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After several people were injured and eight lives were lost during a crowd-control disaster during Travis Scott’s set at this weekend’s Astroworld festival, many of the victims and their families are taking legal action against those deemed responsible. So far, nearly 20 lawsuits have been filed against Scott, the festival, and organizer Live Nation.

As of this week, 19 and counting lawsuits were filed surrounding the Astroworld incident, according to a report from Rolling Stone. One plaintiff is seeking nearly $1 million in damages from the festival and even alleged Drake was partially responsible for helping to “incite the crowd” to an “out of control” level when he took the stage as Scott’s surprise guest. The plaintiff claims they were stationed at the front of the general admission section and were “severely injured” in the “stampede” that happened when Scott took the stage at 9 pm. In a separate lawsuit, another plaintiff claimed they were “trampled, crushed, and lost consciousness” during the crowd surge that night.

Attorney Alex Hilliard is representing several people who are filing lawsuits surrounding the festival, saying he expects to file complaints for over 100 people by the end of this week. “There will be hundreds of plaintiffs by Friday, if not thousands,” Hilliard told Rolling Stone:

“I have one client who gave a stranger CPR for an hour before anybody even got to him. Obviously, by the time medical personnel got there, it was too late. He said, ‘I can heal from a broken arm, but I’ll never heal from this.’ This is such a unique, rare, and unprecedented case. […] We understand at least nine people on site had the ability to shut the concert down and didn’t. This is involuntary corporate manslaughter as far as we’re concerned.”

Following the lawsuits, Drake broke his silence about the tragic event. The rapper said he had been trying to “wrap [his] mind around the “devastating tragedy.” “My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering,” he continued. “I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can.”

“Badass spiritual teacher” reads like some sort of an oxymoron. But I can’t seem to find any other way to accurately describe meditation leader to the stars, Biet Simkin. The phrase just seems to fit her. Sure, she might soothe you into a tranquil state, but she’ll also scream at you to own up to your own bullshit if that’s what the situation demands. Thanks to her rock n roll approach to chasing enlightenment, she’s been referred to as both the Patti Smith and David Bowie of meditation (she’s also a musician, so that helps the comparison).

Knowing all of this, it’s no surprise to find that Russell Brand, Mariel Hemingway, and the Sundance Film Festival have all been among Simkin’s clients. Brand, who spoke about her on The Tonight Show, gave Simkin this endorsement: “The only other methods I know to attain the states she induces through her work are illegal. She is a wonder.”

That gets you hyped to meditate, right? Us, too.

Simkin details some of her unique philosophy in her best-selling book, Don’t Just Sit There! 44 Insights to Get Your Meditation Practice Off the Cushion and Into the Real World, where she explores the missing link between the desire and motivation to meditate and the ability to process the emotional fallout of our meditative experiences to find spiritual fulfillment. To get a better handle on how we can better put the practice of meditation into our daily lives, we linked up with Simkin who quickly got us more amped to do some breathwork than we ever thought possible.

You seem to take a more aggressive approach to meditation, do you think the modern conversation or viewpoint around meditation is coming up short?

I mean some have referred to me at the Patti Smith of meditation. I don’t know if it’s aggressive but I have a rock and roll sensibility. The reason is is that we are hurtling through space to a certain death that can happen at any moment. If you don’t take it into your hands to wake up along this ride… it’s not going to magically happen for you. You either get to ride this life or this life is gonna make you it’s bitch!

That’s what I try to show people with meditation, that meditation is a chance to choreograph this journey. When I was lost and searching, all I ever wanted was a seat at the director’s table. Today as a daily meditator and an active participant in my never-ending awakening, I get to create the life of my dreams one misunderstanding after another. I uncode, discover, and discard whatever is no longer needed.

You ask if the meditation space is coming up short, I dunno to each their own, but I like my spiritual life mixed with a career, hot sex, movement, friendship, money, death, endless learning, art, culture, music, and fashion. I don’t think everyone thinks these things are simpatico. To me, they are forever entwined.

