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The morning after Donald Trump refused to attend the first GOP debate which devolved into a clown show between the other remaining candidates, Kayleigh McEnany launched into a tirade against Joe Biden for going to a spin class while the world learned that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was reportedly killed in a mysterious plane crash yesterday.

Prigozhin unsuccessfully launched a coup against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin earlier in the summer, so his death isn’t entirely surprising, but you wouldn’t know it by listening to McEnany. During Thursday’s episode of Outnumbered, she freaked out over Biden completing his daily workout while cable news aggressively milked the story.

Via Acyn on Twitter:

You saw the former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley last night talk about the evils and the atrocities of Russia in a very powerful, smart way. And then you flip over to our Commander-in-chief, leaving spin class and Pilates with a drink in his hand, asked about the Wagner Group and potentially their leader going down in this plane crash. And he says, “I don’t know?” He says, to quote him, “I don’t know for a fact what happened. I’ve been working out for the last hour and a half.”

We didn’t elect a Pilates instructor. We elected a guy to go toe-to-toe with Russia. And not only that, the New York Post said the White House said, as cable news outlets focused entirely on this latest development in Russia, “The President, First Lady, and members of their families are taking a Pilates class followed by a spin class.” Think about this as you go to the polls next November.

However, folks on Twitter weren’t buying McEnany’s concern. The replies to the clip were loaded with reminders that she worked for Trump, who spent the vast majority of his presidency on the golf course.

You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via Acyn on Twitter)

Soooo, there’s this dog and I’m pretty sure it’s the actual Snoopy come to life. Seriously all the dog needs is a red dog house out back and a little yellow bird that follows it around. If you think it can’t be true, then you’re going to have to fight the entire internet about it because nobody can get enough of how much this sweet dog looks like the iconic cartoon character.

Snoopy is Charlie Brown’s pet from the comic strip “Peanuts” that eventually spawned several movies and cartoon series, and Bayley is a dead ringer for the black and white animated pup. Since we live in a digital age, people across the country have been falling all over themselves to get to the pooch’s Instagram account and admire her cartoonish mug.

Bayley is a 1-year-old mini sheepadoodle, which is a cross between a miniature poodle and an Old English Sheepdog. Her sweet face is something you have to see to believe and even then you may question if she’s real.

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The dog’s perfectly groomed curly fur makes her face look fluffy and cartoon-like. Once you add in her black ears and black button nose, that honestly looks more like a smooth lump of coal than a dog nose, then you have the perfect Snoopy doppelgänger. Bayley came into her viral fame after Doodle Dogs Club shared her photo on their Instagram account that has over 230,000 followers, and just like that, she was “famous.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Doodle Dogs Club 🧸 (@doodledogsclub)

The introductory post of the live version of Charlie Brown’s best friend racked up over 1.4 million likes and 10.3K comments. The comments ranged from people reminding others that the fictional dog was a Beagle to people demanding Bayley star in the live action version of Charlie Brown.

Whether Snoopy was a Beagle or not, there’s no arguing that Bayley looks more like the cartoon canine than real life Beagles. This probably has a lot to do with cartoons being…cartoons. Everything tends to be a bit bubbly and over exaggerated with cartoons.

Charlie Brown was supposed to be between the ages of 4 and 8 years old according to PeanutsWiki, who busted out the comic strip receipts. If cartoons looked exactly like real life, poor Charlie Brown would have a hard time walking with his oversized noggin.

Bayley’s curly fluffy fur gives her an advantage over actual Beagle’s when it comes to the ability to look like the famous cartoon character. It’s something she probably couldn’t care less about, unless every time she got compared to Snoopy equaled a dog treat. Otherwise, I’m sure the black and white sheepadoodle is perfectly happy just being a dog wondering why suddenly her mom keeps taking pictures of her.

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A post shared by B A Y L E Y 🐾♥️ (@bayley.sheepadoodle)

Since Bayley’s debut on Doodle Dogs Club, the animated dog come to life has climbed up to over 240k followers and her fanbase just can’t get enough of her. To make people love her even more, the dog’s mom uploads videos of Bayley using audio that makes it sound like the pup is a toddler trying to tell a story.

Check out some of the love Bayley gets on her Instagram account.

This article originally appeared on 4.17.23

On March 8, 2023, a keeper at World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis County, Missouri, noticed something odd. A male bald eagle named Murphy was guarding what appeared to be a large depression in the ground.

“The spot was sparsely but carefully decorated with leaves and branches, and featured a simple rock right in the center,” the nature preserve shared on its Facebook page.

