This spring, a lot of high school and college graduates didn’t get the chance to walk across the stage for the symbolic final steps of their academic journeys. YouTube helped soften the blow, though, with Dear Class Of 2020, a livestream event that featured speeches and performances from recognizable faces. A few of them came together for a socially distanced performance of the U2 classic “Beautiful Day.”

The performance was produced by Finneas, and it featured vocal contributions from Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Camila Cabello, Khalid, Leon Bridges, Tove Lo, Ty Dolla Sign, Noah Cyrus, and more.

Before the performance, Bono also spoke about the meaning of the song and its relevance now, saying, “The song is not a description of where we were at. It was a prayer for where we could go, and a dream, like America is a dream of what might be. […] It’s a wild thought, that America is yet to exist. And even wilder that the class of 2020 may be the very people to bring it into being, after 244 years of striving for freedom.”

Watch the performance above, and read Bono’s full speech below.

“As an Irishman, I’ve always believed that America is not just a country: It’s an idea, it’s a dream that belongs to the whole world. Now I know in recent times, the world has been reminded that America is an idea that doesn’t even belong to a lot of Americans, and that for many Black Americans, Lady Liberty’s torch is far from a beacon of hope: It’s often a flashlight in the face.

Now there were storm clouds over Dublin when U2 recorded ‘Beautiful Day.’ Things were not as they might have been. But the song is not a description of where we were at. It was a prayer for where we could go, and a dream, like America is a dream of what might be. We now know that America is a song yet to be written, that America might be the greatest song the world has never heard. It’s a wild thought, that America is yet to exist. And even wilder that the class of 2020 may be the very people to bring it into being, after 244 years of striving for freedom — sometimes marching, sometimes protesting, sometimes on your knees, sometimes taking the knee, you get there.

I don’t know how, but I know who: you. You can vault the barricades of bigotry, and with your vote, you can dismantle institutions that uphold that bigotry and are in your way. You can enter America. you can enter America, we will all enter with you, but it’s gonna be you, and that is gonna be a beautiful day.”

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

Some may not realize this, but character Creed Bratton — the quirky quality assurance manager of Dunder Mifflin — is a fictionalized version of the real-life actor and musician, Creed Bratton. Their backstories are very similar: They were both members of the rock band The Grass Roots in the 1960s; both used drugs; both had a lot of crazy stories from the 1960s, and both may or may not have had a relationship with Squeaky Fromme, a member of the Manson family who once tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford. The Grass Roots actually had a big top-ten hit back in 1967 that may sound familiar to some.

It’s in the present time, however, where Creed the actor and Creed the character begin to depart. Creed Bratton the character was basically a homeless man who walked into Dunder Mifflin one day, acted like he worked there, and somehow fell into the role of quality assurance manager. Creed Bratton, the real-life person, was basically a struggling out-of-work actor (working as a stand-in on sitcoms), who was hired to play a background actor (a guy who filled a desk in the back of Dunder Mifflin’s office) and stuck around so long that he fell into a the role of a beloved series regular. The director of The Office pilot, Ken Kwapis, met Bratton when he was working as a stand-in on The Bernie Mac Show. Kwapis overhead Bratton talking about learning a guitar lick from Jimmi Hendrix, and Bratton and Kwapis became friends. A few years later, Kwapis hired him to come in and sit on a desk in the background for the pilot episode of The Office. The rest is history, sort of.

Months after the pilot was shot, Kwapis brought Creed back again for the second episode, which he also directed. Creed was one of only two regular background actors on The Office, along with an actor named Devon Abner, who played a character named Devon White. Though he was a frequent background presence in the first season and a half, most viewers of The Office may only recognize Devon White for his role in only one episode, the Halloween episode in season two where Michael Scott fired him while Devon was in costume.

The reality, however, is that it could have been Creed who was fired instead, according to Andy Greene’s book, The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s. Larry Wilmore (then a writer on The Office) came up with the idea of Michael Scott firing someone in their Halloween costume, because he thought it would be funny, and the choice of who to fire was between two non-speaking characters, Devon White and Creed Bratton.

Greg Daniels essentially told Devon Abner and Bratton that the good news was that one of them would get a line in the show. The bad news is, the person who got a line would be fired, while the person who didn’t get a line would get to stick around. Thankfully, Devon Abner — who had been cast in a play in New York — took away the decision and bowed out, leaving Creed with the continuing gig. The script, of course, ended up changing, and both Bratton and Abner got several lines, as each tried to talk Michael Scott out of firing them.

Creed won out, and gave a terrific performance in his first speaking role. In fact, the day after filming his scene, John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson came up to him, gave him a huge hug, and told Creed that he “killed it.” Bratton was so touched that he “had to walk away and cry a little bit.” Devon Abner, however, had no hard feelings. In fact, it was just the opposite: “When people ask me about The Office, I always think about how happy I am for all of those guys, but especially Creed. I have always been happy for him, because he is such a great guy.”

From there, the writers ended up giving Creed one or two lines in every episode, he eventually became a fan favorite, and then the rest is history. Devon Abner, meanwhile, ended up coming back again for The Office finale to replace Creed, who faked his own death to avoid the police.