How do we become more mindful of our everyday actions and use meditation to reach our goals?

You gotta start by realizing what a shit you are. That’s the first step. Once you get a taste of how full of crap you are, you will become willing to do the work. You can’t become the person you came to this planet to be if you’re lying to yourself. Meditation and a tool I teach in my book called “divided attention” — which is an active meditation that one uses while doing daily activities — allows you to truly see who you are. Not just the role you play or the mask you wear but the real you.

Once you get a taste of that you just want it all the time. You become willing to literally go to any lengths!

“Don’t Just Sit There…” seems to flip the conversation about meditation on its head, why was that important to you?

Well, the title can be read two ways. “DON’T JUST SIT THERE!” which implies the secret is not in just simply endlessly sitting on a cushion somewhere dreaming or on a floor making vision boards in your bedroom. It can also be read covertly as “DON’T, JUST SIT THERE!” which is also the truth. Sometimes we need to extra relax after we have made the right efforts to let the universe or the beyond have all the puzzle pieces come together.

Essentially the idea is you will have to die before you die to actually get this thing. The part of you you know as “you” dies. A new you is born. The Buddha only sat at the very end of his story. I think it’s way more renegade to be enlightened while your winning an Oscar than it is to be enlightened on a mountain while someone’s playing the flute and shit. That sounds way easier to me.

If people feel like meditation isn’t doing anything for them what do you suggest?

I usually suggest that people start with different forms of prayer (all not religious in their base). I also offer that people do active meditation that involves shaking, stomping, and at times screaming. Not everyone can enter in through stillness. Or they can but it will be fake and very surface. Think, that random yoga chick sitting there in yoga class being like “I wonder what I should buy later at Whole Foods” while she is in lotus and all quiet and the instructor is like, “You’re so peaceful now.”

At my events, I shake people out of any capacity to fake anything. Participants cry, hold each other, experience hallucinations, sometimes faint. It’s my belief that the kind of person who needs a breakthrough sometimes can’t have one because they need to be shocked into it with love, beauty, and a more somatic approach than just sitting in silence pretending to be still. Don’t get me wrong, we do all that just not right away… in my experience that just doesn’t work.

Why is meditative consciousness important for fields beyond just well-being? How does this stuff integrate into the worlds of music, fashion, and other creative and expressive fields?

If you don’t meditate, you won’t have the stamina to withstand the pain of art, fashion, and any creative field. You could douse yourself in alcohol or drugs but that’s pretty much the only other way of withstanding the pain of creation. As a former heroin addict, I can say that my art and health took a toll from drugs and booze. Meditation on the other hand is supportive. It gives rather than zaps your energy. You can thrive in the arts while also simultaneously having a successful career, a happy family, a fit body, a calm mind, a thriving community of friends, and great sex.

Meditation allows for more, not less time. Time becomes your bitch. Energy becomes your bitch!

What’s the most valuable piece of advice you can give to someone who has just started to explore meditation?

You are wrong. You are completely wrong about your capacity, your possibility, your strength, your beauty, your talent, the meaning of life. You are wrong. The wronger you can see you are the sooner you will remember the truth of who you actually are. Make meditation your top priority, bow to it every morning, and ask it what it would have you do. Do whatever it inspires you to do. Never say no to that whisper inner voice of yours. Surrender to it completely and melt into its arms. The pearls of life and all the jewels will be handed to you.

How do we become better meditators?

Just show up and try every day. Also, follow teachers or readings that light you up specifically. There is a brand or lineage that will take you to your high. Pursue and you will find your line

A big part of your identity and book is being the Spiritual Teacher for people who were maybe raised to think it’s all bullshit. What do you say to the skeptic, who mocks all of this and claims that they’re too busy for 15 minutes of meditating (even though they probably watch 45 minutes of Seinfeld reruns each day)? What do they need to hear in order to give it a chance?

