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Jon Gruden is no longer the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, tendering his resignation following a report uncovering offensive remarks used in emails while he was an employee of ESPN. While the discussion first swirled on Gruden’s comments directed at NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, the public scope quickly widened, but not to the point at which any other individuals were spotlighted. In fact, other than Bruce Allen, who received the emails from Gruden, the ongoing investigation into Washington Football Team’s organization and workplace has not revealed additional details about team employees.

For many, that is a strange occurrence, particularly with word that the investigation included more than 600,000 documents across ten months of discovery. On Tuesday, a report emerged from The Washington Post indicating that the NFL “does not plan to release more information about the investigation into the workplace of the Washington Football Team,” acknowledging that this realization comes “despite calls for more transparency after the emergence of emails sent to a former team executive that included racist and homophobic language and lewd images.”

Several entities have formally encouraged the NFL to reveal more of its findings, including the NFLPA and attorneys representing former Washington Football Team employees. In fact, attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks called for the findings to be made public in a statement.

“It is truly outrageous that after the NFL’s 10-month long investigation involving hundreds of witnesses and 650,000 documents related to the longtime culture of harassment and abuse at the Washington Football Team, the only person to be held accountable and lose their job is the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders,” they said. “Our clients and the public at large deserve transparency and accountability. If not, the NFL and Roger Goodell must explain why they appear intent on protecting the Washington Football Team and owner Dan Snyder at all costs.”

The NFLPA indicated to The Washington Post that it plans to prompt the league with a request to receive the emails from the investigation. Given the NFL’s apparent stance, it seems possible, or even likely, that this request will fall on deaf ears, but the lack of transparency will almost certainly result in growing frustration and skepticism about what the league could be shielding.

Perhaps you’ve heard of this Squid Game program. The world (and that includes subtitle-phobic America) has been losing their minds for the grim and gory South Korean show about a dystopia in which the cash-strapped enter deadly games to win money. It’s so incredibly, absurdly popular that Netflix was sued in the show’s native country over the massive spike it caused in online traffic. So this news isn’t exactly shocking: According to Deadline, the (alleged) numbers are in and Netflix is claiming it’s even bigger than Bridgerton.

The British bodice-ripper was (again, as per Netflix only, with no independent verification) the streamer’s biggest hit. That wasn’t so long ago. But it’s already been (reportedly) usurped by Squid Game, which Netflix claims is the biggest launch in their streaming history. They’re alleging that the new show has been watched by 111 million households in its first 28 days on the service, handily defeating Bridgerton, which “only” had 82 million over the same period.

Mind you, these numbers are a bit (potentially) skewed. Netflix includes anyone who watched as little as two minutes in their tally, so “viewers” could comprise people who bailed after a few minutes, or never even made it past the pilot. Still, the show (Netflix says) hit number one in as many as 90 different countries, including the one that just barely made the South Korean Best Picture-winner Parasite a moneymaker at the box office, despite it being in a non-English language. Again, this is all per Netflix, who only report on numbers when they’re allegedly through the roof.

(Via Deadline)

Kyrie Irving has no plans to join the Brooklyn Nets any time soon. According to a new report, Irving will not receive a vaccine to protect himself and those around him from COVID-19 even though the team announced on Tuesday that he will not be allowed to participate in any activities until he does.

As explained by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving is the only remaining person with a Tier 1 distinction to not receive the vaccine in the Nets’ organization. But despite that, his mind appears to be made up on not receiving one at any point in the foreseeable future, something that is understood by those in the locker room.

Nets general manager Sean Marks acknowledged Tuesday that Irving is not vaccinated for COVID-19. The All-NBA star and the Nets had received some good news on Friday when New York City Hall ruled that the team’s practice facility, HSS Training Center, is a public office building — clearing Irving to return to practice on Sunday. But as of now, Irving has no plans to be vaccinated, sources say. Within the franchise and the players in the locker room, it is understood that Irving’s decision is what it is.

The Nets determined that Irving will not be allowed to join the team in any capacity until he is vaccinated. It was recently determined by New York officials that Irving could practice at the Nets’ facility, but instead, Charania reports that “the Nets did not want to deal with the distraction of Irving being a part-time player and wanted him to fully commit to the team — or stay away.”

