Category: News

Last June, before Robinhood became embroiled in the GameStop stock surge, the investment trading app was implicated in the death of 20-year-old Alex Kearns of Massachusetts. Due to a series of errors, the investment app led Kearns to believe he owed $750,000 on a risky stock bet, and the young man received an email demanding an immediate $170,000 payment. When Kearns attempted to reach customer service, all he received was a canned reply that his issue would eventually be looked into, but he should anticipate a delay in response. Fearing that he’d just ruined his life and his family’s finances, Kearns committed suicide. He left behind a note blaming Robinhood for failing to protect a kid who was barely out of high school and placing him in a precarious position that an amateur trader should have never been in.

Compounding the tragedy is the fact that Kearns wasn’t in debt. Had a Robinhood customer service rep gotten back to him sooner, Kearns would’ve been informed that his options were covered. He was notified by email a day after his suicide. While Robinhood has applied some protections following Kearns’ death, his family doesn’t believe the app has gone far enough and has a filed wrongful death lawsuit. News of the suit arrives after Robinhood ran a Super Bowl ad to pull in new users amid their ongoing backlash. Via CBS News:

“We don’t want another family to go through this,” said his mother.

Alex will never know that he likely didn’t lose money on his Robinhood trades. If he had cashed in other options he’d purchased, his lawyers said, he may have even made a profit.

“The information they gave him was just incredibly skewed. And possibly completely wrong, because they make it look like you owe $730,000 when you really don’t owe anything,” said Benjamin Blakeman, one of the Kearns family attorneys. “That could panic just about anybody.”

In light of Kearns’ death, the state of Massachusetts filed a formal complaint against Robinhood in December for its “gamification”of stock trading that is a “deliberate” attempt to lure in young, inexperienced users. In a statement to CBS News, Robinhood denied the state’s claims. “We disagree with the allegations in the complaint by the Massachusetts Securities Division and intend to defend the company vigorously.”

(Via CBS News)

The fifth episode of WandaVision was widely hailed as the best yet in a very unusual and ambitious piece of Marvel product. But surely the most astounding — and meme-able — moment came at the end: Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda opened the front door of her ‘80s suburban home only to find her dead brother Pietro. Only catch? He wasn’t played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. It was Evan Peters, who took the equivalent role — which is to say speedy Quicksilver — in Fox’s X-Men movies.

It’s a cool idea, one that brings back a dead character in not just a playful way but in a meta way, too. After all, that controversial Fox merger does mean Marvel characters previously cordoned off in that studio’s pen, like Peters’ Quicksilver, are now free to hobnob with the ones in the Disney wing. But getting Peters to do WandaVision wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

“We loved the idea of [bringing him back],” head writer Jac Schaeffer explained to Marvel.com. “And then we were like, how in the world are we going to make this make logical sense? Like, how do we justify this? Because that’s the thing, you can hatch a million great ideas, but to make them land, to make them be grounded, to make them feel organic to the larger story.”

The solution? Because WandaVision is in part a parody of sitcoms across the decades, they could poke fun at an old sitcom trope: the sudden arrival of a relative who suddenly appears, creating trouble. (It also ribs the TV cliché of recasting roles with no explanation — although at least on WandaVision, one of the SWORD characters, upon seeing Peters’ Pietro, wonders aloud if Wanda, who seems to be in control of this sitcom netherworld, “recast” him.)

Luckily, Peters was extremely game for the recasting, as was MCU honcho Kevin Feige, who Schaffer says, “wanted to make sure that there was a reason for it, that it made sense.” Of course, we’ll see where they go with this kooky idea in Episode 6.

(Via Marvel.com)

Tierra Whack is back, but rather than capturing fans’ attention with colorful, surrealist videos and heartfelt, biographical sing-alongs about hating dating in LA, she’s gone back to her Philadelphia battle rap roots, posting a series of tongue-twisting freestyles over classic beats to Instagram. Whether this constitutes part of an album rollout, lyrical exercise, or her convention-breaking tape on the sort of 2000s blog era promo mixtapes rappers put out between albums, it’s been impressive to watch her spit unadorned, egotistical bars of the type that were once hip-hop’s bread and butter.

