Category: Viral

During a promotional appearance for his just released memoir, The Answer Is… Reflections on My Life, it was revealed that beloved game show host Alex Trebek would stop his experimental cancer treatment if it’s not producing the desired results. The Jeopardy! host wrote in his book that he’s “not going to go to any extraordinary measures to ensure my survival.” When asked about telling his family about the new treatment and how it might not be successful, Trebek made the following remarks to Good Morning America.

“They understand that there is a certain element regarding quality of life,” Trebek said. “And if the quality of life is not there — it’s hard sometimes to push. And just say, well, I’m gonna keep going even though I’m miserable.”

Obviously, Trebek’s remarks raised concerns about his nearly two-year battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer as fans became worried that the situation was taking a turn for the worse. In light of those concerns, Trebek released a new statement via the official Jeopardy! Twitter account in which he provides an optimistic update on his condition. Most importantly, the host stated that if his experimental treatment stops working, which hasn’t been the case so far, he would simply return to his prior chemo regimen and not stop all treatment as he previously suggested during an understandably low point.

I feel the need to clarify my quote that, if my course of cancer treatment does not continue to work, I would consider stopping treatment. That quote from the book was written BEFORE my current regimen, and I was going through some bad times. My current numbers are very good, but we will have to be patient with this new immunotherapy program that I am on. But, if it were to stop being successful, I would return to my previous chemo treatment — NOT stop all treatment. I apologize for any confusion, and want everyone to know that I am optimisit about my current plan, and thank them for their concerns.

You can see Trebek’s statement below:

(Via Jeopardy! on Twitter)

The number of Americans diagnosed wit COVID-19 has exploded over the course of July, but that hasn’t stopped the Trump Administration from aggressively pushing for schools to reopen in the fall.

Earlier in the month, Trump tweeted that virtual learning “has proven to be terrible compared to in school.”

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who’s been a strong advocate for school choice and reducing the federal role in districts, has done an about-face and is pushing schools to reopen as well.

“I think the go-to needs to be kids in school, in person, in the classroom,” she told CNN. “Because we know for most kids, that’s the best environment for them.”

Her department has also threatened to pull funding from districts that refuse to reopen. “The basic premise of federal funding under law is to provide a full-time education to students. How can you take the money and not provide the service?” a statement from her department read.

The issue of whether to open up schools or not in the fall has myriad considerations. What does science say about children’s ability to spread the virus based on age? Has the curve flattened in a specific region? How will the schools handle social distancing?

How does being out of school for an extended period harm children psychologically? What do working parents do if they’re children can’t go to school?

These are all worthy of consideration, but one of the biggest concerns should be, what do the teachers think?

Foo Fighter and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl penned a beautiful essay in The Atlantic supporting the idea that teachers should lead the way through this crisis.

Dave opens the letter admitting he’s not a great role model when it comes to education.

“So, with me being a high-school dropout, you would imagine that the current debate surrounding the reopening of schools wouldn’t register so much as a blip on my rock-and-roll radar, right? Wrong,” Grohl wrote.

“My mother was a public-school teacher.”

via NME / Twitter

“She helped generations of children learn how to learn, and, like most other teachers, exhibited a selfless concern for others,” Grohl continued. “Though I was never her student, she will forever be my favorite teacher.”

Given his lifelong experience with educators he believes they are “essential workers.”

“It takes a certain kind of person to devote their life to this difficult and often-thankless job. I know because I was raised in a community of them,” Grohl wrote. “I have mowed their lawns, painted their apartments, even babysat their children, and I’m convinced that they are as essential as any other essential workers.”

Grohl asked his go-to expert on the topic, his mother Virginia, her thoughts on the issue. “There’s so much more to be addressed than just opening the doors and sending them back home,” Grohl’s 82-year-old, now retired mother, told him over the phone.

She also gave him a list of issues that should be considered before reopening districts: “masks and distancing, temperature checks, crowded busing, crowded hallways, sports, air-conditioning systems, lunchrooms, public restrooms, janitorial staff.”

Given the large number of staff at most schools that are older and more vulnerable to the virus, Dave’s mother believes schools should remain temporarily closed.

“Remote learning for the time being,” Dave’s mom said.

via Gage Skidmore / Flickr

Grohl also questioned the qualifications of DeVos, a woman who never spent any time teaching in a classroom.

