Category: News

During the four years of the Trump administration, Geraldo Rivera has been like the steadfast friend who’s always got your back no matter what but who will occasionally talk some sense into you when you need it most. Or as much as one can talk sense into Donald J. Trump. He’s occasionally tried to pull his friend back (or at least called attorney Rudy Giuliani out on his bull) over the last six weeks as he’s clogged courts with frivolous lawsuits and cried baseless accusations of voter fraud. But, finally, at long last, enough is enough. On Monday night, Rivera went on Fox News and told Trump and his stubborn minions to stop.

Rivera appeared alongside Charlie Kirk, the president’s most fervent (though not always well-dressed) twentysomething cheerleader, to try and talk sense into people who are making none. After incoming president Joe Biden made an acceptance speech after being declared the winner by the Electoral College — the same one that handed Trump his win in 2016 after he lost the popular vote — Rivera didn’t hold back, just because he was on Fox News.

“He’s absolutely right: It is over,” Rivera told the crowd, including a flabbergasted Kirk. “I want the President — my friend, and the 45th President to understand — it is over. The longer we drag this out, the more we damage the fabric of our democracy.” He added, as if to appease Trump’s fragile ego, “It also damages the legacy of President Trump, who should be taking a victory lap right now celebrating the vaccine that he almost single-handedly forced the scientific community to get ready to save millions of lives.”

But Kirk wasn’t having it. He repeated debunked conspiracy theories, claimed there were still “very good questions” about electoral interference, insisted the dozens of lawsuits that were shot down in various courts — including two in the Republican-leaning Supreme Court — still had validity.

“That is so dishonest,” an exasperated Rivera told Kirk. “Six weeks! We have litigated this for six weeks! Twice the Supreme Court of the United States rejected it!” He finally begged him, saying, “You have to stop this!”

Not that Rivera’s words will likely do much good. Kirk and crew will almost certainly follow Stephen Miller, who earlier in the day said they will contest the election up until Inauguration Day on January 20. There’s also the matter that Trump, as per The Daily Beast, has stopped taking Rivera’s calls.

But who knows? Maybe Trump will realize he’s doing more damage than good by dragging this out — not to the country, which will definitely be hurt by a president refusing to concede, but to his own business. Maybe once he realizes he’ll lose more money by asserting a win that didn’t happen, America will finally be rid of Donald J. Trump. At least for a while.

(Via The Daily Beast)

This year’s final Verzuz battle will take place between Bay Area icons Too Short and E-40. While the two veteran rappers are gearing up to go head-to-head, they’ve also got another exciting project in the pipeline: They recently announced they are forming a supergroup with Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube.

The two discussed the supergroup, as well as their upcoming Verzuz battle, in an interview with The Breakfast Club. “Long story short man, we made a lot of songs,” Short said. “And it’s not really definite of what it’s gonna be but it’s gonna be something — it’s just a lot of songs.”

Short went on to say that the group’s motivations are purely for the culture, not for money. “There is no [group] name. We just some OGs; everybody got studios, and facilities and rap beats,” he said. “It’s something I feel we’re doing this for hip-hop. You could be doing it for the bag. Nobody don’t need the bag!”

Elsewhere in the interview, Short and 40 discussed the importance of being close with your hometown rivals. Using Jeezy and Gucci Mane as an example, Short said: “If E-40 and Two Short would have turned on each other, a whole lotta sh*t that would have came with that sh*t. We would have f*cked up the story of The Bay. Jeezy and Gucci didn’t f*ck up Atlanta or nothing, but I think that on the opposite side of what we saw on Verzuz with them, if Jeezy and Gucci would have been 15 years, 20 years of comradery, they would be E-40 and Too Short. We made dozens of records together. We made a project together, that motherf*cker made so much money and I don’t think we even had any singles on it.”

Watch Too Short and E-40’s interview with The Breakfast Club above.

