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The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony always manages to capture indelible moments, like when The Cure’s Robert Smith had an infamously apathetic response last year to an interviewer’s question about their induction. This year, however, the ceremony will look quite different. Not only will it be held virtually, but it will also take place this month rather than in May — and it looks like the ceremony’s schedule change is now permanent.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame CEO Joel Peresman addressed the shift this week, according to NME. Peresman said that rather than starting the nomination process in September and announcing the new inductees at the beginning of the next year, the entire process will be pushed back several months. “We moved the timing of the ceremony,” he said of this year’s event. “We’re going to move the ceremony permanently so it’s in the fall of each year because of COVID.”

Peresman continued, “We’re also moving the nomination process. Normally, the nomination process starts in September, we announce the nominees in October, and then we announce the inductees in January. This time the nomination meetings will happen in January, so we’ll announce the nominees in February and start that voting process then.”

While the future of live events in the US remains uncertain, Peresman is remaining optimistic about next year. Peresman added that he’s “hopeful by next fall in some form that we’ll be able to get together again.”

Even though the event is virtual this year, the lineup is still stacked with big-name artists. David Grohl will kick things off by announcing this year’s inductees, which includes Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, T. Rex, Depeche Mode, and the Doobie Brothers. Other artists that will make a digital appearance include Diddy, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen, St. Vincent, and more.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony streams on HBO 11/7 at 8 p.m. ET. Watch it here.

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

In the weeks leading up to the election, Michael Keaton has been campaigning hard for Joe Biden and making the case that Donald Trump needs to be removed the office. But this time, the former (and possibly returning) Batman is making his strongest argument yet: the dancing. Make the dancing stop!

If you haven’t seen the viral videos, Trump has been making it a habit of “dancing” at his rallies to YMCA by the Village People, and it’s about as bad as you’d expect. In what could be his final plea before the election, Keaton is asking voters to think about four more years of jiggling, and he’d rather not have that happen. “Please! If for NO other reason,” Keaton tweeted. “Oh God. Can you imagine another 4 years of THIS alone?!!”

You can see a sample of Trump’s dancing below:

Keaton’s tweet arrives on the heels of his latest video urging his home state of PA to “be the hero” and end Trump’s presidency. “Don’t just do it for Joe and Kamala,” Keaton says while wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates hat. “Do it for your little brother, your little sister. Do it for the next generation. Do it for the environment. For justice, for equality. And just to end this insane chaos.”

The actor also isn’t afraid to play the biggest card in his utility belt. During a campaign video from mid-October, Keaton went for the big guns while hoping to entice Pennsylvanians to vote for Biden. “Let’s be honest, I’m frickin’ Batman.” Thanks to Keaton channeling the Dark Knight, the video went viral, and who knows? It might be the nudge Biden needs to take the Keystone State.

In a case of both perfect casting and perfect timing, Hilarie Burton — the real-life wife of Jeffrey Dean Morgan — has reportedly been cast as Lucille on The Walking Dead. Lucille is the wife of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character, Negan, and since these two are married in real life, it works out perfectly for an episode shot during a quarantine.

According to Comicbook.com — the outlet that originally reported the news — work is already underway in Georgia, where Burton will appear as a guest star in one of the six bonus Season 10 episodes scheduled to air in the Spring. This obviously suggests that Angela Kang and The Walking Dead will finally tackle Negan’s origin story and the heartbreaking history behind Negan’s baseball bat, Lucille, depicted in Here’s Negan, a stand-alone volume of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comic.

For those who may have forgotten spoilers from the comics, Lucille is Negan’s late wife, who Negan cheated on pre-apocalypse. He recommitted himself to her when she was diagnosed with cancer. Lucille was in the hospital when the zombie outbreak began. She died from cancer but reanimated as a zombie that Negan had to put down. He ultimately named his signature baseball bat after his late wife.

Hilarie Burton is a veteran actress herself, most famously for her role in One Tree Hill, where she worked alongside Daneel Harris, who would later marry Jensen Ackles, who would introduce Burton in real life to his Supernatural father, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Morgan and Burton have been romantically linked for several years (and have children together), but only got married last October. Burton was also a major presence in shows like White Collar and the television adaptation of Lethal Weapon.