Murphy began sitting on the rock, nudging it and becoming fiercely protective of it, as it if were an egg. People visiting the sanctuary would inquire about the bald eagle just sitting there, wondering if he was okay. The keepers finally put up a sign that read:

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“If you see an eagle lying down in the back left corner under a perch, that’s Murphy! Murphy is not hurt, sick, or otherwise in distress. He has built a nest on the ground, and is very carefully incubating a rock! We wish him the best of luck!”

In case you’re wondering if this is unusual behavior for a 31-year-old male bald eagle, the answer is “not really, but….” Male bald eagles do share equally in nesting and baby-raising, so the paternal instinct part is normal. Murphy’s channeling of that instinct onto a rock…maybe not so much. And at 31, he’s more like a great-granddad than dad, as bald eagles usually live 20 to 30 years in the wild (though they do live longer in captivity).

Murphy takes fatherhood seriously, though. Soon he began screaming and charging at the four other eagles in the aviary if they came anywhere near RockBaby. (That’s the official name the keepers gave Murphy’s…well, rock baby.) Naturally, the screaming and charging caused a fair amount of stress for all involved, so Murphy and RockBaby were moved to their own enclosure for everyone’s protection.

People who saw this unfold started suggesting sanctuary staff replace Murphy’s rock with a real egg or get him a mate, but 1) Eagle eggs aren’t just lying around waiting to be given to wanna-be dads, 2) hatching a different kind of bird’s egg would be potentially dangerous for it, and 3) Murphy had two females right there in the aviary, and none of them were interested in each other. Alas, the heart cannot be forced.

However, a different opportunity presented itself in late March when an aerie with two chicks in it was blown down by high winds. One chick didn’t survive the fall, but the other was brought to World Bird Sanctuary’s Wildlife Hospital.

A bit bruised, but otherwise healthy, the chick was given a good prognosis. Staff began feeding it while wearing a camouflage suit and holding an eagle stuffy to prevent the eaglet from imprinting on humans. What the baby really needed was a foster parent—an adult eagle who would feed and care for it.

“Murphy’s dad instincts were already in high gear,” the sanctuary wrote on April 11, “but at 31 years old, he had never raised a chick before. It’s definitely a gamble, but also the chick’s best chance.”

Introducing an eaglet to an adult eagle isn’t as simple as dropping it in the enclosure. First, the eaglet is put into what the sanctuary refers to as a “baby jail,” which is a heated, comfy cage made of wood and wire that protects the eaglet but still allows some interaction between the birds so they can get used to one another. Once the desired bonding behavior is observed, then they try out some direct one-on-one interaction without the cage.

On April 12, World Bird Sanctuary announced, “IT’S HAPPENING!!!!”

The eaglet (referred to as Bald Eaglet 23-126—they don’t name foster babies at the sanctuary for superstitious reasons) was released from baby jail, and after an hour or so Murphy approached it with curiosity. Was he wondering if his RockBaby had hatched? Maybe. Would he be the nurturing dad everyone hoped he would be? It appears so.

As the sanctuary shared:

“This morning, Murphy got his chance to be a full parent as 23-126 left the nest to go be closer to Murphy. The food is being dropped through a blind drop tube into the nest and baby appears unable to be able to get over the lip to get back into the nest to get the chopped food. When we checked back, we found that baby was still out of the nest and all the chopped food was still in the nest. However, Murphy’s whole fish had been removed from the nest and baby had a full crop. 23-126 is not yet old enough to tear food which means MURPHY FED THE BABY!!!!”

The comments on the update, of course, are pure gold as people have become fully invested in this story:

“I can’t believe I’m crying over eagles!”

“Murphy’s going to be giving a TedTalk: Manifest The Eaglet You Need In Your Life.”

“So happy for Murphy & eaglet Dwayne (the rock Johnson).”

“‘Rock, I am your Father.'”

“Omg I’m crying! Murphy never gave up on his rock and now has a baby of his very own The wonders of nature never cease. Ty, WBS, for making this possible. These two are saving each other .”

Many people have lamented that there is not a live cam so we can all watch this pair as their relationship develops, but staff reminded everyone that the sanctuary is out in the middle of the woods and they don’t have a strong enough signal for a live stream.

But WBS staff has been posting updates on social media and will share the story as it continues to unfold. Follow World Bird Sanctuary on Facebook here. And if you feel compelled to donate to help feed little Dwayne or 23-126 or whatever you’d like to call Murphy’s new baby—who apparently eats a ridiculous amount—you can donate here or check out their Amazon baby registry (yes, seriously!) here.