Gucci Mane is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Over the weekend, a controversial piece was published in The Wall Street Journal, in which longtime writer Joseph Epstein took surreal umbrage with the fact that Jill Biden, the incoming president’s wife and the future First Lady, uses the academic title of “Dr.” His beef? That she’s not a medical doctor; instead she holds a doctorate in education. Epstein’s plaint was simply incorrect: Anyone who has a doctorate of her level, namely an Ed.D, can be reasonably referred to as a doctor. But there was one person who ran to Epstein’s defense: far right commentator and frequent figure of social media fun Ben Shapiro.

“Only people with Ph.D.’s in hard sciences and medical doctors should be called ‘doctor,’” Shapiro demanded. He then spoke in his full capacity as a former Harvard law student. “I speak as a ‘Juris Doctor.’ No lawyer should be called doctor. It’s idiotic. In law school, one of the students had a doctorate in a liberal art. When the professor addressed the student but forgot the honorific, another student piped up, and said, ‘You should say ‘Doctor.’”

Shapiro later laid out a scenario: “If you’re at a dinner and somebody introduces himself as ‘Dr. Smith,’ you’d be rather upset to learn that he had a doctorate in musicology if you were to suffer a stroke at the table.”

He also elaborated on his show, where he bragged about how he went to Harvard while Jill Biden earned her doctorate at the University of Delaware.

Shapiro’s pedantic — and often times questionable, to put it mildly — opinions often make him go viral, and not in the way he’d like. This time was no different. Some called him out for his obvious elitism.

Others pointed out that he’s just plain wrong. What’s more, Shapiro, by his own admission, is only a “Juris Doctor,” and while technically he could refer to himself as “Dr. Ben Shapiro,” that’s not professionally appropriate. (Perhaps the worst thing to come out of all this: You could more accurately refer to him as “Ben Shapiro, Esquire.”)

Some who’ve studied Shapiro’s antics far too closely even pointed out one of his typical argumentative strategies.

Some pointed to his sly sexism.

Others were simply disgusted at the idea of going to a dinner with Shapiro in attendance.

Others mocked his voice, which always sounds like he’s on the 1.5x speed you see on places like Audible.

Some dug up one of his ugliest tweets, to remind people what they’re dealing with.

Some wondered how Shapiro has achieved such a lofty position in conservative circles when he lacks the charm of even a Rush Limbaugh.

And some imagined a utopia where we never learned what Ben Shapiro thought about anything.

Last year, HBO released the 4-hour documentary Leaving Neverland, which told the story of two of Michael Jackson’s alleged childhood sexual abuse victims. Shortly after the film’s release, the late singer’s estate filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming the documentary broke a nearly three-decade-old non-disparagement clause. After over a year of legal battles, a court has officially sided with Jackson’s estate.

The clause in question was one HBO signed in order to release a concert film alongside Jackson’s tour for the album Dangerous, which barred the station from making critical statements about him. The judges ruled that they violated that with Leaving Neverland. According to Variety, HBO claimed that the clause was irrelevant and that Jackson’s estate was attempting to “silence victims of sexual abuse,” but a 9th Circuit Court of Appeal still upheld the estate’s win.

The judges agreed that the lawsuit was “frivolous,” but left the final decision up to an arbitrator to settle the dispute. “The contract contained a broad arbitration clause that covers claims that HBO disparaged Jackson in violation of ongoing confidentiality obligations,” the panel ruled. “We may only identify whether the parties agreed to arbitrate such claims; it is for the arbitrator to decide whether those claims are meritorious.”

Jackson’s attorneys Howard Weitzman and Jonathan Steinsapir addressed the legal win in a joint statement, saying, “The trial judge and now the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have unanimously rejected HBO’s arguments. In the court’s own words, HBO ‘agreed that it would not make any disparaging remarks concerning Jackson.’ It’s time for HBO to answer for its violation of its obligations to Michael Jackson.”

While the ruling comes as good news to Jackson’s estate, a recent California law still allows the singer’s alleged Leaving Neverland victims to seek justice. As of January 1 of this year, a new law went into effect that raises the age limit during which victims of childhood sexual abuse can file lawsuits, taking it from age 26 to age 40. The law also extends the statute of limitations on suing a third-party entity who knew about the abuse but failed to take action.

