We often hear stories of dogs rescuing humans from precarious situations, but rarely do we hear such stories about cats. In fact, our feline friends have such a reputation for aloofness, people often joke that cats basically don’t care whether we thrive or perish.

One woman’s cat in Cornwall, England is defying that stereotype, however.

When an 83-year-old woman went missing last weekend, concerned neighbors alerted the police and a search was begun, according to BBC News. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for her to be found, thanks to her loyal cat, Piran. The sleek black kitty meowed incessantly at the spot where the woman had fallen down a ravine at the edge of her property, which led neighbors to look there.

“The cat is very attached to her, and he was going back and forth in the gateway and meowing, so I decided to go and search the maize field,” neighbor Tamar Longmuir told Sky News.

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“Without the cat waiting at the gate to that field, it could have been hours later that I or anyone else would have checked there.”

The ravine was 70-feet deep, “with incredibly difficult access and uneven terrain” and a stream at the bottom, according to BBC News. Fire crews were able to scale the ravine to get to her and she was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she was in stable condition.

“Piran the cat saved the day!” said Bodmin Police of the rescue.

Good job, Piran. Way to give cats everywhere a good name, and well done saving your beloved human.

It’s been a particularly rough week on our little rock here, hasn’t it? I won’t rehash the tragic headlines, but phew. There’s just a lot right now.

Finding joy can be a challenge in such times, but it’s a vital element of being a healthy, functioning human. Sometimes that means looking for the helpers, sometimes it means seeing the bright lights in the darkness, and sometimes it means indulging in cute animal videos because even good news stories take energy to process.

We’ve got a full mix of it all right here for you:

1. More than 100,000 people rallied to raise more than $5 million in 24 hours to rescue Afghans on the Taliban’s kill list.

In an incredible show of humanity and solidarity with the Afghan people, donations from around the world poured in for a rescue mission headed up by former special operations veterans to get targets of the Taliban flown out of Afghanistan this week. Instagram meme maker Tommy Marcus (aka “Quentin Quarantino”) launched the vetted GoFundMe to pay the cost of at least one plane—$225,000—to rescue Afghan human rights workers, translators, and their families. It only took 38 minutes to reach that goal, and 24 hours to raise 20 times that much. Read the story here.

2. Teen who spends hours a day dribbling a basketball got a surprise from his neighbors.

He was afraid people might be bothered by the sound of his basketball practice, but it turns out they just wanted to encourage him in his talents. A group of neighbors pooled together to buy him a new basketball hoop for his driveway. He hopes to play in the NBA someday. Watch:

This teenager in Canada got a knock on his door from the neighbors and thought he might be in trouble for dribbling… https://t.co/C39Ceo1WBR

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman)
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3. This Argentinian musician is literally a one-man band and it’s just mesmerizing to watch.

Santiago Moreno doesn’t just play classical flamenco guitar, which is difficult all on its own. He also plays an entire range of percussion while playing said guitar, and all we’re left saying is “WOW!” and “HOW?!?!” (Give him til 1:40 to get set up. It’s worth it, I promise.) Yay for human creativity and skill.

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You can also see more of him performing here.

4. This grandmother’s reaction to getting some surprise slippers and new clothes is just so wholesome.

People recognize pure gratitude and love when we see it, and this is definitely both. Grandma “GB” is overwhelmed, y’all. But the best part is when she puts on a new outfit and in response to her grandson’s “Dang,” she immediately says, “I know.” Get it, GB. (You can follow GB and her grandson’s adventures on TikTok.)

5. A man built a garden in Harlem 10 years ago, which blossomed into a whole urban farming initiative for children and youth.

Humans of New York shared Tony Hillery’s story, and it’s touching people’s hearts widely. It’s a beautifully uplifting tale of transformation—of an abandoned garden, a community of children, and “Mr. Tony” himself. So many gems of wisdom in this. Read the story here.

6. A Polish Olympian auctioned her silver medal to pay for a baby’s surgery, and the company that won the auction insisted that she keep it.

Just five days after winning silver in the javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics, 25-year-old Maria Andrejczyk put her hard-earned medal up for auction. She’d learned of a crowdfunding effort for an infant’s surgery in her home country of Poland and wanted to help. The supermarket chain that won the auction refused to accept the medal from her, and just donated the money instead. Goodness all around. Read the story here.