“I wouldn’t trust the U.S. secretary of percussion to tell me how to play ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ if they had never sat behind a drum set, so why should any teacher trust Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to tell them how to teach, without her ever having sat at the head of a class?” Grohl wrote.

The “Smells Like Teen Spirit” drummer concluded his letter recommending that, in the school debate, we let teachers lead the way.

“Teachers want to teach, not die, and we should support and protect them like the national treasures that they are. For without them, where would we be?” Grohl wrote.

“May we show these tireless altruists a little altruism in return. I would for my favorite teacher. Wouldn’t you?”

AAAAAHHHHH!

The Denver Nuggets began their stint in the NBA’s Orlando bubble league on Wednesday afternoon with a scrimmage against the Washington Wizards. There is a problem that Michael Malone has to deal with: The team’s roster is still working itself out due to the players arriving late to the bubble due to the NBA’s strict rules about COVID-19 testing and what needs to happen for individuals to gain entry. As a result, here was something the Nuggets team writer Eric Spyropoulos put in his game preview (emphasis mine):

Following Monday’s practice, head coach Michael Malone revealed that he expects to have nine healthy bodies for Wednesday’s scrimmage. Even though the game is limited to 40 minutes, this will likely result in some unique lineups for Denver as Malone focuses on not overworking players in the first organized game.

Several hours later, nine became eight.

So basically Denver had a bunch of gigantic dudes and no guards, and as a result, Malone — who is now earning my non-existent vote for Coach of the Year — decided to roll out a monstrous starting five. A backcourt of Nikola Jokic (7′) and Jerami Grant (6’8) is tremendous, as is NBA debutant Bol Bol (7’2!) lining up next to Paul Millsap (6’7) and Mason Plumlee (6’11).

The only rule is it has to work, though, and the early returns were really good, particularly with regards to Bol, who the team got with the 44th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft due to some injury concerns. Also really good: The team having its announce team Zoom in to call the game, which is just tremendous.

Denver’s success in the bubble might be tied to how well guys like Murray, Barton, and Gary Harris play, because while Jokic will be brilliant, he will certainly need some help. However, I would like to propose that the team uses this gigantic starting lineup for every single game, both during the bubble and for the rest of time.

Dave Franco’s sinister-looking directorial debut The Rental comes out this weekend, but enough about that, let’s get to the part where he’s playing Vanilla Ice in a biopic about the ’90s rapper. The Neighbors star’s participation was rumored last year, but he confirmed his involvement during a recent interview with Insider, saying, “We have been in development for a while but we are inching closer and closer to preproduction.”

Franco compared the biopic, which follows Vanilla Ice from a “high school dropout selling cars in Dallas to having the first hip-hop single to top the Billboard charts,” to The Disaster Artist, which chronicled the making of Tommy Wiseau’s cult classic The Room (he played Greg Sestero to brother James Franco’s Tommy). “With that movie, people expected us to make a broad comedy where we make fun of Tommy Wiseau, but the more real we played it, the funnier and heartfelt it was — that’s the tone we want for this one as well,” he said. The movie’s current title is To the Extreme, a reference to Vanilla Ice’s 1990 debut album which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. I would have gone with Hittin’ Like a Ninja Turtle, but that’s why I’m not in the movie-making business.

“[Vanilla Ice / birth name Rob Van Winkle] is such a sweet and intelligent guy and he’s been super helpful in the process of getting all the details correct and making us privy to information the public doesn’t know. Just talking to him I can’t help but think about the rabbit holes I’m going to go down to get ready for the role.”

I am excited for Franco’s shot-for-shot recreation of the “drop that zero and get with a hero” scene from Cool as Ice. He prepared by using that line on Alison Brie (it worked).

(Via Insider)

Like most musicians who have released a record in recent months, Jeff Rosenstock was not planning on debuting his album No Dream during a global pandemic. But once he realized how quickly the world was adapting to the circumstances, he decided to surprise-release No Dream at the end of May. Now, the singer has followed-up the record with a video accompanying his track “Scram!”

The “Scram!” video is modeled after daytime television and poises Rosenstock as a fervent news anchor. The singer animatedly yells into the camera while lyrics flash across the screen like breaking news. Rosenstock tapped his other band members to appear in the video, posing as the stars of hilarious infomercials.

