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All eyes were on the state of Georgia in recent months when the state flipped blue in the November presidential election. Some of Democrats’ success was thanks to Stacey Abrams‘ Fair Fight organization, which actively fought voter suppression in the state. In order to raise money for the organization ahead of the election, Death Cab For Cutie made a handful of covers available for 24 hours in the form of The Georgia EP. After the fundraiser was wildly successful, raising over $100,000 in a day, the band has now made the EP available on streaming services.

Speaking about the EP’s accomplishment in a video statement to fans, Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard said:

“Because we are so happy with the results of the recent Georgia runoff elections, we have decided to release our EP ‘The Georgia E.P.’ – originally released on Bandcamp for 24 hours in early December – today on all streaming services, so that everybody can take a listen to it. It will also be available soon on peach vinyl, which we’re all very excited about. It’s an EP of covers of acts from Georgia including Neutral Milk Hotel, Vic Chesnutt, R.E.M., TLC, and Cat Power, and we had a blast making it. We raised over $100K for voting rights organization Fair Fight, which we’ve always been big supporters of; we’re really stoked. So, we hope you enjoy it and we hope to see you guys in person very soon.”

Stacey Abrams thanked the band on behalf of Fair Fight for their support following the generous donation. “Fair Fight is grateful for the support of Death Cab for Cutie in our fight for free and fair elections in Georgia and nationwide,” she said. “‘The Georgia E.P.’ helps tell the story of Georgia just as their contributions have helped us write the next chapter.”

Watch Death Cab For Cutie’s video statement above.

The Georgia EP is out now via Atlantic. Get it here.

Death Cab For Cutie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

With The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finally nearing its Disney+ premiere after being delayed by the pandemic, Anthony Mackie is tempering expectations about whether or not the series will see him officially don the mantle of Captain America. While sitting down with The Jess Cagle Show, Mackie downplayed fan assumptions that his character, Sam Wilson/Falcon, will take up the shield despite promotional imagery heavily implying that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Via Collider:

“We don’t know that yet. The show, the idea of the show is basically, you know, and at the end of Endgame, Cap decided he was going into retirement and he asked me if I would take up the shield, but at no point in time did I agree to or say that I would be Captain America,” and went on to enigmatically remark, “So, the show walks the line of who is going to take up the shield and who’s going to be Captain America if Steve isn’t coming back.”

What’s interesting about Mackie’s remarks is that back in March of last year, it was confirmed that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will show Falcon becoming the new Cap. The person who confirmed that information? Anthony Mackie. The Marvel star stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert where he opened up about the feeling of playing the first Black Captain America on the big screen.

“It is monumental, man. I mean… to have Marvel select a young Black man in America to represent the moniker of Captain America is is unprecedented,” Mackie said. “There’s nothing that can compare to that. There’s – it… it moves me not only that my kids get to see a Black man as Captain America, but all of their friends white, Black, Latino, and Asia can see a Black man as Captain America.”

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier starts streaming March 19 on Disney+.

(Via The Jess Cagle Show)

James Harden pushed all of his chips to the center of the table after the Houston Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers by 17 points on Tuesday night, making it clear that he does not believe the situation in Houston in salvageable. One day later and a report indicates that the Rockets have identified the two offers they view as best, with a decision potentially coming sooner rather than later.

According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, Houston has a pair of offers on the table. One, from the Philadelphia 76ers, is about what you’d expect: Ben Simmons would be the centerpiece, while the pair report that the two sides “have discussed in potential packages is 2019 first-round pick Matisse Thybulle, with Houston having interest in the defensive-minded forward.”

The other comes from the Brooklyn Nets, and while any players that would be included are up in the air, the report indicates that Brooklyn would include what can only be described as a shocking amount of Draft capital in a deal.

The Nets have prepared a package to Houston for Harden featuring all of their four future first-round picks and three future pick swaps, multiple sources said. This would place significant pressure on the team to win immediately and the potential partnership between two former star teammates in Harden and Kevin Durant. Nets general manager Sean Marks and his front office have built an impactful culture around their players, and have been able to keep strong future flexibility in the process. For the Nets, there could be hesitation to mortgage future assets with this type of ferocity. Brooklyn does not owe any extra firsts or have any owed to it, so it has four firsts and three swaps available.

