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Things got heated on The View on Thursday morning after guest host and former White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah attempted to defend Republicans who are suddenly attacking Joe Biden over the handling of Ukraine, but have nothing to say about Donald Trump, who was impeached for attempting to withhold military aid in exchange for President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing an investigation into Hunter Biden.

Whoopi Goldberg kicked off the discussion with a fiery condemnation of the GOP sitting on their hands while Trump was in office. Goldberg got so fired up that she had to stop herself from swearing on camera.

“I don’t remember them being concerned at all that there was an issue,” Goldberg said via The Wrap. “Particularly when the president of the Ukraine said, ‘Listen, we need this, we need to be able to defend ourselves,’ and he dangled! Where the hell were y’all? I don’t remember you giving a good, blessed…”

However, Farah jumped in to defend her fellow Republicans by saying that they would’ve voted differently during Trump’s first impeachment knowing what they know now. But this the line that really set Whoopi and the rest of the panel off: “I want to be abundantly clear though, Donald Trump is not president anymore and we have a humanitarian crisis.” That’s when the fireworks started.

“That doesn’t — I’m sorry. You cannot stand up and say, ‘he’s — hey this guy’s not doing his job.’ He’s doing what he’s supposed to do!” Goldberg fired back at Farah before Sunny Hostin jumped in. Via Mediaite:

“What I take offense at is the fact these people are suddenly all concerned now about what’s happening,” Goldberg replied.

Sunny Hostin then noted that just last Thursday, 31 Republicans voted against providing military aid for Ukraine.

“This is a lot of posturing by the Republican Party, and I think it’s despicable, and I think it’s disgusting, and I don’t think you should defend it,” Hostin said to Farah.

Farah defended herself by merely saying she was just giving “policy criticism” and not attacking Biden during “times of war,” which was greeted with frustrated sighs from the rest of the co-hosts.

(Via The Wrap, Mediaite)

With last year’s Pressure Machine, The Killers expanded into new Americana storytelling territory. Gone were the arena rock sounds that the beloved band built their behemoth following on. In their place, was heartfelt songwriting from Brandon Flowers about hard-luck folks in small American towns like his hometown of Nephi, Utah.

“It was the first time in a long time that I was faced with silence,” Flowers said in a statement about the album’s release. “And out of that silence, this record began to bloom, full of songs that would have otherwise been too quiet and drowned out by the noise of typical Killers records.”

Now the Pressure Machine Deluxe Edition is due out on March 25th, and it features a range of new versions of some of the album’s songs. Expect re-works of tracks like “West Hills,” “The Getting By,” and “Runaway Horses,” all in a new palette of sound.

Along with the Deluxe release, The Killers will also be premiering a live film, entitled Notes From A Quiet Town, on March 21st via their Facebook page. Set in Nephi, the film features not only three stripped-down performances from the band but also stories of American life from locals — just like the album’s deliberately placed interludes.

Check out a trailer for the film above and see the tracklist for Pressure Machine Deluxe Edition below.

1. “West Hills”
2. “Quiet Town”
3. “Terrible Thing”
4. “Cody”
5. “Sleepwalker”
6. “Runaway Horses”
7. “In The Car Outside”
8. “In Another Life”
9. “Desperate Things”
10. “Pressure Machine”
11. “The Getting By”
12. “The Getting By II”
13. “The Getting By III”
14. “The Getting By IV”
15. “The Getting By V”
16. “Runaway Horses II”
17. “West Hills II”
18. “West Hills III”

Pressure Machine Deluxe Edition is due out on 03/25 via BMG.

Years after Netflix’s MCU shows went down for the count, The Defenders line up (including Jessica Jones, Daredevil, The Punisher, and Iron Fist) finally ended their strange, rights-associated limbo and arrived on Disney+. This, of course, has led to some appalled rumblings from a parents’ association, but for the most part, things seem to be going without more controversy.

