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Benny The Butcher is currently on his The Burden Of Plugs Tour, which began earlier this month and is set to end on November 19 in Austin, Texas. Things have been going well for Benny, but that streak came to an end when the rapper was forced to postpone Wednesday night’s show after he was hospitalized for an asthma-related issue.

According to Complex, Benny’s hospitalization was not triggered by anything COVID-19-related. A representative for Benny told Complex said that, due to his asthma, “every now and again he requires medical attention.” Benny himself also spoke about the matter in an Instagram post. “Hang on to your tickets and we will notify all ticket holders of the new show date as soon as it is confirmed,” he wrote next to an image of him in the hospital. It remains to be seen whether or not his hospitalization will affect future dates.

During an interview with Vice last year, Benny spoke about dealing with his health condition in the middle of a global pandemic. “I got asthma, I’m keeping up with my asthma, I got my doctor on speed dial,” he said. “It’s just learning new things, man. Staying hydrated. Trying to put the right things inside our body, because we’re smoking, drinking, putting other shit in our body, so we gotta put some good shit in there, too. Looking out for each other, trying to stay healthy.”

On Wednesday, Merrick Garland found himself at the center of a GOP ambush. The sitting Attorney General appeared at a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, where Republican after Republican pelted him with over-the-top accusations. One of their biggest pet peeves: the violent threats made against school board members nationwide. No, they weren’t against those; they were against Garland, claiming he was unfairly investigating MAGA parents who have simply been endangering the lives of public servants. But one Senator came to his defense: Cory Booker.

It was a long day for Garland and anyone in the chamber, with one Republican after another making unhinged accusations and appearing to hope their rants wind up on Fox News that evening. Who was the most over-the-top? Was it Tom Cotton, who threw everything at him but the kitchen sink, informed Garland he “should resign in disgrace, then left in a huff (then came back for more)? Or was it Ted Cruz, who actually defended Trumpist parents doing Nazi salutes?

Eventually there was a break in the clouds. Cory Booker, former presidential candidate and New Jersey senator, took the microphone, and he came bearing receipts:

Booker started by quoting Garland’s strangely controversial memo, which claimed that “there’s been a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff” across the nation’s public schools. With this assessment, Booker agreed, then rattled off one horrifying story after another.

“In Texas, a parent physically assaulted a teacher,” Booker bean. “In Pennsylvania, a person posted threats on social media which required police to station outside of a school district… I can keep going: Ohio, a school board member was threatening a letter with, ‘We are coming for you.’”

Booker then pointed out, as Garland’s memo did, that while “spirited debate” should be and is allowed over education-related issues, threats of violence are not. And Booker had page after page of examples of the latter, to say nothing of scores of disturbing videos of same that have been making the rounds all year long. Booker then pointed out that, instead of rounding up parents, as Republicans have falsely claimed he’s doing, Garland simply asked for more investigation into such matters. If anything, he may have suggested Garland wasn’t doing enough to protect vulnerable school employees.

You can watch Booker’s full takedown in the video above.

(Via Raw Story)

Game 2 of the World Series saw some Houston trying to change the mojo as the Astros looked to even the series after dropping Game 1 at home on Tuesday, as Minute Maid Park had the roof open for a playoff game for the first time since 2005.

The Fox broadcast also tapped a Houston icon for their intro video, as they got Megan Thee Stallion to set the stage for Game 2 with some Houston flair, as well as some love for the Braves too. The highlight of the video is her mentioning Joc Pederson and his pearls, calling him a “Bad B.”

It was about as well done as any celebrity hype video, as Meg doesn’t try to do anything but be herself for the video and even her getting her favorite tag lines like hotties and savages very naturally. Joc Pederson will surely love getting the Bad B*tch stamp of approval from Megan Thee Stallion, after that was the explanation he used for why he has been wearing a pearl necklace throughout the playoffs. Whoever slid that through the Fox clearance process for this video deserves a raise.

The intro also gave us the delightful opportunity to hear Joe Buck saying “Something For The Hotties.”

There’s a very good chance they have a similar video lined up with an Atlanta artist for when the series shifts to being Braves home games, and hopefully we get more Joe Buck reading off the titles of hip-hop albums as a result.

Chris Evans was already skilled at squeezing hearts on social media, cavalierly sharing sweet pics of his adorable dog and piano-playing videos on Instagram, as if we could just casually watch him be a near-perfect man without swooning. And now he’s being even more delightful with his gushing giddiness over getting to play his dream role.

