Category: News

Britney Spears has been all over headlines recently as the singer’s #FreeBritney movement is seeing a second wave. News of a new development in Spears’ conservatorship case came to light Wednesday, which eclipsed an exciting announcement from the singer: Spears is debuting a previously-unreleased single — but there’s a catch.

Spears’ never-before-heard single “Swimming In The Stars” is now available as a 12-inch vinyl exclusively through Urban Outfitters. The single is being made available in celebration of the brand’s 11/11 Singles Day, which also features ten other physical releases.

While only way to hear the single right now is by purchasing the vinyl, Billboard reports that Spears’ team plans to make “Swimming In The Stars” available on streaming services in about two weeks. Spears fans apparently scooped up a copy of the song quickly because, according to Urban Outfitters’ website, the pressing is currently on back order and won’t be available for shipping until January 15.

News of the new single arrives on the same day a judge ruled Spears’ father would remain her conservator. Following the announcement, Spears’ lawyer Samuel Ingham revealed how the conservatorship with affect future touring plans. “My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father,” Ingham said. “She will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career.”

Order “Swimming In The Stars” 12-inch vinyl on Urban Outfitters here.

The food court has always been a “must-stop” at the end of every Costco run. Or at least it was. Then 2020 happened.

Everything about the way we shop and eat changed this year. Including the much-beloved Costco food court, which was closed for a few months right after COVID hit and reopened in late May. When Costco did get cooking again, it was with a minimal menu — with some stores only serving hot dogs, pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza, and soda. Other shops were still slinging Chicken Bakes and Hot Turkey sandwiches, but it varied depending on where you were in the country.

The old days of rocking up to a Costco food court and actually having to think about what to order are on hold, at least for now. Costco’s Updates and Coronavirus Response page still lists food courts running “a limited menu” for “takeout only.” Still, this pandemic will diminish in due time and life will start reopening in some capacity — the Costco food court included.

Until that day, let’s take a look at the UPROXX exclusive ranking of our favorite Costco food court menu items.

13. Double Cheeseburger

The Order:

This burger was advertised as Costco’s answer to a Shake Shack or In-N-Out burger. Seems like a bold and presumptive move on Costco’s part. This microwaved double patty with a cold slice of cheese, some secret sauce, lettuce, and tomato is in a different (shittier) galaxy than a Shake Shack burger.

Bottom Line:

It’s shocking how much of a swing and a miss this burger is. We’ve even tried it with Costco’s chili to make a chili cheeseburger and it was still an underwhelming experience.

If this menu item doesn’t come back post-COVID, no one will shed a tear.

12. Salads

The Order:

Costco’s salads are getting bundled on this list. There isn’t that huge of a difference between the Al Pastor salad and the Chicken Ceasar to give them each a slot. The lettuce base has a very plastic bag edge, the veg is often tasteless (due to being out of season hot-house grows), and the meat is mass-produced to the core.

Bottom Line:

Who goes to Costco to have a salad? Who???

We kid. That being said, the Al Pastor isn’t terribly offensive if (for some reason) you do want to get your salad at the Costco food court.

11. BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich

The Order:

This hot sandwich piles pulled brisket fairly high with a nice scoop of legitimately tangy and crunchy slaw on a soft bun. All of those components are a winning combination. Then … there’s the BBQ sauce the brisket is mixed in.

It’s a sickly sweet almost-paste with no smoke or spice.

Bottom Line:

This should have been a huge win. But wow, that sauce is hard to get past. Imagine a cheap cola, boiled down to a glaze, and then hit with more processed white sugar.

If you could order the brisket “easy on the sauce,” this would be ranked much higher.

10. Acai Bowl

The Order:

This is a “healthy” option on the food court menu. The bowl mixes Acai berry soft serve with fresh blueberries and strawberries and a crumble of granola and dried banana.

Bottom Line:

This would be a solid seasonal option. Year-round, you end up with berries that have zero flavor that ends up just being wet next to soft serve. The granola/dried banana crumble has pretty rough edges, always one wrong-angled bite away from slicing up the top of your mouth.

9. Soft Serve

The Order:

There are a few options when it comes to soft serve (usually). The swirl is always an easy choice, as it blends decent milk chocolate and vanilla soft serve that’ll take you back to those hot days after school where you ran straight to Dairy Queen.

The vanilla sundaes with berry or chocolate syrups are fine, but they tend to lean very sweet on an already aggressively sugary soft serve.

Bottom Line:

Look, the soft serve is just okay at Costco. It’s fine on a hot day in a pinch, but it’s nothing to write home about in any form.

8. Beef Chili with Beans

The Order:

This is a classic lunchroom ground beef chili with beans. It’s spiced just enough to have a decent flavor. Still, you know it’s come out of a big ol’ can with a sprinkle of pre-grated and bagged “cheddar.”