The players who would get moved almost seem secondary to the fact that seven first-round picks would, to one extent or another, be put on the table in this deal. This is not to besmirch the players who would get moved — Brooklyn has a number of ultra-talented youngsters and guys who can make this work financially — but this would be a case of a team giving up essentially all of its future in order to win right now.

Harden trade rumblings have been going around all season long, but having said that, things seem to be accelerating following Tuesday night. Now, the question is whether things progress to the point where Harden is no longer on the roster before the Rockets play the Spurs on Thursday evening.

Ariana Grande dropped a video for “34+35” a couple months ago, but she’s not done with the song yet. Today, she took to social media to reveal that she’s dropping a remix for the song on Friday. The quick teaser video she shared features three silhouettes with question marks over two of them, suggesting that Grande will be joined by two other artists on the track.

This has prompted much speculation about who Grande got on the song, and Doja Cat’s name was so widely mentioned that she became a trending topic on Twitter. A common theory/hope is that Doja (who features on Positions track “Motive”) and Minaj (with whom Grande has collaborated on multiple occasions) will be revealed as the mystery guests, while others think that it could be Chloe x Halle.

Grande previously discussed the song in an interview on the Zach Sang Show, saying, “I’ve been very nervous about ’34+35′ because I don’t want it to distract from the rest from the album, but I do love it, and sonically, it’s one of my favorite things we’ve ever done.” She also added of the track’s importance to the album, “I just think it’s ridiculous and so funny and stupid. It’s like absolutely absurd. It was just a fun thing. We heard the strings that sounded so like Disney and orchestral and full and pure, and I was like, ‘What is the dirtiest possible most opposing lyrics we could write to this?’”

It was no coincidence that James Harden’s public proclamation that the Houston Rockets “aren’t good enough” to put it together this season came after a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, it was in large part a reminder to Harden that the Lakers are playing a different game than the Rockets, with Iko writing that “Harden knows the team as currently constructed can’t defeat the Lakers in a seven-game series.”

The loss, Iko reports, reinforced Harden’s urgency to “maximize the window he still has” to win the first championship of his career. To that end, the story states that the Brooklyn Nets remain at the top of Harden’s list of landing places, though Iko reports other contending teams would still be acceptable to Harden.

“We’re just not good enough,” Harden told reporters postgame on Tuesday. “Chemistry, talent-wise, everything. And it was clear the last few games. From the beginning of the game, they’re just a veteran team obviously, championship team, and one of the best teams we have in this league.”

Since Harden privately asked out, reporting has confirmed that Houston’s asking price is quite high, including likely a blue-chip young player in addition to multiple first-round picks. It’s hard to say that Harden’s play and his actions have raised his value — he’s averaging 24.8 points per game, the lowest he’s averaged since joining the Rockets — but now, Harden is doubling down in order to secure a trade and put himself in better position to beat the defending champions.

Since President Donald Trump’s Twitter account was “permanently suspended” due to “the risk of further incitement of violence,” most of his children have stayed quiet on the social media platform. Ivanka hasn’t tweeted anything since referring to the MAGA rioters storming the Capitol building as “American Patriots,” Eric is one week sober from sharing misinformation online, and there’s no other Trump kids to speak of, except Donald Trump, Jr. He’s been on a roll lately, paying tribute to casino magnate (and Trump donor) Sheldon Adelson, retweeting numerous conservative voices, and presumably mourning Parler, the right-wing Twitter. But even while he continues to retweet himself, DTJ is looking to “blow Twitter away” and save “free speech in America.”

He just needs some help from the world’s richest man.

“Wanted to come up with something to deal with nonsense on the censorship that’s going on right now, and obviously only targeted one way. Why doesn’t Elon Musk create a social media platform?” Trump, Jr. said on Instagram (where his dad is also blocked). “I mean, this guy put manned people into space. He did so privately. He took on big government and did it better, cheaper, faster than they ever could. This is the guy to do it.” (The president, according to the president’s son, is apparently not “big government.”)

Don Jr. said he considered Mr. Musk to be the right person to stand up against Twitter after the tech mogul took on “West Coast high tech” for turning into the “de facto arbiter of free speech.”

