault and violence on college campuses,” Variety reports. “Statistically, 13 percent of all students experience sexual assault or rape during their time at school.”

“Sexual violence can affect not only the survivor, but the people and communities around them,” said Heather Drevna, RAINN’s vice president of communications. “Promising Young Woman has sparked important conversations about the cultural response to sexual assault, healing, justice, and bystander accountability. We thank Focus Features for making Promising Young Woman available to college students, who are at increased risk of sexual violence, to continue this critical dialogue.”

Promising Young Woman is nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Emerald Fennell, and Best Actress for Mulligan. For information on how to attend the screening, head here.

(Via Variety)

A lot of people hate Ted Cruz but former Speaker of the House John Boehner has taken to the streets to prove he’s still the most anti-Cruz Republican out here right now.

Okay fine, he’s not actually out in the streets shouting his contempt for the Texas senator, but he has been not holding back of late, today gracing The View to compare our shared national embarrassment to Beelzebub himself. Boehner appeared on the show Monday morning to promote his new tell-all and talk quickly turned to the quagmire on Capitol Hill. After being questioned about the right-wing radicals taking over the Republican party and whether Boehner would’ve given Congressman Matt Gaetz the boot after news broke of his sex trafficking investigation, Cruz eventually came up and, let’s just say John Boehner is still not a fan of the man.

After co-host, Sara Haines noted how Boehner called Cruz a “reckless bleep who thinks he is smarter than everyone else,” the former lawmaker revealed his real feelings towards one of the most disliked members of his party.

“This guy was not even a member of the U.S. House,” Boehner told the hosts during the virtual interview. “He’s a member of the Senate. He’s coming over to the House side of the Capitol stirring up some of my knuckleheads and pushing them to do things that were the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. He was not even a member of our caucus. You know, I don’t really beat up too many people in this book, except one: Ted Cruz, Lucifer in the flesh.”

Ted Cruz doing dumb stuff and sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong? You don’t say?

Over the past year, lists of tour dates that hadn’t been canceled have seemed like relics. Live shows are slowly starting to come back, though, and now, Arlo Parks (who is fresh off a Late Late Show performance) has announced a string of North American concerts for this fall. This will be her first North American tour.

Sharing the list of dates, Parks wrote, “I’m coming to North America!!! This has been a little dream of mine for a while now and I’m so excited to hop the pond and share space with you all in a real way.”

Find Parks’ upcoming tour dates below.

09/21 — Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
09/22 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
09/25 — Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
09/26 — Montreal, QC @ Le Petit Campus
09/28 — Toronto, ON @ Mod Club Theatre
09/29 — Detroit, MI @ El Club
10/01 — Columbus, OH @ The Basement
10/02 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
10/03 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
10/05 — Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
10/06 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/08 — Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
10/09 — Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
10/10 — Seattle, WA @ The Croc’s Second Stage
10/12 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
10/14 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge
10/15 — Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
10/16 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
10/18 — Austin, TX @ The Parish
10/19 — Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
10/20 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
10/24 — Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
10/26 — Washington, DC @ Union Stage
10/27 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore Philadelphia