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Once again, Netflix is bringing a real-life drug story to the small screen, this time with Painkiller, the latest drama from Narcos showrunner Eric Newman (yes, he is the son of Randy Newman, the man who soundtracked your childhood).

Matthew Broderick and Uzo Aduba lead the series, which follows the rise of the opioid epidemic in America after the introduction of OxyContin. So it’s a little bit like Netflix’s take on Dopesick, but without Michael Keaton.

Newman told The Hollywood Reporter that he wasn’t concerned about multiple stories on the opioid crisis due to its relevance in his own personal life. “Danny Strong did a great job of getting Dopesick out there, but this is a story that needs to be told as many times as possible, as loudly as possible,” he explained, adding, “[The opioid crisis] is not over. My stepbrother died a month ago from opioid abuse at 47. He’d struggled with it for 20 years, and the real tragedy is that no one was surprised.”

Here is everything you need to know about the series.

Plot

The series is loosely based on Barry Meier’s nonfiction book Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic, which chronicled the rise of the highly addictive drug OxyContin. Here is the official description from Netflix:

Painkiller, a fictionalized telling of real events, explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin

Cast

The cast is led by Uzo Aduba as Edie, an investigator for the US Attorney looking into the opioid epidemic. Matthew Broderick stars as the real-life Richard Sackler, president of OxyCotin developer Purdue Pharma. Sam Anderson, Taylor Kitsch, Carolina Bartczak, Tyler Ritter, John Ales, Ana Cruz Kayne, and West Duchovny (daughter of our good pal David) also star.

Release Date

The six-episode series drops on August 10th.

Trailer

Due to the ongoing fires in Maui, there has been a public panic about the island’s beloved Banyan tree, which has been damaged in the flames. While the tree remains standing, the people in the town of Lahaina are devastated by the scorched tree, which holds historical significance.

The 150-year-old tree is thought to be the largest of its kind in the U.S. The majestic tree was a staple to the community and its people, towering more than 60 feet that often served as a meeting place on the island. The tree also housed hundreds of mynah birds, who are known to sing throughout the branches of the 16 (!!) separate trunks. It’s no wonder the potential loss of the tree has become such an enormous weight on the locals, who refer to the plant as the “heartbeat” of Lahaina.

The Washington Post reports that the tree was planted in 1873 to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission in Lahaina. The tree has kept its unique shape due to residents hanging water-filled jars on specific aerial roots. Over the years, residents have gathered for various town events, like Halloween parades and farmer’s markets.

Though the tree was a coveted landmark on the island, Kaniela Ing, a former member of Hawaii’s House of Representatives, tweeted that it’s just another alarming effect of the current climate emergency.

The fires have currently claimed 36 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings. As of Thursday, the fire is reportedly 80% contained, and President Biden declared it a “major disaster.”

(Via USA Today, The Washington Post)

Last season was a rare year of stability for ESPN’s NBA studio coverage, as Mike Greenberg, Stephen A. Smith, Jalen Rose, and Michael Wilbon returned for a second season together as the NBA Countdown panel for pregame and halftime coverage.

However, this summer saw more change at ESPN, with Countdown among the shows getting another makeover. With layoffs ending Jalen Rose’s 15-year tenure with the network, we knew the analysts would be changing some, but we also got word this week that Malika Andrews would be taking over hosting duties from Mike Greenberg, who will focus on his other duties at the network. On Thursday, word broke from Andrew Marchand of the New York Post that at least one of the new faces on Countdown will be an outside hire, with former Warriors GM Bob Myers reportedly nearing a deal with the network to join the show.

Myers chose not to sign a new contract with the Warriors this summer after a decade in the Bay, building the roster that won four championships, and he will now provide a unique front office perspective to the show. Now, how much that helps the show on a day-to-day basis as they breakdown games remains to be seen, as does how his personality shines on TV (he did host a podcast last year), but he will have some interesting insight to the team-building process that we don’t often get from executives who were at the highest level of the front office.

One would expect Myers won’t be the only new face joining Andrew on the Countdown desk as ESPN overhauls its NBA coverage for the 2023-24 season. Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson are also out as the lead broadcast analysts, with Doc Rivers and Doris Burke stepping into the lead booth with Mike Breen next year.

The flagship location of Jay-Z‘s nightclub, the 40/40 Club, has officially shut its doors, according to a report from Vibe.

