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Donald Trump may still hold sway over the Republican party, but not every conservative is afraid of him. When he announced his own presidential campaign, Chris Christie came out swinging against his old pal, making his mission to de-MAGA the GOP. Trump predictably responded with fat jokes. But Christie isn’t fazed.

On Sunday, the former New Jersey governor went on Fox News’ MediaBuzz, where host Howard Kurtz asked him about Trump cracking wise about his weight. Christie just scoffed.

“What? Like he’s some Adonis? Please,” Christie replied, hinting at Trump’s own unchiseled figure. “I don’t know what his point is. You know what it is? It’s like a child. It’s a bully on the schoolyard who teases you and makes fun of you. But here’s my message to him: I don’t care what he says about me. I don’t care what he thinks about me.”

He added, “And he should take a look in the mirror every once in a while. Maybe he’d drop the weight thing off of his list of criticisms.”

Kurtz also asked Christie about how he supported him, at least publicly, through the majority of his presidency, finally turning after his post-2020 election antics. Did Christie wait too long to snap, Kurtz asked?

“I don’t think I waited too long, Howie,” Christie replied. “I think that the right thing to do is to try to make the person who is in the White House the very best president he can be for the whole country. That’s what I tried to do. Turned out that I failed at doing that. So if you want to criticize me for not changing Donald Trump despite my best efforts, I’ll plead guilty to that.”

Christie hasn’t been afraid to talk smack about the guy currently crushing it in the polls. Last week he even welcomed jeers from a revved-up MAGA crowd, telling them, “You can boo all you want.”

(Via Mediaite)

The Phoenix Suns made a gigantic trade earlier this offseason by bringing in Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. With Beal joining Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, a major question that popped up in the aftermath revolved around the future of No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, as the big man had been at the center of trade rumors for the last year and was viewed as a logical candidate for Phoenix to trade in the event it wanted to build out its roster a bit.

As it turns out, the team is changing course on his future. According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, the Suns want to keep Ayton around and see how he looks alongside the Beal, Booker, and Durant trio.

Despite the fact that Ayton wasn’t quite as efficient last year as he was in the past, it makes sense to keep him around, as Phoenix doesn’t have any centers under contract right now — both Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale are unrestricted free agents this summer. Earlier in the offseason, new Suns coach Frank Vogel expressed his excitement over getting to coach Ayton, going as far as to say he believed Ayton could be one of the NBA’s best big men.

Ayton averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game during the 2022-23 season.

Last week Spotify parted ways with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Initial reports painted it as an amicable split. Then Bill Simmons, the streamer’s podcast honcho, went and called them “f*cking grifters.” But Spotify doesn’t appear to be the only media company frustrated with the semi-ex-royals.

As per The Sun (as caught by The Daily Beast), Netflix is really pushing on the pair to come up with more quality shows as part of their massive $103 million deal. So far they’ve only done one: the hit documentary Harry and Meghan.

As such, the streamer has only paid them half of the money they’re owed. A source says they’ll get the rest when they make more arresting programs. If they don’t, they’ll get nothing.

“Netflix was pleased to sign Harry and Meghan and is looking for some great ideas going forward,” the source told The Sun. “But the remainder of the deal relies on them producing those good ideas. The deal’s continually under review which is normal for ones of this magnitude.”

Harry does have an upcoming series slated for August: Heart of Invictus, about the Olympic-style games he started for wounded ex-service competitors. But Meghan’s proposed animated show Pearl, about a girl inspired by historical figures, was dropped after being picked up.

Last week, a source told The Sun that things aren’t great between Harry and Meghan and Netflix. Meghan, they said, “lives in her own bubble,” and doesn’t appear to have “grasped the economic reality”. The source added, “There is a less friendly attitude from some at the top. The feeling is that the lemon has been fully squeezed. The big bucks Harry and Meghan signed on for do not exist today.”

(Via The Sun and The Daily Beast)

James Mangold is no stranger to franchise pictures. He’s directed two Wolverine movies, including the autumnal, R-rated send-off Logan. He also helmed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, subbing in for no less than Steven Spielberg. But in a new interview with Variety, he seems wearily resigned to the franchise mindset that’s taken over Hollywood. He doesn’t even seem thrilled that Hugh Jackman’s X-Men character is coming back for Deadpool 3.

