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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have just met their greatest foe yet: taxes. According to a report from The New York Times, Viacom, which owns the rights to the Turtles along with Transformers and a slew of other intellectual property, is under intense scrutiny after a Dutch non-profit alleged that the media conglomerate has been going to great lengths to avoiding paying the U.S. government billions in taxes by using a convoluted loophole where it attributed revenue from the blockbuster franchises to foreign entities.

As the Times explains, a former Viacom employee sued for “retaliatory firing” after she objected to the practice in 2016, but both parties eventually settled and sealed the terms of the agreement. However, details of the lawsuit have now been made public, which paints a picture of the alleged tax scheme:

In the suit, the executive accused Viacom of “hatching a plan to attribute” the revenue from the popular franchise “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to the Netherlands for tax advantages. While the rights to the franchise are owned by a Dutch entity, “all of the business concerning those rights took place in New York,” the suit read. “The sole purpose of transferring the licensing rights to the Netherlands company was to avoid the U.S. tax burden,” the suit added.

The study noted that Viacom transferred its intellectual property rights to a subsidiary in Britain in 2015 while keeping the Dutch entities (operating as a subbranch of the British unit) as the jumping-off point for selling foreign rights.

The transfer — essentially a sale from one Viacom subsidiary to another — created a tax benefit, the study said. The transaction was worth $1.8 billion, according to company records cited by the study, a sum it can amortize over many years.

We’re guessing Leo, Mikey, Don, and Raph would never willingly take part in such a scheme that fails to live up to the values and principles of the cowabunga lifestyle.

(Via The New York Times)

Every year, Heaven Hill releases three versions of their Larceny Barrel Proof bourbon whiskey. These whiskey drops have become some of the most awarded and beloved wheated bourbon releases of the year. Larceny is also a wheated bourbon that you can actually afford for day-to-day sipping and mixing — a hell of a perk in an industry where hype can cause prices to skyrocket.

Today, we’re reviewing the latest edition of Larceny’s Barrel Proof, labeled B521. That’s the “b” or second release of the year that was bottled in May (“5”) of 2021.

You should be able to find this release on shelves very soon, but you might only be able to find them in Kentucky at close to the MSRP. These are limited releases of a very popular whiskey. Prices will inch up the further away from the Ohio Valley you get.

Larceny Barrel Proof B521

ABV: 60.5%

Average Price: $50 MSRP, $70 retail

The Whiskey:

These barrel blends from Heaven Hill are meant to highlight the precise quality of the distillery’s prowess from grain to bottle. This small batch of wheated bourbon is derived from barrels between six and eight years old. The juice then goes right into the bottle with no cutting or filtering, allowing the masterful craft to shine through in every sip.

Tasting Notes:

This has a mellow nose that ebbs and flows between soft maple syrup cut with cinnamon sticks, a light touch of brioche, new leather gloves, and bruised apples. It offers a warm rollercoaster ride through figgy puddings touched with burnt sugars, dried fruits and nuts, holiday spices, and a brandy butter silkiness. The taste has a hint of almond or walnut shell on the end that marries to a dry mouthfeel, vanilla, and a touch of tobacco chewiness.

The warmth lingers pretty long but never overpowers and almost becomes halfway between fizzy and buzzing as it fades, leaving you with a woody, bourbon vibe and a very late wet straw note.

The Bottle:

These Larceny bottles are pretty straightforward. They’re sort of shaped like a glass lock with a keyhole label. It’s a unique bottle for sure and a great name, but not a bespoke decanter or anything like that.

Bottom Line:

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. The ABVs are definitely there but feel less intrusive than the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. It’s a full-fledged bourbon experience from the nose to the long finish that’s definitely worth checking out this year.

Rating:

90/100 — this is a really solid barrel proof that’s very sippable (even neat) and definitely affordable.

Dwayne Johnson is a very large man. But the football player who became a wrestler who became a king of scorpions who became one of the most bankable movie stars in the world is only getting larger. Or at least his tree-trunk legs are.

In an Instagram post about his training process for Black Adam, Johnson wrote, “Late night training. Big week for #BlackAdam shooting my ‘champion’ scenes with my shirt off and showing my body. Been working extremely hard dieting, training and conditioning unlike any other role of my entire career.” He then explained how he’s getting in shape for the DC superhero movie.

Manipulating water, sodium, cardio but also having to push and pull real iron to have dense, dry, detailed muscle. It’s a real science that takes months and months to dial it all in with my strength & conditioning coach @daverienzi who keeps a very watchful eye, constantly fine tuning our strategy daily.

The Rock can be seen wearing his Iron Paradise shirt (the name of his gym) in the workout photo below; there’s also a ubiquitous American flag in the background and Brahma Bull hat on his head. The bull started as a tattoo, but it’s become “a symbol of strength, resilience, heart, power, and defiance to so many people around the world,” he once wrote. If you think that’s maybe overstating a tattoo’s influence, try telling that to this guy.