7. On a totally light and silly note, check out what happens when you add googly eyes to cut bell peppers.

Why oh why is this so delightful? Try to swipe through these pictures and not smile. It’s simply not possible. Definitely try this at home.

8. A deer brought her babies to meet her best friend, who happens to be a Golden Retriever, and holy moly the cuteness is too much.

Those of you with ovaries might want to prepare them for what you’re about to witness because mine nearly exploded watching this video. Sorry, not sorry. Buttons + G-Bro = BFF.

Golden Retriever And Deer Have Been Best Friends For 11 Years

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9. Speaking of unbearable cuteness, this is literally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and heard.

The “heard” part is vital here. Sound up for this. “Mine only best fwiend.” It’s absolutely too much and I can’t get enough.

10. Blind woman gets an uplifting surprise from a restaurant whose staff went above and beyond to wish her a happy birthday.

It’s always fun when a restaurant gives a patron a special birthday treat, but when TikTok user Natalie Te Paa realized the staff had created a Happy Birthday message for her in braille, her reaction was priceless. “So take heart,” she wrote, “despite how broken the world is right now…true kindness still exists.”

There you have it. Despite the brokenness that is so visible in our world right now, we can always find bright spots that lift our hearts, bring a smile to our faces, and restore our faith in humanity. We just have to look for them.

Earlier this week, 2K Sports began its annual process of trickling out the ratings assigned to various players in the upcoming edition of its basketball franchise, NBA 2K22. The original drop included a host of NBA ratings — the top-10 players in the game, along with the best three-point shooters and dunkers — and its top-5 WNBA players.

The latest round of ratings came on Friday, highlighted by the game announcing its top rookies in 2K22. The top-3 was not a surprise, with Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, and Evan Mobley replicating their status as the top-3 picks in the 2021 Draft and getting an 80, a 79, and a 78, respectively. The game did make a slight diversion with its fourth and fifth spots, siding with consensus big boards over what actually happened and going with Jalen Suggs and Scottie Barnes, respectively.

Cunningham, Green, Mobley, and Suggs all reacted to their ratings at Summer League, and while Cunningham and Suggs guessed their ratings exactly, Green’s actually got a bit of a bump after his performance in Las Vegas and Mobley was just a tick below his guess.

A collection of other NBA players, including Bradley Beal and Spencer Dinwiddie, learned of their ratings, too.

Some asked for their ratings, and not all of them were excited.

And from the W, Liz Cambage of the Las Vegas Aces thought she’d be an 89 and set her sights on getting into the 90s. Then, upon learning she’s already a 91 in 2K22, she raised the bar to 100.

NBA 2K22 hits consoles on Sept. 10, 2021.

During R. Kelly’s racketeering and sex trafficking trial in Brooklyn, his former tour manager dropped a bombshell regarding Aaliyah. Billboard reports that Demetrius Smith, who served as Kelly’s tour manager for twelve years, from 1984 until 1996, testified Friday that Kelly married Aaliyah while she was underage because she was pregnant. Smith reportedly testified that Kelly “told me that Aaliyah was ‘in trouble,” and added “‘Don’t call Barry [Kelly’s manager and Aaliyah’s uncle, Barry Hankerson], it’s deeper than you think.’”

Smith’s testimony further incriminates Kelly and his business manager and accountant Daryl McDavid, who allegedly helped make plans for Kelly and Aaliyah to be married, so she couldn’t testify about the pregnancy if it came to that. “R. Kelly said, ‘Aaliyah, man. She thinks she’s pregnant,’” Smith stated in his testimony “It was a shock.” The pair were married in Cook County, Illinois in 1996 — Aaliyah had turned 15 six days before, though the marriage certificate was falsified to state she was 18 at the time. Their marriage was later annulled.

Kelly is charged with racketeering and 14 other underlying acts, which includes kidnapping, sex trafficking and forced labor, as well as eight counts of violating the federal Mann Act, an act that outlaws sex trafficking across state lines. He will face ten years to life in prison if convicted on all counts. After her tragic death, fans have been disappointed that her iconic album One In A Million wasn’t on streaming services, but it officially hit streaming today.

