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In a typically brazen move, Donald Trump visited East Palestine, Ohio, which nearly three weeks ago was the site of a train derailment that blanketed the area in toxic chemicals. Not only was it terrifying, it was also avoidable: Early in his lone term, Trump himself undid federal safety measures meant to avert similar disasters. The right has played mock-concerned over the incident. Had he any shame, Trump would have stayed far away. Instead he held a cynical event there. That’s not all: He also shilled for one of his bozo products.

“What this community needs now are not excuses… but answers and results,” Trump told the crowd about an accident that wouldn’t have happened had his administration not zapped his predecessor’s work. He also trashed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose due in the area the following day, saying he “should’ve been here already.”

Trump also had a surprise: “thousands of bottle of water —Trump water, actually. Most of it. Some of it, we had to go to a much lesser quality water.”

Trump has a long, long history of failed products, from Trump Steaks to Trump University to Trump Shuttle to Trump: The Game. Trump Ice is one of them, having been discontinued in 2010. Did he have a stash of them somewhere in Mar-a-Lago? Was he really giving the residents of an area hit with an airborne toxic event old spring water? If so, then they might have the same reaction as Sylvester Stallone.

The Biden administration put out a statement on Wednesday pinning the blame for the catastrophe on the Trump team. Naturally when asked about it, Trump pinned the blame elsewhere, claiming he “had nothing to do with it.”

(Via The Daily Beast)

SZA was named Billboard‘s Woman Of The Year today, February 22. It stands to reason, considering she hasn’t stopped breaking Billboard charting records since the December release of SOS. She has every right to talk her talk right now, but instead, she’s still coming to terms with SOS succeeding at all.

“Right now, I just have extreme gratitude because I swear to God, I never thought I’d be No. 1 for even a week, let alone seven,” SZA told Heran Mamo for the accompanying cover story, speaking of SOS logging seven consecutive weeks (and nine total weeks) at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

She also used the interview to shine a light on other women in music:

“There’s nobody in the industry that f*cks with me and that I f*ck with the way that Lizzo f*cks with me and the way I f*ck with her. She never made me feel like because I don’t have a No. 1 song or I [previously] didn’t have a No. 1 album that I wasn’t capable. She’d been telling me that she thought I was the one for years. The way that she thinks of me so highly as a human being and as an artist means so much to me. I just have never met anybody like her in this entire industry.

“There’s a lot of women I look up to in general that I don’t know personally, but watching them is incredible. Beyoncé, but who doesn’t look up to Beyoncé? I love Jozzy’s and Starrah’s energy. I love the way Nija is from New Jersey and has been able to transmute her energy from being a writer to an artist. Kehlani’s hella effervescent, and you can just feel the energy when she’s performing. I love Chloe Bailey and her commitment to perfection — I feel like she’s going to be a legend. Even Taylor [Swift] letting that whole situation go with her masters and then selling all of those f*cking records. That’s the biggest ‘f*ck you’ to the establishment I’ve ever seen in my life, and I deeply applaud that sh*t.”

Chlöe responded to SZA’s shout-out by tweeting, “Love you always @sza the feeling is mutual.”

Chlöe has a chance to prove SZA right with In Pieces, her debut solo album due out on March 31. She’s already made quite the stir with singles “Pray It Away” and “How Does It Feel” featuring Chris Brown.

Meanwhile, SZA is continuing to ride the success of SOS on her supporting headlining tour, which hits Chicago’s United Center tonight. Omar Apollo is the opener.

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

Daft Punk sadly became a thing of the past on February 22, 2021, when The revolutionary Parisian duo of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter shared their “Epilogue” video to confirm the end of Daft Punk.

Random Access Memories was the definition of going out on top. The album released in May 2013 but somehow was Daft Punk’s final studio release — although, Daft Punk later notched their first and only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as featured artists on The Weeknd’s “Starboy” — and won Grammys for Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year (“Get Lucky”).