That is to say, no one can get upset about Disney+ censoring these more graphic (than general Disney+ Marvel shows) shows, either, because that ain’t happening. IGN even has a gleefully compiled list of all the eyebrow-raising moments left intact. Boy, the House of Mouse is hopping into various modes these days, but more to the point, Jessica Jones‘ jeans are definitely on Disney+ now, and the knit-furious star of the show is ready to toast the newest “Disney princess.”

I can dig it. And it’s honestly nice to really see — especially since Marvel explicitly condemned Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill — a reminder that Marvel can do more than make Captain America “language” jokes these days. Disney princesses don’t always have to be sweet and perfect, either. Sometimes, they can be badass, hard-boozing investigators, who finished their run alongside Hellcat and are sick and tired of Killgrave’s bullsh*t. And speaking of which, it’s always a great time to rewatch Jessica Jones.

Our family has gone through a passel of pets while raising our kids.

We started with a goldfish named Princess (who lived a surprisingly long life for a feeder fish we got at a festival). We’ve had several pairs of fancy rats, which really do make sweet, personable pets. We got our first cat when we moved to a place that allowed them, which as a lifelong cat person I was excited about. Then added a feline friend for him a couple of years later.

Finally, several years ago, two of our kids got rabbits. And honestly? If we had known how awesome bunnies can be as indoor pets, we would have skipped the fish and the rats—maybe even the cats—and never looked back.

The fish was interesting to look at. The rats were sweet and cute. (If you’ve never seen a pet rat wash its face or eat a Cheerio, you’re missing out.) Rats themselves are clean, but their cages get smelly pretty fast. The cats are great—again, always been a cat person—but ours are indoor only and the catbox situation is … less than desirable. They’ve also destroyed several pieces of furniture with their claws. Good thing they’re so entertaining and lovable.

But the rabbits have surprised me by having a leg up on all the other pets we’ve had. Here’s why:

1. They can be litterbox trained—and it’s way less stinky than a cat’s litterbox.

I had no idea that rabbits could be litter trained.

Rats can allegedly be litter trained as well, but we never had any luck with that with any of our pet rats. And cats are easy to litter train, of course, but cat pee and poo are smelly. It takes super expensive litter to cover cat pee ammonia smell, and if a kid waits too long to change the litter it’s … noticeable.

Rabbit pee doesn’t stink. I don’t know how, but it doesn’t. It barely has much of a smell at all, and the smell is just sort of “earthy.” Same with rabbit poop. It’s basically just digested hay, and it’s little dry-ish pellets that pick up easily. We often joke that it’s like picking up a Cocoa Puff, not that we have to pick up a lot of it because they generally keep it all inside their litterboxes.

It took less than a week for each of our rabbits to start using their litterboxes consistently. And their “litter” is just paper. Super easy to clean out their boxes, and again, super not smelly.

2. They’re adorable and unbelievably soft.

Bunny fur is so soft it’s unreal. The only thing I’ve ever felt that was softer was chinchilla fur. They do shed sometimes, so there’s a vacuuming element to having rabbits, much like there is with cats and dogs. Totally worth it, though.

There are a bazillion different rabbit breeds out there, with different-sized bodies, different fur types, different ear types and so on. But most of them are so darn cute. The way they twitch their little noses all the time? Precious. Their little bunny butts with their little bunny tails? Forget about it. I thought watching a rat wash its face was cute, but bunny face and ear washing is even better.

And eating lettuce? The little crunchy-munchy sounds they make? Gracious.

The number of “Awwww, he’s so cuuuute!” around here rivals when we had a newborn baby.

3. They do cute things with cute names like zoomies, binkies and flops.

Not only do rabbits do the cutest things, but the cute things they do also have the cutest names, such a:

Zoomies: When a rabbit gets a sudden burst of energy and starts racing around the room, it’s called a “zoomy.”

Binkies: When rabbits are happy, they’ll do a sudden, twitchy jump for joy, where they leap up in the air and sort of shimmy their body really fast. It’s my favorite thing. They do it out of nowhere, like their joy just overtakes them all of a sudden and they can’t help themselves. (Watch some bunny binkying above and witness the cuteness.)