The episode should air in the Spring when The Walking Dead returns for six new episodes.

(Via Comicbook.com)

While the majority of pop culture figures appear to have thrown their weight behind Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, there are a handful of famous folks who have decided to attach themselves to Donald Trump. Lil Wayne and Lil Pump both associated with the president in recent days, for example, as did 50 Cent, although he quickly had a change of heart. Meanwhile, John Legend performed at a Joe Biden rally yesterday, and although he didn’t name names, he did criticize Trump-supporting rappers.

Legend said during a speech:

“Some people see the meanness, the bullying, the selfishness of Donald Trump and they mistake it for strength, a kind of twisted masculinity. Some see his greed and they mistake it for being good at business. Some of your former favorite rappers have been taken in by these lies. I think they even founded a new supergroup, it’s called ‘The Sunken Place.’”

He went on to address Trump’s “Platinum Plan,” and his review wasn’t glowing: “But Trump’s Platinum Plan for Black folks is nothing but fool’s gold, because you can’t bank on a word he says. Ask the students of Trump University. Ask all of the contractors he stiffed. Ask the people his charity was supposed to help before it was shut down for being a fraud. Ask all the Black and brown Americans who are dying from this virus and losing their jobs under his watch. The president isn’t strong: He’s a coward, and his career in business and in government has been failure after failure after failure.”

Check out the full speech above.

If oil companies are gonna jump into the Twitter participation game, they should prepare to be dragged by young politicians who are infinitely more social-media savvy than they are.

That’s what happened to Shell after its official handle posted a poll, quizzing fans on the steps they plan to take to reduce climate-harming emissions as part of a larger energy debate the brand hosted on the social media platform today. Now, we know what you’re thinking — Who would follow a gas company on Twitter? Well, a lot of people, apparently, including House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Of course, as a proponent of the Green New Deal and an eco-minded activist dedicated to solving climate change, it’s AOC’s job to keep an eye on all the sewage from these billion-dollar oil companies. It’s also her job to call them out on it, like she did today, clapping back at Shell by accusing them of lying about their knowledge of fossil fuels contributing to global warming and challenging them to own up to their role in the climate change catastrophe.

AOC also used Shell’s attempt at stirring up some positive PR to address a larger issue of oil companies putting the responsibility of solving climate change on the shoulders of the consumer — as if one person buying a Tesla could somehow fix decades’ worth of massive oil conglomerates mining the Earth for fossil fuels.

It’s just bad optics all-around for Shell, especially during the middle of a presidential election in which the threat of climate change has been a big talking point. We’re assuming they’ve learned their lesson the hard way, but this is a good teaching moment for anyone else — companies and politicians alike — who thinks they can wield social media to their advantage: You better hope a saucy AOC doesn’t stumble across your Tweet.

Little did we know at the time, but this year’s Grammys was one of the last awards shows to be held in person for a while. The night saw countless memorable moments, like when Billie Eilish became the youngest artist to win a Grammy in all four major categories. The ceremony also featured some captivating performances as well. Tyler The Creator was joined by Boyz II Men, Charlie Wilson, and an army of clones for a rendition of Igor tracks “Earfquake” and “New Magic Wand.” Now, offering insight into the set, Tyler has revealed that his original performance plan was more complex.

Tyler stumbled upon his lofty mock-up for his performance and shared it with his fans today. The rapper had sketched out his vision down to the second, and it involved a moving car and custom-made zoot suits. Apparently, Tyler had wanted to pull up on top of a moving vehicle to face the evil head of the imaginary Igor Corp. The rapper would have still summoned his look-alikes to aid in the performance and engage in a scuffle behind his car while he performed

Boyz II Men and Charlie Wilson didn’t end up wearing full-on zoot suits in Tyler’s performance. However, they did still take some inspiration from the rapper’s original vision and sport bright red suits.

Check out Tyler’s original plan above and revisit his actual Grammys performance here.

Black cats. For centuries, they’ve been the target of conflicting reputations. Some say they’re bad luck. Others—sailors and actors, most notably—wouldn’t dream of launching a ship or a theater production without at least one dark-furred kitty along for the ride.