I mostly have seen it turn around at huge events I have led. Once, I was leading meditations at Bonaroo and the tent was filled with about 200 people who were all like laying in their own vomit or eating burritos or just hanging out drinking a beer. My husband said to me, “Whoa Biet, I think this gonna go very badly”. I went up on the stage and I tore everyone a new asshole. I told people to get out of the tent if they weren’t ready for this shit. Some left. The ones who remained, approx 150 people were all shaking their hands in the air and screaming and crying and hugging each other by the end.

I just spoke to them from my heart. Not as some guru on the hill, it was just from my heart. There is no such thing as a skeptic. There are people who have shut themselves off from their heart to protect themselves. I did that in my past, with depression, with poverty, with death, with heroin and cocaine, with loss after loss. Sometimes through the din of their resistance, I break something in them with my vulnerability. I never lie about who I am or where I have been and I never tell anyone to do anything I haven’t myself done.

Essentially, I think meditation is just like falling in love. You need the right teacher to get it. Once you get it you will have to give it. It’s like a disease, it spreads… if that makes sense. So in essence, I don’t teach meditation, I am meditation. If you get around me, you will get it. Just like an actor doesn’t teach acting, they just act, and by acting you become. You leave the theatre changed. This is being!

We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover, and while the same thought can be applied to album covers, the rule becomes a bit harder to follow in this scenario. An album’s artwork is the first thing that grabs our attention — negatively or positively — before we can press play on it. Oftentimes, the cover art is used to promote a body of work before its official release which then opens the flood gates for fans to judge its appearance and rate how good the album may or may not be.

For better or for worse, there have been a number of memorable album covers in 2021. There’s Drake’s pregnant woman-emoji-laden cover for Certified Lover Boy that was considered a troll until he went out his way to confirm it. Ye kept things simple with a black square for Donda while Lil Nas X’s artwork for Montero finds him nude and suspended in the air. Yung Bleu appears as an astronaut in his Moon Boy cover and Lorde’s own for Solar Power was a bit… cheeky, wouldn’t you say?

With that being said, 2021 also gave us album covers with artists showing off their best looks. It’s always great to receive a quality collection of music that’s wrapped in a well-captured portrait of the artist. Without further ado, here are the ten most stylish album covers of 2021.

Ayra Starr — 19 & Dangerous

Afropop singer Ayra Starr dropped off 19 & Dangerous, her sophomore project and second release of the year. The project delivers a tale of growth that arrives as the singer prepares to exit the teenager status for adulthood. For its cover, Starr sits on a blue bag dressed in what appears to be red stain pants and golden elbow-length gloves. She’s also surrounded by deep green walls to complete the truly colorful cover.

CKay — Boyfriend

Keeping things in the afrobeats world, Ckay delivered another sharp cover art with his Boyfriend EP. He released the project at the top of the year and it’s masked with a purple hue that is complemented by the car Ckay leans on, the night sky and flowers behind him, the scarf and fingernails on the arm of a woman that’s wrapped around him. Altogether, it makes for a sharp cover that captures the Ckay’s sensitive side along with the seven songs that appear on the EP.

Doja Cat — Planet Her

There has yet to be a moment too big for Doja Cat to handle. So even when the pressure for her to surpass expectations with her third album Planet Her continued to rise, Doja stepped up to bat and hit a home run. The artwork for the album helped listeners envision the weirdo spectacle that she presented on the project. She lays on what appears to be a glittery body of land which neon shades of glitter covering her body from head to toe. Might I mention that the album is also one of the best releases in 2021? Long story short, Doja came through from top to bottom.

Kirby — Sis. He Wasn’t The One

At the beginning of 2020, Memphis singer Kirby arrived with her debut project Sis. Nearly two years later, she returned with its sequel Sis. He Wasn’t The One in what also sports a very underrated cover. Kirby lays beside a man with her light brown hair tied up while wearing a red top that compliments the flowery blanket she lays on and the room she’s in. If you’re looking for a body of work that vents one’s struggles with love while expounding on a man’s failure to be a solid partner, Sis. He Wasn’t The One delivers that with an aesthetically pleasing cover to look at.

