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While tribalism, nationalism, and xenophobia have all been on the rise across the globe for the last several years, hip-hop has seen its own corresponding rise in xenophobic sentiments in recent weeks, with multiple prominent figures of the culture getting censured by the public after sharing anti-Semitic views. The latest to join this growing list of rap icons is British grime MC Wiley, who spent over ten hours railing against the Jewish community on Twitter, sharing videos, memes, and photos which propagated long-disproven stereotypes and misconceptions.

What started with Wiley trying to make a point about record deals and ended up far afield from where it began. Initially, it seemed he was offering useful advice to up-and-coming artists. “A record deal is not to benefit you,” he wrote. “It’s to make the person who gave you the advance rich as hell while you take 17 or 18 % of net profit after costs.” Fair enough.

But then, his next tweet indicated the position he’d be taking, several miles away from the rails. “If you work for a company owned by 2 Jewish men and you challenge the Jewish community in anyway of course you will get fired,” he tweeted. He may have been referencing Nick Cannon’s recent excommunication from Viacom after an anti-Semitic discussion on his podcast. But soon enough, he was off on a long-winded rant, similar to the one conducted by Ice Cube a few weeks ago, in which he shared the views that had been shaped by both negative experiences and anti-Semitic propaganda throughout the years.

Among some of the other tweets, he accused Jewish people of controlling the world, denounced Israel, and repeated the assertion that Jewish people had taken advantage of Black artists in the music business. While some of his followers tried to talk sense into him others, unfortunately, sent words of affirmation. As of press time, he’s still going. We won’t repost his conspiracy theories here, because they don’t warrant repeating, but the number of rappers who have embraced these conspiracies is concerning — especially after months of civil disobedience aimed at bringing about true justice and peace.

Back in 2018, voters in Florida approved an amendment that would automatically restore voting rights to individuals who had been convicted of felonies and served their time with a handful of exceptions. Almost immediately upon its inception, politicians began to add hurdles to the rule, and while a judge ruled earlier this year that one such pay-to-vote system was unconstitutional, the state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, has filed an appeal.

One former Florida resident with a passion for voting rights has decided to get involved. In a release, LeBron James’ recently-launched voting rights group More Than a Vote announced that it is teaming up with the Florida Rights Restoration Commission to raise more than $100,000, which will go towards helping those who are disenfranchised due to the actions of Florida’s government by paying outstanding court fees.

Per the release, the funds will be raised off of proceeds from a screening of John Lewis: Good Trouble, a documentary film about the former civil rights leader and member of the U.S. House of Representatives who passed away last week.

More Than a Vote and the FRRC both announced the partnership on their respective Twitter accounts.

James also took to Twitter following the announcement, proclaiming that this law prevents ex-felons from “their constitutional right to vote” and specifically praising Udonis Haslem for his work on this front.

Haslem, a Florida native and James’ former teammate with the Miami Heat who is part of More Than a Vote, said in a statement that “your right to vote shouldn’t depend upon whether or not you can pay to exercise it.” According to Politico, the law disenfranchises up to 775,000 Floridians.

Today at San Diego Comic Con, AMC has finally pieced together its plan for The Walking Dead universe for the rest of 2020. As we have already written, Fear the Walking Dead will return on October 11th at 9 p.m. However, The Walking Dead will return on October 4th at 9 p.m., followed by the spin-off series, The World Beyond at 10 p.m., and Chris Hardwick’s The Talking Dead at 11 p.m. Thereafter, it appears that Fear will air at 9 p.m., followed by The World Beyond and The Talking Dead, essentially setting up a three-hour block of The Walking Dead programming to finish out 2020.

Note I did not say that The Walking Dead “finale” will air on October 4th, because — twist — it will no longer be the finale. At Comic-Con, Angela Kang also announced that, although production has not yet begun, the plan is to add an additional six episodes to season 10, which will air in 2021. It sounds like, instead of jumping to season 11 in its traditional February slot, the series will add additional season 10 episodes in the Spring and, presumably if all goes well, begin season 11 in the fall.

Meanwhile, when season 10 returns, we will get to see Maggie (Lauren Cohan) again, and presumably she will continue on in the extra six season 10 episodes, and we will finally find out how she treats Negan, who killed her husband and burned down her house. First, however, we will have to find out if and how Alexandria dispatches with Beta, and whether season 10 will move into The Commonwealth storyline, or if The Whisperer War and the journey with Princess will be extended.

