Rudy Giuliani is the latest member of Trump’s elite legal strike force being sued by Dominion, the election tech company at the center of voter fraud conspiracies in Georgia and other states.
Sidney Powell, another of Trump’s legal advisers, was handed her own lawsuit by the company after she spread some truly bizarre lies that tried to link Dominion machines to the late Venezuelan dictator, Hugo Chavez. Giuliani famously pushed his own conspiracy theories following Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election, claiming that an expert had witnessed Dominion machines changing votes and that the company was complicit in a scheme to steal the election from the former president. Guiliani signal-boosted the smear campaign, using his own Youtube channel and podcast as well as appearances on Fox News and OANN.
Well, now Dominion is fighting back, suing Trump’s discarded henchman to the tune of $1.3 billion, and Giuliani, to the surprise of no one, is blaming left-wing liberals for all his woes.
“Dominion’s defamation lawsuit for $1.3B will allow me to investigate their history, finances, and practices fully and completely,” he told CNN in a statement Monday. “The amount being asked for is, quite obviously, intended to frighten people of faint heart. It is another act of intimidation by the hate-filled left-wing to wipe out and censor the exercise of free speech, as well as the ability of lawyers to defend their clients vigorously.”
Of course, Giuliani never peddled his conspiracy theories in court on behalf of Trump so his defense strategy excuse falls flat and we’re pretty sure that concocting a scheme between a Canadian tech company and Venezuelan agents that you then promoted to instill distrust in our democratic system isn’t what the Founding Fathers meant when they said “free speech.” It’s also not a good look for Giuliani, who helped Trump stir up the Jan. 6th insurrection on Capitol Hill, that the lawyer used his voter fraud claims to make a profit by selling everything from high-priced cigars to gold coins and joint supplements.
The company has promised that Giuliani and Powell won’t be the only ones in their crosshairs, claiming the lies Trump’s team told have irreparably damaged Dominion’s reputation worldwide and endangered the lives of its employees.
Freaks and Geeks, the one-season masterpiece created by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow and starring Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel (“Lady L” is forever stuck in my head), James Franco, Busy Philipps, John Francis Daley, Martin Starr, and Samm Levine, was added to the streaming service last week, albeit in an incorrect order.
“Hey @hulu – the order of the episodes of Freaks and Geeks is wrong,” Apatow wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “It is correct on the wiki page. It’s really wrong so please fix it today or people will be truly confused. The production number order is not the intended air order. The DVD order is correct too. Thanks!” Twenty-one years after it was canceled, Freaks and Geeks is still being victimized by improper episode ordering. Way to be cool.
But thankfully, the issue was quickly fixed.
Thank you @hulu!!! Freaks and Geeks is whole again. I think there is one scene missing from episode one with Kim Kelly which we will fix this week ! Thanks! https://t.co/MF4gElcof4
“Thank you @hulu!!! Freaks and Geeks is whole again,” Apatow tweeted after being altered that Hulu updated the order. “I think there is one scene missing from episode one with Kim Kelly which we will fix this week! Thanks!” The 13 episodes even come with the “original music intact,” so you don’t have to worry about being cut off mid-funk.
Out of nowhere, Olivia Rodrigo’s emotional single “Drivers License” took over the internet, then unsurprisingly became her first No. 1 song. This week brings more of the same: On the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated January 30, “Drivers License” is No. 1 for a second straight week.
.@Olivia_Rodrigo‘s “Drivers License” is officially No. 1 on this week’s #Hot100 chart for a second consecutive week.
The song is only one of 48 singles to ever debut at No. 1, and now of those, it’s just the 21st to maintain its chart-topping spot for a second week.
Rodrigo recently spoke about her thoughts on the song’s popularity, saying, “I mean, that is just everything. All the recognition the song has got is beyond my wildest dreams. Taylor Swift — [who] is my songwriting idol and I wouldn’t be half of the woman and a songwriter I am today without her — reached out and was so supportive of the song. I just found out the other day that Lorde likes it, Halsey likes it, all of these people that I have grown up listening to are saying they’re liking the song.”
