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Kanye West’s second Vultures listening event turned out to be a disaster — quelle surprise! — and instead, fans were treated to a 10-minute rant in which Kanye went off on Adidas, Drake, Gap, Jay-Z, Jews, and perhaps most fittingly, all the “vultures” who were actually in the room with him (in what looked like somebody’s house!).

This was courtesy of influencer/event promoter YesJulz, who got a front-row seat to shove her camera phone in Kanye’s face and broadcast the whole thing via Instagram Live — at least, until he asked for her to be removed. She was promptly kicked out of the “event,” although she later insisted that she wasn’t kicked out as she walked back to her hotel.

So why was she kicked out? Toward the end of the clip, Julz can be heard saying something indistinct to someone next to her, but it catches Kanye’s attention. It sounds like a security tells her “don’t say sh*t right now,” then as she responds, she seemingly interrupts Kanye’s rant again, after which he tells her to “take it out” and she shuffled away by the guard as the stream shuts off.

Perhaps Kanye didn’t want to be interrupted mid-stream — his thoughts seem disjointed enough already — or maybe whatever she said upset him, but it doesn’t seem as though he was bothered by her streaming — or how it would be perceived. Still, though, it has to be disappointing to Kanye fans that this was all they got after months of waiting for new music.

Let the adrenaline and horrible vending-machine diet flow at the same time.

That’s how Amazon’s Reacher does things, so it’s good for the viewer, too. Alan Ritchson is fortunately back in his character’s thrift-store wardrobe with a nearly flawless performance by screenwriters taking on Lee Childs’ eleventh book, Bad Luck and Trouble, in the Jack Reacher series.

Amazon went ahead and unloaded three full episodes for the December 15 premiere date, so your dad might be pretty busy on opening weekend. Once those episodes are complete, however, he will be jonesing for more, and you might join him. When can you see Reacher, Neagley, and the rest take on Robert Patrick and his feigned forgetfulness regarding Terminator 2?

The second season’s fourth episode is scheduled to premiere on December 22, when it will stream on Amazon. That’s a Friday and the formal date, and that last detail is important because Amazon actually decided to drop the season premiere (and those two companion episodes) slightly earlier. If that happens again, then you will be able to watch Episode 4 on Thursday, December 21 around 7:00pm EST.

Be forewarned, however, that only one episode will drop at a time for the rest of the season, so if you binge that puppy right away, you might find yourself punching glass in frustration at having to wait a whole week for more. (Take a cue from Jack Reacher and wrap your hand first.)

For many artists, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert performance series is a show they can’t wait to knock out. Several acts, such as Noname and Olivia Rodrigo, to name a few, have appeared on the program more than once. However, for Alvvays, nerves have always gotten the better of them. But today (December 15), the group found the courage to make their long-awaited cameo.

Ahead of the start of their 2024 North American tour, Alvvays took to the platform’s headquarters to rock out to some of their notable songs. Guitarist Alec O’Hanley, keyboard player Kerri MacLellan, bassist Abbey Blackwell, drummer Sheridan Riley, and, of course, singer Molly Rankin make the particular small office furniture home for just under twenty minutes.

After their opening track, “Belinda Says,” Rankin tried to cut through their nerve by saying, “Hi! Thanks for coming to this. It’s been a long time coming. We’ve not worked up the courage to do this… until today.”

Following the next song on their setlist, “Pressed,” Rankin felt more comfortable and even joked about her next professional gig. “We met some of the NPR staff a few nights ago at a restaurant, which was sweet. But we made a backdoor deal that I was taking over for Bob [Boilen] after he retired. Thanks for the thirty-five years, but yeah,” said the singer, poking fun at the mastermind behind the beloved music series plans to bow out.

Closing the set, Alvvays performs “Very Online Guy” and “Tile By Tile,” and just like that, their first Tiny Desk Concert appearance is in the books.

Watch Alvvays’ full performance above.

For weeks it has felt like Brandon Staley was coaching out his last days in Los Angeles, as the Chargers continued to shoot themselves in the foot and found increasingly frustrating ways to lose games. Entering Thursday night’s game in Vegas, the Chargers were 5-8 and without Justin Herbert, who suffered a season-ending finger injury on Sunday.