A representative from the 40/40 Club told the publication that the esteemed nightclub ended its run at the end of July.

The 40/40 Club originally opened in Manhattan’s Flatiron District in 2003, and became a favorite of New York’s celebrities and elite. The club — which housed a sports bar, lounge, and restaurant — also opened locations in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Atlanta. According to the representative, a new 40/40 Club location will open in New York sometime next year.

Unfortunately, the 40/40 club isn’t the only venture of Jay-Z’s that recently took a hit. Earlier this week, it was reported that Made In America festival, which was founded by Jay-Z, had been cancelled “[d]ue to severe circumstances outside of production.” Lizzo and SZA were set to headline the festival, however, fans are suspecting that the festival was cancelled due to a recent lawsuit filed against the “About Damn Time” singer.

In the meantime, fans of Jay-Z can check out The Book Of Hov an exhibition highlighting Hov’s humble beginnings which led to a remarkable career in hip-hop. The exhibition is currently running in Jay-Z’s hometown at the Brooklyn Public Library.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong while traveling. You must book the trip, get to the airport on time and have appropriate passports, visas, and vaccination papers. Add to that the problems that can come with renting cars, buying train tickets and dealing with your hotel arrangements.

When you finally arrive, you may have some uncomfortable situations that come from not knowing the language or local customs.

But all the troubles are worth it the moment when you and your traveling partner turn to each other and say, “We made it!” After all, if travel were easy, it wouldn’t be as much fun.

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A Reddit user by the name of Medium-Decision6899 asked a revealing question to the Travel forum: “What is the dumbest travel mistake you’ve made?” The reactions were a mix of booking mistakes, airport errors and passport problems. Some were funny, while others were a reminder of things to avoid when traveling.

Here are 16 of our favorite responses to the prompt: “What is the dumbest travel mistake you’ve made?”

1. Long wait, buddy

“I booked a ticket to the Anne Frank museum tour and stood in line. Ticket was for the following year.” — Dickasaurous2000

2. Check your passport

“Not me but my husband. The night before our first trip to Barcelona he noticed his passport had expired. Hotels were nonrefundable at that point so I waved goodbye and did the trip solo.” — Trekker_Cynthia

3. Double-check before you book

“I once booked a month-long Airbnb for the wrong month.” — Bruce_e

4. Beer Blunder

“Mine was being an inexperienced 19-year-old traveler bringing lots of German beer to Liverpool in a duffel bag. About 10 or 12 bottles broke, and the bags on the conveyor belt were soaked in beer, and the people were angrily mumbling over it. Then mine came, the whole bottom was drenched, and eyes were all over me as I quietly snuck out.” — DoneTravelling

5. Delhi belly

“I ate a meal with raw vegetables at a gas station on the bus from Kathmandu to Delhi. Big mistake, was ill the remainder of the trip.” — Kaste

6. Don’t assume

“I booked a trip to Istanbul in December, assumed it would be warm because it was on the Mediterranean and in the Middle East, didn’t check the weather predictions, didn’t pack any warm clothes, and it was snowing when I arrived.” — ShinjukuAce

7. Lucky duck

“Recently went to Japan and must have been extremely jet lagged my first night because I threw my envelope of 40000 yen (like 280 USD) into the trash can in the bathroom of the floor of the hostel I was staying in. Was checking the bathroom as a last ditch effort, moved a few pieces of tissue and there it was untouched.” — Ducey89

8. When all else fails, bribe

“I once traveled to an African country and forgot my mandatory vaccination book. I had to bribe the lady in the office with 50 bucks, which she did hide in her boobs and here I go across the border!” — notskeleto

9. A tale of two Sydneys

“Sydney, Australia, and Sydney, Nova Scotia are not close to each other. I have no idea why I didn’t question why the ticket was so affordable!” — egd-f

10. The maritime rub

“Took a cruise in the Mediterranean. I signed up for International coverage, but didn’t realize that didn’t include maritime roaming, or that maritime roaming was even a thing… was in for a painful surprise the next morning. Fortunately, it was just the first day but the charges were over $250 and I was able to negotiate the cost down when I returned.” — dotthemcqueen