Irving’s decision to stay unvaccinated is apparently because “he is upset that people are losing their jobs due to vaccine mandates” and he “wants to be a voice for the voiceless.” At least 716,000 Americans and 4.55 million people worldwide have died as a result of COVID-19, while billions of people are vaccinated worldwide.

The last time we checked in with Black Country, New Road, the London band was covering ABBA’s “Mamma Mia” in their unique style of chaos punk. Today, they seven-piece band has announced their much-anticipated second album, Ants From Up There, out early next year.

Along with the album announcement comes the single “Chaos Space Marine.” The track opens with a cacophonously controlled saxophone, before unfurling into a thrilling blitz of violin, piano, and drums. Frontman Isaac Wood calls it “the best song we’ve ever written” and offered some additional thoughts on the tune:

“We threw in every idea anyone had with that song. So the making of it was a really fast, whimsical approach – like throwing all the s*** at the wall and just letting everything stick.”

Ants From Up There arrives on February 4, 2022 via Ninja Tune. Pre-order it here, check out the album art and tracklist below along with their rapidly selling North America tour dates.

1. “Intro”
2. “Chaos Space Marine”
3. “Concorde”
4. “Bread Song”
5. “Good Will Hunting”
6. “Haldern”
7. “Mark’s Theme”
8. “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade”
9. “Snow Globes”
10. “Basketball Shoes”

02/18/2022 – DC9 Nightclub, Washington, DC (SOLD OUT)
02/19/2022 – The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA (SOLD OUT)
02/22/2022 – Sultan Room, Turk’s Inn, Brooklyn, NY (SOLD OUT)
02/23/2022 – Elsewhere, Brooklyn, NY
02/25/2022 – Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA (SOLD OUT)
02/26/2022 – Bar Le Ritz, Montreal, QC
02/28/2022 – Third Man Records, Detroit, MI
03/01/2022 – Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
03/03/2022 – Barboza, Seattle, WA – US (SOLD OUT)
03/03/2022 – Polaris Hall, Portland, OR
03/05/2022 – The Miniplex, Richard’s Goat Tavern, Arcata, CA
03/06/2022 – Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
03/08/2022 – Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA (SOLD OUT)
03/09/2022 – Regent Theater, Los Angeles, CA

Lil Uzi Vert has been busy. Eternal Atake arrived earlier this year, followed by its deluxe reissue Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World 2. He then followed that with the Future collaboration Pluto Vs. Baby Pluto. The Philly native has teased plans to return with a new project at some point this year, but he’d yet to specify when. All of that changed over the weekend, when Lil Uzi delivered an update during a traditional Cambodian weddin.

During the event, one of the attendees approached the rapper with a camera and asked when they could expect his new project. “Probably in like three weeks, before Halloween come out,” he replied in the video. He also said that the album would be titled The Pink Tape.

Previously Vert discussed the album during a Jay-Z’s anniversary event at the 40/40 Club in August. “Well, it’s going through its mixing process right now,” Uzi said during a brief interview on the event’s blue carpet. “Because last time I dropped an album, it did really well. It was actually my highest-selling album, but it was experimental on the mixing part, not the actual music, so this time I went experimental with the music and traditional on the mixing.”

Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

In an unexpected move by one of the entertainment industry’s biggest music festivals, Coachella has reversed its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for its upcoming April 2022 festival dates. The move comes just two months after Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which owns Coachella’s promoter Goldenvoice and is the second-largest concert promotion company in the US behind Live Nation, ruled that vaccinations are required at all their US venues starting in October. Along with Coachella, the August policy also affected showcases like Stagecoach, Lovers & Friends, and Day N Vegas. However, with six months left until Coachella 2022 commences, its organizers look to head in a different direction.

“After seeing first-hand the low transmission data and successful implementation of safety protocols at our other festivals this past month,” Coachella wrote in a post to their Instagram page. “We feel confident we can update our health policy to allow for: Negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event OR Proof of full vaccination.”

Variety reached out to Goldenvoice with questions about the change in policy, but they did not immediately receive a response.

At the end of 2019, Coachella announced that Rage Against The Machine, Frank Ocean, and Travis Scott would headline the festival, which was originally intended to be held in 2020 before the pandemic forced its postponement. Coachella’s co-founder later announced that Frank would miss the 2022 showcase and instead headline in 2023. As for the full lineup for Coachella 2022, it will not be revealed until some point next year.