The guy is already best known as the studly Marvel superhero Captain America, so what could possibly top that? Pixar, apparently. Evans’ ultimate acting dream is being in a Pixar movie. And now that dream is coming true, the most eligible of the Chrises could not be cuter in his expressions of joy.

Sharing the new trailer for “Lightyear”—Pixar’s origin story about the astronaut the Buzz Lightyear toy was based on in the “Toy Story” universe—Evans wrote on Twitter:

“I’m covered in goosebumps. And will be every time I watch this trailer. Or hear a Bowie song. Or have any thought whatsoever between now and July cause nothing has ever made me feel more joy and gratitude than knowing I’m a part of this and it’s basically always on my mind.”

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I’m covered in goosebumps. And will be every time I watch this trailer. Or hear a Bowie song. Or have any thought w… https://t.co/iANN0R8WDG

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans)
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We barely get to hear his voice in the trailer, and yet it still looks like it’s going to be awesome. (Note: He later corrected himself—the film’s release date is June, not July.)

Evans has been bursting with joy and sharing his delight every chance he gets. He wrote on Twitter that animated movies were an enormous part of his childhood: “They were my escape. My adventures. My dreams. They were my first window into the magic of storytelling and performing.”

He also shared this statement:

“The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life. Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep. I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the Pixar family and work with these truly brilliant artists who tell stories unlike anyone else. Watching them work is nothing short of magic. I pinch myself every day.”

Animated movie were an enormous part of my childhood. They were my escape. My adventures. My dreams.

They were my… https://t.co/pDwsGHs2jt

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans)
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Evans shared an equally adorable post about the film last year on Instagram when he first got the part.

“Working with Pixar is a dream come true. I’ve been a massive fan of their films since the very beginning. My team could barely contain their excitement when they told me that Pixar had a pitch for me. All they said was ‘Buzz Lightyear’. I didn’t know what that meant, since Tim Allen is Buzz Lightyear, and no one could ever touch his performance. I needed to know how this character was different and why this story was worth telling. I can say 2 things with absolute confidence:

1. I didn’t stop smiling through the ENTIRE pitch. Ear to ear.

2. Everyone can rest easy. And get very excited.

Trust me when I say that they REALLY know what they’re doing over there. This one is gonna special, and it doesn’t step on a single thing. I can’t even put my excitement into words. I smile every time I think about it.”

Be cuter, Chris.

Some people are making a big deal of the fact that it’s Chris Evans voicing Buzz Lightyear in the origin film instead of Tim Allen, who played the action figure in all four “Toy Story” movies. However, “Lightyear” isn’t a movie about the toy; it’s about the real astronaut (real within the “Toy Story” world, anyway) that the action figure is based on.

Evans’ delight is contagious, and fans are giddy for him. Few of us get to live out a childhood dream like this, and Evans seems like just the kind of all-around good guy who deserves it.

I mean, look at this video of when he met his doggo, Dodger.

And watch the man playing piano.

chris evans blessing us with another piano video 🎹 https://t.co/oTVMNcHQtO

— comfort for chris stans (@safeforchris)
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I mean, come on. That’s just not even fair.

Congratulations on your dream come true, Chris Evans. We’re all thrilled to be along for the ride with you.

At 47, Joe Kavaluskis lost his nine-year battle with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer, on January 8, 2020, leaving behind a wife and two sons. But that didn’t stop him from fulfilling one of his son’s dreams a week later on his 13th birthday.

In the final days of his life, he told his wife, Melanie, to buy their son, Logan, a puppy after he passed. He thought the dog would brighten his spirits after such a loss and it was something he always wanted but couldn’t have. Joe was allergic to dogs so he couldn’t have one in the home.

“He said, ‘Just promise that when I do pass, that you get Logan a puppy as soon as you can, because I know that it will bring him a lot of comfort,'” Melanie Kavaluskis told Inside Edition.

Throughout his childhood, Logan had hermit crabs and lizards, but never the puppy he always wanted. When he was 3 years old he got a stuffed Boston terrier and named it Puppers and took it everywhere he went for years.

Joe thought it was the right time for him to have a real Boston terrier of his own.

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13-year-old cries as he’s surprised with dog from late dad.

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A week after Joe’s passing, Melanie told her son Logan they had to drive to Midland, Michigan to pick up a puppy, but he had no idea it was a gift for him. Halfway through the drive home, his cousin Jon broke the news.