Previously, she flexed an impressive flow over Ludacris’ 2003 Chicken-N-Beer single, “Stand Up.” Then, just days later, she returned to our Instagram timelines with a verse over Onyx’s 1995 All We Got Iz Us standout, “Last Dayz.” Some hip-hop heads may remember it as one of the backing tracks in the climactic battle sequence of Eminem’s film debut 8 Mile. Others may remember “Last Dayz” for being one of hip-hop’s most beloved tracks to sample as an early example of hardcore hip-hop at its most menacing. However, after this, it may be remembered fondly on commemorative T-shirts, because Whack absolutely slaughters the beat like a 1980s horror film slasher.

Check out the video below, and stay tuned to Tierra Whack, because something tells us she has more up her sleeve.

When it comes to whisk(e)y in the US, the standard alcohol content is typically around 40% ABV (80 proof). For many drinkers that’s more than enough, but if you’re a fan of more robust, potent, warming whisk(e)y iterations, you’ll likely want something stronger. We’re talking cask strength, barrel proof, or full proof expressions.

In most cases, after a barrel of whiskey is finished aging, water is added to dilute it and lower its alcohol by volume. In a cask strength/ barrel proof expression, water isn’t added. Instead, the whiskey is bottled at the proof it reached during maturation. This means the whiskey will typically end up between 50% and 75% alcohol by volume. Full proof is slightly different — it allows the distiller to return the final spirit to the proof it was when it entered the barrel as hot juice.

Since February’s chill calls for warming whiskeys, we’re going to enjoy our fair share of cask strength and full proof expressions while we eagerly await spring. To find the best, we went to the experts — asking a handful of our favorite bartenders to tell us the best high proof whiskeys to track down this winter.

Weller Full Proof Bourbon

Cari Hah, formerly bar manager at Café Alcove in Loa Angeles

Weller Full Proof. Flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, oak, caramel, and honey on the nose as well as the tongue. The gentle sweetness of the taste tempers the heat of the proof. The flavor crescendos through the mid-palate and lasts long into the finish.

Beautiful whiskey.

ABV: 57%

Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon

Demetrëa Dewald, lead bartender at Bar Mateo at Zinc Café in Los Angeles

Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon is an extremely smooth cask-strength whiskey. In my opinion, this bourbon makes the perfect old fashioned. Its caramel and vanilla sweet notes combined with the extra kick from being 100 proof leads to a perfectly balanced cocktail with subtle woody afternotes.

ABV: 50%

Jack Daniels’ Single Barrel, Barrel Proof Whiskey

Alex Tack, bartender at Rex 1516 in Philadelphia

My personal favorite is Jack Daniels’ Single Barrel, Barrel Proof. My reasoning is almost entirely due to it being such a pleasant surprise. I don’t especially care for Old No. 7 — I find it cloyingly sweet. Their single barrel expressions are much more oaky, dry, and complex. The addition of alcoholic heat from the cask aging adds an additional tier.

I’m naming this almost entirely because I like it so much more than I thought I would. It’s great with a few drops of water added.

ABV: 66%

Stagg Jr. Bourbon

Andy Printy, beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis

Stagg Jr. AKA Son of George. T. Stagg is the champion of cask strength expressions. Various proofs and profiles are expressed in each release. The heat reminds you of the territory you’re exploring, but the toffee and cinnamon finish is what really takes your breath away.

ABV: 67%

Booker’s Rye

Sean Ebbitt, owner and bartender at Bluegrass Tavern in Lexington, Kentucky

For me, my favorite cask strength is Booker’s Rye. This Rye was a limited release in 2016 and packs a punch, so it’s not for everyone. But if you like spicy Ryes and higher proof whiskeys this one will not disappoint. At 136 proof and aged for 13 years and 1 month it’s full of strong flavors of cinnamon, pepper, oak, and a hint of orange.

ABV: 68.1%

Michter’s US-1 Barrel Strength Rye

Gavin Humes, bartender at Scratch|Bar & Kitchen in Encino, California

Don’t tempt me with a good time, there are too many great choices for a cask-strength whiskey for me to ever turn one down. That said, the Michter’s US-1 Barrel Strength Rye is probably my favorite at the moment. The spicy notes prominent in rye are present, but it still has plenty of butterscotch and caramel notes to balance.