Today, February 22, Daft Park marked the two-year anniversary of their breakup by announcing plans to honor the 10-year anniversary of Random Access Memories. May 12 will see the release of Random Access Memories (1oth Anniversary Edition).

“The album marked a new creative approach for Daft Punk, recorded over the course of several years using analog equipment rather than digital, with first time collaborations with a host of musical luminaries including Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Giorgio Moroder, Todd Edwards and Paul Williams,” a press release read, in part. “Random Access Memories 10th Anniversary Edition, Daft Punk pull the curtain back on some of the intimate creative process behind the album: 35 minutes of unreleased music across nine tracks.”

It continues, “This expanded edition will be available in various formats: 3 LPs, 2 CDs, streaming, and download. Additionally the original album will be made available for the first time in Atmos.” It’s all available for pre-order here.

Die-hard Daft Punk fans can also look forward to Bangalter’s solo debut album, Mythologies, due out on April 7.

See the Random Access Memories 10th Anniversary Edition tracklist below.

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

We spend a lot of time looking at things up close, particularly our screens. For many of us, it’s the first thing we look at in the morning, the last thing we look at before going to sleep and the thing we look at most during all those hours in between. According to a study commissioned by Vision Direct, the average American will spend 44 years looking at a screen. You read that right. Over. Four. Decades.

Really, it’s no wonder that eyesight has worsened. Experts have declared that myopia, aka nearsightedness, has grown to an epidemic level. In addition, we suffer more headaches and migraines, get poor sleep, and tend to feel more fatigued.

Luckily, there are a few things we can do to help, whether we boast 20/20 vision or are already constantly squinting.

Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, well known for his podcast “Huberman Lab,” breaks down all kinds of science-based life hacks for health, wellness and fitness.

In addition to studying the brain, one of Huberman’s main research topics is vision. In a video shared by Be Inspired, Huberman shares two simple exercises that can dramatically help improve eyesight.

First and foremost, we need to allow our vision to relax.

You can’t do this just by looking up from your computer screen. Instead, Huberman suggests going to a window and looking out at a distance. Ideally you would open the window, since windows filter out a lot of the blue light and sunlight that you want during the daytime. Better yet, go to a balcony, relax your eyes, and look out at the horizon. This allows the eyes to relax and go into panoramic vision, relieving stress and fatigue.

According to Huberman, you should be doing some kind of relaxation of the eyes, face and jaw for every 30 minutes of focused work—at least every 90 minutes.

Second, stimulate the eyes by focusing on motion.

Smooth pursuit is our natural ability to track individual objects moving through space. You can train or improve your vision simply by stimulating this mechanism. To do this, Huberman suggests taking a few minutes each day or every three days to visually track a ball. Or, getting outside to watch objects move around. Think swooping birds, falling leaves, etc. If you couldn’t tell, Huberman is a big proponent of going outside.

Bottom line: The eyes are a muscle. Just like our biceps, they need stimulation and relaxation. And while we might not be able to get this kind of nourishment from our tiny screens, our natural environment provides.

Check out the full video below:

Daft Punk sadly became a thing of the past on February 22, 2021, when The revolutionary Parisian duo of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter shared their “Epilogue” video to confirm the end of Daft Punk.

Random Access Memories was the definition of going out on top. The album released in May 2013 but somehow was Daft Punk’s final studio release — although, Daft Punk later notched their first and only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as featured artists on The Weeknd’s “Starboy” — and won Grammys for Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year (“Get Lucky”).

Today, February 22, Daft Park marked the two-year anniversary of their breakup by announcing plans to honor the 10-year anniversary of Random Access Memories. May 12 will see the release of Random Access Memories (1oth Anniversary Edition).

“The album marked a new creative approach for Daft Punk, recorded over the course of several years using analog equipment rather than digital, with first time collaborations with a host of musical luminaries including Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers,Giorgio Moroder, Todd Edwards and Paul Williams,” a press release read, in part. “Random Access Memories 10th Anniversary Edition, Daft Punk pull the curtain back on some of the intimate creative process behind the album: 35 minutes of unreleased music across nine tracks.”