That put increased pressure on Staley to at least have the team prepared to play without their star quarterback, and by the end of the first half there was little doubt what needed to be done as the Raiders took a 42-0 lead into halftime. At that point, Richard Sherman called for Staley to be fired right then on the Thursday Night Football desk, and while that didn’t happen exactly, less than 24 hours later Staley was officially out of a job, alongside general manager Tom Telesco.

Staley finishes with a 24-24 record with the Chargers, making one playoff appearance that resulted in one of the all-time collapses in NFL history, as they blew a 27-0 first half lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round. Despite having an incredibly talented roster, the Chargers have not been able to put it all together for a variety of reasons. Health has played a serious role in their disappointment, but it doesn’t answer for every question facing Staley’s tenure. The defensive-minded coach has never coaxed an even halfway decent defense out of the Chargers in his three seasons there. The decision-making in key spots was once considered his strength as an aggressive, analytics-minded coach, but eventually he seemed to become lost in the sauce, throwing darts blindfolded when it came time to make big decisions on fourth down.

Now, the Chargers will seek out an entirely new regime, firing Telesco as well as the architect of an underachieving roster. There will be speculation about who the next coach will be, and by opening up the GM spot, we’ll certainly hear rumblings of Bill Belichick and other big names who might want to blend the coach and front office roles into one.

This holiday season, Kristen Stewart would like to remind everyone that we could all die from nuclear war at any second, so let’s maybe do something about that. The actress is throwing her weight behind a new documentary, How to Stop a Nuclear War, which focuses on the work of famed Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg.

Stewart appears in a new fundraising video for the project where she laments the complacency over the threat of global destruction, which again, could happen at any moment.

“We’ve grown so accustomed to the looming threat of nuclear annihilation, that it barely registers in our daily lives,” Stewart says in the video. “But when some new crisis or close call startles out of our slumber for just a brief moment, we truly grasp the insanity of living on a hair trigger to what could be a real-life Armageddon.”

The documentary will reportedly focus on Ellsberg’s book, Doomsday Machine, which tackled the growing threat of nuclear war.

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

In the sizzle reel sent to potential investors of the doc as the producers fill out the budget, Stewart praises the history-making whistleblower, who died in June 2023 at age 92. “His (Ellsberg’s) insider knowledge of nuclear war planning informs the film’s urgent call to action. This films sounds the alarm about this threat, but also shows the solutions and steps we can take to avert catastrophe,” she added.

In case she wasn’t clear the first time, Stewart closed out her segment of the video by reiterating her point that, hey, the whole Earth could be scorched, so let’s try to prevent that, yeah?

“If we don’t address this (nuclear weapons) issue, nothing else we care about — no social justice or environmental causes or peaceful political resolutions, movies we make, people we love, the things we care about — doesn’t matter anymore,” Stewart said. “They don’t matter in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

It’s Offset’s birthday today, but apparently, that doesn’t buy him immunity from getting blasted by his (ex?)-wife Cardi B on social media. Earlier this week, Cardi confirmed the couple was broken up, but seemed sanguine about the situation, saying during a live stream, “I’m curious for a new life — for a new beginning. And yeah, I’m excited.”

Today, though, she let him feel the wrath, lashing out on Twitter (not “X”), calling Offset a “b*tch ass n****” and promising to “take it there” over whatever he did that set her off (sorry). In a separate/public tweet she complained, “M*****s will try you when you at ya lowest and your most vulnerable time.. you out here feeling yourself but trust me the tables turn.” It’s a far cry from a few months ago, when she was defending him from cheating rumors.

While it’s not immediately clear why she chose today to go in on Offset, her mentions are currently in shambles as fans scramble to figure out what’s going on, accuse her of doing it all for clout (the Barbz, as always, WILL find a way to make everything about Nicki Minaj), or try to shoot their shots at the newly single Cardi (from the 300 section with broken arms).

Cardi warned Offset to “Be Careful” with her back in 2018… it looks like he really should have taken that advice.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Last year, the world became enamored by a Gen Z goth with a stone-cold heart who goes by the name Wednesday, Simultaneously, the world was then enamored by the Gen Z goth with a stone-cole heart who played her, Jenna Ortega. Ortega has been busy at work with other Tim Burton projects, but season two of the supernatural teen drama has been confirmed, so you can start planning accordingly.

Season one of Wednesday follows Wednesday Adams as she attends Nevermore Academy, a creepy institution for students with extraordinary abilities. During her time at the school, she meets other weirdos, solves a crime, and tries to control her psychic powers inherited from her mother, Morticia. The show became an instant smash for Netflix, with over 1.2 billion hours viewed within its first 28 days, rivaling Netflix’s other main title, Stranger Things.