Elsewhere on the Hot 100 this week, Ariana Grande’s “34+35,” now credited with Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat thanks to the recent remix, jumps from No. 11 all the way up to No. 2. The last time that a song credited to at least three solo women and no other artists placed this high on the chart was nearly 20 years ago, when Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Mya, and Pink’s “Lady Marmalade” spent five weeks at No. 1 in 2001.
Before this week, the last time that a song credited to at least three solo women (and no other artists) ranked as high as No. 2 on the #Hot100 was @xtina, @LilKim, @MYAPLANET9 & @Pink‘s “Lady Marmalade” in 2001.
The NBA will see a first on Monday night when the Charlotte Hornets face the Orlando Magic, as it will have a referee crew that features two women for the first time in league history.
Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder will be working the game along with veteran official Sean Wright. The league has five women working as full time referees on staff for the 2020-21 season, along with two others as non-staff officials, and Monday will mark the first time two have been on the same crew together, as the NBA has worked recently to add more women to the officiating ranks.
Sago is in her third season as an NBA official, having refereed 63 games prior to this season and came to the NBA in 2018-19 after working four seasons as a G League official and three seasons with the WNBA. Schroeder is in her second season as an NBA official, having refereed 27 games a year ago and likewise worked three seasons of G League ball and two seasons in the WNBA before joining the NBA officials last season. Both also have extensive background officiating college ball as well.
This game, much like Becky Hammon taking over as head coach of the Spurs after Gregg Popovich’s ejection for a game earlier this season, is a welcome first to see but hopefully an occurrence that won’t be so much notable as normal in coming years.
If you’re new to the world of stouts, there’s a good chance your education doesn’t go much farther than the likes of Guinness. But you should know that the dark, malty, chocolate-tasting beer style goes from regular to turbocharged pretty quickly. And while we’re all about throwing back a few pints of Guinness from time to time, we definitely recommend exploring the world of higher ABV, robust stouts, too.
Generally speaking, stouts range from more basic styles like dry, milk, and oatmeal to pastry, coffee, and the highly potent barrel-aged and imperial stouts. With the latter designation typically being the darkest and strongest of them all.
We enjoy a great barrel-aged stout in the winter, but today we’re turning our attention specifically to imperial stouts (some do happen to be barrel-aged). To find the best of the bunch, we reached out to a crew of bartenders, who were kind enough to tell us which rich, high ABV stouts they tip back this time of year.
Karl Strauss Wreck Alley
Karl Strauss
Jerry Skakun, bartender at Cucina Enoteca in Newport Beach, California
Karl Strauss Wreck Alley Imperial Stout. Hands down. With Strauss being one of the oldest breweries in the US to make this style, this pick offers one of the best examples of what an Imperial Stout has to offer.
Common Space Chocolate Molten Cake Ice Cream Stout
Common Space
Una Green, USBG bartender in Los Angeles
Try the Chocolate Molten Cake Ice Cream Stout from Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne, California. This beer is an homage to the amazing chocolate molten cake ice cream from the brewers’ friends at Coolhaus.
When I reach for an imperial stout, I smile upon Dragon’s Milk. This Imperial Milk Stout from New Holland Brewing Co. carries rich espresso notes that meet a subtle smokiness from the bourbon barrel in which it’s aged.
Also, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can make a reduction from this milk stout using Madagascar vanilla bean and demerara sugar to add quite a layer to an old fashioned.
Off Color Brewing’s Coffee Dino S’mores has every silly flavor anyone ever thought they wanted in an imperial stout. Marshmallow, vanilla, graham cracker, cocoa, coffee, and molasses. If curiosity alone doesn’t get you searching for this beer, I can assure you that it’s actually quite delicious.
Andy Printy, beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis
This winter, cozy on up with an Old Rasputin from North Coast Brewing. One of the all-time great imperial stouts, it’s rich, full-bodied, and rocks a 9% ABV. It’s best poured into a snifter and allowed to warm a bit for a better chance at enjoying the subtle spice tucked away behind the bitter coffee and chocolate.