“I can’t say that there’s a part of me that doesn’t wish that we’d let it be,” Mangold confesses, in a bit caught by The AV Club. He then suggested his return was always an inevitability, even though Mangold gave him a moving farewell:

“But there was always going to be another Wolverine. There could be a baby Wolverine and a cartoon Wolverine. As much liquid as they can squeeze out of that rag, they’re going to try to. I don’t measure my success on a movie like Logan with whether we ended the conversation. I ended my conversation.”

Mangold doesn’t even want to do the threatened (but far from officialized) Indy spin-off starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s conspirator Helena Shaw.

“I’m not interested,” Mangold said, smiling and waving his hand dismissively. “I refuse. I just can’t do it.” He then explained the burden of making such a series. “The amount of lore and Easter eggs and fan service starts to become antithetical to any of this stuff at a certain point. It isn’t storytelling anymore. It’s large-scale advertising.”

Over his long career, Mangold has made plenty of non-franchise one-offs. There’s not going to be a sequel to his 2019 hit Ford v Ferrari, but there is already another Ferrari movie en route from an even more acclaimed filmmaker.

(Via Variety and The AV Club)

Are Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg really going to cage fight? Possibly! Last week the Twitter/Tesla/Space X honcho seemed to joke about duking it out with the Facebook/Meta guy. Alas, the Facebook/Meta guy seemed into the idea. UFC chief Dana Whit3 later confirmed that the two social media giants were “absolutely dead serious” about beating each other up. That may be true, but one of them is admitting that, if it happens, it might not go so well for him.

As per Insider, Musk appeared on a Twitter Space session hosted by Bloomberg reporter Ashley Vance. The first question wasn’t about something monumental like him condemning the word “cisgender” as a slur on Twitter. It was about his proposed duel with Zuck. Musk admitted he’d have to put in some work beforehand.

“Well I haven’t started training yet. If it does happen I will train,” Musk said.

Vance pointed out that, though Musk is taller and bulkier than Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg is the more experienced fighter. On top of winning jiu-jitsu fights, he’s also trained in kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, and boxing. Vance concluded that Zuckerberg “takes this stuff pretty seriously,” adding, “This could go badly.”

Musk admitted that “yeah that’s possible,” but said that the fight still “might actually happen.”

If the tussle actually happens, it might be the logical endpoint of the feud between the two. Not only has Zuckerberg been working on a Twitter rival, but the two have reportedly been slighting each other’s successes.

(Via Insider)

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

TIE: 10. Fast X (Universal film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime Video)

If you weren’t one of the millions of people to watch Jason Momoa shake up the family’s sprawling world — and yell “hey dorks!” while declaring that everyone is going to Hell — then now is your chance to shake the walls of your home theater setup. This film might feel overstuffed, but seriously, it took dedication to pack everyone into this film, so maybe sit back and enjoy the ride? We don’t need to overthink anything when Jason Statham and Charlize Theron are back, Brie Larson appears on the scene as well, and then The Rock makes a cameo. This franchise remains all about the spectacle.

TIE: 10. The Idol (HBO series streaming on Max)

No one ever expected Euphoria creator Sam Levinson to make a nice and polite show, but he and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye sure did dive into controversy here. The first few weeks attracted plenty of curious viewers, but as the episodes wear forth, do heed the trigger warnings. Still, the season is young, so there may very well be a shift, and HBO recently shut down rumors that the show had already been outruled for a subsequent season. At minimum, at least the world is very excited to see more of Blackpink’s Jennie, and hopefully, Rachel Sennot’s assistant character can pull Jocelyn out of Tedros’ clutches.

9. Flamin’ Hot (Searchlight Pictures film streaming on Hulu and Disney+)

Eva Longoria has made her directorial debut, and the film performed so well that she’s apparently received shipments of scripts from which to choose her next adventure. In this film, she captures the “true” story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), the Mexican-American Frito Lay janitor who pounced upon an opportunity and transformed Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a full-on sensation, rather than a mere snack.

8. The Crowded Room (Apple TV+ series)

Tom Holland certainly stepped away from his Marvel ways in this inspired-by-true-crime story series that takes a lot of creative liberties. Holland portrays “Danny Sullivan,” who deals out lifetimes of turmoil upon himself and others. Amanda Seyfried plays an investigator who is charged with piecing together a complicated chain of events that might be a little too convoluted for some. Again, the show takes a fictionalized spin on reality, many years after Leonardo DiCaprio nearly starred as a more straightforward version of the the real-life defendant who successfully invokes a novel legal strategy.