Little Simz — Sometimes I Might Be Introverted

Little Simz’s Sometimes I Might Be Introverted is truly a beautiful body of work. It’s one of those rare projects where everything from the lyrics, the production, the sequencing, and more fall into the place so exquisitely. Its artwork is another notable point The London rapper sits nervously in a wooden chair while rocking a yellow and black checkered suit as his hair is tied up to a high altitude. The mustard yellow backdrop also pairs well with Little Simz’s look in what comes together as an eye-pleasing cover.

Masego — Studying Abroad: Extended Stay

Masego ended 2020 with Studying Abroad, his first project since his pristine 2018 debut album Lady Lady. Studying Abroad received the deluxe treatment back in May as five more songs were added to the project to accompany highlights like “Mystery Lady” and “Silver Tongue Devil. The deluxe reissue also granted us a new cover that presented the already-stylish Masego in a salmon suit as he posed longing into the camera which captures nature’s beauty behind him.

Serpentwithfeet — Deacon

Serpentwithfeet began the spring season this year with his Deacon project. It’s a release that was filled with music he described as “a lot softer, a lot more gentle than my previous work,” “something that felt very sensuous,” and “something that felt calm and restrained.” This tender approach comes alive on the project’s cover art as it presents Serpentwithfeet in a white button-up top and gold accessories on his fingers, neck, ears, and hair. He also holds another man in his arms who sports a similar white top as they both stand amid a hazy desert.

Symphani Soto — Under The Sun

South Florida’s Symphani Soto earned herself a nice career boost with her June project Under The Sun. Its 11 tracks make for a body of work ideal for an afternoon drive or warm evening at the beach. Soto appears relaxed and free throughout the project and if you need a visual for that, it’s available on the project’s cover art. The singer stands tall and free in a detailed and intricate bright orange dress as the slightly cloudy sky behind her helps to enhance her features and make her stand out.

Umi — Introspection Reimagined

Umi breathed new life into her 2020 album Introspection and re-released it with a new dose of vibrancy and lucidity through eight songs. It also comes with a beautiful cover that sees Umi in an elaborate white gown. Captured from an aerial view, Umi stares closely into a mirror with her arms almost stretched fully apart over a rich red backdrop.

VanJess — Homegrown

Nearly three years after their career-solidifying debut album Silk Canvas, VanJess returned with their Homegrown EP. Music aside, the project was presented with a flawless cover that captured the beauty of Ivana and Jess. Seated at a gold table and on golden chairs, VanJess stuns with clothing that ranges from cheetah print, bright red, shimmery gold, and lavish accessories. Oh, and the music on the project and its eventual deluxe edition are great too!

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

The fallout from the Astroworld Festival incident over the weekend continues to settle as lawsuits emerge, performers respond, and investigations persist. Now, Live Nation and ScoreMore, the producers of the event, are working to ensure that the people affected will have support. The companies announced the establishment of a health fund to help injured Astroworld attendees with medical costs as they cooperate with authorities to determine the appropriate responses to the aftermath of the event, which left eight dead and 300 injured. The statement reads:

We wanted to provide an update on the steps that ScoreMore, Live Nation, and the Astroworld Fest team have been taking. Throughout the weekend, we have been working to provide local authorities with everything they need from us in order to complete their investigation and get everyone the answers they are looking for.
Our staff has met with local authorities to provide information, and we have also provided them with all footage from our CCTV cameras. Loadout of the site and equipment is currently paused to give investigators the time they requested to walk and document the grounds. Full refunds are being offered for all those who purchased tickets.
And most importantly we are working on ways to support attendees, the families of victims, and staff, from providing mental health counseling to setting up a health fund to help with costs for medical expenses.
Our entire team is mourning alongside the community.

Meanwhile, Travis Scott and Live Nation are already the subject of multiple lawsuits stemming from the injuries and deaths at the festival, with both pledging assistance to those affected.