Back in 2012, the video game company 38 Studios closed its doors for good. The video game company started by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling was going to create a massive MMO that would take on Activision Blizzard’s World of Warcraft. However, the company spent money it didn’t have and quickly drove itself into deep debt. So much debt that, right before the company closed, it stopped paying its employees. They were blindsided.

Nine years later it looks like Schilling and 38 Studios will finally be paying the employees the checks they’re owed. Kind of. According to Bloomberg, for most of them, it will only be a fraction of what they were originally supposed to receive.

Many of the staff who worked for the volatile game developer in either its Rhode Island or Maryland offices will receive payment of about 14% or 20%, respectively, of what the company owed them before it ran out of money and was forced to shut down on May 24, 2012, according to bankruptcy documents.

After nearly a decade of litigation through a Delaware court, final payouts were decided in June and recently began being distributed to staff. One former 38 Studios employee told Bloomberg News they received their check this week. Other employees said their checks had been sent to old addresses, as many of them have moved multiple times for new jobs in the years since 38 Studios closed.

The story behind the closure of 38 Studios is one of the most bizarre in recent memory. When the company was formed it went on a hiring spree of some of the industry’s most talented developers. Employees spoke highly of the work conditions and some still say it’s one of the best places they’ve ever worked. Unfortunately, the environment was masking the fact that Schilling and other executives in the company were spending money they didn’t have in hopes of earning it all back when the MMO launched. When all was said done, 38 Studios launched a single game called Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Most of it was developed in an external studio called Big Huge Games which saw their own fallout from the 38 Studios closure.

Anyone who wants a more detailed look into what happened with 38 Studios should consider reading the book PRESS RESET. Authored by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, it has several chapters on both 38 Studios, Big Huge Games, and the hundreds of employees impacted by 38 Studios closure.

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Dame D.O.L.L.A., Trippie Redd, Young Thug, and more.

Another week has come and gone without an appearance Kanye’s oft-delayed Donda. Whether that’s throwing other release schedules out of whack remains to be seen (no one wants to compete for ears with the guy who effectively ended 50 Cent), there still seem to be a few artists willing to risk being overshadowed — which means that they can get our full, more-or-less undivided attention instead.

Meanwhile, Friday saw the releases of new singles from Young Thug (“Tick Tock” from the upcoming Punk), Swae Lee (“In The Dark” with Jhene Aiko), Don Toliver (who appears on Skrillex’s “Don’t Go” with Justin Bieber), Common (“When We Move” with Black Thought), and Rico Nasty (“Magic“) along with the releases listed below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending August 20, 2021.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Blu X Mickey Factz X Nottz — The Narrative [EP]

The two former XXL Freshmen (they shared the inaugural cover in 2009, the height of the blog era) reunite after all this time for an EP of abstract raps and neck-cracking production provided by backpack rap mainstay Nottz. And hey, look! Asher Roth is here too! Remember him? Ah, nostalgia.

Chynna — Drug Opera

I hate writing this, yet I’ve had to do it way too many times in recent months: the late Chynna releases a posthumous album with a truly uncomfortable title, showcasing the talent that was taken way too soon. Collabs with Junglepussy and ASAP Ant prove she could flex alongside the best, making this one a double gut check.

Dame D.O.L.L.A. — Different On Levels The Lord Allowed

The Portland Trailblazers can breathe easy now that Dame’s more-or-less confined he’s hanging around, and his new album is also proof he’s been working just as hard on his pen game as his hoops one. This time around, he adds Blxst and Q-Tip to his growing list of high-profile co-signers along with frequent collaborators Mozzy and Lil Wayne. His “Kobe” collab with Snoop shows up here too.

Problem — Coffee Break [EP]

Presented as a “visual EP,” the Compton rapper’s latest continues to play on his “Coffe & Kush” concept as he takes on familiar-sounding production alongside Dom Kennedy while boasting his accomplishments and personal growth.

Rod Wave — SoulFly (Deluxe)

Look, man, the deluxe re-release trend has long since gotten out of hand, but since we can’t control it, we may as well roll with it, right? Here, the Floridian crooner adds nine new tracks to his most successful release, graciously eschewing the addition of any new guest stars. He sounds good and gives his fans more of a good thing.