Few would argue that there’s any loss more painful than the death of a child, and those who would argue would undoubtedly be wrong. So if anyone might have some words of wisdom about grief worth listening to, it’s a mother who has lost one of her own children.

Author Clare Mackintosh is one of those mothers, and she offered some words of hope on Twitter—promises about what the future holds for those deep in new grief—and her post has resonated with people who have recently lost loved ones around the world.

Mackintosh wrote:

“My son died fourteen years ago today. If you’re struggling with the loss of a loved one, I have some promises for you.

I promise this will not always be the first thing you think about in the morning.

I promise you won’t always lie awake at night, sobbing until you can’t breathe.

I promise you will not always feel that hard lump in your throat, like grief is a rock that cannot be moved. It can.

I promise those waves of grief that knock you off your feet will become smaller, less violent. You will be able to stand and let them wash around you, not over you.

I promise walking won’t always feel like you’re dragging your legs through treacle; breathing won’t always be something you have to remember to do. You will do both these things effortlessly again.

I promise you won’t always be winded by someone else’s happiness – their social media updates and photographs. You will smile and feel glad that they have something so special, and that you once had it too.

I promise you will be able to say their name without crying. That you will share a memory and feel wistful; sad, but not broken.

I promise you will not always have to take the day off work on anniversaries, because you are unable to function. You will find something special to mark it, or you will treat it like any other day, and either is okay.

I promise it won’t always hurt like this.

Fourteen years ago a woman made me these promises, and I didn’t believe her. I sobbed silently as she told me how the years had healed her, and I thought she was wrong. My grief was different.

You’ll think I’m wrong too, but in fourteen years’ time – or twelve, or five, or nine… – you will realise the rock of grief in your throat has washed away, and you will make these promises to someone else.

Until then, be gentle on yourself. Grief can’t be rushed, and this is a particularly hard year in which to suffer a loss. Much love to you. ❤️”

People flooded the post with messages of gratitude, and some people who are also farther down the road of grief offered some advice of their own.

There are hundreds of responses to the thread from people who shared their own experiences, and they are all worth reading. While everyone handles grief differently and in their own time, so many people described how their grief changed over time—or how they changed and grew around it—and their stories offer hope and insight to those who are wading through new, raw grief.

One of the most beautiful things about being human is that no matter what happens, there are always other people who have been where we are, felt what we’re feeling, and experienced what we’re experiencing. And one of the blessings of modern life is that it’s easier than ever to find those people when we need them the most, to help us know that we’re not alone and to reassure us that we won’t be exactly where we are, feeling exactly what we’re feeling, forever.

Ever since Lizzo launched into stardom, she’s been getting hate for simply existing. Whether she’s celebrating her full figure or sharing vegan recipes, there’s always people critcizing her in the comments. But after she recently decided to go on a smoothie diet for health reasons, she’s now experiencing body-shaming from past supporters — and she’s calling out the double standard.

Lizzo took to TikTok to share her 10-day smoothie detox journey, sharing a step-by-step process of the diet and depicting every thing she eats in a day. But the video sparked some surprising backlash when people began hating on her for promoting “diet culture.”

Lizzo responding to the double standard in another TikTok video, saying that “every big girl should do whatever the f*ck they want with their bodies:”

“I did the 10-day smoothie detox diet and as you know, normally I’d be so afraid and ashamed to post things like this online because I feel like as a big girl, people expect if you are doing something for health, you’re doing it for a dramatic weight loss. And that is not the case. In reality, November stressed me the f*ck out. I drank a lot, I ate a lot of spicy things and things that f*cked my stomach up. I wanted to reverse it and get back to where I was. I’m so proud of myself. I’m proud of my results. My sleep has improved, my hydration, my inner peace, my mental stability, my f*cking body, my f*cking skin, the whites of my eyes, I feel and look like a bad b*tch — and that’s it. I’m a big girl who did a smoothie detox and I wanted to share it with you guys and every big girl should do whatever the f*ck they want with their bodies.”

Fans shared an outpouring of support for the singer following the backlash, telling haters to leave her alone.