11. Now, that’s dumb

“Packing a passport in the check-in bag.” — riceingonthecake

12. Now, that’s smart

“I mentally earmark a few hundred dollars per trip for ‘mistakes’ since I plan my own trips. No one is perfect, and expecting to make a few errors helps me deal with it when it happens.” — Maddbadger

13.​ Wrong island

“Booked a car while traveling to Kauai, this was when rental cars were low so felt lucky to have one. The day before realized it was for a completely different island in which the airport name sounded similar.” — Whistle-KNower59

14. Wrong country

“Booked a flight to San Jose, CA. Went to check in and they asked me for my passport. Turns out I had booked a flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. I was traveling with my partner, an adult child, and a cello, the cello needs its own ticket. So that was stupid x 4.” — ketkate​

15. Overbooking

“Continuing to try and visit too many places in a short amount of time. I do this all the time. I tell myself I won’t next time. Perhaps not the dumbest but when you repeatedly do the same thing, it’s pretty dumb.” — Blindemboss

16. Buzz kill

“Took my son (5yo) to a toy store before going to the airport. forgot to pat him down so he set off security with a pair of fake handcuffs, a giant nickel, a huge metal eyeball, and a joy buzzer. Scared the hell out of him when he got searched. They confiscated the handcuffs and the joy buzzer.” — Dinodigger67

I stood in the back-to-school section at Target throwing my kindergartener’s school supplies haphazardly in the red cart when suddenly I couldn’t catch my breath. I found myself attempting to control a panic attack while deciding between RoseArt and Crayola crayons. (Crayola always wins, even though the price tag is bigger.)

My panic attack wasn’t over the crayons, though that would’ve been easier to stomach. I was flooded with anxiety over having to send my innocent 5-year-old off to school in America. Being a dual-income middle-class family, there’s no viable option for me not to send him into a classroom, so I stood in Target with the full weight of sending my youngest child off for an education and a lifetime of trauma.

In the few minutes it took me to understand why I was having trouble breathing, I decided this was the year I’d add bulletproof backpack inserts to the school supply list.

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As I read reviews on the different brands of inserts, one company was having a back-to-school sale. “How absurd,” I thought to myself. We live in a country where bulletproof inserts for backpacks are so sought after that ballistics companies can have back-to-school sales on them. Give that a moment to sink in.

My disgust over the absurdity of it all didn’t stop me from recognizing a good sale, though. After texting my high school children to see if they also wanted an insert, I ordered three and had them expedited to my doorstep. It was an almost instantaneous relief, albeit short-lived.

My teens had questions, and they weren’t completely comforted by the answers I could provide. They wanted to know the ballistic grade and if there was an insert that could withstand assault rifles. My middle son asked if I could buy an extra one so he could have one in the front panel of his backpack and one in the back to increase his protection against an AR-15. To be truthful, the highest grade insert was around $600 and if you multiply that by three it made it out of my price range.

Until I asked my older children about the insert, I had no idea they were calculating what items in their classroom would give them the best protection if a shooter came in. I’ve seen them walk through school tours like little soldiers trained for war, pointing out spaces that could be easily breached and classrooms that would make it difficult to hide.

My heart broke once more when my adult daughter informed me that she still has nightmares about active shooter drills four years after graduating. What are we doing in our country where traumatizing children from kindergarten up is the norm? How is it that buying a bulletproof insert for backpacks seems like the reasonable option? We don’t live in a war-torn country, but preparing for school feels like it.

In one generation, schools went from being worried your bully might try to trip you in the hallway to being worried someone would come in and shoot everyone. I was in high school when Columbine happened and remember thinking that it was a sad isolated incident. It never crossed my mind that school shootings would become normal.

But until something’s done about the frequency of school shootings, I’ll buy whatever I can to ease my mind and give my kids the best chance of coming back home to me.

Identical twins get to do some things the rest of us don’t, from forming their own unique language as babies to fooling friends, family and teachers with identity-switching pranks.

Usually, parents of twins are immune to such tricks, as they recognize the subtle differences between their offspring even when others might be duped. However, under the right circumstances, identical twins can pull a fast one even on their mom or pop.

Such was the case with two adult twin men who decided to surprise their dad. Musa, who plays basketball overseas and hadn’t seen their father in a year and a half due to the pandemic, pretended to be Muhammad, the son their dad sees frequently. Musa donned his brother’s glasses and clothing and even held Muhammad’s child when he arrived at the father’s door in an attempt to fool their old man.

