In celebration of Earth Day, PUMA is linking up with First Mile for a second time to deliver a 12-piece apparel collection made from recycled yarn from repurposed plastic bottles. Considering the fashion industry as a whole is one of the world’s biggest polluters, any effort by brands to create a more sustainable supply chain is worthy of praise in our books, and First Mile is pretty legit in their methods of collecting plastic bottles, converting those bottles into useable yarn, and supporting the micro-economies overseas where a majority of our clothing is produced.

First Mile is pretty exhaustive about tracking the results of their impact, and to date has diverted over 4,756, 904 pounds of plastic waste from the landfills and oceans, turned 97,349,568 plastic bottles into useful recyclables, and generated $659,109 in revenue for entrepreneurs who work with the brand. Their website features graphs indicating how much total plastic waste has been diverted broken down by brands they’ve worked with, which in addition to PUMA include Aerie, Marmont, Ralph Lauren, and Converse. Definitely check those out if you care about sustainability and you’re a huge graph nerd.

Each piece in PUMA and First Mile’s collection is comprised of at least 83% to 100% recycled yarn. The small collection consists of athletic wear like performance-minded footwear, work out apparel, and accessories for both men and women. Visually, the new line takes on a distinct earthy tone (in the spirit of Earth Day) with splashes of spring-appropriate contrasting colors. The obvious highlights of the collaboration include PUMA’s signature LQD CELL sneaker, which drops in either a white and olive colorway or a simple black, and the WMNS-sized Shatter Camo sneaker.

Check out the full collection below and head to PUMA’s online store to shop the new line. Pieces from the collection range between $23-$110.

Including a Switch game to make you forget about Animal Crossing, a paint by sticker book, and a Renaissance portrait of your pet.

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Time to feel ~~nostalgic.~~

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FYI: Elvis Presley was a natural blonde.

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Quibi, the 10-minutes-or-less content vehicle tied directly to your cell phone, will start to lose the second half of that distinction sometime in May. Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg told Reuters on Wednesday that the application will start offering options to watch content via television screen, a departure from the company’s mobile-only business model.

The news came in a Reuters report that said downloads of the streaming platform are nearing 3 million, up from a paltry start that was a fraction of the initial support Disney+ received from content-hungry users. Katzenberg said 2.7 million people have downloaded Quibi since its April 6 launch, and some of them will get the option to watch that quick bite content on much larger screens:

Katzenberg also said that some Quibi users will have the ability to cast the service from mobile phones to their televisions starting in May. Some early viewers had complained that they were unable to watch Quibi programming on their TVs.

Quibi originally had been promoted for on-the-go viewing. Executives stuck with their launch plan even though it came when audiences were sheltering at home to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

As noted in the Reuters story, the Quibi model of short form content on mobile phones is severely limited by people not commuting to and from work or even leaving their homes amid the pandemic and the need to practice social distancing. So it’s interesting that a platform with a philosophy meant to differentiate it from other streaming services has immediately pivoted to make itself more like the competition.

What’s interesting more, all the content was meant to be watched on phones, and some screeners of Quibi content came in different aspect ratios to reflect that. In other words, it’s entirely unclear how much of this quick content will be optimized for far bigger screens, which perhaps is why the function will be rolled out slowly. We’ll know more about what Quibi shows look like on the big screen once we can actually see it, but it will be interesting to see if this news gets more people to give Quibi a go while the offer for a free trial in its first few months still stands.

(Via Reuters)

ASAP Ferg resurrects his Trap Lord persona in the mind-melting video for his new single, “Value.” As the Harlem rapper insists that you “Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me now,” the jittery video rattles through clips of Ferg’s greatest hits, flashing shots of his various fashion shoots intercut with a wildly edited performance sequence.

Mid-way through the video, though, Ferg takes advantage of an intermission in the goth-trap insanity to comment on the current conditions of the coronavirus crisis not being shown in mainstream newscasts. As he delivers a somber voiceover, the camera rests on empty store shelves, homeless people sleeping on sidewalks, and shut-down storefronts. “The internet brought us closer — and closed stores,” he intones. “You’re just like me. I’m just like you. Look at me.”

“Value” is Ferg’s first new track of 2020, following his 2019 Floor Seats EP, which contained the singles “Pups,” two versions of “Wigs,” and “Floor Seats.” The EP was followed by the Big Sean collaboration “Bezerk,” which the duo performed at the 2019 VMAs, but Ferg’s been mostly quiet since then, aside from closing 2019 with the “Jet Lag” video. The fact that he’s once again releasing new music and calling himself Trap Lord suggests that a new release may well be on the horizon.

Watch the “Value” video above.

The 2020 NFL Draft is now just a day away, and teams are finalizing their big boards and making phone calls and trying desperately not to be the team that screws up and misses a pick due to a bad internet connection during the virtual draft.

As is often the case, the offensive players are the headliners going into the Draft, with buzz about quarterbacks, offensive tackles, and the deepest receiver class maybe ever. However, there are some special defensive players and we’ll begin our look at the best of those guys available with a look at the defensive tackle class that features a clear top-10 talent, another first-round lock, and some quality depth in the mid-rounds.

Tier 1

Derrick Brown: As good of a defensive tackle as you will find in the draft. Brown plays with a nastiness and an edge to him that all the great defensive linemen have. But like the best guys at that position, he is in total control of that edge at all times, never finding himself in positions where he’s losing his head. His hands are active, he takes pride in pushing back offensive linemen, and he has the versatility teams love, lining up anywhere on the line and winning 1-on-1 battles with linemen. Read our interview with him here.