For Comic-Con, AMC has also released another clip featuring the first minutes of the season 10 finale.

The Walking Dead returns on October 4th.

Back in the Before Times, the Jeopardy! Greatest Of All Time Tournament was a ratings hit that saw Ken Jennings win the crown of best Jeopardy! player in show history. Now the three players involved in the trivia showdown might be joining a reboot of another game show.

According to Deadline, the three Jeopardy! GOAT contestants — Jennings, James Holzhauer, and Brad Rutter — are “in talks” to join a remake of a British game show called The Chase:

Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter are in talks to become “The Chasers” in the unscripted entertainment quiz.

Deadline understands that ABC won the project in a competitive situation and was able to leverage ABC talent to sweeten the deal.

The Chase is a show that pits three contestants against a master trivia expert, who then works to “chase” down the group’s prize fund before it can reach a bank by answering questions correctly. The Jeopardy GOAT Tournament was an exciting display of trivia knowledge, coming on the heels of Holzhauer’s record-setting performance on the syndicated show in 2019. But it wasn’t his first game show Holzhauer actually appeared on. He himself competed on the Game Show Network version of The Chase that aired from 2013-15, dominating The Beast to help win a $175,000 prize for his team. Two seasons of The Chase are on the streaming service Netflix, though Holzhauer’s episode wasn’t included. You can watch part of his performance on YouTube, though, and last year Ken Jennings was brought back by GSN to narrate some shows, including Holzhauer’s appearance.

As Deadline noted, ABC has looked for something to do with its three trivia aces, which delivered big ratings back in January:

ABC’s head of alternative Robert Mills told Deadline in January that he was keen to do more with the GOATs and wanted to find “something that taps into what these guys are.” “Whether it’s something with Jeopardy! or not, certainly I would argue these three guys are the biggest stars in primetime right now, he said. “But you can’t look at this and not acknowledge the impact that they have had over the 20 years and this past week without saying, ‘OK. How do we tap into it’.”

If the show does happen, it’s sure to get some attention. But without Alex Trebek at the helm, it will definitely have a different feel to the action.

[via Deadline]

It’s no surprise that employers often look at job applicants’ social media profiles before hiring them. According to CareerBuilder, 70% of employers “use social media to screen candidates before hiring.”

It makes sense because social media profiles can reveal a lot about someone’s true personality and employers don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.

The Journal of Vascular Surgery did a study where it viewed the social media profiles of 235 medical residents to see if they had “unprofessional or potentially unprofessional content.”

The study found that “One-half of recent and soon to be graduating vascular surgery trainees had an identifiable social media account with more than one-quarter of these containing unprofessional content.”

The paper with a warning: “Young surgeons should be aware of the permanent public exposure of unprofessional content that can be accessed by peers, patients, and current/future employers.”

via Science Direct

At first glance, this study seemed like it was helping graduates with their careers by warning them against social media posts that could get them into trouble. But the study created in a backlash from the medical community because it shamed female doctors.

The major bone of contention that medical professionals had with the study is that the team of predominantly male researchers said that “provocative posing in bikinis/swimwear,” “provocative Halloween costumes,” and “holding/ consuming alcohol” are all inappropriate.

via Dr M / Twitter

There’s nothing wrong with a woman wearing a bikini or anyone having a beer in public, why did the study deem them inappropriate?

The paper inspired female medical professionals to push back against the study by posting shots of themselves in swimwear and imbibing adult beverages under #MedBikini.

Some male allies got in on the hashtag, too.

The backlash prompted one of the authors of the study, Dr. Jeff Siracuse, to apologize for the paper’s framing.

“Our intent was to empower surgeons to be aware and then personally decide what may be easily available for our patients and colleagues to see about us social media,” Siracuse wrote on Twitter.

“However, this was clearly not the result. We realize that the definition of professionalism is rapidly changing in medicine and that we need to support our trainees and surgeons as our society changes without the appearance of judgment.”

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

The Kissing Booth 2 (Friday, Netflix film) — The first installment of this romantic-comedy franchise was objectively bad but immensely popular (and the most rewatched original Netflix film ever), but the upside there is that people need distractions from reality right now, and this movie at least fits that bill. Joey King, Jacob Elordi, and Joel Courtney return with the principal heartthrob now at Harvard. What could go wrong?

Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout (Friday, Amazon Prime movie) — Rosamund Pike disappears into this biopic while bringing Curie back to life and celebrating both her professional and personal lives. Not only did Curie become the first women to win a Nobel, she also lived a rather complicated personal life.