I prefer with just a small splash of water to really let the flavors shine.

ABV: 51.5%

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon

Courtney Cantrell, bartender and assistant manager for Old Hickory Whiskey Bar in Pensacola, Florida

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon from Heaven Hill Distillery will always be my number one barrel strength whiskey. What I view as one of the best values on the market, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof provides you with the perfect full-bodied level of oak and toasted marshmallow on the palate, but is not overpowered by ethanol on the nose — which most cask strength whiskeys struggle with.

ABV: 63.6%

Writer’s Picks:

Aberlour A’bunadh

In the last few years, this cask strength Scotch whisky has gained a bit of a cult following. It’s well deserved with its rich sherried, butter cookie, and caramel flavors. It’s so refined and complex you won’t even notice the high alcohol content.

ABV: 59-61%

Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength

If you already enjoy the briny, band-aid-like, peaty, magical flavor of regular Laphroaig 10, you’ll love the cask strength version. It’s high in alcohol and equally high in flavor.

Drink it neat and drink it slowly.

ABV: 57-59%

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Bourbon

If you’re looking for a brash, bold barrel proof bourbon, you’re looking for Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof. It’s uncut, unfiltered, and filled with creamy caramel, charred oak, tobacco, and candied orange peel flavors perfect for your favorite whiskey-based cocktail.

ABV: 58.4%

Just five years ago, comedian Samantha Bee left her post at The Daily Show to headline her own late-night talk series, an experiment in feminist-minded satire and sketch-comedy that disrupted the boys’ club grandfathered in by the Lettermans and Carsons and Lenos of the old days. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee borrowed the parody and sharp commentary of its host’s roots and put a fresh spin on both, framing coverage of politics and news from an unconcernedly female gaze with the kind of bold comedy other network offerings balked at.

Half a decade of Full Frontal has given late-night comedy plenty of gifts – mostly in the form of inventive Ted Cruz digs – but we’ve done the hard work of curating 10 of the most hilarious takedowns by Bee and her crew. These segments and skits uncovered corruption, mocked political power players, marveled at peoples’ stupidity, and gave us colorful options for insulting a megalomaniac in chief but they’re all funny and informative … and worth another watch.

A Jeb In Winter (2016)

Most critics would point to the show’s excellent deep dive into rape kit backlogs as its defining moment but this gem, airing fairly early in the series’ tenure, feels like the kind boundary-pushing political commentary Full Frontal should do more of. It asked a simple question: How can we use comedy to make the flaccid presidential campaign of Jeb Bush seem even more humiliating and sad? The answer: Hire a Warner Herzog impersonator to narrate Bush’s meagerly-attended New Hampshire rally like it’s a low-budget sequel to Cave of Forgotten Dreams. The best part? Bush’s own constituents deliver the skit’s harshest burns.

Crisis Pregnancy Centers (2016)

Another masterclass in crafting a political parody that packs a punch — so much alliteration, aren’t we fancy? — this sketch sported a surprise guest, Patton Oswalt. Doing his best Orson Welles impersonation, Oswalt walks fans through the gynecological grift of these fake abortion clinics that manipulate and gaslight women into carrying pregnancies to term, even when they don’t want to. Bee plays a Bible-thumping OBGYN in the skit that pulls inspiration from Welles’ early 70s docudrama, F is for Fake, and it’s so cinematically crafted, we can’t imagine the iconic director would find fault with it.

A Full Frontal Investigation: Trump Can’t Read (2016)

Sometimes Bee would merely comment on the news and sometimes, she created it. Case in point: this ridiculous segment that raised a harrowing question no respectable news agency was willing to confront. Not only did Bee manage to make the link between Trump’s alleged illiteracy and 90s TV heartthrob Jordan Catalano, but she also launched a conspiracy theory that had legs. After all, no one just naturally hates teleprompters enough to launch a full-scale war on them in the middle of a presidential campaign. There’s more to it than that. Pete Davidson knows what we’re talking about.

