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When it comes to major events, Lady Gaga usually trots out some sort of wild head-turning outfit. That’s not always the case though, like today, when she sang the National Anthem during Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ inauguration. She did find a way to put her own spin on the formal occasion, though, by wearing a giant golden broach as part of her otherwise tame outfit. After the ceremony, Gaga took to Twitter to give some backstory about the large ornamental piece.

Sharing a photo of it, Gaga explained what it depicts and her reasoning for choosing it, writing, “A dove carrying an olive branch. May we all make peace with each other.”

Ahead of her performance, she also took a moment to share a statement on social media, writing, “Singing our National Anthem for the American People is my honor. I will sing during a ceremony, a transition, a moment of change — between POTUS 45 and 46. For me, this has great meaning. My intention is to acknowledge our past, be healing for our present, and passionate for a future where we work together lovingly. I will sing to the hearts of all people who live on this land. Respectfully and kindly, Lady Gaga.”

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in early December, comedian John Mulaney told Kimmel that he was investigated by the Secret Service after telling a joke about assassinating Donald Trump during his Saturday Night Live monologue on February 29, 2020. That investigation has now been confirmed by the Associated Press after the news organization obtained a copy of the file on Mulaney through a Freedom of Information Act request. According to the report, investigators contacted the global chief security officer and senior vice president of NBC two days after Mulaney delivered his monologue. The agents hoped to reach the comedian and speak to him about the following joke that was transcribed in the report. Via the AP:

“Another thing that happened under Julius Caesar, he was such a powerful maniac that all the senators grabbed knives, and they stabbed him to death. That would be an interesting thing if we brought that back now,” Mulaney said to laughter from the audience.

Ultimately, Mulaney was cleared of wrongdoing as it was evident that he was telling a joke and not actually attempting to incite an assassination attempt on the (now-)former president. The report also notes that Mulaney was never even contacted by investigators who chose not to interview him. This contradicts what Mulaney told Kimmel back in December, but in hindsight, it’s clear that the comedian was setting up a bit by claiming he talked to agents on the phone.

“I failed to realize that after telling the Secret Service they had nothing else to worry about that I had leased an apartment for one year in Washington D.C. and that apartment was across the street from the Secret Service building,” Mulaney told Kimmel. “So, it had a planned vibe to it.”

(Via Associated Press)

Lady Gaga delivered a show-stopping rendition of the National Anthem at Biden’s inauguration Wednesday, but her performance wasn’t the only thing people were talking about. After Biden was officially sworn in, Gaga made her way to Barack and Michelle Obama to share a friendly hug, and people were absolutely loving it.

As elected officials and their family members were mingling on stage after the inauguration events concluded, people still watching noticed that Gaga had a heartwarming interaction with the Obamas.

Fans were also attempting to guess what Gaga and Obama were discussing during their conversation. One user joked that Gaga had asked Obama if she could sell her orange and pink-colored Chromatica Oreo cookies at the White House.

Ahead of delivering the National Anthem, Gaga took to social media to share the message of unity she wanted to bring with her performance. “Singing our National Anthem for the American People is my honor,” she wrote. “I will sing during a ceremony, a transition, a moment of change–between POTUS 45 and 46. For me, this has great meaning. My intention is to acknowledge our past, be healing for our present, and passionate for a future where we work together lovingly. I will sing to the hearts of all people who live on this land.”

See photos of Gaga and Obama’s heartwarming interaction at the inauguration above.

Macklemore came into the game taking his privilege to task and he continues that tradition on his tongue-in-cheek “Trump’s Over Freestyle” released in honor of Joe Biden’s inauguration as 46th President of the United States. Accompanied by a simple video of himself recording the song in the studio, “Trump’s Over” finds Macklemore dunking all over the MAGA Man’s followers and liberals alike, calling out the latter for caring more about “bicycling and the climate and toothpaste with iron” than police getting away with murdering Black Americans on camera.

However, the overall tone of the song is less celebratory and more cautionary, with Mack pointing out that despite the relative restoration of sanity to the Oval Office, “half the country feels the same way that he does.” Meanwhile, he’s less than optimistic about Biden’s forthcoming term, calling him “another old white guy in the White House,” and reminding listeners that COVID-19 is still around and “America’s still armed, dumb, and dangerous.” It’s pretty consistent with how he grappled with Trump’s initial election and it seems like he’s been champing at the bit to finally bid the Donald good riddance.

With that being said, much of the nation breathed a sigh of relief as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in this morning, bringing with them coherent speeches, respect for the office of the President, and much less twitchy Twitter fingers. Many share Macklemore’s reticence, but at least the chances of Biden actively fomenting a failed rebellion are slim to none.

Watch Macklemore’s “Trump’s Over Freestyle” video above.

Garth Brooks, a noted Republican who hails from red-state Oklahoma, took the mic at Joe Biden’s Inauguration and called for unity with an A Capella rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Well, many in Brooks’ Republican fanbase are not pleased right now. No doubt, Brooks anticipated the backlash, given that he pre-explained his decision to perform at the event. In doing so, he told CNN that his performance was “not a political statement,” and that he truly believes that unity must be a priority in our divided nation.