Watch Lizzo’s full TikTok video above.

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

To most people, it probably wasn’t a shock when outgoing president Donald Trump refused to take part in a peaceful transition of power. Instead, since losing to Joe Biden he’s done very little but cry baseless charges of voter fraud, file dozens of failed lawsuits, have his legal team offer multiple memorably bumbling pressers and hearings, and generally undermine the country’s electoral process. And throughout it all the majority of the Republican party in both the House and the Senate has said nothing, at least not publicly. That changed on Monday when a single Republican representative expressed his disgust, over a month after Biden won, and about 2 ½ weeks after he was due to retire anyway.

That politician is Paul Mitchell, a two-term Representative for Michigan, one of the many states that flipped blue for Biden. As per The New York Times, he voted for Trump this year, and yet his behavior since Election Day has been such that it’s inspired him to leave the party altogether. He’ll spend the rest of his time in congress as an independent.

Mitchell expressed his furor in a letter to Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, which was made available to various news outlets. After admitting that Trump, like any president, was entitled to request recounts, he assailed him and his legal team for failing to provide adequate — or, really, any — evidence of any wrongdoing in this year’s election process.

“It is unacceptable for political candidates to treat our election system as though we are a third- world nation and incite distrust of something so basic as the sanctity of our vote,” Mitchell wrote. “Further, it is unacceptable for the president to attack the Supreme Court of the United States because its judges, both liberal and conservative, did not rule with his side or that ‘the Court failed him.’ It was our Founding Fathers’ objective to insulate the Supreme Court from such blatant political motivations.”

Mitchell’s about-face is, on its face, a big deal. He admitted to voting in favor of Trump’s policies 95 percent of the time. That said, he also admits that he “expressed strong concerns” about some of the president’s rhetoric and actions, including his response to the Charlottesville tragedy and the racist and xenophobic comments by both him and his colleagues during Trump’s reign.

A closer look, though, reveals that this may not be quite the profile in courage it at first seems. Mitchell’s letter was sent on the day the Electoral College formally named Biden the 46th president, when Trump’s dismissal was all but official. Besides, the NYT reports he had already planned to retire from his position at the end of this year. And he’s reportedly one of the wealthiest members of Congress, which is saying something. In other words, he’s largely inoculated from any severe blowback over turning his back on Trump.

Still, perhaps Mitchell’s decision will inspire others to follow suit. At least when the coast is really, super clear.

(Via NYT)

At a time when we could all use an uplift, a story of unexpected friendship and honest-to-goodness magic is warming people’s hearts. And it’s one of those stories that just gets better and better.

A woman named Kelly Victoria shared the story on Twitter. “At the beginning of the pandemic I went through some painful personal stuff,” she wrote, “and would often go out at night for long walks because no one was around and I couldn’t sleep anyway. One night I was walking down my street and noticed that someone had set up a few little objects in a tree planter, and upon closer inspection, I realized it was a fairy garden with a little note about the 4-year-old girl who felt lonely in quarantine and wanted to spread some cheer.”

The fairy garden was set up by a tree, and a note on the tree read:

“Our 4 year old made this to brighten your day

Please add to the magic, but don’t take away

These days can be hard, but we’re in this together

So enjoy our fairy garden and some nicer weather.”

The next day, Kelly wrote a note to the little girl, pretending to be a fairy named Sapphire that “had come to live in the tree because she had set it up so nicely.” She left the note on the tree during her walk that night.

In her note, Sapphire said she would leave some lucky dice for the girl if she did these things:

– Say 5 nice things to people you love

– Do 3 helpful things for someone in need

– Promise to always be kind and brave, and to show love to those in need.

– Draw a picture of your favorite animal so I can show the other fairies!

Kelly wasn’t sure if she’d even see it, but the next night, she found a note from the girl, Eliana, telling her how she had completed the requests. She included two drawings of “piggies,” her favorite animal. Kelly says she “immediately burst into tears.”

She did leave a bunch of resin die that she had made with a note for Eliana (and one for her parents with her real name and phone number, so they’d know she wasn’t some kind of creeper).