The NRA Is A Cult (2018)

Revisiting this metaphorical flogging feels a bit sweeter now that America’s number one gun cult has been forced to file for bankruptcy. We’re not saying Bee’s late-night segment heralded the NRA’s demise, but we’re not not saying that either. Not only did this investigative bit of journalism uncover evidence of Mike Huckabee’s musical career — video footage probably best left unseen — it also managed to draw the dots between Scientology and the NRA and sneak in a Tom Cruise short joke for good measure.

Sam Sits Down With Trump Supporters By The Sea Shore (2016)

This segment makes our list for the sole fact that Bee was able to keep her cool, and even crack a few jokes, while interviewing a group of college-aged Trump supporters who, at one point, accused her of “trickle-down media whoredom.” Also, the fact-checker hyperventilating in a corner while these tool bags had their white supremacist cocktail hour was a nice touch.

Sexism In Country Music (2020)

This segment opens with a vintage video clip of Reba McEntire explaining how she snacked on bull testicles as a child and just gets better from there. Correspondents Sasheer Zamata and Amy Hoggart have a good rapport and manage to recruit even non-country fans into this fight against blatant sexism within the industry. If only they could agree on a slogan.

We Need To Talk About Stephen Miller (2018)

Look, Stephen Miller’s ever-receding hairline is terrifying but you know what’s even more nightmarish than his clear desire to look like some kind of racist Voldemort in a Brooks Brothers suit? His ability to convince the president of the United States to co-op his nationalist agenda. Well that, and his strange crusade against janitors.

Abortion Texas-Style (2016)

Full Frontal has a way of making women’s health interesting and relatable, even to those who don’t have a uterus (gasp, isn’t that a swear word?). In this deep dive into the ridiculously strict rules placed on medical providers who offer abortion services within the state, Bee borrowed a bit of what she learned from her stint on The Daily Show to let Republicans (and ill-equipped Democrats) metaphorically hang themselves with their own idiocy rope. Also, she put a shark head on an RBG impersonator and let them dance while she did it.

Using Deep Fakes For Good (2019)

During her “Not The White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” Bee introduced the very real threat of deep fakes, the tech that can impose images and is being used for everything — but mostly, ya know, porn. As terrifying as this digital mutation is, it’s nothing compared with the visual of Nick Cage’s face plastered onto Sam Bee’s body.

Rape Kit Backlog (2016)

This is probably Full Frontal’s most recognizable skit and for good reason. Not only does Bee appropriately skewer the bureaucracy that allows states to discard backlogged rape kits like they’re some kind of justice-smothering Marie Kondo, but she also slams a female senator from Georgia who’s consistently killed bills trying to fix the problem. Oh, and she explains what actually constitutes rape incase you’re some bumf*ck sheriff in Idaho who’s having problems understanding the nuances of consent.

For months, fans have been calling for an examination into Britney Spears’ conservatorship with the viral hashtag #FreeBritney. Much of the movement culminated last November when Spears eventually lost a court appeal to have her father removed as a conservator. But the recent New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears now takes a closer look at the pop star’s life, career, and legal battles.

After the film was released on Hulu Friday, musicians are offering their public support for the singer, calling out the “misogyny” that Spears faced throughout the documentary. Rico Nasty offered her support of the #FreeBritney movement over the weekend, saying, “Like what the actual f*ck are y’all doing to that woman.”

Kacey Musgraves shared a similar sentiment. Sharing a photo of Spears to her Instagram Stories, Musgraves urged her listeners to watch the documentary. “Never has one person been so used and abandoned by every facet around her,” Musgraves wrote. “My heart goes out to her. She has always been such an inspiration to me my whole kid/teen life. Wish she could get a re-do.

Hayley Williams also shared her two cents about the film. The singer mentioned the “literal torture” Spears was seen enduring throughout the documentary. “no artist today would have to endure the literal torture that media/society/utter misogynists inflicted upon her,” Williams wrote. “the mental health awareness conversation, culturally, could never be where it is without the awful price she has paid.”

Sam Smith supported Williams’ words.