I think we can all agree, the loss of Robin Williams is still one that just hurts. He had an otherworldly type of quirkiness and charm that is simply irreplaceable. Not to mention a warmth that was like no other.

Luckily, we get to have one more viewing opportunity. One that feels remarkably like watching Williams on screen again. All thanks to a fellow comedian.

Jamie Costa, like Williams, is a jack-of-all-trades in the performing world. His bio describes him as an actor, director, producer, writer, voice actor, filmmaker, comedian and—most important for this story—a very talented impressionist. Though he embodies many well-known characters, Costa’s claim to fame is his uncanny rendition of Robin Williams.

It’s easy to see why. The actor not only bears an eerie physical resemblance to the late comedian, but perfectly matches his (unique) vocal tone to a tee.

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Feel free to grab some tissues and watch it all here:

ROBIN Test Footage Scene

www.youtube.com

If you need further proof, just check out this tribute video Costa put out when Williams passed away in August 2014, titled “Never Had A Friend Like Him.” In the video, Costa masterfully reenacts 20 impressions of Williams’ most well-known characters.

My personal favorites? Alan from “Jumanji” and Peter from “Hook.”

But this next video is pretty breathtaking, and gives us all what feels like an intimate, hidden and never-before-seen aspect of Williams. It feels like watching a bonafide Williams biopic. So much so that many rallied in the YouTube comments calling for it to actually happen.

One user wrote: Please tell me someone is making his biopic and this man is playing the role. Robin Williams would be totally fascinating to better understand, want this. Need this.

Another person, one who clearly had been following Costa’s work, wrote, “Who else has been hoping Jamie would play Robin in a biopic since you saw his first Robin impressions?”

Another simply stated, “This bio needs to be made with Jamie playing Robin.”

The video, simply titled “ROBIN Test Footage Scene” on YouTube, depicts a young Robin Williams (played by Costa) backstage prepping for the “Mork & Mindy” In the scene, Pam Dawber (played by actress Sarah Murphree) gives Williams the tragic news that John Belushi had died.

Unsure how to handle this initial grief, Williams goes into denial, saying “I was with him last night.”

The elephant in the room, of course, is how Belushi died. Instead of coming right out and saying it was an overdose, Dawber simply gives Williams her plea that “I can’t let what happened to him happen to you.”

The clip ends with one of those bittersweet and beautiful “the show must go on” moments. Williams runs his lines in the mirror, fighting back emotion. And for the first time, past the veil of one of his beloved characters, we catch a glimpse of the REAL Robin Williams. The Williams who made the whole world laugh, yet hid away great pain.

Costa does a beautiful job of bringing to life not only the Williams mannerisms and quirks, but also the rich depth and, not to be melodramatic, some of the inner torture as well. It’s beyond an impression; he actually embodies Williams’ essence. And it’s a great service to an artist who gave the world so much.

Great job Jamie Costa. You’ve done the impossible and brought back to life one of the greats.

Who doesn’t enjoy dunking on Ted Cruz? Everyone does it, even stars of his favorite movie, and he never seems to mind nor does he learn from his countless humiliations. On Tuesday, it was Jen Psaki’s turn to roll her eyes at the Texas senator, who has been once again speaking ill of the vaccine mandates that could finally end the pandemic, if people like him could get on board already.

As per Insider, Cruz has been one of a number of Republicans pushing misinformation about the large number of cancelled Southwest Airlines flights over the weekend. They claim it’s due to President Joe Biden’s national mask mandates for large companies. Southwest Airlines denied that, calling their assertions “inaccurate,” saying the real issues were “severe weather problems and air traffic control issues.”

But when has the truth ever stopped Ted Cruz? As he and others continue to float their debunked claim, reporters asked the current White House press secretary what she thought. And Psaki decided to do some Cruz dunking.

“Well, I know world-renowned business, travel and health expert Senator Ted Cruz has made that point,” Psaki replied. “But I wouldn’t say that is widely acknowledged or echoed by business leaders who have implemented these mandates.”

She continued: “It doesn’t mean this isn’t hard and challenging — of course it is. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic,” adding, “But ultimately, the job of the president of the United States is to lead, is to follow the advice of health experts, is to ensure that he is protecting the lives of people across the country.”