Congratulations, Papa Murphy!

This article originally appeared on 4.14.23

Rodney Smith Jr., of Huntsville, Alabama, was recently profiled by KMBC for his generous donation to two 11-year-olds who fulfilled his 50 Yard Challenge in Gadsden, Alabama. Ja’Torrian Taylor and Tevin Rice, founders of TJ & JT Mowing Service, completed Smith’s challenge to mow 50 yards for the elderly, veterans, and people unable to care for their lawns for free.

“I’m heading down to Gadsden right now. These are good, hard-working kids that deserve some gratitude,” Smith, known as “The Lawnmower Man,” told KMBC. Smith had been told that Taylor and Rice were sharing an old lawnmower that a neighbor had donated to them.

When he arrived, he gave both teens a mower, a blower and a trimmer for their hard work, hoping they’ll use their new equipment to expand their business. “Giving these boys lawn equipment is teaching them discipline,” Smith said. “If they tell someone they are going to mow a lawn, they need to mow the lawn.”

“Remember, this is not the end; it’s just the beginning,” Smith added. “This could be the beginning of a successful lawn service.”

Smith’s commitment to taking care of people’s lawns started in 2015, and the following year he went viral for helping a 93-year-old woman who could no longer mow hers. The photo of Smith and the woman received over 1 million likes.

Five years ago, Upworthy profiled Smith for setting a bold goal of mowing lawns for free in all 50 states. His goal was to promote his initiative that “provides free lawn care to our elders, those who are disabled, single mothers, and our veterans, who do not have the time, resources, and/or money to manicure their yards.”

As part of this goal, he created the 50 Yard Challenge, which has been a smashing success.

As of May 2023, 4,588 pre-teens and teens are participating in this challenge across the United States. If everyone completes the challenge, that will bring the total number of lawns mowed for free by Smith’s Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service to 229,400.

Kids and teens can take part in the challenge by sending them a photo holding up a sign that says, “I accept the 50 Yard Challenge,” and in return, they’ll receive a white Raising Men/Women shirt along with shades and ear protection to get started. For every 10 lawns cut, they will get a new color shirt.

• 10 lawns earn an orange shirt

• 20 lawns earn a green shirt

• 30 lawns earn a blue shirt

• 40 lawns earn a red shirt

• 50 lawns earn a black shirt

After completing the challenge, the child or teen will receive a mower, a blower, and a trimmer, just like Ja’Torrian Taylor and Tevin Rice from Alabama.

Smith’s story is an incredible example of how one good deed from a kind-hearted person can lead to an outpouring of kindness across the country. It also teaches young people the values of giving back and self-discipline as well as the entrepreneurial spirit.

Learn more about Smith’s nonprofit and donate at Weareraisingmen.com.

This article originally appeared on 6.23.23

Emmy-winning actor Jharrel Jerome isn’t satisfied being acclaimed for his roles in Moonlight, When They See Us, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, and I’m A Virgo. And if you were as talented as he is, you wouldn’t be, either.

Why not make waves in music?

On Wednesday, August 23, Jerome posted an Instagram Reel teasing his Rap Pack project, due out August 30. The Bronx, New York native is casually strolling on the street, sporting a backpack and spitting bars over a smooth beat.

“There’s more to life than just money and women / Well, huh, that’s funny, I’m kiddin’ / What a lovely tradition / But I’m 24 / I make dummy decisions,” Jerome raps. “I got a lot to learn, but honey, I’m stuck in detention / I’m with my homies, and my homies been Bloodin’ and Crippin’ / Down in the city, back when 50 was thuggin’ and pimpin’.”

In April, it was announced that Jerome would gradually wade into the musical waters. His debut project, Someone I’m Not, is being released as a four-part pack series, including Rap Pack. Simultaneously, he dropped his “Chinatown” single.

Jerome’s debut single release was “For Real” featuring Kemba in 2020, followed by “Someone I’m Not” in August 2022.

Rap Pack is out 8/30 via Sony Music Entertainment. Find more information here.

Sampha has a “special place” in Issa Rae’s heart, and he presumably just improved his position in the hearts of his understandably impatient fans.

On Thursday, August 24, Sampha announced Lahai is on the way. It will be his first album since Process in 2017. The announcement comes two months after Sampha released his “Spirit 2.0” single, his first solo single in six years.

Sampha posted the presumed cover art on Instagram along with the below caption, which appears to include the tracklist:

“‘LAHAI’

My grandfather’s name
My middle name
My next musical chapter
My next album

Fever Dreams. Continuums. Dancing. Generations. Syncopation. Bridges. Grief. Motherlands. Love. Spirit. Fear. Flesh. Flight.”