Many musicians showed their support for Spears following the film but Chika’s frustration was specifically targeted at Justin Timberlake. “After watching this Britney Spears doc, I’m realizing (for the millionth time) how sh*tty Justin Timberlake has been towards women,” she said.

See artists like Hayley Williams, Chika, Rico Nasty, and more react to Framing Britney Spears above.

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

Plenty of kids dream of being wrestlers or rappers when they grow up. Usually, real-life gets in the way and those dreams evolve. However, for Bow Wow, he lived one of those dreams to the fullest when he was a little kid. With two decades of industry-shaking hits behind him, the named Shad Moss is now considering his next steps — and it looks like he wants to revisit those childhood fantasies in a very real way.

That’s right: Bow Wow wants more than anything else to be the WWE Champion. He also seems aware of far fetched it sounds; he’s a compact 5’7, but he was quick to point out one of his heroes who had great success in the ring despite his small stature: Rey Mysterio. “Now I know this might sound crazy,” he tweeted. “After I drop my last album. I will focus on tv and film, and joining the @WWE. It’s been a lifelong childhood dream to wrestle in the WWE!!!!” He also posited his dream title match: Himself and Mysterio against all comers.

His declaration drew mixed responses from the wrestling community. WWE’s Isaiah “Swerve” Scott seemed enthused, replying, “YOOOOOOOO bring the gawd over to the CWC!!! LEGGO.” The NXT Cruiserweight Championship is a division for wrestlers under 200 lbs. — perfect for the undersized Bow Wow to flex his abilities. Bronson Reed replied, simply, “Welcome.”

However, T-Bar, a newer addition to the WWE roster, undercut Bow Wow’s dream, saying, “It doesn’t sound crazy. It is crazy. Don’t make us destroy you.” He also twisted the knife, taking a dig at Bow Wow’s filmography as well as throwing in a callback to one of Shad’s many embarrassing social media moments. “Also Like Mike sucked,” he jabbed. Bow Wow remained unshaken, good-naturedly returning some of the trash-talk, boasting that “Like Mill is more legendary than you will ever be,” and seemingly accepting his unofficial first challenge.

The situation is remarkably similar to one between another rapper-wrestler duo. In 2018, Open Mike Eagle’s back-and-forth spat with Ohio Valley Wrestling’s Shiloh Jonze resulting in a match featuring wrestling icon Mick Foley. Could something similar be happening here, with Bow Wow’s exchange with T-Bar acting as an early promo, or is the Ohio rap legend — yes, he’s a legend — about to work himself into a shoot? He’s been “retiring” for nearly five years so take everything with a grain of salt, but stay tuned — which was probably the point of all this in the first place.

9-1-1 (FOX, 8:00pm) — Warm up to tonight’s mayhem with the franchise’s flagship series investigating a murder that went down during a neighborhood block party. There are secrets and a bomb threat, and of course, that’s only the beginning.

9-1-1: Lone Star (FOX, 9:00pm) — Next up on the Rob Lowe-starring spinoff, things get sexy and awkward, which is either the best type of awkward or the worst type of sexy, or both. Grace ends up rescuing a dominatrix and her slave, who find themselves in a compromising situation. A disastrous wedding is also a focus for the team.

Snowpiercer (TNT, 9:00pm) — Melanie’s got her most dangerous mission so far in the works, and Layton is wrestling with his personal choices. This season’s introduction of Sean Bean causes the series to gain momentum, so the time is right to join the ride.

30 Coins (HBO, 9:00pm) — A magical fog, a sinister new priest, and a glass box make the conspiracy all the more frightening, but now, Vergara and Elena have their hands on the coin.

The Investigation (HBO, 10:00pm) — This Scandinavian limited drama series follows the real-life investigation into the 2017 murder of a Swedish journalist (Kim Wall) in what became one of Danish history’s most notorious criminal cases (aptly dubbed the “Submarine Case”). This is a homemade submarine (?), apparently, and the series hails from Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director Tobias Lindholm (A War, Mindhunter). This week, rumors and theories and constant pressure are building.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Queen Latifah, Steven Yeun

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Dave Grohl, Joel Kinnaman, Foo Fighters

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Salma Hayek; Owen Wilson; The Weeknd

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Bill Burr, Justin Harley

In case you missed these recent picks:

Wandavision: Episode 4 (Disney+ series) — Marvel fans were thrilled to tip their hats to Kevin Feige for what’s easily the best episode of the series so far. Watch out for that brutal Easter egg and a sort-of Full House vibe, but only because “Olsen” and “twins.”