7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony movie available for rental on Amazon)

What are you waiting for? This original film never gets old, and then you can go rewatch the sequel, which manages to be even more glorious (both from storytelling and visual perspectives) than its predecessor. Yes, there’s much more for Gwen lovers in the second film, but the first installment was a game-changer and proof that both Disney and Sony can continue to provide more Peter Parker incarnations, and there is room for all. Besides, there’s a reason why the first film landed at the top of our Favorite Comic Book Movies list from last decade, so a refresher is more than worth it.

6. Black Mirror (Netflix series)

If anyone was worried that Charlie Brooker’s brainchild might come a little too close these days to our real-life dystopia, well, those fears can be dashed. This season includes a hefty dose of Netflix being dragged by a Netflix show, and there seem to always be more technologically-fueled nightmares to provide endless, Bandersnatch-esque permutations. This season includes episodes starring Salma Hayek, Zazie Beetz, Annie Murphy, Josh Hartnett, Aaron Paul, Michael Cera, Paapa Essiedu, Rob Delaney, and the one and only Rory Culkin.

5. Secret Invasion (Disney+ series)

It’s time for another Marvel spy series, finally. Much like with the The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Nick Fury is not having the time of his life, and he’s definitely off his game after Thanos’ genocidal shenanigans. He fully embodies the “one last job” trope while the Skrulls head back into villain mode after somehow being helpful during Captain Marvel. Ben Mendelsohn returns as Talos, and Emilia Clarke and Olivia Colman formally join the MCU here.

4. Extraction 2 (Netflix film)

The people came out again for Chris Hemsworth’s Tyler Rake, so Netflix has already greenlit a third film. A 21-minute, one-take action extravaganza certainly helped to grease those wheels. Overall, it’s nice to see that the first film was no pandemic fluke, and no one can be mad at Hemsworth finding great success without donning the Thor wig.

3. Silo (Apple TV+ series)

Likewise, a second-season renewal landed in the cards, so that we can see more of Justified creator Graham Yost’s take on Hugh Howey’s best-selling Wool omnibus. The first season covered about half of that first book, and it remains to be seen whether Shift and Dust will meet the Apple TV+ small screen, but this series is not disappointing fans of the book series while bringing an 180+ story silo to life with the story of Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson), who rises to the top to everyone’s surprise, including her own. Also, there’s a whole lot of Common’s leather jacket to be dodged in this procedural take on one of the first book’s mysteries and. Sure, there are a few out-of-place accents, but overall, this series is a stunner in a positive way.

2. The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC series streaming on AMC+)

In this Manhattan-bound misadventure, Maggie and Negan unwisely did what Rick Grimes did during his first major f*ck-up: head into the big city. However, the not-so-dream team have no choice if they want to rescue Hershel Rhees, son of Glenn and Maggie. Overall, this season is a thrilling throwback and managed the highest cable drama series debut of 2023 so far. Negan is back to (some of) his old tricks, and Maggie is the one bashing brains. The change of venue works, although it can’t be as fancy as Daryl in Paris.

1. The Bear (FX series streaming on Hulu)

Hell yes, Chef! The sophomore season of this series retains that flavorful heat, both in and out of out of the kitchen. The show leaps into various characters’ offshoot explorations in order to come together again as a group and run a much classier, and hopefully (someday) smoother-running version of their old sandwich joint. Jeremy Allen White remains full of intensity, Ayo Edebiri is still showing off the brains of the operation, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach gets to take Ritchie into several new gears. You could dig Richie after this season comes to a close, and there are guest stars out the tush this year. I’m not sure how they pulled off a near-perfect season again, but goddamn, they did.

One member of the Philadelphia 76ers whose name has popped up in trade rumors for quite some time is Tobias Harris. While it’s unclear if he’s completely on the trade block this summer, Harris would be the logical odd man out if the team is looking to shake things up following their heartbreaking loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Sixers want to bring back James Harden in free agency and put him alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The issue is finding a trade for Harris, a good player but one who is about to enter the final year of his contract and is owed just under $40 million this season. It turns out part of the problem, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Enquirer, is that the team’s front office is asking for a whole lot in return for Harris, with Pompey using the Cleveland Cavaliers as an example.