Jim Gaffigan: Pale Tourist (Friday, Amazon Prime comedy special) — The title says everything here. Gaffigan is pale, and he’s traveled the globe while gathering his observations for the stage.

Eullenia (Friday, Amazon Prime series) — This chilling psychological terror show promises to explore the secrets of the 0.001%. It all comes down to the idea that darker urges belong to those who are driven and ruthless enough to be the richest of the rich, and this story of excess and exploitation promises to transfix.

Animal Crackers (Friday, Netflix Film) — Danny DeVito voices a sorry, animated clown, while John Krasinski and Emily Blunt lead the rest of the stellar cast in this story about enchanted animal crackers.

In case you managed to miss these over the past week:

Fatal Affair (Netflix movie) — Get ready for heavy Fatal Attraction and Obsessed vibes with this cautionary tale full of melodrama. Nia Long stars as a wife (Ellie) with a “perfect marriage” to Stephen Bishop’s Marcus, but of course, temptation strikes because (I guess) she’s bored, and the passion has faded. Enter David (portrayed by Omar Epps), who lures Ellie into a passionate encounter, and although her conscience strikes at the last possible moment, it’s far too late to get rid of him.

The Assistant (Hulu Film) — Julia Garner crushes this performance, just like every role that she portrays. Here, she’s a recent college grad in a #MeToo thriller that’s based on the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast): Season 2 (Netflix Original) –The first season of this series stoked the flames of controversy for understandable reasons. This time around, Moritz’s online drug-selling business continues to wreak havoc on his personal life while drug-lord rivals loom large.

Down To Earth: (Netflix series) — Zac Efron’s new travel series won our own Brian Grubb over in 13 minutes flat. Zac travels to Iceland and learns how to “bake rye bread by burying it underground in the piping hot soil that is heated by a nearby volcano,” and I think everyone should be sold by that description.

Fear City: New York vs The Mafia (Netflix docuseries) — The “Five Familes” of the New York Mafia (Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Luccese) get the deep-dive treatment, all the way back to the 1970s and ’80s when the mob was essentially the law in New York. Organized crime was a multi-billion dollar industry at that point, and this series is here to shed light on exactly how deep the mafia’s influence extended. Come for the interviews with law enforcement and ex-mafia associates, and stay for the shocking portrait that’s bolstered by surveillance recordings and reenactments.

Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:

P-Valley (Sunday, Starz 8:00 p.m.) — The girls enjoy (relatively speaking) visits their favorite repeat customers, while Autumn tries out a new look and Uncle Clifford stares down a challenge.

Perry Mason (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — Mason tries to recover from a trial’s shaky start while Kella and Strickland start searching for clues in hopes of an exoneration.

The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Kevin’s having a terrible birthday, Emmett’s striking out for a cannibis run, and Ronnie’s taking care of his grandmother.

I’ll Be Gone In The Dark (Sunday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — This true-crime docuseries is revolutionary, much like the Michelle McNamara book that fueled it. This week, Michelle’s sudden death is crushing, but her work isn’t wasted, not by a long shot.

NOS4A2 (Sunday, AMC & BBC America 10:00 p.m.) — A dark, strong creative’s a danger for all other strong creatives, and as a result, Maggie’s in danger.

Desus & Mero (Sunday, Showtime 11:00 p.m.) — The illustrious guest is Andy Samberg.

The trailer for the sixth season of Fear the Walking Dead was released today during the Fear Comic Con panel. The trailer features footage that has already been shot from the season, which is overlaid with Morgan’s farewell speech at the end of season five. The trailer looks great, although that has been the case in each season of Fear the Walking Dead, and the seasons themselves have not always matched the quality of the trailers.

Let’s get the two biggest questions about season six out of the way. It will premiere on October 11th, although we don’t know how many episodes are set to air. I would guess they will air eight episodes — the first half of the season — before moving onto The World Beyond‘s ten episodes, after which hopefully AMC will have some new episodes from The Walking Dead universe to air.

Question number two: Is Morgan alive? Yes, it appears that he is. Asked by Chris Hardwick during the Comic Con panel what Rick Grimes would think of season six, Lennie James said, “I think that he would be happy to see his friend alive.” James is also directing an episode, and he said he was grateful he didn’t have to act much in that particular episode, which suggests he did have to act more in the others.