Season two was confirmed earlier this year, so here is everything we know (and a few educated guesses) about the upcoming season of Wednesday.

Plot

While no plot details have been released, Ortega has been upgraded to producer, meaning she might be able to call more of the shots. Ortega has been open about her desire for a “darker” version of Wednesday, so that is probably the direction they will go in. She told ET, “I kinda want [Wednesday] to be darker. I want her to get more in the nitty-gritty of things and not play things so safe,” she said. Ortega doubled down while speaking with Variety, saying, that season 2 would “lean into the horror aspect of the show a little bit more,” she said. “Because it is so lighthearted, and a show like this with vampires and werewolves and superpowers, you don’t want to take yourself too seriously.”

We also know that production is expected to take place in Ireland. Deadline also reported rumors that other members of the Addams family are expected to play a larger role, but scripts are still being written.

Cast

Ortega is back as the titular Wednesday, but beyond that, no other casting announcements have been made. Hopefully, the rest of the cast from season one will return, including Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Luis Guzman.

Percy Hynes White, who plays Xavier in the series, was rumored to be absent from season two following online allegations, but that has not been confirmed yet.

Release Date

There is no release date set, but production is slated to begin in April 2024. Considering that Burton and Ortega’s Beetlejuice sequel is slated for a September 2024 release, it’s likely we won’t see Wednesday until 2025.

Trailer

We can expect some type of trailer or first-look footage when production resumes, hopefully by next Spring.

Occasionally, there is peril when releasing five NFL selections in the middle of the week. Sometimes, it can be a good thing, especially when picking off quality numbers that won’t stay on the board until Sunday. But sometimes, things happen like what transpired in Week 14. We backed the Seattle Seahawks, grabbing the best number in the market on Thursday in the process, but the widespread assumption (or at least hope) was that Geno Smith would play for Seattle.

Fast-forward to Sunday and the market crashed, taking the Seahawks from +11 to +14 with the news Drew Lock would be in the lineup. Would I have liked the Seahawks at +14 with Drew Lock? Yes. Did I like them at +11? Not really. Alas, the game landed at 12.

Such is life, but it was a disappointing overall week at 2-3, and that resulted turned it from a winner into a loser. We press on to Week 15, with no more byes in the mix and Saturday football beginning in earnest. Let’s take stock of where we are through 70 selections.

• Week 14: 2-3
• 2023 Season: 36-31-3

Come get these winners.

Detroit Lions (-4.5) over Denver Broncos — Widely Available

I only lay more than a field goal with a favorite a few times per year in this space, and this is one of them. The Lions have been very ordinary the last four weeks, and the Broncos have won six of the last seven. That puts this number in range to where it’s enticing, as Detroit is notably better than Denver when peeking under the hood. I don’t trust Detroit’s defense right now, making this a little bit scary, but we’re getting the number and have to take it.

Chicago Bears (+3) over Cleveland Browns — Widely Available

We’re going to keep riding the Bears. It’s been kind to us in recent days, and I don’t think the market has caught up to Chicago’s team quality with Justin Fields and with the way the Bears are playing on defense. Joe Flacco has been competent for the Browns, and I do wish we nabbed the 3.5 earlier in the week, but I still like it at three.

Buffalo Bills (-1.5) over Dallas Cowboys — FanDuel

I do understand how weird this line feels. I also know that sharp guys all over the place are on Buffalo, and I’m going to join them. The Bills are better than their record, and the Cowboys aren’t quite the same away from home. Dallas has been utterly dominant in Arlington, but the Cowboys are 3-4 against the spread on the road and, once again, the Bills should throw everything they have into this one.

TEASER: Kansas City Chiefs (-1.5) over New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams (-0.5) 0ver Washington Commanders — DraftKings

It’s not a great teaser week, but I do like this one. Kansas City has to go on the road, and I don’t usually love teasing favorites away from home. With that said, I don’t believe in New England’s offense in any way, shape, or form, and I think Kansas City gets right here. The other game is more conventional, as I’m selling on Washington and continuing to buy the Rams as a solid club right now.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+3.5) over Baltimore Ravens — DraftKings

I still can’t believe Trevor Lawrence played last week, but maybe he’s not human. At any rate, I think getting the extra hook on the Jags at home is quite appetizing. Baltimore is rightly getting a ton of respect by the market, but this is an appetizing spot on Jacksonville in an all-in game at home.

The Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors are the two teams most have their eye on coming into trade season, as Friday marked the first day players signed this summer could be dealt, but there are some other teams that figure to be quite active this winter before the February deadline.

The Atlanta Hawks, like Toronto, are off to a disappointing start and are going to be connected to just about every big name that hits the market as they desperately try to figure out what the right fit is next to Trae Young, as Dejounte Murray’s first year-plus in Atlanta has not gone according to plan. The Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings are on the opposite end of the spectrum, with playoff caliber teams looking to find some upgrades and consolidate talent. All three of those are rumored to have interest in Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, with LaVine also on the radar for the Kings, but there is another team that could become a seller at the deadline that will have the league’s interest.

According to both Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of Yahoo, the Utah Jazz will be very active in trade talks ahead of the deadline, with just about every veteran on the roster available in a trade. Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Collin Sexton are the most likely to get moved, while John Collins also is on the block (again), but teams will also be trying their best to pry All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen out of Utah. Per Stein, there are teams planning to “test Utah’s resolve” with regards to their stance on keeping Markkanen.

While there has been no tangible evidence that Utah’s stance on Markkanen has changed, there is a rising belief heading into Showcase that a team or two out there is actively planning to test Utah’s resolve this season by making an offer for the Finnish power forward.

Fischer confirms that the Jazz are at least willing to listen on Markkanen, quoting another GM as saying it’s unlikely, but could happen if a team throws a massive haul their way.

“Do I expect Utah to trade Lauri? No,” another general manager told Yahoo Sports. “But they are saying they’re willing to listen. They are willing to listen to calls on everyone, but it’s a matter of meeting their price like Minnesota did for Rudy [Gobert].”

As for why the Jazz would consider this, the thought is they might believe they’re a bit further away from contending and could view Markkanen’s next contract as not worth the value on a team with an apparent ceiling.

The three teams noted by Fischer as likely Markkanen suitors are the Hawks, Kings, and Thunder. Given Atlanta doesn’t have that many first round picks to work with after the Murray trade, it seems highly unlikely they can make the kind of offer that would change the Jazz’s mind on trading the All-Star. Sacramento has a bit more flexibility with picks and could offer Keegan Murray as a young centerpiece, but Oklahoma City is particularly interesting. For years, Sam Presti has stocked his draft cabinet full of assets and refused to part with any of them, but with the Thunder in second in the West right now, if there were ever a time to cash in on a (still young) All-Star like Markkanen to pair with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, this is it. They could offer the Jazz the kind of draft asset haul they got for Gobert, and make money work with Davis Bertans and some smaller pieces.

This is all still in the whispers stage, and anyone who has followed the league semi-closely for the last decade knows better than to get too excited about trade rumors involving Danny Ainge. That said, if there were a team that could give him the haul he wants for Markkanen and flip four or five draft picks without breaking a sweat, it’s the Thunder and we’ll just bookmark this until closer to February.

Fans looking forward to Kanye West’s second Vultures listening event in Las Vegas were disappointed this week as Kanye West (unsurprisingly) failed to make the event happen. Instead, the world was treated to yet another West rant, this time about the “vultures” who spend all their time cozying up to him despite his pretty reprehensible behavior over the past several months (years, really) hoping for scraps from the table.

Fittingly, the rant was transmitted courtesy of Miami event promoter YesJulz, who live streamed as ‘Ye railed against all the people and entities he feels betrayed him after he, again, went on MULTIPLE antisemitic rants — which, again, he did after five-plus years of bigging up bigots, bullying his ex’s boyfriend, and behaving like a true scammer when it came to the one thing anyone actually wanted from him: new music.

In the video, he again goes off on “Jewish n****s,” particularly entertainment exec Ari Emanuel, who he blames for getting him dropped from his lucrative deals with Adidas and Gap. He also called out Adidas for dropping him and Jay-Z for distancing himself from Kanye when it became clear that Kanye wasn’t going to behave himself (some years before his 2022 meltdowns). Considering Kanye was exhibiting his sex tapes during business meetings, I’m not sure he can blame anyone but himself though.

Kanye goes deep down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole, becoming more and more impassioned as he continues. The 10-minute video ends with Kanye calling everyone in the room with him “fake” for only hanging around him for his money and influence (gasp!) and kicks YesJulz out of the room. You can see the incident below.