Last week, sources told The Inquirer the Sixers are overvaluing Harris and asking for “outrageous packages in return.” That goes in line with what a source said the Sixers told the Cavs what it would take days before the draft: A package of Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and a draft pick.
…
The reported deals go in line with their having no intention of trading Harris at this time. A move that drastically improves the team is the only thing that would budge them from their stance.

It goes without saying, but there is no chance that the Cavs would give up Allen, Mobley, and a pick for Harris. We’ll see if something a little more reasonable ends up popping up as the summer rolls along.

For the last six months Marjorie Taylor Greene has tried to rebrand as the most sensible of Congress’ chaotic MAGA gang. She helped Kevin McCarthy (barely) clinch the Speaker of the House job. She’s turned on her old bestie Lauren Boebert. But old habits die hard. She’s also trying to get Joe Biden flimsily impeached. And after the attempted coup in Russia was called off, she had a wacko conspiracy theory at the ready.

“After our government has been funding a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine for over a year, I sure hope our government isn’t behind a coup attempt currently happening in Russia,” Greene tweeted on Saturday. “Regime change in a nuclear armed country may lead to terrible consequences the American people don’t want.”

Greene’s sentiment echoes claims made by Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, who floated a similar idea, citing (weirdly!) the false intel embraced and disseminated by the Bush II administration to justify the invasion of Iraq 20 years ago.

On Friday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the brutal Russian mercenary group Wagner (and also a chef), called for an armed rebellion over the year-and-a-half-long invasion of Ukraine. He and his men (which he claims amounts to 25,000 soldiers) claimed to take over the city of Rostov-on-Don, with the plans to head for Moscow. When they were mere hours from the capital, Prigozhin called off the coup, claiming he didn’t want there to be any further Russian bloodshed.

News of a near coup from righteously aggrieved Russian forces led many to drag Vladimir Putin’s American supporters, including Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, and, yes, Marjorie Taylor Greene.

(Via Raw Story)

Ice Spice is having quite the year. Last summer, she laid the groundwork for superstardom with her viral hits, “Munch (Feelin’ U)” and “Bikini Bottom.” This year, she’s earned a top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her PinkPantheress collaboration, “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2,” and has collaborated with the likes of Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj.

Given her rapid rise to fame, fans have been curious about the team behind her, helping her make the magic happen.

Who is Ice Spice signed to?

Back in April, there was slight speculation that Ice may have signed to Minaj’s label, Heavy On It, as Minaj shouted out her imprint at the beginning of their remix to “Princess Diana.” However, this was later confirmed to not be the case.

Ice is currently signed to Capitol Records and 10K Projects. And evidently, she got a deal that most artists dream of. In an interview with Billboard, it was revealed that Ice owns her publishing rights and her master recordings, and has full creative control over her sound.

“No one on the label side touches the music,” 10K co-president Zach Friedman said. “There is no traditional A&R with her. No one’s picking beats, no one’s saying, ‘Do this, do that.’ It’s all her. We’re on her schedule.”

This fall, Ice will join Doja Cat and Doechii on Doja’s Scarlet tour.

In case you didn’t know, Meghan McCain is the daughter of the late John McCain. It’s likely you do know that. After all, she has brought up her father frequently in public. One could also argue that she wouldn’t be as prominent a public figure had she not been the scion of a noted senator and presidential candidate. So when she wrote a scathing takedown of Hunter Biden, calling him a “product of nepotism,” people kind of couldn’t believe it.

In a new op-ed published by The Daily Mail, the former View co-host (who’s definitely gotten over her tenure there) wrote that the sitting president’s son “could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and still get invited back into the Presidential fold” — a pointed reference to something Donald Trump once (accurately) said about his relationship with his base.

Last week, Hunter agreed to a plea bargain over to two misdemeanor charges. The move enraged the Republican party, McCain included. After rattling off his alleged crimes as well as his pouncing on his drug addiction issues, she called him an “elitist scumbag, the ultimate product of nepotism.”

After the column was published, people took to social media to accuse the author of being a pot who called the kettle black.

McCain isn’t always wrong about things. Earlier this year she called out the “dumbest” political obsession, namely the GOP making wild claims about gas stoves. But even there she still managed to get dragged.

(Via The Daily Mail)