Angry Chair Loaded French Toast Imperial Stout is the way to go. It’s like a liquid breakfast. Cinnamon, maple, and vanilla make it a breakfast of champions.
Stephen Lasaten, food and beverage manager at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands
Southern Tier’s Warlock Imperial Stout. Usually released during the fall, but if you save it and hold on to it for the winter, it makes for a really nice treat. The spiced pumpkin pie aroma constantly lingering under the toasted malt makes for a great drink to sip and savor. Pairs well with smoked and roasted dishes commonly served during the wintertime.
I like to enjoy mine in a goblet or even a snifter so I can get a waft of the aromas during every sip.
My favorite imperial stout right now is one that comes from here in Tampa, Florida. It’s called Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout (Cigar City Brewing). This stout is aged in a bourbon barrel and has amazing toffee, dark chocolate tastes notes with an amazing, smooth finish that just screams out “winter beer by the fire.”
Raffaele Dall’Erta, general manager sommelier at Hampton’s Restaurant in Sumter, South Carolina
Coronado German Chocolate Cake. First of all, name anything after chocolate cake, and I am in. This one is aged for six months in barrels, and it shows on the palate. Chocolate, vanilla bean, coconut, roasted coffee beans, and dried figs are center stage for this stout. Delicious and well balanced, this is a perfect warming winter beverage.
Surly Darkness Imperial Stout packs a punch at 12% with a nontraditional high dose of hops. The hops round out the complex blend of malts to pave the way for coffee, chocolate-covered cherry, dried fruits, and toffee.
Malty and sweet can be signs of the style, citrus from the hops make it fun to pair with foods or enjoy before a meal.
One of the best-known beers of the winter season continues to be Founders Brewing KBS. This imperial stout is brewed with massive amounts of chocolate and coffee and is then aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. The barrel aging imparts sweetness and notes of vanilla, creating a stout that will deliciously remain on your palate.
This beer is a treat in its own right – and the perfect dessert at the end of a cold evening.
Cigar City Apple Brandy Barrel-aged Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout
Cigar City
Sarah Rexwinkle, key bartender for The Grand Marlin in Pensacola, Florida
I have found that Apple Brandy Barrel-aged Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout is fantastic. This is a limited release that has extensive aging inside wooden barrels that previously held apple brandy, which adds to the depth and character of this imperial stout.
Currently, I would go with Silver Shoes Russian Imperial Stout from Munkle Brewing of Charleston. The flavors of wonderfully roasted malt give off a molasses-pumpernickel layer without too much sweetness.
Bake Kujira coming out of the J Wakefield brewery here in Miami, also my favorite brewery. This special release brings winters in Miami and imperial stouts together, which isn’t an easy task. Aged in ex-bourbon barrels you’ll find flavors of roasted coffee, vanilla, and coconut.
Average Price: Limited release
Southern Tier Nitro Hot Cocoa Imperial Milk Stout
Southern Tier
Jennifer Jackson-Keating, mixologist at Sneaky Tiki in Pensacola, Florida
My absolute favorite imperial stout would be made by Southern Tier Brewing Company. It’s the Nitro Hot Cocoa Imperial Milk Stout. The name says it all as to why it’s the best beer to drink in the winter. The can releases nitro which creates a foam of creamy flavor.
The chocolate with hints of marshmallow makes this beer great.
Evil Twin Even More Smores Imperial Stout is everything. The chocolaty Graham Cracker flavors are mind-blowing. You can’t go wrong with toasted marshmallows and chocolate, right?
Funkmaster Flex has found some new fuel in his unusual and one-sided feud with Jay-Z thanks to an even more unusual source: Donald Trump’s 11th-hour spate of high-profile pardons just before leaving office earlier this year. Included in those pardons was Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, who was arrested in 1994 for conspiracy with intent to distribute narcotics. She cooperated with the US Attorney and was sentenced to five years of probation. Perez was appointed CEO of Roc Nation in 2019 after serving as COO and working with the company for nearly a decade.