Meanwhile, Cruz is in august company, as usual. Another GOP firebrand also repeating the lie about mandates affecting Southwest flights is [drum roll] rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert, who said the nonexistent employees who aren’t defying the law were “standing up for their rights as Americans.” Maybe, if they were real.

(Via Insider)

It’s one of those well-known facts of life: Parenting means having to endure the pain of endless kid song sing-alongs on loops.

Wrestling icon, action star, Disney demigod and tequila aficionado Dwayne Johnson is no exception. The Rock recently shared with fans on Instagram his own version of parental hell, to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

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Johnson’s young daughter Tiana had been giving an in-car concert for so long, he decided to record the torture on his phone.

Detailing his predicament, he wrote in the caption, “Keep in mind I started shooting this after 15 minutes straight of listening to this song. I even tried to draw the note out at the end to give the feeling that the song was ending … Clearly it wasn’t. Ever. Going. To End.”

Then there’s the moment every parent has to face: the false stop. As little Tia seems (key word there) to be coming to an end, Daddy Dwayne’s eyes widen in hope. He tries to really drive it home by elongating the the end note of “dreeeeeeaam” to signify a big finish.

Spoiler alert: It doesn’t finish. It keeps going merrily, merrily, merrily along. At this point, through the forced grin known to many a mom and dad, he says, “You just keep singing baby, I love it.”

Though Johnson’s life was less like a dream—and more like a nightmare—in that moment, he did offer a silver lining of sound life advice in the caption of his post:

“Sometimes we just gotta sit back, laugh and surrender to rowing the boat gently down the f****** stream.”

By the way, it’s not always musical abuse with Johnson and his daughters. There are plenty of times when he gladly participates in sing-alongs. See below:

Dwayne Johnson sings “You’re Welcome” while washing hands with his daughter.

www.youtube.com

Royce and Frankie King have a romance fitting of a Nicholas Sparks novel.

Their marriage happened in the blink of an eye in September 1944, squeezed in during Royce’s two-day leave before going to fight overseas in World War II … with no photos to show for it.

That impromptu wedding turned into an enduring love and a lasting marriage of 77 years. For their anniversary, Royce and Frankie received a special gift from the staff at St. Croix Hospice: their long overdue wedding day photos.

According to the Today Show, the hospice spared no efforts to make their backyard wedding day extra magical. A gorgeous vintage 1940s dress was found for Frankie, and she walked down the aisle holding a fresh bouquet of flowers from their very own patio to classic ’40s tunes played by St. Croix’s music therapist. Their professional photos were even taken by Hilary Michelson, a fellow St. Croix staffer.

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Michelson made a Facebook post about capturing the heartwarming anniversary scene, sharing that she couldn’t help but feel emotional. She wrote that she had “absolutely no shame in the fact that I had a hard time keeping it together behind the lens.”

Hilary wasn’t alone in her sentiment. For many of the staff, the entire ceremony was a heartwarming journey back in time.

St. Croix Hospice CEO Heath Bartness told TODAY, “How can you not have a sense of overwhelming emotion? The connectivity you almost feel that you were a part of this, and thinking back to what it was like in World War II the first time, and how meaningful and how emotional this second opportunity to do this was. There’s an overwhelming sense of pride in not just the company and what the organization did, but more so just as an act of humanity.”

Even the internet was taken aback. In addition to a ton of OMGs accompanied by “happy tear” emojis, Michelson’s post featuring Mr. & Mrs. King received nothing but loving comments.

One user wrote: “Breathtaking moments captured in so many ways.”

Another put, “This is one of the sweetest things I have seen. Thanks to the hospice and all involved for making this their special day. Brought tears to my eyes. Lovely!!”

As for Frankie and Royce?

“They were just very excited and honored that St. Croix would do that for them,” their daughter Sue Bilodeau said to TODAY. “They liked to be in the limelight, dad especially, and mom was so happy to put on a gown and be beautiful. I think they were just overwhelmed at the whole day.”

Bilodeau added that the couple had also partaken in the “first look” ritual. When Royce, dashing in his Air Force uniform, lifted his blindfold to look upon his bride, “he had just the biggest smile the rest of the day. It was amazing,” she said.

She also noted that their kiss was long. Very, very long.

What an uplifting testament that some things really do get better with age. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Yet I think for Royce and Frankie, only one one word will permeate in these photos: love.