And that’s all we know so far. Sampha didn’t identify a release date, but his statement about “Spirit 2.0” upon its release might foretell what can be expected from Lahai whenever it arrives. (Lil Yachty also teased in Sampha’s Instagram comments, “Magic is on the way!!”)

“It’s about the importance of connection to both myself and others, and the beauty and harsh realities of just existing. It’s about acknowledging those moments when you need help — that requires real strength,” Sampha said. “I hope people can enjoy that feeling of someone being there for you, even if that person doesn’t have the answers. Just calling someone up without overthinking… letting go and just dancing.. wanting to see past the mundanity of things and appreciating the magic of it all, from birds nests to spaceships.”

Ed Sheeran shared – (Subtract) in May, but he’s already back with another album. The “Shape Of You” singer has announced Autumn Variations, arriving — you guessed it — this fall. As you may have noticed, the album title consists of actual words, not mathematical symbols like his previous non-collaboration albums.

Working with The National’s Aaron Dessner again, Sheeran explained that his new album consists of songs about the “highs of falling in love and new friendships” as well as the “lows of heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion.” His full statement reads:

“Last autumn, I found that my friends and I were going through so many life changes. After the heat of the summer, everything either calmed, settled, fell apart, came to a head or imploded.

When I went through a difficult time at the start of last year, writing songs helped me understand my feelings and come to terms with what was going on, and when I learned about my friend’s different situations, I wrote songs, some from their perspectives, some from mine, to capture how they and I viewed the world at that time. There were highs of falling in love and new friendships among lows of heartbreak, depression, loneliness and confusion.

My dad and brother told me about a composer called Elgar, who composed ‘Enigma Variations’, where each of the 14 compositions were about a different one of his friends. This is what inspired me to make this album. When I recorded Subtract with Aaron Dessner, we clicked immediately. We wrote and recorded non-stop and this album was born out of that partnership. I feel he has captured the feeling of autumn so wonderfully in his sonics and I hope everyone loves it as much as I do.”

Find the album artwork and tracklist below.

1. “Magical”
2. “England”
3. “Amazing”
4. “Plastic Bag”
5. “Blue”
6. “American Town”
7. “That’s On Me”
8. “Page”
9. “Midnight”
10. “Spring”
11. “Punchline”
12. “When Will I Be Alright”
13. “The Day I Was Born”
14. “Head > Heels”

Autumn Variations is out 9/29 via Gingerbread Man Records. Find more information here.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Musical geniuses take on many forms. But the ones who can seemingly pluck inspiration right out of the imaginary realm and create masterpieces on the spot are particularly astonishing.

Those blessed with this gift of expediency confound us because they appear to not be bound by the normal limitations of being human. Virtually any of us could create something impressive, given enough time and effort. But some savants have no barriers between them and that mysterious, divine substance that makes ideas into reality.

Mere mortals need processes, methods, rituals, even a dose of liquid courage (or something stronger) in order to conjure that sort of power within themselves. So those who just do it willy nilly…well, they’re practically gods.

It feels safe to put Sir Elton John in this deity category, if not for his discography alone, but for having that uncanny ability to create catchy, compelling songs in almost no time at all.

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Take “The Circle of Life” for Disney’s “The Lion King,” for instance. A well-known story behind this famous tune is that Sir Elton concocted it in less than two hours.

“I gave him the lyrics at the beginning of the session at about two in the afternoon. By half-past three, he’d finished writing and recording a stunning demo,” lyricist Tim Rice recalled.

But why read an anecdote? Why not see this talent in action?

Back in 2001, while interviewing with legendary British chat show host Michael Parkinson (who died Aug. 16, 2023), the “Tiny Dancer” singer was given the challenge of spontaneously making up a song to lyrics he had never seen before, written by Parkinson’s writing team.

Here’s how he did:

Yep, only Sir Elton could make a song about anything, even clogged storm drains.

Other folks who watched the video were left enamored. Here’s what they had to say:

“I am totally convinced he is the most talented musician of his generation. The lyrics don’t matter, his ability to come up with the vocal melody and chord progression is nothing short of genius.”

“Elton shines so bright.”

“Elton and Mozart must have that same music gene. Their minds must work the same way, everything they read, see or hear, they read, see or hear in music.”

Maybe gifts like Sir Elton John’s are a rarity, but it’s a gift that touches so many.