Source: The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s

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Last week, we wrote about the best bourbons for summer. Today, we widen the net a little further. We’re talking about all whiskeys — from Scotch to rye to bourbon to Irish whiskey to Japanese whisky — that fit the summer season. Tommy Tardie, founder of Fine & Rare in New York City, is a huge advocate for whiskey this time of year.

“For me, it’s a great time to open up some of the lighter, softer, sweeter bottles I may have been sitting on during the colder months,” he notes.

The bartenders we know agree with Tardie. So we asked a handful of our favorites to tell us the best whiskeys to sip when the temperature rises.

Widow Jane American Oak Aged Rye

Raul Marin, bartender at Attico Rooftop Lounge in Philadelphia

Widow Jane American Oak Aged Rye is top-notch because, although not what you might think of when you think of a rye, it has some subtle tropical fruit notes. Being from Mexico, I always try to highlight those sorts of tropical flavors when I can

Woodford Reserve Wheat Whiskey

Caleb Kimbley bartender at The Beehive in San Francisco

A whiskey that pairs with the seasonal harvest, hot summer days, and cool nights is Woodford Reserve’s wheated whiskey — a tropical oasis of flavors that arouses the senses.

Dewar’s White Label

Danny Caffall, lead bartender at The Mansion Bar in Dallas

When it comes to mixable whisky, it’s hard to beat Dewar’s White label. Top it with soda and garnish with lemon twist. Done. You’ll be drinking this simple cocktail all summer long.

Green Spot

Zack Musick, beverage director at Merriman’s in Hawaii

I always go with Irish whiskey during the summer months because it tends to be the smoothest option in the whiskey family and it also happens to be delicious. My personal favorites are Green Spot and Red Breast.

Knappogue Castle 12 Year

Kenneth McCoy, chief creative officer at The Rum House in New York City

Knappogue Castle 12 Year Irish Whiskey is a crisp and full-flavored Irish whiskey with mellow biscuit and peppery notes. It is lighter than most and sophisticated, making it refreshing to drink in the summer months neat, on the rocks, or as a foundation in a long cocktail where its delicate fruitiness and spice complement almost any flavor profile.

The Macallan 12

Robert Swain Jr., owner of OnTheRoX Bartending Services in the British Virgin Islands

The Macallan Single Malt Whisky is a very heavy hitter in the whiskey world. Poured on the rocks, it’s almost like eating iced cinnamon rolls. Silky smooth on the tongue with a plum sweetness.

Yamazaki 12

Tommy Tardie, founder and owner of Fine & Rare in New York City

Japan’s Yamazaki produces some exceptional whiskey that works well during the hot, even humid summer days. Yamazaki 12 or Toki served neat, over an ice cube or even in a highball makes for a great afternoon refresher. Its sweet floral and citrus notes pair perfectly with summer weather.

Tullamore D.E.W. Rum Cask

David Powell, brand ambassador at Hudson Whiskey

I tend to like lighter-bodied spirits as the weather warms up, so I’d say something Irish would probably be the best direction to go during the summer. Tullamore D.E.W. has an XO Rum cask finished whiskey that would fit perfectly in that lane. It’s a really approachable whiskey that plays really nicely in shaken drinks as well.

Jim Beam

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Summer is a time for simple, timeless whiskeys. That’s why I opt for Jim Beam. If I’m going to rock a classic for the summer vibe, I’m going to grip and rip a bottle of Beam.

Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock & Rye

Tim Wiggins, co-owner and beverage director of Yellowbelly in St. Louis

Some may hate me for this, but I highly recommend Rock & Rye. It is essentially an old fashioned in a bottle, so it is crushable and super delicious to drink in the summer heat. Straight whiskey in the summer heat can be tough, a little sweetness and spice make it just right.

Jameson

Todd Johnston, beverage director at Thompson Nashville

Nobody is judging so live your own life. This is plenty of reason to hit the consistent summer go-to whiskey, Jameson. Irish whiskey is typically triple-distilled giving it a lighter and more approachable characteristic, great for the hot summer months.

Rittenhouse Bottle In Bond Rye

Brock Schulte, bar director of The Monarch Bar in Kansas City

Rittenhouse Bottled In Bond, is my favorite rye whiskey, it comes from Heaven Hill and for me, it just screams quality. It is well priced so if you are out in the heat you can drink more and not hit your pocketbook too bad.

Here are your quick and dirty, editorial-free NXT TakeOver: In Your House results. The latest TakeOver special featured a “Last Chance Backlot Brawl” for the NXT Championship, matches for the NXT North American and Women’s Championships, and more. Make sure you’re here tomorrow for the complete Best and Worst of NXT column.

NXT TakeOver: In Your House Results:

– The show used the old In Your House house set, and featured an intro video from Todd Pettengill. Retro-style commercials were sprinkled throughout, including Adam Cole in an ICOPRO commercial, and one for ice cream bars. Code Orange opened the show with a musical performance.