Bottom Line:

We were pleasantly surprised by this — not blown away, mind you. It’s a good portion for $3.99. It’s also a nice addition to a hot dog, if you want to hack your own Costco chili dog.

7. Hot Turkey and Provolone Sandwich

The Order:

Given how deeply flawed the double cheeseburger and brisket sandwich are, the Hot Turkey sandwich gets a lot more respect from us.

Turkey, provolone, onion, tomato, and pesto spread mix into a melty sandwich that’s a solid lunch choice for $3.99.

Bottom Line:

There’s nothing inherently off-putting about this sandwich. The bread is a bit dry and chewy — in an industrial way — but it’s perfectly fine for what it is.

6. Churro

The Order:

This long piece of fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar is a classic Spanish snack. It’s really, really hard to argue with good fried dough. There just isn’t quite the freshness and depth of cinnamon at play to make this one shine as brightly as it should.

It is only $1 though and that’s a win.

TIP: Ask when they last changed the fry oil. This is always a little better/ cleaner tasting after an oil changeover.

Bottom Line:

If this came with a small cup of chocolate dipping sauce as it does in Spain, it’d be much higher on this list. Still, there are better churros out there.

5. Cheese Pizza

The Order:

A big slice of cheese pizza for $1.99 is a steal. Gobs of melty mozz mingle with (overly) sweet tomato sauce and a chewy, crispy-edged crust. This is the epitome of “even mediocre pizza is still okay.”

Bottom Line:

Of the three pizzas at Costco, this is the least well put together. There’s just too much cheese and sauce and it gets everywhere — turning to a cheesy red slop. A tasty slop, but a slop nonetheless.

4. Pepperoni Pizza

The Order:

Tons of pepperoni is added to the cheese pizza to create this tasty slice. It’s a pepperoni slice for $1.99. What more do you need to know?

Bottom Line:

Somehow this pizza holds together better than the cheese pizza even though it has a fistful of oily pepperoni baked on the cheese. That pepperoni oil also helps the crust’s edges get a little crispier, giving this slice the edge over the cheese slice.

3. Chicken Bake

The Order:

This is a divisive order. The Chicken Bake is kind of like a jumbo pizza pocket with chicken, creamy Caesar salad dressing, bacon, onion, and cheese. It shouldn’t work as well as it does, and folks either swear by it or never touch the thing.

Bottom Line:

Look, this is only $2.99 and will fill you up with no extra slices of pizza or side hot dog necessary. That says a lot. Still, these have to be pipping when you eat them. Otherwise, you’re looking at a solidifying gooey mess that loses a lot of its luster rather quickly.

2. Combo Pizza

The Order:

This is a solid slice of pizza all around. The pie is piled high with pepperoni, Italian sausage, black olives, green bell pepper, and red onion with the requisite mozz and tomato sauce on a big chewy crust.

Is it the best pizza slice in the world? Of course not. But it’s a damn good one.

Bottom Line:

This is the slice to get if you’re at Costco.

Come on! It has more ingredients yet holds together much better and is less greasy than its cohorts while still being 100-percent satisfying. Plus, your reptile brain will tell you that you’re being more “healthy” with all that veg on the slice.

1. Hot Dog

The Order:

The all-beef hot dog is a lock for this spot. It’s a solid dog with a nicely steamed bun that’s big enough for the sausage. It’s also customizable according to what you want on your dog. Ketchup and onions? Great! Kraut and deli mustard? Go for it! Ketchup, yellow mustard, onions, relish, and chili? No one is stopping you!

Bottom Line:

$1.50 for a dog and a soda. Enough said.

When Madeline Swegle was a little girl growing up in Burke, VA, she loved watching the Blue Angels zip through the sky. Her family went to see the display every time it was in town, and it was her parents’ encouragement to pursue her dreams that led her to the U.S. Naval Academy in 2017.

Before beginning the intense three-year training required to become a tactical air (TACAIR) pilot, Swegle had never been in an aircraft before; piloting was simply something she was interested in. It turns out she’s got a gift for it—and not only is she skilled, she finds the “exhilaration to be unmatched.”

“I’m excited to have this opportunity to work harder and fly high performance jet aircraft in the fleet,” Swegle said in a statement released by the Navy. “It would’ve been nice to see someone who looked like me in this role; I never intended to be the first. I hope it’s encouraging to other people.”

As Swegle’s story shows, representation and equality matter. And the responsibility to advance equality for all people – especially Black Americans facing racism – falls on individuals, organizations, businesses, and governmental leadership. This clear need for equality is why P&G established the Take On Race Fund to fight for justice, advance economic opportunity, enable greater access to education and health care, and make our communities more equitable. The funds raised go directly into organizations like NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, YWCA Stand Against Racism and the United Negro College Fund, helping to level the playing field.