Flops: When rabbits feel safe and content, they just flop over onto their side. Again, out of nowhere. You might almost think they fainted or died, but no, they just “flopped.”

I genuinely had no idea rabbits had such personalities. I’d only ever seen them in hutches or cages just sort of laying around, but when they are able to roam around, they’re delightfully entertaining.

4. They can be surprisingly smart—and fearless.

Wild rabbits are skitterish, so I expected our pet rabbits to be similar. Nope. Our bunnies can get spooked by loud noises, but they’re not at all afraid of people. They’re not even afraid of our cats. They’ll run right up to people and constantly try to get the cats to play with them. It’s hilarious.

And maybe it’s just our rabbits, but they’re surprisingly smart. My son’s rabbit kept getting out of his enclosure, and it took us a while to figure out how he did it because he’d only do it when no one was in the room.

You can also train them to do little tricks, like running around in a circle or jumping through a hoop. My kids have trained the rabbits to jump over their legs when they’re sitting, and all my daughter has to do is flick her finger and her rabbit will spin around for a treat.

5. They’re pretty low-maintenance as furry pets go.

I don’t want to oversimplify what it takes to have a bunny as a pet, and there are some downsides I’ll share in a moment. But as far as loveable, furry creatures go, rabbits are pretty low-maintenance. They eat hay and food pellets and fresh vegetables, they drink water either from a bowl or a water dispenser, and they need things they can chew on. There aren’t vaccines for pet rabbits in the U.S., so no need to keep up with those. They need their claws trimmed once in a while. And that’s about it.

So what are the downsides?

Chewing. The main downside with our two bunnies is that one of them is a major chewer. All rabbits like to chew, but if you give them enough things that are safe for them to chew on, they’re less likely to chew things you don’t want them to. But rabbit teeth are like razors and our chewer is particularly partial to cords—phone chargers, lamp cords, any type of cord really. He somehow manages to chew through pet-proof cord protectors as well, so he doesn’t get to roam around freely without a close watch on him like our other rabbit does.

Space is another issue if you can’t let them roam freely. Creating an enclosure large enough for them to run around in requires space that not everyone has. Our “free-roaming” bunny doesn’t even have a cage—he just roams around my daughter’s room and has a little linoleumed area where his litter box and food go. (Unlike cats, rabbits actually like to have their food near their litterboxes.) Like all animals, rabbits need exercise to stay healthy so it’s not great for them to stay in small hutches or cages all the time.

Finally, as the Humane Society of the United States points out, they’re not great for families with very young children. I’d wait until kids are old enough to understand how to handle them gently (they are more delicate than cats or dogs) and not make a lot of startling noises around them.

That’s really about it. As I said, if I had known the cost-benefit ratio of having rabbits as indoor pets, we would have started the kids off with them as pets from the get-go. In some ways, they’re even preferable to the cats—and coming from a lifelong cat person, that’s really saying something.

The firehose of propaganda and information lockdown in Russia has made it possible for Vladimir Putin to attack Ukraine without having to face a significant backlash in his home country.

Russians have falsely been told that their country is in danger because Ukraine’s government is full of neo-Nazis with nuclear ambitions. These lies have been spread unabated because the government will retaliate against any media outlet or social media platform that challenges its narrative.

In an attempt to share the truth about the war in Ukraine, actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recorded a nine-minute video explaining what’s really happening, directed at the Russian people.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s message to the Russian people

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“The strength and the heart of the Russian people have always inspired me,” he said. “That is why I hope that you will let me tell you the truth about the war in Ukraine and what is happening there. No one likes to hear something critical of their government, I understand that. But as a longtime friend of the Russian people, I hope that you will hear what I have to say.”

Schwarzenegger hopes that his popularity and status as a private citizen can change some hearts and minds in Russia. The video is moving because he doesn’t just chastise Putin’s policies. He compares the struggles faced by Russian soldiers with the pain that his father endured after fighting in World War II on the side of the Nazis.