Tier 2

Javon Kinlaw: Kinlaw’s backstory will, rightfully, get a lot of play on Thursday night as he’s fought from homelessness to a first round pick. At South Carolina, he trimmed down to as light as 295 after starting school at 345 and has built himself back up to 324 and is a tremendous physical specimen. He’s got more length than is typical at DT (6’5 with 35 inch arms) and that can at times lead him to get a bit too tall, but when he stays low and keeps his leverage he is dominant. He’ll be a mid-first round pick and, as Will Muschamp recently told us, he believes his best football is ahead of him.

Tier 3

Ross Blacklock: TCU is going to have quite the draft, and Blacklock could be among the Horned Frogs to hear his name called on Thursday night — and if not, early on Friday. He’s an explosive athlete and at his best attacking upfield — nine of his 40 tackles last year were for a loss. At 290 he’s not the biggest tackle and isn’t a huge force against the run, but he can shoot gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield.

Neville Gallimore: Gallimore impressed during his senior campaign in Norman, and as such, his name is one to watch a little later in the first round. He plays hard, battles on every play, and kept improving during his time at Oklahoma, a place where it can be awfully hard to get better and better as a defensive player. Ran an impressive 4.79 40 after coming into the combine at 6’2 and 304 pounds. Best football might be ahead of him, but questions exist about his ability to eat up space along the defensive line.

Justin Madubuike: The Texas A&M product produced great numbers in College Station, and while he’s undersized he has some serious athleticism (4.83 in the 40) and quality strength (31 bench reps). Like the guys in front of him in this tier, his best skill is getting off the ball and attacking upfield to get into the backfield (11.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks). He might fall to late Day 2 or even Day 3 due to size, but he’s got skills and production. He might start out playing in specific packages where he’s unleashed to attack upfield rather than trying to fill gaps and stack up the line, but in the right position he could be impactful.

Raekwon Davis: We’re high on Davis, betting on his talent and the flashes of brilliance we saw at Alabama. As a sophomore, the big man registered 69 sacks with 10 TFLs and 8.5 sacks, and at 6’6 and 311 pounds, he has the size and strength you want to play defensive tackle in the NFL. The question: What the hell happened in his junior and senior campaigns, where he put up decent tackle numbers (55 and 47, respectively) but had 8.5 TFLs and two sacks total in two years? May be better against the run than the pass, which is perfectly fine, but limits what he can be in the league.

Davon Hamilton: An interesting player, one who projects out to being a load against the run and someone with the power to sometimes get into the backfield against the pass. The questions are that of sample size — he hasn’t played a ton of snaps in five years by nature of Ohio State being a defensive lineman factory — and whether or not he’ll ever be more than a powerful DT. Came in at 6’4 and 320 at the combine, while his 33 reps on the bench were the most of any player at his position. Had only 28 tackles as a senior, but accrued 9.5 TFLs and six sacks.

Tier 4

Leki Fotu: I love Utah guys, as has been established, and Fotu fits the bill of a tough, physical Kyle Whittingham guy. He’s a massive man at 6’5, 330 and likely projects as a 3-4 nose, but he’s got good athleticism and was very productive for a good Utah defense. He’s not a twitchy athlete or the quickest, but he’s huge and strong and can fill gaps and stop the run.

Rashard Lawrence: Came to LSU as a five-star but did not turn into a centerpiece of the Tiger defense. A good player, though, who put up decent numbers in four years — 120 tackles, 20.5 TFL, nine sacks — and plays with urgency at all times. If he can build on that and mix in consistently good play diagnosing and technique, he could end up being a very nice pick for a team on day two or three. Has dealt with a bad ankle and needed knee surgery.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Arizona State Capitol on Monday to protest Governor Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order that closed non-essential businesses in March.

The protesters waved pro-Trump flags and held up banners that read, “Give me liberty or give me COIVD-19,” “Cure is worse than the virus,” and “Make America work again.”

Apparently, no one told the protesters that Donald Trump is in favor of the stay-at-home order and that he’s also doesn’t really like liberty.

One of the most powerful images taken at the rally was of Lauren Leander, an intensive care nurse at a hospital in Phoenix. In the photo, she stands firmly in her protective gear as a protester looks like he wants to whack her over the head with ol’ glory. Another photo of her and her colleagues standing strong in the face of anti-vaxxers is striking as well.

Leander had the day off from work at the hospital so she decided to show up at the rally to represent the workers who are risking their lives on the front lines. “That was the kind of action we could take against something like this,” Leander said according to Arizona Central.

Leander and a handful of medical professionals stood strongly and silently at the rally while an angry mob yelled viscous attacks at them. The protesters accused Leander and her colleagues of not really being nurses and claimed they were possibly abortionists or dental assistants instead.

That’s probably because if the protesters believed they were berating front-line healthcare workers then they’d have to accept the fact that they are terrible people. Who the hell has any right to scream at a nurse who’s saving lives during a pandemic?

“The noise was deafening,” Leander said according to ABC 15. “But we were there to be a voice for our patients and the immunocompromised and the people who are sick with COVID that would be out there fighting with us if they could asking people to follow the stay at home rules.”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe in the virus or not. I’m going to take care of you one way or the other,” she said. “It was sad to see people throw insults that number one didn’t make sense and number two didn’t align with us as health workers,” she said.

Although she endured abuse at the rally, the photos of her standing in defiance went viral and she has received messages of support from people across the world.

“I feel proud because it’s not just me. It’s me and it’s my doctors and all the health care workers that would’ve been out there with me if we could’ve had time to rally a bigger group together,” said Leander.

Arizona governor Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order is in place until April 30, and there has yet to be an announcement on what will happen May 1.

Leander and her colleagues’ bold stance in the face of the protesters showed the world that when people fight social distancing, they are directly attacking America’s healthcare workers and most vulnerable citizens.

Lauren Leander is a hero and everyone should know her name.

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