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According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. military has taken significant steps over the past decade to build a more diverse and inclusive force that attracts the country’s top talent. However, women and racial and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in parts of the military, particularly at the highest levels of leadership. According to the Congressional Research Service, in the enlisted realm, 63% of senior enlisted troops are white, while 19% are Black; and only eight out of every 100 senior officers are Black. Women represent 16 percent of the enlisted forces and 19 percent of the officer corps.

Lieutenant Commander Joseph Thompson, an officer serving in the Navy’s Dental Corps, knows how it feels to be a minority in the military.

“As a fellow Naval Officer of African descent, I am extremely proud of Lt Swegle’s accomplishments. I know the standards of excellence required to be a naval fighter pilot are extremely high. In a historically white male dominated sector of the Navy for her to break through the glass ceiling, not only as a female, but as one of African descent is nothing short of phenomenal…her accomplishments have not only made me proud, but have also motivated me to keep pushing forward in pursuit of my own goals.”

Join P&G Good Everyday to take simple, everyday actions to help create conversation and meaningful change in support of Take on Race.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) appeared on Fox News over the weekend to complain about numerous outlets, including Fox News, calling the presidential election in favor of Joe Biden over Donald Trump. “I think that is way premature. At this point, we do not know who has prevailed in the election,” he whined. “The media is desperately trying to get everyone to coronate Joe Biden as the next president. But that’s not how it works, the media does not get to select our president the American people get to elect our president.” The media being “FAKE NEWS” is one of the more toxic beliefs that the Trump clan and their hangers-on, like Cruz, have preached over the last four years.

Unless the media makes Trump look like a winner, that is. Then it’s fine.

On Wednesday, Ivanka Trump shared a tweet from the Associated Press officially declaring that her dad won Alaska’s three electoral college votes. “BREAKING: President Trump and Senate Republicans win Alaska, overwhelmingly and by a massive 20 point spread! Put AK in the books for @realDonaldTrump. Thank you Alaska!” she quote-tweeted, days after dance parties broke out in the streets after the election was called by… the Associated Press. You are not the only one to notice the irony here.

Wait until she finds out how the rest of the country voted.

Ariana Grande fans know that the singer is passionate about animals, and now she is doing something to help ones that are in need: She announced today that she is launching Orange Twins Rescue, an animal rescue center.

Grande made the announcement with a Windows 95-style promotional image that teases the website, which is still a work in progress and displays a similar graphic when accessed. “we are so happy, proud and excited,” Grande wrote. “our site comin soon.” Orange Twins Rescue already has an active Instagram account, which has about 36,000 followers as of this post and was previously used to highlight animals in need and other similar things. Fox 11 Los Angeles notes that Orange Twins Rescue will be in LA, and the website indicates the venture is a non-profit organization.

The singer showed off one of her pet dogs, Toulouse, during a 2016 appearance on The Tonight Show, when he excitedly ran to her when called. In 2018, she and Pete Davidson also got a pet pig together, which they appropriately named Piggy Smallz. Meanwhile, Grande is fresh off the fifth No. 1 song of her career as “Positions” debuted on top of the Hot 100.

Keep an eye on the Orange Twins Rescue website and Grande’s socials for more info on the endeavor.

Over a week after the 2020 presidential election took place — and a few days after news outlets like CNN and NBC named Joe Biden the overwhelming winner — President Trump has yet to publicly admit he lost his bid for re-election.

While some of his supporters continue to cheer on the orange megalomaniac’s sore loser parade, it seems he’s starting to lose the backing of the Evangelical right. Earlier this week, megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, a long-time Trump supporter who helped him campaign during his 2016 bid for president wrote an op-ed for Fox News urging Christians to accept the outcome of the election. Jeffress wrote:

“For millions of Christians across our nation, this is a bitter pill to swallow. It’s always easier to submit and to pray for someone when he was our preferred candidate. But the rubber really meets the road when the person who takes office is not the one we supported. Here is our chance to show that Christians are not hypocrites. When Joe Biden becomes president, we should commend him for the things he does right. We should condemn the things he does wrong. And above all, we must pray fervently for our president.”

This endorsement is a big blow to the Trump administration, who’s been drafting lawsuits in multiple states alleging voter fraud even as election officials fervently deny any evidence to support that claim. Jeffress isn’t the only Trump ally shading the president’s inability to admit defeat — his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill and foreign allies have also congratulated Biden and pushed for a smooth transition of power — but considering how influential Evangelicals were in putting Trump and other right-wing conservatives in power, Jeffress’ post might be the final nail in the coffin when it comes to that specific group of Trump’s fan club.