In a recent interview with Uproxx, Rosenstock spoke about how his album’s meaning has shifted post-pandemic: “It was very surprising once I started showing this record to people who were like, ‘Holy sh*t this relates to all this stuff happening with the pandemic.’ It never dawned on me that would be the case. When we decided to put it out early, I kind of figured it might not even resonate with anybody at all. But, at the same time, the fact that it even relates at all can be a little frustrating, in a larger sense.”

Watch Rosenstock’s “Scram!” video above.

No Dream is out now via Polyvinyl. Get it here.

The New Orleans Pelicans are among the three teams currently tied for ninth in the West, along with Portland and Sacramento, 3.5 games back of the Grizzlies for the eighth and final playoff spot. As the NBA is eight days out from the restart of the season, with scrimmages beginning on Wednesday, New Orleans is currently without the presence of their star rookie Zion Williamson.

Williamson left the Orlando bubble last week to attend to a family matter and, as the Pelicans noted in an update on Wednesday, remains away from the team and with his family, with no timetable for his return.

The Pelicans do note that Williamson is being tested daily and has been returning negative tests throughout his absence, which is important because players who are tested daily while out of the bubble are granted shorter quarantine periods — as few as four days — once back in Orlando, so long as they continue to produce negative test results.

Williamson’s chief focus right now is on his family, as it should be, and hopefully whatever is going on that pulled him away from the bubble will see a positive resolution. He still plans to rejoin the team, but with their first game in just eight days, there’s a very legitimate chance he misses some game action even if he does make it back to Orlando soon, as he’ll have been away from the court for two full weeks once he clears a quarantine period.

Corporate begins its third season and final on Comedy Central this week, and if it has slid somewhat under the radar, that’s arguably because it doesn’t look like anything else on TV. Of the most popular comedies of the past 10-15 years, most carry the obvious whiff of their spiritual forebears.

30 Rock had the stars of SNL, Parks and Rec had The Office, The Office had the British Office, Workaholics had It’s Always Sunny, and so forth. Corporate has two relatively unknown comedians (Jake Weisman and Matt Ingbretson) starring alongside a cast of other fresh faces and a stunt-cast Lance Reddick (Cedric Daniels from The Wire) in a deliberately drab set for meticulously un-hijinxy storylines. It’s hard to imagine the pitch deck. That it doesn’t obviously scream “watch me” is both Corporate‘s artistic strength and what would seem to make it a tough sell.

“I believe the silly pitch was American Psycho meets Office Space,” Weisman (Corporate actor, writer, co-creator) told me when we spoke this week. “I think it was mostly crazy movies that we were trying to emulate. It’s hard to get people to tune back in and in for office comedies that will make you want to kill yourself. A movie, there’s a different audience for that and there’s a different way that that’s taken in. We were just trying to make mini movies.”

Weisman’s dark sensibility is a big part of why Corporate works. He has that combination of personal sweetness and general skepticism towards humanity as a whole that I tend to value in friends and acquaintances. I think I first became aware of Weisman seven or eight years ago, when a video of him wrestling a drunk heckler onstage at a comedy festival went viral after a bag of cocaine fell out of the heckler’s pocket. It takes a certain kind of detached amusement with the human condition to give an antagonist a platform like that, not to mention the self-assuredness that it will work out badly for him. That sensibility suffuses Corporate, getting deep into the weeds of our collective foibles for the purposes of bringing out our most absurd, be it corporate culture, fan culture, or general manic loneliness.

I spoke to Weisman this week (not for the first time) about the challenges of TV in the age of COVID, dedicating the first episode to Richard Bain, and having to navigate the corporate rules of putting out a show about corporate rules.

—

So when did you guys finish shooting?

We finished shooting in, I think, mid-February so we got in just before COVID hit. Complete dumb luck. And then we edited for a few weeks together, but then COVID hit so we edited remotely and it took a really long time. Actually, we finished the lock cut a while ago, but then in order to mix it and do everything, honestly, we finished the last one just in the last week, so it’s been crazy.

How did the quarantine impact the editing process?

Well, basically how we normally edit is we go into a room and then we just stay there all day long and weekends too and just lose our minds, Jack Nicholson in The Shining style. Just trying every single cue, trying every single sound effect, trying every potential iteration of a scene, shaving seconds, shaving frames, trying to get music cues approved and all that. It’s intense, and we’re all there, and it’s pretty much the same. That all just takes longer because we’re so into the minutiae of it. Normally, you could test 20 different queues at once if you’re all there, because you can just play it for each other. But if you’re doing it remotely, then you have to just settle for one chance a day. It just takes longer because we’re not going to agree until it’s all there, but you don’t have as much freedom in the choices you’re making, and you have to be much more specific and clear in your notes because you’re not with the person.