“I don’t want you to be programmed like my father,” Arnold said.

Arnold shared the truth about Russia

In the video, the “Terminator” star also shares the cold truth about the war, backed up by images of death and destruction to let the Russian people know about the horrors that are being committed in their name.

“The world has turned against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine,” he said. “The destruction that Russian bombs are raining down on innocent civilians has so outraged the world that the strongest global economic sanctions ever taken have been imposed on your country … This is not the war to defend Russia like your grandfather or your great grandfather fought. This is an illegal war!”

While it’ll be tough for Schwarzenegger’s message to make it past the iron information curtain surrounding Russia, his heartfelt effort to spread a message of peace should be applauded.

The vast majority of people walking the earth today remember what it was like to be a 13-year-old child. Wrestling with the idea that you’re growing up, hormones are all over the place, and suddenly you want to be more than friends with some of your classmates. It’s a weird and complicated age, but Disney’s Turning Red takes on the challenge with a strong 13 year old female lead who grapples with cultural norms, coming of age and finding her voice. The themes of this movie don’t fall too far from the Disney tradition of displaying coming of age stories in anything from the Little Mermaid to Finding Nemo.

Mei is a 2nd generation Chinese American girl who struggles with regulating her emotions, which is something we can all relate to when it comes to navigating becoming a teenager. The cultural piece is something that really resonated with 2nd generation Chinese American therapists. I took the time to speak with a few therapists to get their thoughts on Disney’s Turning Red.

Jocelyn Lam, who is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes working with this population said “I loved Turning Red because of the nuanced approach to the mother-daughter relationships across generations in the Lee Family. Mei-Lin grapples with saving face and being a ‘loyal’ daughter to her family, versus embracing a more messy side to her personality and broader range of emotions, which is a common struggle that 2nd generation Chinese teens experience.” Lam went on to express how much she “loved that the story spotlighted how interdependence within Chinese families can result in strength and vulnerability.”

With Turning Red, Disney has sparked an important cultural conversation

Stay chill and check out this brand-new clip of Mei and her squad in Disney and @Pixar’s #TurningRed, now streaming only on @DisneyPlus.pic.twitter.com/VgqaQEueq5

— Disney (@Disney)
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It’s clear that Disney struck an important chord by capturing how culture and mental health intertwine. Lisa Ibekwe, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and first generation American viewed the movie and said “Turning Red was a phenomenal depiction of the thin line between culture and intergenerational trauma. It represents how culture heavily influences what we pass down to our children. Many children in general struggle to express their wants and desires to adults, and it’s even harder when there is a cultural gap between their desires and the expectations.”

While the cultural stuff stood out to many who rarely see their culture played out on the big screen, that wasn’t the only reason therapists have been singing the praises of the movie. There are some therapeutic things in there that parents might have missed, but kids could truly learn from. Jocelyn pointed out “the movie showed active coping tools and redirection of thought, open discussion of menstruation, accepting that different emotions can co-exist, a holistic view of psychological happiness and addressing intergenerational trauma.”

Turning Red helps show the importance of talking about sex education with kids 

Growing up unleashes so many emotions. Have a look at how Panda Mei captures all our moods and comment with yours. #TurningRed (1/9)pic.twitter.com/YvA3zxZFpA

— Disney+ (@Disney+)
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Jenny Moore Greunke, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker expressed that Turning Red was “such a great example of not feeling the need to change yourself to make others comfortable. Showing that being who you are without shame is healing, even when there may be generations before you who haven’t evolved to your level of emotional intelligence yet. Radical Self love!” Kathleen Hearne, Licensed Professional Counselor said “through openly talking about the traumas and it’s affects can help individuals and generations grow and thrive from those experiences verses it causing continued trauma within the family through hurtful behavior patterns.” Hearne went further to say that “it’s helpful in normalizing that we all have experiences in life that have shaped us and that we can use them to thrive and grow towards our authentic self by being open and compassionate with ourselves and others.”