It continues, “This expanded edition will be available in various formats: 3 LPs, 2 CDs, streaming, and download. Additionally the original album will be made available for the first time in Atmos.” It’s all available for pre-order here.

Die-hard Daft Punk fans can also look forward to Bangalter’s solo debut album, Mythologies, due out on April 7.

See the Random Access Memories 10th Anniversary Edition tracklist below.

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

Paul Mescal’s star has ascended very quickly. He first broke through three years back as one of the stars of the early-days-of-quarantine BBC import sensation Normal People. At only 27, he already has his first Oscar nomination for the art film drama Aftersun. On top of all that, last month he nabbed the lead in Gladiator 2. Rumors were that getting the gig was a difficult, painstaking process. But now Mescal has revealed that, no, it was actually kind of just simple and boring.

In a new profile by The Hollywood Reporter, Mescal talked about nabbing the role of Lucius, the son of Joaquin Phoenix’s Roman emperor Commodus, who ate it when Russell Crowe’s avenging Maximus shoved a blade in his throat. Lucius was played by then-tween Spencer Treat Clark, and though Clark still acts — he reprised his Unbreakable role in 2019’s Glass — rumor was that Gladiator 2 director Ridley Scott and team were thinking more along the lines of Timothée Chalamet (whose manager shot down reports that he auditioned for the gig).

But the part went to Mescal. What shenanigans did he have to do to get the reportedly much-coveted role? Well, Scott contacted Mescal and they “discussed the parameters of the story. Then, after the fact, I was given a script.”

Exciting! “And I’m so proud I get to make it,” Mescal added. “It’s an intimidating feat. It’s something I’m nervous about but something I feel like I can do.”

So there you have it! A good actor whose star is on the rise had an easy time getting a meaty role in one of those much-anticipated belated sequels Hollywood likes to make these days. And he’s excited to do it despite being a bit nervous. Good for him! It’s nice when nice things happen to people who seem nice.

(Via THR)

It looks like Florence Welch will soon be taking to the theater. Today (February 22), Producers Amanda Ghost and Len Blavatnik for Unigram/Access Entertainment, Jordan Roth, and American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University have announced Gatsby, a new stage adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Gatsby will be directed by Rachel Chavkin and choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, both of whom are Tony Award winners. Chavkin has previously directed shows like Hadestown and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812. Tayeh has previously choreographed Moulin Rouge, and Hulu’s musical series, UPHERE.

Additionally, Gatsby will feature new music by Welch, along with Thomas Bartlett.

Other details about the play have been kept mum, however, it seems as though this stage adaptation has been in the works for years. Back in 2021, Welch issued a press statement announcing that she was working on a stage adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

“This book has haunted me for a large part of my life. It contains some of my favorite lines in literature,” said Welch (per NME). “Musicals were my first love, and I feel a deep connection to Fitzgerald’s broken romanticism. It is an honor to have been offered the chance to recreate this book in song.”

It can’t always be easy for Fox News staffers, whose job involves keeping their viewers in a constant state of outrage. Sometimes the pickings are thin. When times are desperate, Tucker Carlson will flip out over M&Ms, which he wishes were sexier. Or they’ll go after kiddie stuff: Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Muppets, Dr. Seuss, Looney Tunes. Well, guess what? Now they’re mad over “woke Legos.”

On Wednesday, the longtime line of plastic toys announced they were expanding their output to include not only building sets but also streaming content that will feature more “authentic, interesting and passionate characters.” That also means they’ll have figures that represent a broader swatch of children, including ones with Down’s Syndrome, anxiety, and missing limbs.

Perhaps you think this is nice. Perhaps you don’t really care and can carry on living your life. Not Fox News hosts. Learning that the toy company was digging in deeper into inclusion and diversity, they threw one of their hissy fits.

“Say it ain’t so,” host Harris Faulkner bellowed, “Lego is going woke!” Faulkner, an adult human with a probably enviable salary, then tried to enrage her viewers about the latest toy menace.