Superstition aside, Leah Lyman–owner of Jagger’s Journey Cat Rescue in Oregon—simply finds them beautiful. She devotes her life to fostering and finding permanent homes for abandoned black cats and kittens. “I rescue them all, but black cats are my top priority,” she says. “Some people are still ignorant about them. The phobia’s out there.”

In early October, I didn’t need another cat. I had two indoor kitties, plus a barn cat outdoors. But I walked into Petsmart in Springfield, Oregon with my 13-year-old daughter and stopped in front of three cages of black kittens and cats on a table. Lyman stood beside them wearing a tee that read “Rich people have brand logos on their shirts. Happy people have cat hair on their shirts.” I introduced myself, trying not to look at the silky four-month old kitten next to me—a carbon copy of my late lamented Alger Hiss.

Over 17 years, first as a volunteer with other rescue organizations and then as founder of her own non-profit, Lyman has pulled wet filthy kittens from canals, rescued flea-infested dehydrated felines, and set her alarm to bottle-feed orphans every four hours around the clock. Last year, she found a cat suffering from a broken jaw, with glue smeared in its eyes and nostrils. “He was nearly dead, but I rushed him to the vet who repaired his jaw and used mineral oil to remove the glue,” Lyman recalls. She syringe-fed the cat, whom she named Damien, and found him a loving permanent home with an elderly woman and her grandson.

Leah Lyman and Jagger, photo courtesy of Rich Cassady Photography

She traces her passion for helping abused animals back to a Southern California childhood spent with an alcoholic father who abused her mother and their pets. The family moved often. “We always had a bunch of animals that I was attached to and we always had to get rid of them or leave them behind,” she explains. “I developed a strong bond with them, regardless.”

After high school, she worked as a show girl in Las Vegas before returning to California. Seventeen years ago, she was volunteering at a Gurrs and Purrs adoption event in Rosemead when someone walked in with a black kitten locked a birdcage. “They’d been keeping him on their front lawn,” she says. “He had a bad respiratory infection, and he was covered in ear mites. We picked off all the mites, and he followed me everywhere. He was the best little cat I’d ever met.”

The cat, Jagger, moved to Oregon with her and an older black kitty 13 years ago, and became the inspiration for her rescue organization. “I saved up all my bartending tips for four years to hire a non-profit lawyer,” she says. “Now I’ve got a circle of people I trust—foster parents, adoption event staff, and an amazing trapper who works with feral cats and kittens. Cats are my world.”

Jagger’s Journey is one of a handful of organizations across the country that specializes in black cat rescue and adoption. There’s also Black Cat Rescue in Boston, and Black Cat Holistic Rescue in Los Angeles. The women behind each agree that cats can be difficult to place in permanent homes. They don’t always show to advantage in adoption pictures, unless they’re photographed in natural light or brightly lit indoors. And superstition–as Lyman points out–persists. “Black cats are less likely to be adopted than other cats,” she says, “though when the movie Black Panther came out, everyone wanted them for a while.”

But that trend has slowed. And so, every Saturday, her cadre of foster parents bring cages of rescued black kittens and cats to an Oregon PetSmart, and she displays them on tables for shoppers to consider adopting. She’s there to answer questions and help potential cat-parents through the application process.

She answers all of my daughter’s questions about the silky black kitten, and then—when I allow that we probably have room in our home and our hearts for another cat—she interviews me extensively about our current pets and our veterinarian and my plans for the kitten if I unexpectedly ascend to that great litterbox in the sky.

“People are starting to consider the underdog,” she says as she approves my completed application and congratulates my daughter on the acquisition of a new friend. “This a lot of work,” she says, “but on the flip side, I see more and more people opening their hearts to black cats.”

Melissa Hart is a writer based in Oregon and the author of Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens

2020 has been a difficult and trying year for many, as the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted millions and millions of lives. In the United States, more than 230,000 people have died due to the coronavirus and complications from it, meaning millions have seen the direct impact of losing someone in their family or a close friend.

Among those is Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, who lost his mother, Jacqueline, to COVID-19 back in April. Towns spoke about his mother’s battle with the virus, which put her in a medically-induced coma prior to her passing, in a video in late March offering a plea for people to take the pandemic seriously and calling for support for medical facilities which were, at the time, facing shortages of PPE, ventilators, and other much-needed equipment.