Both twins have the same beard, and in the dim light of night, it’s understandable that Dad wouldn’t think his son wasn’t who he appeared to be. And to be extra sneaky about it, Musa-pretending-to-be-Muhammad immediately asked their unsuspecting dad if he had talked to Musa lately. Well played.

Watch the father’s face when the other brother walks through the door and he starts to figure out the practical joke.

That few moments of confusion as dear old dad tried to figure out who was who was hilarious, but his joy in having his sons together was palpable. Clearly, he didn’t mind that his kids tricked him. And those forehead kisses? Too precious.

USA Today talked with Muhammad, Musa, and their father, Rashad, about their close relationship. Gotta love a family filled with so much love, affection, and mutual respect—and of course, a great sense of humor.

It’s been 12 years since the U.S. military overturned its “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and allowed openly gay LGBTQ people to serve. But even though the discriminatory policy was overturned, tens of thousands of those dishonorably discharged between 1980 and 2011 still have to live with the scarlet letter of the designation.

Veterans who were thrown out of the military after their sexuality was discovered have to relive the trauma every time they present their DD-214 paperwork when accessing VA benefits or applying for jobs, homes or loans.

Further, dishonorable discharges often ban veterans from receiving essential benefits such as education, unemployment, healthcare, and housing benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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But all of that may soon change if a civil rights lawsuit filed by five veterans against the Department of Defense is successful. The lawsuit claims that the DOD should overturn the dishonorable discharges and update discriminatory language on their discharge papers referencing their “real or perceived” sexuality.

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“Thousands of veterans discharged for their actual or perceived sexual orientation often received a less than Honorable discharge or had their discharge flagged with separation codes publicly associated with ‘homosexuality,’ denying them benefits they rightfully earned based on their service,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit addresses the emotional damage caused by the discriminatory laws by referencing a quote on the tombstone of Vietnam veteran Leonard Matlovich: “When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.”

Although there is a process for altering dishonorable discharges, the lawsuit argues that it should be the job of the DOD to facilitate such changes instead of putting the burden on the victims of the discriminatory policy. It’s a lengthy bureaucratic process requiring some veterans to hire lawyers.

“Requiring LGBTQ+ veterans to first bear the stigma and discriminatory effects of carrying indicators of sexual orientation on their [discharge papers] and then navigate a broken record correction process to seek resolution violates their constitutional rights to equal protection, informational privacy, property, and due process protected by the Fourteenth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution,” the suit says.

The lawsuit does not aim for monetary compensation. Instead, it urges the DOD to proactively update the discharge documents for these veterans by eliminating any mention of sexual orientation instead of requiring the individual veteran to initiate the process.

This ruling could have a tremendous effect on the lives of thousands of veterans. It’s estimated that if the lawsuit succeeds, it could affect at least 35,000 service members discharged because of “real or perceived” homosexuality, homosexual conduct, or “sexual perversion.”

Although nothing can be done to completely repair the damage to the thousands of veterans who lost their military careers because of their “real or perceived” sexuality, let’s hope the DOD does its part to help right the wrongs committed in the three decades that LGBTQ+ people were discriminated against in the U.S. military.

The San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback room was a bit of a mess at the end of last season. With both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance going down with injuries, San Francisco turned to the Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy, to get them through the end of the regular season and the postseason. And then, Purdy got injured, suffering an elbow injury in the NFC Championship Game that basically doomed the Niners.

Purdy got replaced in the NFC title game against the Philadelphia Eagles by Josh Johnson, who also got hurt in the game. Things ended with Purdy stepping in and basically doing as little as possible, which played a major role in a 31-7 Eagles win. But there’s a fun question in this: What the heck would the Niners have done if they somehow made it past Philly and got to the Super Bowl?

Well, Kyle Shanahan answered that question on Thursday afternoon and said the team would have signed Philip Rivers as a free agent and hoped for the best as he made his debut for the team in the biggest game of the year.

Rivers, of course, was only available because he retired after the 2020 NFL season came to an end, so the last pass he threw in a live game came on Jan. 9, 2021. It would have been one of the all-time insane things to happen in the history of sports, but in the end, it didn’t come to fruition.