And the next night, there was another note from Eliana, thanking Sapphire for the die and for the gnome magnets she had left. She explained what she was doing with the die, and then wrote, “Please stay safe from the sickness. I love you.”

She also got a note from Eliana’s parents, thanking her for being “a much needed bright spot in our quarantine season” and explaining that they’d been playing a modified version of D & D (Dungeons & Dragons) with Elaina, so the die were a perfect gift.

And so began a nine-month long magical friendship. “Doing this every night gave me purpose in a horribly painful and lonely time,” wrote Kelly. “I looked forward to my days again and I started ordering art supplies and little trinkets to leave her.”

Kelly texted with Elaina’s mom to get personalized ideas for gifts. She even sent a photo of herself dressed as an elf, photoshopped to look like she was tiny.

Elaina responded by asking totally 4-year-old questions, like “What do you and you friends feel like? I mean like your skin feeling?” and sharing some totally 4-year-old artwork. Adorable.

Then came some news. Eliana’s family was moving to a new house and would have to leave the fairy garden behind. Elaina was having a tough time with the idea of moving, so Sapphire wrote her a long note. “Getting to know you has made me less afraid of humans,” she said. She told Eliana that she would be having to leave the tree soon so they could go through the moving transition together.

Eliana’s mom said it helped her so much and they wanted to try to get together in person before they moved.

That’s tricky in a pandemic, of course. And also tricky when you’re supposed to be a teeny-tiny fairy, not a full-grown person. So Sapphire told Eliana that when fairies move houses, they grow to the size of humans for just one day to move all of their belongings. Brilliant.

She said she had one more gift, and that she hoped Eliana wouldn’t catch her leaving it. But, of course, she did.

They got to sit and talk for about an hour, and Eliana asked “a million questions about what life is like as a fairy.”

“It was incredible and one of the most important and impactful afternoons of my life thus far,” wrote Kelly. “I hope one day when she’s older she can understand that I truly needed her as much as she needed me these past few months.”

Eliana wrote Sapphire a story in the form of a tiny book, and the two plan to keep in touch from time to time.

“She’s changed me forever,” Kelly wrote, “and the things her mom has said about how her self-confidence, her kindness towards others and her creativity have skyrocketed since meeting me make me feel like I made an impact too.”

Childhood is naturally magical in many ways, but to have a person help spur on a child’s imagination and creativity, especially at a time when we all need a break from reality, is truly heartwarming to see. This is magic as it should be. What a beautiful gift these two have given each other—and to the rest of us as well.

This year is different. Everything you feel, say, and do is different and matters like never before.

So, how about we let the good gifts roll?

Explore our brand new GOOD Market, a curated shop of goods that do good, and discover the perfect gifts for your quirky, picky, practical, eccentric, “don’t know what to give them” family and friends.

On the giving side — every one of these is a gift that gives back. We believe in the power of your purchase, in sharing the best of humanity with the rest of the world, so every GOOD Market purchase supports local artisans and social causes around the world.

GOOD Market is a collaboration with NOVICA, one of the world’s largest impact marketplaces for artists and artisans around the world. Here, you’ll find gifts that fit the person, not just the holiday. You’ll find something for every friend and family member and a great way to celebrate a year where some days seem to have been built around waiting for a delivery.

Here are a few suggestions for keeping this holiday season meaningful and memorable.

Gifts for those Home Not Alone or Family Gifts

In a year of laughter and tears, it’s time to find the perfect gift to express all they mean to you whether you’re bound to them 24/7 or only sharing a screen.

GOOD Market’s Artisan Gifts by global artisans range from the cool to the beautiful to the “you’ve got to be kidding me-posting this right now” kind of gifts. They include jewelry and apparel, original one-of-kind artworks, archeological replicas, global decor, and countless other cultural treasures. Gifts as special as they are.

Worry Wall Dancers (Guatemala)

Upworthy Merchandise

GOOD Market also offers a unique range of Upworthy Merch. The type of apparel that makes it easier to show everyone where you stand. This gear lets you broadcast your intention to stand up and not just stand by. Make a powerful statement with our ethically-sourced, made in the United States shirts and hoodies.