Since then, Towns has been active in the fight for social justice, marching with citizens in Minnesota after the death of George Floyd, all the while dealing with the devastation of losing his mother, with whom he was extremely close. On Monday night, Towns posted a video to his YouTube channel titled “The Toughest Year Of My Life” in which he sat down for an interview to talk about the weeks that his mother was sick and in the hospital and how he’s tried to deal and cope with the emotions of losing her.

It is a raw account of the most difficult period of his life, as he opened up about everything from making incredibly difficult decisions about how to proceed after she had a stroke to having to call his grandmother to tell her that her daughter had passed. It is something that Towns didn’t have to do publicly, but showing that emotion and explaining how difficult all of it was and still is — he says he simply has to take things day-by-day because how he feels still changes dramatically — is something that can help others that have been dealing with the same things.

There are millions who have lost family members and seeing Towns open up about his grief and how he’s trying to proceed by carrying his mother’s legacy forward is an incredibly powerful thing that can help others recognize they aren’t alone in this and that everyone, even an elite athlete, struggles with the same things on a daily basis and that it’s OK to do so.

Musicians have been tremendously active in the lead-up to this election, more so than any year in recent memory. No matter which way the election goes, it will have a broad impact on the country, and artists have recognized the importance of today. Lizzo has often spoken politically in recent months, and now, on election day, she stripped down to share a powerful message about voting.

She posted a photo of herself in which she wears an American flag jumpsuit that only covers the right half of her body and features flowing arms and legs. In the post’s caption, she writes about her beliefs about the US and its people before ending with a thank-you to people who have voted and will vote today.

Read Lizzo’s full message below.

“When I think of this country I don’t think of its laws I think of its people.

I think about how we were raised to be patriotic of violence, propaganda & war.

I think about how this country is owned by the oppressor and how the oppressed are locked in a valley of capitalism.

But I also think of the young people who refuse to be spoon fed mistruths. I think of the elders who bucked against hateful prejudices even when it felt impossible….

Because of you, I’m still hopeful.

I believe in a country that teaches the true history so we can better understand where we live and how we can do better.

I believe in a country that listens to the cries of the protester and doesn’t politicize death.

I believe in restoration of this beautiful land and respecting the communities of people who owned America before colonizers renamed it.

I believe in fairness, equality, a complete removal of religion in places where it does not belong. Let religion live in the churches and places of worship… the quiet prayer rooms, the joyful congregations.. and out of Congress.

I believe in so much, and if I believe it one day I can see it. It may not be tomorrow it may not be today, but it will be one day if we stay activated.

We the people, ALL the people, deserve it.

Today’s the last day to vote. Stay in line, stay determined and thank YOU for voting.”

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

Election Day 2020 was always going to be a weird one, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted “Star Trek actor scolds former-SportsCenter host for comparing the reality show president to a character in a 1977 TV mini-series.” But if you did, please tell me how tonight goes. I would rather watch the nice chess show, thank you very much.

On Tuesday morning, Keith Olbermann tweeted a clip from Donald Trump’s tired-sounding interview on Fox & Friends, in which the president complained about Fox News being unfair to him. “Yes @realDonaldTrump has always been, will always be, and on the day of his bid for re-election, still is: a whiny little Kunta Kinte,” he wrote.

The comparison between Kunta Kinte, the protagonist of Alex Haley’s novel-turned-miniseries about slavery, and Trump was lost on everyone but Olbermann (and Dennis Miller, probably), who deleted the tweet. “Just logged back in: I apologize for my previous subtweet of this,” he later tweeted. “I was using an old 70’s-80’s technique for calling somebody a c*** without writing/saying c***, just using a sound-alike to call Trump a c***. Deleting previous, largely because this one clarifies the c*** part.” (If you’re going to make a big deal out of saying the c-word, say the c-word. Or better yet, and this would be my suggestion, use another word! Also maybe don’t be a white guy comparing another white guy to a Black slave.) Twitter collectively agreed “nope” to Olbermann’s confusing tweet, but it’s Roots star LeVar Burton who had the best response.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation actor added, “Dear @KeithOlbermann, #Kunta is pronounced with a long “u” as in unity, not a short “u” as in cup. Try again! Love, Kunta.”

It’s going to be a looong Election Day (and night), folks. Hang in there.