The themes that Turning Red touches on are so deep and important that it is amazing to see how seamlessly Disney pulled this movie off. Preteens and teens can see themselves in Mei-Lin and learn to embrace their “messy side” while also learning how to regulate their strong emotions through the coping mechanisms so carefully placed within this movie. Hats off to Disney for not shying away from the hard stuff while also giving us tools and healing to move forward when we relate to the film.

It’s age-old Hollywood wisdom: If you want to play a hero, you have to play a vampire first. It worked for Robert Pattinson and it worked for Paul Wesley.

Deadline announced that the former star of CW’s “Vampire Diaries” will be the next actor to take on the iconic role of 23rd century Starfleet Commanding Officer James T. Kirk.

Don’t worry, Chris Pine fans. He’ll still be around for the movies, sources say. Wesley will be playing Kirk in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” on Paramount+. Deadline reports that the series will tell the story of Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and Spock (Ethan Peck) exploring the cosmos before Kirk steps aboard the famous Enterprise.

Wesley getting cast is just half the story. The next part feels like a moment pulled straight from a “Star Trek” script itself, as two Kirks (one from the past, one from the future) come face-to-face on a plane.

​Wesley shared on Twitter that the role felt like a dream come true as a lifelong Trekkie.

I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created.
Recently, I boarded a flight to LA to discover that the man in the pic.twitter.com/U8GVD4ZemP

— Paul Wesley (@paulwesley) March 15, 2022

The actor tweeted, “I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created.”

In an amazing twist of fate, Wesley revealed that on a flight back to L.A., he sat right next to the original Captain Kirk, “the one and only William Shatner.”

No, this was not a holodeck program. New Captain Kirk sat right next to William Shatner.

For real. But if “Star Trek” has taught us anything, it’s that the universe is full of strange and fascinating surprises.

Shatner had just finished his real life space voyage on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. After a short romp through the cosmos, he probably didn’t expect to find his doppelgänger. As for Wesley, he was speechless.

“I could barely put two words together,” he wrote. But after mustering up the courage, the starstruck Wesley eventually “managed to say hello” and both Kirks shared a chat.

“I’m not one who usually believes in fate but this was more than a coincidence,” Wesley reflected.

He ended his tweet with a warm thank-you to Shatner for the “good company,” and it got an even sweeter response from Shatner himself.

@paulwesley Keep my ship and crew safe, Captain! 😉 Congratulations!

— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) March 16, 2022

“Keep my ship and my crew safe, Captain! Congratulations!” wrote one Kirk to another.

“Star Trek” is a franchise with a notoriously loyal, passionate—and openly opinionated—fanbase. Wesley has some big shoes to fill, but now he’s equipped with an official seal of approval from Shatner on the internet for all eyes to see.

As Shatner’s Kirk once said, “sometimes a feeling is all we humans have to go on.” I think many of us have had moments like this, where it seems like the universe itself is sending an undeniable confirmation that says, “Yes, I’m exactly where I need to be.”

Though maybe not every version is as epic as this interaction. Still, it’s times like these that can help us feel like we really do have a destiny. Or at the very least, it’s great science fiction fodder!

For more than 50 years, “Star Trek” has captured the hearts and minds of millions, encouraging the thrill of discovery and the hope for a better tomorrow. Shatner might have been the first to boldly go, but the mission isn’t over. Space stories continue to be amazing explorations of our own humanity here on Earth.

Selena Gomez, along with creators Tanya Saracho and Gabriela Revilla Lugo, have teamed up to develop a TV show based on John Hughes’ beloved 1984 coming-of-age comedy, “Sixteen Candles.”

Only this time, Latinas will be the stars.

The original “Sixteen Candles” starred Molly Ringwald as Sam Baker, a sophomore approaching her 16th birthday, only to have her own special day forgotten thanks to her older sister Ginny getting married.

john hughes brat pack GIF

Giphy

It seems like the remake will be more of an ensemble story, delving into slightly different (yet very important) themes.