The show is sort of based around the idea of having to go to a sh*tty office every day. Do you think that’s going to go away at all now? Everybody’s kind of switched to working from home so, I don’t know, is having to go to a sh*tty office… just going to come back again in another two months?

I don’t know if it’ll be another two months, but I tend to believe most humans in this country hate their jobs, so I can’t imagine they’re going to like their jobs just because they’re home. I think what’ll happen is they’ll hate their jobs and being at home. I think it’ll be a different thing, but the same amount of bullsh*t. It’s just going to be disseminated in a different way. I think they’ll just be less productive and maybe get fired or whatever.

Is this show coming along just at the right time then, like maybe people are getting nostalgic about having to go into their sh*tty office and now the show comes out and can remind them how bad that was?

Yes, I think absolutely. I think that they’re having a grass-is-greener situation. I don’t think our show is going to make them want to go back, but they might just want to look at some office sets. I don’t think our show has ever made anyone want to join a corporation, but they might be like, “Oh yeah, I remember a cubicle and how much I hated Tom. He chewed so loud.” But I don’t think that’s going to explode our ratings, I’ll be honest.

The first episode is about fan culture. What’s the connection between corporate culture and fan service in pop culture?

Well, I think we specifically look at it through a streaming lens, and how insane it is that all these big corporations like Amazon are making “art,” just so you’ll buy a toothbrush. I think that that’s incredibly funny. It’s obvious, but also so insane that I can’t believe it’s happening. I just think that the fact that corporations look at artistic endeavors as “content” is just hilarious. They’re always going to figure out a way to commodify artistic expression because they have the most money and they can, and artists need money. I just think that the connection between corporations and art is at this point pretty much a hundred percent in anything that you might be aware of. It’s all being funneled through a corporation of some sort, or a business that is heavily fiscally minded.

Well I guess the old-fogey way to look at that, or the long view, is like, “Oh, well, TV shows were always trying to sell toothbrushes.” What do you think is different now in that relationship?

Well, I don’t think that every company was trying to use art to sell things. They get you on Amazon Prime, and it’s just so they can sell things to you. It’s not for any other reason. There is nothing artistic about it. And they even want [artistic] awards for things just so you’ll subscribe to their Prime, just so you’ll buy stuff. I think it’s just been hyperfocused and sped up, and now all these huge companies are getting streaming sites competing with each other, just to get you to look at their website. To me, it’s just we’re in the future now and it’s absurd. I guess it’s not entirely different, but it is hyperintense and futuristic in a nightmarish way. To me, it makes sense to want to make money for your service, but it’s totally perverted to be desperate to get into the conversation about art when you care nothing about art.

Is that just an extension of us kind of looking at corporations now to do things that they’re not designed for? We’re looking at them to be our providers of art and then there’s this whole move now where abstract corporations are supposed to care about Black Lives Matter and social issues and things like that. Are these just all extensions of them having outsize influence on everyone’s lives?

Absolutely. They have so much money and money is everything. I think what’s so funny about the corporations supporting Black Lives Matter is that people who hate corporations are pressuring companies to support important causes even though they know it won’t be sincere. It’s such a weird thing, but then what other options do we have if these corporations have all the money? They have to be pressured into being better, even though we know they’re just going to find another way to be bad, but what are we supposed to do?

Right, you have to expect them to be better because that’s all we have.

It’s like at the very least, people are asking them to just smile. What else can we do? They can’t be like, “You know what, Nike? We don’t care if you support stuff, even though you’re the biggest brand ever.” But no, you have to be like, “You need to support us.” And then in 10 years, when we figure out the ways in which their support for it made them even more money, we have to protest against that. I don’t know another way around it.

So that first episode, the characters have a big debate about what’s a good finale for a series. Meanwhile this is your last season. Was any of that cathartic? Were you struggling to come up with a good finale for Corporate?