(Via Instagram/The Rock)

It seems like BTS is always making some sort of history. In fact, their latest single, “Butter,” just broke a handful of Guinness World Records a few days ago. Now that this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart is out (after a one-day delay thanks to Memorial Day), BTS have further cemented themselves in music history. On the chart dated June 5, “Butter” debuts at No. 1, meaning the single is now their whopping fourth No. 1 song in just the past nine months. In fact, “Butter” topping the chart comes exactly nine months after their first No. 1 single, “Dynamite,” did on the chart dated September 5, 2020.

With “Butter,” BTS has achieved the quickest journey to four No. 1 singles among groups since the Jackson 5 in 1970. Furthermore, BTS is now just one of a handful of artists to achieve their first four No. 1 singles in under a year. The list they join includes The Beatles, The Supremes, Justin Timberlake, the Jackson 5, Mariah Carey, and Paula Abdul.

BTS isn’t the only artist making waves on this week’s Hot 100, though: Rodrigo has three songs in the top 10, with “Good 4 U” at No. 2, “Deja Vu” at No. 3, and “Traitor” at No. 9. This makes Rodrigo the first artist ever to have three songs from a debut album concurrently in the top 10.

Now here’s something you don’t see every day.

On Memorial Day, security footage caught an incredible encounter between a mama bear with her two cubs and a human mama bear with her four dogs. Don’t try this at home, kids.

Surveillance video shows Hailey Morinico, 17, intervening when a brown bear began swatting at the family’s four dogs from atop a brick wall in the yard of their Bradbury, California home. The video, which was shared on TikTok by Hailey’s cousin (@bakedlikepie) with music for effect, has been viewed more than 47 million times on TikTok alone, in addition to going viral on Twitter.

And if you want to see the raw footage without the hilarious “Oh No” music:

Hailey explained in follow-up video that her family lives in a mountainous area and that bears wandering into their yard isn’t a rare occurrence, especially in the summer. However, the shoving of the bear off the wall was unusual.

At first, when Hailey heard the dogs barking, she thought they were barking at another dog or a squirrel or something. When she went out to the yard to tell them to stop, she saw the bear leaning over the wall trying to pick up the youngest of the family’s four dogs. Hailey said that her first instinct was to push the bear, which is exactly what she did.

It’s common knowledge that you don’t mess with a mama bear, and it’s unclear whether Hailey noticed the two cubs that were on the wall just before the confrontation. She is fortunate that she was not attacked by the bear herself. She said she didn’t have to push it very hard to make it lose its balance, perhaps because she took it by surprise while it was distracted by the dogs.

Hailey ended up with a sprained finger and a scraped knee, but she and the dogs are both fine following the incident.

“My daughter is a hero,” Hailey’s mother Citlally told McClatchy News. “My daughter literally made eye contact with death and pushed it off a ledge.”

This is one of those stories that no one would believe if it hadn’t been caught on film. “She ran up and shoved the mama bear right off the wall!” Yeah, right. Oh, you mean she literally did exactly that? Okay then.

Lessons learned: Humans, don’t mess with mama bears. And bears, don’t mess around with Hailey.

The mark of a truly historic moment in the NBA is that it only needs to be referred to by one phrase. LeBron holds a few of those moments, namely The Block, which will conjure memories of him chasing down Andre Iguodala during the 2016 NBA Finals to pin his layup off the backboard, with the soundtrack of Mike Breen yelling “blocked by James!” seared into the memories of every NBA fan.

On a more dubious note, James also holds one of the rare off-court moments that lives in infamy with The Decision. It’s been more than a decade since James sat in front of Jim Gray and kids from the Boys & Girls Club to announce he would be leaving Cleveland and “taking my talents to South Beach,” representing the brief shift into a villain role for LeBron. It was one of the few PR missteps of James’ career, and a benign one at that when you look back on it a decade later.

In the moment, it created a massive uproar and launched a thousand columns, few more aggressive than that of Bill Simmons, then at ESPN. In that column, Simmons blamed “the lack of a father figure” in LeBron’s life, an incredibly gross assessment of how James dared to announce his free agency choice in a made for TV special that benefitted a local charity. That line is still why James’ agent Rich Paul, who left CAA and launched Klutch Sports shortly after The Decision, won’t speak with Simmons as he explained in a recent New Yorker profile on the super agent.

“I blame the people around him. I blame the lack of a father figure in his life,” Bill Simmons, then a leading columnist at ESPN, wrote. “I blame us for feeding his narcissism to the point that he referred to himself in the third person five times in forty-five minutes. I blame local and national writers (including myself) for apparently not doing a good enough job explaining to athletes like LeBron what sports mean to us, and how it IS a marriage, for better and worse, and that we’re much more attached to these players and teams than they realize.”