Trippie Redd — Trip At Knight

Give the SoundCloud alum some credit; he’s probably been the most consistent member of his cohort, dropping an album a year since receiving XXL‘s cosign in 2018 — more than Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, or Ski Mask The Slump, all of whom also appear on this album, along with deceased members of their peer group, Juice WRLD and XXXTentacion.

Singles/Videos

Brittany B — “Confidence”

I can’t lie, I have a soft spot for Brittany B, a fellow Compton native who’s paid dues behind the scenes for half of the last decade, writing for and alongside John Legend, Kash Doll, Ty Dolla Sign, and even Bhad Bhabie. For the last few years she’s been part of the supporting cast of Love & Hip Hop, but re-christening herself Bee-B and adopting a Timbaland-esque beat, she reintroduces herself with a bold new look and I can’t help rooting for her.

Dro Kenji — “Kill Cupid” Feat. $not

A hazy banger with an anime-inspired video, “Kill Cupid” sets up the 10K Projects artist from Summerville, South Carolina for a potential breakout assisted by emo-rap fave $not.

Lute — “Myself”

Dreamville’s own Lute bounces back after 2020 slowed up the momentum from his single “GED (Gettin Every Dolla),” unleashing one of the hardest opening lines I’ve heard in a while.

Mo3 & Morray — “In My Blood”

Losing Mo3 in 2020 feels all the more devastating when his emotive flow is matched with Morray’s just as the latter is breaking out thanks to his own well-received debut and a co-sign from J. Cole. Under just slightly different circumstances, Mo3 could be here to celebrate both their success alongside his collaborator.

Rick Hyde — “Black Sinatra” Feat. Benny The Butcher

Benny’s BSF crew expands on the throwback sound espoused by the Griselda gang while embracing more of the mafioso rap posture of their NYC predecessors. Rick Hyde does a pretty serviceable job of painting the picture, while new Benny is always appreciated.

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

Drake is well-known for constantly keeping his hometown of Toronto on the tip of his tongue, and now the rapper has doubled down on support of “the 6” as his OVO imprint has teamed up with the University of Toronto for a collaborative merch capsule. Complex reports that the capsule includes fleece pants, a varsity jacket, hoodies, rugby polos, headwear and a tote, all emblazoned with both the signature OVO owl and the University’s maple leaf logo.

To help promote the new collab, OVO enlisted Kylie Masse, a four-time Olympic medalist and an alum of the university to star in a video. Scored by the legendary Canadian composer Chilly Gonzales, the clip is truly a celebration of all things Canuck. Masse shared the video on her Instagram along with a heartfelt and excited caption, check those out below, along with OVO’s own posts.

Eeeeeekk so stoked to share this!!!! What an absolute honour, I’m buzzin to be a small part in this. I had such a blast filming with this incredible team, thank you sooo much @welcomeovo for allowing me to be a part of this collab! It is SO cool to represent both @welcomeovo & @uoft forever a varsity blue
Tomorrow is the day…08.20.2021. FW2021— OVO®/University of Toronto

The capsule collection is available on the OVO website.

Mike Richards is no longer the full-time host of Jeopardy!, a job he officially had for about one day before he abruptly quit after a singly day’s taping. That was not without justification, though, following a slew of controversy about past lawsuits and disturbing comments about women’s appearances and religious beliefs.

The show’s executive producer rising to host was supposed to be the start of a new era for the syndicated game show. Instead, it’s been a weeks-long disaster that’s marred the legacy of the show helmed for decades by the late Alex Trebek. And according to the New York Times, a final tribute to Trebek may have been the reason Richards decided to call it quits on Friday.

Thursday was the official start of taping for Season 38 of the show, with Richards getting in his first games as full-time host. But things on set were tense, and reportedly a meeting where grievances were aired about Richards’ behavior and controversies occurred to kick off a very strange day on set. But a ceremony to honor Trebek before the taping began also brought in a number of other guest hosts, including Jeopardy! GOAT (and presumptive pick of Trebek to take over) Ken Jennings. Which made things awkward on set to say the least.