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B and Afrobeats column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Halle Bailey officially launched her solo era with the release of her “Angel” single while Snoh Aalegra returned with her “Sweet Tea” single. Blxst and Remble released their video for “Child Of God” and Chloe shared a cover of Gunna’s “Fukumean.” Elsewhere, Tinashe announced a co-headlining North American tour with Shygirl.

Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:

Usher — “Good Good” Feat. Summer Walker & 21 Savage

Usher is picking up the pieces from a past relationship on “Good Good,” his latest single with Summer Walker and 21 Savage. Though he wishes the relationship didn’t come to an end, it isn’t stopping him from wishing his old partner the best going forward. In fact, he’s happy that a bit of a friendship has formed from it.

Jordan Ward & 6lack — “Mustard”

Jordan Ward, who is just months removed from the release of his stellar debut album Forward, connects with 6lack for their new single “Mustard.” It’s the first release from Ward’s Moreword(Forward) project out August 25 and it’s a record that both artists use to reflect on the past and celebrate the journey that brought them towards their current success.

Jorja Smith — “Go Go Go”

With her sophomore album Falling Or Flying out in September, Jorja Smith is back with another single. “Go Go Go” is her latest preview of the album, and it leans away from her usual R&B sound in favor of something in the indie lane. “‘GO GO GO’ is kind of a f you song. Why do people have to kiss and tell, kind of vibe.” she says in a press release. “I’m in my little alternative bag, but I’ve always kind of been in it. People might be like, ‘I didn’t expect this’, but I’m like: ‘well, I would!’”

Ciara — “How We Roll” Feat. Chris Brown

Later this month Ciara will release her Cici EP, and the first offering from it comes with “How We Roll” with Chris Brown. The record finds itself in the contemporary R&B lane, something that has come naturally to Ciara and Chris Brown. The track also arrived with a music video that put the singers’ dance skills on display.

Alina Baraz — “Keep Me In Love”

There’s a good chance that Alina Baraz may have an album on the way soon, but for now, we’ll happily accept a new song from her. The singer is back with “Keep In My Love,” which lands as a tender and heartfelt record aimed at a lover with whom she hopes to make it last. “We pour so much time, love, and energy into ourselves, effortlessly and indefinitely,” she said about the song. “The idea [for the song] came from wondering if someone could ever do that for you. It’s easy to fall in love but to keep me in love, I long for that.”

Yung Bleu — “Confirmation”

With a project to his name this year thanks to Love Scars II, Yung Bleu keeps the pedal to the metal with his latest single “Confirmation.” On it, Bleu sends a pleading message to an old lover with the hope that she’ll leave her new lover and come back to him as he knows he can treat her right.

Nao — “Balance” Feat. Skillibeng

The last time we heard from Nao was with the 2021 release of her third project And Then Last Beautiful. Hopefully, her fourth full-length release is on the way as her new single “Balance” with Skillibeng is a sign of that. It’s a dance-friendly and upbeat number that leans into the house sound one may find in the tropics.

Destin Conrad — “Outta Control”

We’re here to tell you that Destin Conrad does not miss. His newest release, “Outta Control,” is proof of that. It’s sultry and laid back with a bit of rhythm that will have you wanting to dance with the special person in your life. As for Conrad never missing, check out his Satin and Colorway EPs to understand what we mean.

Kelz2Busy — 3 Typa Nights

Brooklyn singer Kelz2Busy — fka Kelz — has been nothing short of impressive over the last 12 months. Now, he adds to his growing portfolio with his new EP 3 Typa Nights. It arrives with three songs that showcase Kelz2Busy’s versatility through displays of his sound mixed with dancehall elements (“Lost & Found”), ballads (“Empty Night$), and captivating alternative R&B (“Right Now”).

Kevin Ross — “Ready For It” Feat. Eric Bellinger

After releasing Midnight Microdose, Vol. 1 earlier this year, Kevin Ross calls on Eric Bellinger for his latest drop, “Ready For It.” Both singers take a moment to express their commitment to loving a new woman in their life. It took them a moment to see their worth, but now things are clearer than ever in their eyes.

Marley Bleu & Pink Sweats — “Unintentional”

Marley Bleu and Pink Sweats join forces to celebrate an unexpected love on their new single “Unintentional.” The newfound romance they sing of on the song took them by surprise, but they couldn’t be any happier about it as it’s exactly what they wanted to experience in a relationship.

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