He suggested that the new platform can regulate against hate speech or violence but at the same time provide a platform to neutral commentators and not turn into a “leftist organization” that de-platforms people with conservative thoughts. “I am not looking for a conservative echo chamber, I want a platform to argue my ideas versus someone else’s and not just people in a place telling me what I want to hear,” Mr. Trump said.

If there’s one thing the internet needs, it’s more places where strangers can argue with each other. Anyway, let’s see if Elon is interested:

He’s watching Rick and Morty again.

(Via the Independent)

In addition to a jam-packed schedule of five games throughout Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the NBA announced multiple new ways to honor the late Dr. King next Monday.

First, that will include an ad spot featuring audio of an old speech of King’s imploring people to “learn how to love” set atop images of NBA players like Bradley Beal leading marches this summer during the Black Lives Matter uprisings and players in the Bubble with messages on their jerseys and demonstrating together.

In addition, the league released new warm-up shirts with the message “Honor King” splotched across the back and a line from his famous “I Have A Dream” speech of his on the front: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all.”

Prior to tip-off of the games, Caron Butler will reprise his role as host of a virtual roundtable discussing Dr. King’s vision and legacy in the context of the modern social justice movement. Butler will be joined by NBA lifer Wayne Embry, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, and Terri Freeman of the National Civil Rights Museum.

The slate of five games to commemorate the day is highlighted by a Bucks-Nets and Warriors-Lakers double-header on TNT.

Spring of 2020 was consumed by uncertainty over the pandemic, particularly in the live music industry. Many festivals postponed their dates before the country came to the collective realization that big gatherings would be out of the question for at least a year. Now, as the vaccination rollout has begun, festival organizers are hopeful that large-scale events will be safe in the near future. Governors Ball has set their sights on the fall of 2021, announcing that they plan to go ahead with this year’s festival.

Governors Ball typically takes place in June every year, but in 2021, organizers have decided to push back the date to September. On Wednesday, the festival announced that they have officially booked the weekend of September 24th through 26th in New York City for this year’s event. Governors Ball has yet to release a lineup, but said it will not be the same as what would have been last year’s bill.

Along with sharing the new dates, festival organizers announced they will be keeping the health and safety of staff and festivalgoers their number one priority. “Given that vaccines are rolling out and many experts predict a return to live music events in the Fall, we are hopeful,” they wrote. “We’re booking an amazing lineup and making sure all suggested safety protocols are followed. Rest assured that safety is our first priority and we are working closely with all city and state authorities on everything.”

Check out Governors Balls’ official announcement above.

The ghost of The Karate Kid‘s superior sensei, Mr. Miyagi, loomed large in the newest Cobra Kai season, which is igniting all sorts of feelings for the beloved character and the man who portrayed him, Pat Morita. The legend himself is now getting the deep-dive treatment in a new documentary, More Than Miyagi, and the above trailer is … a lot. From his early childhood battle with debilitating spinal tuberculosis to his struggles with substance abuse, this movie promises to keep the emotions running high with interviews and anecdotes not only from Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, and Martin Kove but also Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler and others who supply memories from Morita’s stand-up comedy days, including another legend you may have heard of, Tommy Chong.

In other words, prepare to laugh, but also: get the tissues ready. Morita’s journey will soon be available for both younger and older generations to take in with this doc, which runs a cool 89 minutes. From the synopsis:

The Oscar-nominated actor best known for his role of “Mr. Miyagi,” left behind a painfully revealing autobiographical record of his much-too-brief time here on Earth, tracing his journey from being bed-bound as a boy to the bright lights and discrimination in Hollywood. Deep inside that sweet, generous, multi-talented performer seethed an army of demons, that even alcohol and drugs couldn’t mask.

Directed by The Karate Kid enthusiast Kevin Derek, More Than Miyagi will be available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and the like on February 5.

A common refrain we’re hearing from politicians and pundits who insist on denying current reality is that leadership right now needs to focus on “lowering the temperature.”

You know, in case a violent mob decides to storm the Capitol or something.