Kal Penn revealed recently that he is engaged to a man named Josh, who has been his partner for the past 11 years. This was the first time that the actor publicly declared he is gay. As far as the wedding goes, he may have found himself an officiant in Cardi B. Cardi officiated a same-sex wedding in a recent episode of Cardi Tries, so she’s legally able to get Penn and Josh hitched. Penn and Cardi actually went back and forth on Twitter recently and seemingly made plans for Cardi to officiate Penn’s wedding. While that could have just been chalked up to a fun Twitter interaction of no real consequence, Penn says that he would genuinely like Cardi to conduct his wedding ceremony.

He and Jimmy Kimmel discussed the situation on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, and when Kimmel asked if Cardi is actually going to do the ceremony, Penn replied, “I hope so!”

Penn went on to speak about Indian weddings and how long they can be, lasting for days and days. After Kimmel joked that Penn wasn’t making it easy for Cardi to make that sort of commitment, Penn clarified, “Let me be clear: we need ten minutes of her time.” Penn wrapped up the conversation by noting, “She’s wonderful, I’d be super down.”

Check out the full interview above.

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

This week in pop music saw some pop stars continuing new eras of music. Silk Sonic keeps capitalizing on their success with a new track, Charli XCX teamed up with some other pop stars for her next single, and Lorde graced fans with some bonus tracks to accompany her latest album.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Silk Sonic — “Smokin Out The Window”

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak took the world by storm when they formed the retro duo Silk Sonic and released their debut single “Leave The Door Open.” Now giving fans another taste of their upcoming LP An Evening With Silk Sonic, the duo tell a different side their loved-up debut single. “Smokin Out The Window” is their version of a brokenhearted track. Over lush instrumentals, Mars and .Paak tell the story of how a relationship took a turn south and now they’re all alone “smoking out the window.”

Charli XCX — “New Shapes” Feat. Christine And The Queens, Caroline Polachek

After unleashing her inner demon in her previous track “Good Ones,” Charli XCX is ready to fall in love in “New Shapes” in her new single. The track is a synth-heavy bop featuring fellow disco pop artists Christine And The Queens and Caroline Polachek and officially points to Charli’s upcoming album Crash. “I think the whole record is about my relationship with relationships and sex and power,” Charli said about her upcoming album.

Lorde — “Hold No Grudge”

Silk Sonic aren’t the only ones singing of a soured relationship this week. Lorde returned to add a few more tracks to the deluxe version of her Solar Power album, including the lovelorn tune “Hold No Grudge.” Armed with a shimmering beat, Lorde leans on her fluttering vocals to tell the story of those in her life that she isn’t close to anymore. But no matter what happened, she will eventually forgive them. “I came to the conclusion that when it comes to holding grudges, I am just not that b*tch,” Lorde said about the track.

Kali Uchis and Omar Apollo — “Bad Life”

After kicking off a new era of music with the pumped-up track “Go Away,” Omar Apollo teams up with Kali Uchis to take things down a notch with the mood track “Bad Life.” It’s an emotional guitar ballad that speaks to wishing ill will on a partner after a particularly painful breakup. “To me, ‘Bad Life’ represents putting in energy into a relationship and not getting anything in return,” Apollo said of the single. “It’s a song about being resentful towards somebody — wanting them to have ‘bad life’ with whoever they’re with now.”

Tiësto, Ava Max — “The Motto”

YOLO may have been the motto of the 2010s, but Tiësto and Ava Max are here to bring about a motto for a new decade with their new collaboration. The resilient dark-pop tune is an ode to living a carefree life and solving your problems on the dance floor. “‘The Motto’ is empowering — it’s about not caring, doing you, having a good time, and letting the world know!” Max said about the song.

Slayyyter — “Stupid Boy” Feat. Big Freedia

It’s been a few months since hyperpop star Slayyyter released her debut album Troubled Paradise, and she’s now back for more. Teaming up with the incredible Big Freedia, Slayyyter delivers an irresistible banger about the shortcomings of her romantic partners.