More Than Miyagi (Streaming on VOD platforms) — The The Karate Kid films would never have translated with a lesser Miyagi actor than Noriyuki “Pat” Morita. He was Oscar-nominated for the first film, and as Ralph Macchio reveals in More Than Miyagi (a new Love Project Films documentary), his one Morita-centered regret is not being able to walk the awards red carpet with his friend. Cobra Kai fans will also love this film full of revelations from an impressive assembling of Morita’s well-known co-stars, all of whom express nothing but love and respect for an icon.

Malcolm & Marie (Netflix film) — Zendaya and John David Washington are getting “achingly romantic,” not to mention dramatic, in this black-and-white film shot during lockdown. Sam Levinson directs and Marcell Rev is on cinematography, so the film looks achingly beautiful as well. Washington’s character is celebrating his movie premiere, and Zendaya portrays his girlfriend, and something goes wrong once they return home with revelations flying and their love put to the test. Levinson meant to send an ode to the Hollywood romances of yesteryear with this one, so Happy (early) Valentine’s Day.

Future has always been one of the most stylish rappers in the game, whether it’s making shoes himself like his collaborations with Reebok, or just adopting a new style before the rest of the world even knows it exists. He’s on track with the latter this week by sporting a pair of “Birkinstocks” which is exactly what it sounds like, a pair of Birkenstock sandals remixed and reimagined with the leather from deconstructed Birkin bags.

Earlier today the rapper posted himself sporting the shoes in a multi-slide grid post on Instagram, the ultimate billboard for a new brand looking to break into the hip-hop and style worlds. Designed by the tongue-in-cheek MSCHF collective, the shoe are because of the interplay between the low-brow, granola-hippie association of Birkenstocks, and the highbrow, ritzy nature of Birkin bags. ”

The shoes are also featured in The New York Times today, who previously featured MSCHF’s work when they dropped “Jesus shoes,” aka sneakers filled with real holy water. Clever! I get it. According to the Times, MSCHF are “the Banksys of consumer culture” and this project is simply another unapproved collaboration the brand concocted to push the envelope. “Birkin bags are like a cultural meme, a symbol for a certain kind of wealth,” said one of MSCHF’s creative directors, Lukas Bentel.

According to Complex, the pair Future is wearing cost $48,000, and the sandals range from $34,000 to $76,000. For those following along at home who are currently due to an economic crisis and want to go the more traditional route, I highly recommend the original Birkenstock, which never run more than about $150 a pair.

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon just lined up his next big animated series as part of his new exclusive deal with Fox. The new adult-oriented show will be set in Ancient Greece as a family comprised of humans, god, and monsters attempt to run the world’s first city without destroying everyone and everything in the process. Via Variety:

“Leave it to Dan Harmon to turn the mythos of early Greek civilization into remarkably sharp commentary on today’s politics, celebrity and pop culture,” said Michael Thorn, president of entertainment for Fox Entertainment. “This project is an incredibly irreverent family comedy as told by one of the town’s most inventive storytellers. We are proud to be partnered with Dan on this series, which strengthens our hold on the animation space.”

The currently untitled Ancient Greece series is only just getting off the ground and has yet to lock down a voice cast, so don’t look for it to hit Fox until sometime in 2022. In the meantime, despite signing an exclusive broadcast deal with Fox, Harmon is still hard at work at delivering more Rick and Morty for Cartoon Network. In fact, he revealed back in October that the pandemic has actually made the show even more on schedule, which presumably came as a shock to fans who are used to waiting a long time between Rick and Morty seasons.

“It kind of makes you have to focus on the whole process when you don’t have this office environment anymore,” Harmon said during a PaleyFest panel. “Everyone has to run this bee colony remotely, so the honey just gets made more consistently. It’s working for us.”

(Via Variety)