“It’s not Republican or Democrat,” Brooks emphasized to CNN while noting that Jill Biden invited him to perform. “It’s a leader for whom I am the civilian of the greatest country on the planet.” Esquire quotes the country singer as further explaining, “I might be the only Republican at this place. But it’s reaching across, loving one another because that’s what’s going to get us through probably the most divided times that we have. I want the divided times to be behind us.”

Also, this definitely happened.

Needless to say, there will be resistance to the calls for unity, which was also the theme of Biden’s measured speech, in which he also stressed that there was an untold amount of work to be done to heal the nation during our current troubling times. Some will work against him, and they’re also working against Garth Brooks right now. He had to have known this was coming, of course, but Brooks persisted because, yes, it’s damn important for the parties to come together while our nation is reeling. Yet the far-right backlash has begun.

Granted, one of these people made it a point to mention his Parler handle in his Twitter bio, so there’s that, but once news of Garth’s performance surfaced, the predictable cries of “Garth Brooks is the Liz Cheney of country music” and “Boycott Garth Brooks!!” were heard. And there’s some Facebook drama, too.

For sure, though, there were even more messages of support. People felt chills while listening to Garth sing, and they were here for the whole mood.

However, if Garth was really wanting to send a message… well, this Twitter user makes an excellent point. A Lady Gaga duet would have made this moment even better.

It’s inauguration day. Most years that sentence would come with an exclamation point. This year, our optimism is tempered by the perpetual political exhaustion we’re all desperate to recover from. Plus we’re stuck at home, watching the inauguration on TV, rather than discussing the whole thing with friends at a bar.

We deserve a drink, at the very least. Something that sounds healing and restorative but is actually just boozy.

Enter the green tea shot. A college and dive bar newbie, this is a fun way to counteract the bite of Irish whiskey with a whole lot of fruity sweetness. No, there’s no green tea involved — that name comes from the greenish hue. But this shooter will relax you, both because of the alcohol and the fact that it’s really simple to make.

Easy to make; easy to drink. Sounds perfect for today. Let’s get shaking!

The Green Tea Shot

Ingredients:

• 1.5-oz. Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 1.5-oz. peach liqueur
• 1.5-oz. sour mix *
• Ice
• Optional: Sprite or 7-Up

This is a Jameson shot.

That doesn’t mean you have to use Jameson. If you have Jim Beam or Jack Daniels or whatever whiskey on the shelf that you usually mix with, use that. As for the peach liqueur, there’s no getting around how sweet that is. I’m using Bols, which is affordable and available everywhere.

Lastly, don’t let me stop you from using a store-bought sour mix. That being said, making your own sour mix is super easy and will bring a lot more fresh citrus brightness to this very saccharine shooter. See note below for the recipe before we move on.

*SOUR MIX: Add 1/2 cup simple syrup, 1/2 cup fresh and strained lemon juice (three to four lemons), and 1/4 cup fresh and strained lime juice (two to three limes) to a jar. Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until fully emulsified (no more than ten seconds). It’s ready!

What You’ll Need:

• Cocktail shaker
• Shot glasses
• Jigger
• Strainer
• Jar with lid
• Measuring cup

Method:

• Add equal measures of whiskey, peach liqueur, and sour mix into a cocktail shaker.
• Top up with ice.
• Affix shaker lid and shake until the outside of the shaker is ice-cold.
• Strain the shooter into shot glasses.
• Optional: Top with a dash of Sprite or 7-Up.
• Serve.

Bottom Line:

Most recipes call for you to add a splash of Sprite or 7-Up to the top of this shot. I disagree. The shot is already sweet enough. It simply doesn’t need more sweetness on top. Plus, if you make your own sour mix, it’ll already be lemon-limey enough, too.

Regardless of how you take it, you won’t taste the whiskey. At all. Which, for a drink like this, is sort of the point.

Bonus Version: White Tea Shot

If you don’t have whiskey on hand, you can make a white tea shooter with … vodka.

Basically, do the exact same thing as above and just switch out the whiskey for vodka, making it white instead of “green.”

I can’t that say I like this more or less. It’s just different. It’s a lot smoother and the lemon and lime really do stand out more. I tried this again (for posterity of course) with the Stoli Lime and it really popped.

If I had to choose between the two, I’d probably stick with the whiskey version — there’s a little more depth. Still, don’t make a liquor store run in a pandemic just to buy whiskey for shooters. This is also perfectly serviceable.

21 Savage has had his share of issues with the American government, but as Donald Trump left the White House on Joe Biden’s inauguration day, the British rapper — by way of Atlanta, Georgia — got something like the last laugh thanks to MSNBC anchor Ari Melber. During Melber’s segment discussing the transition between administrations today, Melber quoted 21 Savage’s Grammy-winning single “A Lot” as he recounted the various issues the failed casino owner will face as his first and only term in office comes to its ignominious conclusion.