LANY — “The Older You Get, The Less You Cry”

Pop band LANY dropped the deluxe version of this summer’s LP Gg Bb, Xx this week, which included their shimmering and emotional track “The Older You Get, The Less You Cry.” The iridescent song walks through mistakes made in past like giving up on love too early and feeling beaten down by past relationships.

Arca — “Prada”

After announcing her project Kick II, Arca returned with two new songs this week, “Prada” and “Rakata.” The former track features Arca’s swirling vocals delivered in Spanish over a hypnotizing beat. About the single, she says: “Prada is a song about defying shame and healing ancestral wounds; about the futurity of desire and love as a moebius strip; about kink as an engine, about sex and love, and above all else about simultaneity of being able to surrender and submit as well as being able to overpower and dominate within a collaboratively created space of consent.”

Little Mix — “Between Us”

Even though they’re now a trio, Little Mix aren’t holding back on their new releases. The girl group’s latest track “Between Us” shows a more vulnerable side of the singers. Leaning on each of the members’ far-reaching vocals, “Between Us” is a romantic ode to sticking by your word in a relationship.

Lauren Jauregui — “On Guard” Feat. 6lack

Celebrating the release of her debut project Prelude, Lauren Jauregui shared her 6lack collaboration “On Guard” as her final single. The smooth and sultry track about keeping your walls up in a relationship. Alongside her Prelude release, Jauregui thanked her fans for always sticking by her side. “Thank you for reminding me of my artistic voice, thank you for teaching me to believe in myself, thank you for evolving with me and for keeping me company through the growth,” she said.

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

Monday night’s Heat-Nuggets game didn’t look like it was going to be particularly interesting or noteworthy in the fourth quarter, as Denver appeared to be on cruise control, up 17 with just a few minutes to play.

Things changed dramatically when Markieff Morris hit Nikola Jokic with a Flagrant 2 foul at midcourt, which set off the Serbian big man who charged Morris from behind and delivered a vicious shoulder block to his back that sent Morris’ head snapping back and left him on the floor for a considerable amount of time.

There was plenty of jawing after Jokic had been pulled away and taken to the bench, and after the game the Heat were apparently mulling about in the hallway waiting for the Nuggets — albeit, seemingly with no real intention of doing much based on the photo of it all.

Jokic said he “felt bad” after the fact, feeling the initial foul was dirty and he needed to protect himself but that he can’t go about it in that way. The problem is, Jokic has a history of making some pretty dangerous plays out of frustration, with this one being the most egregious. Joining the Heat in being upset about the incident was Markieff’s twin brother, Marcus, of the L.A. Clippers, who tweeted that he was noting how Jokic attacked Markieff from behind.

Now, Markieff isn’t the only one involved in this with a brother, as Jokic has two who are rather famously terrifyingly large and rowdy — their desire to fight the Suns players after Jokic’s last frustration foul ejection in the playoffs went viral earlier this year. They issued, well, we’ll call it a stern warning to Marcus not to carry through on any threats against Nikola when the Clippers and Nuggets meet in December, noting they will be “waiting for you” — Mike Singer of the Denver Post confirmed with one of the brothers this is indeed an account they created specifically to send this message to Morris.

On the sliding scale of NBA players, the Morris twins are as ready for a fight as anyone, but the Jokic brothers exist on a much different plane here. I wouldn’t expect too much to happen from here, particularly if Markieff is not the worse for wear after that scary hit from behind, which he seems to be doing alright as he issued his first statement on Tuesday morning.

Jokic will almost assuredly be facing a suspension for his actions, which will come down later on Tuesday from the league, and by the time the Heat meet the Nuggets again in Miami in three weeks tempers will have cooled some, even if they certainly won’t have forgotten this.

Pete Davidson may or may not be dating Kim Kardashian. But he’s definitely dated (or “been involved with”) Ariana Grande, Margaret Qualley, Kaia Gerber, Cazzie David, Kate Beckinsale, and Phoebe Dynevor, among other famous women. It’s led to a lot of headlines like “Relationship Experts Weigh in on Why Pete Davidson Is So Many People’s Type” and “There’s Something About Pete! Dating Expert Reveals What Makes The SNL Star SO Attractive To So Many Stunning Stars.” Emily Ratajkowski knows why.