Paul saw this as condescension and worse. “That’s why I don’t speak to Bill Simmons,” he said. “A lot of that has to do with race, too. He wouldn’t have said that about Larry Bird. He wouldn’t have said that about J. J. Redick. You get what I am saying? ‘The Decision’ ten years ago is the norm today. It’s what everyone wants to do. Kids won’t even decide where they go to college without it being a big production, and Bill Simmons says some shit like that.”

For how derided it is, there’s no doubt of the impact of The Decision, both in the process and in the event itself, across the sports landscape. It opened the player empowerment era of the NBA in full, one that has frustrated GMs and team owners, but opened doors for stars to have more say in where they play and how teams are run to ensure they’re putting full investment into winning. On top of that, James joining Paul at Klutch shortly after led to only more hand-wringing and racist commentary, as the word “posse” was regularly used to describe James’ circle that he had created and many posited that he was setting himself up to fail — with the opposite ending up becoming true as James’ business venture’s and Paul’s agency have both taken off in the decade since.

The full piece offers interesting insight into everything from Paul’s role in Anthony Davis’ departure from New Orleans to the frustration of GMs with how Paul has helped expand the player empowerment movement. Through it all, Paul is unapologetic about doing what he must to get his clients what they want and where they want, calling out the differences in how he (and his clients) are discussed for doing so compared to others.

Since releasing her debut 2019 album Cheap Queen, King Princess has continuously positioned herself as force to be reckoned with. Last year, the singer expanded her catalog with her dancefloor-ready track “Only Time Makes It Human” and the masochistic number “Pain.” Now returning for her first new track of the year, King Princess kicks off Pride Month with the atmospheric tune “House Burn Down.”

The new single opens with hallow guitar tones and King Princess’ earnest vocal delivery as she sings of the pitfalls of an addictive relationship. The driving track was originally performed live during a run of shows in 2018. It quickly became a fan-favorite, with her listeners pressuring her to officially release the song. The studio version of the track was co-produced by Mark Ronson and features drums from Fabrizio Moretti and bass from Nikolai Fraiture, the latter two both of The Strokes.

Along with sharing the new track, King Princess officially announces her Heartbreak Odyssey livestream to hold fans over until she’s able to perform live again. The virtual event kicks off June 17 and will see King Princess performing her track “Holy” for the first time, as well as new singles like “Only Time Makes It Human” and “Pain.”

Listen to King Princess’ “House Burn Down” above and grab tickets to her Heartbreak Odyssey livestream here.

While rap songs and videos can have the unintended side effect of making gang life look cooler than it is, YG & Mozzy are here to remind you that it’s still quite “Dangerous” in the latest video from their recently released joint album Kommunity Service. The first verse finds the California natives trading quick-witted quatrains upbraiding posers who claim affiliation without the muscle to back it up, while G Herbo brings the song home with his own chest-beating feature to close things out.

The stripped-down video keeps to the established aesthetic from their “Bompton To Oak Park” clip, with a legion of goons mean-mugging the camera to underline the street-loyal lyrics, shot through a perspective warping fish-eye lens. The duo has shown an impressive degree of flexibility with the album rollout so far, as well; while thoroughly praising their expected “Gangsta” credentials in these videos, they’ve alternated them with more positive messaging in the semi-romantic clip for “Perfect Timing.” Album cuts like “Vibe With You” have also offset the menace, because you can’t always be in war mode.

Meanwhile, the duo’s members have done their fair share of good work in the world, too. YG recently gave away $20,000 worth of sneakers to former inmates to ensure that the project’s title wasn’t just figurative.

Watch YG & Mozzy’s “Dangerous” video above.

Noted English muffin addict Stephen King is prompting all kinds of pop-culture worlds to collide in my mind lately. Watching Matt LeBlanc’s memed Friends reunion appearance reminded me of how Joey Tribbiani found The Shining to be so scary that he kept the book in his freezer, and King has (presumably) revealed himself to be a fan of HBO’s Mare of Easttown and even accurately predicted who killed Erin McMenamin in the Kate Winslet-starring limited series. King wasn’t so keen to gobble up a certain horror movie, though, back in the day.

The film, The Blair Witch Project (1999), is a movie that King has discussed before, but the subject came up again on Eli Roth’s History of Horror series on Shudder. Via Dread Central, King revealed (and this may have partially been due to being “doped up” in the hospital after an accident) that he couldn’t finish the movie in one sitting:

“The first time I saw [The Blair Witch Project], I was in the hospital and I was doped up. My son brought a VHS tape of it and he said, ‘You gotta watch this.’ Halfway through it, I said, ‘Turn it off it’s too freaky.’”