“That’s from your dad. That’s your dog,” Jon told an astonished Logan. “Really? Logan replied.

The 13-year-old boy looked down at the dog and he still couldn’t believe it was his. “‘Dad wanted you to have a puppy,” his cousin said.

“Words can’t explain the shock,” Logan later told WZZM13. “I had to ask ‘really?’ again, just to make sure it was my dog and not a horrid prank.”

The family has named the dog Indy and Logan says he’s a great fit for the family.

“He fits to all of our needs. Cuddles with my mom and my brother and plays with me, unless I want him to relax,” Logan said.

Melanie thinks that her husband’s final gesture may have been his best.

“He got it right. This was amazing. This gift is just perfect. Perfect timing,” she said.

Kid gets surprise gift after dad’s death.

www.youtube.com

Joe’s gesture may have done more than just cheer up his son. Research shows that pets can be a big help for kids who are grieving.

“Pets can help improve mood,” said Gina McDowell, a licensed professional clinical counselor and behavioral health clinical educator at the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, in a Huffington Post article.

“Playing with pets often creates positive emotions that can last throughout the day and may even help manage symptoms of anxiety and depression,” she continued.

It has to be terribly frustrating to be suffering from a terminal disease knowing you’ll be unable to comfort your children when you’re gone. But Joe did one of the most beautiful things imaginable by fulfilling one of his son’s dreams while also giving him a way to cope in a time of need.

Marc Evan Jackson makes everything a delight. The comedy star from “The Good Place” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is even providing top notch entertainment on social media, all while giving us a new appreciation for both bassoons and tree-trimming. What a legend.

In addition to acting, stand-up and improv, it seems that Jackson is also a gardener. He posted on Twitter today: “I was trimming the fig and bougainvillea, and uncovered this perfectly good bassoon. (Be kind. Double reeds are not my forte, and are harder than they look.)”

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Can we all just bask in the fact that this guy just said that he has “fig and bougainvillea”? His tweet has more class than I have in my entire body.

Snappy jazz starts to play in the video. And Jackson, holding a piece of tree that does look uncannily like a bassoon, starts to do an “air solo.” My favorite part is the calm, cool, seriousness with which he “plays.”

A few musicians gave their kudos, and some decided to chime in with a few tree bassoon pointers. One person wrote, “Pretty good! (Even though I think your embouchure probably isn’t correct.) But still…impressive!”

(By the way, in case you don’t know, an embouchure is “the way in which a player applies the mouth to the mouthpiece of a brass or wind instrument.” I had to look it up.)

Another person gave us a gem of wisdom, saying, “Fig jazz is all about the fig notes that you *don’t* play.” Can fig jazz please be a thing? I’m so ready for it.

I hope Jackson is a fan of puns, cause boy did he get them in the comments.

One mom wrote, “My kid, the bassoonist who’s watching b99 for the first time and helping every time he sees you, is going to lose it for this. Thank you.” I would love to see this kid’s reaction.

I really hope that Jackson delivers a follow-up that this was all research for a new role he’ll be playing. But until then, I’ll be playing this on repeat.

When Eve said “Money, power, respect, you’ll be eatin’ right” on the hook of the iconic Lox track “Money, Power Respect,” do you think she knew what Styles P would be scheming more than 20 years leader? Turns out he founded a juice company called “Juices For Life” in the Bronx. Facts only.

The Yonkers native has two stores already, a third one coming in Brooklyn and now a pop-up juice bar coming to Rolling Loud NY this weekend. So in between seeing Travis Scott, 50 Cent, and J.Cole at the Oct. 28-30th Citi Field festival, you’ll get an opportunity to nourish your body at a full-on “Juices For Life” stand.

Clearly, the still prolific P has been on to something. “Styles P is living proof that taking care of your body from the inside out will keep your skills sharp, as evidenced by his effortless breath control and dominance of the microphone,” Rolling Loud co-founder Tariq Cherif said in a statement.

But the collaboration runs deeper than that, with a new merch line inspired by Styles P’s holistic ways, and A$AP Ferg’s new single, “Green Juice” out tomorrow, entitled “Green Juice.” The “Juices For Life” location in the Bronx will serve as a pop-up shop for the merch throughout the weekend. Rolling Loud also announced a merch collab with the Billionaire Boys Club BBC Ice Cream line that’ll be available at the fest as well as as the BBC Ice Cream store in SoHo.