I don’t know struggle is the word. I mean, struggle’s almost like a negative connotation, where what I would say is that we’re beating our heads against the wall to make sure it was good. I don’t think that’s where the first episode emanates from, if that’s what you’re asking. We did think it was funny that it was our last season, and we briefly teased making that episode the final episode because they thought that was a good joke, but then we thought of a better idea, a more doomsday ending and went with that. But no, we just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t lame.

So speaking of the real-life parallels to your content, the first episode is dedicated to Richard Bain and then the second episode is kind of about suicide. I assume that you wrote that way before that happened.

Yeah. We wrote it, filmed it and edited it before it happened. It’s just yeah, devastating. Richard was an amazing guy. So yeah, it was very sad. I think that unfortunately, during COVID, the alienation that people are feeling, it’s not good for depressives, even if they like to stay home all the time. And it’s very sad and we weren’t doing the second episode just to do like a depression PSA, but I just kept noticing… In my own life, I’ve experienced extreme depression then went on medication. I know a lot of people who are depressed and who are conflicted about going on medication and it’s just a trend I’ve noticed and we thought it was good to talk about. If it ends up helping someone, wonderful. But the goal is to portray a human experience. If it helps someone, great. But in general, depression will be ever present until the world ends so you can always write about it.

And then there’s a title card at the beginning that says you wrote the episode, and then you went and talked to someone about suicide. Was that specifically about you?

Well, we legally had to put text there, via Comedy Central, but in general, I’ve been depressed and went to a psychiatrist and got on meds, I’ve had talk therapy for years so it was never an issue for me to talk about my feelings. It was an effort for me to do anything about it. So we had to put something about suicide there. I wasn’t like, “Please, let me put that.” I don’t want to tell anyone to do anything, but I would hope that people can break through the horrific, bad press that medication gets, because it can help them so much. They don’t understand the ways in which they’ve been indoctrinated against it and it can save their lives. I would love for someone to see themselves in that episode and then be like, “Why am I against medication?” I would love that because it really can help so many people.

On that note of Comedy Central wanting that, what even are the rules of basic cable anymore? I feel like a while back, basic cable meant you couldn’t swear and it had to conform to network rules almost. But now, you guys are saying the F word every now and then. What are the actual rules? Is there guidelines for you?

There’s so many. You’re not allowed to say f*ck and it has to bleeped if it’s on TV. I think you can say sh*t a certain amount of times depending on the network. I don’t think you’re allowed to smoke a cigarette. I think that they get weird sometimes if you say the word “cum,” which is tough for me, I gotta be honest. I felt that was anti-free speech for me specifically and potentially anti-Semitic. But anyway, there’s all these weird rules, but you go through so many rounds of S&P [standards and practices] notes so every single draft of the script goes to S&P and if they don’t like something, you either can fight it or you can just accept it. And so we fight a lot and sometimes we accept it and then you have to get certain art cleared and then you have to send all the cuts and they have to approve all the sounds. They have to approve all the words. And while they’re mostly good about it, sometimes you’re having extremely inane battles that feel insane and stereotypical…

What was your most inane battle that you had to have?

There’s a specific sound effect that sounds like a siren that is in the Viacom Music Library that we’ve used all three years and it’s very low and it’s truly just a sound effect, I think used for sci-fi mostly, and every year the S&P person said, “It sounds too much like a siren and someone could freak out or I don’t know, have a stroke or something like that and it’s not okay,” and we had to fight it for months and eventually they were like, “Fine.” And the thing is, no one’s going to hear it. It’s mixed down low, but you had to fight for months to get a stupid siren sound in there because it’s a sci-fi show and you’re just like, “This is my life?”

Was there anything that was too risque that you had to sanitize or tamp down some way?

I hate that I’m going to say this, but there’s so many things that I can’t even really remember, but I will say that we’re very lucky to be with Comedy Central because in general, they’re sort of moving towards a transgressive thing. That’s sort of why you would tune in a lot of the time is because they might break the rules. Like South Park is notorious for that, and South Park is hilarious and amazing, but part of why you’re tuning in is because, what are they going to do? Are they going to be bad? I think Comedy Central is in general, extremely supportive of that, especially in comparison to other places, so I don’t have any complaints. I never felt that restricted. And honestly, anytime you’re restricted by something insane, a lot of times, it just forces you to think of a work around that equally evokes what you want to say, but maybe is a little more suitable for an audience and that’s not the worst thing in the world to have to figure out most of the time.