A group of “Jeopardy!” loyalists had gathered for a ceremony to rename the show’s studio after Mr. Trebek, including Mr. Trebek’s widow, his children and Anthony Vinciquerra, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s chief executive. Mr. Richards and Ms. Bialik were there, along with two of the other contenders for the hosting job, the former contestants Buzzy Cohen and Ken Jennings, according to three people familiar with the incident, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Afterward, the people said, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Jennings had expected to attend Mr. Richards’s debut taping. Instead, they were escorted from the sound stage to a nearby green room, where they watched the taping over a closed feed. They were told that Mr. Richards was too nervous to have them in the studio, the people said.

One of the people likened it to inviting Joe DiMaggio back to Yankee Stadium and then not letting him in the dugout.

According to the story, Sony said it was coronavirus mitigation protocols that limited the number of people that could be in the studio for the taping. But it’s yet another instance of odd interactions that have come with Richards’ ascent to control of the show after he was named an executive producer shortly before Trebek’s death.

This particular anecdote will likely go down as the final odd power play from the Richards era. But it’s certainly a good example of just how strange the last few weeks have been in a very odd year for Jeopardy!

[via NY Times]

In the wake of the news that content-sharing site OnlyFans will no longer allow pornographic content on its platform, some of its more high-profile patrons have already announced alternatives to their OnlyFans accounts ahead of an expected mass exodus from the service. One of those, Tyga, was one of the earliest celebrity adopters as OnlyFans became more widely known due to a shout-out from Beyonce on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” and mainstream actors like Bella Thorne began opening accounts. Notably, Tyga is one of a few mainstream celebrities actually sharing explicit content.

Today, Tyga deleted his OnlyFans account, then turned right around and announced what he hopes will be its replacement. The new platform is called MyyStar and is set for launch by October. To entice creators to jump ship, the new platform is also offering more favorable profit splits — it will only take %10 of subscription fees and purchases, as opposed to OnlyFans’ 20% –as well as the option to sell their own NFTs using the Ethereum blockchain. Although Myystar has not yet completely launched, aspiring creators can apply to be in its first wave at its website.

It remains to be seen whether other artists with OnlyFans accounts, who include Blueface, Cardi B, Rico Nasty, Snoop Dogg, and Swae Lee, will join Tyga’s team, roll out their own platforms, or simply migrate to existing ones like Patreon. However, it still seems clear that an alternative to OnlyFans will be in high demand — at least among those who sell sexually explicit content — as the company looks to make nice with credit card brands looking to keep their images squeaky clean.

After New York prosecutors filed charges against Allen H. Weisselberg, the chief financial advisor to the Trump Organization, there was a collective freakout by the former president and his children, and then the whole thing seemingly faded into the background as the country’s focus turned towards to the Delta variant as it dramatically spiked cases amongst the unvaccinated. However, despite not making headlines, the investigation has been moving ahead, and it’s not been going great for the Trump Organization as the legal scrutiny intensifies.

According to reports, the charges against Weisselberg are expected to hold up in court. However, the Trump Organization has been trying to avoid complying with subpoenas into its financial records, which are presumably loaded with material that could implicate Trump. Via The Wall Street Journal:

Manhattan prosecutors are moving to advance their criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s business affairs, fighting with his company over evidence and continuing talks with the lawyer of a Trump Organization executive who hasn’t been charged, said people familiar with the matter. Manhattan prosecutors and Trump Organization lawyers appeared at a secret court proceeding with New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan last week to discuss a dispute over documents the Manhattan district attorney’s office has subpoenaed, the people said… The dispute is related to documents prosecutors have sought for their continuing investigation, the people said. While the scope of the evidence in question couldn’t be determined, it includes a broad swath of financial documents, according to the people.

After the Mueller Report failed to bring any significant charges against Trump, his biggest detractors have been apprehensive about the investigation into the Trump Organization yielding any fruit. But one person who does not share that apprehension is the president’s niece Mary Trump. Shortly after prosecutors indicted Weisselberg, she told Rachel Maddow that she fully expects Trump’s children will turn on their father.

“I think [Donald Trump] would be surprised to learn that I don’t believe my cousins would exercise that kind of loyalty towards him,” Mary said. “His relationship with them, and their relationship with him, is entirely transactional and conditional. They’re not going to risk anything for him, just as he wouldn’t risk anything for them.”

(Via The Wall Street Journal)