Check out one of the Rolling Loud x Juices For Life tees below.

You can’t deny the wonder of a free taco, even if it’s from Taco Bell. To celebrate the World Series, Taco Bell has brought back its “Steal a Base, Steal a Taco” promotion for Taco Bell Rewards Program members and the average American Taco Bell stan.

The giveaway is pretty simple. If someone steals a base during any game of the World Series, Taco Bell will give you a free Doritos Locos Taco. Sure, we’re only talking about a single taco per base stolen. And sure, it’s only a $1.89 value. But, it’s still a free taco for doing pretty much nothing. Hell, you don’t even have to watch the World Series to get your free taco. Taco Bell will inform the world every time a base is stolen via their social media, so that you know when to head to the Bell and Live Mas with a free taco in your hand.

You need to be a Taco Bell Rewards Program member if you want to get your taco before everyone else. If you weren’t already by mid-day yesterday Pacific time, then you’re going to have to wait until next year’s World Series to get your free and early Doritos Locos Taco. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait for the date Taco Bell announces (via social media) for their free taco giveaway day. You’re also limited to one taco per person or per account until supplies last during each stolen base giveaway.

And hey, there’s already a stolen base on the books! So if you’re already a member, it’s yours. Check out the pickup time below.

Megan Thee Stallion is gearing up to release some new music in just a couple of days. The Houston native announced her new mixtape Something For Thee Hotties last week, her first release in over a year. She said it will consist of “freestyles thee hotties have been asking for and a few unreleased songs from THEE ARCHIVES.” Now, just two days before the project arrives, Megan unveils its tracklist.

Something For Thee Hotties clocks in at 16 songs with no features, and as promised, it includes some previously heard tracks that include “Tuned In,” “Out Of Town,” and “Southside Forever,” as well as her single from earlier this year, “Thot Sh*t.”

The tracklist reveal comes after the rapper showed off her graduation cap, bedazzled with her signature catchphrase “Real hot girl sh*t”, for her degree in health administration.

You can view the tracklist below.

1. “Tuned In Freestyle”
2. “Megan Monday Freestyle”
3. “South Side Forever Freestyle”
4. “Outta Town Freestyle”
5. “Megans Piano”
6. “Eat It”
7. “All Of It”
8. “Tina Snow Interlude”
9. “Let Me See It”
10. “Opposite Day”
11. “Freakend”
12. “Bae Goals”
13. “Pipe Up”
14. “Bless”
15. “The Booth Freestyle”
16. “Thot Sh*t”

Something For Thee Hotties is out 10/29 via 1501 Certified Entertainment / 300 Entertainment. Pre-order it here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Last Thursday, an accidental prop gun discharge on the set of the low budget Western Rust left its director, Joel Souza, wounded and its cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, dead. It’s already been made public that the weapon in question had been handed to star Alec Baldwin, who fired it thinking it was “cold,” by assistant director Dave Halls. But now Halls has admitted that he didn’t thoroughly check the gun before doing so.

According to The New York Times, Halls told an investigator that while the set’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, had opened the gun for him to inspect, he may not have taken as close a look as he should have. According to the affidavit, Halls “advised he should have checked all of them, but didn’t, and couldn’t recall if she spun the drum.”

The incident took place during a rehearsal. As per NYT:

After the shooting, Mr. Halls said he picked up the gun from a pew inside the church and took it to Ms. Reed. When she opened it, he said, according to the affidavit, he could see “at least four dummy casings with the holes on the side, and one without the hole. He advised this did not have the cap on it and was just the casing.” Dummy rounds are sometimes identified by a pierced hole on the side.

Describing the safety protocols on the set, Mr. Halls said Ms. Gutierrez typically opened guns for him to inspect. “I check the barrel for obstructions, most of the time there is no live fire, she (Hannah) opens the hatch and spins the drum, and I say cold gun on set,” he said in an interview with the investigator, according to the affidavit. It was not clear what he meant by the term “live fire.”

Part of the job of an assistant director is to ensure the safety on a set. In the frenzy after the shooting, a script supervisor who called 911 told the operator that Hall is “supposed to check the guns.”

More details about Halls’ career have emerged in the last couple days. An industry veteran whose credits include The Matrix Reloaded and Fargo, he was fired from the set of a movie called Freedom’s Path in 2019 after another gun discharge. Prior to the deadly incident, there had already been at least two accidental gun discharges, while crew members have complained about deplorable working conditions.

(Via NYT)