The sixth season will also feature a format change. It will be darker than previous seasons, and will operate more like an anthology series. Each episode will focus on a smaller number of characters as they deal with the challenges. Each set of characters will live in separate communities controlled by season 6 villain Virginia. “There will be 16 little movies that fold into each other. No one other show is doing that right now,” Scott Gimple said in the panel. We also discovered that the episode that Lennie James directs will focus on Strand and Alicia.

Meanwhile, we will see Dwight and Sherry together in season six, and not only will there be a time jump, Gimple teased that there could be time jumps, which could take us closer to the existing The Walking Dead timeline.

Fear the Walking returns on Sunday, October 11th at 9 p.m.

Though fans are not allowed inside the NBA bubble in Orlando, the league has said all along that broadcasts would be more innovative and interactive than ever before. Now, we have a bit of insight into how fans can join in on the fun of live NBA basketball once again.

Anyone who’s tuned into the first round of scrimmages this week will have seen the massive video board that sits behind team benches, and the league will use that board to put up 300 live streams of fans who can “digitally interact” using Microsoft’s “Together mode,” according to a press release from the league. Those fans will be visible inside the arena as well as on broadcasts. This is similar to what soccer leagues in the U.S. and abroad have done to involve fans in the action while stadiums are empty.

Here’s a good idea of what that will look like:

In addition, for national TV broadcasts, “more than 30 cameras, including many in robotic form, will be repositioned closer to the court and showcase never-before-seen camera angles in places that are otherwise not accessible with fans in the arena. The league will also use Snapchat virtual reality software and TikTok challenges to involve fans through social media during games.

Few TV duos are as beloved as Breaking Bad’s Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul infused so much life into their respective characters that people still want to follow them on their endeavors outside of the show, even down the rabbit hole that is the celebrity-branded alcohol space. Luckily for Breaking Bad fans, Dos Hombres is actually pretty damn good — the Mezcal just took home the gold in 2020’s London Spirits Competition — so we don’t have to worry about how our own fandom affects our spirits opinions.

Today, fans will have another chance to see the duo share the same screen. And while they won’t be playing Walt and Jesse, or appearing in a Breaking Bad prequel, it’ll still be nice to see the pals interact once more.

Ever the rebels, the Paul and Cranston are hijacking National Tequila Day as a chance to pay tribute to the other agave-infused sprit — Mezcal — in a virtual happy hour on Total Wine’s streaming portal where Cranston and Paul will be making cocktails, hanging out, chopping it up with fans, and showing you the best way to enjoy Dos Hombres Mezcal.

The happy hour is set for today, July 29th, at 6:00pm EST and was announced on the official Dos Hombres Instagram this morning. To join the party, head over to the Dos Hombres Instagram page or register for free at Total Wine.

The culture war between people who hope to spark systemic change that eliminates racism and sexism in society and those who think “cancel culture” is out of control entered a new chapter on Friday with the White House incorrectly mourning the cancelation of a cartoon about dogs who are cops. On Friday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany publicly claimed that President Donald Trump is upset that Paw Patrol has been canceled along with other shows detailing police activity.

“He’s also appalled by cancel culture and cancel culture specifically as it pertains to cops. We saw a few weeks ago that Paw Patrol, a cartoon about cops, was canceled,” she said. “The show Cops was canceled. Live PD was canceled. LEGO halted the sales of their LEGO city police station. It’s unfortunate.”

The problem here is that only some of that was true. While LEGO did stop selling sets and both the long-running Cops and Live PD were canceled amid historic protests against police brutality, the first stated victim of cancel culture simply didn’t happen. The official Paw Patrol Twitter account did say last month that it would pause posting on social media amid the ongoing conversation about race and police relations in America, a pause that has continued into late July.

That’s a long way from taking the children’s cartoon off the air, however, and there’s no indication that Paw Patrol has been canceled despite the White House explicitly saying it was canceled “weeks ago.” A new video game based on the show is on the way, and despite COVID-19 cancelations its live show is still scheduling dates in the future. According to Snopes, it hasn’t left the television airways, despite some parents best wishes.

Snopes has some details about the people who either fell for some social media humor about the subject or simply are spreading misinformation to shock parents about the dangers of cancel culture. Anyway, here’s a coronavirus hand-washing PSA from the pups.

It’s yet another entry into the weird chronicle of experiencing pop culture in 2020. And it seems clear that some misinformation about Paw Patrol under attack made its way into the White House and was believed. Or, perhaps, it’s another case of satirical website The Onion being taken seriously.