“To paraphrase the rapper 21 Savage, Donald Trump has some problems here,” he joked as a graphic of Savage popped up on the screen alongside a photo of Trump. “How many lawyers you got? A lot. How many problems you got? A lot. How many people doubted you? A lot. Left you out to rot?” It’s not the first time Savage has become a meme; in 2017 an appearance on ESPN went viral.

These words are, of course, a mangled version of the hook from the 2018 J. Cole-featuring I Am > I Was single which helped 21’s rise to near-ubiquity in mainstream pop culture, just before he was arrested and detained by ICE for an expired visa. The rapper has been locked into an extended legal battle with the US immigration system ever since. However, with a new administration coming in, it’s possible he’ll have a chance to plead his case with a much more sympathetic leadership.

Watch Ari Melber’s 21 Savage-quoting segment above.

As we careen through the first few weeks of 2021, we could all use a feel-good story. And what’s better than a sweet proposal story to bring us all a bit of joy?

Jesse took his girlfriend Erin to a bird show at the Australian Zoo last week. (Since Australia has managed to control the pandemic, people are able to do such things. Isn’t that nice?) The bird handler introduced the audience to Euli, a red-tailed black cockatoo, then asked the audience for a volunteer. Erin stood up and waved her arms, and when she was chosen, she assumed she’d gotten lucky.

The bird handler had Erin pull out a five-dollar bill and hold it in her hand with her arm out. Euli, the handler said, would know exactly who to go to since she was holding the money. Sure enough, Euli flew up to Erin, took the bill from her hand, and flew back.

Then the handler said Euli was going to take Erin her “receipt.” The bird flew up, handed Erin a piece of paper. The handler told Erin to open it and read it, and that’s when she got the surprise of her life.

The look on Erin’s face is classic as it sinks in that Jesse is proposing to her. (If you watch him carefully, you can see him pulling the ring from his pocket as she’s opening up the note.) She turns to look at him, and he smoothly goes down on one knee with the ring.

And of course—thankfully, because it would be really embarrassing if she didn’t—Erin said yes.

Clearly, if Jesse knew Erin well enough to know that she’d immediately stand up and wave both arms when a bird show emcee asked for a volunteer, he probably knew she was going to say yes when the bird handed her a proposal. Coordinating the surprise was the bigger issue, and he and the handler pulled it off beautifully.

Way to go, Jesse. We’ve seen some creative proposals before (Remember the guy who edited the Disney movie?) but it’s been a while since we’ve gotten to enjoy one of these in-public surprise moments.

And right now, we can all use this kind of wholesome feel-good story to brighten our day. Hugs and applause and all the warm gushy feelings. Congrats to the adorable young couple.

Moments after Joe Biden was officially sworn in as the 46th President, Garth Brooks took the stage. The country singer joined the audience together in song for a moving performance of “Amazing Grace.”

Brooks arrived at the podium and removed his cowboy hat to sing “Amazing Grace.” Brooks was first accompanied by a trumpet, but ended up delivering the song without an instrument. Before he sang the song’s final verse, Brooks called for unity across the nation. “I’m going to ask you to sing this last verse with me. Not just the people here, but the people at home, at work, here as one — united.

Ahead of his “Amazing Grace” performance, Brooks explained why performing at the Inauguration was not a “political statement.” Speaking at a virtual press conference, Brooks said: “In our household, this is not a political statement: This is a statement of unity. […] The message they’re pushing is unity, and that’s right down my alley, man. If we’re gonna get anywhere, we’re gonna get there together.” He added, “I might be the only Republican at this place, but it’s reaching across, loving one another, because that’s what is going to get us together during one of the most divided times.”

Brooks also noted the “disturbing” acts that took place at the Capitol riots just two weeks ago. “Think about your family,” he said. “Think about what the mark you’re going to leave on this planet as a human being, and with the children that you raise, and then make your decision.”

Watch Garth Brooks sing “Amazing Grace” at the 2021 Inauguration above.

Unlike Donald Trump who’s still upset over suffering a massive loss to Joe Biden, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders did his part to unify the country by showing up to Biden’s Inauguration on Tuesday. However, while others wore fancy monochrome outfits and fine-tailored suits, Bernie showed up wearing mittens, and it damn near broke the Internet. Bernie has one of the largest online followings of any non-AOC politician, so folks were absolutely loving his no-nonsense attire as he plopped himself down in a metal chair with his mittens on full display over his knees.

Naturally, there’s a story behind the mittens that is classic Bernie. According to BuzzFeed News’ Ruby Cramer, the mittens were made from recycled material by a Vermont school teacher who gave them to Bernie two years and was thrilled to see him wearing them on the campaign trail.

As the Bernie mittens craze started to trend, it didn’t take long for the jokes to start rolling in as Twitter users noticed that Bernie’s parka looks a lot like the one from his famous “Once again, I’m asking you” meme. And knowing Bernie, there’s a very good chance that it actually is the same coat, and possibly the only he owns. Folks also enjoyed the fact that Bernie was carrying a manila folder and looked more like he was headed to the post office than a presidential inauguration.

And, of course, it didn’t take long for the “Bernie grumpily sitting in a chair” memes to start, and there’s sure to be more of these in the days ahead.