The model and author of My Body, a collection of essays on “feminism, sexuality, and power,” was the guest on Monday’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she was asked about a recent photoshoot she did with Davidson. A sewer fish is involved.

“He’s a professional. First of all, you should know that about Pete. And he got into character in a real way,” Ratajkowski recalled. Host Seth Meyers wondered if someone “with a little bit less of a pedigree,” like Pete, is looked down on by the professional models. “I think you’re being a little mean,” she replied. “Pete’s, he’s got the height. Obviously women find him very attractive.” Ratajkowski has a theory that only men are confused by Davidson’s appeal to women. “Guys are like, ‘Wow. What’s that guy got?’ And I’m like, I mean, he seems super charming. He’s vulnerable. He’s lovely. His fingernail polish is awesome. He looks good!” Also, he’s got his own show on Tubi!

You can watch the Late Night clip above.

With Travis Scott dropping out of Day N Vegas in the wake of the deaths at his own Astroworld Festival, the Houston rapper has been replaced as a headliner by another Texan, Post Malone. He’ll close out the Saturday date this weekend, which Day N Vegas announced along with the rest of the set times on Monday evening.

Variety reported Travis’ withdrawal from the upcoming festival, citing a source that said the “Franchise” rapper was “too distraught to play” another show in the aftermath of the Astroworld incident, in which eight people died due to injuries sustained when the crowd pressed forward to get close to the stage. Another 300 people were reported injured.

Travis shared both a written statement and a video expressing his regrets for the incident. “My fans really mean the world to me,” he said. “I always just really want to leave them with a positive experience. […] I’m honestly just devastated. I could never imagine anything like this happening.” However, that hasn’t prevented him from being inundated with lawsuits, the first of which had already been filed the next day accusing Travis of “encouragement of violence.”

Meanwhile, Travis has also pledged his assistance to the victims’ families. Incidentally, his Day N Vegas replacement Post Malone recently postponed his own Posty Fest to 2022 citing logistical issues in the production of the event.

Despite Ann Coulter declaring (in 2016 while promoting her In Trump We Trust book) that she would always blindly “worship” Donald Trump, well, that’s turning out to not be the case. And this has been a transformation that’s been coming for a little while given that she admitted losing some faith in 2020 because Trump would not stop attacking (fired) ex-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. At that time, Coulter called Trump the R-word (“the most disloyal actual r***** that has ever set foot in the Oval Office”). Fast forward a year, and Ann’s completely given up on Trump as the future of the GOP.

Coulter visited with Andrew Sullivan for the Weekly Dish, and according to Newsweek, the conservative pundit has nothing for contempt over Trump’s broken promises. She declared that she knew that Trump was “ridiculous,” but she didn’t know how “stupid” that he’d turn out to be while leading the country. Here’s more:

“I was well familiar with what a narcissistic, ridiculous, tacky, vulgar, arriviste this guy was,” she told Sullivan. “That I knew about. The one thing I underestimated, in fact, did not see at all is, I had no idea how abjectly stupid the man is.”

She accused Trump of “not keeping his promises” and “directly betraying his base,” which consisted of people who were “Americans waiting their whole lives for someone to care about them.”

In Coulter’s mind, she saw Trump’s fatal flaw being his failure to build the wall. She had formerly theorized that that wall would get him reelected, and “I just couldn’t imagine anyone could be so stupid to run on one thing and just not do it.” Well, she’s not wrong about how Trump would not stop bragging about his “big, beautiful” (nonexistent) wall on the campaign trail. However, Coulter’s neglecting all of the other reasons, especially the denial-ridden pandemic response, why voters decided that they’d had enough of Trump. Yet the end result is this: both voters and Coulter seem like they’re done with the guy. Maybe? We’ll see.

(Via Newsweek)