One of the things I like about the show is that there aren’t too many shows that it reminds me of. But when you were conceiving this, what other shows did you invoke to give them an idea of what the show was going to be like?

We didn’t invoke any shows. We come from a place where we’re mostly just fans of movies and fans of satires and drama so I believe the silly pitch was American Psycho meets Office Space. Because we tried to film it in a way that looks like a movie and I think we pretty much accomplished that and so we wanted to treat it kind of like mini movies. And there are a lot of amazing TV shows, but there wasn’t really an office comedy that was as dark as we liked it. Because I think it’s hard to get people to tune back in and in for office comedies that will make you want to kill yourself. Whereas a movie, there’s a different audience for that and there’s a different way that that’s taken in. So I think it was mostly crazy movies that we were trying to emulate.

—
Season Three of ‘Corporate’ premieres July 22nd on Comedy Central. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can access his archive of reviews here.

Despite the fact that we miss being able to travel the world during what is arguably the best season for travel, we don’t envy anyone who has to jump on a plane in the near future. Right now both domestic and international travel are an absolute headache, and if you’re from the United States, it’s just a lot easier to just not travel than attempt to navigate all of the different rules and safety measures for the countries that are still accepting American travelers. Of which there aren’t too many.

In 2019, the U.S. passport granted access to 116 countries without a visa. Today there are only 27, with the U.S. State Department under a global Level 4 Health Advisory — which strongly discourages international travel of any kind. Aside from that, most countries just straight up don’t want us around, considering the U.S. is the current epicenter of the coronavirus worldwide. Sure, lots of countries get significant economic support from our tourist dollars, but they’re not about to put their population’s health at risk in the name of making some money.

Even the countries that are currently accepting American travelers aren’t doing so blindly. Many of them have very specific rules and precautionary measures that you’ll want to be aware of if you do happen to be traveling, for whatever reason (remember that a panel of epidemiologists we assembled strongly discouraged this). For information, edification, and context, we’ve created a list of all the countries that are still accepting your passport and all the information you’ll need before boarding an international flight (for whatever reason) to visit them.

Albania

All routine American citizen services have been canceled and visa operations are currently under a temporary suspension, though Albania’s borders are open to European travelers. As of now, there are no quarantine requirements for entry into the country.

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda’s border is now open to international travel though all passengers arriving by air must have a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result that has been taken within seven days of their flight.

If arriving by sea, all travelers will be subject to quarantine and are subject to assessment by the Port Health Authorities for signs and symptoms.

Passengers will likely be tested for COVID-19 on arrival or in their place of lodging and will have to limit their movement for 96 hours while their results are being processed.

Aruba

Prospective travelers from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming must first take a PCR Test and upload their results prior to departure.

All passengers must be tested 72 hours prior to their departure time and the results must be submitted 12-hours before the departure time for processing.

Visitors from other states are encouraged to take the COVID-19 PCR test but must do so at their own expense.

All Visitors are encouraged to bring masks and must wear them on the flight and while in the Queen Beatrix International Airport.

Barbados

Commercial flights to Barbados from the United States will resume via JetBlue beginning on August 15th, and American Airlines September 9th. As of July, beaches and parks in the country are no longer under limited hours and social gatherings of up to 500 people are permitted.

Travelers aren’t required to take COVID-19 PCR tests, but if they’re coming from a high-risk country (like the US) must take a test when landing at the airport and will need to remain in the airport until results are available.

Belarus

Travelers entering Belarus from the US are no longer required to self-quarantine upon arrival, though temperature screenings will be issued once arriving at the Minsk National Airport. Social distancing measures in the country are on a city-specific basis, with Minsk containing the majority of restrictions.

Belize

Belize will open to international travel beginning on August 15th but travelers will be subject to additional safety precautions. Travelers must register on the Belize health app, receive a negative COVID-19 PCR test result within 72 hours of travel, main social distance in the country, and wear face masks at the airport, where they will encounter additional screening processes.

Once in the country, visitors must regularly record their symptoms on the Belize Health app until the day of their departure.

Bermuda

All travelers must complete the Bermuda travel authorization process online within 48 hours of their departure. A $75 fee will cover the cost of COVID-19 testing in Bermuda, but travelers are encouraged to take a PCR Covid-19 test up to 72 hours before their departure.

Facemasks are required in all public spaces on the island, and travelers must report their temperatures twice per day.