Naturally, Twitter’s enjoying the hell out of it.

You know it’s bad when even the Evangelicals tell you there’s no hope.

The NBA plans on playing games in home markets during the 2020-21 season, which is slated to tip off on Dec. 22. Part of the reason why is that the league wants to be able to have fans in attendance, which would be a way to boost revenue after the league had to go with a fan-less environment during its Orlando Bubble.

The issue, of course, is that the NBA is trying to pull this off despite being in the midst of a global pandemic. On Wednesday afternoon, we got a glimpse into the guidelines the league will put into place thanks to a memo it sent to all 30 teams, as acquired by Shams Charania of The Athletic. Included in the memo is a guideline that states fans who get close to the court will need to provide proof of a negative COVID test.

The league also has mask requirements in place and will not allow fans close to the court to eat. There are also requirements that teams will need to meet based on how their localities are handling the virus.

It is unclear if the league would have any failsafes in place to stop games altogether, or if these various rules would be amenable based on the virus getting better or worse in a given area. There is also no word on how a potential COVID vaccine would impact any of this.

This year marked the 20th anniversary of Eminem’s influential album The Marshall Mathers LP. To celebrate two decades of the record, Eminem re-released his videos “The Real Slim Shady,” “The Way I Am,” and “Stan” on in HD on YouTube. But now, Eminem is saluting another major milestone: The rapper’s “Without Me” video has officially surpassed one billion views on YouTube.

Celebrating the impressive feat, the rapper has also given his 2002 “Without Me” video an HD treatment so that fans can get the full experience. The visual has everything — from Eminem cross-dressing on a faux talk show to the rapper dancing on Elvis Presley’s turd — and showcases the heyday of MTV-era videos. Antics aside, the visual’s general plot follows Eminem and Dre. Dre as the two MC’s are called on a mission to stop a young child from listening to the rapper’s explicit record.

While the video just now broke a billion views, the rapper’s The Eminem Show had already garnered a handful of accolades. At the time of its release, The Eminem Show was the best-selling album of 2002 and has since been certified Diamond. The album has seen worldwide sales of 27 million copies, according to NME, which is tied with Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me as the second best-selling album of the century, behind Adele’s 21.

Watch Eminem’s “Without Me” video in HD above.

The biggest news in the Jeopardy! universe right now is the death of the show’s most important figure: Longtime host Alex Trebek recently passed away at 80 years old after a fight with pancreatic cancer. This doesn’t mean the show will suddenly go off the air, though. After Trebek’s death, executive producer Mike Richards shared a heartfelt message about Trebek and about the show, noting that the remaining episodes (35 of them at the time) would be aired as planned, the last of which is set to air on Christmas. Before then, though, Mariah Carey popped up on the program, as she had her own category.

On last night’s episode, one of the categories was titled simply “Mariah Carey,” and the titular singer read all of the clues. The questions and answers were all related to her career, with some answers including Jay-Z, Precious, and “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

Ahead of the episode, Carey shared a promo clip and wrote on Twitter, “Saddened by the passing of our beloved Alex Trebek. He is a staple of American TV and will be so missed. I recently taped clues for my category on @Jeopardy, and will be watching this bittersweet moment with all of you today. Thank you, Alex. RIP.”

Watch Carey’s Jeopardy! appearance above.

Courtney Bell is an up-and-coming rapper from Detroit whose gift for witty wordsmithing in singles like “Say You Wanna” and “Ice” has put him on the radars of traditional rap fans this year and garnered him a respectable following for a rapper without an official album out yet. Bell’s talent has secured a trustworthy cosign from Compton’s Boogie on his latest single, “Lion’s Den,” ensuring that his underground credibility and profile will grow before too much longer.

The song’s lyrics find the conscious-minded Bell and the street-centric Boogie taking on a topic that’s been at the forefront of the news cycle throughout 2020: The ongoing pattern of racially-motivate police brutality that has turned so many Black people’s names into hashtags and reasons for protest. Drawing on his religious beliefs, Bell defies the conditions that oppress Black people, while Boogie maintains “my heart is not on auction.”

In the video, the duo and their crew surround and bully a police officer who pointed his gun at them, hammering home the idea that officers are meant to protect and serve the people, who should hold more power than them. It ends with a list of names of people killed by police in recent years, including Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Breonna Taylor, and more.

Although it’s been a relatively quiet year for Boogie, who is billed to appear on LVRN’s Home For The Holidays Christmas album later this year, he did have appearances on Reason’s “Trapped In” and Guapdad 4000’s “Hairless Horseman.”

Watch the “Lion’s Den” video above.