From lawmakers the past couple of days:

“Trying to impeach a President with less than 10 days left in office is the worst way to lower the temperature in our country. If Democrats say they want unity, this isn’t the way to show it.” – Congressman Ted Bud (R-NC)

“I’ve reached out to President-elect Biden today & plan to speak to him about how we must work together to lower the temperature & unite the country to solve America’s challenges.” – House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

“I am opposed to yet another impeachment of President Trump by Nancy Pelosi that will further inflame tensions in America. We need to lower the temperature and unify Americans behind issues we can all agree on.” – Congressman James Comer (R-KY)

And watch Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade use the same language:

I’m not sure where these talking points come from, but there’s clearly a deliberate message that we all just need to calm down and not do anything that might result in incensing a violent mob.

You know, like the one that already stormed the Capitol.

It feels a bit like these folks don’t really comprehend what is happening in their own country and haven’t digested the gravity of what just happened. So that we’re all clear on where we are, let’s take stock real quick:

Insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol last week while both houses of Congress were in session. They broke windows, doors, and furniture and left urine and feces in hallways and offices. They killed a police officer with a fire extinguisher, beat another with flag poles, and put more than a dozen Capitol officers in the hospital. They appeared ready to take lawmakers hostage with flex cuffs and chanted about hanging the vice president. They even constructed a gallows on Capitol grounds—and they did it all in the name of keeping Trump in power.

Trump has spent the two months since the presidential election claiming that the election was rigged, stolen, fraudulent, and/or unconstitutional. He has lobbed and relobbed baseless allegations that have repeatedly been debunked. He has encouraged his supporters to “stop the steal” and “save America” from the “Radical Leftist Democrats.” It’s been lie after lie, and when you mix those lies up with the quacko conspiracy theories pushed by QAnon—which the president has never denounced, only saying that its deranged adherents “love America”—you end up with a mob of people who think and that it’s their patriotic duty to attack the seat of democracy and embarrass the nation on the world stage as they act out their tyrannical government overthrow fever dreams.

The absurdity of the insurrection somewhat masked the seriousness of what we witnessed. But anyone with the slightest understanding of civics should know that a violent storming of the U.S. Capitol is not a sign that things are getting too hot. It’s a sign that we’re already on fire.

Imagine standing in front of a burning building and saying, “We just need to figure out how to lower the temperature.” Um, no. We need to put the fire out. Now. Quickly. By whatever means we have available to us.

The time for “lowering the temperature” was months ago. And the way to lower the temperature was to tell the American people the truth about the election results and to move forward with a peaceful, orderly transition. The reason the temperature got so high in the first place is because opportunistic politicians and right-wing media allowed fringe conspiracy kookiness into the mainstream when they realized how easily and eagerly their voters and viewers embraced it, and because we have a president who fans the flames of prejudice.

Calls for lowering the temperature and uniting the country fall flat when a significant portion of the country believes one candidate literally stole the presidency from the other, and when continued lies, misinformation, and impassioned rhetoric have already ignited the flame of insurrection. At this point, it’s too late to lower the temperature. We have to actually put out the fire now. What does that look like? How about telling the truth and uniting around the fact that the violent storming of the Capitol only happened because a dishonest president of the United States can’t admit defeat. That’s a good start.

What could be more unifying than a unanimous, bipartisan statement of the objective facts? Biden is the rightful winner of the election according to everyone who actually has the authority to determine that’s the case. On top of that, the U.S. does not unite with or negotiate with terrorists. The U.S. does not tolerate coup attempts. The U.S. does not abide by sedition and insurrection. This is why people who serve in our government and military take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Congress was literally in the middle of a constitutional duty when domestic enemies sent them into hiding. The storming of the Capitol was literally an attack on the Constitution.

Just because those who did it see themselves as patriots and not seditionists doesn’t make it true. Just because they believe they are “saving America” doesn’t mean that they actually are. Just because they say they support the Constitution doesn’t mean they know what that means. Just because they carry the flag doesn’t mean they’re actually defending what it stands for.

What we witnessed was a violent mob co-opting the symbols of our nation, mixing them with the language and symbols of white supremacy and those of their dear leader, and attempting to overthrow an entire branch of the federal government. If that’s not the most disgusting attack on democracy that we’ve seen in modern history, I don’t know what is. And they are still threatening more violence to keep Trump in power.

When a house is on fire, you don’t need to lower the temperature. You need to put out the fire, and you need to do it now.