Meanwhile, Flex, who has been harping on what he believes to be Jay’s shortcomings for the past month, shared a headline from gossip site Press Reality on Instagram that posited “Jay Z Cut Deal w/ Trump; Didn’t Support Biden In Exchange For Pardon!” Flex, no stranger to courting controversy to entice curious listeners to tune in, said he’ll be discussing the headline on his show.
Press Reality’s headline seems to have been based on a line of conjecture from Variety‘s January 21 profile on Perez’s pardon that notes few Roc Nation artists spoke up against Trump or for Biden during the election in comparison to Jay and Beyonce’s very public support for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Variety also explained why a pardon would be critical for Perez, as she could be integral to Roc Nation’s move into cannabis with the Monogram brand and a potential public offering. Felons cannot run public companies or be involved in the legal marijuana business, so with her pardon, Perez could take more control as the company moves in those directions.
However, a spokesperson for Roc Nation told Variety the company “does not impose itself in its artists’ political involvement.” In terms of the Roc’s involvement in prison reform, knowing Trump’s sensitivity, insecurity, and vindictiveness, the source says they aren’t surprised if the company toned down its criticism of Trump as it worked with his administration to get legislation passed, saying, “As anyone who’s worked with the Trump White House knows, you can’t piss him off or he will take revenge.”
Despite Congress declaring Joe Biden the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election allowing him to take the oath of office, that doesn’t mean the wacky-circus attempts to get Donald Trump back in the White House have come to a close. In a bizarre new lawsuit filed in Texas, one lawyer actually attempts to argue that Trump is a modern-day version of Aragorn from Lord of the Rings who should be handed his rightful throne, which is already an odd statement to make, considering America’s whole thing is not having a king. That’s kind of the whole point of an election.
After dramatically citing Tolkien’s epic tome by stating “Gondor has no king,” the suit goes on to argue that all of Congress and every state government should be dissolved while members of the previous administration keep Trump’s throne ready for his return. This puppy really went places. Via The Guardian:
“Since only the rightful king could sit on the throne of Gondor, a steward was appointed to manage Gondor until the return of the King, known as ‘Aragorn’, occurred at the end of the story.”
The lawsuit then suggests that America’s version of the stewards of Gondor should be selected from among – surprise, surprise – Trump’s cabinet members, who should run the country.
Obviously, this lawsuit isn’t going to anywhere as legal experts fully expect it to be “laughed out of court.” However, it isn’t entirely out of place with the recent trend of using odd fantasy references in service to Trump. While attempting to downplay his own participation in the January 6 attack on the Capitol building, which sought to overturn the election, Rudy Giuliani tried to say that his demand for “trial by combat” was merely a reference to the “very famous documentary about fictitious medieval England” Game of Thrones. Although, in Giuliani’s defense, at least he didn’t equate Trump with Viggo Mortensen’s iconic hero, so he’s got that going for him. When you’re Rudy, you gotta take those wins wherever you can get them.
Imploding The Mirage was a different album for The Killers for one key reason: It was the band’s first to be recorded without guitarist Dave Keuning. He took a hiatus from the group after 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful to pursue a solo career; His first album as Keuning, titled Prismism, was released in 2019. It appears he has rejoined the group, though, as he appears in a new Instagram Live video that teases some new music. A recent broadcast from the band shows the group having fun in the studio, and there are moments when new music can be heard.
It’s unsurprising that the band is already working on new music months after Imploding The Mirage. Back in August, Brandon Flowers suggested that a new album would be released around the middle of this year, saying, “You know when people just say that? Every time someone makes a record they say that they have 50 songs and they’re going to release another record. We really are. We’re going to release another one in about 10 months. We’ve already gone back into the studio with [producer Jonathon Rado] and [producer Shawn Everett]. We did a week in Northern California. I had a lot of time on my hands. Before, I’d normally be gearing up to tour, all of that time has gone back into writing more songs. It’s been pretty fruitful.”