Deadline reports that “The half-hour series … follows four young Latinas starting high school as they overcome their feelings of invisibility while exploring what it means to leave childhood behind through the lens of the traditional female coming-of-age rite: the quinceañera.”

Which is why the show’s title was appropriately renamed “15 Candles.” Brilliant.

A quinceañera is part religious ceremony, part social celebration that marks the passage from girlhood to womanhood. I, of course, have never participated in one (sad), but I have catered about a million quinceañeras. The dresses alone make it feel like something out of a fairy tale. But, as with every family function, there are multiple opportunities for pure comedy gold.

Deadline added that Saracho, a playwright and TV writer, co-founded the Untitled Latinx Project, which aims to “increase Latinx representation in television, broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms through content created by Latinx writers.” Her organization has been described as a “sisterhood” for the way it celebrates fellow creators.

Movie reboots can often feel flat at best, and downright cringey at worst. But when done well, they can offer fresh perspectives to classic stories, especially when told through a different lens.

Take “One Day at a Time” or “Cheaper by the Dozen” for instance. These remakes allowed underrepresented families to be portrayed in the mainstream. This is more than for entertainment’s sake. Representation matters on a deep level, and a lack of it takes a toll on mental health—especially for kids and teens.

Though normally the announcement of (yet another) Hollywood remake makes me question if there really are no more ideas left in the world, I’m actually excited about this one.

Hours ago, Aimee Mann revealed she had been dropped from a Steely Dan tour, writing on Instagram, “No one is entirely sure why, but it seems they thought their audience wouldn’t like a female singer-songwriter?” Now, the band’s Donald Fagen has responded, and as far as Mann’s status as a “female singer-songwriter” being the reason she was cut, it appears she was only right about the “singer-songwriter” part.

Fagen told Rolling Stone:

“Well, first of all, the idea that I would make any decision based on the gender of a performer is ridiculous. That’s something that would never even occur to me. […] There was a communication problem on our end. I was misinformed as to how firm the commitment was to any particular opening act. And, although I have the greatest respect for Aimee as a writer and performer, I thought it might not be the best match-up in terms of musical style. […] But I can’t pass the buck. I’ll take the blame for the screw-up. I apologize for any distress this has caused Aimee and her fans.”

In her post, Mann also wrote, “As it happens, Steely Dan is the one band that I 100% love, with no reservations, so it really sucks. But you know what? People are allowed to not like you, for whatever reason.”

The Cleveland Browns were informed on Thursday that they were no longer under consideration for a Deshaun Watson trade, as the disgraced Texans QB has reportedly set his sights on one of the NFC South teams pursuing his services.

That sends the Browns back to the drawing board having fully burned the bridge between them and former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, who was not pleased with the team’s decision to pursue Watson and made that clear. The Browns have likewise indicated they want to move on from Mayfield, with ESPN’s Chris Mortenson reporting they want “an adult” at quarterback.

All of this came to a head on Thursday afternoon when Mayfield made an official trade request to the Browns, releasing a statement to ESPN’s Adam Schefter that it’s in the best interest of both sides to move on.

However, the Browns quickly offered a rebuttal to Mayfield’s request, informing his agency that they were not going to accommodate it and planned on entering next season with him still under center.

This could simply be the Browns desperately trying to salvage some kind of leverage in trade talks and maintain what little value Mayfield may still have on the market, but with the star under contract for another year, it very well could be something they’re willing to dig in on and make him play it out. That obviously wouldn’t be the ideal scenario for a team with playoff hopes, but with the top quarterbacks on the market all headed elsewhere, Cleveland doesn’t have a ton of options to find a replacement for Mayfield.

It’s possible things change and they get into discussions about Jimmy Garoppolo or maybe even Matt Ryan, should the Falcons (who also pursued Deshaun Watson) be looking to move on from their veteran signal-caller. Mayfield apparently has his eyes on the Colts, while Seattle may have some interest in him (if the price is right).

Whatever the case, the drama involving Baker and the Browns isn’t ending anytime soon and things may only get uglier before a resolution is reached.