“The company unveiling a range of new characters in the effort to be more inclusive,” Faulkner said. “Lego says the new characters will promote diversity and understanding. Some will have anxiety issues. I don’t know how you show that. One will have a missing limb. Another Down’s Syndrome. These are really important issues.”

Faulkner then brought on Fox News Radio host Jimmy Failla, who said he “definitely” didn’t want Legos that could cater to kids with certain issues. He then made a joke about drag queens.

“But what’s so fascinating about this story is the divide in the country,” Failla railed. “Republicans think it is insane that they are forcing identity politics into Legos. Democrats are upset they didn’t make a drag queen stripper. They’re like, ‘You call this a children’s toy? What kind of set is this?’”

Failla wasn’t done. “But the reason they force identity into toys is because they think identity comes with a built-in political orientation, and that’s what they’re after here,” he steamed. “I’m not having it.”

Of course, since Fox News isn’t covering the bombshell story about how Fox News was caught lying to their viewers about voter fraud in the 2020 election, maybe they just needed to find something, anything to put on air and settled on Legos.

(Via The Daily Beast)

There were a lot of colorful characters who were arrested for taking part in the Jan. 6 riot. There’s QAnon Shaman, obviously. And the “influencer” who posted her misdeeds on social media. And the guy who claimed he stormed the Capitol while pounding Coors Light. Perhaps you forgot about the guy who was arrested while wearing a self-incriminating shirt that read “I Was There.” Well, nearly two years later, he’s finally been sentenced.

As per NBC News, Garrett Miller, an unemployed Texan who had also threatened Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on social media after his D.C. jaunt, has been handed 38 months in the clink. Prosecutor had asked for 48 months. Miller’s defense lawyer asked for 30. So the judge split it about down the middle.

When arrested in March of 2021, Miller was famously wearing a shirt featuring a giant picture of former president Donald Trump. “Take America Back,” it read, as well as the damning words, “I was there, Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021.”

Miller had pled guilty to 11 of the counts against him, which included “assaulting, resisting or impeding” officers during the riot.” For his Ocasio-Cortez threat, he’d been charged with an “interstate threat to injure or kidnap” the congresswoman. Then there was his “entering or remaining in a restricted building,” i.e., the Capitol.

On top of all this, Miller had also “openly discussed his desire to doxx the officer” who shot Ashli Babbitt, the MAGA woman killed during the skirmish, and “hug his neck with a nice rope.”

Anyway, so many Jan. 6 rioters have been sentenced to the slammer that perhaps Miller will find himself sharing a cell with one of them. Maybe the guy who was arrested while in a touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

(Via NBC News)

Atlanta rap crooner 6lack — still pronounced “Black” — hasn’t exactly been out of the spotlight for the past couple of years, but his musical output has been restricted mainly to collaborations. He’s appeared on new singles from artists like Saba, Eli Derby, Kaash Paige, and Jessie Reyez, but the only solo work he dropped recently was a cover of Mos Def’s “Umi Says” for Apple.

That changed earlier this month when he teamed up with Water Boyz N The Hood to hand out roses on Valentine’s Day (true to his romantic persona) and appeared to tease new music. Then, this week, he confirmed that his next project would be called S.I.H.L. and have a March release date while showing off a few tidbits from it on his website.

Today, he unveiled the meaning behind the title’s acronym and previewed the first single from the project while sharing its official release date. S.I.H.L. stands for Since I Have a Lover, and it’s due on March 24. The single, which bears the same title, will drop on March 1. The preview promises a change of pace from the usually downtempo 6lack, with an upbeat guitar riff giving a more optimistic vibe than most of his prior output. Considering he dropped his last album, East Atlanta Love Letter, nearly five years ago, it makes sense that his life has taken him in new directions, and the music certainly appears to reflect that.

Since I Have a Lover is due 3/24 via LVRN/Interscope. You can pre-order it here.