Dominican Republic

All passengers flying into the Dominican Republic will have their temperatures checked as they disembark. Anyone registering a temperature above 100.6 degrees or any symptoms related to COVID-19 will be given a rapid COVID-19 test and necessary protocols for isolation and treatment will be administered.

Travelers will also have to fill out and submit a Traveler’s Health Affidavit. Social distancing measures are in place at most hotels, bars, restaurants, and transportation services in the Dominican Republic.

Ecuador

Travelers arriving in Ecuador must have a negative PCR COVID-19 test result issued within the last seven days prior to their arrival. All arriving passengers must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, even with a negative test result, though those who have tested negative may quarantine at home.

Non-Ecuadorian citizens will be quarantined at government-designated temporary housing or hotels.

Egypt

All travelers landing in Egypt will be subject to a 14-day quarantine in all cases.

French Polynesia

Travelers must submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of their departure date. Arriving passengers must self-test for days after their arrival to Tahiti.

Ireland

The Republic of Ireland strongly advises against non-essential travel into Ireland, and all arriving visitors must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

Jamaica

Jamaica has specific rules for travelers staying in hotels, visiting and staying with friends, and for people traveling for business, but all three parties must obtain a Travel Authorization 72 hours prior to departing for Jamaica.

Travelers arriving in Jamaica must have their temperature taken once they land and may be required to take a COVID-19 test, in which case they’d have to isolate at their hotel until test results become available.

Kosovo

The Pristina International Airport is open to all travelers, though the U.S. Embassy to Kosovo reports that U.S. citizens continue to be denied boarding if they cannot prove they are a resident or citizen of Kosovo. The embassy suggests you contact your airline before your trip.

Lebanon

Lebanon’s borders are open to international travel but visitors must show a negative test result for COVID-19 taken within four days of their arrival. Passengers staying for over seven days must submit another test, which will be given at the airport. Passengers must self-quarantine while waiting for results.

Maldives

As of July 15th, the Maldives is opened to tourists of all nationalities with no incoming travel restrictions, though some restrictive measures in place at hotels, resorts, and public spaces.

Mexico

Mexico’s border with the United States is still closed but travelers may fly into the country with little restrictions. Travelers may be subject to temperature checks, health screenings, and are advised to self-quarantine on a state by state basis.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia requires masks in all public spaces but has no other self-isolation or test requirements to enter the country.

U.S. citizens are advised to avoid travel to the country.

St. Lucia

Saint Lucia is currently in its phase 1 state of reopening, which requires the use of face masks on all island transportation and public areas. All arriving passengers must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result taken within 7 days of their departure date.

St. Marteen

St. Marteen is scheduled to permit travel to U.S. passengers beginning on August 1st, though that decision is subject to change. Prior to travel passengers must receive a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before their departure and will be subjected to additional health screenings upon arrival. Travelers must also complete a self-health declaration online.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

All travelers arriving in St. Vincent and the Grenadines must take a COVID-19 PCR test if they don’t arrive with a negative COVID-19 antigen test or negative PCR test result. Travelers who arrive without the negative test results will be required to quarantine and monitor their temperature for 14 days, reporting any changes to local health authorities.

Those who arrive with positive test results will be isolated at a facility at the cost of the traveler.

Serbia

Serbia has no COVID-19 related restrictions for travelers, though U.S. travelers are advised to enroll in the country’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts and updates related to COVID-19.

Tanzania

Tanzania has no additional requirements for international travelers, though travelers may be subjected to additional health screenings once landing in the country.

Turkey

Turkey currently has no travel restrictions for international travelers, though passengers will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival. Travelers who test positive will be referred to a private hospital by the Ministry of Health — Border Unit if they aren’t Turkish citizens.

Turks and Caicos

Passengers must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result within five days of travel. All travelers must have medical/travel insurance that covers medevac, complete a health screening, and agree to a privacy policy prior to arrival.

Ukraine

U.S. travelers are only allowed to enter Ukraine if they can prove they have medical insurance that can cover all possible expenses related to COVID-19 treatment. Ukraine also advises travelers to be prepared to self-quarantine at their own expense.

United Arab Emirates

Travelers flying into the United Arab Emirates must be tested for coronavirus upon their arrival and will be subjected to a 14-day quarantine at their own expense, regardless of the test result.

Long ago I vowed to never write a story about the Kardashians. I’m breaking that vow today.