Court jesters hold a unique place in history. Playing the fool for kings and queens meant they were always in close proximity to royalty, but so very far from their rank and station.

Comedians often like to push boundaries, but that can be a dangerous business when your job is to entertain the peope who have executioners at their beck and call. Especially when you forget your place—or purposely ignore it, as the case may be—and playfully smack the reigning monarch square on the behind.

That little whoopsie was the claim to fame of Triboulet, a court jester who served King Francis I in 16th-century France. But it was how he got away with slapping the king on the butt and living to tell about it that earned him his place in history books.

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According to Leonie Frieda’s “Francis I: The Maker of Modern France,” the king greatly enjoyed Triboulet’s bawdy humor, though the jester frequently crossed the line with death penalty-worthy offenses. In one incident, Triboulet smacked Francis I on his royal behind, which infuriated the king. He threatened the fool with execution, but after taking a moment to calm down, he offered Triboulet an out: If the jester could come up with an apology that was even more insulting than the butt smack, he would live.

Triboulet thought fast and quickly came up with the best possible answer: “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty, but I didn’t recognize you. I mistook you for the Queen.”

Boom. King was owned. Triboulet lived.

In another instance, Triboulet offended a mistress of Francis I and again faced execution for his impertinence. However, the king, in his mercy, gave the jester the option of choosing his method of death.

“Good sire, by Saint Nitouche and Saint Pansard, patrons of madness,” Triboulet responded, “I ask to die of old age.” The king was left speechless, and true to his word, Triboulet lived to see another day. (And he did, indeed, die of old age in 1536.)

Humor and wit are often underestimated as survival skills, but Triboulet’s narrow misses showcase how useful they can be. Even the World Economic Forum calls a sense of humor an “essential life skill” for its ability to protect us from disease and help us connect with others. Humor also plays an important role in long-term relationships.

Most of us won’t have our lives literally depend on our quick wit like Triboulet, but it’s not a bad idea to hone our humor skills. You just never know when a perfectly-timed zinger will come in handy.

Sometimes you see someone and know they’ve got a gift. It’s not always something you can put your finger on, but you know there’s something special about them and you want them to succeed. That’s basically what happened to Levert The Bassman thousands, if not millions, of times on TikTok.

Levert, who starts every video with his signature cheery, “Hey good morning!” has been spending his time making education videos on the social media platform. Without fail, on nearly every single video, multiple commenters tag PBS and ask them to give him his own show. Something about his voice is calm and soothing, yet possesses an authority that makes people want to stop and listen.

He’s made videos on a plethora of historical topics, and after multiple requests, he’s even read children’s books. People have been virtually pitching Levert to PBS to become the next “Reading Rainbow” host.

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All you have to do is take a cruise through his comment section and you’ll see people saying he’s the next LeVar Burton. The internet has declared Levert a star even if PBS hasn’t made him the host of “Reading Rainbow” or created an entirely new show just for him. But if you think his fans’ pleas were for naught, you’d be wrong.

Social media is a powerful tool, and PBS reacted like any curious person or brand who got tagged a million times. They went to check him out. It didn’t take long for the Public Broadcasting Station to see that the fans of Levert just might be on to something. PBS decided to partner with Levert and it all started with a box that contained a blanket and a postcard that read, “you, me & a documentary,” back in February 2023.

@pbs

#stitch with @levertthebassman #greenscreen run to his page. We dare you to watch his videos and not smile, it’s impossible. #package #unboxing #pbs #blanket

The package seemed innocent enough, like a small token of acknowledgment, but PBS had something a little bigger in store. Nothing had really changed on Levert’s page until months later when one of his videos popped up on the PBS TikTok page in a playlist they have labeled, “Learn with Levert.”

Talk about people freaking out! So many commenters were so excited for Levert and the potential opportunities that could come for him. He’s made multiple videos in his partnership with PBS, but that doesn’t stop people from encouraging the station to give him his own show on television. Everyone still seems to be holding out for a “Reading Rainbow” reboot and who better to give it to them than Levert.

That catchy theme song could become future generations’ childhood earworm and I, for one, don’t think that would be a bad thing. Since the time frame between Levert getting the package and his audience finding out about his partnership with PBS was nearly six months long, it’s highly unlikely a show announcement would happen so soon. All anyone can do is wait. Shows take time to come together, but there’s no doubt that anything PBS might make with Levert as their host would be worth the wait.

@pbs

Lets take a little dive into the history of pregnancy, women, and prisons. Like for part two. @LevertTheBassman #PBSFilmFest #history #levertthebassman #prison #womeninprison