This Too Heather Red Unisex Sueded Jersey T-Shirt

Gifts for those Who Ain’t Going Nowhere or Kalmazoo to Kathmandu Blues

Grab something from our GOOD for the Home Collection – it’s perfect for bringing a touch of faraway dreaming to multi-purpose work and living spaces. From hand-tooled leather catch-alls to Peruvian ekekos and retablos there is something to quench the longing of everyone resigned to traveling sometime next year. Explore our GOOD Gift Suggestions

Handcrafted 3-Piece Shapivo Nativity Scene

Jewelry for All Seasons & Reasons

GOOD Market artisan jewelry does a whole lot of good. Our collection of traditional and contemporary designs, precious metals, and gemstones celebrate our commitment to doing and standing for what is right.

Hope and Peace Sterling Silver Stacking Ring Set

Continue…

Our favorite TikToker showed us that no matter what you’re going through you will get through it. Shop this exclusive collaboration between @upworthy and the incomparable @TegaReacts and just Continue …

Continue Upworthy X Tegareacts Collaboration

Gifts Too Quirky for Words or the Different Drum Guide

Beaded bananas, mariachi pigs, rubber porcupine desk cups, and other never-imagineds live side by side in the GOOD Market. For those on your list that march to the beat of a different drum or just embrace the whimsical on the daily, this is your destination. You’ll find everything from a rooster on a tortoise sculpture to hand-crocheted taco earrings. Let the fun begin.

Dolphin-Themed Mahogany Mini Djeme Drum from Bali

Keeping it Cozy Gifts

The look of this season is the cozy something — from scarves to sweaters or cushions to throws, our collection of handknit and handwoven GOOD Market Clothing is soft, stylish and oh-so-comfortable.

Alpaca Striped Kimono Ruana in Orange

Stocking Stuffers

Face masks have replaced the season’s ubiquitous socks and you’ll find hundreds of GOOD Face Masks perfect for gifting. These are truly gifts that give back. This year tourism is down and local markets have closed forcing many artisans to make face masks to survive and the results have been amazing.

Artisans have been able to support their families, offer work to their neighbors, and keep global craft traditions alive all while helping the rest of us to mask up.

3 Colorful Nature Print 2-Layer Rayon Ear Loop Face Masks

Find the good in everything, after all that’s what this season is all about — show someone you care for them and acknowledge the care they show you. Choose gifts that give back. As the saying goes: it’s the thought that counts. And there is a lot of thought and love behind a handmade gift that gives back to the hands that made it.

The comics versions of comic book characters aren’t always on the same paths as their big screen counterparts. Often times they’re very different. A recent example can be found in the latest issue of Guardians of the Galaxy. In the movies, Star-Lord — the gang’s resident half-human, played by Chris Pratt — is still merrily cruising around the stars with his team, plus new buddy Thor, rearing for their third adventure. In the comics, meanwhile, he’s enjoying a long stint in a polyamorous bisexual relationship.

In the latest issue, entitled “I Shall Make You a Star-Lord,” a long-haired and intensely bearded Peter Quill finds himself in a strange land called Morinus, where he winds up spending 150 years. After twelve years he winds up in a threeway relationship with a pair of humanoids: a woman named Aradia and a man named Mors.

“It’s been over a decade,” Quill tells the two when he decides to take things next level. “Time to accept the truth…Morinus is my home. You’re my home.”

Marvel has yet to comment on whether this will wind up incorporated into the film wing of the Guardians-verse, but many online are much more interested in hearing what Pratt has to say. Back in February of last year, Elliot Page called out Pratt’s church, Hillsong, for being “infamously anti-LGBTQ.” Pratt defended his parish, saying, “Nothing could be further from the truth. I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.”

In the meantime, Guardians director James Gunn still has to finish The Suicide Squad before he gets to Vol. 3. So there’s plenty of time to wonder if the Pratt version of Star-Lord is cooler than we thought.

(Via EW)