Since Kanye West has launched an official campaign for the U.S. presidency—and since we now have undeniable evidence that literally anyone can win an election—what he does and says cannot be brushed off as frivolous celebrity fluff. And since things that Kanye has been publicly saying and posting have been especially off-the-rails lately, with many mental health professionals expressing concern about his untreated bipolar disorder, his wife’s statements about his mental health are also important to share.

So while some of us would prefer to ignore all things Kardashian, Kim Kardashian West’s statement released this morning in an Instagram story feels important to share.

Kim Kardashian West wrote:

“As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder. Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand. I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.

Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor. People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.

I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions. He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bi-polar disorder. Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions.

Living with bi-polar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas, no matter how big or unobtainable they may feel to some. That is part of his genius and as we have all witnessed, many of his big dreams have come true.

We as a society talk about giving grace to the issue of mental health as a whole, however we should also give it to the individuals who are living with it in times when they need it the most. I kindly ask that the media and public give us the compassion and empathy that is needed so that we can get through this. Thank you for those who have expressed concern for Kanye’s well being and for your understanding.

With Love and Gratitude,

Kim Kardashian West”

Responses to West’s statement have been about as mixed as responses to Kanye himself. While it’s clear that the family is struggling to get Kanye on board with getting the help he needs, and it’s a reasonable ask for the media and the public to be compassionate, there are questions this entire situation raises that the citizenry of the United States needs to answer.

Yes, we absolutely need to drop the stigma associated with mental health issues and offer grade to individuals who are in crisis. I have known absolutely wonderful people with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses, and I’ve been around when they’ve been off of medication and were going through manic episodes.

In daily life for the average person, mania poses some major challenges. But what do we do when an individual is in a position to do a great deal of harm if they aren’t managing their disorder? What if Kanye had run for president and won, then went off his medication, then had a manic episode and started issuing Executive Orders left and right? Or worse, got into a beef with another world leader?

We are already dealing with erratic and potentially dangerous rhetoric and behavior coming from the White House. Whether that’s due to a personality disorder or just personality is an ongoing debate, but at what point do we establish protocols for gauging the mental fitness of the president? Or do we just let the chips fall where they may, in this system where powerful people with gobs of money have the means of making it to the Oval Office no matter who they are, and hope for the best?

Compassion for Kanye and his friends and family who are trying to support him and get him help is absolutely called for. But so are questions about how much power we are willing to give a person who clearly isn’t managing a serious mental illness. While we shouldn’t condemn a person with bipolar disorder, we also can’t ignore the fact that it directly impacts decision-making—an extraordinarily important consideration for a person in charge of the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. Why so many seem willing to overlook that reality in the name of celebrity fandom or creative genius or billionaire businessman is quite baffling, and we really do need to have a conversation about what to do if or when someone with a documented and untreated mental health disorder actually ascends to the most powerful position on the planet.

Because at this point we know that literally anything is possible.

Gus Dapperton captivated audiences with his indie-pop edge on his 2019 debut album Where Polly Goes To Read. After touring the world behind the album, the NYC-based musician is translating all he’s learned on the road into his upcoming sophomore effort Orca. To continue ushering in his next era of music, Dapperton shared a live rendition of his second Orca single “Post Humorous.”

Dapperton reunited with his bandmates to gave the captivating performance from his apartment’s living room. Backed by his full band, Dapperton delivered the single’s poignant lyrics with catharsis: “But I can’t help thinkin’ ’bout the way we loved / I was cancer then, now I can hardly come to terms / Losing her,” he sings.

In a statement, Dapperton reflects on difficult experiences that would eventually serve as inspiration for Orca. “I was unbalanced,” he said. “My lifestyle and habits had gotten extreme. I wasn’t getting eight hours of sleep a night, I was drinking and doing drugs often. Wasn’t eating healthy. And on top of it, I was performing. A show can be the most inspirational, emotional high; but if something goes wrong it can be devastating.”

Dapperton continued that he hopes to present his emotions honestly through songwriting. “I’m a huge advocate for putting myself in vulnerable positions in my music,” he said but admits that confronting these feelings “was a chance to be open that I was afraid of. It was cathartic to put these emotions into music.”

Watch Dapperton perform ‘Post Humorous’ live from his apartment above.

Orca is out 9/18 via AWAL. Pre-order it here.