I gotta admit, that movie’s found-footage approach felt so novel and realistic back in 1999 that the movie spooked me, too, especially during that moment where a lead character was made to stand in a corner by the witch. Yikes! King didn’t get there in the first run, but he eventually made it through the whole film and even lived to write an essay about Blair Witch Project in a 2010 footnote to Danse Macabre, as transcribed by Bloody Disgusting years ago. Here’s what King wrote about the film’s final moments:

“Finally, [Heather] plunges down to the basement, where one of the hokey stories they were told before their rash entry into the woods turns out to not be bullsh*t after all. Michael (or is it Josh?) stands in the corner, dumbly waiting for the thing from the woods to do what it will. There is a thud as that unseen thing falls on Heather from behind. The camera drops, showing a blurred nothing. The film ends. And if you’re like me, you watch the credits and try to escape the terrified ten-year-old into whom you have been regressed.”

I don’t know about you, but it sure feels like time to go put that old VHS copy of The Blair Witch Project in the freezer.

(Via Dread Central & Bloody Disgusting)

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got the highly anticipated new albums from Black Midi and Bachelor, a new single from the forthcoming Sleater-Kinney LP, and the return of hardcore heroes Turnstile. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Black Midi – Cavalcade

If you thought Black Midi’s debut album Schlagenheim was a challenging listen, just wait until you hear its follow-up. On their sophomore album Cavalcade the English outfit is what Steven Hyden calls for Uproxx “the rare rock band with a significant profile that is unafraid of irritating people.”

Bachelor – Doomin’ Sun

The debut album from Bachelor was born out of a mutual love of chicken tenders and reality TV. Across the ten tracks of Doomin’ Sun, Palehound’s Ellen Kempner and Jay Som’s Melina Duterte make music that Carolyn Droke calls for Uproxx “both atmospheric and comical, laying out anecdotes like falling in love with the no nonsense confidence of a trashy Florida woman or the endearing charm of a partner unknowingly kicking you all night in their sleep.”

Gulfer/Charmer – Split

The art of the split 7″ seems to have been lost with the advent of streaming, which is a big bummer. But that isn’t stopping Gulfer and Charmer, two of the emo scene’s shining stars, who each contributed one song to a split release that showcases each of their strengths. Gulfer’s “Look” and Charmer’s “Diamond (Sprinkler)” serve as good entry points for both bands.

Sleater-Kinney – “High In The Grass”

The first preview of Sleater-Kinney’s forthcoming LP had a Janet Weiss-sized hole in the arrangement, but the latest offering gets a little closer to filling the void. “High In The Grass” features the off-kilter guitar lead that we’ve come to know and love from Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, and Tucker’s vocals sound as good as ever while she sings of coming alive alongside the blooming spring after a long winter.

Turnstile – “Mystery”

It’s been nearly three years since Turnstile released their major-label debut Time & Space. “Mystery” is the hardcore outfit’s first proper release since then, and showcases a bit of a more experimental vibe than its predecessor. “The loud/soft dynamic — paired with lyrics about fighting for a love that’s running out of gas — gives the song an urgent, Sleigh Bells-meets-“Motorcycle Drive By” kind of vibe,” writes Sarah Grant for Uproxx.

Foxing – “Where The Lightning Strikes Twice”

Foxing have been teasing their forthcoming fourth LP for months, and now the effort finally has a name. Draw Down The Moon is coming this August, and is preceded by the booming and moving single “Where The Lightning Strikes Twice.” “Only Brandon Flowers and company have made songs that are as The Killers-esque as this one,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.

Orson Wilds – “dec 19”

Canadian outfit Orson Wilds have been dropping standout after standout single over the last several months, and “dec 19” might just be the strongest of all. Where previous singles “Stand Up” and “Mothers Daughters” took on a more grand and anthemic approach, “dec 19” represents the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s a full-speed-ahead rocker that features epic guitar and vocal melodies.

Ellis – “What If Love Isn’t Enough”

It’s only been slightly more than a year since Ellis released her debut album Born Again, but she’s already back for more with a follow-up EP called Nothing Is Sacred Anymore. “What If Love Isn’t Enough” is the second sampling from the effort, a track about the falsehoods of romantic love that features what Carolyn Droke calls for Uproxx “comfortingly warm guitar chords.”

Lightning Bug – “Song Of The Bell”

The third taste of Lightning Bug’s forthcoming album A Color Of The Sky is a gorgeous number that Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “a neo-nostalgic burst of ’90s-style shoegaze that’s in the same family tree as The Verve’s early-career material and My Bloody Valentine.”

Koreless – “Joy Squad”

In just over a month, Welsh producer Lewis Roberts, who makes music under the name Koreless, will release his debut album, Agor. With the announcement of the new album, Roberts also shared “Joy Squad,” the a glitchy electronic number that seems to build and evolve as it goes on.

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