On top of that, in December, they shared what seems to be a tracklist.
GameStop’s business model hasn’t changed in recent weeks, certainly not enough to make the game and accessories retailer any more valuable than it was at the start of 2021. The company sells video games and Funko Pops, and it will give you at least 34 cents for that copy of Madden 04 that you’ve been using as a coaster since the second Bush presidency.
But the company’s stock price has become wildly volatile in recent days, thanks to day traders on Reddit pumping tons of money into the retailer on the market. That, in turn, has seen larger financial companies betting against these buyers in anticipation of the stock failing. Friday alone saw a huge spike in the company’s stock price, but on Monday, it continued in an even bigger way, causing waves once more in the financial industry.
Clearly this movement was not tied to anything the actual company was doing. There was no big announcement that improved or erased consumer confidence. Just a bunch of people coordinating online to buy stocks. When you see the growth of the stock spread out over the course of years, it really is stunning to see the exponential growth.
As Bloomberg laid out, much of that movement was caused by the Reddit forum WallStreetBets, and some on there have made huge amount of money in the rise and fall of GameStop stock. And there’s a lot more involved than people simply buying a lot of stock of a company that’s fallen on tough times in recent years. Those in the subreddit had been eying GameStop for some time, and a number of market factors and more traditional economic players criticizing the moves eventually made those on WallStreetBets even more willing to buy into the stock to prove them wrong:
As shares began their steady rise during the last four months of 2020, more and more users joined the bandwagon. And as part of their welcome party they were reminded of the code of conduct: never sell, never surrender. Or in WallStreetBets parlance, only buy if you have diamond hands.
Along the way WallStreetBets began calling out those on the other side of the trade.
That sense of unity, and rebellion against the people who have financial power, has worked in a big way. According to Business Insider, those who were betting against GameStop have lost huge amounts of money in a short period of time.
Mark-to-market losses for GameStop shorts on a year-to-date basis reached $3.3 billion when trading closed on Friday, according to data from the financial-analytics firm S3 Partners. Losses totaled nearly $1.6 billion on Friday alone as shares rocketed 51% higher into the close.
…
Online posts urging other investors to join the trade have since driven outsize bullish momentum for GameStop. The stock traded 115% higher as of 10:40 a.m. ET on Monday and is up more than 500% year-to-date.
It’s a trend that will sound very familiar to anyone who has actually bought and sold a game at GameStop:
The idea of buying GameStop stock and selling it a few hours later at a fraction of the price is the most GameStop shit imaginable.
Brandon Kochkodin’s piece on Bloomberg has a much more thorough breakdown of the subreddit’s campaign over the last year or so, including some screenshots of Redditors loosely organizing and showing off their big profits. But it’s fascinating to see real-world implications of some day traders banding together online, apparently in the hopes of sticking it to financial gurus who claim they know far more about the market. A market that, suddenly, they’re struggling to keep up with.
Rico Nasty’s debut album Nightmare Vacation is out now and to help fans get a sense of who she really is, the genre-defying, self-proclaimed “scream rapper” partnered with Uproxx to shoot the latest documentary in our “Who Is…?” series, breaking down her life story and impact on the music scene. While the official episode drops tomorrow, you can check out an exclusive preview above as she explains how she hopes her music helps Black girls and women feel less lonely.
Despite only recently releasing her debut album, Rico’s impact is already undeniable. While she made her late-night television debut a week ago with a performance of “OHFR?” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she had already appeared on one of the biggest shows around with an animated cameo on Big Mouth last year. Meanwhile, her distinctive sound appeared on the soundtracks of shows and films like Insecure and Scoob! and she was even co-signed by Cardi B after appearing on the cover of 2019’s XXL Freshman issue.
Watch Rico Nasty’s “Who Is?” trailer above and catch the full episode 1/26 at 3 pm ET/12 pm PT on Uproxx Music.
Rico Nasty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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