1. Tegan Nox, Shotzi Blackheart, and Mia Yim defeated Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez, and Candice LeRae. Yim and LeRae brawled themselves out of the match, fighting to the back. Nox pinned Kai after a Shiniest Wizard to win the match.

2. Finn Bálor defeated Damian Priest. Priest took a nasty fall off the apron onto the ring steps. Back in the ring, Bálor top rope double-stomped him in the back of the head and hit a Coup de Grace to win the match.

3. NXT North American Championship Match: Keith Lee (c) defeated Johnny Gargano. Lee had “Black Lives Matter” trunks and entrance gear. During the match, Lee pounced Gargano through the plexiglass surrounding ringside. Candice LeRae tried to interfere, but Mia Yim showed up to even the odds. Gargano jabbed a key into Lee’s eye and hit several superkicks, but couldn’t put him away. Lee won after two Spirit Bombs and a Big Bang Catastrophe.

4. Last Chance Backlot Brawl for the NXT Championship: Adam Cole (c) defeated Velveteen Dream. This was filmed outdoors in a parking lot with a ring surrounded by cars, using their headlights for lights. Dream was dressed as Negan from The Walking Dead for his entrance. During the match, Cole was knocked off the top of a ladder and landed on a car windshield. The Undisputed Era pulled up in a car to interfere. Dexter Lumis appeared from underneath the ring to even the odds, attacked the UE, stuffed them back into their car, and drove them away. Cole hit a low blow and a Panama Sunrise onto a bed of steel chairs to win the match and retain his championship.

5. Karrion Kross defeated Tommaso Ciampa. Kross ran through Ciampa and made him pass out in the Kross Jacket.

6. Triple Threat Match for the NXT Women’s Championship: Io Shirai defeated Charlotte Flair (c) and Rhea Ripley. Flair had Ripley locked in the Figure-Eight, which allowed Shirai to hit a moonsault on Ripley and pin her to win the match.

Everyone’s lives have been dramatically and unexpectedly affected by the pandemic, among them student graduates, who expected a formal ceremony filled with pomp and circumstance and maybe even a splashy speech by a celebrity speaker. They didn’t get the former, but everyone at least got the latter — and many times over at that. Famous people from all walks of life have been dropping by virtual graduation ceremonies; last week, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter even saluted the class of the school from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

On Sunday YouTube hosted a “Dear Class of 2020” hoedown, featuring a number of well-known speakers, trying to impart hope in despairing times. Among the most famous of those was a certain president, Barack Obama.

The country’s 44th commander-in-chief brought his beloved oratorial style to bear on a time of frayed nerves and uncertain futures. His words came nearly three months into a nationwide quarantine to combat the coronavirus pandemic and almost two weeks after the killing of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police has inspired protests both at home and abroad.

“I can barely imagine how head-spinning these last few months have been for you,” Obama told the nation’s graduates. “Graduation is a big achievement under any circumstances, yours comes as the world is turned upside down.”

Still, Obama refused to surrender to despair, instead seeing the various calamities that have affected the nation and the world as an excuse to see what it’s exposed about how our society functions — or doesn’t.

“The thing is, Class of 2020, what these past few weeks have shown us is that the challenges we face go well beyond a virus, and that the old normal wasn’t good enough — it wasn’t working,” Obama told them.

“In a lot of ways, the pandemic just brought into focus problems that have been growing for a very long time, whether it’s widening economic inequality, the lack of basic health care for millions of people, the continuing scourge of bigotry and sexism, or the divisions and dysfunction that plague our political system.”

“Similarly, the protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, and Nina Pop aren’t simply a reaction to those particular tragedies, as heartbreaking as they are,” Obama said. “They speak to decades worth of anguish and frustration over unequal treatment and a failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system.”

Obama admitted that looking to what lies ahead of them, and all of us, can be “downright scary,” but he also warned about what not to do. He never namechecked his successor, but he did essentially subtweet him. “Democracy isn’t about relying on some charismatic leader to make changes from on high,” he said. “It’s about finding hope in ourselves, and creating it in others. Especially in a time like this. You don’t always need hope when everything’s going fine. It’s when things seem darkest — that’s when you need it the most.”

Along similar lines, he warned against “reading only news and opinions that reinforce our own biases and start canceling everything else out; we let opinion masquerade as fact and treat even the wildest conspiracy theories as worthy of consideration.” He added, “And the irony is that usually the people who are peddling falsehoods on the Internet or social media are doing so for their own purposes — either to sell you something or to distract you from the real issues that matter.”

Obama’s pre-recorded speech, which ran nearly 15 minutes, joined those of others, ranging from musicians (Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lizzo) to actors (Seth Rogen, Chris Pine), other politicians (Condoleeza Rice), as well as Obama’s own wife, Michelle Obama. “Congratulations, Class of 2020,” he concluded. “Make it mean something. And keep making us proud.”

You can watch Obama’s full speech in the video above.

(Via Deadline)

The announcement marks an unprecedented victory for activists that could prove a turning point in criminal justice reform.

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Give your home a sustainable revamp with compost bins, recycled fabric rugs, and more goodies.

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But I bet you already knew that.

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What qualities make up your makeup?

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